I don't actually mind all the systems this time around

Community General Discussion
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And that feels really weird. As someone who hated all of the BfA systems, it arguably had less at the end of 8.3 than Shadowlands does in the first week of its life.

Covenant Choice, Renown, Soulbinds, Conduits, Mission Table, Legendaries, Sanctum Upgrades, Torghast, Maw Upgrades… all on top of the Reputation and Dailies (Callings?) that we’re all used to.

And yet, I don’t really feel overwhelmed at all.

Covenant Choice was a one time thing, that I don’t feel like I’m ever going to worry about since I’m happy with the covenant I picked over the others.

Renown, Soulbinds, Conduits, the Mission Table, Sanctum Upgrades, and Callings are all accessed at pretty much the same place, with resources being gathered from them at pretty much the same places. The same place you’re going for Renown progress is pretty much always the same place you’re going to farm for Conduits or Anima, so it doesn’t feel terrible.

Same thing with Legendaries, Torghast, and everything in the Maw… The same NPCs, the same couple of areas, the same hub to get to them all. They could honestly all be lumped into the same category for all intents and purposes.

The big problem with BfA’s systems is that they were spread out all over the place; Islands could only be accessed at the one place, Warfronts were another place with a different resource, Scrap was all the way on the other side of the continent, Corruption was 2 continents entirely, and Azerite very loosely bound everything together, not helping by being lackluster in the first place.

This isn’t to say I like having so many systems; I’d prefer the game having half of what we currently have in SL, at most. But Blizzard did a very good job at making the systems we have very unintrusive. Probably by making them have a cap.

I look forward to seeing where they take these systems in the future.

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1000 downvotes for you.

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Sounds about right.

4

i don’t mind them a bit they all fit together.
just a bit more rewards in torghast, and it’s 100% awesome imo

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Lets see how you feel when you’ve done the same things several hundred times over.

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I agree. The caps definitely help with keeping the pacing of the various systems in check so as to prevent one from being overwhelmed. I felt like I had plenty of time to meet my caps throughout the week.

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I mind the crafting and the tedium of wq.

I also want Torghast to be more rewarding.

I also wish someone who actually played the game told them how fun traps and platformer mechanics are for Torghast and that this could open a new dimension of gameplay for WoW.

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I think it’s also because the RELEASE systems (not including corruption/essences from BfA) feel more rewarding and less grindy. The game rewards you with renown for doing covenant stuff, which improves your character through soulbinds and other crap. While you’re doing that, and anything else you’re gaining anima which upgrades your sanctum etc. They seem to tie into each other better than BfA did while still being varied/semi passive enough to not be entirely a nuisance. BfA was “grind all this crap to empower your neck” and “have your neck be this strong so you can use this armor”.

Torghast is a nice change of pace and something entirely new (for WoW) so that’s nice, and its nice seeing people complain cause it’s too hard.

The Maw sucks and needs a revamp, and idk why but stygia sounds like an STD to me.

edit: It also helps that things are time-gated tbh. Because you don’t HAVE to do it endlessly to get ahead. Get your renown for the week and you’re good. I know it’s weird cause time gating usually sucks, but it makes it feel less bad when you’re not actively grinding for it

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Having more systems isn’t bad. Its having a lot of badly designed systems, that feels bad.

BFA had badly designed systems. Some people then took that to mean, “All systems and temporary power are bad!” That’s just not true. They’ve done good this time.

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i really don’t have anything negative to say about them thus far beyond the fact that they’re borrowed power and i already feel a sadness rising knowing i will one day lose divine toll /cry

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11

I think the systems are fine, but I found them to be quite confusing. I’m not quite sure all the relations between reputation, reknown, chapter completion, etc. This makes having a plan to move forward a bit foggy. I think the biggest confusion is reknown and chapter seem pretty synonymous for the same condition: You did ‘this much’ and here is your reward’.

I will say I am very pleased with the gated progress however. I know a lot of players will want to sprint forward to “50 in neck before first raid” but I appreciate not having to do that for once. It gives me time to enjoy the route, try all the things, etc.

Overall I am significantly pleased with Shadowlands. I have to be honest, I walked into the expansion without a single eff in my pocket and completely uninterested in the story direction. Experiencing it however has completely changed my mind, and I found what I thought would be the ‘stupidest’ zone/covenant ended up being my favorite, by a long shot.

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It was never the location of NPC’s for me. It was the grind of daily and weekly chores for rewards that were meant to keep me in line with everyone or else fall behind.

The only progression that matters to me is acquiring gear and overcoming challenges at my own pace. Not meeting a daily and weekly deadline to complete all chores off a checklist.

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I’m still hoping next xpac they’ll introduce all the covenant abilities as a new row of talents :’(

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Your character needs to die repeated and painful deaths!

But seriously, I am glad you find platformers engaging! I, however, cannot coordinate my jumps, and as the one player that always fell through the gap in Wailing Caverns I would really like to NOT have more jumping mechanics.

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Honestly, the fact that things were so spread out was a major demotivator at least for myself.

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lol those gaps were my bane on the potato laptop i first started playing this game on all those years ago

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I’d like them to make it an optional aside. A new dimension of gameplay. If you don’t want to do it, you shouldn’t have to. Like pet battles.

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The systems weren’t as oppressing as I thought they would be, especially since they time gated it, so I don’t feel the need to grind anima 24/7.

That being said, I am having a hard time keeping up with all the currencies and items needed for specific things.

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I felt a little lost at the start, specially about what should I prioritize. Two days later I was pretty much fine with everything.

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So far theyre not too annoying…but I have faith in Blizzard to make them unbearable and run me back into old content soon enough.
If it gets bad, I’ll finish up what I need for pathfinder and quit the expansion like I did in BFA