r/classicwow • u/Dwarni • 1d ago

Classic 20th Anniversary Realms @Blizzard: Please implement zone wide layers

The current server-wide layering system creates a frustrating imbalance across Azeroth. While leveling zones like The Barrens or Desolace are practically deserted (where even 3 layers feel excessive), end-game zones are severely overcrowded.

This overcrowding particularly impacts valuable resource farming:

  • Winterfall Firewater farmers competing in Winterspring
  • Rich Thorium Veins in zones like Un'Goro and Winterspring
  • High-level herbs like Plaguebloom and Black Lotus
  • Valuable mob grinding spots for Essence of Water/Fire/Air

With everyone packed into the same few profitable zones, what should be enjoyable farming sessions turn into frustrating competition. A zone-specific layering system (allowing 10+ layers in high-traffic areas while reducing layers in quieter zones) would help distribute the population more effectively, making the experience more reminiscent of original Vanilla WoW where you'd regularly encounter others during leveling, without the current extreme overcrowding in farming zones.

31 Upvotes

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8

u/aepocalypsa 1d ago

sharding? ew.

-4

u/Dwarni 1d ago

Sharding is even more than zone wide layers

4

u/SystemGardener 1d ago edited 1d ago

Strongly disagree. Have you not played with it for awhile? Sharding ruins immersion even more when you can get bounced between shards consistently even when in just one zone.

0

u/Dwarni 1d ago

So you agree with me that sharding is more than zone wide layers.

4

u/Vandrel 1d ago edited 1d ago

It's zone or area depending on how crowded places are. The layer system is literally derived from the shard system, just tuned to be served-wide instead. Are you confusing cross-realm zones with shards? Because those do opposite things.

0

u/Dwarni 1d ago

Currently all the layers are active in every zone, so if you have 3 layers there are 3 layers in every zone, that's why they are server wide.

I want them zone specific for example 6 layers winterspring, 1 layer only in Barrens etc for example

6

u/Vandrel 1d ago

Yes, you're describing sharding.

1

u/Dwarni 1d ago

I only know phasing, which is what WoW retail does and that is not limited to just a zone it can happen even within a zone. What I want would be a lot easier to implement.

But if you think that is sharding, well let it be sharding. Terms don't matter.

3

u/Vandrel 1d ago

Retail has phasing, sharding, and cross-realm zones. They all do different things.

Phasing is when there are different versions of an area depending on where you're at in story events. Players in different phases can't see each other.

Cross-realm zones is when the game puts players from different servers together in the same zone that would otherwise have barely anyone in it so you'll still see people in the world regardless of your own server population in that zone.

Sharding is when a server creates copies of an area or zone to split up the population when a lot of people are in one place. Layering is a variant of sharding designed to be server wide instead of specific to a high population area.

1

u/skepticalbrain 6h ago

That was the original idea 5 years ago, to use shards like in retail, but due to players protests, blizzard decided to use layers instead of shards for classic servers.