Phasing?

[nurtsi]

I read a magazine article about the WotLK and they mentioned something called 'phasing' in it. If I understood correctly it's like semi-instancing, where each player has their own representation of the game world (graphics change as you do quests etc) but all the players are still visible to each other. Can anyone comment how it actually works in practice?

I can't imagine any big changes to the game world as it is still shared by all players, so I guess anything that would affect movement (new obstacles, terrain changes) are out of the question? Is it just limited to visual appearance or do you get your own NPC spawns (maybe quest givers)?

Also since this is Blizzard, what games have done this before? I don't remember seeing it before myself.

[Merusk]

If you've ever played with invis as a mage, done the Dranei starting quest where you go all Ghost wolf, seen the monument in the Barrens to one of the designer's deceased brothers, watched folks running around when dead or done the Linken quest in UnGoro or the Gorefiend quests in Shadowmoon you've seen part of this at work.

Now, granted, in most of those you dont see other players or mobs unless they're also dead.  At the same time they don't see you (unless you're grouped).  I think the best example ofhow it works is the Gorefiend quest in SMV.  However, In Lich King it's completing quests that gives you the "aura" 'to see or not see certain things, rather than an equipped item.

In the Shadow Knight area, for example, you're fighting among the Scarlet Crusade area that got patched in behind Tyr's Hand in EPL.  If you ride there as a player right now it's a barren, destroyed village.  A fresh DK noob, however, will see lots of Scarlet Crusade fighters, elites and pesants running around ready to eat their face off.   As you progress through the starter quests you'll take over areas and new Scorge mobs appear in your questing area as the village is destroyed.

[ClydeJr]

Can anyone comment how it actually works in practice?

There's a daily quest in Blade's Edge Mountains that uses it. You get the quest in Shatt (its for Shattered Sun Offensive rep) and you need to go to the Ethereal area on top of the Ogri-la plateau. You start killing ethereals until you get a phasing device. You use the device and you're taken to a different "phase" which happens to have a purplish tint. Since the ethereals (and most everything else) is in another phase, you can't see/interact/hurt them and they can't do anything to you. However, there are some mana worm things in this phase that can hurt you. They don't appear in normal phase. There's also mana cells which you need to gather for the quest. Once you leave the ethereal area, you fade back into normal phase.

[Ingmar]

The BEM ethereal thing isn't the same phasing that they use in WotLK, exactly, though it is probably the same underlying system.

Here's an example of how it works in Wrath:

Let's say there's a zone with a big tower in it. When you get there, the tower is under siege by group A. You then do a quest series that results in group A being driven away from the tower. After you do that quest, you will no longer see any group A npcs around that tower. They're still there for other people who haven't done that quest yet. Instead, you might see new NPCs from inside the tower gathering bodies up or something, etc.

There is one big Spoilertastic Awesome Event that uses this sort of thing to good effect, which you will know when you get to it. 

[Koyasha]

There's been something similar to this, which was probably the base this design was worked from, since the beginning of the game.  There's always been a few things around the world which are only visible to people who have completed certain quests, or to certain races/classes.  The druids in the Dor'danil Barrow Dens are one example.  As Alliance (possibly only after completing the diseases quest) alliance sees the undead druids in that place.  Horde never sees them at all.

The primary difference (I think) now, is that there's going to be multiple stages and it not only affects NPC's but terrain and buildings as well, making it possible to phase from intact to destroyed buildings.

The main weakness of this system that irritates me is that there is apparently no way to bring another player into your phase.  They've said this isn't an issue because the phasing quests are designed to be soloable, but I disagree since sometimes people like playing together even when they don't strictly need each others' help.  It should be set up so that all players in the group see whatever phase the group leader is in, so that I can bring friends along and go help them regardless of whether we're on or have done the same quests already or not.

[Register]

If phasing is tied to quests, then what happens if a player which can see special phased NPCs brings a non grouped friend along that heals him? Will the friend be hit by invisble mobs if the heals gain aggro?

[Koyasha]

I don't think so.  In the few occasions I've seen this sort of thing with the current game (spectrecles, for example) the person who cannot see the mobs also cannot be attacked by them.

Also, before they changed Zuluhed the Whacked, anyone who had already completed the Dragonmaw quest was friendly to him, and could heal the group...and if the group wiped, Zuluhed would just reset, ignoring the 'friendly' character that had been healing.

[Driakos]

My Brewfest goggles zey do nothing!

[Ratman_tf]

I'm waiting to see how it's handled in WOTLK, but it doesn't sound very cool. Like everyone is going to wind up in their own soloable instance of WoW. Except more confusing if you group up.

