An Alternative to Pathfinder in Shadowlands

Community General Discussion
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Now let’s be clear. I have been an avid pro-flyer since the Warlords debacle. I was extremely active in the backlash then, and I’ve defended flying many times since. I will ALWAYS support flight on Azeroth, and I think every Azeroth expansion should have flight from day 1 like Cata did. Unless there’s a pressing reason- like in Legion, flying in Dalaran should have always been allowed, and PF1 should have unlocked flying in at least the levelling zones. PF2 should have unlocked Suramar, and PF3 should have unlocked the Broken Shore immediately when that content went live. “The Largest Legion Invasion Ever” to me is good enough reason to stay out of the skies until we push the Legion back.

But I kinda feel like… do we really need it in SL? Or do we need it in terms of flying mounts? I really loved the backpack in Mechagon. The instant-cast, double-jump activation really made zipping around the island feel truly organic and fun.

But just like I think flying would have been awful on Argus, I kinda wonder if the Shadowlands zones wouldn’t be better suited to not having Azerothian dragons flapping around everywhere. I don’t want to FEEL like I’m on Azeroth. I don’t want Maldraxxus to feel like Wrath or the Plaguelands. I don’t want Ardenwealde to feel like Ashenvale at night. I especially don’t want to have to FLY through Ardenwealde. I hate flying through forests in WoW.

I also don’t want flight paths. They’re so boring and I always alt-tab away from them. Nothing ruins immersion more that flight paths. Especially the “you have to go there first” rule. Imagine if taxis worked like that? You fly to a new city for vacation, and until you walk across the city to the different areas, you couldn’t catch a cab? Just scale the cost based on the level of the area and have the mouseover window state the level range of the area and have the text colour change to orange or red if it’s higher than your current level.

But that’s a tangent and not relevant here where I’m saying we shouldn’t have flight points. So back on topic. How do we do Shadowlands with no flying mounts or flightpoints? Well, have unique travel mechanisms in each zone. Have an epic quest line that unlocks at Honoured or Revered that grants you access to that Covenant’s travel method. And for the Covenant you join, have that zone’s mechanic unlocked instantly.

Some ideas for travel modes:
Bastion: Clearly the Kyrian give you angel wings and you zip around just like with the Mechagon backpack.
Revendreth: Same here, except vampire batwings. Or maybe a gargoyle flight form that we keep as a flying mount when we leave, but can only do running speed on the ground. Although, I don’t know if anyone that plays WoW wants to have a gargoyle form…
Or maybe we just get super-fast carriage mounts that can carry up to 5 players and everyone but the driver can cast/fight while it’s moving and we can ride around doing high speed vampire-themed carriage heists.
Maldraxxus: There could be geyser pustules that erupt occasionally, or on queue, and you can use them to launch into the air, like an aimed Darkmoon Cannon.
Ardenwealde: There’s a fungal network throughout all of Ardenwealde, and you learn a wisp form that allows you to travel through it. In addition to moving around on the surface, it can also take you up into the canopy in some places, or straight to the deepest part of caves throughout the zone. There could even be some underground caverns that can ONLY be reached via the network. Instead of choosing a point to go to, you have to “steer” yourself through it by staying to the left or right (or top or bottom) of the spore tunnel as branches comes up.
The Maw and Orobos: No. The Maw feels too dangerous to be zipping around in the sky like a giant target, and if Orobos is designed well, why would we need it?

But at the same time as I think flying/fast travel should be handled MUCH differently in the Shadowlands, I think that all Azeroth expansion, and expansion on Azeroth-like worlds like Draenor, should definitely lower the restrictions and remove the timegates for flying. Let’s have some give-and-take, Devs, based on the lore and theme and mechanics of the expansions and zones we’re in. Give us more when it makes sense, and pull back a bit harder when it doesn’t. One-size-fits-all Patchfinder doesn’t help anyone in any way.

