Lack of gear for casual playstyles in Shadowlands

[Priscilla-sisters-of-elune]

TLDR: Shadowlands will not fit my preferred playstyle if there are no practical methods (such as dungeons, unrated PvP, and open world content) for me to gear up my toons. I, and similar players, will likely find no reason to keep playing.

Are any other non-raiders or non-rated PvPers concerned that their main toons and/or alts will have no way to obtain Normal raid-level gear or higher in the coming expansion, and thus not experience meaningful progression?

My two preferred methods of gearing up throughout BfA have been through Mythic+ and Conquest from unrated battlegrounds and open world content. Being able to eventually obtain a set of gear that was Heroic raid level (albeit not optimized) has opened the door for me to maintain several toons that could easily complete 5-mask horrific visions, or find success in raids or rated PvP when I wished to push those toons a little bit further.

However, Mythic+ looks to be significantly nerfed in SL as a reliable source of gear, and it remains to be seen how and if Conquest will be able to be earned outside of rated PvP. (Even so, it will likely take an unreasonable amount of grinding to obtain a decent set of gear solely through Honor and/or Conquest, and so I doubt I will be able to do that for more than one toon.)

I know people will shoot me down and say that if I want better gear I need to do the more demanding activities, but I have a high-responsibility job, a significant other, and close friends, and I put my real life first and play WoW in any time that is left over. To make matters more difficult, I live in a country outside the US that doesn’t have an active WoW community, so I am typically asleep or at work when the majority of organized groups are active.

People will also shoot me down saying that if I do not do the high-level activities then I do not need high-level gear to begin with, but I am sure that as the expansion unfolds I will need better gear to enjoy the challenge of and earn rewards in Torghast, to be able to solo rares and more smoothly complete any content, and to at least have the opportunity to join PUGs when I can.

Unrated battlegrounds, outdoor PvP events, and Mythic+ have been immensely popular activities thus far, given how you can find people doing them in either faction at almost any time of the day or week, and so I am sure that I am not the only one who used them as a major way of gearing up. It may be too late for SL launch or 9.0, but the one piece of feedback I would have for game developers is not to alienate your “casual” players; you likely have metrics if you need proof of how many players are doing what sorts of content.

SL may end up like WoD for me, except without the money-printing garrisons, and with Honor grind to replace the insane Apexis Crystal grind for sub-par gear…

[Chelleybee-stormrage]

Bite the bullet and join a guild, then run things.

[Mute-silvermoon]

I don’t really do group content (unless islands and the very rare group finder venture count), so I don’t think I really need to be super close in ilvl to people who do those kinds of things.

As long as I can survive in the open world and make my old raid farming go smoothly, I’m golden.

They haven’t let me down on casual survivability yet so I’m optimistic.

[Chelleybee-stormrage]

@Mute-silvermoon

I don’t really do group content

Try it, it can be fun.

Game has a pretty good balance of stuff to do imo, I pop in for a bit of it all.

[Aggressorr-emerald-dream]

but casual players dont need gear? since they don’t do any M+ or Arenas?

[Drrobotnik-moonrunner]

I too need gear in order to combat that awful hedgehog.

[Rhuor-wyrmrest-accord (Rhuor)]

@Priscilla-sisters-of-elune

Are any other non-raiders or non-rated PvPers concerned that their main toons and/or alts will have no way to obtain Normal raid-level gear or higher in the coming expansion, and thus not experience meaningful progression?

I mean, M+ (+15) rewards higher than Normal and 3 ilvls below Normal, and the weekly chest will be Mythic level. So…if you enjoy M+ now, you’ll still have it as a viable gear path in Shadowlands.

[Mute-silvermoon]

I’ve done it. I don’t enjoy it, especially raiding.

[Rahkeetahp-aerie-peak]

@Priscilla-sisters-of-elune

TLDR: Shadowlands will not fit my preferred playstyle if there are no practical methods (such as dungeons, unrated PvP, and open world content) for me to gear up my toons. I, and similar players, will likely find no reason to keep playing.

I wont be running group content at all…certainly not enough to gear if thats the only way to gear up.
I have no problem just not playing this expansion at all if bliz has gone full circus clown stupid and trying to force me to run content I no longer enjoy.
I still have a multitude of mogs I need to hunt down and thats the only part of this game I enjoy anymore anyway.

So…are you saying there arent any emmisaries or WQs or even quests to get at least playable gear with?

