As it currently stands, even with reduced cost and rep to access some of them, people returning will have to farm old content to be able to get those essences and everyone with alts who want to play their alts will face the same grind. And I pity anyone who is new to this game… Because it won’t be fun. They won’t stick around if it takes them so many weeks to be able to level and then face weeks of leveling followers in Naz and rep and crates, oscillators, etc to be able to even remotely catch up.
Frankly, there is no incentive to do it. If I was a returning player, I would certainly not bother because to get those essences will mean doing older content that people will no longer be farming. So what would be the point? It would take ages to catch up. Might as well not bother and just wait until the next expansion where it will all become irrelevant anyway.
Selling 8.2 essences in 8.3 is a terrific idea. And I think if people have already unlocked it, it should be account wide. It will provide a valuable catch up and is an incentive for new or returning players and for the majority who like to play alts.
I fail to understand why Blizzard implemented a system that effectively locks people into playing less classes and has made it so much harder to switch mains or return from a break. In legion, we had account wide catch up mechanisms for new tiers with the weapon, specifically so that people changing mains could do so and for returning players to be able to actually catch up, why they are refusing to do the same thing now with essences defies logic.
It isn’t fun. This is the first time since Vanilla that I am not playing my alts and gearing them, because of essences.
8.3 will mean alts and returning or new players will have two grinds… Essences from old content and for the cloak and new essences with the tier.
I have not spoken to anyone in this game who likes this current system. People who used to level and gear alts, now have just leveled and parked those alts, because of essences and the grind to get them is ridiculous… Blood of the Enemy alone - this should be account wide. It is ridiculous that it is not.
This is the last tier of the expansion. Instead of inviting people to play, Blizzard have effectively reduced any desire and ability to actually play and be able to catch up to everyone quickly.