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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBreakfast Topic: Are achievements putting too much pressure on players?
by Lesley Smith 
May 5th 2009 at 8:00AM
The thing is, I know precisely why. It's the pressure of achievements and festivals. Let me be clear, no one is making me do these things but me. Last year I enjoyed Children's Week because it was my first time doing the Outland version, I got rep, money and the smug feeling you get from taking a cute Draenei orphan around to see her heritage. Now all my guildies and most of the other people on my sever are frantically going for the achievements and, in some ways, it feels like the holiday has been cheapened a little. Being so close to Noblegarden probably hasn't helped either.
But it makes me wonder if I'm the only one? Right now I'm a casual player, but do you think the point of these holidays has been lost by the desire to get a Violet Proto-Drake?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 5 of 10)
Haga May 5th 2009 8:57AM
Personally, I really enjoy the achievements in the game. If it were not for them, there would be parts of the game that I would NEVER have experienced. Before Achieves, I hated dungeons and avoided them at all cost. And BG's? OMG, NEVER. I had seen little of Azeroth, only what my quests that I happened across had me experience. Because of the achievments, I have seen and done more in this game then I ever knew could be done. Are some of them a challenge? You bet!!! Are some things in the game frustrating? OMG yes (I still have no idea how to do the spear daily for the Sons of Hodir and will never figure it out lol). But it is a game and part of the fun of the game is figureing out how to beat it. When I get so angry at an achievement or a quest, I find something else to do for awhile, it's not like there is a lack of anything to pursue, and I come back to it later. As for the meta achievements, well, guess what, Noblegarden will be there to finish next year. Those orphans; well, unfortunately, they will still need someone to take them all over Azeroth next year. If you don't get that cool title or awesome reward first on realm, WHO CARES. Shut up, play the game and most importantly, HAVE FUN.
Mooktar May 5th 2009 8:58AM
A lot of my guildies were intimidated by the School of Hard Knocks achievement so we decided to tackle it as a group. We worked it into our weekly guild event and by the end of the evening, most of us had the achievement and we had a lot of fun doing it.
There are so many things to do in this game and the Violet Proto-Drake is just one of them for those who enjoythe challenge. It isn't supposed to be easy to get but I'm having a lot of fun trying for it. I missed out on the love fool achievement so I won't get my drake until next year, but who cares. The achievement system has steered me towards lots game content I otherwise wouldn't have experienced.
Jay in Oregon May 5th 2009 8:59AM
The only thing for me was the fact that Noblegarden and Children's Week overlapped this year.
Head we had a week between them as originally planned. the stress level for everybody would probably be a lot lower.
artifex May 5th 2009 6:57PM
The only stress I had with them overlapping was that I couldn't put bunny ears on my orphans. (Did Noblegarden in the first couple of days :) ) And yeah, I might have tried to get some of Noblegarden done on my alts if I thought I had that overlap time free.
havitech May 5th 2009 9:00AM
Achievements should exist only to mark accomplishments, such as boss kills, hard modes, obtaining rare items, reputations, etc. No more of this crap like pulling extra abombs during KT phase 1, which no one in their right mind would do otherwise.
My suggestion to Blizz: quit making shitty achievements and go make more equipment models.
Gryph667 May 5th 2009 9:32AM
Now you're whining. They could have designed the Naxx encounters such that if you didn't do them in the style described in the achievement you wiped, every time.
Did they do that? No. Back in legacy Naxx were there groups that inadvertently pulled that many adds and still survived? Possibly.
I conjecture that you're speaking from a mentality of wanting to just go in, kill the boss, farm him till you get whatever he drops that you want, and THEN bitch that there's no new content yet.
Wake up boss farmers: gear is replaced. The only things of permanence that we have to dress our virtual Barbie and Ken dolls up with are titles, mounts, pets, etc. Everything else is replaceable and/or just stats.
Additionally, remember what Samual Clemens said:
"There are lies, damned lies, and statistics."
Dmiri May 5th 2009 9:00AM
Tying rewards to achievements is fine and dandy to a point. While not excessively hard to complete, the achievements do offer a level of difficulty that would cause frustration amongst the folks who aren't "Serious" about achievements. Personally I feel the achievements do not have much to do with the "LORE" of WOW It feels like it serves the purpose of BRAGGING RIGHTS which again take away from the whole World Of Warcraft experience. I'd be much more excited pursuing Lore Specific ahievements that unlocked quest's and cut-scenes as well as the current offering of rewards.
Broadcloak May 5th 2009 9:03AM
Just wait until they introduce the ability to purchase pets or mounts using achievement points!!
Sparkle_of_QD May 5th 2009 9:01AM
I personally love the achievement part of the game. It breaks up the monotony of farming to raid and raiding to progress. Leveling alts only works for so long before you get burnt on that and there just aren't enough heroics to spam anymore, so the achievements make Azeroth a little more bearable when the monotony sets in!
Having finished all of the achievements in the "What a Long, Strange Trip Its Been" meta except "Flamekeeper" and "Brewmaster", I can honestly understand the frustration that people might be feeling.
Most of the seasonal achievements this far haven't been overly taxing, and no, no one is forcing you to do them. Children's Week has definitely been the hardest, with the PvP requirement. I know a lot of players who aren't PvP'ers, strictly PvE'ers and this week has sent them over the edge. As a GM, I've seen several of my players rage-log, saying they'd be off the game for a while and that Blizzard had really messed up this time.