[Kriiya-moon-guard]

I guess I half agree with the OP. I want casual content to be rewarding. But, not with ilvl. Maybe some new transmogs. That would motivate me a lot more to do something like WQs than a chance at an ilvl upgrade. I hear the WQs are different in Shadowlands. They apparently take longer and are more akin to MoP Dailies from what I’ve gathered. Maybe some minor WQ buffs to ease that grind. Or, some extra story elements like in MoP. Those would be meaningful casual rewards to me.

In any case, good luck with your suggestion OP.

[Gallows-korialstrasz]

They’re removing LFR?

[Haavi-barthilas (Haavi)]

@Priscilla-sisters-of-elune

Are any other non-raiders or non-rated PvPers concerned that their main toons and/or alts will have no way to obtain Normal raid-level gear or higher in the coming expansion, and thus not experience meaningful progression?

Why should they be concerned? They aren’t doing normal raid or higher content?

Progression implies exactly that, progression. If you aren’t progressing in content, why would you expect to continue to progress in character development?
Characters in books don’t progress from sitting at home and doing what they normally do, the Sackville-Baggins’ don’t progress during the story whilst they are doing nothing, it’s the other hobbits that push themselves and their capabilities that actually progress as characters in the story.

[Rahkeetahp-aerie-peak]

LACK OF GEAR FOR CASUAL PLAYSTYLES IN SHADOWLANDS

Look, pretend I aint read much about it…what does this even mean?
I have no doubt bliz will find some way to irritate me perpetually with this stupid game…but what does this mean?

Casual gear has pretty much always dropped from casual content.
Why would SL be any different?

my ‘main’ is 451 ilvl right now. Not a serious player at all. I dont think bliz is dumb enough not to hand me gear I can use to play my casual game thru the casual content I play.

[Hotramenshop-thrall]

they do the world and daily content.
Ion didnt have to deal with how pissed off the casuals were by the lack of things to do, and ways to progress their toons by the end of MoP. he is about to have the casual cannon pointed squar at him this time around. most of them wont complain on the forums, they just unsub and say “lack of things to do” on the survey.

@Haavi-barthilas

Why should they be concerned?

why shouldnt they be. their 15 dollars is as good as yours, and the casuals out number the end gamers by at least 2 to 1.

[Malikyth-wyrmrest-accord]

I honestly mean no offense by this but:

What would you need better gear for if you don’t intend on taking part in any of the content that utilizes the benefit of having said gear?

I really don’t mean any offense I’m just genuinely curious why someone who only wants to do open world content needs raid level gear.

I think they are in part responding to the fact the game design has incentivized loner player for awhile and it’s been heavily critiqued especially after classic launched for its lack of social elements

[Gallows-korialstrasz]

@Hotramenshop-thrall

Ion didnt have to deal with how pissed off the casuals were by the lack of things to do, and ways to progress their toons by the end of MoP. he is about to have the casual cannon pointed squar at him this time around.

What did these same players do during WoD before Tanaan?

[Haavi-barthilas (Haavi)]

@Hotramenshop-thrall

why shouldnt they be. their 15 dollars is as good as yours, and the casuals out number the end gamers by at least 2 to 1.

You do realise how silly this argument is though right? They do pay the same and they have the exact same access to all the content other players do. The fact that they choose not to engage in that content is 100% on them as a player.

I don’t order a burger and take off all the condiments and then complain that “I didn’t get as much burger” as the person beside me because they decided to eat all the condiments.

[Hruuf-magtheridon]

as a counterpoint, i only played casually during bfa and to me, casually involves joining normal raids in the premade groups finder and doesn’t involve mythic+, which i just don’t like doing.

i’m not saying your experience is wrong, just that it’s not the only perspective. ideally blizz would want to find something that would make both of us happy.

[Mute-silvermoon]

Considering the OP’s ilvl is higher than yours, I don’t think they’re talking about the same casuals you are. They’re talking about M+ not being viable to non-raiders, not someone like me who only plays open world stuff.

At least that’s what I’m taking from it.

[Lhayne-sentinels]

@Priscilla-sisters-of-elune

if there are no practical methods (such as dungeons, unrated PvP, and open world content) for me to gear up my toons

You’ll get the gear you need to run what you run. What are you talking about? Since when can’t you earn gear?

@Priscilla-sisters-of-elune

Mythic+ looks to be significantly nerfed

JFC no it’s not. Get a grip, people. You’ll get the gear you need.