End GameFollow

Good fix: changing ridiculous broken ability to come back into line with "reality" (Mortal Strike, Pyroblast, Charge, Mind Flay, Sleep...)


Bad fix: completely reducing the effectiveness of something that isn't really broken because of the *supposed* (and often incorrect) impact it has on PvP. For example, priest have two non-situational nuke spells, Holy Smite and Mind Blast. Holy Smite did more damage per cast, but Mind Blast was more efficient and had zero cast time.

Holy Smite, pre-talents, while not having better DPM, had better DPS than most mage spells, so people cried "NERF! Why should a healer be able to inflict that much damage?" So the damage was reduced on Holy Smite to something horribly inefficient. As a former cleric of Everquest, well aware of this mentality and also well aware of just how badly cleric DPS lags behind all other casting classes, I just kinda sighed at this. One of the few draws to playing a healer in this game is that I'm not totally dependent on others.

Then Blizzard made instant-cast spells castable on the run, and decided they needed to give Mind Blast a cast timer for this, one patch after they lowered the efficiency on it to not being a whole lot better than Holy Smite. Thing is, (a) Mind Blast already had two drawbacks for being instant cast in the form of a recast timer and an insane amount of aggro, which have never been adjusted, and (b) there are other classes with instant cast nukes that are more powerful or versatile, such as the shaman shock series.

This is but one example. I can give you many others just within the priest class. Changes to Shield. Adjustments in the amount heal spells do. The effect the five-second rule has on healers. I could go on.

Maybe balance does come out of it eventually, but to the players, some of these changes are completely unnecessary and pointless. I'll grant you there are some changes that SOME players don't udnerstand, but there are also some that NOBODY understands. I don't think, (at least I hope,) Blizzard won't be bad about this in retail, but it does sour the experience of playing a particular character sometimes.

RL death penalties suck, I keep trying to explore this creepy dungeon called the "'hood" and people keep trying to gank me.

What is the 5 second rule?

"The thing about WoW, is that sometimes you dont have the choice, im sure no one will party if they CAN solo, because solo just brings in more rewards and xp.. "

Based on my experiences I must disagree. There are quests that you must group for and quests that you really ought to solo, but the rest is up to you. The Hillsbrad series of quests (for the Horde, not Alliance) is a perfect example. In that area, there are a few quests to gather ingredients for a nasty-minded Apothecary. There are a number of quests that involve killing the human inhabitants of Hillsbrad. There is another series that involves killing certain named Hillsbrad humans. And the capstone of the whole thing is an attack on the keep of Dun Morogh.

Gathering the ingredients is probably best done as a solo endeavour; sure, you can kill more safely and easily with two than with one, but you have to kill twice as many bad guys before you and your partner are done. Killing the human inhabitants, on the other hand, CAN be done solo; however, there's a good chance of adds in many of these battles, so having one or two buddies can really save your bacon. Killing the named humans is more of a challenge, and you're generally better off with a few groupmates to help you out. Dun Morogh is an elite quest that requires a full group of five.

So you see, here is a group of quests that have the full range between solo-able and requires grouping. Sure, you CAN solo any of them (except maybe Dun Morogh), but are you better off that way? Probably not. (Note: This is especially true on the PvP server, where Hillsbrad is the site of notorious ganking. Sure, you CAN wander alone, but when the DIE jerks start showing up...)

I had started the stress test with your thoughts in mind, Seiferseph, but it was only partly true. Several times during the stress test I found myself grouping with people in an impromptu manner. I just noticed we were doing the same quest, and it occurred to me it'd be faster to work together, so we did. Once out of the region we parted ways. On the other hand, I also eventually found a few people whom I preferred to group with, and we did some good work. It wasn't just about getting phat lewtz, it was about getting things done and working together. It was fun. On the other other hand, I occasionally found myself asked for help by lowbies, wanting me to help them do something that was (honestly) too hard for them. Occasionally I agreed, and you know what? That was fun, too.

The upshot: EXACTLY WHAT REDMOONXL SAID. If you want to solo because you're all about powerleveling and phat lewtz, fine. Heck, if you want to solo because you don't want to deal with people and want an escape from reality for a few hours, that's fine too. The beauty of how WoW has done it is that you don't have to group for most things, but doing so makes things easier.

ok i lose..

but can only play if blizzard let South East Asia into US servers..

*Still angry with blizzard*

Wow...defending SOE and saying Blizz is a bunch of greedy bastards...do we need to break out Sonys track record?

Hmm lets see, Blizzards games have always been successful, SOE on the other hand has EQ which has degraded from its once glory days because of SOEs stance and development. And then theres SWG...no need to say more. Blizzard at least trys to please its gamers and listen to them, SOE just cares about how big their wallets get from the next unfinished expansion.

By and far, I think you're giving "average" gamers way too much time. Considering how many people have things to do on a weekday (jobs, classes, school), five hours of time is a LOT of time spent on a game per day. If you have a 9-5 job, that's like getting home, playing from 6PM-11PM straight. That's not average at all (okay, so maybe it's FFXI average).

Also consider that the majority of the people who are playing WoW will probably be working or be at school during the day... I think your hardcore gamers are more like, no-life kids.

I would say an average gamer would probably play about 2-3 hours a day, and a casual gamer would probably be like, 2-3 hours... every other day. A hardcore gamer who doesn't care much about the game could probably pull off 5 hours a day while still going to work/school whatnot.

Server regionalization is a plus to me. I dont want another FFXi where i cant play or understand half the population plus they said its only temporary.

Every time you post in this thread, Seiferseph, your voice becomes more shrill.

Let's get one thing straight: Blizzard is not ******** you.

Sure, they many not release the game in your country (whatever that is) for a while. And sure, if you buy the game and play they may force your account on to a regional server.

But this is hardly ******** you. Why? Because it is a game. No one ever forced you to buy it; in fact, you're paying Blizzard cash up-front and a monthly fee for the privilege of "being screwed". They are offering some level of service to you, any amount of which is larger than zero; it is up to you whether to accept that or not. In no case are they actively harming you, whether you decide to play or not.

Come on, now, let's match our rhetoric to the level of the problem. You're overstating something awful, and it wears upon one's ears. Blizzard isn't "********" you. They're just not offering you the same level of support they're offering other people. There's a difference.

Seifer, I understand you are upset about *one* decision Blizzard has made, (or had made for them, as might be the case,) but that in no way gives you the right to reverse their reputation with that of Sony's. If you think Sony is so great, go play EQ2, and tell us how it is three months from now when you're playing a game that was rushed out simply to beat WoW, with crappy...everything, really. I understand that it must suck to live outside of Blizzard's initial release audience; I remember back when I played more console games all the times that stuff got released 3-6 months earlier in Japan. I have at least some vague clue how you feel. But you're being extreme, and becoming more extreme with every post.

Yeah, and while were at it, what about those japanese people. Hording all their games for themself! I say we petition!

(This is meant as comical because of the fact that many of japanese games are only released in japan because of the audience of gamers and the content in the games. Even though some of the games in Japan I would play, it is just not profitable or possible for developers of all sizes to port a game that will only attract a small audience and will cost more than it will make, or a small developer that does not have the means.)