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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsQuantifying Wrath's success
by Mike Schramm 
Mar 16th 2009 at 7:00PM
The Egotistical Priest has a good series of posts up attempting to somehow quantify whether Wrath has been an overall success or not. Of course, it's definitely a financial success, but has the game's second expansion delivered what both players and Blizzard expected it to? Vonya sets out to find out in what has turned into a three part post: you can find parts one and two on the site now, and part three is set to come out tomorrow.So far, the answer is yes: while the area of Tradeskills is noted as less than a success (it seems to me, too, that tradeskills had more variety and options in Burning Crusade than their current state in Wrath, though that might be because we're only partway through the expansion cycle), everything else is noted as a win for Blizzard: they've really beefed up questing, balance has been intriguing since Wrath (and even if one class has rubbed you wrong, consider how many players came running back with the expansion patch to re-try their class), and of course, Achievements have (predictably) brought the game to new levels of addiction and given players of all kinds new things to do.
Vonya still plans to tackle instancing and raiding as the other two criteria for Wrath's success (and there are probably a few other ways you could test it -- lore? setting?), but by the reasoning so far, Wrath is a win no matter how you slice it. Blizzard has outdone themselves with the second expansion -- the only question is where they'll go from here.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Blizzard, Expansions, Raiding, The Burning Crusade, Classes, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 3)
Max Mar 16th 2009 8:33PM
^ this.
For once I agree with a wall of text
SarahTheGnome Mar 17th 2009 8:08AM
I agree fully with what you said, as someone that raids casually. No one wants a completion of a raid instance handed to them, not even those who raid once a week. Very well said.
John Mar 16th 2009 8:37PM
My "Twilight Vanquisher main" exists. And no, it doesn't get linked here into this cesspool. Before I had thr title I never begrudged complaints from people who didn't have that title, and now that I have it I do not look down on people who do not. If you wish to speak, speak to the substance of my complaints.
And no, a laundry list of the quaint successes of WoW: that it added a profession, some new land, and some new quests...that is not a refutation. It is practically an admission that the implementation of what this expansion was supposed to be has fallen short.
Let's see what Blizzard really gave us:
- A thankless, profitless profession (can I get an amen from the poor Inscriptors?)
- A beautiful continent and some interesting quests...over 700 of them. See, I can be appreciative.
- A rehashed level 60 raid, and 2 dragon bosses. Without the achievement system and Naxx, raiding in WotLK was practically at vanilla-WoW release levels.
- A new class which has mowed down PvP like a hurricane and practically destroyed any semblance of balance they had there (not a PvPer, I just know how to read).
What else has happened? Lead designers gone, off to the next project. Staff cuts and GM ticket queues now take weeks to resolve. Server lag still exists in Naxx, to the extent that many servers will never, EVER see "The Immortal" done on their boxes. So much for that test of skill.
I could go on, and on, and on.
Look, I am from a casual raiding guild. And I have already hedged my bets and am playing other games, just like Ghostcrawler says I should. But I love WoW, and I loved WoW, and I hope to love it again. But fanboy BS like this has to stop. When you love something you don't fawn over it mindlessly for all time. Any reasonable, neutral observer can see: WotLK is not the slam-dunk awesome success fanboy Mike Schramm and co. think it is. Go out to the forums, to the servers, to the guilds. Ask them what they think...the guilds, the beating hearts of the community...ask them what they think of 2-night full clears of all content, server lag, and unbalanced/unviable classes. Ask them...but you may need to log onto some non-WoW servers to do so if you wait too long.
Mikefurion Mar 17th 2009 6:40AM
My "Twilight Vanquisher main" exists.
If you truly had the Twilight Vanquisher title you'd link it. Simple as that.
unigolyn Mar 17th 2009 8:05AM
"- A thankless, profitless profession (can I get an amen from the poor Inscriptors?)"
LOL. I'm a scribe, and it's by far the best moneymaker any of my toons have.
Can you say Nobles Deck?
The rest of your points... Honestly, I can see how raiding is an issue for people who cleared Naxx in vanilla. I don't know anyone who's done that, personally. Other than poking our heads in there a few times in TBC, it was a new instance for us. It took a month or two of 1-2 nights a week to completely learn the place well. No, it's not difficult, but it wasn't really a yawnfest either.
