Is there any actual reason as to why we have to constantly re-learn to fly? Do my mounts just forget how to flap their wings? Is there any lore reason to this?
We’ve revisited this issue every expansion and it has never been popular amongst players. Pathfinder and it’s timegating was never popular. Campaign timegating was never popular. This new achievement timegating with Cyphers is already causing an uproar and it’s not even remotely close to being live.
Why do you guys continue shoving this on people? Can we start getting actual reasoning behind it? These zones are designed with flying in mind and have been for years so it’s not like flying is just an added benefit - the zones are literally designed to take it into account. Achievements are even designed with it in mind.
120 Likes
time played metric and spite from wod where we revolted by mass unsubs for not getting it
101 Likes
Because they’d rather you explore the game on foot rather than just flying past it all.
Flying lets you autopilot. Being on the ground is a way more engaging experience.
19 Likes
well it should have been left the same as it was during MoP , explore on foot until max level and go buy with gold.
85 Likes
Because mr. lawyer doesn’t want us to have fun.
70 Likes
Some things are done strictly for gameplay and others for lore. They’re not always tied together. In flying’s case it’s purely a gameplay mechanic and has nothing to do with the story.
They just want people to experience the lands as it’s intended from the ground, at least for a little while. To learn the roads and terrain, navigate around the threat of mobs and enemy camps, acquire chests and secret things the real way, etc. Instead of skipping over it all on day one. Flying is a luxury for later.
12 Likes
I’m actually fine with flying not being open immediately but Imo it should just require playing the main story of the zone once then account wide flying straight away. Add in to fully explore the zones too if they want.
Would save so much convoluted mess.
23 Likes
was also a nice gold sink for them. They still have millions of wod gold up in the economy lol.
Several alts per player, 5000g a pop…it soak some of that up.
Some say immerse it on foot. Yeah…trash mob carrying trash loot. It ain’t say skyrim. There I can and will no fast travel it. But…the mobs can drop item x with the enchant I need out of the blue.
Well that and in the calcs is an intimidation factor. at a certain resist level npc’s will run away. they don’t want a piece of that. NIce if wow had that.
Mallwalker, killed 1000 of us. Mallwalker killed 10/10 season 1 and 2 so dropped some big bad dudes. Now the mallwlker is here. Man…they don’t pay me enough for this, we out.
5 Likes
Personally I wish they would add in some lore reasons to justify it. Like how Northrend was too cold until you learnt how to adapt to the climate (Cold Weather Flying). Or how the Isle of Thunder prevented flying due to it having a constant thunderstorm. And during questing, we try to fly around only to be struck out of the sky by lightning. Thereby justifying the limitation.
9 Likes
And the answer hasn’t changed since it was first brought up. They want us to interact and engage with the zones up close and personal for a while. I understand the reasoning behind it and don’t mind pathfinder as long as it’s done reasonably. For example, having a list of things like explore all the areas of each zone is fine. Splitting the achievement into two parts and stretching it over a year too much.
9 Likes
It irritates me that they haven’t even bothered to come up with a lore reason why flying doesn’t work at first in the later expansions. It would’ve taken them ten seconds, but they’re too busy sitting in a bitter stew of resentment and huffy pride.
WOD: Timestorms. Time is too unstable in the skies to fly. Getting the achievement gives you the blessing of the Bronze Dragonflight who wanted you to prove yourself worthy before bestowing direct protection to interfere in the timeline in such a direct way.
Legion: Fel attacks from the skies. You get the achievement and it gives your mounts magical protection against Fel detection.
Shadowlands: Anima in the skies. The dissolving and leeching of the world’s Anima makes it impossible for creatures not born in the shadowlands or transports not built with special techniques to not be able to take flight. If you ingratiate yourself with a faction they grant you a boon to use to give your mounts and devices the ability, but even their magic isn’t great enough for the Maw/Korthia for…reasons.
Crud, almost forgot: BFA - The mists that swallowed up the Kul Tiran fleets affect the whole area. And also Zandalar. Maybe it has something to do with Bwonsamedi. You need the blessings of the Tide Sages and/or techniques of the Zandalari for your mounts before they can fly.
16 Likes
I agree with you, there is no logic. There never has been. About the only exception I can think of was back in Wrath where you were bringing mounts through into a very cold climate and they had to learn Cold Weather Flight. After that it was purely a matter of timegating, with no lore logic at all.
We should never have to relearn flight unless there is some real story, climate or physical reason that the ability we have always used is suddenly turned off. If they want to gate us, then just tell us that our mounts will learn to navigate the atmosphere of the new zone(s) after we have been there for a short time. No fussing about doing ridiculous quests or gathering reputation, just say ‘two weeks after you have been in zone x your mounts will once more be able to soar’.
6 Likes
Yeah but they could easily make it so much easier and player friendly .
Give each patch a Lore Master and Explorer cheevo and once those are completed allow flying in the zones for that patch then repeat for the next patches zones . They can keep it at max level .
3 Likes
Just a dumb arbitrary developer tactic.
16 Likes
so u play the game u paid money 2 play???
Because grind = more time played = more investors $$
7 Likes
Mr. Can’t-Pull-Off-Being-A-Good-Lawyer-So-He-Decided-To-Be-An-Even-More-Terrible-Game-Dev can’t for his life come up with any truly meaningful content without either feeding player base with some buzzwords or shoving this down players’ throat or both 
13 Likes
Technically we don’t re-learn flying, we teach our mounts how to not be chickenpoos in the new zones.
5 Likes
Eh, he’s the designer for many of the best boss encounters in the history of the game. Whether you like or dislike him as Game Director, he deserve credit as an Encounter Designer.
2 Likes
Imagine having someone come to play the game, forced to play in BFA first. They get a quest, learn to fly! Exciting, back to main city. Learn flying, come back… Can’t fly. Learn you have to grind at max level for like a month to actually get it. Become disinterested in even trying, don’t do it… How many times has that happened?
8 Likes