This is a simple thing. Pathfinder was a good idea to save coin(in-game), but the implementation is terrible.
What it is now…
Phase 1: Throughout most of the expansion, Pathfinder part 1 is faster mount speed.
Phase 2: Near the end of the expansion(final zones added), tie new achievements to the game.
This is WRONG! For one, it forces us to stick to the ground and for many of us, we honestly prefer the bird’s eye view. We’d prefer to be above, and after the first couple characters leveling through these zones, completing world quests to get to exalted for various rewards, being tied to the ground is just BORING. A game survived on being FUN.
The best logical way to do it is…
New Pathfinder
-Requisite 1: Require players to reach max level on a character of both factions(Minimal requirements, one Horde + one Alliance)
-Requisite 2: Explore the new continental region
-Requisite 3: Reach exalted with all major reputation factions one at least one character(minimum)
-RELEASE AT THE START OF THE EXPANSION TIMELINE! NOT THE BLOODY END WHEN IT’S ON IT’S WAY OUT!
This could be applied to new content that serves as the expansion’s dying breath, tie flying in the newest zones added for the conclusion so players enter it groundbound, but can fast track to flying.
This way, players can enjoy leveling more characters to the cap instead of being stuck on the ground endlessly unless by choice.
I’m one of those people who can appreciate being airborne, but the grind makes it unattractive to have to play WoW with the reward gated behind keeping it away from us until the very end. It’s not fun, it’s not engaging, and it makes us HATE having to stick to the roads or deal with the always hated threat of being dazed, which forces us into fights we would rather avoid, in which we either fight an unwanted battle, or die because of a stupid mechanic we don’t want.
Instead of obeying the words of an inept loser who believes “you think you want it but you don’t”, listen to your customers on this one! We’d rather have to grind 2 characters to max level and get the most important reputations to exalted so we can fly at the start than to be stuck on the ground for the vast majority of the expansion, and seethe with envy at those who had the patience for the current pathfinder system. It makes forking over 5k gold to learn a new flying level per character seem like a relief! Even if it’s a tome or an heirloom toy that costs upwards of 10k gold!
One of them at least. Many people hate the rep requirement and making it exalted is ridiculous. Rep shouldn’t even be part of PF as it has nothing to do with flying imo. So I think this “plan” is even worse than current PF.
Pathfinder is just fine the way it is as long as it is implemented in full at the start of every expac, there is a hard date for when flight will be “turned on” and that date is no further into the expac than 180 days from its release.
The reason pathfinder exists, on the other hand, don’t get me started on that.
Pathfinder is a lame solution without a problem to solve.
It reminds me of some politicians.
They let criminals out onto the streets instead of being in prison where they belong, then come up with some crazy idea to ‘fix’ the problem, usually taking away my freedoms.
They create the ‘problem’ then ‘solve’ it for me.
The problem with the game is bad content.
Bad content people dont want to play.
So the ‘problem’ is fixed by trying to coerce us to into playing bad content by dangling flight (a mode of travel, not a mythical chalice) at the end of a stick .
Seriously not interested.
PF wasnt needed.
Still isnt.
New pathfinder = no flight in game again. Since you know it was the compromise to no flight in WOD.
If anything they will gate a rep behind factions in 9.X for mount equipment bought from said vendor that allows flight. Congrats no pathfinder and they still gate the flight behind whatever rep they want at whatever patch they want.
Pathfinder is already a huge success, no need to fix what ain’t broke (right blizzard?) just look at all those millions of subs for a game made by a company that does whatever the hell they want regardless of what users want.
I prefer the BC-MoP method of just paying for flight. A real compromise would be complete all the quests in the new zones and explore them (i.e. Loremaster and Explorer). That is experiencing the content. The rest of the hoops and time-gating is just BS.
All I see is criticism without a constructive alternative.
Reaching max level on one character of each faction before you can get flying account-wide is a great step.
By the time we’ve got one character exalted with every major reputation(one major reputation per faction, easily achievable via world quests and level progression), it’s not as grindy as you’d fear.
Imagine if all you had to do was get exalted with the Zandalari in BfA as a Horde character, and get exalted with the Proudmoore Admiralty as an Alliance character Two reputations, one per character. Then BOOM, you can fly account-wide! Exploring the continents is easy too!
It’s a 3-step and it would be at the start of the expansion, not the end of it! That way it’s more inviting to altaholics to level through content!
Your main, you leveled through it no sweat, you know the story. Pathfinder achieved because you learned the full story. Pop on an alt, level by punching out the quests you want for progression. No need to risk dying from dazed in that area you remember being swarmed in.
as i understand it, you only have to do pathfinder on one character and it applies to your whole account anyway. i wish it wasn’t such a grind, but at least it’s only for 1 character, unlike essences and azerite bullcrap.
