In order to 1) bury my previous post of shame (in the hope that it is lost to time) and 2) try to get back to this, let's create a post!
I have been absent from blogging and commenting for a number of reasons. The two main reasons were being busier at work and having a hard time getting into this account at work. Work is less busy now, but I'm still having some troubles logging on. Still, I'm able to get in today so I want to get back to this.
When I was here last there was a very wide ranging conversation going on about LFR and such. Things have moved on to 6.2.3 and Legion, but it was interesting while it lasted. I'll probably hit up on it soon and reply to what was said, even if it's really just talking to myself. It helps me to think through this some. I'm not sure I'll really be able to add much to what has already been said.
Speaking of 6.2.3 and Legion...I'm disappointed in the moose situation. Fiannor pretty much hits what I would need to say, both in the post and the comment that follows up. I haven't really been reading much on Legion...it's too far out for me (as in number of months) and what is out tends to be depressing to me.
A few things I wish weren't happening
Combat Rogue change
Hunter Change
Frost Death Knight dual wield only
Removal of Mistweaver melee/healing idea (Fistweaver if you must call it that)
Removal of Gladiator Stance
The thing I'm looking forward to:
Transmog change
I'm very excited about the account wide transmog thing, but I'm confused. Everyone seems excited about this and like it is a done deal. Perhaps I've been too pessimistic, but I'm not counting on that until it is in game, live, and I've used it. Blizzard has promised way too many things for an expansion that were dropped from game (Path of the Titans). Am I being too pessimistic or is everyone just so caught up in the hype that they've forgotten how much is promised at Blizzcon and what makes into the final game?
As above, you'll notice that I listed class changes a lot. I'm not against change. In fact, I hate keeping something the way it is simply because of tradition or momentum. But I just don't understand why they feel the need to change it and, more importantly, they are once again telling me the proper fantasy for the class.
Now, it is their game, so yes, they can say whatever they want about their classes in their game. But there is something in how Blizzard goes about doing this sort of thing that comes across less "this is our idea of this trope. this is our take on it" and more "here is the one and only proper way to understand this idea". They do this with many things but this class remake, and especially the "fantasy" buzzword they keep throwing around really rubs me the wrong way.
And this all leads back to why I'm not really reading much or talking much about it. Because if I do, I'll have to acknowledge how the game and I continue to part ways. And if I look too long into that void, I might begin to see that maybe this is the end for me.
I'm trying not to give up on the game, because it has been so fun for me and such a great escape when I needed it. But when I look at what I want in a game and where Blizzard has been and continues to head, I just don't know how long I'll be continuing on.
Sorry to end on the more down note. This format is not great at expressing emotion. I'm not really that down, although I'm pensive about it all. Just wondering where it all goes from here.
I'll try to get back to blogging more regularly. If my next post in about my wrap-up on LFR thoughts, it might be about deleting characters and why that is a challenge for me and why I'm still trying to find a few.
I can feel your sadness at not being very excited anymore about something you've enjoyed for a long time.
ReplyDeleteI'm excited enough about the Combat Rogue changes that I brought my Rogue back out to Draenor -- though I'll continue to play her as Subtlety until the class changes go live in the pre-patch. My Warlock is still shelved, though, and if the Transmogrification changes go through as described and not only do you not have to keep an item once its appearance is saved in your Wardrobe, you don't have to keep the character who originally obtained that item, either, she might be gone entirely, and I might not roll a Demon Hunter at all (whew, that was quite a run-on!).
The main thing I'm wondering about the Hunter changes (and the other classes, too, but more for the Hunter) is how much they're going to screw up the low-level game. The three Hunter playstyles as described are so different that it seems like at least one of them is likely to have a hard time getting appropriate gear, etc if the low-level quest & dungeon rewards don't get a correlation check.
I never got fully into the "Fistweaving" playstyle or tried out the Crane Stance with my Monk, but I did enjoy how different Monk healing felt from my other healers. I guess now the Holy Paladin will be taking up that melee healer role.
Gladiator Stance sure sounds like it's fun. I'm kind of sad that I won't get to try it... although I suppose that I could, if I manage to get my Warrior to level 100 within the next several months and respec her off-spec from Arms to Prot.
