Stop removing portals

[Xoja-proudmoore (Xoja)]

I understand that changes can throw people off a bit at first, but I also think they help keep the world of Azeroth feeling alive. When there are fewer portals, does the world feel a bit bigger to you? Do you like that? How difficult is it to get to the locations you mentioned without a direct portal (talking to everybody who isn’t a mage here ) ?

As far as I can tell it’s throwing people off because portals got removed before the portal room is being added. I haven’t seen a real explanation for that. If there’s a good reason it would make sense to just explain it.

The devs do these wacky things sometimes and you guys, I swear, are afraid to just explain them or admit that maybe it wasn’t the right way of doing things. A little humility never hurts.

Also… are all the portals that have been removed being added to the portal room? I get the desire to make the world feel bigger but I think the basic convenience we’ve had should stay. Especially for old content.

[Elenstelle-moon-guard (Elenstelle)]

That was a snarky comment saying mages are good as they are now. Before the Culling of Portals.
Source: plays mage

[Tarc-fenris (Tarc)]

I don’t think there ever has been in the capitals, the portals to all your faction’s cities reside in the current content hub, i.e. Boralus and Dazar’alor.

Except they’re removing that too. They’re taking out the ‘extra’ portals in Boralus and Dazar’Alor and only leaving the Stormwind/Orgrimmar portal and the portal to Magni.

That does not appear to be correct.

New Portal Rooms in Patch 8.1.5

Ashran, Boralus, and Dazar’alor have not been changed.

[Leialoha-farstriders]

My god does EVERYTHING have to be about making our time /played longer?

[Sammonoske-draka (Sammonoske)]

Does the world feel bigger? Sure, but everyone is being FORCED into two locations. Inconvenienced players are less likely to go out into that world.

Those quests from expeditions? Waste of my time.

[Bailm-ghostlands]

I understand that changes can throw people off a bit at first, but I also think they help keep the world of Azeroth feeling alive. When there are fewer portals, does the world feel a bit bigger to you? Do you like that? How difficult is it to get to the locations you mentioned without a direct portal (talking to everybody who isn’t a mage here ) ?

If you forced us to use RP walk at all times the world would feel bigger too.

Guess what, that wouldn’t make the game more enjoyable.

[Moiraia-lightbringer]

Wait are you saying the new portal to pandaria now takes you to the far right zone instead of to the shrine now?

Please tell me you arent saying that.

[Drusiana-moon-guard]

I choose what content I do on my mage and what content I do on my alts based on how difficult it is to get there. Removing portals will not make the world feel more alive, but definitely will convince me to do even less old world content.

[Irisse-maelstrom]

I understand that changes can throw people off a bit at first, but I also think they help keep the world of Azeroth feeling alive. When there are fewer portals, does the world feel a bit bigger to you? Do you like that? How difficult is it to get to the locations you mentioned without a direct portal (talking to everybody who isn’t a mage here ) ?

I think the world feels more alive if there are people still passing through old content, even if a lot fewer than there were when they were current content. Legion Dalaran in particular is a beautiful city, and as I happen to be hearthed in Astranaar for roleplay reasons, I use it often just to get to Stormwind and occasionally to other locations. Removal of portals from the City of Magic seems contrary to the spirit of the city, and will make it even more of a ghost town than it already is.

Meanwhile, centralizing the portal locations in Stormwind will make Stormwind more dead, not more alive, as people no longer have to travel between the mage tower and the keep to get from portal to portal.

Don’t get me wrong, I like the centralized portal room in Stormwind. I just think the excuse that it makes the world more alive is bogus.

If you want to make the world more alive by nerfing teleportation, start by making the ship between Kul Tiras and Zandalar go on a schedule, so you have to wait until the next ship and then watch it sail out of the harbor and sail back into the destination, like the old ships between Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms. But you know why you didn’t do that: making the world “more alive” is in direct opposition to player convenience, as far as travel is concerned.

A better way to make the world more alive would be to make historical content more relevant. For example, you could take out item level caps on enchants and other crafted items, so there would be more reason to go back and farm old materials.

