My game time expired, but I can still post. (Maybe because this is a Classic toon.)
I was planning on resubbing for 9.1, but may not depending on what an elitist mess 9.1 turns out to be. (That’s why I have been trying to keep up with 9.1 development.)
I don’t see how someone else having raiding gear affects any one else’s gameplay experience ?
For example I’m doing a mythic plus. Am I going to suddenly start dying because someone outside the instance standing in oribos has better gear than me ?
Looks like we are returning back to normal as the good ole days
The difference between 3x DPS and 2x defensive (especially since you’ll be more than likely picking weaker defensives so as to get the set bonus) is pretty massive.
So instead of doing 7.5% to any target I sustain damage on, I’m going to be doing:
1.5% sustained. (UH)
4.5% to any new targets (frost)
3% when high HP (Blood).
Plus two defensive options depending on what set bonus I’m aiming for (which are probably Frost or UH, because those set bonuses loot nutty).
But that’s at the highest rank. The difference between the highest and lowest rank for each DPS gem is:
1% - Blood (2% 1st, 3% last)
1.5% - Frost (3% 1st. 4.5% last)
0.5% - UH (0.33x3 1st. 0.5x3 last).
But even the first ranks not an insignificant bonus. But the argument I would make (and have made in other threads on this subject) is that it’s not really all that different to any other M+ season and a good chunk of PvP seasons.
Raids have always offered items that are near mandatory if you’re a high end player in M+ and PvE items have frequently been BiS for PvP.
Just like in reverse that if you want to be a high end raider, you can’t really avoid doing M+ and in CN especially, PvP gearing was easily the most dominant way of gearing as a whole.
That is just how the game works if you want to be a competitive player. Functionally there is no difference in having to run Sanctum because the trinkets are busted or because you want these gems.
Raid loggers and lobby pvpers are winning the battle. It’s unfortunate.
Fairly decent if it meant to scare the crap out of me lol - I mean is it that serious?
I’ve been dealing with being outgeared in open world since I started playing. It gets a little annoying on occasion, but is it going to be 10X more serious armageddon style with this implementation?
That said, I have not liked the feeling of be a little more than nudged, in fact quite a bit more, into doing higher content.
Ah yes. The raid logging expansion where…checks notes…Where most BiS Raid gear is from M+ and PvP rendered everything below Heroic completely irrelevant?
Also you gotta grind the maw every day to upgrade your Conduits and socket your gear.
Perfectly designed around people who want to log on for raid and then log off until next raid.
The forums tell me all the time that the game peaked in WotLK and had the most players then because it was great. And back then the best gear came from large group (raid) content. Maybe giving people a reason to get back into group content is a good thing? 
But, what if you’re not playing WoW to be competitive? (Not asking you specifically, just borrowing your comment)
It’s a game for various playstyles. In fact they changed it so much to draw newer players in by MoP the old timers were raging on the forums.
Now it’s changing again with this high end, competitive feel which for me begs the question: is that what players want now? Or is it one guys vision?
Nobody talks about it, just say it’s a raid or die expansion like all the sheep.
I can see your point, but the internet isn’t what it was in 2006 - things are a lot…“meaner” isn’t the word I’m looking for, but complicated
You can rest assured that even back then there were plenty of social bumps in the road to being a cohesive guild/raid. But if you make the carrot enticing enough people will do it.
Then you probably don’t care about running content that you don’t necessarily enjoy to get the best gear for content you do enjoy?
I don’t really understand your point.
This system isn’t a fundamental change to WoW as a game, it’s a mid-expansion system added to be the gimmick for that tier, no different to Azerite Essences in BFA or when Artifacts got extra traits or you could equip 2x legendaries in Legion.
The lawyer only raids. So that’s all he’s saving.
Yeah, but raids were also alot more accessible back in WotLK. Now it’s an elitist mess.
Sounds like another carrot to lead players towards raiding. Make the content good and players will enjoy it. If players like raiding, the armor bonuses are just gravy. The only players it might affect negatively is in PvP, but tbh PvP has been terribly unfair and imbalanced since the very beginning, so nothings changed there imo.
What makes the raids inaccessible now? Are you sure its just not people deciding that the logistical challenges associated with large group content aren’t worth tackling when the rewards aren’t enticing enough?
Nostalgia. There were no elitists back in the good ol days, no gatekeeping.
“LFM ICC25, 6k GS, DBW reserved” was definitely not a thing that happened.
I guess that was my point. I wasn’t arguing with you. I was just…nevermind. You said what I was trying to get at with rebuttal to OPs statement. /heavy sigh
honestly at this point I’m pretty over the “i don’t raid so i can’t play the game” pity party that pops up every few weeks.
we just wanna play the game and have covenants unlocked man