Comparing the Staff's plans with my dream server
So if I understood well, this is the plan of the staff:
- 1 PvP realm with 5x xp rate, everything else 1x. Coin store with BiS and legendary items after it's in the "farm-state". (maybe another realm with 1x rates and no store.)
- T4-T5-T6 content is available from the begining, you only need attunement quests.
Issues&conclusion:
- Training will be pain, even if you learn only the neccessary spells.
- People will skip 3/4 of Outland because of the high experience rate, it will give zero leveling experience, and so much people running around in Azeroth greens and greys with 0 gold.
- If T6 content will be available the first season will be S3. Zul'Aman and SWP left + S4 season.
Icecrown works because it's WotLK, the same method wont work on a TBC server. I mean it can work, but you can get much more players atm, since there is no big TBC server out there.
The problem is that the leadership wants this server for their own playerbase, and not for the TBC lovers. However, maybe they didnt realise that they are opening an older expansion, and my concfidence is that most of the wotlk, cata and mop players arent fall in love to TBC. So this is why it will fail if they don't change their mind. Even if they launch another server with 1x rates and no shop, it would be too hardcore and it'd also divide the TBC community. They should find the mid-way between the blizzlike fans and the higher rates fans.
So here it is my dream server:
- 2 PvP realms with cross realm bgs and arenas.(maybe 4k cap)
- 4-5x xp rate on Azeroth, 2-3x xp rate on Outland, everything else 1x.
- 30% reduced training cost in Azeroth, normal training cost after reached lv60.
- 60% reduced first mount cost for the Alliance players, avoiding 20-80% ratio
- T4(S1) available in the first 6-8 months at least, so normal progressive realms.
- Coin store available, but no BiS gear at all.
It's not that high xp rated and not hardcore, I think it would be acceptable for everybody. The servers are not overcrowded, the communtiy is not divided. You can buy basic gear, so you can start playing for the BiS immediately. If the prices are fair, I bet they can get enough money to pay their costs. On the other hand, the playerbase is not forced to farm BT and Hyjal and skip the old, nostalgic T4 and T5 contents because of the costs, since buying gear will be reasonable if people know that they will use it for a longer time.
I think this should be nearly the perfect mid-way. It gives the proper experience and benefits.
