The new profession system - pros and cons

Community General Discussion
1

I will try to comment the new profession system in a constructive way, as much as I am able to. Pros and Cons.

Pros:

  • Compared to the previous “butchered” system, the idea of the new one is extremely good. It is much more complex, there’s a lot to do, even with the gathering professions, there are various branches of buffs in the specializations. If we compare it to a dish, the previous one are like a plain sandwitch only with bread and butter, while the new one is a complex dish with dozens of ingredients.

  • In other words, it is interesting. It makes one pay much more attention to what they are doing. In this way one feels more attached to their profession. You don’t just press “craft”and forget about it like it was before.

  • I am really happy that professions are finally getting attention after so many years. I am happy that the developers have put effort and resources into creating the new system.

However, together with its complexity, it has IMO a big flaw – lack of information.

Please Blizzard, keep in mind that players are coming from the previous profession systems. They are conditioned to press “craft” and that’s it.

So first, many didn’t know that they need some additional reading to do for understanding the new profession system. But okay, let’s say they read wowhead. Not all important info is there though, and info is being added gradually.

And now we come to the points system which is a permanent one time choice.

Although there are indeed ways to get more points in the future, there is no information about this. This information should be ingame, at least briefly hinted by profession trainer, that “next week you’ll continue to improve your knowledge”or something like this. Also, that you will be able to obtain points from source A, source B and source C, and when this will be possible.

This leads to people suddenly realizing that they spent their points incorrectly and now can’t reset their choice. There is no clear info. I spent here, in the forums, several hours discussing with people who are much more into the new profession system than me, and they were’t sure about many things either, and I received full info after , several hours of disussion, perhaps by chance, because I wouldn’t if that person didn’t comment……This is an oversight by Blizzard.

People simply don’t know. They are guessing:

why they suddenly stopped receiving knowledge points from nodes.

Or wonder why some people are getting points and others don’t.
Or unsure whether the points drop chance is nerfed, or there is rather a weekly limit.
Or unaware that there’s a weekly points quest.

That’s why, because of lack of information, people begin to ask for points reset, because they don’t know which ways are there exactly to get more points and how long this will take.

In summary, the information delivery in the new system is badly excecuted. If we have a more complex system, we need to also have better and more extensive information ingame. “go read wowhead”is not what the majority of players will do in this case, neither should any external sources be obligatory.

Term convolution

With players that come from “press craft and forget”, these players are suddenly faced with terms like

“finesse”, “perception”, “deftness”…I personally was like: “what? What this things actually do?”

Many people here give feedback that the descriptions are vague. That’s why many later on realize they made mistakes and put points where they didn’t want to.

So this is my feedback. I am trying to explain to Blizzard why the system, although pleasantly complex, still feels overwhelming and confusing in practice. We’re basically being served with “what exactly is this…?” Yes, we’re used to plain sandwiches for many, many years. But the lack of information and better explanation in the new system is the biggest oversight IMO.

If someone replies with “you simply don’t read”….it’s not a matter of reading. It’s a matter of how clearly the information is being presented to us in game. Me personally, you can call me an average Joe. I felt quite confused.

As another person said, “At least the old system was easy to understand and use.”

Thanks for reading :slight_smile:

5 Likes
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Dont want this kind of attention to be honest.

I feel most unattached. Dont even know whats going on.

Simple is always good - noone like complex.

More pros
Cant respec
Anyone counted total time required to max out profession?
There is no exploring in profession.

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Yeah. For me it’s gone from basic to far-too-stupidly-incredibly complex. And as stated, without explanation.
Even guides I’ve manage to find online say things like ‘levelling relies very much on pattern drops, so we can’t help here’ and you left stumbling around in the dark. And not wanting to risk to much as you can’t ‘reset’ things if you take wrong turns.

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So we finally got a revamp so that professions may have their own nature, and y’all are now complaining “it’s too complex”. Did you guys even take your time to read quests and information given by the quest chain from the Merchants? They literally explain almost everything in there.

The only thing they do not explain there are various sources of knowledge incomes or where to obtain them. They explain a few, but not all of them. Most people complaining about the system are the ones that are complaining 1 month later that they have nothing to do because they maxed out their profession in one week, and the current system is built to avoid that; so that there’s a constant progression.

This post literally screams “I didn’t read anything, I just press craft”, and you cannot complain about stuff if you can’t read. And why? Because the quest chain explains perfectly what each of these new statistics does; because the profession’s journal literally explains what each of these does by hovering your mouse over the given statistic.

If you cannot take 5 minutes of your time to read and comprehend correctly how the system works and evolves in comparison to the previous one we had, I’m sorry to tell you that you built your own demise by going ham instead of taking your time to properly read what each specialization in your given profession has to offer.

What I can agree on is some professions have a very restricted way of leveling based on their current chosen specialization, e.g., Jewelcrafting. If you did not use your points to max. out of either rings or necklaces crafting or gem crafting, you’re left out with having to level up renown to obtain gem patterns from factions that could contribute to your leveling progress past 50.

