Is the Horseman too easy?
by Mike Schramm 
Oct 19th 2007 at 4:30PM
Now, a little while ago, Blizzard implemented an Arena points system, where as long as you ran 10 arena matches, you could stock up points and then use them for Arena weapons. So raiders (who didn't PvP much, but wanted the weapons) would save up their points even if they lost, and buy the weapons once they'd saved enough. Arena players, however, cried foul-- they said the Arena weapons had become "welfare epics." So Blizzard required a good Arena rating to buy those weapons.As of Tuesday, it's Hallow's End in Azeroth, and there is now a Headless Horseman event in Scarlet Monastery's Graveyard. Everyone I know (including me) has run the event multiple times, and Epics are dropping like Hallow's End candy. So here's the question: should Blizzard really be giving out Epics for an event that takes just a few minutes and only a modicum of skill? Aren't these as "welfare epics" as they come? Is the Horseman event too easy to be giving out loot like this?
Now, obviously, the rings and helm that the Horseman drops are hardly the Arena weapons that Blizzard had to put behind a rating. Though they are Epic, they're not that amazing-- one trip through Karazhan could probably replace all of them. But Karazhan is a ten main raid, and this is an event that can be done with as little as three people once every day (and I wouldn't be surprised to see it soloed by some ambitious Paladin before long). Already, three days into the event, my guild was running a 66 Mage in there just to get a "free" epic ring for him to use, four levels from now. Isn't that a bit much?
Personally, I love the event-- it brings people back to the old content, which is always fun, and it is a holiday.-- why shouldn't we get good loot like this? Why should Blizzard put Epics behind a timesink, rep grind, or level barrier, especially on a holiday? I'm down with events like this, and I can only hope Blizzard sees how popular it is and adds even more fun, short, loot-filled events like this for the rest of the holidays.
But make no mistake-- these are literally giveaway Epics. As fun as it is to give everyone and their brother an Epic, there's zero effort involved in getting these. And as much as I like getting a Professor Plum just for taking five people to defeat one mob, doesn't it defeat the purpose of Epic gear in the first place? And if not, why not? Why were people so concerned about the Arena weapons (which could take weeks or months to obtain anyway), and yet everyone loves the easily farmed Headless Horseman event?
Filed under: Items, Analysis / Opinion, Events, Blizzard, Instances, Raiding
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Annai Oct 19th 2007 4:37PM
The epics aren't that great. They're unique. You can't DE them and "pharm" shards. What's the harm? It's a fun event and let's you hang out with your guildmates/friends in a low-pressure, quick-hitting encounter. As soon as everyone gets their pet and their one class-appropriate item, folks'll be done with it.
Dotixi Oct 19th 2007 4:42PM
I think they are epic drops because of the event. A lot of players, including myself, will probably never run high-end content. This will probably be the only purple drop they will ever get (for now because epics are being added to lower lvl content).
I am sick of "hardcore" players complaining that things are too easy. Not everyone is free all day everyday.
Andrew Oct 19th 2007 5:08PM
my lvl 44 druid got a free epic ring, but my no means is it 'easy' I would say that it's about as hard as any 70 boss, non-heroic. Not the easiest fight in the world but fore sure nothing complicated. It takes 5 decent players to do and 4 good players to carry a 5th. Any less than that may be hard since we were struggling with 4 (but weren't really even taking it that seriously, I had a warrior tank with a 2 hander and another warrior a different time tank while dual weilding, even had an earth elemental tank but it didn't last more than 1 phase).
So easy? For me, I would say so, but I could see it not being so easy for lesser skilled people. Not to brag or anything, I just think I play my class well and I know for sure others do not.
Ichigo Oct 19th 2007 4:48PM
#1 is right. The rings are the equivalent of what drops off of heroics.
Ring of Ghoulish Delight = Eye of the Stalker
The Horseman's Signet Ring = Cobalt Band of Tyrigosa
Witching Band = Band of Halos
The Horseman's helm seems to be the best drop (outside of the epic broom) but hard to come by and by far has the coolest effect.
Kyane Oct 19th 2007 4:49PM
Items are epic based either on their "difficulty" to attain or how rare they are. These items can only be attained for 2 weeks out of the year. Their item level and design is fine.
The next xpac will have greens from quests that replace T6, so what? While gear is a bit of a driving factor, I just like to experience the fights, see the world that has been created, and chat with my friends.
It's a game, don't forget to have fun while you're "playing".
ThorinII Oct 19th 2007 4:49PM
@2, I agree! The hardcore's complain everything is too easy because they have a tone of awesome gear from doing all those thing us casual's will never see because we can't/won't spend HOURS upon HOURS per day playing for them.
mattbeauvais Oct 19th 2007 4:55PM
Oh yeah, the Horseman is totally wayyyyy to easy. However, I understand why Blizz made it so. It's an event that a lot of people clearly want to try, so it wouldn't make sense for Blizzard to limit the fight to the uber top percent of players. Though they could have made it a little harder... the priest in my group probably couldn't heal Shadow Labs(he had +Arcane DMG shoulders... WTH!), but he could heal fine through this(with a mana pot and innervate from me).
