The launch of World of Warcraft: Forever is running smoothly for most players, but one significant issue is causing frustration: ships and zeppelins are simply not appearing at the docks. Blizzard has therefore temporarily set up portals to prevent anyone from getting stuck on a continent.
What happened to the ships and zeppelins?
Reports of disappearing or severely delayed transport methods are piling up in the official forums. Players are waiting for minutes at the harbor, perhaps hearing the bell, but still seeing no ship. According to Icy Veins, transports are sometimes literally getting lost. PC Games reported that some players were even sent back to the graveyard when attempting to cross.
Blizzard is aware of the problem. Developer Josh Greenfield, also known as Aggrend, commented on the issue in the official forum and described the emergency solution: temporary portals are available at most harbors and zeppelin towers. A proper fix will follow once it has been tested; the portals will then be removed.
How to continue your journey anyway
- Go to the harbor or zeppelin tower from which you would normally depart.
- Do not wait for the ship; instead, look for the temporary portal near the docks or in the tower.
- Enter the portal to travel between continents, specifically between Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms.
- If you don't find it immediately: According to PC Games, the portals can sometimes be difficult to spot in bright areas with low graphics settings. Take a closer look at the docks.
Important: Blizzard mentions portals at most harbors, not all. If one is missing, your best bet is to find another access point or wait patiently for the fix.
Why do the cities seem so empty?
The second launch issue: several players are reporting almost deserted capital cities. One user wrote in the forum that they saw only eight other players in Ironforge. Layering, which distributes players across multiple versions of the game world, is considered the cause. According to PC Games, the Forever team has confirmed that significantly fewer players are present in some areas than intended and plans to adjust the layer distribution as quickly as possible.
The topic of layering was controversial even before the launch.
Our assessment
Transport issues at launch are not uncommon for major MMO releases. Here, Blizzard reacted quickly, and portals are a pragmatic solution. The layering situation is more concerning. The appeal of Classic, in particular, lies in encountering other players everywhere. Whether Blizzard can strike the right balance between stability and a sense of community will become clear in the coming days. The official forum is the best place to keep an eye on the current status.
Source: Blizzard Forum (Aggrend), Icy Veins, Wowhead, PC Games
What's your experience: Have you used the emergency portals yet, and are your cities well-populated in WoW Forever?
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