PvP was not ruined by DKs. It's way too bursty on a lot of fronts, but there have always been dominating classes, and DKs aren't even the most widespread of those. A Holy Pally is nearly unkillable 1v1 by anyone currently.
You said this xpac has failed to deliver in every possible way. Then when explaining why, you basically state that it's because you're a veteran raider and this is just an undertuned rehash of old content for you. Grats, but you're in a very tiny minority, and your "every possible way" comment is nonsense.
Nemesis Mar 16th 2009 9:05PM
I think WoW at the moment is lacking something, it feels empty in a way like it's missing something...
I think it's little things to me.
Quests are too "take this and use it on this, there. Done. Intereactive right?"
Dalaran isn't right I swear to God. It's unpleasantly laggy, too crowded and well, its just a diamond shaped path with a wizard of oz theme.
Being a Protection Warrior casually raiding naxx twice a week is tiresome, a chore even.
Something about Wrath is odd, like everything is trying hard to be too perfect and well... the best way I can put it is it isn't WILD enough.
Achievements are so unsatisfying, I do pity the people who aim for every achievement in the game to satisfy their epeen. Mainly because I doubt anyone inspects other people's achievements. You can't properly see them anyway.
Vehicle combat, it's tacky and so interactivity un-fun.
There are too many spells for each class now, PvP is almost at 60 level thanks to such a high burst and yet again certain classes completely dominate the Arena.
"Wrath is a win no matter how you slice it. Blizzard has outdone themselves with the second expansion"
Yes and no. The game seems partly rich and detailed to perfection and the other part empty and hollow.
ancalimon Mar 16th 2009 9:50PM
i totally agree with you Nemesis. visually, this game blows the others out of the water, but i just dont feel drawn to it like i did to vanilla wow.
in the vanilla days, i felt almost like i WAS my character. the game overall felt more personal.
TBC to me was very well done, but i just didnt like the whole alien world thing, made it to starcrafty sci-fi for me (yes i know its nothing like starcraft).
now that Wrath is out, it did bring back the whole old world adventure aspect of the game back. i like how they tried to bring new types of quests into the game, but, like Nemesis said, they feel empty and chore like.
i find myself more and more often coming back to old azeroth with new alts just to get drawn back into the game again. i hope blizz does something to make the game on a more personal lvl again. i used to play to feel like i was almost on an adventure of my own, now im just playing a game.
Laynne Mar 17th 2009 12:54PM
"The game seems partly rich and detailed to perfection and the other part empty and hollow."
This is how I feel as well. I can't put my finger on it, but something just doesn't feel right.
Obiter Mar 16th 2009 10:06PM
The problem with the original article, of course, is that it is a "self-selected survey." It asks if current players are happy with the expansion when, in fact, only players happy with the expansion are still playing it.
I am not still playing WoW and I can tell you exactly why.
WotLK didn't really seem to offer me much in the way of new gameplay. And if it did change or add something so as to be fundamentally new (better world PvP? more combat vehicles?) it stuck it at level 80 when unfortunately the same-old same-old grind killed me at level 76.
It's quite funny actually that I came across this exact article this evening. This is my first look at WoWInsider since I quit WotLK two months ago and I came here to see if anything was new. Instead I find an article defending the status quo. Hilarious.
Angry Joe Mar 16th 2009 10:25PM
Well, Deb, you are still playing, so its successful from blizzard point of view.
Deb Mar 17th 2009 12:12AM
It's successful from my point of view because I am the one who has had to adjust ;)
tigerg Mar 16th 2009 10:44PM
Some of you are saying Blizzard is doing a good job. Well if your are a beginner or someone who dont want much well you are fine, but for the rest of us who want more out of a game this sucks.
1. all the armor look dame near the same. O i am sorry is that a good thing.
2. where is the good battle ground armor. O i am sorry Blue's is good enought for you.
3. lets not talk about PVP.
