Confession time: Why Pibbur likes Wow. Loooong rant.

I'm guessing the draw is strong these days, now that the old areas can be re-experienced with new quests and shiny water!

Just think of all that content you've already experienced with moderate alterations and even more simplification!

It's like a WHOLE new never-ending game!
 
Some of the modifications are actually pretty impressive. The use of phasing is now all over Azeroth, allowing questlines to alter the world. I still haven't played through all the quests/areas (obviously), but I've seen some really interesting quests.

Then again, I've also seen certain things that are worse now than they used to be. For example, the amount of breadcrumb quests in certain regions is very low, meaning you might just get "stuck" without anywhere to go. You'll just have to pick a place or search randomly for a new quest hub.

Also, you can't just go do whatever you used to in the past - the level ranges for a lot of zones is changed. South Barrens, for example, is level 30-35 now, while Plaguelands is in the 40-range. If the breadcrumbs run out, it might actually take a little work to find out where you're supposed to go.

Overall I am impressed by the changes, but they really should add a few breadcrumb quests.
 
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Phasing is interesting, but ultimately I think it serves to make the world even less open and shared.

Then again, it seems Bliz have been focusing almost entirely on making the game happen in instances - rather than in the FANTASTIC world they originally built for the game.

I always lamented that, and their insistence on making it more and more like that, makes me less and less interested.

It had so much potential as an open world game, with a fantastic combat system. But everything I thought they'd "get around to", they've ignored. Crafting should be meaningful, housing should be implemented, PvP (consensual or not) should have happened in the world, and content should not be exhausted and forgotten at the rate it's happening.

It REALLY is a themepark with an ever-increasing pace - and you don't have to invest anything to get to the end-game gear grind, which is the inevitable goal, unless you enjoy building alts over and over.

A strong game for what it is, but sadly, not at all for me.

The only thing I don't understand, is how non-casuals aren't bored yet. It's like they don't see the design at all. Maybe it's that there are hardcore players who're fine without any kind of attainable goal - or perhaps there's a goal I don't see. Redoing the exact same content over and over, day after day, CAN'T be enough, can it?

Ok, so they made all new quests, and modified existing terrain - as well as simplifying everything - but the game is the same and the content is still basically exactly the same with a new coat of paint.

Fascinating.
 
The key here is competing against others to overcome challenges. The boss fights (Heroic modes) are harder than ever. I've seen a lot of whining how everything is so easy, but that's simply not the case - I've been here since the start, and there is no harder fight than Yogg-Saron without any NPCs helping (the hardest version of the fight). Only a handful of guilds in the world actually managed to do that before the next content patch was out. Mine was not one of them unfortunately.

Still, I have to admit I am overall fairly bored with WoW. Cataclysm is a breath of fresh air, but it won't stay that way for long. However, there is no real competition at the moment. Me and the people I play with have decent hopes for SW: Tor, but let's face it: The extreme focus on story is likely to lead to a face-in-the-mud landing for the game because they left out end content, smooth combat or balancing (WoW is not perfectly balanced by any means, far from it, but it's head and shoulders above most MMOs).
 
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No, I'm aware that raids can be hard still - but I just mean, it's the same stuff over and over and over. It's like an ETERNAL gear grind, with minor variations on the same exact theme. You don't really compete against anything but a highly scripted AI, and it will never be anything but a matter of time before everyone knows their job. High-end raiding for me, as a dedicated player, was always a matter of learning the encounter within 1-2 tries and then waiting until the others all "got it" - so we could progress. Then it was a matter of waiting for the carrot drop that often never came, and listening to drama queens whine on and on about this or that. I must have gone through 8-9 guilds in that game, and pretty much all guilds get these greedy or overly dramatic queens that I just can't take seriously. I mean, it's a GAME - and you're fighting over PIXELS. Yawn ;)

That's not to say it wasn't fun, because I had a great time playing with my ex - and trying to stay on top of the damage meters. But even a game as great as WoW can only last so long, until it becomes plain that you'll never attain anything meaningful. Certainly took me long enough to realise, and now I can do nothing but wonder in amazement as I hear many of my old "wow-friends" and my ex are STILL at it. Don't they EVER tire of it? ;)

The PvP can be tremendously fun, but unfortunately it has no meaning for me. It's just another grind happening in an instance. You can never be unique in WoW - you're just another hamster on the wheel.

Oh well…
 
That's why I said compete against others - it's a race where the goal is to be the first (server first, world first, whatever level you're on basically). It's the same sense of competition that leads to people playing shooters all day, every day, despite playing the same scenario over and over.

