That’s not my point. Players in lower brackets don’t have to play with lesser quality items or potential just because they chose a lower difficulty.
Forgive my terrible analogy, I lack the intellectual prowess to cite a known psychological explanation, or directly describe what I’m trying to express, so I resort to this:
To some players, being incapable of accessing the best gear is like telling them they can’t play their own guitar above a certain volume because of their lack of skill. Many people will self-censor to protect their dignity, but some people just want to pop off with the highest potential, regardless of the results.
Again, I’m not trying to make a comparison of the context, just the emotional desire for players to see the biggest potential. I also understand that you believe they should ‘earn’ that right, which I think is where I disagree most.
You wouldn’t go around ensuring random D&D groups are only getting rewards you deem appropriate, and I tend to feel that way about other players in this game. Give 'em the good stuff through reasonable means and let them have fun.
It might be more apt to say that you’re not letting a novice who doesn’t know what to do with it play on a $4000 instrument. They should be content with a $100 instrument while they learn. Do we think beginning Violin students should all be given a Stradivarius to practice on?
Except what happens in a random D&D group that I’m not in doesn’t affect me, and changing the rules in WoW to accommodate people who don’t want to exert equal effort does affect me. If all the rewards in the game come with no risk I lose the rush of feeling like I accomplished anything.
Granted, if gear is removed or otherwise normalized and the rewards are just cosmetic, than my fun is still preserved. But I think I’m actually with Fauxstraza on this. If we’re going to make gear easy, just give it away for everything. Mythic tier loot from LFR, from Delves, from World Quests, in the mailbox, etc. Then put a whole bunch of mounts, pets, mogs, etc. that are attached to the challenge difficulties. Then people who like to see their ilvl go up for no practical purpose can play that game, and I can still play mine.
I understand the concept, I question the quality of the system. I’ve said in the past the it shouldn’t be free, but it should be accessible through alternative sources with the requisite effort.
Most of you guys seem to be allergic to the mere thought of such a suggestion. Perhaps I just enjoy watching you get indignant about it.
Exactly! players should have multiple options to acquire the highest gear, i.e Mythic, Legendary, Heroic … etc. Even if is a long grinding route, doesn’t matter, just give the option. Nowadays, most players do not want to be part of a guild, they just want to enjoy the game.
Blizzard think is fun being around a group of individuals who might not had nothing in common. For example, people talking about intimacy in discord, who cares! or their job titles, defiantly who gives a care, conversations about which guildmates are cute and which ones are not are you kidding me! and I can go all day about the nonsense solo players find while trying to join a guild. Intelligent conversations?! forget it, that was a thing of the past. You’ll be all day waiting for the punch line.
So yeah Blizzard, give us more options, times had change.
I definitely don’t want gearing to feel trivial or inconsequential. I appreciate the fun in the process and the excitement of earning upgrades, I just think more players could be included in the fun via sources they find more palatable. Technically that exists via the crest upgrade process, but the conversion rate is prohibitive and still doesn’t create access to myth track.
However, huge changes are on the horizon. The list of adjustments to S2 raids and m+ are incredible. Like properly great ideas and some super fun stuff to look forward to in raid.
I have to give a huge shout out to the designers for both showing a real understanding of the concerns coming from the community and some very elegant solutions that I think preserve the integrity of the systems while expanding their capacity to serve more players.
I feel a bit humbled by how well thought out it seems. I’m genuinely excited for what S2 has in store for everyone.
I think you’re just way too good at this game for your own good. I mean that in the most complimentary way.
I’ve watched several videos responding to the changes, from Tettles and co on The Bench podcast, AutomaticJak, Dratnos, and Bellular and one common thread is their belief that the things have just become too difficult for the health of the scene.
All I hear is they accidentally pleased a bunch of players and undid that satisfaction by trying to change something that was liked.
DF S3 seems to be the pariah to all the elitists. Did you not enjoy it, or enjoy it less for some reason?
I don’t care about these specific changes, they may well be good. I’m more concerned about the general sentiment and worry blizz are in a position where outcry from players means they can no longer course correct if that course involves making something harder.
If you’re trying to convey something you believe I should be concerned about, I’m failing to identify it.
Is this like when someone stops following their favorite bands when they go mainstream or something?
The reasoning behind their decisions seem pretty clear. The difficulty drives too much exclusivity, making groups too selective, leading to long waits to find groups that just end up dissolving in a few failed pulls.
Do you think there won’t be enough challenge for you?
I think we’re just tending towards a point where rewards are meaningless. And if that’s the goal I’d rather just get there now so I can stop doing things I don’t like because I need the rewards from them to do the things I do.
Honestly, I can’t not find that response both selfish and ironic. Thinking less of players for not wanting to go through hell just to get some mythic gear, while simultaneously lamenting the fact that you will have to do content you don’t want to for gear.
Presumably, you think your plight is more important because you perceive your effort to be greater.
What I don’t think you appreciate is that effort and difficulty are relative to the participants. The amount of effort it takes you to clear a +10 is trivial compared to what the average player of this game sees when tasked with that challenge.
Two different people lifting two different weights at the gym can both feel like they’re expending serious effort despite the difference in their potential. Just because you can lift more doesn’t mean other people aren’t trying, they’re just not as gifted as you.
Just to get ahead of any ‘git gud’ sentiments, I have to remind you that ‘gittin’ gud’ at WoW is very explicitly NOT on most players to do list. Despite both mine and your disappointment about that.
No I just don’t really see the point of keeping gear progression if it’s going to be devalued at every turn, I’d certainly benefit from removing it but so would everyone else. No more being weaker than someone else, no more feeling compelled to do content you don’t enjoy. Everyone just gets to have fun doing what they like.
I don’t understand the angle here. Gear is a tool, not an ornament. While it might be nice to think your the only special lad with a rare drop, that doesn’t mean your rare drop suddenly ceases to provide you the same statistical and mechanical advantage when someone else gets it.
I genuinely can’t help thinking you derive too much personal worth from the gear you collect. I find it further misguided when you consider just how much of it is rng luck.
My druid who has like two heroic clears, 2800 io and hasn’t stepped foot in mythic raid is higher ilvl than my shaman. I hope that doesn’t trigger anyone.
I don’t really derive anything from gear, as you say for me it’s just a tool. But it’s a tool I’d rather do without and I think we’ve reached a point where all gear actually does is make people who don’t have it bitter.
I think we should remove that source of bitterness.
I don’t think it’s the gear, it’s the lack of access to it. Having it paraded around in front of you while having no meaningful avenue (in their perception) for even acquiring it had just lead to a campaign to access that potential.
Just to reiterate, nobody sensible is asking for free gear, just a chance to get their ilvls up as high as possible without having to engage in what to them is terrifyingly difficult content.
I just think it would be ideal if all players had the opportunity to reach max ilvl on their own terms, but could do so faster and more economically by traditional means, through higher difficulty raids and dungeons. I think that would inherently reward better players for playing better without excluding players who are willing to do more via less rewarding endeavors.
are you kidding me! 
and I can go all day about the nonsense solo players find while trying to join a guild. Intelligent conversations?! forget it, that was a thing of the past. You’ll be all day waiting for the punch line.