4. I thought the DK was a hero class but every patch has nerfed him down to plain toon. and why did that happen because of all of you who cryed and could not play there class.
and for that old saying if you dont like it dont play. i pay with play cards so i have stop playing untill they get this thing right or atless better.
If the good gamers dont demand better then we will just keep getting the same old junk.
So all of you good gamers keep letting Blizzard know We wand better from then.
P.S the Rogue has not been right in 3 years. they do something good for them then the next patch they take it away. LOL
edward Mar 16th 2009 11:01PM
WoTLK an amazing expansion.
But I hope they do away with a single city hub like Shatt and Dalaran for the next expansion, simply because its so incredibly laggy that sometimes you get disconnected trying to log on when u are parked in it.
Make 2 separate ones for the 2 factions! But make em neutral so that alli can visit the horde capital and vice versa just for a stroll, obviously horde can only do business on the city prepared for the horde and same for the alliance.
Does these cities need to look civilized? No, muddy streets ftw i say.
Rich Mar 17th 2009 12:55AM
The biggest failure of WotLK is the gimmicked vehicle combat.
It sounded cool when they announced it but in reality it didn't pan out. The people in my guild were looking forward to Uldar, then found out the first part is the vehicle gimmick. Interest has already dropped for running Uldar because of it. We don't even do EoE anymore because the phase 3 gimmick just ruins the fun of the fight.
Grubba Mar 17th 2009 1:07AM
I'm with you 100% on the vehicle thing. They're fine for adding some variety to quests, and there might even be people who like them in pvp, but when it's time to go into an instance--any instance--I'm not interested in clunking around in some ungainly vehicle while I'm spamming cooldown buttons.
John Mar 17th 2009 2:22AM
I just want to point out that if you look at the mod ratings on these posts you get a sense of the real community's feelings on this issue. Not everyone posts. Hell, I hardly ever have. But people that came to this WoW site, and clicked on the comments link to an article that was practically slobbering all over Blizzard...those people have made pretty clear which opinions in this thread match their own. Hint: it isn't the author of the article's opinions on the matter. He has made all too clear that he is fully in Blizzard's pocket time and time again.
So call us QQ, call us whatever you wish. We just remember a better game and are holding out in hopes that Blizzard wakes up and remembers us...the stalwarts that filled their coffers and forums with cash and ideas. We are the raiders, not all hardcore, but we want it to mean something. We are the guildleaders and officers, the raid leaders and gatherers...we are the backbone of the community that has kept this social MMO alive for years. If Blizzard thinks that achievements in easymode raids and grinding pets/rep on your 7th alt will keep their game at the forefront they are in for a rude surprise. There is no true "WoW Killer" on the horizon, but this weakness in content will spawn it...but who knows? It may be Blizzard's next MMO, and maybe then they will have listened again.
baal80 Mar 17th 2009 3:07AM
John, I couldn't have said it better. I agree with you on everything.
I started playing on 26th Jan, and it's sad that I already have no incentive to log on anymore... seen all content, don't care about achievements, not an altoholic. It's just different from vanilla and TBC. Different in a worse way.
jmjm Mar 17th 2009 2:26AM
I started right as tbc hit, so maybe I'm just getting tired of a game I've played this long? I know others have played WoW way longer while maintaining interest but maybe some of us have just been playing this game for what is to us is real dang long.
I'm just trying to come up with reasons why I haven't felt the urge to hit exalted with most of the wotlk factions like I did in tbc or do arenas or battlegrounds or dailies.
I was super stoked when Zul'Aman and Magister's Terrace came out, those places rocked. Maybe Ulduar will be the same. I hope so!
Dudes, even kara! Downing Prince at the top of his tower was pretty sweet.
QQmaster Mar 17th 2009 3:29AM
(QQ this game is too easy, its just not right that the 11999000 people that pay $15 a month get to see what we hard core raiders see. I wish they would make everything the way i want it and listen to me.) STFU and get out of the basment
Tridus Mar 17th 2009 5:47AM
Not everything was a success. Arena participation is down 60%. There's no way to look at that other then "massive failure." PvP in general is a massively imbalanced mess with the way they scaled damage into low orbit and didn't buff defenses or healing to compensate.