Polling players on new content
by Mike Schramm 
Sep 20th 2007 at 2:00PM
There's an interesting discussion going on over on the forums about whether or not Blizzard should conduct player polls. Antiquity from Lightning's Blade can't see why they don't-- it's an easy way for them to get quick feedback about different aspects of gameplay. But Nethaera disagrees. She says (and I can see her point as well) that polls are commonly inaccurate, which is definitely true, and while she doesn't exactly come out and say it, she seems to be implying that Blizzard would rather hear player feedback in terms of discussion rather than in numbers. Just hearing that 70% of players will use voice chat doesn't tell the whole story-- more important to know would be the reasons players would use voice chat, and in what situations they would use it.So it's not really likely that Blizzard will implement in-game polling anytime soon-- for now, they're content to get their player feedback from the forums (and, I suspect, from sites just like this one).
However. We here at WoW Insider have no such compunctions, and we love to hear your feedback in terms of numbers just as much as in the comments. And I especially like Antiquity's poll suggestion, so here it is. Yes, this isn't really a solution to what he wants-- he wants to hear in-game voices, not forum voices or WoW Insider reader voices. But it is an interesting question, and I would like to see what you all think.
| More solo content | |
|---|---|
| More 5 man content | |
| More 10 man content | |
| More 25 man content |
(I did leave off the "All of the above" choice-- if that was on there, I don't see why everyone wouldn't choose it. This way, you're forced to choose your preference.)
Filed under: Polls, Analysis / Opinion, Blizzard, Instances
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Hooper Sep 20th 2007 2:08PM
More World PvP like it used to be please.
Forget this post-BC town fight crap, I want more Gurubashi Arenas and Hillsbrad Foothills or give the Faction Leaders actual loot.
Domaci Sep 20th 2007 2:18PM
Blizzard takes the stance that they are working for "casual gamers". The problem with polls is that those casual players will have a casual attitude about those polls as well. The hardcore will fill it out ASAP to have a chance to make things even more as they want it to be.
I love the way they are moving right now on 10 man content. 25 mans are still required for the real End endgame, but at least people can gear out pretty respectable with 10 man content (not just kara, but ZA coming soon, etc.). And moving from 40 man raids to 25 is a boon for the more casual player, although still kind of a hassle. But at least if you can get two kara groups going your guild should be able to get 25 peeps to move forward in content.
I personally think the very best endgame gear should be attainable in 10 mans, but for most that might be a little too casual.
masterless Sep 20th 2007 2:33PM
Solo dungeons please. Where NPC's team up with you along the way would be fcking epic. Make it so Blizz.
Doomkin Sep 20th 2007 2:42PM
I think you're missing an important option on that list, one that I think will eventually become as big and as prevelant as the "solo" stuff is now. Duo-content.
More and more couples are playing, and Im far more interested in content that can be done by two people, than just by myself.
Arras Sep 20th 2007 2:42PM
I voted for more 5 man...almost had a fun typo of 6 man..that would be interesting...hrmm. Blizzard? you trolling here? 6 man content, run it up the poll, see how it flies.
A close second for me would be more solo (more daily quests - but if they do that, up the limit to 15 at least) and more 10 man. I love the idea of a 10 man ZG-like instance in Zul'aman. But a 10 man single boss encounter would be awesome too.
So, yeah...All of the above is what I'm trying to say ;)
PDKM Sep 20th 2007 2:43PM
I would really like to see Blizzard go back and fix 1-60 content. For several months now I have been hearing this complaint without understanding fully what it meant. I had two that I levelled into their high 50's and several that I was happily taking through Stranglethorn Vale. Recently I decided it was time to focus on one and get him to 70. Now that my little Gnome Mage is 67 I have lost all desire to go back and play my lowbie alts. It is almost like going back to meatloaf and potatoes after tasting a full 6 course meal at a gourmet restaurant. The meatloaf was fine before, but now that I've had Copper River red salmon in savory garlic sauce I find the meatloaf has lost its flavor. I'd love to see them revamp some of the old instances. Juice up the drops, change the 40 mans to 10 mans, fix the quests so that you dont have to fly all over the world to complete one quest line. Someone at Blizzard must agree??