As for the epic lvl loot... as a Raider, I say good. Events like these are supposed to be a fun, and enjoyable break from the norm. Giving Epic loot is right in line with the fun factor goal of the event, and the fact that blizz wants most high lvl players to experience it. I think the difficulty should have been closer to a lvl 70 normal instance boss though.
blitzkrieg999 Oct 19th 2007 4:55PM
The only issue I've had so far with the epics dropping from the Headless Horseman is that you can sell the brooms. While they're fairly easy to obtain, it seems like people with too much time on their hands are going to do their best to farm the mounts and resell them on AH, which kind of defeats the purpose of the event.
Besides that, I think the event is great. Its fun, not too hard, and rewards you for enjoying this rare treat (as pointed out, its only 2 weeks out of the year).
Rhaga Oct 19th 2007 4:59PM
Sure it's easy, and the gear is easily replaced by heroics or kara. I ran a 56 alt through and got his ring :P
When I first did it, a 66 mage was in there with the PUG.
xusia Oct 19th 2007 5:04PM
This is a very fun event, I love the ambiance of it.
The epic drops are actually decent drops, for the class they are intended for. They cant be farmed, since they cannot be DE'd or vendored.So they do not impact the economy in any way. The Broom is a cool toy with a time limit. So nothing here has any real impact on game balance, it's just a fun event...and isn't that what we are all here for....to have some fun?!
Edwin Oct 19th 2007 5:04PM
how is this any different from everything that blizzard has done to dumb down the game so that anyone ($$$) can play this game?
hpavc Oct 19th 2007 5:05PM
Ummm, its item level and utility that matters. Not the rarity color. Some guy moaning about 'the only purple i will get' is likely running around at 60 wearing his gnomer pants and that damn shoulder from sm because they are 'blues'
Non-raid epics are great because they typically are the equivalent to items you would get 10-15 levels higher, blues 5-10 levels.
If you want arena points, grab someone and make a charter try as hard as you can. If you fail, dump the team and recharter and start back at the average amount.
Now that a personal ranking is required, arena got a little bit thiner on free epics. But the previous seasons are just candy.
Tornik Oct 19th 2007 5:12PM
And the wheel spins round once again - 'Hardcore' players moan about 'Casual' players getting free epics, and the 'Casual' players moan about the real epics being out of their reach.
I think a lot of people get hung up on the idea that Blizzard are giving out epic gear so easily, instead of actually taking the time to look closely at the gear and see that it isn't really that great for an epic.
Freehugz Oct 19th 2007 5:14PM
"hardcore" players don't complain that content is too easy. The media complains that "hardcore" players complain that content is too easy. Stop making us look bad!!!!
makabak Oct 19th 2007 5:16PM
I think the reason that most of the people complaining have forgotten how to have fun. After doing the HH 5 times, I was shooting pumpkin heads and skeleton costumes onto party members the rest of the day...eating candy and throwing up as often as the cooldown would expire...and riding my broom on the ground when I could be flying.
It's exciting to do raids that require preparation and coordination, but I am fully in favor of the occasional time when screwing around and (nearly) free loot are in order.
Just have fun for once, and stop taking the game so seriously and personally!
Richard Oct 19th 2007 5:16PM
I think the Casuals are just being dicks here.
Not one piece of loot that drops off HH (save the brooms) is EVEN CLOSE to a replacement for any player playing above Karazhan.
If they're all so hardcore, there's no need for them to even bother themselves with it.
But they cry because they think they're special.
Get a life, losers.
rick gregory Oct 19th 2007 5:22PM
easy? yeah... it's fun. But the epics are only really epic in color. The Ring of Ghoulish Delight is about the same (for a rogue anyway) as Lightwarden's Band, a rep blue. But, hey, it's there without a rep grind.
The items aren't going to make anyone OP, but they're nice, some people will get actual upgrades and everyone has some fun and a reminder of the event. If they were T5 level gear, I'd question Blizz, but I think they got this wone exactly right.
Zulu Oct 19th 2007 5:24PM
Anything that give out "good" lvl 70 items regardless of their color that can easily be done with a 65 in tow is a bit too easy. When anyone's first toon hit 70, when kara was the big bad raid, and there was an attunement for SSC and TK did you have anything near this quality?
The answer is no.
HH Rings and Arena S1 for honor are ways to get more people to see more content, as the barrier that came from being under geared for an instance is shrinking.
Is it bad? yes, those of us who didn't have such easy epics don't like that because we've been giving our money to blizzard longer that we had to work harder for the same quality gear.
Is it good? yes, how many people wake up and think, I am really looking forward to a HH rep grind so I can get into heroics and eventually into kara and then eventually into real raid content.
I know my warrior alt has been saving honor for a long time now and that will really pay off the moment he hits seventy and has the gladiator's axe and two pieces of S1.
It is a really fun encounter too. If you think its too easy, then clearly you should be tanking with no pants on.
Jericon Oct 19th 2007 5:33PM
I t hink that the real kicker with this event is that it can be done many times on the same character. Last night on my Paladin I ran the event over 20 times. I think that what should be done to balance this out is to allow everyone to do it once per day. So when they do the quest, everyone in the group must have not done it. Otherwise the more rare drops from this event (the pet, for example) are just going to become the next Wopeltinker where everyone has one and pulls them out.
Zulu Oct 19th 2007 5:25PM
that second HH was for honor hold btw, sorry i wasn't clear there.