[apocrypha]

I can see why they're doing this because one of the big criticisms of persistent worlds is that they're too, well, persistent. One of the things I was most looking forward to in AC2 was the promise of a changing world, shame the general shittyness of AC2 defeated that aim really.

I'm sure Blizzard will do what they usually do with this - polish it over time until it works really well.

[Dewdrop]

One of the best examples of the use of phasing is the entire DK starting questline. As you go back to Ebon Hold and come back down to earth the terrain doesnt change but the timeline advances. Its very immersive to be honest, and isnt used to keep people seperated but rather to be able to move the timeline forward (Buildings get burned down, the front lines advance). For people who were in beta they will know how it worked, and it was pretty slick. For those that werent, youll see it in action next week. All this is done with no loading bars or anything like that, its seamless for the most part.

[Fabricated]

Phasing is used extensively in WotLK areas as you move foward from the Fjords/Borean Tundra. In Zul'Drak you do a quest where you ride around on the back of a giant slaughtering hundreds of enemies. No one else can see you while you do that and you can't see anyone else as you do it. Lets Blizzard put in more crazy stuff like that without fucking with everyone else's gameplay or setting up 'lines' to get the quest done when a lot of people are in the area.

[DraconianOne]

In Zul'Drak you do a quest where you ride around on the back of a giant slaughtering hundreds of enemies.

a) I wish you hadn't spoiled things for me
b) I so can't wait to get to Zul'Drak so thanks for giving me this to look foward to. I hope it's as epicly cool as it sounds.

[Fabricated]

In Zul'Drak you do a quest where you ride around on the back of a giant slaughtering hundreds of enemies.

a) I wish you hadn't spoiled things for me
b) I so can't wait to get to Zul'Drak so thanks for giving me this to look foward to. I hope it's as epicly cool as it sounds.

That quest is a drop in the bucket compared to some of the shit elsewhere. Wait until you do the 'hookshot' quest in Storm Peaks or uh, anything in Icecrown. It gets better.

[Dren]

It sounds like a really nice way to handle things to me.  It reminds me a bit of the cut scenes you would get in FFXI.  Only you would see them.

This takes it a big step forward in immersing you into that "cut scene" completely.  To me, this starts to solve that age ole MMO issue of being the hero.  With this technique, you CAN be the hero, if not just for a few hours. 

I suppose the issue with groups doing the quests will be worked out somehow.  My thought is that somebody that has already done it, just gets to do it again if grouped with somebody that hasn't.  They just won't get any quest exp from it again.

I'd love to see this work with some of the old world areas to bring new life to them.  Phase in either historic lore or higher level content to those areas depending on where you are with a quest, level, etc.  They could take this many different ways succesfully.

[Fabricated]

There are cutscenes in WotLK as well.

[Sjofn]

I'd love to see this work with some of the old world areas to bring new life to them.  Phase in either historic lore or higher level content to those areas depending on where you are with a quest, level, etc.  They could take this many different ways succesfully.

I think it has a huge potential, and it sounded like Blizzard (I was at a panel where they discussed this at Blizzcon) thought so too.

[justdave]

I'd love to see this work with some of the old world areas to bring new life to them.  Phase in either historic lore or higher level content to those areas depending on where you are with a quest, level, etc.  They could take this many different ways succesfully.

I think it has a huge potential, and it sounded like Blizzard (I was at a panel where they discussed this at Blizzcon) thought so too.

I am hopeful that this is what lets them finally do the Emerald Dream, since it solves the big questions about how that could be implemented without making a whole 'nother Azeroth. So maybe we'll finally get the damned thing.   

[Hawkbit]

I am hopeful that this is what lets them finally do the Emerald Dream, since it solves the big questions about how that could be implemented without making a whole 'nother Azeroth. So maybe we'll finally get the damned thing.   

Actually, you're dead-on.  I'd wager the next xpac does exactly that.  Lots of opportunities for it. 

[Fabricated]

According to an old leaked list of expansion stuff that has so far proven pretty accurate, next expansion is the Maelstrom (Gilneas, Undermarket, Queen Azshara who is easily more powerful than Arthas).

[Tannhauser]

If that's true that awesome news.  I was half-joking to myself that I want them to do Undermine or whatever the goblin home city is called.  I was also thinking of more persistent underwater action and I've always wanted them to add Gilneas.  Always liked them from WC2 days.

Would also be cool if they made Goblins a playable race.  First race that can play both factions!  That would be interesting.  Either declare faction at char creation OR you can swap factions in game!  Of course, a lot of restrictions would apply there as the potential for mischief would be great.

