I thought a discussion about gear progression strategies in MMORPGs could be interesting.
World of Warcraft chose to use vertical progression through difference in numbers: from patch to patch there’s always a carrot on the stick when it comes to gear. Each update upgrades gear from the latest overworld area, PvP season, dungeons and raids. You always have to chase upgraded versions of items while previous content becomes obsolete and you absolutely need to engage with the latest release to “progress” your power. Collecting new gear makes you more powerful, and takes you to “awesome” status.
Guild Wars 2 or Elder Scrolls Online use horizontal progression through difference in kind: gear has a final power cap. Once reached, you are basically done with raw number upgrades. New patches rather add new sets, new effects and new synergies; in gaming parlance, they change the meta, much like adding a new character in a MOBA. Collecting new gear gives you more options, and takes you to “awesome” status.
I know the ship has sailed with WoW and the system in place over 15 years is never going to be demolished and rebuilt. Yet I can’t help but think it is the source of many of the game’s recurrent problems over the years. Loot scarcity, instead of making loot less boring, just creates a hard progression wall because you need the numbers. The newest loot obsoletes previous content as it comes out because you need the numbers. PvP is inherently unbalanced through ilvl differences in numbers. Ridiculous power levels require literal squishes so the numbers don’t break the game. Everyone’s power gets sunk to the floor at the start of every expansion so the numbers can be grinded again.
Should Blizzard ever move on to another MMO, a WoW 2, would it be a better long term game architecture decision to adopt horizontal gear progression from the start? What if the newest content had similar difficulty to the first, just new different encounters to master and overcome? Or is coming up with new sets and synergies too much of a burden on systems designers? Is the easier to design carrot of raw power also better for the community’s continued engagement/retention with the game?
What kind of system do you, personally, prefer?