TLDR: Players can feel intimidated to engage with WoW’s content if they are behind. Catch-up mechanics have been Blizzard’s focus, but that has created the “treadmill effect” causing burnout. The issue is seemingly a double-edged sword. What is the solution to this? Is there one?
I’ve heard a lot of discussion about the state of modern retail WoW and how it can feel like being on a treadmill every season/expansion. In a nutshell, as far as I understand it, the treadmill effect is simply feeling like your growth/progression in the game is for naught due to new implemented content/updates containing catch-up mechanics and gear.
While I agree that this is an issue psychologically, what is a good solution (if there is one)?
Let’s use raid progression from Vanilla as an example. You have a hierarchy system in which you can’t progress tiers unless you’ve done the previous ones. In other words, you can’t progress Naxxramas unless you’ve gotten the necessary gear from AQ 40. You can’t progress AQ 40, unless you’ve cleared BWL. I know there are certain semantics that can counter this formula in some cases, but generally that is how it worked. If I raided Molten Core at the start of Vanilla, took a break, but then came back to the game later to discover my guild progressing Naxxramas, then I would be behind in gear. I would most likely have to join groups farming the previous content to gear up so that I could be capable enough to participate with current content.
WoW’s game design has shifted away from that system in modern times for a multitude of reasons. I feel like a major reason was due to the audience - most of us have grown up and we have responsibilities. Despite the reasons, Blizzard has tried to work around the issue but creating catch-up mechanics. The dilemma is that these catch-up mechanics create the treadmill effect. Why play the current content if if will just be essentially reset next patch/expansion? There will be easy ways to get better gear rewards than the previous raid tier, so what is the point? The treadmill effect can create a burnout and a lack of motivation to play the game.
So then, how does Blizzard work around this problem?
You can’t blame Blizzard for this. People are willing to consume the same repackaged content over and over because it’s what they are the most familiar with. When was the last time you took a chance on a Netflix or Prime show that wasn’t one of your usual genres? Blizzard are just providing to willing buyers.
It seems like you already found the solution! This mentality is the solution. “Good things come to those who wait” is true in this case. So do exactly how much you want to do, then stop.
I’ll add that better gear can be ignored. Whatever you get doesn’t have to be replaced just because it can be. You don’t have to stop enjoying a zone just because a new one is out. Yes it may feel silly, but you can still play Korthia now and try to get the full 233 korthia gear upgrades. Just vendor or bank all your gear, ignore the other gear out there, head to Korthia and have fun!
On a personal level, my approach has been to chill out on progression. There’s not much reason for me to bust my buns on content now that I’ll be able to leisurely solo in a year or two, I’ve been playing this game on and off since AQ and I did that enough times back in the day to see the futility of it.
I don’t think it’s a problem brought on by blizzard. The problem is at least in NA (cant speak for anywhere else around the world…) job hours got longer, people started working more days, and have less money so To keep people entertained they had to change with the population and having a cut-off like You can’t do S3 without gearing through S1 and S2 to get to S3 means new people joining on at S2 cant enjoy S2 unless they completely finish S1… doesn’t make sense for peoples time. If we go on any thread in the forum you will see from people who are just like dang you know I only have time to raid with my team and maybe do an event after that im pretty much out of time, it’s a real problem.
The solution i think in the end is people not caring what others are doing, for example Raiders thought LFR would KILL raiding when it came out and luckily all it did was give casuals who didn’t want to raid with a team on select days a way to see content. This didn’t hurt Heroic or mythic raiders, it just allowed others to see content… this is what I think the whole catch up system is. It hurts no one, only the people who hyper fixate on other players. My two cents anyway.
I think it’s that there’s people upset about their “progress being reset” each season. On the flip side it’s not enjoyable to be unable to come back to the game if you miss a patch, and there’s still people that sort of think this despite each tier/season being more or less a full power reset.
To be fair to them, I think this tier’s normal or even heroic gear should be last tier’s mythic gear. Right now the jump of 39 ilvls (this tier’s LFR gear is last tier’s mythic gear) seems unnecessarily large. I thought 26 was fine.
Honestly I would love to see more evergreen content. Personally I’d rather mythic raid as a whole was removed and replaced by the last 2-3 bosses (the only ones that are usually challenging enough for hardcore guilds) as evergreen challenges that don’t reward gear but crazy good cosmetics.
The gear inflation per patch is SO high that nothing really matters if you played the previous one with measures to MAKE SURE they don’t such as nerfing items like the primordial stones ring and past raid trinkets.
If you do a dungeon later than the first month you’re usually treated like you’re behind. Player’s are more the problem catching up than anything else.
Seriously, that’s the fix. No snark intended. MMOs never became so much fun for me as when I finally realized none of it matters. Gear? Who cares. I get what I get on my characters. Quests? If I’m having fun, I’ll do them. Reputations? If they’re quick, sure. If not, no thanks.
We are our own worst enemies in these games, turning them into work. Its not on Blizzard to work around a player-created problem.
I think if we are looking at the issue, it is essentially a double-edged sword. On one hand, you have a progression system that can be daunting to a more casual player, especially if they are late to the show. I believe this encompasses a vast majority of WoW’s player base. On the other, you have catch-up mechanics in place to resolve those issues BUT create a new problem - burnout and the treadmill effect. Fixing one issue birthed another. It almost seems like real and only solution is to embrace one of the two poisons.