So the recent QA asked for community feedback. I don’t claim to speak for anyone else, no claim of some silent majority or anything else. This is my feelings and some may agree or not I wanted to share it.
I have hated with a passion (to the point of almost quitting) the two item squishes. I felt like my character went completely backwards lost all kinds of progress and power.
This would be far far worse and would be the thing that would drive me to leave WoW after 13 years. There is no way I will play a game that takes away all my leveling progress and throws me back multiple expansions in power. Nope no way.
The level of hatred I have for this idea cannot be expressed strongly enough. No I will not play a game that takes YEARS of progress away.
People will say oh no it will scale like the item squish. Which is a total lie, they did not scale. As I pointed out in the BfA Beta with screenshots comparing fighting the same thing live vs post squish. What was a 1 shot now was a fight.
This would definitely make me quit no question about it.
I am personally against level squish, while im already not playing WoW due to other reasons (hoping they go away eventually). A level squish would probably make me never come back.
Is this like when they asked for feedback on the BFA GCD changes during BFA prepatch, got that feedback, then did whatever they wanted anyways regardless of said feedback or…
A level should contain a reward, otherwise just take that extra level’s experience and add it to the next: until one level takes longer to complete but always guarantees a reward.
I’d rather they spend the resources fixing leveling - making it more fun and engaging.
I’d rather they add in an expedited leveling path 8-12 hrs that can me open at max level once you get there the 1st time (long quest chain, endless dungeon, using old raids as speed leaving options…) anything to make it more interesting and manageable.
A squish doesn’t fix the underlying problems with leveling - it fixes some skill progression stuff - but a squish doesn’t make it more fun.
If they did both I’d be ok with that… but Blizz seems to love these bandaid solutions that don’t really fix things…
What I am saying is the current talent system is barebones and caps out at 100.
Rather than squishing the leveling process and breaking who knows how many things in the process, just rework the talent system and make it more interesting. Plus make it something easy enough to add to as the game progresses from expansion to expansion.
I really see it as a binary decision for the devs: either they return talents to their former glory (I am actually all for this) or they squish the levels to cut out the empty fluff.
The problem is, I have a hard time seeing them budge on the whole talent issue, while they are clearly already budging on the level squish.
My main problem with squishing beyond their terrible track record on previously implemented squishes is that it is a shortsighted fix.
If they only intend on a handful more expansions then fine, but what happens if the game continues another 5 or 6? Then we are right back to square one.
The orginal talent trees were great and giving us a talent point per level would be much more welcome.
To anyone who uses the “Empty Levels” argument: Instead of taking those levels away, causing a possible divide that WILL drive more people off…why not ADD actual character progression to those Empty Levels? Like Talent Rows of Ability upgrades?
Furthermore, Blizzard has a TERRIBLE record when it comes to squishing stats. Do you actually trust them to get this, far more complicated one right when they failed at the simpler squish?
I would be totally fine with them coming up with abilities/character progression for the empty levels.
However, based on how many empty levels they have now, they would have to come up with character progression for about 70 levels per class and spec without factoring in the 10 levels added next expansion.
I want them to find a way to have character progression at every level. A level squish is one of those options. Others would be skill ranks and/or bringing back the old talent trees. I just want to feel like I’m getting stronger as I level despite the level scaling (which is probably never going away).
One thing against the level squish is that they’d have to do it repeatedly (probably every xpac or two?). I’d rather have them find a solution that’ll fix things long term.
They have a hard enough time as it is making the trees balanced enough and having worthwhile talents to pick as it is. I don’t really think they would actually try and make a more expansive talent tree.
I could see it happening. It is unlikely, but it could. The work required (and resources invested) would also be (possibly significantly) lower than those required for a Level Squish. It also presents lower immediate financial risk.
But do I think the Devs will be able to see that? No. I think they’ve already decided to go ahead with the Squish and are “collecting feedback” out of obligatory courtesy. Why? Because I have had to invoke Hanlon’s Razor (Do not attribute to Malice that which is explicable by Incompetence) far too many times this expansion (even more than WoD… which is a statement unto itself).
Tldr; Could they follow my suggestion? Yes, and it would be both easier and safer. Will they? Most likely not.
But the progress of leveling now just seems so empty. I wouldn’t mind a squish if it meant they make it that EVERY level grants us a skill or a talent or even more than 1 every single time.