[Enkki-eonar (Enkki)]

Inconvenienced players are less likely to go out into that world.

And when that inconvenience becomes TOO severe, they’re less likely to keep pulling out that plastic for xpacs and game time.

[Felryn-area-52 (Felryn)]

Others have mentioned it before, but if you really want to make the world feel bigger then give us a reason to go back there.

“Battle for Azeroth” yet we’re stuck on two islands with occasionally going to 2 other zones, it’s an absolute joke.

[Vhx-kiljaeden]

The world feels bigger to players when they don’t have flight also. Are you going to wait until 8.2 and tell us flight is no longer on the menu for the sake of keeping Azeroth feeling alive?

Why do mages have portals? Should everybody just have the teleport abilities that mages have?

Mages should have portals to places for which static portals don’t already exist. Let them keep the city portals for self use – but if you want to keep mages’ portal abilities relevant in a world where portal rooms are offered at the main cities (SW/Org) then mages should have portals to other areas.

For instance: MoP Shrines, or Dragonblight, or Broken Shore, or Tanaan Jungle, or Nazjatar (in upcoming content). This would make their portals useful for players, bring back that classic singular ability to mages, instead of just replacing a unique ability with static portals in main cities.

[Kargyraa-area-52 (Kargyraa)]

I don’t care how alive the world feels when I’m trying to get in my weekly deathwing kill.

[Jórix-earthen-ring]

When there are fewer portals, does the world feel a bit bigger to you?

No it does not feel bigger, it feels more tedious. What makes the world feel bigger is more things to do IN the world other than running or flying over what might as well be empty space for the purpose of you being there. It feels like the Devs are purposefully making us have more idle time.

[Drozil-warsong (Drozil)]

My mages always gave free portals so that makes the social game a little more pleasant.

Please don’t tell anyone in Ironforge that I’m actually agreeing with a Sin’dorei. But I do feel strongly that mages have a duty to aid the travelling public. Possessing arcane power comes with an obligation to use it for the general good, if you ask me.

[Urchak-nathrezim (Urchak)]

Its not about convenience.
Its about playing the game.
If i am in a flight, or on autorun on a flying mount, or any other method of travel, I am not playing the game. I am soaking time, looking at something on my other monitor or on my phone.
If there is a non-play time gate in the game more than 30 seconds i have near infinite options to do something actually enjoyable instead of staring at an unskippable cutscene.
This isnt 2003, people arent immersed in the size of the world by being required to stare at scenery going past. They are bored by it.
Immersion isnt the result from gating gameplay behind travel. Immersion is the result of creating a world that you “feel” is big and complex and beautiful. Which you dont get by forcing people, you get by encouraging people.

[Cladis-korgath]

If i am in a flight, or on autorun on a flying mount, or any other method of travel, I am not playing the game. I am soaking time, looking at something on my other monitor or on my phone.

Yeah, but this adds up those played hours each month to report to investors.

[Cyniel-dentarg (Cyniel)]

Travel shouldn’t be an issue or a blocking point in any game… Sorry, but you’ve already grounded us, what in the flip more do you want?? Blood? Seriously here.

Edit: Bornakk that wasn’t directed at ‘you’… It was directed at ‘Blizzard’

[Shadwynn-dragonblight]

Serious question here. Is this just another attempt by Blizzard to make the world feel more populated (like CRZ)? Have they lost so many players that they have to resort to this kind of trickery to make people think there are more people playing than there really are?

Keep taking away the QoL improvements that you’ve given us, Blizzard, and you’ll discover that a big chunk of your players will go with them. I’m getting very tired of you guys taking things away that we’ve had forever, that were FUN and engaging, all because you can’t be bothered to make quality content anymore that will attract and keep players. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who feels this way. From talents, to abilities, to flight, to toys that have a stupidly long CD, to portals that a lot of people use regularly, STOP TAKING STUFF AWAY FROM US.

[Abendroth-zuljin (Abendroth)]

And you guys wonder what blues hesitate to post and give answers on the forums. You’re always ready to jump at their throat the moment the answer ins’t to yous satisfaction and when they’re silent, you complain they’re not communicating. Well duh…