Post
by Lazyfrogrobot » Tue Sep 11, 2018 5:28 am
Hi! Longtime RPer on retail WoW, so I'm really looking forward to seeing how this private server will turn out. I can tell you plenty of riveting stories about in character escapades by the fireplace or over a flagon of mead, from Emerald Dream to Moonguard! Roleplaying on WoW has always been a fun experience for me when fully immersed in the world, and no doubt many people trying to RP for the first time will enjoy it very much if they have the opportunity to try it on this private server.
However, there's several things I notice that'll hinder that experience for everybody. I'm here to play devil's advocate so that I can see how Turtle Wow plans to address these questions when they come up. Surely, as the (soon to be) best RP PVE Vanilla WoW server, you ought to be able to answer them all with confidence!
Firstly: the x0.8 leveling rate... I understand that the whole point of this private server is to take things slower to facilitate RP and quest completion, but there are a LOT of things you risk by making the leveling slower. Vanilla WoW leveling is already notorious for its grueling pace as it is. Do you really feel this leveling rate is necessary to have a stress/rush free experience? You risk alienating players who not only want to RP and level their characters at a normal pace, but players who just want to play on a PvE server, and players who want a Blizzlike vanilla server without any extra gimmick.
Why is this leveling rate even necessary? If it's too slow to level, there probably won't be many players on this server after they realize how grueling it is to progress, and less players ALWAYS means less RP.
Secondly: the necessity of a PvE server for RP. PvPers who want their fix of combat on Turtle WoW can join battlegrounds and flag themselves whenever they want, and they can talk to innkeepers(and I assume the battlemasters) to join them! I like that idea. However, I have always felt that RPPvP servers are the most fun and populous. Most private servers are PvP because world PvP, not just battlegrounds, are what make WoW notorious for what it is. Too many times do we hear mention of the battles between Southshore and Tarren Mill, how exciting and insane all of the battles were, and we won't be able to do that if we have to manually flag ourselves.
More players simply flock to PvP servers more than they do PvE servers because open world PvP is natural, doing it while RPing is even more fun, and my most fun memories of WoW are from RPPvP servers, not RPPvE. Will there be an option for players who want an RPPvP server? Is it too much to ask for one instead of what we're currently getting?
Thirdly, and finally: player population... Roleplay is entirely dependent on people being there to roleplay with. Because of the two other questions that I have, provided everything that you guys have planned for this server goes well, what makes you think this server will have a sizeable population after launch? My fear is that not that many people will be interested in Roleplaying and PvEing as you think. People want a fix of vanilla WoW until classic hits, and a small tight knit community on a private server that reduces over the course of time won't last that long.
Is Turtle WoW confident that it'll be able to rake in the population numbers to see thriving main cities, populated questing zones, and a prosperous world full of travelers to talk to? How's this server supposed to be maintained with donations and cash shop purchases if only a niche few of people are going to play it? RP and PvE servers are already a specific demographic as it is.
