honestly, I kind of want to see what the forums would look like if that happened.
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If it’s the same as DF, early access will begin on a weekend, with the idea being that most people will have more free time to get started on leveling.
Beyond that, there will be no endgame progression available until Tuesday after the reset.
Specifically, the early-access period won’t have most end-game advancement opportunities, he said. At the launch of Dragonflight, which occurred for North America on a Monday, players couldn’t do many things until the weekly reset on Tuesday. Early access will be the same, but will give players a bit more time to hit maximum level before that reset, he said.
Some of the things that won’t be available until reset include the best items from rare spawn creatures, Mythic Zero dungeons, Mythic Plus, weekly profession cooldowns and profession specialization points, Hazzikostas said.
“We’re looking at end game power advantages,” said Hazzikostas. “Our goal here is, and we’re going to do everything in our power to make sure it’s the case, that there’s no long-term advantage. You shouldn’t be able to tell the difference between someone by the time Season One [with its raid and Mythic Plus dungeons] starts, who had the early access to someone who didn’t.”
It’s a complete non-factor in terms of being a meaningful advantage in end-game content. The hardcore players who gear up for mythic+ or heroic+ raids will have no problem doing so before that content releases.
Do you trust Blizzard to be able to hold up to that balancing act? While I don’t have citations I do have experience playing games with them for some time and I can tell you what they say they want to do, normally doesn’t equate to what they are actually capable of doing. It’s likely there will be some small thing that people will find to take advantage of and they will do it.
And the key take away is “Long Term” doesn’t mean there will be no advantage at all.
As for price, it’s really only $25 considering it takes $65 minimum to get in.
As for the long term advantage, I doubt it will mean much. People playing 24/7 will just run out of things to do 3 days earlier.
Why don’t they just let everyone on that day?
I can only guess why.
Like what small advantages? And what impact will they have on end-game progression when mythic+ and mythic raids unlock?
I can’t think of anything at this time. Maybe heroic dungeons will be available during early access and people will be able to get that gear quicker? But again, anyone who seriously raids or does mythic+ will still be ready to go by the time that starts. Leveling alts could be some type of advantage? But how much of an impact is that going to have on something like world first (which only a miniscule fraction of the playerbase participates in anyway, so why cater to them)?
I’m genuinely interested in hearing about ways people could gain a true long term competitive advantage from 3 days of early leveling with no end-game progression content available.
Made me laugh thanks
I’ve thought about it, I’m not a mythic raider and don’t min-max. 3 days is a long time in game, but in the real world it’s not long at all. I can wait. The other goodies haven’t enticed me as much. If there was a pretty or cool mount, I would buy it.
I don’t think it’s good to get hung up on the “long term” part of an advantage. An advantage is an advantage be it short term or long term. People are willing to pay for any advantage no matter how long it lasts. I think Ion specifically stating long term instead of just straight up saying advantage means he recognizes there will be some advantages they can’t simply bypass.
Or perhaps I am wrong and my faith in gamers should be more well placed instead of assuming the worse of them and think they have no measure of self control when it comes to advantages.
Well the long term advantages are what matter. If someone has a slight advantage for 3-4 days (before progression content is available) out of a 550 day expansion? There’s no issue here.
Kind of depends I guess on the person. For me, I like going into normal dungeons for example on an even footing where we are all learning because I get to -experience- the dungeon instead of going into it and have people travel at mach 10 and ignoring quest objectives. I think people already doing these things will give them an advantage in not needing them and adversely effect others. But this is just one possible scenario I have in mind that could happen.
But will they?
… Will they?
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Right? There is no possible way some exploit will happen that gives people access to something on mistake they shouldn’t have access to yet. That’s not possible at all Blizzard -never- makes mistakes like that then simply lets people keep everything. Doesn’t happen at all.
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Will they have a slight advantage? I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking what it would be. I’m looking for ideas.
It was free using my gold in game to buy it. I’m pretty happy with my purchase, so yea i think it’s great getting all that good stuff including the 3 extra days.
Sounds good, that is your choice, i hope you are happy too.
My post was in reference to the server issues that likely would happen during that “advantage” period. The flood gates are opening and Blizzard has only 3 days to get their rears together, and it’s not looking good …
That was what I was alluding to.
See I don’t consider this a problematic “disadvantage”. You will learn the dungeon eventually. It will probably only take you 1-2 runs. You are not a dumb person. This is something that’ll work itself out within a day or two of people reaching endgame, because it’s not like every single run is going to be people speedrunning them after just 3-4 days.
Okay so the early access is even less of a problem then, if people won’t get as much early access as they’re anticipating
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I mean yeah, I generally agree that 3 days is a non issue for the most part. But I do see how it can ruin the experience for others as well. There is value to having everyone on the same footing the first day.
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it’s bad, but not quit the game/riot in the streets bad like I’ve seen some people suggest.
bots will rule the crafting/gathering market regardless, but giving them a 3 day head start over the majority of the playerbase seems like a bad idea.
I’d like to say I wont buy it, but odds are I’ll buy it on a whim a few months from now.
Can you provide me with examples of the value it has that will be lost after the first week or so of the expansion?
I think you’re right that there will be cases (however rare) of people getting into dungeons for the first time, and their group speed runs it because they’ve all done it before, but that also happens without early access, and what usually happens is the new person either leaves and tries again, or they suffer through it and then try again. Either way, I don’t think that’s an issue to be concerned about, because after a week it probably won’t matter, and I can’t imagine that new person’s WoW experience will be ruined by that happening.
I mean these are subjective experiences we are talking about so the length inwhich they last are immeasurable. How long have you played the game for? Was you here on the Vanilla release? Do you remember that feeling still? If so try to think how that would of felt if it was separated would it have felt as epic would your memory still be as cherished? All these thoughts and feelings are immeasurable and it’s these immeasurable values that would be compromised.