I have sympathy believe it or not for the situation Blizzard is in. If I worked on an encounter like that, I’d feel similar. So I completely understand and get that Blizzard doesn’t want a bad-kill.
But the problem here is, it’s not about what I think. It’s what players and people in general are going to think. Thus I think it’s better to have a bad kill, then to have there be a perception that you might be stacking the deck.
That was a big problem with the Ensidia mess and I don’t think anyone wants to see a repeat. To be sure, the way that Ensidia killed the Lich King was NOT intended. It was obvious and what happened to those individuals was completely deserved, because the error was completely obvious.
Yet while Paragon clearly killed the Lich King the right way, if the Quality Assurance team had done their job it might not of ever happened to start. I get that no one can be expected to find all bugs; but when we take a serious look at the state of the game at the present, is it not in a sense more of the same underlying problem?
To say the game is in very bad straits and buggier than it’s ever been, would be an major understatement. The fact that the Spirit Drinkers in Uldum are still broken at times, is a good example of this issue. The fact that Ythisens and so many others were let go; along with some people in Q.A. does not exactly make people sympathetic to the situation. It’s a vicious cycle to be sure.
That being said, I disagree with this person that you cited. It’s not that people are trying to **** on Blizzard. Rather it’s simply that people hold them to a certain ethical standard and take serious issue when those standards are not met. No sane individual ever wakes up like Krom from Dark Legacy and thinks: “How am I gonna stick it to Blizzard today?”
That sentiment just comes about because time and again a ridiculous decision gets made and people are left with a serious mental disconnect and wonder: “Where has common sense wandered off to in this newest matter?”
Another issue, is of course money. When one adds money into the matter such as what E-Sports does, it creates an entirely new layer of woes that frankly I’m glad I have nothing to do with, and never would want to have anything to do with.
Still. My point remains. If Blizzard doesn’t do things that give an appearance of being shady, most people won’t be looking to cast aspersions on them. Moreover there’s plenty of us here who would be the first to defend them in a scenario where it was clear Blizzard was getting a raw deal or being treated unfairly.
There’s a reason many of us are still here despite the state of the game, the story, and so on. It’s not because we’re out for a ‘Gotcha!’ moment on Blizzard. WE. LOVE. YOU. GUYS. We’re here because we love your game, your lore, and your product. We’re mystified by many of the changes as this isn’t the Blizzard we remember, but we hold out hope, perhaps naively; that you’ll remember your roots.
As someone who’s played Warcraft since the start, it’s painful sometimes to see things progressing as they have. My counsel to Blizzard remains this, and it’s born out of a desire to help them above all else.
Blizzard, as much as you can within reason; stay a neutral umpire. I’m sure you have already considered it, but remember the worst case scenario that could happen here. What happens if you despawn N’zoth because of bugs, and then 2 days later Method kills the boss and claims the World First instead of Limit because of the time they gained due to the interference?
By interfering in the process, it creates an untenable situation where had the company remained merely an independent observer there would of been no leg for anyone to accuse them of what some have above. Bugs happen. But at the same time, nothing can ever be perfect. It’s the human condition.
Let’s just move forward and see how we can make the game better in Shadowlands, eh?
