How Heritage Armor Reveals Deeper Issues With Design Direction

Community General Discussion
1

What seems like a lifetime ago WoW had a model that was very alt friendly, dare I say encouraged. Then came a move from the design team that made it so could still access alts if you wanted to, but didn’t need to feel obligated if you enjoyed playing one character. Moving closer to current events that design direction was changed even further to really encourage investing in a single character, and naturally making it more difficult for alts to “keep up”. Let me be clear that I don’t think that was an intentional move or slight against alts, just the nature of incentivizing investment in a single character.

A person could argue that has always been the case. I myself missed out (barely) in receiving rewards given at a certain rank. At the start of BC I had 5 different classes at level cap (a feat in and of itself at the time) all of which had decent ranks in PvP (but not quite high enough). Point being had I stuck to a single character rather than multiple I could have achieved higher ranks and higher rewards in both PvP and PvE. Single character investment.

Now there have been some additions to BFA that are not congruent with that design direction, in my opinion they actually have very little foresight, thought or direction at all. In the past whether I agreed with the design direction or not, I could at least see and understand that direction and how it fulfilled a specific objective, drove a certain type of player behavior. For example the decisions to keep players on the newest tiered content that game in WotLK. Like it or hate it, there are specific mechanics and content made available that drive players to that content.

I am going to use this “single character investment” as a design goal/objective that is not being met, and design decisions that actually do the opposite of what the team would or should want from their game and it’s design. For me and my feelings about BFA, these will be symptoms of larger issue with the direction of WoW (or lack thereof), that lack of coherency I think is driving some players away, myself included.

Now today 15 years after it’s initial release it is not at all uncommon to have people with at least on of every class at level cap. Personally I find it shocking that some players have 100+ characters at level cap. You rock! I however only have 1 of ever class, with each expansion and free boost, I create an additional class in the opposite faction, but don’t really play those characters.

Right now I am working toward unlocking the races available in BFA.

First, the decision to lock these behind reputation grinds/achievements came as a bit of a shock. Given the significant investment required to unlock (if you look at this character I still can’t unlock them yet, I’m close) it should come with an additional free race change for unlocking. I’m not cheap, I could produce transaction history totaling over $1000 spent in server transfers, faction transfers, race changes, etc. It’s the idea that I have to unlock something and THEN also pay for it. It gives me the rub.

Additionally (and here is where the lapse in design direction is really apparent) the need to unlock heritage armor by creating a new character.

How does that benefit the player? If I really want that race, more than likely I have a class/character already in mind that I want to race change to. So now I have decision to make either I create a new character and abandon the effort and investments into my main, or create and level a character that I have no interest in playing anymore than I have to, to unlock those specific rewards. Bare in mind that while take the time to level that character, I am being pulled away from any sort of relevant content, of which, my presence (good or bad) only serves to make the game feel ALIVE, which is very important for an mmo.

Let me be clear that I have no problem EARNING that heritage gear, or whether that investment is equal or greater than the effort taken to level a character from 1-100, so long as the effort is spent in RELEVANT content.

I might even consider keeping and playing said alt, IF the game was currently more alt friendly.

For me, this is a small example of the problems with the direction of BFA, decisions that appear to have no rhyme or reason to them. Poorly thought out, poorly executed ideas. Someone needs to steer the ship… get it… nautical term… in BFA. Come on that’s funny.

I feel like I’ve been reasonable and respectful in sharing my opinion/perspective on this particular issue and how I feel it is a reflection of the expansion pack at large. I’d appreciate that respect reciprocated, even if you think I’m full of it.

8 Likes
2

I meant to post on this character, the one I plan to make Kul Tiran. If it matters.

3

I have 31 alts all of which are lvl 110 or higher. That includes my new Zandalarian pally that I leveled to get the heritage armor (took about 2 to 3 days). The only issue I have with Blizz is that I only level alts when I can fly in the current content, so as soon as I can fly, then I will have a total of 32 lvl 120’s! And if they happen to add new troll playable races, then I’ll have even more!

4

I agree, it was a bad decision. Once you get your first Heritage Armor, you really start to realize just how much work you have to put in just to get a mog that can only be used on that race. If you’re not planning on “maining” that race… is it really worth all of the work you put in?

11 Likes
5

It is to me, but I have a lvl 110 of every Zandalari class and now they all look the same with that awesome armor. Of course, it’s a matter of opinion. Obviously, if folks do not want to do optional content, then they simply opt out.

