WoW Legacy Server (if only)

With the recent closure of Nostalrius, The development team behind it wrote to blizzard, hoping to raise more awareness of the demand for Legacy realms.

They wrote to Michael Morhaime, president of Blizzard Entertainment and created this petition. Legacy Realms Petition. Which as of posting this, 84000+ people have signed.
Even if you do not sign, the letter alone is worth reading.

Some of the devs did an AMA during the lead up to the server closure. Reddit AMA

It has definitely thrown the issue into the spotlight, that if a team of 30 or so volunteers, can recreate Vanilla wow as close as they can to retail release, entirely non profit, for the love of this version of the game alone, can do this, why aren't Blizzard doing it for profit?

I didn't play on Nostalrius, for the very reason of being shut down being likely, but I would be happy to resub to blizzard if they offered this service.

So I ask you, be you a current or former wow player, IF blizzard did go down the route of Legacy servers for older expansions. (Mods If I could get this made into a Poll, thanks)

Would you,

1. Continue playing as normal, not interested
2. Not come back, I'm done
3. Resub specifically for the legacy servers
4. Play both Legacy and Current.

I'd go on to even say I'd consider paying slightly more in sub fees, if it was required to play legacy realms.
Nostalrius itself, seeing the figures of how many people played, how many turned up on closing night to say goodbye, that it is not simple rose tinted glasses. There is a legitimate demand for the versions of the game that are no longer available.

3. Not played WoW since Cata and if I could go back to a TBC server then I'd jump on in a heart beat.

Sadly Blizzard are unlikely to ever offer this.

It just simply won't happen.

Found this in the AMA, stats of their PvP server alone. One of those info list images, quite long.

PvP server stats

Bare in mind that they had little to no advertising, it was all word of mouth/keyboard.

whats so special about vanilla wow? I did play at launch and some after each expansion but was never hardcore so wonder what all the fuss is about?

It will only happen when WoW becomes a project that is no longer financially viable for Blizzard. But this scenario won't become evident for a LONG time.

They know they have hundreds of thousands, if not millions of fans who all yearn for the vanilla WoW experience once more, I'm definitely one of them. To that end, Blizzard will have another revenue stream sat right there almost a 'backup' based on my first statement.

I could be right, or completely wrong, but regardless let's hope that it happens

Thing was the server code was purely their own, which meant they were not in breech of any copyright, and they wasn't profiting from it. Blizzard couldn't actually do a damn thing.
I can't see why they decided to shut it down instead of telling them to get lost.

They were expecting AQ to be released may / June, not bad for a year. The code may have been their own, but all the models and content were not.

From what I can see, all donations by players went direct to the server hosting company, all GMs and devs were purely voluntary. So it wasn't a financial hit either.

So many great games out there why do people care about some ancient mmo in its primitive state.

2. btw

stopper said:

Thing was the server code was purely their own, which meant they were not in breech of any copyright, and they wasn't profiting from it. Blizzard couldn't actually do a damn thing.
I can't see why they decided to shut it down instead of telling them to get lost.

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I'm sure blizzards lawyers could come up with something.

I would suspect the server secs were not in a financial posistion to fight such a thing anyway.

I don't play wow by it rings true of most online games.

It won't ever happen but if a legacy server was release for Vanilla and/or TBC I would resub tomorrow.

My thoughts are along the lines of TommyV. I would love a chance to play the old expansions they way they were meant to be played; and I thoroughly enjoyed my time on Nostalrius. Blizzard have known the demand for this sort of server / environment for years and have sat on it. When their content stops being fresh and their subscriber numbers really plummet, they'll consider doing it. Until then, not a hope in hell. They like flexing their copyright muscles, which they are perfectly entitled to do. It's just a shame they don't get a little more involved and listen to their community.

stopper said:

Thing was the server code was purely their own, which meant they were not in breech of any copyright, and they wasn't profiting from it. Blizzard couldn't actually do a damn thing.
I can't see why they decided to shut it down instead of telling them to get lost.

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They didn't create the server from nothing, they reverse engineered Blizzard's technology...pretty big difference and it means Blizzard are legally completely in the right here.

NZXT30 said:

So many great games out there why do people care about some ancient mmo in its primitive state.

2. btw

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A thing called fun.

NZXT30 said:

So many great games out there why do people care about some ancient mmo in its primitive state.

2. btw

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https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showpost.php?p=29384326&postcount=124

Since playing retail vanilla wow i have not found a game that comes close to what i have now been given twice from it

My pc can run any game on the market but id alyways bypass Steam for the retail vanilla wow exe

If u havent exp it properly then i cannot explain it for you

mid_gen said:

They didn't create the server from nothing, they reverse engineered Blizzard's technology...pretty big difference and it means Blizzard are legally completely in the right here.

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Blizzzard already sent them a cease and desist, and failed because they had not broken any copyright legisation, their code was 100% ther own work. There was nothing Blizzard could do.
They had to go for the server host, as Mynight said they simply wouldn't be in any financial position to fight such a big company, Sony did some thing similar Lik Sang.

3.

Not played since TBC (bought Wotlk, but barely touched it), but this whole talk surrounding Nostarius has stirred up a strong sense of nostalgia. I would certainly pay to go back and experience the game in its original glory once more.

I have no interested in WoW in it's current state. Zero community, fast travel, jumping in and out of random groups... everything that made the original game world immersive and challenging is gone.

Sadly, I fear it will never happen. Blizzard comment of "you think you want it, but you don't", is one of the most arrogant and disrespectful thing to say to the players which made your company rich. Vanilla/TBC WoW was one of the most popular games of all time.. the game in it's current state is completely different. Why is it so hard to believe people could want the old thing?

NZXT30 said:

So many great games out there why do people care about some ancient mmo in its primitive state.

2. btw

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Tbh there is a distinct lack of great games of this genre out there.

Also, the "Primitive state" you referred to lasted for several years. This was no bug riddled beta. Sometimes evolution is a bad thing.

Souness said:

I have no interested in WoW in it's current state. Zero community, fast travel, jumping in and out of random groups... everything that made the original game world immersive and challenging is gone.

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In a video Jontron posted about Nostalrius shutting, I think he is right in saying that Blizzard became obsessed with adding features over content, things like LFG tool, which at the time of release was mostly used to dodge heroic lockouts by premade groups of 5, but nobody could have seen the long term damage it would cause to the sense of community.

Resubbing for legacy realms only does seem to be the majority opinion from those i've spoken and those posting here. People want to give Blizzard money for this, "You think you wan't this, but you don't", He could not have been more wrong.

The thing that killed a vast proportion of the gameplay and fun in WoW was the introduction of flying mounts.