So far this expansion seems to be a good deal more linear than WoW ever has. It gets to me after a bit and I go and level and alt just to feel free again. Does it ever open up a bit? I’m in the Chosen area atm.I’m dreading the idea of having to bring alts through this again. The story is good so I’m not hating the expansion just don’t like feeling stuck in one area for so long. I’m almost 56 and just barely into the second area.
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You can bring alts through Threads of Fate.
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Cata was more linear, but yes it’s more linear than BfA or Legion inasmuch as there is a single initial path instead of 3.
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Well you did get a starting zone choice in Cata at least.
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True but once you got there it was pretty linear due to the way things phased and if you lost track of where you were it might take a little time to pick it up again.
Yes it does, and in my opinion the story telling gets way better when it is like this so I’m perfectly fine with it.
You can choose which zone to level in after you level your first character though.
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It’s intentionally VERY linear, but alts do’t have to go through the main story so it shouldn’t be that bad on repeat.
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It is because this time they want to tell the story in a certain way. The zones lead up into each other to a conclusion so we have to follow it. Only for the first time though, alts have other options.
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Good to hear that alts won’t have to do the same thing again. Does that stand for characters on the opposite faction ?
I buy books and watch movies for the linear storytelling. I play games to have choices and freedom. Shadowlands is turning out to be a fairly boring and predictable novel that costs 40 bucks and a monthly fee.
Yes, and thank goodness. I am so tired of carrying loads of unfinished quests around from having to open multiple zones at the same time.
Plenty of people play games for linearity too.
“Linear”. I wonder which influencer/streamer came up with this new meme word you read everywhere in the forums this week.
Can someone even give a definition of it?
Linear, in a line. Doesn’t branch, no choices.
It’s not a streamer thing, it’s a term that has been used for years in gaming.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonlinear_gameplay
A video game with nonlinear gameplay presents players with challenges that can be completed in a number of different sequences. Each player may take on (or even encounter) only some of the challenges possible, and the same challenges may be played in a different order. Conversely, a video game with linear gameplay will confront a player with a fixed sequence of challenges: every player faces every challenge and has to overcome them in the same order.
The campaign story is completely linear, at least for the first character in an account.
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Yes, this is quite linear, a probably-unavoidable sacrifice in the name of telling a cohesive story. As a story/lore wonk, I personally appreciate that, but I can see how it can feel a bit restrictive.
I just dinged 55 last night, and I’m in Maldraxxus (and loving it). My understanding is things open up quite a bit once you finish all the leveling zones’ stories and shift to weekly activities in Torghast, World Quests, etc.
Also, for alts, the Threads of Fate system will apparently let them level up without needing to go through the story all over again.
People have been saying it for 20 years + when it comes to gaming. Idk what rock you’ve been under.
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I liked the wrath system where you had a set path but you always had 2 options, howling fjord or borean tundra, dragonblight or grizzly hills, sholzar basin or zul drak then icecrown or storm peaks.
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For me, I care less about it being linear and more about if its good or not. I had the choice in BfA to go anywhere and I didnt want to go anywhere lol
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