Hello,
I know this may cause a bit of a tizzy but hear me out, or skip to the TLDR if you feel inclined.
I think it’s well past time to start ending the separation of PvP and PvE seasonal rewards. What am I talking about? Let’s use DF S2 as an example.
For PvE DF S2, you can currently earn an Inferno Armoredon mount for reaching KSM (often referred to as a “casual” achievement) and character-specific 8-hour shared cooldown dungeon portals.
For PvP DF S2, you can earn a class transmog set (often referred to as being received from “casual” gameplay), a Vicious War Snail mount (also a “casual” reward), weapon appearances, weapon illusions, and an Obsidian Gladiator’s Slitherdrake (Gladiator). These rewards are class-specific, with the exception of the mount.
Both PvE and PvP share the Dragonflight Season 2 Master achievement and transmog reward. It is also interesting to note that there are far more PvP rewards than PvE rewards.
In any event, what am I suggesting? Merge the rewards under a single Seasonal category and let them be achieved in multiple ways.
For example, a 2000 IO score or a 1400 rating could earn you pieces of the elite seasonal transmog set, and a 2500 IO score OR an 1800 rating (these numbers, of course, can be adjusted and are purely examples) can net you the Armoredon mount and the rest of the elite seasonal transmog set, and so on. Killing 100 raid bosses, completing 100 M+ dungeons, or filling up the PvP mount bar can award the Vicious War Snail. Achieving Smoldering Hero OR achieving Gladiator can award the Obsidian Gladiator’s Slitherdrake mount, and so on. It goes without saying that the rewards would need to drop their game-mode specific names with this suggestion, but hopefully this conveys the idea.
Again, this is just giving a rough idea of where I’m thinking, and of course, the ultimate decisions would be up to Blizzard if they decided to implement this.
Off the top of my head, I can think of some questions, and I’d like to answer them ahead of time.
Q: How would someone know I got Gladiator instead of Smoldering Hero?
A: You can link your achievements.
Q: Isn’t your suggestion going to hurt PvP by making PvP rewards available in PvE?
A: I can’t say one way or the other. There is clearly a rewards imbalance between the two game modes. Ultimately, this suggestion would allow people to play the game modes they find to be the most fun to obtain cool rewards. If many people leave PvP because they don’t find PvP to be fun, then that is a design issue. Those who enjoy PvP will continue to PvP. Those who enjoy PvE will continue to PvE. Those who do both will continue doing both.
Q: Aren’t you mad because you can’t earn PvP rewards?
A: I believe rewards should be obtainable in multiple ways, such as being able to play a different game mode. However, I believe the challenge should be roughly equivalent. I do not advocate for “free handouts” of rewards in one game mode and the same reward requiring a slog in another game mode.
Q: Why did you ignore raiding?
A: I prefer to leave that discussion to those who are better familiar with raids than I am. Have at it!
Q: You didn’t talk about [insert scenario here].
A: Then let’s talk about it in this thread! After all, there are message limits on the forums, and overly-long messages often don’t get read.
TLDR; All seasonal rewards should be obtainable, regardless of whether someone PvEs or PvPs, at equivalent difficulties.
