I’m not so sure. It’s no secret that Blizzard is extremely arrogant when it comes to their direction with WoW (extrapolating this from insider reports and their general mentality by ignoring player feedback), and Ion having been a raid designer in the past tells me that they have perhaps remained arrogant and steadfast in their design choices. Which, you know, I can respect to a certain degree, but when it’s at the detriment of the game, it’s something that should be called into question.
I get it. They are the developers and they can make the game they want to make, but we’re also consumers and they expect us to pay $15 a month just to have the privilege of playing it. Regardless of how you might view that, I do think there is some sense of obligation on Blizzard to appeal to their playerbase, because without us, there is no game. It’s that simple.
I also don’t think all of the solo play systems that they have done in the past were “botched.” Despite what people may think about garrisons, it had a solid foundation and it would have been interesting for them to expand on that system moving forward. They could have added more customization options, added more questchains, etc. The farm in MoP was cool. I would have liked to have seen that expanded on more. Mage tower is an excellent challenge mode for those that wanted it. Secondary professions were great side activities and it’s really disappointing that they nuked archaeology/haven’t added anything new in over 12 years now. The crumbs for decent solo content are there. Blizzard just continuously chooses not to engage with them.
I think the issue is that Blizzard is less interested in sustaining systems and more interested in new systems, not so much that they are botched. As I’ve said before, I do think that this is changing with Dragonflight. It may not be perfect but all signs point to a more cohesive gaming experience rather than a disjointed one.
The problem is that these forms of content (at least Legion Mage Tower) couldn’t be completed without gear that came from group content. There needs to be a way for solo players to progress through that content to the end for it to really be considered challenging solo content. Otherwise, it’s just a mini-game for those who are running group content.
To make sure it’s clear, the progression for those areas can be strictly limited to that content and doesn’t even need to be gear. There can be a talent style system for that content (like the Box of Many Things but deeper) that grants buffs while inside. It would be possible for a solo player to reach the same power level inside Torghast as a mythic raid geared player through powerful and interesting effects applied to their character while in Torghast. That way players could gain power in Torghast either from group content gear or grinding Torghast for scoped buffs.
Torghast should have never been attached to player power. It should have been a standalone experience in the Maw with a narrative about saving souls. Putting major plot points and attaching player power to it was a critical design mistake on Blizzard’s part.
This is the perfect example of whats going on with solo players.
They are playing a game that wasn’t designed for them, then complaining that it isn’t and demanding the manufacturer (Blizzard) to change it to their liking.
What? There has always been emphasis on doing solo stuff in this game, You literally used to level solo or with one other person doing the same quest as you. It has went so far off of that track that there is almost no solo play anymore. Its get to max as fast as possible and then delete your quest log.
These solo players should be grateful and thankful to Blizzard for making group content more accessible.
If they were to play WotLK classic, they would be getting nothing without putting in some effort and raiding either 10 player or 25 player.
To the solo players: Be thankful for what you get in this game. Be thankful for the solo content you DO get, and if you want to get better gear, put in the effort. Thats all I gotta say.
thanks for letting us know how utterly selfish you are.
i’d never want you to lose what you find joy in within this game. too bad you just want to be mean and argumentative over someone else having their version of joy in this game.
you sound like a parent who suffered through the “when I went to school i had to walk uphill both ways” tripe. i am sorry you suffered so much, but that doesn’t mean you need to continue that suffering.
what’s wrong with letting everyone find their happiness in this game the way they want like the way it was when it first started out?
no they are asking for the game developers to only cater to themselves not to try and help others.
how about you go away? you know that works both ways. if you don’t like what others are asking for and it upsets you so much, YOU go find another game. how bout that?
Not ignoring the rest of what you replied with, but when you say “some for me but none for thee,” what are you referring to? The game has become more solo friendly than ever. Especially seen in the context of your last sentence I quoted.
Try playing classic wow, or classic WotLK. You get daily quests, professions, and quest gear as your gearing means, which you can do solo for the most part. Other than that, you have to group up to get any better gear rewards.
Now, in DF, you can kill a bunch of mobs in the badlands to get 252 NORMAL SEPHECULRE gear. Normal raiding gear. You get by grinding mobs.
You get toys, pets, mounts just by doing solo stuff in the zones they created. You get up to mythic dungeon gear just by questing in DF, and doing some challenging solo activities.
I’m not trying to be selfish in the least. In fact, i’d love it if you actually would join me and do the group content to get better gear. I’ve invite you to do so, BUT if you don’t want to, be happy with what you do get, which is a hell of a lot more than you used to get in the classic versions of the game.
i’m sorry but it’s all very rng based and i’ve played and i get nothing as a solo player out in the open world.
I’m so tired of these “but no it’s not you can get all this stuff” oh ya? it’s magical mystery stuff i guess because I’ve only ever gotten crud white and grey stuff that doesn’t even give gold.
it’s a tired argument.
professions are nothing, archaeology is nothing.
I enjoyed the thought of torghast but it was dull and boring to go through.
and the zones are smaller. but I don’t want to do group content. I shouldn’t be forced to the same way you shouldn’t be forced to do pvp or solo content if that’s not something you enjoy.
False. We aren’t asking anything other than for the players who purchased a game based on group content to play the group content. If you choose to not partake in the group content that’s fine but you don’t get to demand change because you’re not using the product as intended.
Are you obtuse? Why would I find another game when I enjoy the way this game plays and is designed by the devs? I’m not the one asking for the game to cater to me.
Other games promote more solo play so what’s wrong with you playing those games?
Accessible in what way? Because up until now, the last 2 expansions have been bogged down by meaningless grinds that you were expected to do in order to maintain some semblance of relevancy in the endgame, and Raider.io is nothing more than a way for people to weed out lesser-skilled players. Is that your idea of accessible?
If you want better gear than normal raid gear you need to do group content. The developers have set normal raid level gear as the cap that solo players can get.
As this is a game designed around group play and doing raids/mplus or rated pvp as end game that’s more than fair.
you need to ask Chris and the gang the way the game was intended, otherwise you are speculating.
the game was largely a solo play with raiding for group content. that’s the way it was built.
I should not have to raid. I don’t care if i don’t have high level gear. that’s for players who are good at this game, I just want to have fun. this isn’t a job.
shame on you for wanting to take from players who pay money to play this game the same as you do.
more people playing means the game continues on, what’s wrong with that?
let me ask if you’re so into group play, then why aren’t you rp’ing? that’s group content and actually within the scope of an “MMORPG” soo… should we all be made to rp?