What is the “Ruleset” system?
The first question I’ve seen players interested in WoW Forever ask is “what server will my friends be playing on?”
WoW Forever does not use a traditional server system. Instead, they’ve opted for “Rulesets”, which act as combined mega-servers where all players on that ruleset play together. Each ruleset defines a playstyle; normal players experience the typical “PvE” style gameplay, while PvP players can opt into a more dangerous world. Here’s some critical things to know:
You can only play with people within your ruleset.
When you create a character in a given ruleset, they are locked to that ruleset. A player on the RP ruleset cannot add or group with people from the PvP ruleset.
Names are reserved across all rulesets.
Once a name is picked in any ruleset, it cannot be used in any other ruleset. That means if you create “John Warcraft” on the RP ruleset, you cannot make another “John Warcraft” on the PvP ruleset.
PvP Ruleset has forced faction balancing and traditional pvp realm rules.
You cannot make characters on both factions on the PvP ruleset; you are locked to one faction only. To make matters more complicated, faction balance will be enforced, so if there are too many horde players, you will be locked to alliance-only for that ruleset, and vice-versa.
There is no known means to transfer characters between rulesets.
Aside from some special rules for the Hardcore ruleset, characters created in one ruleset cannot be moved to other rulesets.
Hardcore is coming at a later date.
Hardcore will not be available on launch! It will be added in a content patch slated for “Winter” on the official WoW Forever roadmap.
Hardcore characters can be transfered to another ruleset when they die.
If you die in Hardcore, it’s no longer game over! You can preserve your fallen hero by transferring them to another ruleset outside of the Hardcore space.
Account-Wide System Progress is preserved across all rulesets (except Hardcore)
All unlocks in account-wide systems (Such as Legacy and Transmog) are shared across all characters regardless of ruleset, with one exception: Hardcore. Hardcore progression is kept separate from the other rulesets, though progress is carried over to the regular rulesets if that character dies and is moved into another ruleset!
With WoW changing to a mega-server architecture, it’s easier than ever to join your friends in Azeroth! All that’s left is to pick the ruleset that speaks to you the most. So where will you be playing when the game launches on November 4th?
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