Is there a disconnect between Blizzard and the community?

[Bhootam-emerald-dream (Bhootam)]

@Felegund-ravencrest

They were very nice pieces and the boost they gave me definitely helped me to be able to do more open world content solo, but again, on the whole I was no where comparable to players who raided and were in full raid gear.

The comparison isn’t between you and raiders, and no one is saying you got the same ilvl gear. The gear, however, was absolutely comparable and the argument not only went that the effort put in was on a different league altogether, which is absolutely true, but that you could easily complete the world quests without the gear, as a fresh 120, so the only thing that the gear gave you was the ability to complete already-doable content faster.

Now that’s the advantage you got, and no doubt, also a sense of character growth and progression, I’m not denying that. But it came at the cost of a core activity in wow - group PVE content of non-trivial difficulty.

@Felegund-ravencrest

Perhaps the raiding community is too spoiled? There has always been an element of elitism that has existed since the beginning (remember Elitest Jerks? Ion Hazzikostas was their GM before being hired by Blizzard) where hard core players have looked down their noses at casuals (aka scrubs).

And perhaps the epics-from-WQs community is too entitled? Since dailies were introduced to give non-raiders something to do, and after gear started to rain from the skies, casuals have felt that greater and greater rewards should come from solo, trivial content. Do recall that during BFA, the forums had people ask for a way to earn Heroic Raid level gear from WQs. Demands for greater and greater independence from oppressive raiders are incrementally made - what level would you say is too much gear from WQs and is there any guarantee that that restriction too would not be seen one day as enabling elitist behaviour?

@Felegund-ravencrest

There are those who feel that their play style is the only thing that matters

yes, and that is equally applicable to casuals, too, yes? People quit BFA in droves and it certainly wasn’t because you couldn’t gear up from WQs. You want gear that you don’t need to do content that you can already do but at the cost of cheapening the effort and group coordination it takes to raid… at a time when it has never been easier to find likeminded players and group with them and where multiple viable end-game activities flourish other than raiding.

[Murgatroyd-lightbringer (Murgatroyd)]

@Tupacshekar-tichondrius

How else is he supposed to see Shadowlands?

Hmmm, how else indeed?

@Tupacshekar-tichondrius

People that defend SL have stockholm syndrome lol, their brains have become so numb from grinding the same borrowed power mechanics for years that they can’t understand why people who never bothered playing those expansions would find this one tedious and boring.

[Wyldfyr-thrall]

Yes. We want fun. They seem to want our time at any cost to fun.

Guess what? If the rewards are good and the content is fun, i’m going to give you my time and be happy about it.

Why do you want me to be sad, blizzard? Or annoyed. Or frustrated.

[Smokewagon-deathwing]

@Dexterworgen-nordrassil

No, Blizzard is connected with their community it just feels like a disconnect to you

so your argument is basically blizz is connected with ppl who play sub rogues, because they aren’t complaining…

[Snikrot-silver-hand (Snikrot)]

I think a lot of people within the community are disconnected from the community but feel that their opinion is all important and see enough similar views within their own echo chamber to think their views represent the greater community.

[Tupacshekar-tichondrius]

@Snikrot-silver-hand

I think a lot of people within the community are disconnected from the community but feel that their opinion is all important and see enough similar views within their own echo chamber to think their views represent the greater community.

This is a great summary of this whole thread.

[Imfluffeh-antonidas]

No.

The community for this game is one of the worst I’ve ever seen.

There are players that range from all different skill levels, playstyles, and interests.

Some want this, some want that, and they all seem to hate eachother and cry about it on the forums. And Blizzard does their best to appease them.

Does Blizzard sometimes make the wrong call? Yes.

Do they sometimes implement things almost nobody wants in the game? Yes.

But you’re a fool if you think the general community knows what’s best for WoW.

[Flôwers-area-52 (Flôwers)]

it has always been this way and that won’t ever change.

that’s just the way blizzard works.

sadly.

[Vasac-wyrmrest-accord]

@Claudedel-emerald-dream

Not taking a side or stating a complaint, just asking question

No, there isn’t.

Your question is meaningless, for 2 reasons:

[1 ]“The community” doesn’t agree. Anyone who claims that “the community wants X” is lying. He wants X. Some players want X. Other players don’t.

So “in touch with the community” means “listening to many people that disagree”.

[2] WoW has never been a player-designed game. Those games may exist, but WoW is not one of them. It has never pretended that it was.

So even if the playerbase (“the community”) agreed on something, it wouldn’t matter. Blizzard does not obey the community. Blizzard is not SUPPOSED TO obey the community. That would be a sucky game. This game is better.

[Vasac-wyrmrest-accord]

Two very different skill-sets. A great game-player can be a crappy game designer. A great game designer can be a crappy game-player.

For example, a good game designer MUST give equal importance to all 36 sub-classes, to both factions, and to Raiders and PVPers and Mythicers and altoholics.

Is that even possible, if you are a great Horde Warrior tank that only does raiding, and have been playing for years as a Horde Warrior tank who only raids? In my opinion, no.

So how many players (member of “the community”) are also good game designers? Maybe some are. Probably most are not.