I feel for those frustrated by the most recent event and any other achievements that are frustrating you, really, but again, no one is forcing you to do them.
Ice May 5th 2009 9:01AM
Yes I think I can call it pressure.
On BC times you were just asked that you know tactics to get into raid. That was fine because you could watch wowwiki or videos of that. And learn while raiding.
Now? LINK ACHI!1 Know tactics? Doesnt matter. You can wipe/afk thro whole raid, its much better than knowing tactics. You even need to link achi for OS with no drakes. So to get into raid you must've done the raid. But thats impossible because no achi = no invite. No invite = no achi.
I remember having huge sweat when I was first tanking my heroic and I got achi "emblem of heroism". It was bit embarrassing.. now that I look at it I shouldve "forgotten the emblem and get it" so they wouldn't have seen that. But that just made me respect others if they get it, been there :p
Guildless and people whos guild cant raid. I feel for you.
kenjicell May 5th 2009 9:03AM
School of Hard Knocks almost made me quite the game yesterday. I don't do BG, absolutely hate them with a passion so was not happy that I was being forced into them for this achievement. I wouldn't have minded if you only had to be near the flag when it was dropped etc but for a non-PvPer trying to do the BG tasks was one of the most infuriating experiences I have been through with this game. Blizzard have made a major mistake this time and they need to change it fast. We pay Bliz to enjoy a game not to allow our real lives to suffer extreme frustration and anger.
holdwine May 5th 2009 9:18AM
I think a lot of people are going to end up burned out because of the holiday achievements, not specifically the Children's Week achievements in general, but the whole meta. These short, week long holidays put a lot of stress on people who have jobs and families, but want that Drake or title. The game is overwhelming right now in terms of stuff to do, from Argent Tournament to holidays to raiding Ulduar, and adding achievements to the to-do list is bound to overload people who are probably a little obsessive-compulsive by nature.
Suzi May 5th 2009 9:03AM
I've already failed if I want to get the drake this year so I'm not even attempting to do the ones I wouldn't get any joy out of doing.
I am however an avid pet collector so that has kept me interested in these two holidays.
Mitawa May 5th 2009 9:05AM
I think the holiday achievements and mounts have ruined the point of the holidays. They're not fun anymore, they're stress until you get all the achievements done... then there's nothing left to do.
I remember when I was one of the couple crazy RP-er types that would go and do holiday stuff just because it was fun. It's just not the same when it's like this.
Juliah May 5th 2009 9:06AM
You know, I don't mean to QQ, but I'd say that *some* of the achievements ask more of a player than is actually fun to do. Some are fine, but some are imbalanced. People are legitimately upset over School of Hard Knocks because it's really unpleasant -- you can put in the time, and still not get it. It's frustrating, and Blizzard should remove it as a requirement for the achievement.
Aere May 5th 2009 9:07AM
All world events are not what they've used to be anymore. They have turned from a fun event into a battleground on their own. The majority of players does not even notice the event itself, let alone the character of the event.
Get it done, do it fast, don't care about the others.
Even Children's Week, probably the games nicest event, but a shadow of itself.
The Proto-Drake? I can't care less for that. Why? Cause the price to pay for it is too high. If the fun of the game and it's events suffers for
a (in relation seen) rediculous mount, it's not worth it.
Axolotl May 5th 2009 9:07AM
Two holidays in a row is a bit too much, they even overlapped for two days. I occasionally enjoy some PVP, but I don't want to be forced to do it to get some mount that Blizzard only lets me use for 4 levels in Northrend (and about just that many in Outland.)
I don't like seasonal achievements that require to be at max-level in order to do them (or for that matter, the level required to get into a specific battleground or do a specific instance)
artifex May 5th 2009 7:06PM
"I don't like seasonal achievements that require to be at max-level in order to do them (or for that matter, the level required to get into a specific battleground or do a specific instance)"
I agree there. For holiday achievements anyway. I'm not playing it for the drake (though I want one, of course) and I would have been happier if they made it the reward for some other chain of events.
I started the game just before Halloween last year. I was really annoyed when I couldn't get some things because I was far too low level. I've been an 80 since March, so guess when I'll be finished with the holidays? Valentine's Day, at least. Not this Halloween.
Myria May 5th 2009 9:11AM
Achievements are a cheap gimmick masquerading as 'content'. Wrath is filled with a depressing number of such gimmicks, it's as if Blizz decided that cheap gimmicks were the way to please casuals.
Sadly, it would seem Blizz was right.
Kala May 5th 2009 9:19AM
Pressure? No. I like doing the different achievements and was looking forward to a Violet Proto-Drake, but the requirement for School of Hard Knocks (to have your orphan out with you on the battlefield) and Hail to the King, Baby (orphan out while killing the final boss in UP) were the straws that broke this camel's back. Not going to do either of those achievements.
The reason we're taking orphans around is to help them forget about the horrors of war and fighting that made them orphans in the first place. I did the Chicken Party quest (Frenzyheart daily) for Daily Chores since there's no killing while the orphan is out. Maybe I belong on an RP server instead of a PVP one.
Flame away, folks . . .