BLIZZARD RESPONDS - BLUE POST

[SikSan]

You guys do know its in Sodapoppin's hands, right? The delay is because of him.

Too many coincidences and "oops" and "suspect delays".

At first Kern was to "call M Morhaime directly". Now he has "no plans for calling".

Then the Petition would have been printed out by Monday. Now Kern says "maybe Tuesday".

The video was supposed to be ready from Saturday. Kern was "chargin his camera".

Then the video got delayed and it wasn't even ready by Sunday evening because "Kern is bad at video editing".

Then, when the video was supposedly ready by Monday, instead of uploading it to you tube directly on Monday as was his original plan, Kern didn't and just "mailed it to Sodapoppin".

Sodappopin himself, all of a sudden, is havin a "very bad day" and "nobody knows where he is" and "nobody knows when he will get back".

I suspect someone with a vested interest started showering ppl with $$$$$ left and right in order to halt the petition and release it only when the party with the vested interest chooses to.

We have been sold out for cash.

[Kadmium]

I realise this post will probably be unpopular, but please read it through and consider it. I feel like some of the negative responses here are a bit hasty/knee-jerk, and I honestly feel like some of you guys should think Blizzard's suggestion through a bit further than you have. If Blizzard were to release "hardcore" retail servers, PROVIDED they included the following things:

- Increased world mob HP and damage (especially roaming elites)
- Only one "difficulty" setting (eg. default to Mythic)
- No group finder tools, XP boosts, heirlooms, RAF bonuses etc
- No crossrealm
- No teleporting, only summoning stones
- Other stuff I'm sure I've forgotten but can't remember (also I have to hurry because I'm posting at work)

...then at that point the "feeling" we all miss about old WoW would be back again, on retail, on this server. We would be playing new Legion content with the "feeling" of Vanilla and that would be amazing.

At that point - ASSUMING the Hardcore server can recapture the feeling of danger and adversity we all crave - the only reason to play a Legacy version of the game would truly only be nostalgia. It becomes only a choice between that "feeling" played across old content, or new content.

Given that choice I would resub and play Legion in a heartbeat. I don't continue to play Vanilla and TBC because I want to do Gruul until my eyes bleed, I play because the game feels a certain way...and I *think* you guys feel this way too, don't you?? So the question is, if retail also felt that way, why would you NOT want to play? Just out of stubbornness/spite because we've taken on a "tribal war" mindset and Blizz are the enemy who we must hate at all costs? That's stupid.

Don't forget, if you implemented a "hardcore" server like this, even in current WoD as it is right now:
- No LFD/LFR, so people wouldn't be in their garrisons, they'd be out in the cities looking for groups
- World mob HP and damage would be increased, and no boosts and heirlooms; so levelling and dungeons would be satisfying and hard, and getting to lv100 would be a HUGE achievement
- All the world first races would take place on this server, no other one would be taken seriously (or at least the ones that were obtained on this server would be regarded with much more prestige)
- The old feeling of community, identity etc would return because people would need to build relationships and form guilds and friendships in the old-school way in order to do the content
- Everything would take longer because all of the things that make current WoW so throwaway wouldn't be there anymore

Granted, there are core design issues (eg. gutted WoD professions, garrison follower missions, broken garrison mine/herb garden etc) that cannot be tweaked, but it seems like a lot of these are being changed for Legion anyway. Maybe it'd even be pretty simple for them to just remove the mine/herb garden so you have to go out in the world and farm on this server.

Anyway: this would instantly fix an awful lot that is wrong with current WoW. I can see why they are thinking this way - it's easier to take existing WoW and disable/remove chunks of it than it is to maintain two completely different versions of the game. They also get to fulfil their philosophy of keeping the world moving forward and evolving, which is important to them as a company and should not be belittled by us.

Finally the audience who like WoW the way it is right now (who should also not be dismissed just because they don't find that kind of difficulty enjoyable) get to keep the game *they* love too. Everyone wins.

Or are we all too blinded by elitism (on both sides) and invested in defending our "side" to see how great this compromise could actually be?

Why go with all these ifs and maybes when we know and have the game we love?

You surely don't believe vanilla servers will take more work than vanilla feel pristine servers in which so much has to be modified and fine tuned.

Why not offer both pristine and vanilla? Current players can keep their current wow, vanilla servers won't affect it, different target audience.

Vanilla is ready to go, Nostalrius can be turned back on with one button, under the blizzard banner, if it fails financially within a year or two, shut it down.

The problem isn't pristine servers, the problem is their refusal to offer vanilla servers or let non-for-profit Nostalrius live despite a large demand.

[Keftenk]

The tinfoil hat theory is real.

[Pwnjin]

Blizzard is like 3rd reich with their propaganda. They are telling ppl that they listen to the community and the suddenly talk about pristine realms. blizzard gtfo with your pristine realms, just let 3rd parties to set up legacy servers.

