I can’t help but feel very overwhelmed by the constant release of content. How could this be such a problem?
Every new event that gets released is quickly made obsolete by the next patch. In previous patches, you typically had around 6 months to get “the new thing” done. Now, we have 2-3 months to get “the new thing” done before “the next new thing” makes that obsolete.
Considering the shift towards non-solo friendly gameplay in these events, there is a sense of falling behind. “If I don’t get all of the Time Rift rewards before 10.1.7, I’m screwed until the next expansion” was a common thought.
Additionally, this expansion has by far been the buggiest in recent memory. Core systems (crafting orders, auctions) have been crippled at various points, and polish bugs (e.g., mobs that spawn in rocks, inaccurate crafting UI and crafting notification ranks) that have been around since launch remain to this day. The introduction of more and more content is introducing more and more of these bugs.
What would make this less of a overwhelming feeling?
Stop designing content that will rapidly become obsolete. Expansion features should be relevant throughout the expansion, not a single 2-3 month patch.
Fix the scaling on “rares.” We’re in this weird situation where content is going obsolete rapidly and there’s little to nobody around to help kill rares that were clearly designed to be killed in groups while the patch was current. This is a well-known issue and I don’t need to elaborate more.
If you’re going to make changes to zones that nobody asked for (e.g. ZC rare lockouts) and effectively kill off a zone because players weren’t playing it the way the devs think they should, at least explain what you think the purpose of the zone should be.
Take a little extra time and polish the game. I shouldn’t be able to just look at an open world mob spawning in a rock and wonder why it’s been left like that for nearly a year. I think “Revendreth elevator chains 2.0” quite often, in a game where people pay $15 a month + expansion + MTX. Why are there so many polish bugs in such an expensive game? Hire a team dedicated to polishing the game if you must.
The speed of the content is fine the problem is the QUALITY.
They can keep releasing all this catch up stuff if they want but NO ONE is coming back for ilvls. The only people who care already outgear any reward newer content might contain.
The whelpling thing was lame and I skipped it. I eat dragons man I don’t raise them. Dawn of the infinites was actually pretty good ngl.
This what people wanted more content more often . Which probably affect the quility. People wanted harder mobs in the open so people would be force to group now those areas are dead cause no one can solo the mobs and the groups have moved on. Be carefull what you demand cause sometime it wont be the version you want or simply not be as good as pictured it in you head.
The cadence wouldn’t matter if so much content didn’t require groups to do. That is the biggest problem because you either do when everyone is doing or you have to wait until a couple of expansions from now to do it.
I agree with you about how people just are not interested in world content now and days. I would like to thank infinite dungeons and raids for that though.
Agreed that this is probably the crux of the issue more than anything. Other things can be overlooked, but when compounded with other problems, everything starts to become noticeable in a negative light.
How about if you missed the event for any number of reasons? Like taking a break from WoW, playing other games, maybe you’re a new player and hadn’t hit level cap before the event ended, or you were unable to play due to real life events? Abd then you come back and you want to do these old events? They are obsolete because no one does them anymore, and due to it all still being largely group content, you either can’t do it in a reasonable amount of time, or straight up can’t do it at all.
My main concern about the patch cadence, however… the last time we saw something somewhat similar in terms of patch speed and content was Legion… and that was followed up by BFA, which was chock full of half-baked and incomplete ideas…
The new content is just fluff really. The developers have created an illusion that we’re getting new stuff, but the reality is, we’re in a content drought until Nov.
Solution: Do the content when it’s current. Don’t take breaks. Problem solved.
And remember each of these micropatches are simply for catchup gear for casuals and alts. So it doesn’t matter if you miss it because the next one is the same thing only with better catch up gear.
Yeah, because the time rifts added in 10.1.5 didn’t reward mounts, transmogs, pets, achievements, etc. And they will die the moment the new shiny event comes in 10.1.7. So yeah, take no breaks, problem solved, or wait a few expansions in hopes you can solo it (and it’s not removed).
That’s not a problem with main patch cadence, I think it’s a problem with micro patches and content stepping on itself.
And it’s definitely a problem with “public event” content which appears to be “the thing they do” this expansion. If they don’t scale down to a group of one they become a long term problem.
But slow patch cadence kills the game. NO matter how good a system or activity is, it wont be 8 months later. And they start to wear out their welcome in 2-3 months. And with long patch cycles they’ll always lose players and a percentage of those never come back.
I don’t think micro patches are working out well. The sweet spot is probably polished large patches every 4 months. Not trickling the patch features out over 6-8 months.