Hmm, the presentation of the class overhauls felt like Blizzard saying "this is our idea of this trope; this is our take on it" to me. To me, it felt like they were saying, "within our universe, this is how this archetype is going to work". I've certainly picked up on and used the "class fantasy" buzzword myself, but I must admit that I'm starting to get kind of tired of it. Still, the way they've redefined some of the classes, or some of the specs within the classes, has caused me to completely lose interest in playing those classes or specs, whereas before I could find a way to look at those classes or specs that worked for my ideals and aesthetics.
I look forward to reading your thoughts on the difficulty of deleting characters. It's something I struggle with from time to time, too -- I've made lots of throwaway alts over the years, but periodically I look at my more stable roster and consider doing a grand slash-and-burn of all the alts I haven't played for ages... and I always end up deciding just to keep the status quo.
Thanks for the note :)
DeleteI'll tackle the sadness/excitement issue in a bit, but first, I'm glad that people are happy about the class changes. I really am. Even if I don't like them myself, I am glad that others can find something in them they like. It's just that I wish rather than changing Combat, why not just add a fourth spec? I mean, I can't see why change is the option rather than addition. Druids have 4 specs and most of the anger/frustration I see people have right now is that they are taking away an option.
If they added a melee hunter. If they added gladiator spec. If they added the outlaw rogue. All of those would be better than removing or changing something that people enjoy.
It's funny you mention Warlock being shelved. After much frustration, I finally got a warlock through proving grounds silver. And with how nerfed demonology has become, where I had to switch to destruction to get through the proving grounds, I've kind of lost my taste for warlocks right now. That also ties in to the deletion thing (more on that soonish).
I have heard a lot about the Transmog system and I'm very excited and hopeful...but also cautious. This isn't purely a distrust of Blizzard, although after the flying fiasco things aren't good in that department. It's also an issue of practicality. They are really promising the sky here and any time anyone does that, I am skeptical.
The possible low-level issues with this revamp is a great point. It really feels that Blizzard is very focused on end game and not the getting there. The destination, not the journey. And while they always had that to some degree I'm sure, it seems to be a bigger deal now.
I really enjoyed the monk healing/damage game. I never got a chance to get far into but I was just recently thinking about remaking a character as a monk and was looking forward to trying the healing path. Kind of seems pointless to get into it now.
And I don't mind the Holy Paladin as the melee healer role, seems like a fine fit. But why couldn't there be two types of melee healers? We have more than one type of ranged healer, why not the same for melee?
Similar to the monk healer, I was really looking forward to Gladiator Stance and while, yes, I could get my warrior to 100 and play with that soon, it feels kind of pointless. It won't be there so I'll just be learning to play and enjoy something that won't be around in short order.
As for the presentation of the class overhauls, perhaps I'm not being fair to Blizzard. It came across poorly to me but perhaps it deserves a second viewing and see if I was just being overly critical. As I mentioned, after the flying situation and everything that has come out of WoD, I'm just less willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. I'd like to, it just doesn't seem like the best course of action.
The number of "throwaway" alts who I don't want to delete now, is kind of sad :) And the thing is, it isn't necessarily that I like that particular alt themselves but they might be the only one on that server that has a recipe no longer in game or they were the first character that I really had some good PvP success with or they were the luckiest character I ever rolled and seemed to get drops or achievements or whatever like crazy.
DeleteI have a level 100 Death Knight now that was intended to be a support/trying-the-class-out character. I, of course, still had a character idea in mind when I made him but it wasn't anything I thought I would have trouble deleting in the end. Before account wide mounts he had gotten the brewfest mount, the remote, the headless horseman mount and a few others. It was almost comical how good my luck was when I was on him. So he's kind of earned his keep even if, as a character he's low on my list.
Personality wise, he's kind of meh. And one of my favorite characters, personality wise was on an account I was using for recruit a friend. I didn't have much time to play her but she was just this awesome little Gnome Warrior that never even made it to 40 before time ran out. I still think about reactivating that account. So I can play her more. Come to think of it, that's the same account that has my really fun to play monk healer.
Must. Not. Justify. Second. Account.
