vera

I really mean no ill will towards people who prefer 1x, but I feel that the opposite of what you claim may be true. If this server stays 1x, it will likely enter a slow death (this is just a very common trend for private servers) and you will likely quit the server in one of the waves of player pessmism. It's possible that this WON'T happen, but exceptions to the rule of server population don't happen very often. In contrast my friend, if the server became 2x, I believe you would stay, because the population would explode with new interest and you would find, quite surprisingly and pleasantly, that the key aspects of the vanilla experience don't change or disappear at all when you give players a little healthier progression in leveling.

There's a general trend among private servers that fail to get above a critical population threshold. It's usually a slow, sad death. It's not just a numbers game, either: there needs to be a sense of true enthusiasm for the new world.

It's a blatant fallacy to assume that because it has never been done well before, it cannot be done well or successfully here. As I pointed out, if there has ever been a perfect time to create a reliable 2x XP server (which has never been attempted before), it is NOW.

Have you actually played vanilla on 3-5x XP to know what you're talking about? The actual feel of Vanilla WoW is a very fragile thing. For a brand and community that prides itself on protecting the Vanilla feel, I truly think 3-5x XP would irrevocably break the feel. I played Vanilla Awakened when it was a 3x XP server. On one hand I loved it, because I levelled with real life friends who have wives and jobs+school and thus could never play on a 1x server normally. We quested and ran dungeons together ike it was 2006 again, it was really nice. And yet, being more purist than they, I was not fully satisfied with 3x XP. Yes, it was great to reach the end game so quickly. But 3x XP ruined the immersion that comes through levelling. Too many zones became completely optional. Dungeons, especially pre-50 dungeons, were largely ignored because the XP rate was too high; by the time you found a group to run, you might have already out-levelled the dungeon you wanted to go to. A big part of vanilla's feel is having to travel the world to many different zones in order to level. 3x XP diminished this greatly. Another big part of vanilla's feel is the importance of dungeons while levelling and how nicely they fit into the levelling scheme. 3x XP made people skip many of the pre-60 dungeons that are normally mandatory. Having played on 3x XP, and seeing how GREAT it was on one hand, and how it also hurt some key elements of the true Vanilla feel, I caution against it strongly. Because of these real experiences, it is my belief that 2x XP will be THE perfect Goldilocks rate. It is "just right." It lets you progress at a more appropriate rate, without ruining the majesty of the world itself.

Yes, I too am for a higher rate of XP on Nighthaven. I know it's an unpopular opinion here, but please hear me out. @Shenna and co., I'll leave you alone after this, I swear <3 Trust me, if you can: There is nothing to be afraid of. This server has nothing to lose, and everything to gain by considering an XP rate boost. The intangible feel of Vanilla: the vastness, the incredible beauty, the world PvP, running through zones scared out of your mind: none of this changes if you boost XP rates to a more appropriate level given the impending horizon of Blizzard's own servers. The game does not instantly become non-Blizzlike, in the sense that the intangible feel of Vanilla is all still there! And, in many ways, the feel of Vanilla is even better than before, because more people outside the usual suspects are going to be excited to play and participate in one of the best games ever created. More people to populate the world. More people, who don't have to abandon other parts of their life just to progress and feel the true excitement of Vanilla. At 2x XP, you will still love your character, you will still feel real attachment and pride for your accomplishments. It not only makes sense, but I swear, the vanilla experience will be even better than before. I believe that a 2x leveling rate is the perfect choice for Nighthaven, matching well the advanced timeline they have proposed for patch progression. If post-60 play is streamlined, it really makes a lot of sense to give a similar streamlining for pre-60. Giving players the choice to set their XP rate between 1x and 2x through an in-game command would allow us to get through some of the more brutal/boring zones, while also giving us the choice to slow down to savor every last quest in STV, or perhaps doing 51-60 at the original rate. Merely serving up the same product isn't going to cut it. Not this time. There is too little time before Classic servers to justify the brutal grind of 1x Vanilla. And not only that, Nighthaven needs something new, an announcement that will boost its population above the critical threshold of 2-3k. Remember, Nighthaven was announced before Classic Servers. The situation has changed, so we should adapt, too. Given all the circumstances, announcing the new changes to levelling rates will get A LOT of attention, the population will explode, the community will be healthier and happier, and it will generally be a huge PR win because Nighthaven will instantly become THE SMART PLACE to roll in anticipation of Classic servers. And, trust me, if you can... it will be the same experience, the same thrill, but so much sweeter.

I don't think it has been hyped sufficiently, especially considering the negative goodwill that Elysium has received in the past weeks. Unfortunately, many people who have heard of it, don't want anything to do with it. I know the admins are resolute about XP rates, but if the server population struggles, having a 3x XP hype event a week or so into launch would drum up A LOT of new accounts. It just would. Keep an open mind!

"just like Blizz intended" -- you *do* know they made leveling so toxic and slow not because of an overall plan but because they were still finishing the endgame content and needed to put a false barrier between players and level 60, right? 2x XP, or a launch weekend with an XP boost, would not only draw new players, but it would be the same experience, except without an insane demand on your life.

They should definitely make it 2x rates with the new announcement

There's plenty of journey even at 2x XP, not to mention the real journey that begins at level 60. And, it lets you have a journey in real life too. A middle ground between total life consumption of 1x and ez-mode retail is perfectly attainable; just no one has really tried yet.

I'm happy there is a fresh server, and I'll probably play at launch and for a while, but, inevitably, my entire being rebels against 1x rates. No videogame should demand so much, or be life-consuming just to progress. "This is wrong. Why the fuck am I still playing this." It doesn't make for a healthy server population when the only ones playing are the ones who are okay with their lives being consumed by it. Yes, this is a vanilla problem overall, not specific to Elysium. Vanilla WoW is a wonderful experience, and it finds its peak in the form of a new server and community. Why not share this experience with as many people as possible, rather than just the ones who are sadistic enough to grind *another* lvl 60 from scratch? A 2x XP server (w/ half-priced spells) is my dream, but honestly, any other quality of life improvements would be welcomed. Boost the rate or total amount of rested XP you can get. Have a 3x XP weekend to help build the excitement and hype, and take some of the soul-draining grind out of early game. You will get a lot of the players who have quit the scene because of how consuming vanilla is, as well as poaching low-level players from LH who are daunted by the grind. Right now, you don't offer them any incentive to either come back or to abandon their current characters. Who is the target audience of this server? It needs to be broader than merely people who like a fresh server. Offer us something.

Atlantis is the obvious segue from Elysium, imo. Launch with DM and ZG available from day one. Don't put us through months and months where BRS is our only pre-raid option. DM and ZG are hella fun. Throw the people a bone. The time for autistic allegiance to Blizzlike progression is over. Hype with a 3x experience opening weekend event and I think you'll be very successful despite the haters. A new server is a wonderful thing. A brand new world coming together, where everyone's contributions matter. Cheers.