Vestras Sep 20th 2007 2:44PM
I think what Bliz should make polls just to get a feel for the community is thinking, but not use polls to decide new content. It can prompt Bliz on new directions to look at development. For example, I think I would not be alone in saying that there needs to be more endgame content other than raids. Karazahn/Zul'Aman are ok, but what about a Heroic style 5-man dungeon which does not have a non-heroic mode. Epic like loot w/o the need for a raid and a more complex encounter. All it takes it tuning the mobs.
Ghost Sep 20th 2007 2:46PM
Honestly, I think 10 man content is where it is at.
25 man content has the problem that it requires a couple people to really know what is going on and 20 people to just sort of follow along. It gets boring once you learn your role. There is no strategy. Its scaled so far up, that clever improvisation to cover for 20 seconds by doing something interesting and strategic can't happen. It assumes that you have redundant members of every class and that all buffs will be running.
10 man content is still within the range that the rogue can evasion tank the boss for the last little bit when the tank goes down. Or the priest/hunter can kite around the 2nd mob for a bit after the OT goes down. There is more room for adaption. And because there are more than 5 people you can throw more complex problems at the group. How many ways are their to deal with the elementals Aran spawns? How many different strategies for who goes in what beam for Netherspite? Oz with its variety of spawns that each get handled differently and each of them having different ways of being handled.
Me Sep 20th 2007 2:45PM
@1 - YES. Faction leaders with loot would be fantastic, and encourage full-bore raids on cities.
Gazoo Sep 20th 2007 3:08PM
Anything less than 40 man's is for children. 10 man runs, anyone can do. 25 man run's..nice warm up for the real players. Bring back 40's.
lori Sep 20th 2007 3:16PM
Amen to solo dungeons. Using LFG, it generally takes me about an hour to find and get a group going on a 5 man run.
As for 10 and 25 man dungeons, I recently moved from a guild that had trouble getting 10 mans going to one that has 2.9 Kara groups but they tend to only take those who already know the fights. And it isn't unusal to cancel a 25 man run with 30 level 70s on because there isn't the right mix of classes available. And again they prefer more expierenced people. (I know, I know, change guilds. Easier said than done.) Sometimes, I yearn for the pre-BC days when we were doing 40 man MCs twice/week, and everyone could go, even if we only had 35 people.
It would be nice if a batch of new quest lines were added along with new raid content.
Braehagh Sep 20th 2007 5:14PM
@4 You sir are a complete genious! My wife and I play and we have always played our two mains as a duo always within one level of each other and it has been great duo dungeons would be absolutely insane!
Bret Sep 20th 2007 4:18PM
I DO NOT SEE PVP CONTENT ON YOUR POLL.
This is unacceptable.
CauthonDM Sep 20th 2007 4:33PM
I'm not sure about open polls, but I would certainly hope Blizzard run focus groups with the WoW playing community. Pick a random selection of the top 500 forum posters and sit them down with a couple of developers.
Grajen Sep 20th 2007 4:35PM
Bring 40-man back, and make AVs 9 hours long again. :(
Duo content would be pretty cool, but it's probably hard to make it challenging enough to make it easy enough to be enjoyable but still make it hard enough so that it requires 2 players.
Thingy Sep 20th 2007 4:39PM
Aww, no option for 40-man content. :~(
Antiquity Sep 20th 2007 5:21PM
Hey guys. Thanks for all the positive feedback here and on the forums.
Antiquity Sep 20th 2007 5:37PM
Hey Mike
In regards to your comment "(I did leave off the "All of the above" choice-- if that was on there, I don't see why everyone wouldn't choose it. This way, you're forced to choose your preference.)"
You know what, I wouldn't choose that option. I know many people that play the game that would never choose 25 man content. They feel it's the bane of the game and reserved for such a select few that $$$ is being wasted on the minority and not the majority.
My choice was more 10 man content (since its a nice guild size and one of every class) but I sure wouldn't mind more 5 mans and solo content also. But I don't want 25 man content. I think it would be an interesting choice to add. "All the above" or "All the above and NOT 25 man"
Anyway thanks for the write up
Antiquity
Fletch Sep 20th 2007 6:28PM
@ #13:
As far as I can tell, Blizzard's focus groups consists of them asking Jeff Kaplan what he wants to do. The answer, of course, is almost always a 25-man raid.
Sean Sep 20th 2007 10:39PM
More solo content please.
How about I have one quest chain that doesn't require a 5 man to finish? As a solo player who rarely has more than an hour or so to play at a time it is frustrating to have to put together a dungeon group just to get that last bit of gear/rep.