New content can’t be added because :
-The systems ARE the content, sadly.
-They had to divert ressources into creating, reworking and coding new systems or fixing things that don’t work.
The design Blizzard chose to go with is actually the reason why they can’t deliver on content.
That’s not true.
With Battle for Azeroth Blizzard spent the first months on reworking the Azerite Traits that were heavily criticized during the Beta testing.
And yet still Blizzard managed to releases 3 content patches with more gameplay than what they have produced for Shadowlands. And Shadowlands – by Ion’s own words – hasn’t suffered from needing post-Beta design overhauls.
So let’s not pretend that the Systems design is the root of all evil as far as production is concerned.
And nobody said that either. If you decided to object to strawman, so did I. If you dislike me using same approach as you, I think that’s a clear opportunity for you to revalidate your own approach.
Well that’s false dichotomy. It can please most people without displeasing others.
The issue is currently, that they’re making most systems mandatory for all content.
If they made some systems mandatory only in some form of content, or those systems were designed differently depending on the content you do, all people could be happy.
And they did that in past in expansions that players liked and played a lot.
If you stand by “they shouldn’t diversify their content” well, then that’s pretty much equivallent of “keep only PvP, M+ or Raid - one of those - remove the rest and focus on that one”.
“You can play X or Y whichever you like.”
I really think you don’t have to be genius to come up with this solution.
And it’s sad to me that you were unable to come up with that yourself.
No.
Which still speaks about quality of Shadowlands. So if that were reason, it changes nothing about the conclusion.
It’s not really blindly.
1 previous expansion had similar design and it also caused players quitting.
As for covenants, that’s brand new thing.
Yes, if you try to ignore feedback and what players are saying, it’s extremely unclear.
There’s a silent majority in every aspect.
I think both are issues and both speaks about quality of this expansion.
Exactly.
They acted on feedback that players gave even before expansion started. But they acted on it now, after such a long time, and they had to fix obviously broken systems and they added no new content in this patch other than reintroducing removed content and fixing what shouldn’t have been broken as the issues and solution were pointed out in advance.
Very good point.
Yes and it took nearly 1 year for Blizzard to remove Conduit energy and allow players to freely switch Covenants, a system that was heavily criticised during Alpha testing.
And since there are things pointed out in advance now, they don’t act on it, I expect the same for new expansion.
When they don’t change their process, the outcome can’t be different.
To begin with, that reply was to Googlewack anyway…just a note.
I rather have a game which excels at one instead fails at 5 modes.
You only narrowly thinking about pvp or raids. It can also be game mechanics which affects everyone. Factions? Keep them? Or make it possible that you can raid with alliance people…as tauren? Both sides has their yes and no mans
Vault? Keep it or get rid of it? PvP vendors = make it attracting to pve folks or not?
Tokens? Yes for free game time or no for its affect on boosting?
A LOT of game mechanics there are where there are two opposite parties for and against YET it affects everyone…regardless if you are a m+ runner or arena duelist.
I don’t remember these complaints.
I remember in MOP complaints about too many dailies and reps gated behind other reps. Fairly easily fixed issues (a lesson they might have learnt then) don’t gate player power behind rep grinds (or any repetitive grind).
The current issues with the game design is that the content they do put in is (virtually) mandatory. They should be adding things into the game for players to do but make them fun side activities so the players want to do them. Things like Argent Tournament, The Tillers farm, Netherwing mount rep grind. All optional content. They did this with the Bee mount in BFA but they don’t do enough of it. Torghast could (and should) have been one of these fun side activities but they forced players in there and didn’t reward them with fun stuff.
These side activities should also be account wide, Mounts are anyway so the Bee grind was a one off (as it should be). Conduit and Legendary grinds aren’t fun.
As it turns out, it is true, wether or not you agree with that.
They didn’t reworked it properly. They just made the system less annoying in 8.1n which made it kinda irrelevant and they also removed traits so that they could add another ones. Those brand new traits don’t come out of nowhere. They had to in fact :
-Dedicate a designer to think a boot new traits.
-Then they had to assign a coder to implement it.
-After that, they had to ask a tester to test it.
-And they had to reiterate if the trait ended up not feeling good, so it’s back at step 1 all over again.
In 9.0 and 9.1, they had to add new covenant legendaries, reworking some of the 9.0 ones and they also reworked some conduits and covenants abilities. Those are ressources they couldn’t not assign to create actual brand new content. If they didn’t pulled out those ressources from 9.2 then those were definitely being pulled from 10.0.
Well, having a load of content does not imply good content. Sadly, 8.2 and 8.3 added systems rather than TRUE enjoyable content.
Ion’s word, ah ah. They only reworked a handful of conduits/legendaries/spells but many are still in need of love. Sure, SL can’t suffer from post beta design overhauls since there was next to none being performed in the first place.
They are, as far as the game loop is concerned.
Still, if they removed progression systems, would you really be mad aboot ?? I mean, you’re defending those as if the removal of systems would threat your life.
Because Blizzard designers are stubborn rockstars believing they’re not doing their job wrong.
