Only one of these things you mentioned here is relevant: hovering.
If you can afk anywhere in the world completely safely, you distance yourself from the world making for fewer interactions; promotes the general attitude of “the world exists only as a hinderance of me getting from point A to point B” which has a negative impact on overall world design; and it promotes not helping with world activities.
There’s more to it but I’m not going to go through what has been beaten to a pulp, then ground up the horse only to be beaten again, and rinse and repeated that like 10+ times over.
The ability to distance oneself from the game rather than actively engage with it IS the reason why TBC flying was a mistake. Heck it was a mistake even in TBC since they followed the simple design element that a spherical area is faster to cross from the two points most further away from each other, than what it is like with a rectangular area.
You aren’t far away when you say this … the problem here is that if you discard dragonriding, you have to discard flying altogether. Which is what they did with WoD and it was a genuinely really fun expansion to explore the world in.
And that exploration died because the expansion was overall discarded and flying made it so what was there now was treated as a hinderance and not a world to engage with.
At this point TBC flying is seen as an accessibility tool so it is unlocked when people have played the game and can be reasonable be expected to not have an interest in the game anymore. Since, sadly as demonstrated with every single expansion, folks just don’t care about the world and rather prefer to sit afk than play the game.
Heck we saw the same pattern in DF with the crafting system. Folks ignored the quests and were confused how it worked. Folks just outright prefer to ignore the world at large and that’s the fundamental issue at hand.
Flying is a symptom of this so what dragonriding did was create a compromise; you get flying, but have to land. Meaning folks got the convenience but couldn’t afk and had an incentive to participate in the game and activities.
7 Likes
The handwriting is on the wall for Ion. If WoW gets another expansion, regular flying won’t be locked behind anything.
2 Likes
People make nonsensical comparisons to try to whine about flying. It’s been a thing for years.
3 Likes
The truth and nothing but the truth.
If arachnophobia is an accessibility feature than so is TBC normal flying.
20 Likes
I rest my case. Nonsensical comments are nonsensical.
4 Likes
I guess it’s a good thing we get both then.
2 Likes
Unlike you I post on these forums free of charge. But like I said TBC normal flying is an accessibility feature and BlizZard is going to have to face that fact!
13 Likes
This topic again isn’t going to change anything - though I’m with you on your feelings about it. And those that say, just play the game clearly don’t comprehend the vindictive nature of the decision. We’re stuck, buddy, that’s it.
8 Likes
Then that invalidates the flying machines from TBC. It wouldn’t feel the same without the hover.
I mean if Ion wants to punish flight then he should punish all of it. Lock both flights behind pathfinder including the Dracthyr’s racial flight ability
Also if flying destroys exploration how does it do it? You are still getting to your destination but faster. How is flying hindering exploration you are still seeing stuff.
10 Likes
There is no quest chain or achievement needed for arachnophobia filter!
This is why BlizZard painted themselves in a corner. Get ready for the big fat L BlizZard!
9 Likes
It will be.
The reason why it is locked behind the requirement of “play the game and you get access to it” is because of human psychology. WoW can do a lot but it can’t change fundamental human psychology, which is what they tried to do for years, but folks flatout refused to even as much as to consider what negatives flying has on the game.
So TBC flying will, almost certainly (think 99.99% certainty and repeating) continue to be “locked” behind the very reasonable expectation of “play the game and you get it.”
5 Likes
I get charged to post? 
This kind of nonsense is why I had you on ignore.
It isn’t. You trying to turn it into one doesn’t change facts.
Not engaging further.
2 Likes
You got a source for this?
What makes TBC unreplaceable is it offers a degree of freedom. Nu BlizZard hates giving players freedom as we saw with covenants shenanigans.
That is scary for them.
Choose freedom and player agency. Always!
11 Likes
I don’t get the people being all “durr just do the achievements”
We have flying in the game, you literally get it just for existing in the new xpac, just one kind of flying is locked behind doing stuff because of no actual good reasoning
26 Likes
IF we’re using PF, thats the way it SHOULD be…but hes clearly showing preference for his baby DRing.
Id prefer he stop doing that and just make a couple changes to old flight if it means lesser abled players could have their flight day one like DRing is.
4 Likes
It’s been explained in detail. Not reading it or disliking it doesn’t change Blizzard’s philosophy.
Even the new TWW log in screen screams please freeeeeeeee meeeeeee.
TBC normal flying is the crown jewel and the essence of freedom in WoW’s vast MMORPG landscape.
6 Likes
True one is fun and one is annoying (Skyriding).
16 Likes