Full disclosure I run a pretty large raiding org that has seen at least 50% player reduction this phase. Everything I have to say is anecdotal but as a GM I have a good grasp on what players want/need/demand of me and furthermore the game company in order to maintain interest. I fear that this company has a growing blind spot for the players that feel severely betrayed by them.
We had an officer meeting today and I don’t see a world where P4 brings these players back. Anyone that doesn’t want to play Cata/Retail feels alienated to the MAX. It feels like the game company ‘thinks’ they can just tell us what to play and manipulate us by dropping a 12 year old version of the game. That directly competes with SoD for eyeballs and raiders. While simultaneously dropping the ball completely on why we’re playing WoW(again). Why did you do this? Greenfield goes on vacation and SoD gets backburnered outright? I can speak for myself that I quit during WoTLK after a few months and only came back to this game for SoD.
If you think I’m crazy, which is fine we’re all entitled to our personal opinions. Go look at SoD ‘influencer content’ from 2 months ago compared to today. If the players that dedicate their time to creating content and pumping your game are ‘concerned, quitting, going on hiatus, mad.’ You may have a serious problem. Couple that with the animosity I see on ‘main street’ and you are brewing yourself up a huge problem.
Next time, because we know there’s going to be another cash grab season, don’t lead players on and abuse their good intentions for your quarterly profits. Its gross.
Here’s to a strong P4 but as someone that enjoyed SoM as well before it met its demise. I just can’t see it repairing the damage you have done to these communities and teams that trusted you.
49 Likes
The scary thing with Blizzard the last ~10 odd years is it’'s nearly impossible to discern whether their collapse is because of apathy, indifference, incompetence, or outright malice.
Apathy being that they can’t be bothered to put in the effort to either fix the the issues or bothered to even learn what the issues are.
Indifference being that they know the issues, but blatantly don’t care.
Incompetence being that they either can’t figure out the issues or can’t figure out how to solve them.
Malice being that they know when they’re making a wrong move, but do it anyway out of spite.
SOD had a TON of experimentation, and while there where a number of things they did get right, there was a massive amount they got wrong.
More directly responding to your post OP, MMOs in general take too much time for to bounce in and out of them at will… FFXIV allows people to do that, but only because the STORY is the main game feature… Blizzard is acting like SoD is an FPS or something, where people will just “come back” constantly, when the reality is that as an MMO it will always have an inititial large opening, and then consistently declining numbers with only brief jumps for each new content phase… Fact is, most people who “quit” already found something else to play, and will never come back to SoD as their "
“main” game.
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They strung everyone who has been wanting a real Classic + experience along for this experiment and didn’t even do anything innovative, different, or just plain cool with it. Tossed us a bunch of recycled spells and then forced us to go many, many out of the way places to get them. That’s what they considered “discovering”. It was the running to the middle of nowhere in Azeroth a dozen + times per character.
The whole thing has been a poor display and definitely feels like we are being milked. The majority of the things they added feel like they were just last second thoughts with no testing. I’m not even sure why SoD exists or who it is for.
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We had 6 20 man groups going into P3. We now have 1.8 and shrinking.
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:sadge:
Idk how much more bleeding the game version can handle. Hang in there friend, P4 is do or die for everyone.
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Yeah… I just found out tonight we actually only have .8 -.- fun stuff…
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Not sure what y’all expect when there’s a big content drought for several weeks, then Blizz drops not one but two “new” versions of wow …
If you think people are gonna play the same raid week after week knowing full well everything is going to be replaced in the next phase … well, I got nothing for you.
People are always going to chase the metaphorical carrot, regardless of how appealing you try to make it as a leader in any capacity.
And this is coming from someone who despises Cata and barely dabbled in MoP remix.
I’ve not logged in for a few weeks. I have all runes unlocked on three or four toons and have cleared the raid several times. Nothing further for me to do at the moment. I’m not gonna burn myself out before phase 4 and I’m confident there are a lot of people in the same boat as me.
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Its not a drought, its an overflow that makes the issues here.
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I’ve pondered this myself. I think it’s likely tbh.
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I hate to say it but it almost feels intentional. Initially with p1 we were getting weekly, almost daily updates with the game and there was a growing excitement for it. But as we got closer and closer to Cata that excitement began to wane and as of late has gone completely radio silent. We all know that there isnt any monetization in SoD whereas in classic there is much more.
It almost feels like SoD was the life raft to keep player numbers afloat until they could get out a stable Cata and we might be that raft again in July/early August right before retail drops.
A month ago you could have asked me and I would have said I was pumped for p4. At this point, and knowing we are probably waiting another 2-3 weeks minimum for recycled MC and Ony I am most likely done.
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yup. we trusted you blizz 
you let us down
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I understand it’s an “experiment” but I’m getting whiplash with the changes they keep making, P4 being the 13th or 14th time they are nerfing Melee Hunters; I honestly feel like they WANT people to quit it’s bizarre.
Why are Melee Hunters being targeted AGAIN? Especially considering they are making Elemental Shaman GODLY and other classes like Shadow Priest as well are getting a buff like; it does kind of feel like it’s a subtle “F you” from Blizzard sometimes.
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Melee hunter is a pve spec. The same fate is for ench shamans. Both classes have superior ranged specs and being ranged is always better for pvp.
That is what I can’t understand. P2, p3 and now p4 domination for 1 class.
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What does Melee Hunter being a PvE spec have to do with anything though? They are making it worthless for PvE with its current iteration on the PTR; on live right now melee Hunters get absolutely demolished in PvP as well so I still don’t understand your point.
Not to mention Melee Hunter is barely scraping top five DPS on live - so again, why are they being made into a literal meme? This will be literally the thirteenth or fourteenth time they are nerfing us, no other class has gotten this much of a punishment and I feel like I’m being forced to go ranged now.
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Yet another, “no matter what Blizz does I’ll never be happy” post. We need more of these. It’s called Season of Discovery. The discovery work wasn’t just for the players, jus’ sayin’.
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not sure what you mean exactly, the rune selection for most classes on the PTR is anemic at best and looks like an april fool’s joke for Hunters
not to mention anyone who’s played wow could’ve seen the power creep coming since P2, now they are practically scrapping everything but making elemental shamans OP af and ret pallies are going to be roided out too; it’s just a total mess right now on the PTR
the raids better be amazing because the class adjustments are abysmal, i don’t see a lot of people coming back for what they currently seem to be aiming for; regardless of other complaint posts i think the p4 ptr merits this level of admonishment
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I do think you are crazy lol
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nah just malding over the melee hunter changes bruh
It was fun while it lasted but I kinda miss being ranged now I have a reason to go back and I really like the casting traps while in combat rune but I can’t use it in melee build. That’s just personal preference though I’m excited to see new builds. Are they really making elemental shamans op? That has been my favorite to play since TBC it will be awesome to be op finally in WOTLK everyone was trying to get me to go enhancement because apparently elemental shamans weren’t very good. I had fun with it anyway but being OP sounds even more fun