1 Like
6

These are cosmetics. Giving people more content isn’t a bad thing.

3 Likes
7

I’d encourage you to read further than that paragraph. The issue isn’t the content itself, or even the effort required to unlock it, but rather the manner you’re required to do so.

I have to go back to relatively dead content, where Kul Tirans have zero representation, and level a character through that content. Then after I do so, I (as do most people) never touch that character again. Bad design.

4 Likes
8

No it isn’t bad design. You have a choice to do this or not. Other people like having more things to do.

1 Like
9

That’s what I meant by a matter of opinion. The design works great for someone that plays like I do with so many alts and such, but it may not be designed for how you play. It’s not bad design, there is nothing in the game that way. Different things are designed with different players in mind, from what I can tell.

1 Like
10

If you think the game was more alt friendly in the past I would have to disagree with you. You reference vanilla wow, the same wow where, for example, the training cost to learn mount Riding was inexpensive but the mounts (especially epic) were very expensive. Mounts were not shared between characters so you had to buy one for each alt.

The mount issue is just one small thing but gives a good example of what vanilla wow was like.

Imo the only thing really alt unfriendly is how long it takes flying to unlock in the current expansion. I don’t mind not having flying on my “mains” but I have no desire to slog thru bfa on multiple alts without it.

4 Likes
11

Yeah, amen. Once flying finally becomes unlocked, I will level all these guys through BfA. Pathfinder 1 should always be available by the first patch of an expansion and Pathfinder 2 should be required for flying in whatever new zone they add in .2 patches.

12

Nothing wrong with heritage, it’s the best motivator/trophy for someone who actually did something without a boost.

It’s simply cosmetic too, perfect if you ask me.

And honestly I’ll argue BFA is one of the most alt friendly this game has ever been.

1 Like
13

Here’s the deal: just as players have different opinions about how they play the game and how others should play it, so do devs. I would in fact describe these as different “factions” within the dev department.

One faction wants people to invest in one character and play that no matter what, because this is the Right Way To Play The Game™.

Another recognizes that people who play alts do so because they like playing multiple characters, and it gives them more to do during slow times, when those with only 1 character might unsub until the next content patch or expansion. People who play alts will increasingly quit if new restrictions prevent them from playing their alts the way they have enjoyed previously.

And then there’s what I’d call the “bean-counter” faction, that recognizes that if it’s harder to play alts, and people are encouraged to invest in one character, when their spec gets nerfed they’ll have to reroll, which certainly represents a big chunk of playtime with zero new content investment. This is the faction that cares only about increasing playtime.

These factions have competing interests. What ends up is an internal compromise, which gives each of these factions some of what they want.

But the players? It’s a mess down here.

14

Again I’d encourage you to actually read it. I like having things to do also, those “things to do” should have been something further in Tiragarde Sound… not something back in dead content. Something new and unique to that particular race and that particular reward.

15

Sure, for some it’s great, and like you said…it’s optional content. I just think it was a really bad idea to gate the “big draw” for this expansion behind a punishing grind.

And I’m absolutely certain that I won’t be getting many more of those mogs…the only reason I might is because I’m relatively new and I kinda have this meta-goal of leveling every class, so I could theoretically just level those classes as an Allied Race. But that’s a long term goal, and definitely not something that’s going to keep my interest day-to-day.

16

I did go back and read it - it was very boring and I haven’t changed my position. I am not sure what you think I missed tbh.

Was it the dead content business ? That makes no sense since you are unlocking allied races to DO old content.

17

See, there’s something for everyone. I found it a fascinating read from a perspective we don’t often see.

You’re not into that.

1 Like
18

Yeah, I totally respect your view… I mean I see things your way… (looks at the blindfold over your plucked out eyeballs). Ahem. I get your meaning, but that’s just what I mean. For me it is 100% awesome and it was fun leveling through old content. I specifically tried to level my Zanda through mostly troll quests and zones to make it even more fun. But, it’s not going to be for everyone.

1 Like
19

Like 8 months ago isnt a life time ago and yes legion over all was pretty alt friendly the beginning wasnt but large portions was

BFA isnt terrible for alts but it could be better 8.2 will hopfully make it better. legion got a lot better in 7.2 maybe its gonna be the same

20

Ah ha! Caught ya… you didn’t read. I r disappoint. At this stage of the game I have no interest in leveling another character. I’ve had 1 of every class for many expansions now. While some people may enjoy having more toons that necessary I tend to be very pragmatic and don’t see the benefit of having more than 1 of a single class.