And maybe a new Hero class tied to the goblin race. Hmm.  OK I'll stop there but now my mind is 

[DraconianOne]

They've got Azshara to do and Deathwing is still out there as well. Guess they'll do a Maelstrom expansion that leads to a raid against Azshara then an Emerald Dream/Nightmare expansion that might lead to Deathwing.  Unless the rumours of a Grim Batol raid in one of the 3.x patches are true and he becomes a raid boss before the final patch featuring Arthas.  That would suck.  He deserves more than that.

[Hawkbit]

It's been hinted at a whole lot that Archimonde is poisoning the Emerald Dream, even though he's dead (or something).  We'll likely see him as one of the bosses.  Blizzard also hinted at Deathwing being in the lore again in the future.  Maybe they'll play out together. 

So we have an Emerald Dream xpac and a Maelstrom xpac.  Past that, what's left?

[DraconianOne]

Deathwing has apparently resurfaced in the new novel by Richard A. Hack - Night of the Dragon or something? It's meant to be based on some events leading up to WOTLK.  As and when he'll feature in game is anyone's guess.

Forgot about Sargeras too - he's still around I think.

[Nonentity]

Deathwing has apparently resurfaced in the new novel by Richard A. Hack - Night of the Dragon or something? It's meant to be based on some events leading up to WOTLK.  As and when he'll feature in game is anyone's guess.

Forgot about Sargeras too - he's still around I think.

There is an AWFUL lot of Titan-based lore in Storm Peaks.

I would not be at all surprised if Sargeras pokes his head around in this expansion.

[Lakov_Sanite]

Deathwing has apparently resurfaced in the new novel by Richard A. Hack - Night of the Dragon or something? It's meant to be based on some events leading up to WOTLK.  As and when he'll feature in game is anyone's guess.

Forgot about Sargeras too - he's still around I think.

There is an AWFUL lot of Titan-based lore in Storm Peaks.

I would not be at all surprised if Sargeras pokes his head around in this expansion.

Actually not to give TOO much away but I think yogg saron will be the prominant figure, imo they did a much better job of building him up than c'thun at least.

[Tale]

They've got Azshara to do and Deathwing is still out there as well. Guess they'll do a Maelstrom expansion that leads to a raid against Azshara then an Emerald Dream/Nightmare expansion that might lead to Deathwing.

And then suddenly an expansion on the moon!

[Lakov_Sanite]

They've got Azshara to do and Deathwing is still out there as well. Guess they'll do a Maelstrom expansion that leads to a raid against Azshara then an Emerald Dream/Nightmare expansion that might lead to Deathwing.

And then suddenly an expansion on the moon!

As long as they add furries.

[Koyasha]

There is an AWFUL lot of Titan-based lore in Storm Peaks.

I would not be at all surprised if Sargeras pokes his head around in this expansion.

There is definitely someone out there that smells like a Titan, acts like a Titan, but is working against the Pantheon.  This I've gathered from just a few quests.  Who that'll lead to is anyone's guess, but Sargeras could be a possibility.  However, I doubt we will fight him if they do have him be involved.  He's a character important enough to deserve an entire expansion of lead-in, and they're probably saving him for later.  Especially since we're shifting focus away from the Burning Legion for a while.

[SurfD]

It's been hinted at a whole lot that Archimonde is poisoning the Emerald Dream, even though he's dead (or something).  We'll likely see him as one of the bosses.  Blizzard also hinted at Deathwing being in the lore again in the future.  Maybe they'll play out together. 

So we have an Emerald Dream xpac and a Maelstrom xpac.  Past that, what's left?

Well, if you ever did the followup quest from the Discs of Norganon in Uldaman (for horde at least) you are sent to Uldum (i think) in southern tanaris, where you first learn that there are a number of Titan Vaults scattered around the world, and that supposedly, the titans HAVE been alerted to potential problems with one of their Petri Dishes, and that Azeroth has possibly been scheduled for a "Visitation", in witch the titans may take steps to "correct" the desired development path of their errant experiment.

[Hawkbit]

Yeah, I forgot about that until you mentioned it.  Lots of cool lore in Uldaman, I forgot.  It's what, Uldaman, Ulduar and Uldum I think... all on separate continents. 

[Lakov_Sanite]

[apocrypha]

I would love to see that line of lore from Uldaman continued. I was so frustrated after methodically working through all those quests and the story just fucking stopped!

[Tannhauser]

Glad there are other Titan lovers out there.  Yes, very interested in the Titan lore and LOVE Uldaman.  I wonder who are stronger, the Titans or the Naaru?  I would say the Titans, maybe the Naaru are their guardians of Azeroth and Draenor.

[DraconianOne]

I wonder who are stronger, the Titans or the Naaru? 

Titans.  Easily.