classic-server
Latest
Lineage II classic server detailed
Lineage II will be opening a classic server to appease those players who miss the original version of the popular MMO. This classic server will be a hybrid of C1 and C2, offering everything from the old inventory system to the old party system to the old skill system, and more. The open beta for this classic server is going on now for Korean players and will end on June 3. After beta, the classic server will be pay-to-play.
The Game Archaeologist: Classic servers and you
Sometimes players don't want progress into the future; they want to regress into nostalgia. I've always seen this undercurrent of desire for classic servers run through the MMO community, manifesting in lengthy discussions about how cool it'd be to play a game the way it was "way back when." I also imagine developers reading those discussions with a combination of shared nostalgia and anxiety over the work required for such a project. I can understand this desire. We form attachments to MMOs based on several factors, not the least of which are when we started playing the game and what we remember most from it. While we generally applaud the change brought about by content updates, bug fixes, expansions, and the like, there's always a part of us that won't let go of the past. That's where classic servers come into play. Here and there, studios have recognized and responded to this desire for gaming the way it used to be by creating servers that deliberately call back to the past. It might seem to fly in the face of common sense, but I don't think it's that strange when you look at the larger video game community and how strong nostalgia gaming has taken root there as well. So what do classic servers have to offer you and where can you find them?
Would you play on a classic WoW server?
You can never go back -- well, unless it's via the Caverns of Time or unless Blizzard ever decides to open classic-era WoW servers. Of course, Blizzard has already given a thumbs down to the idea. Really. No, seriously. Even so, many players continue to keep the candle burning in hope of rekindling a classic, expansion-locked WoW server. Before you start cynically smirking about rose-colored glasses, consider this: There really are good reasons to love classic World of Warcraft. This is the content that made us fall in love with the game. It's what melted our hearts for Azeroth, offering some of the best and most enjoyable fights in Azeroth. Plenty of players still enjoy the classic content via retro raiding and more casual trips back for transmog gear. The question is, do you miss the classic game so much that you'd play on an expansion-locked classic server? Would you perhaps even pay a special fee to unlock or subscribe to that experience? Remember, there would be no new talent systems or gameplay improvements, no new content or leveling curves. You'd start out with nothing but the original World of Warcraft experience, unlocking each expansion in a realmwide effort over time. It would be all old school, all the way, baby. Sound like fun? Sound like a grind? Sound like a fun grind?
The Daily Grind: Would you pay to support a classic server?
The recent story of a possible new RuneScape classic server has caught my attention. Not because I have any particular attachment to RuneScape, but because I love the idea of studios offering older versions of the game (such as EverQuest Mac) for those who have a fondness for an earlier era. But what's even more interesting to me is how Jagex said that, depending on the number of players who support a 2007-era server, the studio may charge additionally for the privilege of playing on it. That takes the conversation to a new level. It's one thing to support, in theory or in practice, a classic server, but it's another thing entirely to back up that support with cold, hard cash. Then again, classic servers are basically entirely different versions of the game that need their own maintenance and support, so some fundraising is expected. This brings us to our question of the day. Would you not only play on a classic server of your favorite MMO -- but would you pay additionally to do it? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Players vote for 2007-era RuneScape server
Believe it or not, an "old-school" RuneScape server may be in the making. The crazy developers over at Jagex discovered a complete backup of the game from August 2007 and are allowing the community to vote on whether or not there's interest in playing this five-and-a-half year-old copy of the game. The poll will go live on Friday for the following two weeks, but Mod Mark wanted to explain the hows and whys of this potential project in advance. He also set milestones for voting, with the minimum for the old-school server to become a reality being 50,000 votes for a maintenance-only version. If the server project gets enough votes, Jagex will actually hire a team to develop for it. Mod Mark did want to clarify that possibility, however: "If this idea gathers sufficient support, then we will not need to take our current talent away from all of the exciting updates to be implemented into the current version of the game, as we will be able to hire a new dedicated team to work specifically on this project." Tell you what: Why don't we have our own unofficial pre-poll poll right now? Vote on whether you'd play on a classic server after the jump!
Free for All: The old becomes new on Ragnarok's classic server
Ragnarok Online might seem very familiar to many of my readers. In fact, if you are from a certain age group, the group that grew up with the internet instead of watching it come into being while you were already living on your own, you might have played Ragnarok Online. I can often tell a Ragnarok fan as well. They're OK with the grind as long is it pays off in the end, and they usually have a pretty exact way of looking at MMOs. I have yet to find a Ragnarok player who is over 30 and who roleplays more than anything. In other words, Ragnarok has affected almost an entire generation of MMO gamers. Personally, I always enjoyed the graphics of the game when I got a few chances to play it, but the overwhelming world and gameplay was a bit too much, and I didn't really enjoy the entire experience. Well, good news for me! I can now roll on a brand-new, old-school server that promises to be more like something from the early days of the game. The best news? All players will start off on the same page. Want to know more? Keep reading because I sat in on a conference call with Ragnarok producer Jason Koerperich to talk about all of the changes.