As not much of an alt player the class changes didn't really concern me that much, but I did look forward to Transmog. And I know the moose thing does annoy you, but I guess I hadn't really thought about what Misdirections said, that it's a shift from purchasing from the store to an in game kind of gold purchase. Does that make it better? I'm not sure. If it had been a store mount, I would have bought it. If I was not in the situation to be able to do heroic Archi, then I probably would buy the carry, and I suppose buy the tokens to fund the gold I would need for it. Is there much of a difference between the two? The principle of it is there, as in the indignation of having to be carried (for me that is) but I guess if I just swallowed my pride and hand over my money it would be the same. Hard to know exactly when I haven't been there myself.
ReplyDeleteAs I said above, blogging, or at least my writing style, doesn't seem to express emotion well.
DeleteI'm disappointed about not being able to get the mount but not devastated or angry at those that can get it. I think what it is that bothers me is that it was something that was thought to be attainable by most people and now it isn't. Now, some people still wouldn't have wanted to pay cash and I completely understand and respect that. I'm not flush with cash myself but I can pay for internet, subscription, and some of those mounts & pets if I really wanted them. But I appreciate that there are others out there than can't or just wouldn't want to.
Digressing, sorry.
The point I was heading towards was that there have always been things that were out of my reach when things were current and I've accepted that. Not necessarily been okay with it, but accepted it is the truth of the matter since I'm not a raider. It just feels like more and more things are being added that fewer and fewer people have access to.
Most of the mounts added to the game recently are only obtainable to those that run heroic (or higher) dungeons and raids or can succeed in high end PvP. The few mounts that have been added that can be purchased with in game currency have been pretty pricey
The alliance motorcycle is a great example. It's nothing I want but it just seems like the few things that have been added for in-game purchase are outrageously priced for most players.
I believe (can't confirm as restricted access here) that the new heirloom trinkets only drop from mythic dungeons. If I'm wrong here, my fault and objection withdrawn, but if not - again, more things that most people have no access to.
More and more things are being put of out reach of the average player. Not just on skill but on time as well. I just started running old Cataclysm raids (and older too) to try for some of the drop and achievement mounts I never got. While it would have been nice to see those areas when they were current, I appreciate that I can go back now and try for those things. But with the way things are going with Blizzard, time limited things seem to be happening more frequently and so I won't be able to go back.
I wouldn't fault anyone for getting a carry but I don't want it that much. I would want to contribute and be more than a walking gold sack. I already feel like a wallet, not a player, to Blizzard in real-life. I don't want that feeling in game too.
I'm not sure your friend's fears are that well founded, according to WoW Progress fully 20% of the raiders who've killed anything* have knocked over Heroic Archimonde - and that was from before the new patch with Valor and buffs (and probably not the last buffs, if progress starts to slow). I'd expect the figure to get over 50% by the time of 7.0.0 - far from an elite.
ReplyDelete*as I understand it, this counts Normal but not LFR.
Point of curiosity, not arguing your point: I'm not familiar with WoW Progress or any of that, but does it track everyone that raids or just people that are associated with the site? Like how I've understood wowhead to calculate things - that it isn't tracking or collecting the loot of every player, but only those that have installed the addon (or whatever) that does it. Just curious.
DeleteWhatever the case, the moose mount was originally labeled as something that could be purchased from the store, which means no in-game skill or currency was required. Real-life money was necessary of course, which is a restriction for some people, but it was available to everyone.
As I mentioned previously, this may be due to datamining and people taking information before it has been confirmed. So while that is an issue, based on the response of the community to a moose mount, people were excited to have the mount available.
The disappointment came when it was found to have been a raid only mount. And not just a raid only, but Heroic or higher. In principal, everyone can raid but we all know that just isn't true. Time, skill, hardware capability, and physical restrictions mean that raiding isn't for everyone. And that's just to do LFR.
That may sound like a joke to some more skilled players, but LFR really is a steep jump for some players and a big time and stress investment. So just getting to LFR is hard and then moving on up to Normal and eventually Heroic is even more so.
It's not that those higher end challenges and rewards shouldn't be there, it's that it is beginning to feel like that's all there is. If you aren't running at the top of the game, rewards and story aren't for you.
I'm fully willing to admit this could be just my perspective and my changing view of things. I'm trying to be aware of that and take it into consideration. But I don't think I'm alone or we wouldn't see the feedback that we do. More and more, we non-raiders see the story and the rewards move on without us and it is disheartening.