Balancing Appropriately for a More Positive Player Experience and Company Reputation

Classes Demon Hunter
1

The developers should review this but I’m uncertain how to get this to their attention:

There is a universal problem for all players that are Not just running the casual world content in the World of Warcraft. I think we can all agree when I say there is strong imbalance in the various classes and specs. In an effort to avoid being negative, I wont say a gross imbalance, however, this could be accurate. Personally, as a player that has become heavily involved in this game, I don’t have much going on in my life family-wise, kids, etc, so I turn to my hobbies. Long distance running, racing super-sport bikes, and now WoW has become one of these hobbies since Feb of 2024. I learned a few classes and stuck with what was fun. This season has been a total nightmare for my class (havoc). I get messages at the end of dungeons like I just received like “next time don’t play an 18 (key) if you are that bad”. Blizzard reps reading this- do nothing as a consequence to this guy who said that… because, he or she is right. Frankly, I would feel the same way if I did more than 250k overall in a key. Having said that, I upload my keys to Warcraftlogs where I can look at multiple data. For these keys where I receive comments just like this, I’m parsing 90% or higher in damage for my item level and key level for my class, of course, while these other classes are doing more than 250k overall and parsing lower. On top of this, there is a very large amount of danger in having to vengeful retreat (backflip) to generate fury for my spenders and my fel-rush for 18% damage increase windows. This is something that is done multiple times/minute. It’s very risky. As a small range, dps class, I’ve got to be right up next to enemies to make sure I connect. Fel-rushing through mobs is a vital component to my damage but the one-shot cleave mechanics further endanger my class. This, the over exaggerated movement, and small distance of my abilities make my class not only overly dangerous to play, but the damage rewarded for this risk is Extremely low. Every key I get into I feels like I’m ‘sneaking’ in because there are far better choices for a dps class than myself and many others. I can always switch to a ‘meta’ class but that takes time that a lot of working professionals just don’t have. Instead, I feel like there is a toxic culture being promoted (unfairly), almost incentivized against certain players that have large caps on their in-game abilities. This should not be the case. I love marathon and long distance running and I love your game, developers. I do not want to stop playing your game. I believe there should be a balance where more classes are viable and are closer in their output. A class that offers vital tools for the team like mind soothe, battle rez, and lust, should not do 250k-300k dps more than me, a havoc dh, with none of those capabilities while I parse a 90+ in damage for my item level and key level. This is more than just a rant; it’s that every time I get into a key I go in with my best, and come out on the bottom. It’s burning me out and I simply don’t have the time to invest in multiple characters. I want to keep playing your game. I want to play what I enjoy. I understand making classes move around on the totem pole is exciting and can potentially bring in more revenue, but there is too great a gap between these classes. This gap needs to be closed some and the reward for skill needs to be just that; a reward. There are infinite possibilities in the realm of programming. There is a way to make classes scale appropriately with content level and difficulty. This should be done because this would unburden your players and essentially FREE them to play whatever they enjoy playing the most! It’s a win for everyone and will make you as a company look very good by increasing your service levels to your players. Your reputation would improve vastly as a result. So it can be written, so we hope it is Done.
Thank you for listening and I hope you have a great weekend.

1 Like
2

I saw you directed a question to me. I’ll weigh in, but this will be the limit of my participation.

Before we continue, please understand that:

  • Blizzard has committed to the current changes introduced with 11.0;
  • Every expansion is a melting pot of experiments;
  • We lack actionable data as we haven’t yet entered season 1;
  • Major changes will not take place early on.

Moving on:

I’d decide exactly the points you want to communicate, and ensure the post is focused on effective delivery. I’d avoid stream-of-consciousness writing; don’t forget that your post is going to be summarised then forwarded onward to other individuals; the less that’s lost in translation, the better.

I find point form tends to be excellent. Use paragraphs.

You can try formatting it like a suggestion; the following is just a generic copy-paste for ideas.

Title: Super Brief Description

The Problem
Concise and specific description of the problem you’re solving.

Description
Concise description of feature/change.

  • This is
  • a step by step
  • description of how it’d work.

Benefits
An explanation of how it’d improve the game, both for Blizzard and for the gaming population as a whole.

Potential Drawbacks
An explanation of some potential drawbacks, but also how they can be resolved and why it’s worth implementing the suggestion anyway.

3 Likes
3

Learn what a paragraph is for God’s sake…

1 Like
4

I ain’t reading all that
Happy for you or sorry that happened to you

1 Like
5

ChatGPT:

Here’s how you could structure the text you provided into the requested format:

Title: Class Imbalance and the Need for Better Scaling in World of Warcraft

The Problem
The current imbalance between various classes and specializations is causing frustration among players, especially those who invest significant time into their chosen class but find themselves underperforming compared to others. This disparity is particularly evident in higher-level dungeons where certain classes are consistently outperforming others, leading to a toxic in-game culture and burnout among affected players.

Description
This suggestion addresses the need for better balance and scaling across all classes to ensure a more equitable experience for players, regardless of their chosen class or spec.

  • Step 1: Review and adjust the damage output for underperforming classes, ensuring that the risk involved in playing certain specs is adequately rewarded.
  • Step 2: Implement scaling mechanisms that allow classes to perform more consistently across different content levels.
  • Step 3: Ensure that the unique tools and abilities of each class (e.g., battle rez, mind soothe) do not result in a disproportionate damage output advantage.
  • Step 4: Regularly monitor and adjust class performance based on data from in-game content, like dungeons and raids, to maintain balance.

Benefits

  • For Blizzard: Enhancing class balance would likely lead to increased player satisfaction and retention, as players feel more rewarded for their efforts and are less likely to experience burnout. Additionally, Blizzard’s reputation would benefit from being perceived as responsive to player feedback and committed to fair gameplay.
  • For Players: Players would feel free to play the classes and specs they enjoy without the pressure to switch to a “meta” class. This would create a more positive and inclusive in-game environment, reducing the toxic culture that has emerged around class performance disparities.

Potential Drawbacks

  • Adjustment Period: Players might need time to adjust to changes in class balance, which could initially result in some dissatisfaction. However, this can be mitigated through clear communication and a phased implementation approach.
  • Development Resources: Balancing classes requires significant development resources. Nevertheless, the long-term benefits of a more satisfied and engaged player base justify the investment.
2 Likes
6

Hahaha! Thank you. :wink: