A lore first, asymmetrical RP-PvPvE server
I have been working on a project ever since TWoW was killed. A much harder, social experience oriented Classic + server built in 3.3.5a client, (with all post Classic content ripped out/reworked) that combines some of the best elements of the servers and games I played in these past few years. Slow and steady progression from TWoW, with RPG elements of Ascension WoW, freedom of Wallcraft, difficulty of Soulslike and atmosphere of Darkest Dungeon.
I managed to rebuild their entire worldforged and immersive item drops from mobs, and de-homogenization of every single NPC in the game, pretty much remaking their RPG creature system and then going even deeper, with expanded rock-scissors-paper approach to combat.
But the cream of the crop isn't even all that, but a stress mechanic. No longer you're a genocidal murder hobo beating to death endless hordes of nameless goons and occasional named mob, now you have your mental well being to take care of.
I am trying to put RPG back into the MMORPG, and I thought the best idea to do it is to start borrowing the psychological system from Darkest Dungeon and wiring it into the world of warcraft. Like your character accumulates stress while they're out adventuring, more in the darker, unnatural places of world, in dungeons, deep in hostile faction territory, and worse still if you're hungry or thirsty (later on I would bring in different debuffs depending on did you take damage, did you see ally die or you fought a creature that isn't of this world). Hit the cap and you don't just get a debuff, you break and how you break depends on who you are. Warlocks start hearing whispers of something on the other side of the summoning portal that isn't the demon they called or they turn on them, or they just fucking die and spawn a Fel Guard out of their corpse ala Doom or Warp. Priests find that the Light still answers, but the tempo is slightly wrong with varying spell timers. Death knights, Forsaken and Darkfallen hear the Lich King again, fucking with them on basis of class. Roughly a quarter of the time (that chance increases the more spirit you have) you don't break at all, you come out the other side with a virtue/big temporary buff on par of worldbuffs instead (which would be class specific buff taken out of a deck of option), and the same fault line becomes a strength. Spirit is the stat that governs all of it: it slows stress accrual and improves your odds of a breakthrough over a breakdown, which finally gives vanilla's deadest stat a job that every class wants + on level 60, 100 spirit translates into 50% more procs for items or spells. Clearing stress means going home, inns, cities, and vice districts where you can drink, gamble, pray, or find pretty looking pillow company, each with its own cost, its own buff, and its own way of going sideways.
The whole idea is the return to the Hamlet, the inn, the town after every adventure and interact with people around you.
The world is built on top of OpenAzeroth project, with great chunks of TWoW content being absorbed where I saw fit (mostly the islands, dungeons, raids and Hyjal).
TWoW islands aren't showing yet
Is this peak race selection or what?
Playable ogres, this is before I finished the geosets
Paladins are Alliance only class, just like Allah intended. Shamans are split between both factions
I am interested in your suggestions or ideas you would love to see in your ideal server.
Oh yeah, sailing is a thing, so you can reach over 20+ islands and small rocks in water that exist in the same persistent world as Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor. It includes most of island expeditions from BFA, Gilijim, Lapadis, Balor, Tel'Abim, Tol Barad, Crestfall etc.