Open world scaling is when enemy mobs scale with your character’s level. As such, a level 60 returning to a low-level area like Elywnn Forest will see level 57 Wolves roaming, as a level 12 will see roughly level 10 wolves. This is also applied to the Quest Level and the amount of EXP the quest completion gives players.
This has its benefits, such as enabling players to choose whichever region to complete content regardless of their level; however, the drawback is the lack of a classic+ feel – some people prefer content to stay at their intended levels and therefore want to turn this feature off for a more authentic experience of Classic World of Warcraft.
There are two methods to turn off Open World Scaling in Project Ascension, which applies to all servers in Ascension – Area 52, Elune, Bronzebeard, and Malfurion.
Open World Scaling NPC in Major Cities
Destiny Weaver NPCs can enable or disable Open-world scaling and experience bonuses.
Within both major cities, Orgrimmar and Stormwind, each faction has an ‘Destiny Weaver’ NPC who can disable or enable Experience Bonuses or Open World Scaling.
Alliance Destiny Weaver NPC
Stormwinds’ Destiny Weaver can be found in the Stormwind Auction House within the Trade District, inside which a Human whose name is Galrin Olemar can be found near the very back of the AH.
Horde Destiny Weaver NPC
Origrimmars’ Destiny Weaver can be found in the Origrimmar Bank of the Valley of Strength – to the right of the entrance is a Troll named Tav’ral who can similarly disable or enable both features as well.
Once an option has been selected, a message reads ‘Experience Bonuses are now <Disabled/Enabled> for you – don’t worry, you can immediately change this again with no consequences.
Experience Bonuses refer to the additional experience gained from daily bonuses, found in the top right – such as +30% from PvP Battlegrounds, or Prestige Daily EXP bonuses from Dungeons, for example – this is usually a rotating bonus that can be found in the top right. This also stops Experience Auras from working for you from other members of your future Dungeons, Raids, and Battlegrounds. People usually disable this for a more challenging experience / to prolong the leveling of their characters, and enjoy more leveling content, such as queueing for more battlegrounds, or find the use of Aura of Experience overwhelming, as at times it can level players 10 levels per battleground.
Character Creation
Upon creating and loading a character, players are given a choice to enable or disable this option before the world is loaded – this is most players’ first chance to enable or disable Open World Scaling, though at this stage, most players may not understand the impact of choosing those options yet, hence the NPCs in the Major Cities being the primary choice.
This is what players see before they first load the game up with their fresh characters, three selection screens – one for transmogs, this is the set appearance of other players, such as not wanting to see appearance changes outside what they are actually wearing – transmogs are gained through ‘learning’ appearances of previously worn equipment, usually making for less immersive gameplay, as low level players could be wearing gear that look like raid endgame gear with glowing shoulders, and thunderfury swords when that shouldn’t be possible in low level content.
Another selection screen appears, allowing players to state their experience levels. The ‘New to Wow’ option provides hints on a wide range of topics, assuming the player is unfamiliar with basic mechanics, such as combat. ‘New to Ascension’ is for players who understand World of Warcraft core mechanics. Still, no new features have been added by Ascension, such as Mystic Enchanting and Legendary Mystics – this is the default option for most players. The final option is ‘Ascension Veteran’ – this is where the game doesn’t give you any tips towards gameplay, and leaves you alone. It isn’t recommended to turn off hints fully unless you’ve played Ascension for some time and most definitely won’t discover any new content.
The Final Selection Screen brings us to Level Scaling, where leveling and Quests are scaled to the player, allowing for more playability regardless of level. This enables players to complete full zones at their own pace, rather than being limited by their level (to an extent).
There are other Destiny Weavers, such as one in the Ironforge Bank; however, those areas have much lower foot traffic and are rare to visit, making it more worthwhile learning the two major cities.
