More player titles: denied
by Mike Schramm 
Sep 19th 2007 at 6:15PM
Well, after my little rant on the extreme lack of titles for players the other day, Blizzard has... not changed their mind at all. Zer asks, wisely I thought, for titles for PvE players, but Bornakk shuts him down, and then stomps all over the idea completely. Titles are rare, he says, and that's the way they like it.That boggles the mind. Titles are a form of achievement, and isn't that what this game is all about? As was mentioned in the comments on the last post, titles could be exactly like Xbox Live Achievements-- relatively meaningless badges of honor (or dishonor) that players would wear with pride. This is a super simple, super easy way to extend the game for players who have been playing for a long time. And Blizzard wants to keep these rare?
It's their game, I guess, and obviously if they feel titles should be rare (though I can't for the life of me see why-- keeping content unattainable hasn't been working real well for them lately), then titles will stay rare. But especially at a time when new content is scarce and players are wondering why they should revisit the old content at all, new titles for achievements of any kind seem like an easy (and easily implemented) draw.
Filed under: Patches, Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Blizzard
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
kabes Sep 19th 2007 6:22PM
Look at LOTR Online's title system. Literally hundreds of titles available. That's how it should be done. They already caved and integrated voice chat like LOTRO, why not titles? And while they're at it put int LOTRO's music system and more varied emotes :P
Justo Sep 19th 2007 6:29PM
i think titles should be difficult to obtain. when any asstard noob can get a title it loses its significance and merit. "Justo, Slayer of Onyxia" yeah....who hasnt?
locomoco Sep 19th 2007 6:34PM
They could make titles temporary... like 30 days after some achievements, so that way you could go through a rotation of different titles.
Homerjr Sep 19th 2007 6:40PM
Titles should stay the way they are...
"relatively meaningless badges of honor (or dishonor) that players would wear with pride" - aren't you basically describing a Tabard here?
Scarrita Sep 19th 2007 6:51PM
Got your Netherwing mount?
That's a title right there.
It may not be in lettering but it's an achievement none-the-less.
That, and it's type, are the closest things we'll ever see to titles... And what's a title anyway... just words. I'd rather have something more, dare I say, tangible than a couple letters above my head anyway.
zoddie Sep 19th 2007 6:51PM
I think titles should have a meaning behind them thats actually useful to the community, not like "Spiffywood slayer of noobs" it should be a tally at 60+ for example, if you right click on someones names it could be "titles" and it has a list of all 60+ instances completed, so this tank says hes done heroic slabs and is capable, it would show that hes done with 16 times in his record. same for raids and such..that in itself is a title or badge of honor..then you can say, you know so and so mage has done kara like 70 times...and so on, you can also get a pvp rating accompanied by a title for that rating, it would be helpful information for pugs and just to play with numbers...but this idea is taking titles beyond just text above someones name for the hell of it, its another system all together. just my 2 cents
zoddie Sep 19th 2007 6:53PM
that was PVE rating not PVP. sorry
Dprice Sep 19th 2007 6:56PM
Having played SWG and LOTRO, i think blizzard is closer to the appropriate mark with titles.
Either a title means something or it doesnt. If it doesnt mean anything, why bother?
If it does mean something, then it shouldnt be something anyone can get for being one of 40 faces that showed up for the week or for completing every damn quest in the game.
If i had to chose between everyone having "[Your name here], ass scratcher" or ONE person being the scarab lord, id rather have one person and have it really be meaningful.
Achievements on the other hand, like badges in SWG would be pretty neat. But lets not mix the two
Arras Sep 19th 2007 6:55PM
I really don't understand your point here...you had me with more titles for achievements, ranks, etc. But then lost me when you compared them to the meaningless badges from Xbox live. You applaud blizzard for making the titles rare, but then want them to implement the fairly attainable and meaningless xbox-style titles. What is it that you want exactly? More rare titles? Fewer meaningless ones?
I, for one, would like to see something implemented that's worth a damn. My list, in no particular order
Class mounts for all classes
More flying mount selections (colors and new types)
More 5 man content
More 10 man content that isn't hooked to 25 man content
More distinct armor sets - not just reskinned/recoloured Tier 1 and 2 sets
Named monsters that actually drop something worth a damn (ever kill that bug eye guy in SMV hoping he'll drop a blue? and not surprised when he drops gray crap?)
Taking the bite out of high-end crafting recipes (i.e. reducing the number of rare mats, etc)
Given all that can be added to this game to add more flavor, do you really want something that sticks over your head that most people will ignore anyways?
Dotixi Sep 19th 2007 6:59PM
Blizzard is beginning to seem shadier and shadier to me as of late. "Titles are rare", what kind of BS is that. Right now titles take many many hours of game play (some times) to achieve (and it used to take hours more to maintain them). What titles are there anymore? Just the arena ones? and the ones from old PVP? Are there only PVP titles (those are the only ones I know of anyway)? Yeah those are rare then because us average players and non-PVPers are not going to spend the time and MONEY to try and get them...especially since BG and Arena PVP tend to be hardcore. Titles are not rare if you are willing to spend the time to get (and by extension the money to them). Shady.