That’s comparing apples to oranges.
With the Azerite Traits it was a complete revamp of the system with new design that took months to make. That obviously cut into their post-release patch schedule. Ion said as much.
With Conduit Energy and Covenant switching there hasn’t been any design revamp required. It’s merely been a matter of disagreement or an intended delay on Blizzard’s side. Once the decision was made to allow these changes, then it was a mere matter of removing a restriction. It’s not something that has cost a lot of developer resources or otherwise cut into the production of patch content.
So that’s a bit of a false comparison.
Most likely the reason why Blizzard have struggled with the production of Shadowlands and its patch content is because of COVID-19, forest fires, lawsuit, and subsequent loss of talent.
I’d attribute WoW’s production issues more to that than Systems design criticism.
Well then we have nothing to discuss with each other and I shall not bother to read the rest of your post.
Weird way to open up a discussion. 
Well, you can’t expect people to agree with you when you try to defend an unpopular design.
They just removed a few pointless one and put a few stock traits in as replacements… hardly a complete redesign. lol.
You’re fooling nobody with your insider knowledge.
I don’t see the reason to spend time engaging in a discussion where my input is considered wrong by default. That is rather disrespectful and mistakes the point of a discussion with mere belittling.
That’s a waste of my time.
I think – again – we’ll just agree to disagree.
He didn’t say that either it. That’s why I said “nobody said that” and not “I didn’t say that”.
So that’s a useless note.
I’d rather have a game which excels at 5.
They’re not mutually exclusive.
Issues coming from PvE doesn’t necessarily influence PvP negatively.
EG: Covenant switching. That was a mistake that was unfun, it was bad for M+, bad for Raid, bad for PvP. It’s not like you either have to fix it for Raid or fix it for PvP. Every form of content would’ve been fixed by same thing. Players being able to choose what they play for the content they want to play (“player’s agency”).
Same feedback was given by players playing casually, playing PvP, playing M+, playing Raids…
They actually fixed it by delivering solution that was there before it was removed.
PvP item level. It’s not attractive for raiders, when it’s lower ilvl.
Which shows what I say. Fixing the content isn’t mutually exclusive. You can fix all at the same time. It doesn’t require screwing over the other forms of content.
But they do like to screw over the other forms of content for some reason, that’s why some people are unhappy. Or they propose systems without even knowing how it affects different forms of content. Like they’re doing with legendaries now (9.2) and it has some effects as locked-in covenants had. And same issues. And is ignored in exactly same way.
Sure. And all of those mechanics aren’t the main issues with the game.
You started by saying :
so you basically said my input is considered wrong by default.
I actually agree with you on some of the points you’ve made, but every post you make is a disagreement and you’ve pretty much contradicted your view point over and over gain.
I think you’re just arguing with everyone in this thread for the fun of it.
I have zero faith in blizz nailing it.
they learned nothing.
I completely share your faith… but I’m praying both of us are wrong in our beliefs 
<3
Your input was a matter of fact, wasn’t it?
That’s either true or not. I said it’s not and then argued why I believe that.
I didn’t end on a note of supremacy like you, by saying something like:
But if you consider me to be disrespectful in my exchange to you as I consider you to be to me, then all the more reason for us not to discuss. 
First of all, if we’re having an argument, then it goes to say that one person takes up opposition to what someone else is saying. And since I originally commented on your points about progression, alt-friendliness, and hardcore raiders and so on, it goes without saying that I disagree. So that’s the discussion.
I don’t think I’ve contradicted myself anywhere. But that’s of course debatable. Although I don’t consider my input to be without merit, so belittling it doesn’t really concern me.
These are forums intended for discussion. And we’re having a discussion. And if I wasn’t interested or didn’t enjoy discussing topics pertaining to WoW, then I probably wouldn’t be here in the first place.
Why else would I be on the World of Warcraft discussion forums if not because I enjoyed discussing World of Warcraft with other like-minded people?!
Why are you here on the WoW discussion forums if not because you enjoy discussing WoW?!
Not sure why you’re questioning the motivations for my input all of a sudden, but whatever.
Either way, this is going down the path of person over substance, so I’ll tap out I think.
Nice chat. 
SOME players.
I’m completely fine with RNG, for example.
I don’t think it should be a thing because it’s a discriminating feature. Not because of the RNG.
Again; SOME players.
I’m fine with borrowed power: As long as it’s cool and fits classes/specs.
SOME players, yet again. I was completely fine with the restriction.
Sure, I like being now able to more easily farm cosmetics across the Covenants, but it has not and will not ever be a big problem for me. There are other things about Shadowlands that I care about much, much more.
I like daily grinds.
But I agree; remove contraints like endgame activity being only contained in ‘the big 3’, M+, PvP and Raiding. There should be more ways to progress (like world content).
Heresy!.. Altoholics play more, making us the backbone of the game.
Logically Blizz should therefore focus entirely on keeping us happy and giving us account-wide progression, rather than frittering away precious resources on the niche interests of gamers who play one character only.