[Duninn]

Since it took Blizzard two weeks to just make a statement, by gauging their current work ethic off that and current content, we should have legacy servers by 2025. I mean seriously, it took them two weeks to write a single response. And it was by the douchebag that told us we didn't want legacy servers in the first place!

[melak]

Since it took Blizzard two weeks to just make a statement, by gauging their current work ethic off that and current content, we should have legacy servers by 2025. I mean seriously, it took them two weeks to write a single response. And it was by the douchebag that told us we didn't want legacy servers in the first place!

Shows how much they care, taking a piss on us by having that douche give the response 2

[Mandrax]

"And while we've looked into the possibility, there is not a clear legal path to protect Blizzard's IP and grant an operating license to a pirate server."

That's bullshit IMHO, its definitely possible and easily doable. Just they don't wish to invest the time and money to do so.

I think the wording here is key. They say there is not a CLEAR legal path, which doesn't mean it's not do-able, they may just have to look into it a bit more closely. The fact they are looking is a huge step forward. Also they talk about a 'Pirate Server'. It can only be a pirate server if Blizzard deem it as such, therefore if it is somehow under Blizzard's umbrella, then it is an official server. The problem they really have is that the entire database is based on Mangos code which essentially IS pirated material, or at least it breaches copyright laws. Using this database and sanctioning it as 'official' could inadvertently give other private servers based on this code the right to operate.

I think that there are issues to overcome, but I don't feel they are insurmountable. We'll have to see how it pans out. I think though that a Pristine Realm is a complete waste of time. Whilst it may appeal to some, for those of us who love Vanilla and TBC and all the great things that were in those versions of the game, a Pristine Realm will not appeal.

[theluda]

There is a clear legal path: sell licenses for their IP. It's fully legal and possible. And I am quite sure this path is being actively evaluated. I do not see where the problem is. Take most companies these days, the are selling licenses for franchises. I do not see McDonalds having issues with licensing their IP via franchising to all the shops. IP is IP.

Once you acquire a license for a private server based on their IP, legality is no longer a question. Would not be surprised to see such an announcement from Nostalrius soon.

[scorpadorp]

I think the wording here is key. They say there is not a CLEAR legal path, which doesn't mean it's not do-able, they may just have to look into it a bit more closely.

I wish that Blizzard could find an agreement similar to how Project 1999 EverQuest private server was allowed to exist legally.

To quote from an article:

"Following a recent shake-up which saw Sony Online Entertainment cut ties with Sony and transform into Daybreak Games, doubts circulated about the legal viability of the project. But thankfully Daybreak Games has given its blessing, according to a statement on the Project 1999 website.

"As some of you may be aware, in the past there has been both confusion and concern over the status of Project 1999," the statement reads. "We have recently entered into a written agreement with Daybreak Game Company LLC that formally recognizes Project 1999 as a fan based, not-for-profit, classic EverQuest emulation project.

"The agreement establishes the guidelines that we as a project must follow, but it will allow to us continue to update the game without risk of legal repercussions."


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So it seems as long as the server is a project that's non-profit, a company can give the project some guidelines to follow and then let them exist without any legal consequence.

Wouldn't this be the optimal solution to negotiate from Nostalrius' side? If they are having direct conversations with Blizzard this could become a reality.

[kiraito75]

I think the wording here is key. They say there is not a CLEAR legal path, which doesn't mean it's not do-able, they may just have to look into it a bit more closely.

I wish that Blizzard could find an agreement similar to how Project 1999 EverQuest private server was allowed to exist legally.

To quote from an article:

"Following a recent shake-up which saw Sony Online Entertainment cut ties with Sony and transform into Daybreak Games, doubts circulated about the legal viability of the project. But thankfully Daybreak Games has given its blessing, according to a statement on the Project 1999 website.

"As some of you may be aware, in the past there has been both confusion and concern over the status of Project 1999," the statement reads. "We have recently entered into a written agreement with Daybreak Game Company LLC that formally recognizes Project 1999 as a fan based, not-for-profit, classic EverQuest emulation project.

"The agreement establishes the guidelines that we as a project must follow, but it will allow to us continue to update the game without risk of legal repercussions."


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So it seems as long as the server is a project that's non-profit, a company can give the project some guidelines to follow and then let them exist without any legal consequence.

Wouldn't this be the optimal solution to negotiate from Nostalrius' side? If they are having direct conversations with Blizzard this could become a reality.

Maybe, why not. But remember that WoW works with subscriptions. Does it changes anything?

By the way, dont blame Mark Kern. We dont know anything. He maybe sent the petition to Mike, or will send. And the video will probably appears. Remember he did several interviews. Dont you think this annoucement from Blizzard in US night, is a coincidence? Mark cant answer, he is sleeping Lets wait. This is just the beginning.