Maeric Sep 19th 2007 7:03PM
From Article: "Titles are a form of achievement, and isn't that what this game is all about?"
Isn't beating the boss the achievement? I like the current rarity in titles. I wouldn't be against having an extra character tab that shows things that a character has done, but I think such a thing can be overdone.
If I wanted to play XBOX 360 or Grand Theft Auto with an accomplishment system like they have I'd go play said game/system. I don't care much about that. I draw my accomplishment by what I've done, not what they game recognizes I've done.
Sleekr Sep 19th 2007 7:05PM
At least add more titles for reaching exalted rep status - there is already one for exalted with the three orig bg's, why not other factions?
I worked hard to get exalted with Cenarion Expedition, Consortium, Scryers. A title to show off that hard work would be great.
Howl Sep 19th 2007 7:09PM
Blizz does seem a bit more cold of late. I attribute it to the new guy, Bornnak or whatever his name is. He seems to reply the most, and always only with "We're happy with the way things are, we have to no plans to implement this, we are not ready to discuss details at this time."
Personally I'd rather them respond 99% less than posting useless crap that doesn't tell people anything
bennet Sep 19th 2007 7:11PM
I kind of liked the Everquest II title system, which covered a range of achievements from finishing a certain number of the so-called "heritage" quests (of a complexity similar to the Marshal Windsor or Cyrukh the Firelord quest chains), to being diligent in gaining favor with factions, to just having killed a whole lot of a single mob (e.g. Destroyer of Undead for 10,000 kills).
Besides the usual bragging rights for the recipient, it also told you something about another player that you might not have known otherwise. Maybe someone who's killed 10,000 undead for a title is your cup of tea to PUG with, maybe not...
Chris Sep 19th 2007 7:20PM
It might be "their game" but we're the ones keeping them in business every month. Ever heard of the term "The customer is always right"? That's what they told me at my job. We, the customers of WoW want titles (just as LOTRO has them) and Bliz should throw us a bone.
Dave Sep 19th 2007 7:21PM
Instead of titles, Blizzard is giving us lame as all hell tabards for everything.
I think they should do both.
In every instance where you'd be able to get a tabard of some sort of an achievement (usually exalted with something, which despite what many claim is not something most people do) I think you should get a selectable title from it. Rare titles would stay rare if the accomplishment is difficult. Easy ones, gives everyone something worth playing for. If you can manage to get exalted with every faction in Outland (including Sporeggar!) why shouldn't you get a "Hero of Outland" title? Having a handful of ugly tabards that you don't want to wear since you've got your guild tabard anyway seems a bit pointless.
Next time a CM claims they make the game "for everyone", I wish someone would throw things like this in their face and point out to them that they make the game for the top %10 of the game, and force everyone else to deal with the scraps they choose to hand down. Not that it's a bad thing, but it's like if you don't raid and the arena isn't your thing, there's pretty much jack shit left for you, right?
Give "everyone else" something to play for if the game is really being designed around the entire playerbase and not just a game focused on raiding and arena thrown in because too many people don't raid.
Tridus Sep 19th 2007 7:24PM
@15,
Read these comments again. Several people like rare titles, several people don't.
In the case of the official forums, the more accurate description is "the customer is always confused." Blizzard has so many customers that aside from being able to change their hairstyle, they can't agree on what it is they actually want.
When the customers are overwhelmingly in favor of something, they usually listen (Daze being the exception). When the customers are divided... well then they just do what they want.
Dprice Sep 19th 2007 7:29PM
which of the 9 million customers is right? Cause i say its me, and as far as im concerned, its fine.
They're selling a product. Their job is to make something people want to buy, not build a custom widget based on customer demands. Its in their best interests to make sure that the product contains as many features people want as possible and as little features dont want as possible, but that doesnt mean they slavishly have to conform to any and every whim one of their customers has.
mizatt Sep 19th 2007 7:38PM
I don't understand how he's shutting anyone down or stomping all over an idea. He said they plan to add more titles but that they want to keep them somewhat rare, and not 'necessarily' for killing bosses. It sounds like they're relatively undecided. I think it's a kind of cool idea too but like others have said, I don't think most people want "OzzyOzz the Batkilling Ore Trader" and "Great Slimekiller Rattatatat" running around all over the place
Snuzzle Sep 19th 2007 7:43PM
Rare? In what way are they rare?
Almost everyone who has ever PvP'd since the intro of the titles there is at least a Private/Scout. These titles mean nothing anymore, really; but you still have them.
Arena titles are more rare. I don't see what the problem is with titles; I think they add flavor and something to progress with when you've done everything else.