It’s nice that you have been playing since Vanilla - I’ve only played Burning Crusade through Mists, returning for The War Within - but have also played a dozen or so other MMOs over the years.
What this allows in me, that it’s clear you have not received, is perspective.
The world today is not what it was 30 years ago… kids today grow up connected 24/7, while we couldn’t connect to each other so easily. This means that priorities in online gaming changed where we were excited to connect to people from the comfort of our own home (and not at a friend’s house, school etc) while today they feel the always online pressure that comes from pings and dings.
I don’t feel it’s a grind playing today as I did getting Exalted rep for the Cenarion Expedition tabard which matched my transmog for my druid. Today I don’t have to grind because I can sell a wow token and buy what I need to enjoy the game - so much easier!
I don’t know if I ever really paid attention to the lore, so I can’t comment on your opinion of the lore. Wanted to note this so you don’t feel I’m ignoring this important point.
I agree that the lag issues on Silvermoon are terrible - this is a financial thing and so cannot change, because it’s not a game it’s a business.
I have always enjoyed how classes evolve. From tanking Underbog in my t4/vendor gear against two t6 locks… to swipe hitting everyone… to sitting down to be critted for vengeance before a beserk manglespam… I main bear dps, and it’s always changing! I mean even know I’ve dropped raze as a button since it’s baked into maul’s now!
Just like you, I’ve gotten older and miss the innocense of youth… but unlike you I have managed to move on and adapt to the changes. Yeah I do think finding a guild is different because, see point 1 about connectivity, but that doesn’t diminish the point of them.
Overall, it’s nice you are still passionate about the game - but perhaps you need to accept change and that you can’t remain 19 forever.
Have you ever tried to re-watch movies that absolutely blew your mind when you were a kid? The 80s “CGI” and how “vintage” it looks …
Same thing with WOW IMO. You cannot replace or replicate the past. I for once cannot re-watch the same type of movies even if they made them today. Its just not possible anymore.
I am not the same person. And all around me the context is totally different.
Not to play devil’s advocate but at no point did Dungeon Finder disable players’ ability to communicate with strangers. They chose to do that themselves.
I will also repeat what I always say to people who use this ridiculous argument, “oh Dungeon Finder made the game antisocial!”
“Did you know all your WoW friends before you played WoW, or did you take the time to talk to strangers?”
Dungeon Finder didn’t make WoW players antisocial. They did.
Ok paid Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. representative posing as a normal player of World of Warcraft.
Don’t know if this topic covers the auto group LFG or the custom group LFG. As for the auto group LFG, you’ve lost the initial organic own advertising of one’s group in a community that used to be one server only, and having people whispering you, and then compiling said group. The old act of flying to the summon stone, or making one’s way to the portal, helped give time to get rapport on others before even entering the dungeon, there was nothing else to do at that point that heavily taxed your attention anyway. And of course, the old community on one server made sure you wanted to be friendly and not be awful as it diminished the chance of future group opportunities.
Basically, a lot of nuances are lost by the auto LFG tool, this is plainly simple. Only a rep for Blizzard would say such things. It’s such a bummer folks like you are on this forum ruining the conversations that matters to the players.
I’ll have to call “Rose-tinted goggles” on that one, people hardly talked even way back in the olden days of Vanilla, most of the talk there was, was mostly business, stuff like discussing which mark is for which CC and stuff, flying/riding to the dungeon was pretty much done in silence too.
Besides, with things like Discord being commonplace now, the shine went off the whole “I have guildmates from all over Europe!”-thing that Vanilla had, which also can’t be blamed on dungeon finder.
You guys always conveniently left out the part where the same system made it so member of the big guilds could do what they want cause no one wanted to start trouble with them
I mostly agree with what you’ve written.
However, there are a few contradictions you’ve included.
I played WoW when it first launched all those years ago, and while I agree it was an incredible experience at the time, unfortunately, the “grind” was even worse back then. Especially for gold! The original “reputation” system was also a grind and felt like needless bloat.
I understand the point you’re trying to make, but to be honest, modern WoW is far more user-friendly and accessible. It allows a wider range of players, with different levels of commitment and responsibilities, to engage with the game more comfortably.
The grind today is more straightforward, and in most cases, it’s entirely optional — it’s not necessary to complete everything in an expansion to get good results.
I do miss the old days, but back then, everyone looked the same, wore the same gear, and rode the same mounts.
One thing I really love about the game now is how you can log in and see such a diverse range of looks, transmogs, and mounts. It makes the game feel much more expansive and truly explored.
I find the “World Lag” in the new zone pretty frustrating too - but remember how bad it used to be in the original game? There were times when it was downright unplayable. And were you there when the new raid opened in Silithus? My god, it was like one frame per minute for days! I just couldn’t move my character lol
I agree with your point of view. At the same time I feel it has a side effect of everything feeling less ‘world’ and more ‘game’ which is unfortunate but probably somewhat inevitable.
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. paid representative no.2 to the rescue, doing the usual representative thing of purposeful misunderstanding, unlike a real player.
Auto LFG was not a good answer to avoiding dumb spammy chats. It killed socialness as per my points which you avoid.
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. rep no.4 with again, blatant misunderstanding of my whole post.
The fear of hierarchy on a server, was always going to be native to a game where more successful guilds and better geared people exist. But most people chose to disarm such nervousness and turn that into a brotherly thing.
It wasn’t a good point by me to make, my other points were the meat and potatoes of my post. But, like a “pro” paid rep, you cherry pick one part of my post and ignore everything else to suit your employer’s goals.
At the end of the day, real players know what I mean and I know loads beyond the forums who share the same sentiment. But of course, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. reps will try and steer player consensus (whilst under a disguise) to more align with Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. goals where they can, like on the forums. Sad.
Hah, I wish I was getting paid.
Anyway, I have plenty of criticism of Blizzard and WoW as well. But I also give them their dues for the things they do right.
It WAS a good solution. You don’t think so, I do.
I don’t play WoW to socialize. So I’m in favour of queueing mechanics.
Just accept that not everyone wants the same thing from this game as you do. That doesn’t make them shills or ‘paid representatives’ as you like to say (which is a very weak strategy to try and weaken someone else’s opinions or arguments, by the way).
Oh boy I bet you also unironically believe pigions spy on us.
Simply calling those who disagree with your opinion blizzard employees is just lazy come up with a better troll idea girlypop
It was not only a fear I have witnessed myself how players of big guilds demanded loot back then and threatened to spread the lies if the other don’t obey.
And they had success with it cause the people of the server ofcourse believed them over some nobody mage.
Oh and I only responded to that part of your text cause that was the part I had something to say about
While new zone or current world zone increase is nice, what I always miss - how the current events impact other zones than the small hub.
Just make changes across the whole new continent, destroy stuff there, build some new stuff, add mean monsters, etc. Just make world live together with on going events.
Sure, anybody who disagrees with you is a Blizzard employee, riiiiight.
I think you woefully overestimate how important your opinion and this thread are to Blizzard if you think they actually send in paid shills just to disagree with your dime-a-dozen “WoW isn’t what it used to be”-thread.
