I have been playing on and off from the beginning. The biggest break that I took was from the end of Cata until just recently. Five years basically. I really wanted to get back into WoW now that I am able. It’s been something I’ve been missing and I’ve been looking forward to a time when I could for a long time.
That being said, I’m already contemplating quitting again. Now that I have my at max level, starting to get geared, and nearly finished with the rep grind I’ve started to work on alts and running old content. You know, stuff that I missed out on. The problem is that I keep running into stuff that I can’t earn. It started with the title “%, the Faceless One” and has kept happening again and again.
It’s made worse by the fact that I can’t tell what makes some things sacred and other things not. For instance, why is “%, the Faceless One” sacred and “%, the Astral Walker” not?
I plan on buying 5-6 more realm transfers and 2-3 character boosts over the next few months. I pay my monthly sub just like everyone else. Why is it that all of my great achievements are still achievable and everything I would have a chance at being able to earn are so sacred that I have been deemed too pathetic stupid unimportant to even have a chance at them?
I know Blizzard has the tech to make old content just as interesting, engaging, and difficult as it was when it was current. Why not allow people to play through things and earn past rewards? I just don’t get it. In the same game that will allow you to purchase the Sealed Chest rewards off the AH why you can’t go back and earn unearned mage tower appearances?
Now, watch all the people line up to call me a pathetic loser.
Because they gotta relying on predatory fomo, while satisfying the narcissistic ego of people who hate the thought of someone unlocking the same thing as them.
Except, get this, it doesn’t have to be that way. It’s not just s marketing strategy, for one, I haven’t seen a single ad for Wow that mentions anything like, “Hey, there’s awesome stuff in the game right now that you won’t be able to earn in six months, better subscribe now or you might as well never subscribe.”
It might retain some players for the short term, but it drives off new players. How am I supposed to try and get my sister to play the game, which she’s been interested in doing when I know that she’s going to be locked out of so much stuff just because she’s new?
Also, explain to me why some cows are sacred and others aren’t. What is that “%, the Astral Walker” is not a sacred cow worthy of telling people, “You weren’t there then you don’t get it,” but “%, the Faceless One” is?
She’ll see the stuff that I have and know the stuff that I have talked about over the many years of having played the game. She’s not stupid. She’ll see someone with a title or a weapon appearance she likes, look it up on Wowhead, and discover she can’t have it.
This kind of stuff is happening to EVERY new player right now. Why play a game where you’re not good enough for so many things that other players have? I did the mage towers stuff on my druid during Legion and I don’t care if I see a new player go out and get it too.
Except A LOT of collectors are like me: we’re totally AGAINST the idea of keeping things locked away forever.
I’ve long held the stance that it’s ok to have rare things, give people a goal, and let them show it off. There IS a fun element to that.
But after 5 years?? Bring it all back. It doesn’t have to be as easy as just putting it on a vendor, but in SOME WAY … bring it all back.
Because what does that say about the game if the best you have to offer… already happened?? You can only wear one xmog at a time, you can only use one mount at a time, if people keep choosing to use the OLD items… why make new ones??
This just leads to lazy developers. They should always be pushing to make the current stuff the BEST stuff. And if that’s truly the case, then let the old stuff be collectible.
Because you know who will collect it? PEOPLE WHO LIKE YOUR GAME! The act of “collecting” is what keeps people subbed when they’re done with the current content arc.
FOMO/ limited-time items are the mark of a weak game. This dynamic should be removed. After 5 years … bring it all back.
I’ve seen Druids on this forum mention that they don’t even want to try tanking on their druid knowing they’ll never be able to earn one of the coolest skins for it, the Fel Werebear skin. Just because you don’t see it happening doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.
I have mixed feelings about this. I think some things should be “special” but certainly not as FOMO as things currently are. There is a fine balance and Blizzard hasn’t found it yet, imo.
It’s an outdated business model that I have an issue with too.
Blizzard wants to make some people feel special for whatever reason. But I don’t see someone special when I see that mog. I just see something I never had the chance to earn
I missed out on the CM sets in MoP, i would never agree that Blizz should bring them back or the Legion stuff. Unless its a recoloured version
Let people have exclusive things that they earned, “muh precious pixels” as they say. What is so wrong with that
I have the zulian tiger, immortal title and a bunch of other stuff that went away. Its only cool because its rare. If they put the Tiger as a trade post reward, no one would use it in a week. Same goes for the armor sets.
There are two types of people in this argument. The “gatekeepers” and the people that dont have much in terms of collections and are constantly whinning on the forums how everything should be available to everyone, at all times. Who cares about pixels and blah blah
They should jsut make new cool stuff that is tied to a challenge in game instead of bringing old stuff back and the people that missed out should just accept these things are not coming back.
I would argue however that whilst seasonal stuff like transmogs, fancy tints and effects on armor is fine, major plot elements like the MoP cloak and WoD ring are not, considering they are the only interaction non-rogues have with Wrathion until BFA plus the entire reason for WoD, and the reason we didn’t gtfo of Draenor the second Garrosh’s corpse hit the ground (leading directly into Gul’dan taking control and therefore Legion)
like, remember how when everyone was arguing who was the best choice for Black Aspect and some people had no idea why anyone wouldn’t pick Wrathion? it’s because literally all of the content of him trying to be too clever and messing up have been removed from the game.
