How concerned are you about WoW’s 4-part release schedule?
Dire Maul at the same time as Molten Core? Zul Gurub at the same time as Black Wing Lair?
These 2, in particular, seem like huge seem like huge oversights.
1 Like
Doesn’t seem like much of an issue to me. Could the release schedule be better? Perhaps, but I’m just glad there is one.
13 Likes
That’s how it came out everywhere except the US, and everywhere survived and thrived.
This one seems a little weird, I agree.
3 Likes
If the typical numbers for raid damage/healing or damage taken from Vanilla raids fluctuate wildly, the pace of content will be the least of their problems.
Imagine the seething flames of hatred ensuing when something completely unexpected (and inconvenient) occurs.
Personally I think time gates are just a bandaid to cover up bad design. The content should gate itself.
1 Like
To be completely fair - they said at Blizzcon (or somewhere) that this is their current plan, but that they would like feedback and this isn’t final - they were very specific on the fact that this was tentative at best.
I’m, frankly, surprised this particular topic hasn’t gotten more ‘constructive’ argument aside from the whining about “DM will make MC face roll”
This is something I’d like to see covered more.
4 Likes
It’s not “time” gated so much as it’s supposedly by “progression” as they last communicated it.
The question is whether it will be individual server progression, comparing to the most/least developed server, an average etc.
If I were running things I’d set up a linear “completion” path, and as each server progresses I’d get roll out the next piece to them, it seems like the “best” way to do it IMO.
1 Like
Well, that is legitimate criticism no matter the meme form it may take. Also adding DM early will undercut the value of other level 60ish dungeons.
My view point is big whoop. I’m playing Classic so I can play on the old world in the old style. I could care less about how they parse out the dungeons and raids. They could put it all out right at the beginning and it won’t affect my play one bit. Though I wouldn’t mind the prerelease events again for the later raids. Otherwise it’s once and done. If you’re there when it releases, good for you. If not, the game is still going to play the same. Some of you people need to learn to just enjoy the game, and not treat it like it’s a job to play.
1 Like
No, no it will not - because DM was already out - at launch - for the entire world, it was just the US that it wasn’t.
There’s some good gear, yes - but generally speaking there’s just as much good gear from the other dungeons.
2 Likes
See I look at things through the eyes of a D&D DM. I am happy enough for players to attempt to jump ahead of their capabilities, however it will be PAINFUL to do so. I would never in a thousand years cop out and tell them “sorry, you cannot have access to Tomb of Horrors yet because you haven’t done Ravenloft and I don’t want you in Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan until 6 months from now.” I would be embarrassed to do so and rightly so earned. My point is that in general, gating content is lipstick on a bad game design pig.
All content will eventually be open in classic, and the arbitrary gating (yes, time gating of buckets) will not be a thing. It won’t matter a bit and all content will be run regularly.
Vanilla/Classic is what it is and I would not look to change it, but lets call a spade a spade here. It frustrates the heck out of me when things that do not NEED time gated, such as access to the D2 questline (as it’s very nature gates itself) are held off on simply for the sake of gating. In a perfect world and perfect game, ALL of the content should be well thought out like D2, gating itself.
IMHO the only things that truly need gated are the actual content events of ZG, AQ and Naxx (IMHO they should reset every couple of years, minus the scarab lord title)
i wasnt fond of nost style progression. If we have 1.12 talents give us 1.12 content. Let us do the war effort or the opening of naxxramas events but have it be like The war effort starts 1 week after nefarion is defeated, and the nax event after cthun is defeated.
MC before the itemization changes was pretty lame. If your a hunter or priest your weapon doesnt even drop. If your a rogue that wants to use daggers your out of luck as well. The 4 part release schedule is ok but i wish it would be a little faster. At least have the honor system in at launch even if no battlegrounds.
i am a big advocate of gating content in classic. some of it makes sense and some doesnt according to their release schedule.
maybe instead of being totally against it , you could say well this needs to be released at this time instead of that time would get you where you need to be.
even then , the dungeon 2 set was released near the end of vanilla and was very strong for people who diddnt raid.
I already argued my case in the D2 threads in regard to when it was released. My point is that it gates itself due to the time commitments, RNG of D1, the cost and the difficulty.
1 Like
I agree with you personally, but I don’t think you can really gate them WITHOUT the progress being an indicator.
personally i would say the second batch of content would be the sweet spot. you wont have the gold in the first few months anyways and the gear either. still though i havent comared the items power with each of the sets but dont think it would be a problem with bwl and zg gear coming out at the same time.
I think the four buckets approach is because of the unspoken real reason for releasing classic.
To smooth over the gaps in retail caused by low amounts of content. Whatever the release schedule of retail “content” drops is, expect the same for classic, with the buckets placed right in the middle of the retail patch cycle.
If retail is on a 6 month cycle, I expect us to see 4 buckets, then Burning crusade. If it’s on a 4 month cycle (as it appears now), I expect a 6 bucket cycle, then burning crusade.
This will give Activision the yearly release they want. and smooth out subscriber dip as people burn through all the content in the first month.
I don’t think it’s anything resembling a coincidence that expansions are on a 2 year timer, and classic is due for release exactly one year after BFA launched.
2 Likes
Just because Europe and Asia got the shaft in that department doesn’t mean it’s ideal. It isn’t.
Not concerned at all, since I don’t see any sort of progression race as meaning anything. Every world first happened more than a decade ago, generally within the original patch at original difficulty. Anything in 2019 forward can be satisfying to someone to do, but isn’t a world first or even relevant. MC with 1.12 talents is already going to be easier than MC with 1.1 talents.
(Also not concerned since I probably won’t even bother to play until the Rush-Rush crowd is done and bored and gone. I want to play with the settled, happy to play for the long-term crowd - or play to specifically complete a goal that doesn’t rely on a raid/BG release schedule at all.)
2 Likes
i just want to say Powerwordmoo is an awesome name. i wont comment on your post though.
2 Likes