Just because you asked, I going to be very direct.
The fact that we have to wait to see what is coming is arbitrary. The entire design is arbitrary (just like everything else). The underlying reason why people are pissed, is because they COULD be unsubbed doing something else right now (and you wouldn’t be getting these posts unless it was COMPLETELY true- that ALL the items are bad/x theme) but because of the manufactured FOMO, they don’t.
And before you hit me back with the “buts”, here’s some examples of arbitrary changes to the Trading Post that would fix these problems.
- The trading post COULD list all this years items available to you ALL YEAR.
- The currency COULD be available for you to farm, without a limit.
- If Blizzard decided that there NEEDED to be a limit on the currency, then players could look at the list, say “I really only want to USE these items, even if those other items are cool.” And collect their priorities, first. Then unsub.
2 guesses why this is NOT the way the system is designed. Don’t guess, I’ll tell you.
The fact is: the system is not your friend. The FOMO (fear of missing out) is real.
You can only HOPE that you didn’t overspend this month, in case somethings you REALLY want come out next month. Equally, you can only HOPE that you collected all limit for a reward/s that MAY be coming next month, when there is nothing of interest this month.
The delivery system is designed this way, with the purpose of keeping players subbed. And the fact that people are choosing to be upset with people being choosing to be upset over it horribly ironic. Neither party can form a mature read of the situation, and attacks the wrong thing. Its a perfect cycle of ad hominem, while Blizzard gets away with the design that brought both parties to complaint.
To be clear, if you are mature enough to read between the lines and respond directly to these people’s issue, then these immature requests for “better items” in the trading post are essentially saying: “I’m okay with Blizzard’s design that keeps me subsribed all year round, I just wish Blizzard would treat me more fairly.”
Aaaaand I can already hear the retort. “BUT if you are going to stay all year, then what’s the difference?”
Agency. Or the illusion of agency. These people are just as addicted as you and I, but its “nicer” when we all get to feel like we are making our own decisions. And nicer still when things seem fair.
I’d rather debate the underlying points of the Trading Post- and I’ll do so leadingly, because its important to me that people understand how arbitrary the design is IF the design intent is “just to give players cool things” and not what is obviously a means to keep players subbed.
- Is it better to have to deal with this rigamarole every month- than it is for Blizzard to release a full list of items available for the next 3 months/6 months/year?
- Is a currency cap as healthy for players as it is for Blizzard’s pocketbook?
- Does the fact that the older unreleased items have less pixels, REALLY prohibit Blizzard from using them as Quest/Rep rewards? Could they not just be installed on the old relevant reputation vendors? Or on rare/hidden/new NPCs?
- Do the items that are CLEARLY seasonal, not logically belong as seasonal rewards?
Its Blizzard’s right as the creator/curator/custodian of World of Warcraft to design ways to keep you monetarily invested. They will do whatever the hell they want. I can almost respect that.
But your framework ends so pointedly that its worth bearing out the question.
“You really didn’t even do anything to deserve any of them so what’s the issue?”
By that measure. No one is doing anything important- but I am glad that you at can at least determine that a part of the system is arbitrary. People are just (some impolitely) asking to be f****d over, softly, so that they can maintain the illusion of choice. That’s a tricky balancing act for a company that releases mounts for >$65USD every 3.5 months.
Obviously, it’d be better if the system was better. But here we are.