I agree, it’s a cool thing. However, world content is very limited, even in Legion and BfA, which is where they tried to step it up a bit.
That’s why I don’t see it as a major thing.
Things Pathfinder affects:
This unaffected by Pathfinder:
The only way I could see this as a major thing for some people is if they only play for current World Content, which in WoW, is a bit odd, considering how limited it is.
It’s enough of an issue to push me away. I started the FFXIV trial last night and it seems those devs don’t make spiteful decisions to push their players away. Maybe I’ll quit wow for good. Or at least until the current devs move on.
It’s certainly a great alternative, but if your issue is gating, you should make sure you know what you’re getting into. If memory serves right, it’s not actual timegating, though, so you should be good.
I have no problem with gating. I just hate the hard time gates. Just like the finish PF1 then just wait for no reason.
I enjoyed grinding out for the netherdrake and nether ray back in BC. Not sure what it was but the gameplay loop was just so much more enjoyable back then.
You are right, I wouldn’t pay $15 a month specifically for flying. I pay for the actual content but if that content is a pita to get to without flying then it’s worth nothing. Flying itself is fun as well and opens up a different view which in most cases is just beautiful to behold.
I can play through the content in a month though. So why buy the xpac which becomes free after 2 years and pay months of sub when 1 month is enough. We are talking about endgame repetitive content here that flying is appreciated for.
For somebody like me who barely plays instances it is very important that I can enjoy the world in all it’s beauty. And running through trash mobs in maze like terrain just is not fun.
Mob density does not permit that and with flying these vistas can be enjoyed from more angels and become even more beautiful. The Falls in Jade Forest, beautiful from the ground but amazing from the air.
Actually curious, what do you do in-game? If you don’t do instanced content, that basically only leaves Quests and World PvP.
Not important enough to invest 20-30 minutes per day to unlock it.
I’m not a grinder and had part 1 done in like 5-6 weeks by just doing emissaries and mission table, and this was during patch 8.0 when our ilvl was 330~350, with Benthic gear you can round up 10+ mobs and kill them in 4-5 gcds, quests done in seconds. Part 2 is a bit more grindy but even then it took me 3 weeks and comes with bonus perks: Rank 2 Memory of Lucid Dreams and the Mechanospider mount.
Pathfinder 1 and 2 took me two weeks after returning. Just putting that out there.
You know I was trying to come up with a really witty comeback for what you wrote…
But you wrote it so damn eloquently. You’re not wrong though, there are a lot of scenic points that can only be seen from an aerial view.
Is it logical to pay for a game that is no longer fun? So therefore if I don’t have fun because I can’t fly, why would I pay for the game. For me it’s the chore list that requires me to do repetitive end game in order to get flying back. I don’t mind doing every story quest and exploring. I consider that fun even without flying. But repetitive content, I want to do other things on my way getting there and terrain design and mob placement do not permit that in a way that I can enjoy the game.
I had 100+ hours played at 120 for PF1 & 2, I did some other stuff but it was mostly just working on PF1 & 2.
It just seems odd to me that all of your fun rides on flying, for reasons mentioned.
Not having as much fun without flying is something I get, but not having any fun without flying? At that point, I don’t think WoW would be the game for you. The game has almost always been instance-heavy.
You could make an argument of “back in the day, we had wPvP” and sure, it was a thing, but for most of the game’s life and especially the PvE side of things, it’s an instance-heavy game.
I enjoyed Pandaria dailies very much, levelled several characters, pet battles, archaeology, gathering, enjoying the world both from the ground (in mob free zones like northern part of Jade Forest) and above. I made 4 worgen in Cata because I liked their story, levelled multiple characters through the new designed zones, some to cap. I even liked the Garrison in WoD and probably would have spnd some time on different alts there but I had no intention paying for more then a month due to no flight. Same for Legion, lots of interesting content but WQs requirements in Suramar without flying soured it. And I played once it went free. So no waiting for story bits.
Their is a lot to do outside instances that is just fun but becomes very tedious without flying.
Pathfinder is just not a fun system. I could accept it if there wasn’t a MASSIVE time gate attached to it though.
There are definitely parts of Pathfinder with which I have no issue. The exploration and loremaster parts are just fine. That’s the whole “see the world before flying” part.
It’s the repetitive reputation world quests and arbitrary gating to some patch 12 months or more after launch that gets me.
Naivety.
I’m all for shortening the time or improving the experience, and possibly there is some vengeful thinking and they enjoy your tears but, pathfinder is a time metric driver. It’s not going anywhere without a replacement of that time sink.
So what sink are you willing to take on to replace pf?
AKA everything in the game.
We’re gluttons for this torment. Gimme more world quest chores. Let me farm ICC for that .01% chance at a mount. Let me pray for that titanforge/socket.
We didn’t need such a time sink years ago so why is it needed now?
I play fairly casually and I didn’t have any issues unlocking flying. And the game wasn’t even all that painful before flying with the whistles and flight paths. I’m fine with flying the way it is honestly.
I’ve been able to find plenty to do in the game and if I find myself running out of things to do I just alt it up or take a break. I have no complaints at the moment tbh.