The launch performance of World of Warcraft: Infinite has been impressive—as everyone knows, running servers for massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) is extremely difficult, especially during the initial launch when a massive influx of players causes server congestion, putting developers in a dilemma: should they increase server capacity, only to waste money when popularity declines, or should they tough it out? However, after the chaos of the testing phase, the game has been running exceptionally smoothly.
This is why I’m willing to forgive the strange flaws brought about by Blizzard’s lack of phased layering technology—cities are empty, almost eerily deserted. It’s a real shame, considering I know there are theoretically thousands of players online—yet not a single one in my Stormwind.
According to the official forums, the developers of World of Warcraft: Infinite are working hard to fix this issue: “I just want to add that we’ve noticed the problem of certain areas being sparsely populated. We’ll be adjusting some values tomorrow to make the game environment more lively. Thank you for your feedback!”
It’s a relief to hear this news, especially since I’m on a role-playing server where phasing issues have previously disrupted the flow of storytelling. Cities, in particular, should feel inhabited, and it’s hard to foster a sense of community when the players you could be creating stories with keep appearing and disappearing.
But even if you’re not a role-playing enthusiast like me, I think you’ll still be happy to hear this news—crowded cities aren’t a problem at all; in fact, they’re exactly what you want. They are social hubs, and jostling with bustling crowds in the auction house is part of the fun.