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for me they just to refine it. is a good step but probably it could be better. i wanna see when ill reach a higher level of renown (so with more recipes).
but is true the specialization must be changed. its too static and unclear. and unchangeable.

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The renown journal shows what level of renown for each faction offers recipes for your chosen profession. It’s no secret.

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i meant if ill have any interest in levelling profs depending the effort i have to put to find materials. Since i dont care about power ill decide when ill unlock the reipes if crafing or left profession sleeping til the last months of the exp (like i did in SL).

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Can you please say which is this quest chain, because some people can’t find it?

Well, it seems it’s not 5 minutes. I come from various groups (FB, etc) where are plenty of topics that people can’t understand how professions work.

I prefer there won’t be any negative categorization of people by jumping on anyone by saying “learn to read”, “you’re lazy” etc, because a system must be for everyone. If many people note that it’s complex, then it’s complex. If people can’t find info, then it’s difficult to find. Just today someone posted in FB group a question how to obtain recipes for refining ores. Currently showing as “unlearned”. Well, there’s a small yellow dot , a circle with an “i” in the middle, which shows recipe source when moused over.

For all the good in the world, I didn’t know this is the answer until someone posted about it.

Nah. The only demise is on Blizzard because people would not use the new system. Mind that Blizzard’s main goal is the system to be used and enjoyed, by everyone.

2 Likes
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To me professions always were something to do on the side on my alts. But it seems i have to grind renown and whatever to get the things i want from them.

Next to the complexity, while YES having read everything, still switching full time to journal to mouseover vage words like “finesse” to read what that is. But it also does not help not being a native english speaker, i suppose.

For now i feel kicked out of professions. Not doable. Too much grinds and too complex. Not worth the hassle. I did started on my main char (this char) and i got more than 2 bags full of profession things… why did we actually need 3 ranks per reagent?

Whatever. I wish everyone who enjoys this a lot of fun. But i am out.

2 Likes
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On each zone, there are a few particular mini quest-chains that introduce you to new concepts and how the new system works.

Complexity has nothing to do with people being unable to read. How is it possible I understood how the entire system works by dedicating part of my time to reading the information they provided and you, who hasn’t got any idea where these “quest-chains” are at, don’t? Well, that kinda much tells you did not come across it, you skipped it, whatever it is, but you did not do your job.

And yes, it was your fault for not putting in the effort to learn about the new system. You cannot simply blame Blizzard because they remade the entire system to be more complex while providing you with the tools to understand it.

Can they provide more information to be more clear? Sure, they can. But I’m pretty sure as hell that people will still skip it because they want to go full ham instead of taking their time to make an informed decision.

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I will try to comment the new profession system in a constructive way:
I don’t understand how it works and I’m too lazy to look for it.

I tried public orders, nobody picked up the item I wanted.
I don’t know how to increase the knowledge skills, keep harvesting herbs and disenchanting but nada, not a single one.
I can create items (wands and stuff) but I don’t know how to use the orders system

Quick review: Sucks, I hate it, need to be removed, useless.
Long review: There should be an in game tutorial on how the system works.

2 Likes
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Something’s wrong with the tools then. I again say that it’s in Blizzard’s best interest to make things as clear and accessible as possible. Not the opposite, for us to “put effort”, “do work”, etc. Players rather stop caring. It’s not work for us.

RE the quest chain, I only completed the campaign. I see there are some side quests left to do in each zone, but there’s no way to know which of them are tutorials for professions. I rather left the side quests for later when I am more geared. Guess a lot of people did the same.
If it’s a new system there should be more clear and indicative way to direct the player to its tutorials.

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I do understand that the introduction of that many statistics is deafening, especially coming from such a bland system we had for the past 18 years, but it is as simple as to mouse hovering over them in order to understand what each of these does. It is even explained a few times in different quest chains.

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this is one of the main flaws. there are (for tailoring) just recipes too much higher than my level of crafting. and on silvermoon in total there were 9 (NINE) requests this morning . Not exactly a success.

1 Like
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It is not only Blizzard’s work for you to understand. It is also your responsibility to use your time to understand. What people fail to comprehend is it’s not anymore click and go.

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When you create in each zone a questline, it is just too much. It is not that we are not reading. But it is a new expansion. There is A LOT to take in.

2 Likes
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As I have explained previously, it’s a new expansion with many new features. It takes time to learn, but at the end of the day, you must put in the effort to learn. It’s only week two, and people want everything said and done now.

This is pretty much a good effort to avoid bloating people with information all at once.

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No we totally understand. We now need to have wowhead open. That is what we say. It is complex.

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Exactly. I bet that like70% of people were not even aware that what awaits them is a much more complex system than before. They approached it with the old way of acting. Then they felt lost. But whos responsibility is to direct the player properly? It’s a theme-park MMO, not a sandbox, so… :slight_smile:

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The proffesion system is quite similar too how we had it in New World, it’s great.
And too be honest, i am kinda baffled at how people find it complex.

I love that we finally got a good update for the proffesions, and theres rumours that Archeology is getting a hefty revamp, which is highly needed, can’t wait!

1 Like