Being a semi casual is a really crappy place to occupy in this game atm. You’re better off going full hardcore or full on casual. Or just quitting altogether.
My ilevel is too low to be wanted for M+. Plus even if I’m lucky enough to get into a group, M+ are pretty overtuned and the likelihood of completion is low. Even if we do complete it, loot drops are nonexistent. As a result my IO score is too low. For PvP, without access to the top level (higher rated) gear, you just get dumpstered. I can’t get into relevant raid groups either.
And yes, even though I’m basically a solo (LFG) semi casual player I would like access to the exact same ilevel gear that mythic raiders get, but just acquired at a slower pace than those guys get it.
With gear, more doors open and everything becomes more fun. Without it… and literally ZERO ways for a solo semi casual to acquire it, alls that left is pointless chores.
Am I missing something here? But this game for a semi casual players feels completely unrewarding and pointless outside of incongruous chores. I’m searching for a reason to stay subbed, but honestly shadowlands doesn’t feel like an expansion for the semi casual player base at all. 2.5 weeks left on my sub and not planning to renew.
I hope you don’t get blasted by the elitist try hards… Its a very real observation and I feel the same way. Being in the middle of hardcore and casual is not a great place to be. SL has serious balance issues that need to be fixed ASAP.
I decided to take a break. I will wait a few content patches when catch up gear is in place. I just do not like this expansion for different reason that I did not like BFA. While the new areas are beautiful it feels like a closed off world. I gave started playing ESO instead. I like almost all content being available without a group. And since its on console there is no DPS meters to shame people with.
I’m parked at 190 ilvl. I wish there was a way that I could run my own groups for M2-4 exclusively. I wouldn’t mind logging in running 2-3 of those then getting out. Instead I have a key for 5 and I have to apply for 2-4 and being a Frost Mage at 190 ilvl and a 270 raider io score means I’m not being selected often.
To me, these are not really game issues, but community perception problems. Too many players have the mentality “If you’re not first, you’re last”, and it really shows to casual players who are looking to just have a good time.
I don’t want to spend 25 minutes clicking “Apply to Group”, so I start my own keys or simply do not play. I agree that what happened with the Group Finder system was a bizarre and rude shock to casual players - mythic difficulty is a stupid joke - but that’s something that happened almost a decade ago during Cataclysm. I don’t think anything happens today to fix that course.
My recommendation is to follow through with your conclusions - go fully casual, like I have because I enjoy the game itself, or quit because you can’t fix the community.
We’ve reached a point where even casual players have adopted the forum meta mindset, so much so that they’re turning down 200 ilevel players due to “the wrong spec”.
Raider IO has turned WoW PvE content into more of a job than it already was.
that has nothing to do with rio. if you’re a 180 ilvl dps, you’re competing against 15 other applicants who are 200ish. the group can’t take all of you, so somebody’s getting left out. if you’re a 200 ilvl frost mage against a 200 ilvl fire mage, same story.
We did. But for some reason, Blizzard in its infinite wisdom, thought random players wouldn’t want to be matched up automatically with other random players in the same difficulty of content, and actually wipe repeatedly on easily handled content. Except this happens now already in PuG raids and m+ via LFG Tool instead of Group Finder. Oops. Hindsight is 2020, I guess.
I am a lone-wolf have been for quite some time, so I feel your pain…
my solution was to roll tanks… I’ve always enjoyed tanking and it’s VERY easy to gear…
problem being… once I hit full mythic 0 gear + WQ/Boss gear… that’s pretty much my ceiling… not much else I can do, short of trying to carry mouth-breathers through a +2,3 … not really my idea of fun.
so then it’s on to my next tank… or toon…
I now have… 189 druid, 186 DH, 181 War, 184 DK and a 172 rogue and and a 183 Hunter…
problem is… like you said… as a semi-casual… once I hit my ceiling… that’s kinda it then nothing to do but dailies or other boring AF chores…
I’ve been here for weeks. 190 ilvl and parked. Worst of all I’m an undesirable spec too so essentially according to the forums–I have to switch specs, get a guild, and then progress. Or I have to reroll to a different class.
Meanwhile the solution for development is right there infront of blizz:
Make a Matchmaking that accounts for DPS/HPS/DA, APS, Ratio of Completed Keys, Highest key completed, time it took, and ilvl.
Make all specs on DPS side within 1% of each other in terms of total DPS output.
Literally 2 fixes and the game is now way more playable.
It totally depends on expectation. shadowlands gear progression is slower than previous expansions. We are all on the same boat. so you did not fall behind .
If you want gear at the end of dungeon runs you should have a good group to finish in time.
If you want weekly chest reward just finish the highest key you can do.
Until this week i was doing 9+ runs more than 10 times a week to get end of dungeon gear. but now except 10+ i dont get any worthwhile end of dungeon loot, so i only finished 12+, 11+,11+ ,10+ and two 9+, i will have 223ilvl and 220 ilvl options along with 213 heroic raid options.
My point is you should focus on what you can get. again progress is slower and if only fun you have is getting gear upgrades, this expansion is not for you.
For finishing dungeons.
It is not that difficult as you describe. Try to learn dungeons better. not only boss abilities, also thrash abilities. some of them are key destroyers.
then nothing to do but dailies or other boring AF chores…