Still, I would prefer if some other MMO of the same quality came along so it could become my new timesink (what I play between single player games).
 
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Maylander said:
That's why I said compete against others - it's a race where the goal is to be the first (server first, world first, whatever level you're on basically). It's the same sense of competition that leads to people playing shooters all day, every day, despite playing the same scenario over and over.
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I find that kind of competition meaningless. That's because there are too many factors involved, and skill is definitely not the most important one. It's more about time and you have to invest ridiculous amounts of time to be server-first anything in WoW. Also, I'm not good with team-based competition, because if I DO start competing, I do so at a level where I don't tolerate anything but total and complete dedication from others on the team- and that never happens. I couldn't invest myself at that level in a computer game - as I don't think the achievement means anything.

I'd have to play a game where I could detect the developers pouring their hearts and souls into the game, and not a huge timesink with a pop-farcical story like WoW.

I had fun being #1 DPS during raids, because I had only myself to blame if I messed up - but I never lost sight of the fact that it was a game - and no matter how good I was, it didn't actually matter in any way. Also, I never had the gear I wanted - and even after a year of grinding Molten Core - I never got my legendary. I'm glad, though, because with TBC - Blizzard demonstrated that all the work you'd invested in such a thing was completely nullified with the easy-mode loot through quests. That's when I realised how pointless it would be to grind for anything, as the next expansion would offer it up without any kind of effort. So, I was left with the "fun" of repeating raids every night for basically no reason - except the social interaction, and that can only take a game so far.

Sure, there was the "alt" gameplay - but I played rogue because I loved the class, and I had no interest in experiencing the weak story or the silly quests over and over.

I might enjoy WoW if there was a way to compete in PvP as a solo player, but there isn't.

Still, I would prefer if some other MMO of the same quality came along so it could become my new timesink (what I play between single player games).
Click to expand...

I'd like one that didn't make me feel like I had two jobs with one costing money, rather than generating it.
 
I've tried moving to other MMOs, yet nothing ever held me in the same way WoW did.

LotRO, when I played it, always felt so complex and strange. The stat system seemed a bit complicated, the UI felt weird and it was so unashamed, at times, to be a grinding game. Kill 100 Neekerbreekers for a trait? Sure, whatever. The community was nice, too, but the world always felt empty and distant - Not to mention roleplay was quite hard as it was so easy to do something wrong.

I tried EverQuest 2, as well, and I will admit I kinda enjoyed it, but I put my money down too soon for it. I thought the progression system was nice, but I just felt a bit nonplussed by it and I left before hitting level 20. DDO didn't capture me, either, and nor did Age of Conan or the two superhero MMOs.

Something about WoW kept me playing for a good two or so years, and whilst I wouldn't say I regret those years (I regret parts of them and letting myself get so bad), I do think it wasn't the best use of my time. I can't go back now, though, and I know I can't. Bar two lapses (Which lasted days at most), I've been WoW-free all year. I'd get bored so quickly, I think, and it'd just be pointless to go back.

F2P MMOs (Or F2P versions of paid-for MMOs) don't really interest me, either. Not a fan of the communities and I don't like how much the devs/publishers cripple the game. A big problem for me, with MMOs, is I can get started and that's it - Everything else hits the back burner. I can't risk doing that again.

Might just wait for Funcom's Secret World or BioWare/LucasArts/EA's TOR at this point.
 
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I've played since the day WoW released. Though I did take about a year or so off in the middle years.

I have about 57 days total playing time across all my toons. With my main Pally the highest with 35 days.

I play casually, mostly solo…explore, quest, craft, play the AH. I've never Raided, and only been in the "old world" Instances thus far.

I compete against myself and enjoy what ever activity that allows me to better my existing gear or add to my horde of gold :)

I enjoy the setting and the lore and atmosphere of the game and now have a nice routine down to where I play at my own pace and schedule.

I also dabble with LOTRO and EQ2 Extended…

Though I am waiting for "my" perfect MMO…one where it's a more dark, gritty fantasy world. I'd enjoy AoC more if it used a similar character control scheme (UI) to WoW or LOTRO…don't like having to time all the follow-up combos, spend too much time watching the keys rather than the action on the screen. But maybe that's just me and my poor typing skills lol

Still holding out hope that Blizz will usher in a new mmo franchise that is more along the lines of the Diablo world (Sanctuary) in tone than WoW's Azeroth ;)

Time will tell…

Excited for Cataclysm, it's a whole new world baby!

(btw - looking forward to trying "Rifts" out, beta soon!)
 
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