By that logic Consumables would be gear. Essences are more like a unified talent tree based on a spec role. TBH i’d rather see external systems like this and corruption removed and have our characters and the loot we get from content being properly balanced at their core.
1 Like
If you ate a consumable and the buff stayed with you forever, and could be layered with other consumable perma-buffs…then sure.
3 Likes
Why is doing old, extremely time-gated, and not-at-all-challenging content an acceptable form of what you consider to be character progression? It’s like asking people to run old raid tiers to help with the current raid. WAIT. That’s exactly what’s happening for that one EP essence. It’s stupid.
You get gear progression by doing the hardest content you can. You get essences by doing time-gated, easy content that is there to slow you down, not provide fun.
You can’t see the difference?
Yes, it empowers you, but it can only do so much alone, you have higher ilvl gear and corruption to deal with after. Getting essences isn’t going to make your character OP.
It’s not gear, and people are not asking for current content gear to be handed out for free. A lot of essences are tied to old content, or not to the challenging end game content at all. Raid gear comes from raids. Essences come from…all kinds of places, many of which are just tedious, time-gated grinds. Not the same thing.
3 Likes
When you’re leveling an alt you can be gearing to 445/450 with nothing more than WQs, islands, and the odd WF. Hardly “the hardest content you can do”. 
What is the point of your post? I already said they are not the same thing.
Do you think the effort=reward thing is well balanced for bfa?
Case in point…
MurgAlt™ Confirmed
I think some of the requirements still need cut, but this would also be a nice change.
Exactly, you are’t getting 475 for that. You want to gear progress, you will need to do harder content. But Essences doesn’t work like that (AND as Taivora says, you don’t need the essences to do WQs but you do for M+). Your argument feels a bit shredded.
And a 450 ilevel isn’t going to cut it in competitive M+ runs.
How? People aren’t grinding essences to do WQs. Terrible comparison.
And if you want your alt at 475 and competitive M+ ready - do the work. That’s a second main.
1 Like
It’s not well balanced when it comes to essences. compared to other catch-up systems.
I do M+ all day every day. Why do I have to do mecagon rep and why is that the preferred spend of my time?
Tip: I’m way past World Quest level in this game. I’d rather run a M15 than go play turtle puzzles. And WHY do you consider turtle puzzles “work” in the first place? It’s not work, its tedium.
I didn’t make an alt to go play with puzzles, I can open up any of a million free web games to play solitaire. I made an alt to go do M+. But Bliz forces me to play solitaire first and you want to call that good content. Nope, not in a million years.
You don’t have to and you also don’t have to have the same ranked up essences as your main. Your choice.
You mean like doing M+ runs to gear up to do higher level M+ runs? Because that’s where the work comes in.
Just a quibble. When you/people say “it takes a week”. Do you mean like 7 days played? 40 ish hours? 5 days of 2 hour sessions? Or is it meant to just be a stand in for “easy”
I think half of the spin we create here is we all don’t speak in the same currency.
Not an attack!
You don’t understand essences too well then. You want to tank right, you better be putting out serious dps when your teammate’s corruptions fire off with 100k dps. (I ran with an Unholy dk that -averaged- 115k dps for the whole M+). You MUST be at 25k dps or you will be the reason the M+ failed. To get that, you need good essences (and corruption).
I am around 40k dps now on my tank, my alts have to start at 25k to be competitive, and without essences they certainly do not.