Re: I'll be jumping back in as well. Hell, half of Turbine is.
Aemon Send a noteboard - 07/12/2010 10:32:08 PM
I wasn't planning on it, but I secretly wanted to, and Jenny browbeat my resistance to nothing. So back to Azeroth I go.
I really have to meet this girl someday.
I'm looking forward to it; I love playing WoW, I'm just not a fan of how much of a time sink it is, and how, afterwards, it feels like it was a waste of time compared to almost anything else I could have been doing.
Yeah, I feel exactly the same way. I love it to pieces while I'm playing, and then I think back later with disgust. Bona fide addict behavior, if you think about it.
For many players, MMOs are about making them feel like they are progressing. In that light, grind is the idea that, despite all that effort you put into progressing, the place you progress to is the same as the place you progressed from. In other words, the experience needs to change as you level up and gain new abilities; they need to do more than make your numbers go up, they need to actually change something about the way you play. Which is why I find end-game, and, previously so much of the middle-game to feel like a grindfest, and why I'm open to the idea of revisiting the leveling experience if it's really faster and fresher than it used to be.
I'm not sure I follow. End-game does change how you play, completely. In two ways. First, raiding is very, very different from solo / small group play. Totally new dynamics, new social aspects, etc. Second, raids are the ONLY area of the game that require true (and I hate to use this word) "skill." Raids are carefully choreographed, well-oiled machines. You have to know the fights. You actually have to read up about them beforehand, maybe even print something out showing placements and such. I'm not trying to place WoW in the same realm as true skill-based games, but I do feel as if raids require new skillsets that change on a per-dungeon basis. Oh, and while it's true that the top guilds have things on farm after a week or two, most guilds never get to the top level of content. They're always progressing through, and learning new fights.
...and why I'm open to the idea of revisiting the leveling experience if it's really faster and fresher than it used to be.
It is. Trust me, it is. I can't say for sure whether they tweaked XP rewards, but they streamlined quests, added new quests, etc. More importantly, you now get a regular mount at 20, and an epic land mount at 40. You wouldn't believe what a difference that makes. Oh, and you'll have the gold to purchase your mounts immediately, too. I definitely noticed having more gold this time around. My first time in WoW, I didn't get my first mount till almost 50.
We shall see.
I am a tad bit worried about the easy-mode nature of WoW these days. I understand why they do it, but I'd hate to see the experience castrated by lack of difficulty or challenge - and the accompanying sense of accomplishment and effort! - in the name of casual players. On the other hand, I know that my standards there were always on the easier side compared to yours, Matt, so once again I'll see for myself soon.
Me too, that's what I was talking about in my post. Honestly though, I do think most of the changes were positive. I like the faster progression, moving people along through content that they've probably already seen in fun new ways. I like that. I just wish they could have done that in ADDITION to the challenging parts. There really weren't that many group quests before, or insta-death wandering elites. I always liked testing myself against things like that, even when there wasn't a real need to. It seems like they could have left the challenges in place without affecting the average leveling path of most players.
Ah well. Hope you and Jenny have fun. Let me know if you make it over to Malygos (current random server I chose), Eonar (lots of old characters there), or Exodar (have a 70 there I believe).
Clean for two years. . .but Cataclysm got me.
- 07/12/2010 11:14:12 AM
1058 Views
A friend of mine is considering it, but my reply on joining him is an emphatic no.
- 07/12/2010 02:15:27 PM
655 Views
The "mini-instanced" thing you refer to is what they call call "phasing".
- 07/12/2010 02:19:04 PM
611 Views
Sure, I understand that part, I just don't know how it works when you pull in other players.
- 07/12/2010 04:07:50 PM
596 Views
From what I saw previously...
- 07/12/2010 06:07:53 PM
773 Views
Huh.
- 07/12/2010 06:42:58 PM
629 Views
The funniest thing...
- 07/12/2010 10:46:19 PM
640 Views
*NM*
- 08/12/2010 03:12:41 PM
288 Views
*NM*
- 08/12/2010 03:12:41 PM
288 Views
Re: Huh.
- 08/12/2010 07:45:46 PM
615 Views
You noticed the examples I gave were from the plaguelands, right? Did you catch that? *NM*
- 08/12/2010 08:07:13 PM
561 Views
Great.
- 07/12/2010 02:21:54 PM
662 Views
If you've tried it and didn't like it, the changes won't convince you to play.
- 07/12/2010 04:15:04 PM
607 Views
Get me excited then kick me in the head then. 
*NM*
- 10/12/2010 12:32:54 AM
296 Views
*NM*
- 10/12/2010 12:32:54 AM
296 Views
I haven't installed it yet, but it's dead week so I probably won't get to play much for a while
- 07/12/2010 02:53:23 PM
632 Views
I am excited, they are going to have werewolves *NM*
- 07/12/2010 03:51:23 PM
304 Views
*NM*
- 07/12/2010 03:51:23 PM
304 Views
I'm predicting one Worgen-only guild named Team Jacob per server. *NM*
- 07/12/2010 03:53:21 PM
314 Views
I was excited about that initially.
- 07/12/2010 04:23:47 PM
692 Views
- 07/12/2010 04:23:47 PM
692 Views
pallies are still ridiculously OP
- 08/12/2010 02:12:18 PM
605 Views
Re: pallies are still ridiculously OP
- 09/12/2010 01:37:29 AM
652 Views
yah, I always forget DKs. I haven't been in BGs since the breaking
- 09/12/2010 02:09:52 PM
625 Views
On the plus side, DK glyphs sell like hotcakes, so I'm fine with some OP DK fun. *NM*
- 09/12/2010 04:58:11 PM
333 Views
*NM*
- 09/12/2010 04:58:11 PM
333 Views
EVERYTHING is selling like hotcakes.
- 10/12/2010 02:14:37 PM
572 Views
Yeah? On my server I can't get much other than DK glyphs to go.
- 10/12/2010 03:23:07 PM
582 Views
I'll be jumping back in as well. Hell, half of Turbine is.
- 07/12/2010 10:05:34 PM
690 Views
Re: I'll be jumping back in as well. Hell, half of Turbine is.
- 07/12/2010 10:32:08 PM
605 Views
swiiiming swiimming swiiming swiiming!
- 11/12/2010 11:20:47 AM
592 Views
You LIKE swimming? Yech. *NM*
- 11/12/2010 07:47:20 PM
284 Views
*NM*
- 11/12/2010 07:47:20 PM
284 Views
You haven't seen Vashj'ir yet, have you? *NM*
- 11/12/2010 10:20:38 PM
283 Views
*NM*
- 11/12/2010 10:20:38 PM
283 Views
Nope. 71 now, though. Exams are over on Wednesday, and then I'll make some serious progress. *NM*
- 13/12/2010 06:42:36 AM
312 Views
*NM*
- 13/12/2010 06:42:36 AM
312 Views
WotLK and Cata zones are amazing.
- 13/12/2010 02:12:07 PM
601 Views
*NM*
I actually like group quests, as long as I can solo them.
- 14/12/2010 02:19:48 PM
572 Views
- 14/12/2010 02:19:48 PM
572 Views
Before the end of Wrath
- 17/12/2010 05:31:36 AM
662 Views
haha, yeah, I remember being able to solo just about anything in BC with my pally.
- 17/12/2010 08:54:15 PM
560 Views