It started with pruning in WoD and the change in moving away from daily quest hubs at max level. WoD had the apexis quests and then a mission table. This was done to appeal to MOBA and mobile gamers in general.
This is why you don’t see new talent tree tier since WoD. Why the devs think flying doesn’t matter and why they focus more on instanced content and mission tables.
They are trying to turn WoW from a MMORPG experience with deep classes and fully connected worlds you can travel to an action RPG/mobile experience of fighting through mazes filled with mobs and heavy instanced content.
It is true that since BC that WoW has been instanced based content. But at least during the BC-WotLK-Cata-MoP era there was still an emphasis on world building and having real cities and quest hubs. That desire is simply not there.
Argus for example should have been a large military stronghold and yet it was a collection of huts. Nazjatar? Again a collection of huts here and there. Where is the world building? Where is the Ice Crown Citadel equivalent?
5 Likes
The main positive thing about Pathfinder is the fact that you don’t have to purchase flying for the new zones on every character. That’s where I feel that Pathfinder is a good idea on paper, but implemented horribly in-game.
If they made it about exploring certain zones, completing certain storylines, and then maybe completing a short questline afterward, it would be much better than what Pathfinder is currently.
They also should just release flying for zones sooner. It doesn’t make sense to have to unlock flying in Zandalar and Kul Tiras by unlocking flying in Nazjatar, for instance.
Zandalar and Kul Tiras flying should have been unlockable no later than 8.1.5, and then Nazjatar could have started out with flying locked but unlockable once you progress far enough into the zone’s story.
If done right, Pathfinder could be an interesting and immersive way to unlock flying in a new zone.
Instead, they insist on throwing in garbage intended to make unlocking flying take as long as possible. World Quests and treasures have nothing to do with gaining the ability to fly in an area as far as I’m concerned, and such requirements have no place as requirements to fly.
1 Like
It’s almost 8.3 and I don’t have pathfinder.
It’s not due to being busy in rl.
It’s because I don’t want to do pathfinder anymore. And it’s because of that god awful time gate. I refuse to do anymore.
2 Likes
The level squish makes it kinda stupid.
By the time you Pathfinder in an expansion, you don’t need to BE on the expansion anymore.
The only point it would make is if all wirld content scales to your level.
We are going to find out how all the previous expansion PF are handled with the level squish.
If they do the right thing then PF is changed radically. If they botch it then it will create a massive backlash. Why a backlash? Because the main selling point of shadowlands is the level squish and revamped leveling experience.
The main focus shift I’ve seen (and which you point to) is a move from content building to systems building.
From building immersive zones and new lore and new forms of content (Mists was a prime example of this) to instead building systems such as the artifact weapon and azerite gearing to keep the wheels spinning.
I suspect this change in focus has much to do with designers that see everything as a problem to be solved with numbers rather than an as artistic endeavor to evoke a time and place within a world.
Just look at all the major changes since Warlords — everything is about numbers. Item and level scaling. Zone scaling. Level squish. Grinding arbitrary numbers to progress a character. RNG on gear acquisition and gear composition. Everything new, from Warfronts to Island Expeditions all focused on numbers as the content. It’s a cold path to go down and it has warped the content.
By George, I think you’ve got it!
There is much more to it. The use of heavy blues, yellow and gold is to appeal to people’s senses. The flashing gold on screen with Azerite armor is purposeful as you fill in the traits. The flashing and sounds of titanforges simulates slot machines in casinos. The design has taken a major turn from MMORPG to F2P techniques that are so evident.
And you are right the reason why the focus on numbers is because numbers can be overwhelming for new or inexperienced players. The goal is to bring in enough new players to off set the loss of older players.
In the past Blizz has been able to have just as many new players come in to replace the players they lost from vanilla/BC/WotLk lets say. But since the end of Cata/early MoP that stopped happening I suspect. Which is why MoP is the last expansion that was part of that era.
Since WoD the focus is on trying to focus on exclusively on new players. Holinka has made changes in WoW PVP since late MoP/WoD/legion to entice new players to PVP.
Shadowlands is probably the last attempt to fix the game for veteran players while still appealing to new players.
1 Like
You mean like when they removed flying altogether?
Its unpopular, like forging was (although I didnt have an issue with that)
Eventually they will have to remove it or change it.
But to cut down on its unpopularity they literally only need to make it complete-able in *.1, there will still be complaints, but they will be drastically reduced, I am really really surprised they haven’t figured this out… or they have and are just being purposely obtuse
3 Likes
What fools. Veteran players are their only source of steady subs.
1 Like
They’ll get rid of it the day that players stop making a fuss about it, so probably never.
Unless Ion is visited by three flying themed Christmas Ghosts who convince him of the error of his ways / scare him into retirement and replace him with someone with more decency than some sort of Dark Universe version of the Grinch…
No. Sadly, no.
2 Likes
At this point it is pretty clear pathfinder isn’t going away, regardless of how much people may dislike it. At best you can hope that it is modified to be less of a time gated grind.
Even worse, it’s likely that most of your toons that can presently fly (at any speed) will be unable to in SL. Just betting because otherwise the level squish will require basic ground mounts at 5 and top flight speed 310% at 35-40. Presently all 20+ toons can ride mounts; all 60+ can fly; all 70+ can fly at 270% and all 80+ can fly at 310%.
If this changes for the worst (flight ability taken away due to level squish) it will not play well at all. Keep your fingers crossed that they aren’t that stupid.
They shifted their business model to B2P like Guild Wars back before MoP launched. And then they ramped up the Blizz store during WoD. Upfront box sales combined with store purchases and they don’t think of subs anymore. Without the care for subs they don’t have reasons to design systems for veteran players anymore.
Which is why there are so many rentals and simplified gaming systems to make WoD, legion and BFA all standalone games. Other than mission tables and mythic+ what exactly is going to be carried forward into shadowlands?
If you think about it further the current talent system is from MoP and that has lasted several expansions now. The WotLk glyph system lasted over many expansions until it was changed in Legion. Ironically the glyph system still survives despite being made into cosmetics.
PF survives many expansions and that isn’t a lasting legacy to stand on. IF PF is the pinnacle of WoD, legion and BFA that is a tarnished legacy. But fortunately mythic + exists which has helped WoW avoid becoming stale. But with the nerfs to mythic + heading from legion to BFA I am not so sure anymore. It wouldn’t surprise me to see mythic + pruned from the game before PF is pruned from the game with these devs.
2 Likes
The game will go offline sooner rather than later. This model obviously isn’t working or servers would be full to bursting.
Instead. . . 'nuff said?
3 Likes
Unfortunately you add to the “see people are not aiming for flying” numbers, no matter how unintentionally
They said it would be there, but they do not know what it will look like, they did not say different…
1 Like
i would not be surprised if they tried the “surprise, no flying at all” stunt again. what if the four covenant zones are argus sized instance zones with…no flying. i highly doubt we will get any information until beta. we might get some word from alpha, but they usually do that pretty close to the vest. i really don’t think another drawn out multi-part pathfinder will do anyone any good.
1 Like
