Phasing in World of Warcraft is a useful thing – at least when it doesn’t ruin the fun of the game and is not exploited.
With the launch of Battle for Azeroth, I have long had the desire for open-PvP in World of Warcraft. I always run around in war mode and do not avoid many skirmishes, even when the enemy is not a familiar roleplayer. However, the more time I spend with PvP, the more frustrated I become with mechanics that are actually good and reasonable.
Today we will discuss phasing and sharding.
What exactly is phasing? In phasing, there are different “variants” of a specific area. An example is Brennadam in the Sturmsangtal region. At first, all players see the phase where Brennadam is still intact, but once the corresponding cinematic has played (with entering the bridge), you are always placed in the new phase where Brennadam was attacked. Only players who are on the same quest progression can enter the same phase and interact with each other.
What is sharding? Sharding is similar in effect to phasing, but has different reasons. A shard can be considered a second instance of an area that is needed when too many players are present. If about 300 players are currently milling about in Sturmsangtal, the WoW technology could simply split the whole thing into two separate Sturmsangtals, allowing everyone to quest in peace.
You can actually notice sharding only when many players from your vicinity disappear or numerous new players appear.
By the way, when players join a group, they end up in the shard of the group leader. That is the only way to “target” switch shards.
The benefit of phasing is obvious, as it allows developers to change the world and display it in different states. This can give quests a special impact, represent large attacks, or stage moving events. The world feels more alive when something really changes.
But the side effects are damn frustrating.
Phasing in PvP as an “I Win” Button
Anyone who regularly engages in a bit of PvP in war mode will already know the following situation: You encounter an enemy player, exchange blows, and constantly reposition yourself. Additional mobs are pulled, and the fight drags on.
One side realizes that they are going to lose and tries to flee. This is also successful, as the fleeing player simply vanishes into thin air. While you wonder and rub your forehead, the name of some small subzone that you just entered appears in the middle of the screen, and it dawns on you: We have been placed in different phases.
I do not attribute malicious intent to most players here. Phasing can occur repeatedly and is annoying when it abruptly ends an exciting fight.
However, it becomes annoying when particularly “engaged” players begin to exploit this system. Because if you pay attention, you can clearly identify the boundaries of the game world and clearly determine where another phase begins. Once you have internalized this, you can basically stand “on the edge” of the phase and simply make a run for it at the right moment.
Sharding is also less controllable here. Because it can work exactly the same way. If you find yourself in the midst of a heated PvP battle, you can – even in the middle of the fight – simply be placed in another shard. This experience is frustrating but occurs much less frequently.
Anchorweed and Treasure Chests are My End Bosses
Similarly annoying to disappearing players are also other game contents that differ from phase to phase. I am sure every herbalist knows the following scene: The icon for Anchorweed appears on the minimap, currently the most valuable plant from BfA. However, as you ride towards the herb, it disappears right before your eyes, as if another player has already gathered it. Frustrated, you ride back, only to see that the Anchorweed reappears – it is in another phase that is currently unreachable.
The same goes for treasure chests, which you search for minutes only to then find out that the phasing also ensures that the treasure chest remains unreachable and taunts you as you ride by.
I appreciate what phasing and sharding achieve in theory and how they make quests livelier and the game world more interesting. But all the “side effects” are just too much for me. This is one of the very few points where I can really say, “Well, that was better in Classic” – and I don’t say that often.
What has been your experience with phasing? Do you find it good in its current form because it makes quests more exciting? Or is it rather annoying and disruptive?