11 Likes
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I do want to fly in Shadowlands.

Maybe not immediately but after a while of exploring it, doing quests etc.

They could implement your suggestions for sure though, for immersion and convienience.

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You know there’s these things call ground mounts they are mounts that don’t fly maybe you ought to try one of those for your main mount for all of Shadowlands. And simple solution to the flight path (Don’t use it.) If you think flying doesn’t sound good in shadowlands nobody’s makin ya do it buddy

64 Likes
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Then don’t fly.

Don’t be one of those guys where they’re like, “i don’t wanna fly so everyone else shouldn’t be able to fly either” mentality.

74 Likes
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jeez really starting to hate people with your mentality, just don’t freakin fly then man…

29 Likes
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Then don’t.

The choice is yours.

That’s the beauty of having choices. You don’t have to fly, or use a taxi, or a mount, or even run for that matter, while others can chose to do any and all of those things.

What you cannot do, is control how everyone else finds joy and fun in life, and in WoW.

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Yeah why do people complain so much about optional stuff. Just because you don’t like it and don’t do it doesn’t mean everyone has to as well. God I hate people like that.

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see that’s the thing about ground mounts no one is forcing you to use a flying one by making you wait months to unlock that grand mammoth or long boy

I wonder how many pathfinder for flight supporters would protest if Blizzard added a ground version and told them no more spectral tigers or warchiefs deathwheel until you earned the same kind of achievement as they required for unlocking flight?

imagine having to walk everywhere until you saved enough turtles?

bottom line is no one is taking away the choice of players if they want to ride on the ground mounts even if we have day one access to flight

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I feel like Shadowlands is gonna be like Argus… we still and most likely can never fly their…I just get the same vibe from Shadowlands.

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What are we without the sky?

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Thank you for paying attention more than the next six people that followed you, who could only fall back on “well don’t fly then!”, like I’m saying the game shouldn’t have flying or something.

Geniuses. Millionaires. Philanthropists. Playboys.

…

Murder hobos.

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And what gives you the right to choose for other people?

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With all due respect I see the OPs pov

However for the sake of my sanity I hope they do keep flying and that hopefully it’s not behind another pathfinder achievement and they just make it a lot of some currency to attain.

The zones the art team make are beautiful and picturesque … but hopefully I’m not in the minority when I say they can be a pain to traverse on foot.

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Imagine being able to fly over dungeon trash, or any other content that prevents flying, then we can tell people “don’t fly”.

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roflmao

I’m NOT deciding for other people. I’m saying that I don’t think flight in SL, in the literal afterlife, where zones aren’t even connected, doesn’t feel natural and appropriate. I’m saying that I think alternatives like the Mechagon backpack would feel better and more immersive.

I’m ALSO saying that the Devs should stop doing Patchfinder every expansion, and give us flight from day 1 when it makes sense, and that I’d be willing to accept alternatives when it doesn’t.

ty

At the moment, Ion’s plan is Patchfinder for every expansion forever. Whether it makes no sense to delay flying for over a year, or whether it makes no sense to be flying in whichever expansion we find ourselves in. Just Patchfinder. Over and over. It’s dumb and thoughtless and boring and so frustrating because it feels so spiteful and cheap.

We really need to sell him on other options.

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So you feel it just doesn’t make sense? I can see where your coming from

And yes they should stop doing pathfinder there are better alternatives

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I mean… they hard gate flying in this game behind very long time gated achievements.

And even then you can just not fly.

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I want the convenient option of being able to fly.

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If you don’t want to fly OP, Then don’t fly, I can respect that

However flying is always needed wither you see a reason for it or not, people like myself like to fly! also a zone made to fly in is complete and not incomplete like Argus, this means we get the best, not the cut off tree tops etc etc…

It’s more work for the Dev’s sure, but they are paid very well and do a really awesome job when it counts!

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Final fantasy makes you finish a zone before letting you fly in it.

How has that not found its way to the WoW dev team? I see that as more than fair.

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