Cross-Realm Dungeon Coming SoonFollow

Cool idea, but it doesn't really affect me any. All of my REAL-ID friends either already play on the same server as I do, or they're Alliance scum. =x

My reaction to this, as I read, pretty much went something like this: "Ooh, what's this? Seriously? That's @#%^ing aweso- Oh, wait, that's kinda sucky ... Yeah, that's godawful."

I can understand the mechanics of it being linked to Real ID friends to work cross-server but, for reasons equally paranoia-fuelled and not that at all, I just don't want to be adding a bunch of people as Real ID friends like that. And, really, it should be possible to make this a non Real ID thing anyway. Also, milking more money out of it by making it premium? I'd sooner pay to sleep with a murloc (just so I could say I did)!

It's kind of like the production team for WoW are thinking, "sh*t, with Titan being made and this game getting old, WoW probably doesn't have long to go anymore. We need to crank our profits up to eleven while we still can!"

Edited, May 17th 2011 11:13pm by Smallsword

Personally, I'd start being concerned when a business starts showing signs they're not trying to make profits any way they can.

For that matter, an old text MUD I used to play before UO is still up and running. If there's an MMO that's simply pulled the plug on it's servers, I don't know what it is. And a lot of MMOs still manage to keep the lights on at 1/100th of WoW's 10 mil+ customer base.

They pulled the plug on Matrix Online. Had some big player event with developers and stuff to tie up the storyline and then shut it down.

SWG apparently still breathes, but has been on a ventilator since 2006.



It's amazing, indeed. They really love that game.

Edited, May 18th 2011 2:10am by Mazra

If it connects US to EU servers I will pay for it so I can run heroics with Maz and Aeth...

At first I thought "ooh, kind of neat but not something I'd use", then I thought "what? Premium service? No way"....


But then I realized that I miss my old guildies who left my server and I have some of them as real id friends still......so, I think if they got it working, I might actually spring for it if it didn't cost much. >.<

This I DO NOT like. I'm all for paying for cosmetics. I'm all for paying for out of game apps. Now they are going to charge for an in-game feature? What's next? Premium auction house? Premium quests? We're all paying 15 bucks a month and all of that is going into them developing this service...

I draw the line at in-game FEATURES being "premium". This isn't some cheap free to play Asian game. This is the World of Warcraft many of us have dished hundreds upon hundreds of dollars into. This is an insult to the paying customer and is NOT going to help the declining player base.

A free cross-dungeon LFD would help keep many people playing and paying.

A paid one wont.

I've never objected in the least to any of the vanity stuff or mobile apps, but I am really shocked that they're making an in-game feature paid. Too far, Blizz.

Here's how I read this:

1. You will be able to play with old friends from old realms - assuming you haven't forgotten them (Like I have done)
2. You will be able to play with old friends who left your server - assuming they haven't forgotten you.
3. You can meet new people via the LFD tool and /friend them for future runs.


Here's how I feel about this:

1. I left the realm for a reason. I may have had some friends I left behind, but clearly that relationship wasn't on the top of my priority list.
2. They left my server for a reason. We likely haven't talked in weeks, months, years. What makes Blizzard think I'm going to remember them?
3. I don't have friends on MY server (outside of guild) due to the LFD tool. Do you really think that I'm going to suddenly start to foster relationships with someone else...?


This seems like a cool programing option, but I don't think it's needed and I definately wouldn't sign up for a premium fee to gain access to it.

"Damn, you know how much we could have made if we charged for the LFD, how do we fix that?" I can easily see this running through someones head.

You have subscription based games and micro-transaction games. Some games even have both, but not at the same time. Faction transfers, realm transfers, completely understandable. Cosmetic items, understandable, but not necessary. The mobile guild chat would be a cool feature, if they didn't charge for it. The mobile AH, that's pushing it. Now this, no.

If you don't want to pay for it, don't. Not paying for the service is a valid option that I don't think anyone will argue with. The problem is that people will pay for it, and it will continue. Certain things like this will continue to pop up and continue to push further into content that should be included with the subscription. I don't think we'll see premium dungeons and raids, but they'll push as close to that edge as possible.

My biggest concern is that this will succeed (Which it's going to) and that other games will start doing it as well.

IMO, from a 'making money' point of view, they should keep it fairly cheap. As a cheap/free version could encourage server transfers.

As for the premium-based objections, I'm 'meh' on it. WoW has introduced so many premium based features and changed things so much over the last couple of years. I'm having trouble being bothered by it anymore, as we're already pretty far down that slippery slope. Morbid curiosity will probably keep me interested in seeing how far it goes though.