They have taken extreme measures to counteract this with Shadowlands.
To the chagrin of many, actually, that’s how aggressive they were.
That sounds good. Too bad it took them 6 years and several squishes to finally get it right.
Do they still hold arbitrary time gates for flight and the release of content?
Yes, but they aren’t arbitrary of course.
If you play Classic, you know why travel is important to a world!
I do play classic and it is arbitrary, of course. It’s all a tool to keep you subbed longer and it always has been.
I appreciate your measured response, but please don’t give me the company line stuff. Many other games have travel and nobody gates it like WoW does and the reason for that is 100% a financial one.
1 Like
Everyone enjoys different things so i won’t say you’re wrong. However, I left BFA because I felt like it had no depth at all.
2 Likes
Surprised to hear that from some one who mains classic.
You think flying is a good thing in modern wow?
1 Like
Yeah convenient travel is great and a wonderful part of the game. It’s just travel. I mean every other game has it as well, and yet WoW is the only one that thinks that is engaging gameplay.
Choosing ground paths where you pack mobs is just juvenile. Logging in 40 minutes early to raid because you have to take boats is equally dumb. I get nothing from that experience at all.
Leveling without flight is great. Hit max level and things need to be less arduous.
1 Like
Wow, that’s wild haha.
First person I have spoken to who plays Classic actively that believes that.
So, you play Classic DESPITE all the travel restrictions?
2 Likes
I don’t understand the issue. I’m not calling for player controlled flight in Classic, I’m saying that the artificial time gates in retail are dumb.
But yes, I’d play whatever version of WoW gave me the most freedom possible. I like player choices, I like consequences of those choices.
That’s why I said it is sad that they had to reduce levels by 50% to give you what they should have. It’s all a ploy and a shell game.
For a decade WoW had a winning formula that kept 10 million people gaming. Now they have a fraction of that, and new systems and time gates, yet they want you to believe that the old formula just didn’t work. Only fools believe that.
The issue is it isn’t arbitrary. They are doing it for the same reasons travel is what it is in Classic.
Its to create a more vibrant world.
They WANTED to remove flying all together. Are you aware of that?
The community lost its mind and they came up with this compromise.
Either way
Sounds like Shadowlands would be for you then!
Don’t think there has ever been more player choice and consequence from it in the game.
Also, you’ll want to look into this article haha
https://investor.activision.com/node/33796/pdf
It is arbitrary. You’re going to have to face that this is subjective.
There are also objective reasons to keep people grounded longer, because it takes longer. That is factual. It has nothing to do with a vibrant world. Did you not think the world was vibrant during TBC or WotLK?
You may prefer it, and that’s great. I am happy they are making a game for you to enjoy. But I’m not paying to play retail and I didn’t buy the latest expansion. I hate what they did to retail, hate it.
It’s not even the game that i played. It’s a simulator of RNG and dumb time gates. I’m glad you said they changed it, too bad it took them 6+ years.
1 Like
Correct. I think flying is the biggest mistake the game ever made, and they realized that a few years back and are paying for it now that the community is hooked.
Its not an opinion that its not “arbitrary.”
That’s not how decision making works.
You might be looking for another word?
Here is what “arbitrary” means.
based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system.
This decision is not based on a personal whim, and is instead based on the reason that they want players on the ground for the beginning of content to reestablish the meaning of said world. Later, they are willing to compromise and allow players to nerf the world content when the initial cycle has run its course. Much like they nerf raids and dungeons down the road when they have been out for a while.
Especially given the changes to professions this expansion, I believe it has worked better now than ever before.
What you might say instead is that you dislike not having access to flying until later in the expansion, but again I find that extremely hard to take serious from some one claiming they prefer classic to modern wow.
So going to move on from this, as it has gotten off topic wildly.
Have a good one!
1 Like
This is really funny because you have zero industry knowledge of this, whereas I do. Or maybe you do but you’re just peddling the company line regardless.
I know exactly why they do this, because other companies are doing the same. It’s a model focused on the SVA and ROI of the investor. Maximizing the return on the investment, and reducing costs.
You cut staff, salaries, benefits, and you make things take longer in a subscription based game. At first the gains are huge, upwards of 10%-15%, but over time it becomes less and less and then you have the reckoning of cutting your R&D and your IP pipeline.
How many new IP games you see from Blizzard lately?
Yeah…all part of the plan. This is what happens when you let consultants tell people what to do. It’s a horrible business model for long term growth and health.
It takes years to build reputations and loyal customers and only a few quarters of dumb decisions to undo it. Now Blizzard is paying for 2 games instead of 1, because they ruined the retail game so much.
2 Likes
I am loving SL as well but I guess I disagree about the dungeon design. IMO, BfA had way better dungeons especially Waycrest Manor whereas in SL, I feel they are very meh. Maybe a couple decent ones but nothing all that fun. Which is fine because raids start today so I can start my gearing from there and maybe focus on 1 or 2 dungeons for m+.
I dont agree. They made flying content then one day in WOD they said they werent going to do it anymore. They can claim that it was because it was making the world smaller but for every epxpansion before that it didnt change the world since we DIDNT fly until max level or a point the Devs chose.
What it did in the modern game was make the game a chore and yes even shadlowlands has that problem now. Far flight points no whistle long winding runs around hills or wating on elevators. You can argue till your blue in the face that its “great” but its not. It is clearly the opposite for many people.
Classic doesnt give that option and people will try to argue that it ruined pvp, when in reality blizzard made BETTER systems for people to PvP than roaming world of Phase 2.
I dont need to see more of the ground world after i have been through it. I would think most people playing the expansion would feel the same way. Even with Torgahst its clear people REALLY dislike not having mounts.
1 Like
Honestly, i dont think ur looking hard. And i gotta say it reminds me a lot of classsic pvp atm, people exploding 
So because you failed hard in naxx and could only clear 4 bosses your going back to shadowlands? Got it. The rest of your text was irrelevant.
WOW! Kinda long… It would have been more believable if it was short and excited, like a post card.
Instead I get the whole " Blizzard is gunna lay all us shills off if you guys don’t play retail!" vibe from your post.
Have fun!
TBC is gonna make retail take a massive hit in population imo.
1 Like
Prob not. I expect TBC to be another cry baby fest like classic wow. Oh and every raid will be crushed as well.
2 Likes