Ragnarok Online classic server coming on June 29th
If you're a Ragnarok Online fan who is prone to nostalgia, you'll be happy to know that Gravity Interactive has just announced a new initiative bound to put a smile on your face. The firm is gearing up to deploy a new classic server that uses all of "the original game settings and physics." Gravity says that the Ragnarok community has been asking for a throw-back shard for years. Now that it's here, fans of the 10-year-old title can choose between the current version and "its more simple and classic form." Ragnarok originally launched in Korea in August of 2002 before coming to North America in June 2003. The new server is scheduled to go live on Friday, June 29th. [Source: Gravity Interactive press release]
The Daily Grind: Would you play on a progression server?
EverQuest fans have been abuzz ever since SOE announced that a new progression server will come to the game this March. A progression server is kind of like a "way back" machine, resetting an MMO to the core game with expansions rolled out at a steady pace thereafter. It basically allows one to experience a sped-up version of how the MMO initially developed while forcing the players to stay together within certain boundaries. Even if your memory is long and clear enough to know that the good old days weren't always good, nostalgia has a way of sucking you in, prompting cries for a "classic shard" to try to duplicate that original experience. And that doesn't always necessitate some shadowy underground emulator (which we can't talk about on Massively anyway, so don't do it!). Sometimes the companies themselves try to cash in on the nostalgia. Gamers coming to a long-established MMO years after launch often feel behind the curve as the bulk of the playerbase is already at max level, yet progression servers put everyone on equal footing -- at least initially. So would you play on a progression server if your MMO offered one? What would it be like to go back to old vanilla World of Warcraft or Ultima Online's era of a free-for-all frontier? Or would it be an unnecessary nostalgia trip that would fail to recapture that unique initial experience? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Ultima producer's letter talks classic shard
Classic Ultima Online servers have been talked about so much over the years that nowadays most people usually shrug, roll their eyes, or point you to a private server whenever the topic comes up. Game forums around the web are usually the starting (and stopping) point for such discussions, as creaky old-timers wax on about how great the genre was prior to the MMORPG equivalent of the Endless September. When Ultima Online's current producer writes about classic shards, however, it becomes a bit more interesting than wishful speculation. In a producer's letter dated August 13th, Calvin Crowner indicates that a classic shard is being subjected to serious internal discussions in order to determine the appropriate business model and assess all the risks. He also intimates that a definitive answer will likely be forthcoming prior to the end of the year. Go easy on the celebrations though, as Crowner points out that it's not quite as simple as bringing back old customers. "It [a classic shard] needs to draw, along with the hype, an audience truly interested in understanding that before there were games on rails, there was a game built on skill and the thrill of a game with consequence."
Blizzard awarded $88M from WoW private server lawsuit
Tweet var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Blizzard_awarded_88M_from_WoW_private_server_lawsuit'; Private game servers are a controversial, often hushed topic in gaming circles. Some gamers enjoy the fee-free nature of private servers, while others use these forbidden realms to experience the MMO in a different state than the live game (for example, playing on a "classic" private server that doesn't allow for expansion packs). No matter what the reason, game companies tend to frown on such activities. Last week, Blizzard frowned at a particular private server and was awarded $88,000,000 for the effort. In October 2009, Blizzard filed a suit against Alyson Reeves, owner of Scapegaming and a private World of Warcraft server. Reeves was making a profit from the enterprise, using microtransactions on the server. The judge ruled that this was indeed copyright infringement against Blizzard, and ordered Scapegaming to pay $85.5M in statutory damages, $3M in inappropriate profits, and $63,600 in attorney fees. Reeves may appeal the suit at this point. As with the bnetd case, Blizzard is sending a clear message to people trying to mess with their code: don't. Scapegaming's Facebook page isn't exactly overflowing with support for the company, and we can imagine that many private server operators are thinking long and hard about whether the risk is worth it this week.
Massively interview: Thom Terrazas in his new role as EverQuest's producer
Thom Terrazas just recently replaced Clint Worley as the producer for EverQuest, and we were lucky enough to get the chance to speak to him about the move. Among other things, we found out what's in store for the current playerbase in the future, why EverQuest newbies should try the game, and learned that although the 51/50 server type won the latest poll, we should hold out hope for other new types too -- maybe even a "Classic" server. We snuck in a few questions about Vanguard and PlanetSide as well. To get Thom's take on these things and more, click through and read the full interview.
