Comments on: World of Warcraft’s Cataclysm: lessons for virtual worlds /2010/11/30/world-of-warcrafts-cataclysm-lessons-for-virtual-worlds/ Coverage of news, issues and events occurring in virtual worlds or those who create those worlds Fri, 20 Jul 2012 22:44:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Blue Mars Abandons PC Development /2010/11/30/world-of-warcrafts-cataclysm-lessons-for-virtual-worlds/comment-page-1/#comment-208308 Blue Mars Abandons PC Development Mon, 17 Jan 2011 05:31:11 +0000 /?p=2936#comment-208308 [...] virtual world. Lowell Cremorne writes about how World of Warcraft is running their game in: World of Warcraft’s Cataclysm: lessons for virtual worlds. « New Things Coming to Second [...] [...] virtual world. Lowell Cremorne writes about how World of Warcraft is running their game in: World of Warcraft’s Cataclysm: lessons for virtual worlds. « New Things Coming to Second [...]

]]> By: World of Warcraft as leadership incubator and education platform /2010/11/30/world-of-warcrafts-cataclysm-lessons-for-virtual-worlds/comment-page-1/#comment-208234 World of Warcraft as leadership incubator and education platform Mon, 27 Dec 2010 22:57:51 +0000 /?p=2936#comment-208234 [...] I wrote recently on the lessons the latest WoW has for virtual worlds as well, if you’re interested. [...] [...] I wrote recently on the lessons the latest WoW has for virtual worlds as well, if you’re interested. [...]

]]> By: Joia /2010/11/30/world-of-warcrafts-cataclysm-lessons-for-virtual-worlds/comment-page-1/#comment-208187 Joia Thu, 02 Dec 2010 07:59:00 +0000 /?p=2936#comment-208187 I agree, too. I have played for six years now, and my sense of loss has been surprisingly strong! I have been to 10000 Needles and the Barrens, etc., but I only discovered that the Park in Stormwind was destroyed today, when I tried to train my druid there. That was when it really hit me that the world was changed for good. The floods and the chasms, etc. haven't upset me nearly as much as the loss of the portals in Dalaran, though! That is very inconvenient, and requires a major change in play style! Perhaps it will be less painful when the Azeroth flying is implemented next week, but I kind of doubt it. For the past few weeks I have been flying around the areas I thought would be affected by the coming cataclysm, taking a lot of screen shots. I do like to go back years later and remember places and times that were special for me. Now with all the changes, I'm very glad I did. I agree that the leadups to Cataclysm have been extremely well done. All the little quest chains and strange events and objects appearing in different places have made it obvious that something is coming, and that changes are widespread (and scary!). And today they are all gone, leaving a kind of quiet expectation about "what's next?" I just wish they could have a "grand event", like they did when the Dark Portal was opened about four years ago. Everyone on the server was there, I think, massed at the opening point, together with hundreds of exotic and colorful computer generated warriors. At midnight the portal to the new world opened, and we all had to fight waves of evil forces pouring through, causing all kinds of disruption and mayhem as creatures appeared in the old lands. It was like the wild west, and people played through the night with energy, enthusiasm and amazement, trying to bring down the evil forces and go through the portal and explore the new lands. It was magical, and a gaming event that I will never forget! Blizzard did that extremely well, and I have hopes that the actual "moment" of the Cataclysm will also bring about that sense of shared excitement and focus for players. We'll see...only six more days! I agree, too. I have played for six years now, and my sense of loss has been surprisingly strong! I have been to 10000 Needles and the Barrens, etc., but I only discovered that the Park in Stormwind was destroyed today, when I tried to train my druid there. That was when it really hit me that the world was changed for good. The floods and the chasms, etc. haven’t upset me nearly as much as the loss of the portals in Dalaran, though! That is very inconvenient, and requires a major change in play style! Perhaps it will be less painful when the Azeroth flying is implemented next week, but I kind of doubt it.

For the past few weeks I have been flying around the areas I thought would be affected by the coming cataclysm, taking a lot of screen shots. I do like to go back years later and remember places and times that were special for me. Now with all the changes, I’m very glad I did.

I agree that the leadups to Cataclysm have been extremely well done. All the little quest chains and strange events and objects appearing in different places have made it obvious that something is coming, and that changes are widespread (and scary!). And today they are all gone, leaving a kind of quiet expectation about “what’s next?” I just wish they could have a “grand event”, like they did when the Dark Portal was opened about four years ago. Everyone on the server was there, I think, massed at the opening point, together with hundreds of exotic and colorful computer generated warriors. At midnight the portal to the new world opened, and we all had to fight waves of evil forces pouring through, causing all kinds of disruption and mayhem as creatures appeared in the old lands. It was like the wild west, and people played through the night with energy, enthusiasm and amazement, trying to bring down the evil forces and go through the portal and explore the new lands. It was magical, and a gaming event that I will never forget! Blizzard did that extremely well, and I have hopes that the actual “moment” of the Cataclysm will also bring about that sense of shared excitement and focus for players. We’ll see…only six more days!

]]> By: Lowell Cremorne /2010/11/30/world-of-warcrafts-cataclysm-lessons-for-virtual-worlds/comment-page-1/#comment-208176 Lowell Cremorne Tue, 30 Nov 2010 13:53:04 +0000 /?p=2936#comment-208176 I like the carpet analogy Skylar - that sums it up really ;) I like the carpet analogy Skylar – that sums it up really ;)

]]> By: Skylar Smythe /2010/11/30/world-of-warcrafts-cataclysm-lessons-for-virtual-worlds/comment-page-1/#comment-208175 Skylar Smythe Tue, 30 Nov 2010 13:19:00 +0000 /?p=2936#comment-208175 I think you are a bang on. I have played WoW for three years also but I am predominantly in Second Life now. However certain zones have a home like feel... Like Stormwind. Key communities where everyone fosters their characters through. Long term players view the virtual world as a home. As such, shaking up the infrastructure or removing old "zones" is like a bereavement of kinds... its like taking a forest and cutting down all the old trees, planting new ones and expecting everyone to enjoy the beauty of the forest... it doesn't work that way. History online (or offline) is not disposable. New things are wonderful so create new add-on's but maintaining the "heritage" of the game is critical. Particularly in a game that takes so long to level characters... and new characters are being levelled all the time by one account. For a player power levelling more than one toon at the same time... it would be like having the carpet pulled from under your feet. A mistake to shake it up like that. Skylar Smythe http://skylar-smythe.blogspot.com I think you are a bang on. I have played WoW for three years also but I am predominantly in Second Life now. However certain zones have a home like feel… Like Stormwind. Key communities where everyone fosters their characters through.

Long term players view the virtual world as a home. As such, shaking up the infrastructure or removing old “zones” is like a bereavement of kinds… its like taking a forest and cutting down all the old trees, planting new ones and expecting everyone to enjoy the beauty of the forest… it doesn’t work that way.

History online (or offline) is not disposable. New things are wonderful so create new add-on’s but maintaining the “heritage” of the game is critical. Particularly in a game that takes so long to level characters… and new characters are being levelled all the time by one account. For a player power levelling more than one toon at the same time… it would be like having the carpet pulled from under your feet.

A mistake to shake it up like that.

Skylar Smythe
http://skylar-smythe.blogspot.com

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