Breakfast Topic: Are patches too fast, too furious?
by Zach Yonzon 
May 30th 2009 at 8:00AM
But compared the the old pace, it seems as though Blizzard is delivering content faster than ever. Zarhym has even uncharacteristically told a poster "your presumed time lines are way too inflated," when the poster speculated that 3.2 won't be out until the end of the year and Icecrown released around May of 2010. I'm actually quite confident that Blizzard will announce the next expansion during BlizzCon, if not a release date. So while a lot of top guilds have cleared Ulduar and are working on hard modes and completing them, there's strong evidence that a majority of the player base is just getting started with the whole thing. What's your take on Blizzard's patch production policy?
| They're too fast, we haven't even cleared Naxxramas! | |
|---|---|
| They're too slow, we've already got Algalon on farm. | |
| Pretty fast, but we're catching up on everything. | |
| Slower than we'd like, but at least we've got dailies. | |
| Just about right. We're just clearing Ulduar now. |
Filed under: Patches, Polls, Analysis / Opinion, Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Retropally May 30th 2009 8:06AM
Got to start off by saying thats a fantastic picture :D
Honestly though, I think they're bringing out patches way too fast. I'm actually worried because i've still not actually finished naxx, despite being fully epics and 4 set valerous gear.
I cant wait to get back into raiding after my exams and hopefully start Ulduar, but seeing that they're now already looking at bringing out more content soon worries me.
Didnt they have those statistics that told them that majority of their player base wasnt even lv80 yet? Surely most of those are now lv80 and only doing naxx now.
Dominace May 30th 2009 8:15AM
You always get two sides to this, for the classes who are on the chopping block they always seem to come to fast but the classes that need a little love they never seem to come fast enough.
Content wise, you can never have too much content :)
LXj May 30th 2009 8:17AM
You have no idea when 3.2 will be released, yet you're already sure it will be too fast
The Hammer May 30th 2009 8:19AM
It took Blizzard six months to bring in one content patch, 3.1.
Black Temple was introduced 4 months after the release of Burning Crusade. TBC had five raids to it - Karazhan, Gruul's Lair, Magtheridon's Lair, Serpentshrine Cavern, and Tempest Keep. The next two patches were 4 months and then 2 months apart. The pacer is slower now, surely? Unless you're talking about minor patches, but I doubt minor patches are as important when it comes to keep players playing. Few will leave because their DPS is 100 below what they'd like - many will leave because there's nothing new to do anymore, or even aspire to.
Quick content patches are great, because they're constantly unleashing new stuff to do at you, especially for the solo player, who has only repeatable dailies to do. Repeating stuff immediately diminishes the fun you get out of it. 3.2 doesn't seem to be giving a new raid - I doubt this new coliseum is going to offer anything in the way of a new tier of gear. I guess it's going to be similar to the heroic level gear you can get from doing the AT dailies.
@Retropally: Those statistics for 80s were revealed in December, actually. 6 months is a long time.
Alexander Krizak May 30th 2009 10:33AM
Actually, the Coliseum will have a new tier of gear waiting for us; they're starting Arena Season 7 with 3.2, and they can't introduce a new tier of PvP gear without matching it with a new tier of PvE gear, lest people start doing PvE with PvP gear. The blues said as much themselves.
That's also why you won't be able to obtain the Rusted and Ironbound Proto-Drakes after 3.2 come out.
Elmo May 30th 2009 8:22AM
My guild started SSC and TK when BT was already released, but we ended up halfway in Sunwell before 3.0 and cleared it with the nerfed raids.
Guilds will clear Ulduar eventually but not bother with all Hard-modes before starting Icecrown or a 3.2 raid.
AishaLove May 30th 2009 8:24AM
I would of voted just about riught, but I don't even plan on doing ulduar........ LOL why tack that on the end? Just right is well just right. I think they are releasing content and patches at just right a pace, I choose what toplay and what not too, allot of this is based on my skill and preferred difficulty level of the game, I find myself skipping most of the new content they are adding because it's just too touch, but I still think thier pace is good.
Kemikalkadet May 30th 2009 8:36AM
"I would of voted just about riught, but I don't even plan on doing ulduar........ LOL why tack that on the end?"
Haha agreed. 3.2 hasn't even been announced for the PTR yet and it's likely to spend a month or two on there before live release, i wouldn't be surprised if we don't see it until late august/early september.
So is "just right" pacing clearing content then sitting twiddling our thumbs for 3-4 months waiting for the next patch? Our guild is progressing nicely in ulduar but we're not close to clearing, and we're not in any rush to either. We could well down yogg before the next tier comes out, but even if we don't does it matter? it'll still be there for a long time yet. We're all going to be level 80 for another year at least.
Elmo May 30th 2009 10:29AM
I remember when they announced WotLK everyone was like: "Already? we've only been playing BC for 8 months!" when WotLK released everyone was ready for it.
just because they already talk of 3.2 doesn't mean it's anywhere near ready to even get tested yet.
Kinka May 30th 2009 8:28AM
Two guilds have killed Algalon (10 man version for both). It would appear that every single person who has done it, including some rotated members, have posted in this survey.
.......I feel compelled to ask exactly what possessed you to put Algalon on farm as an option when you know full well we don't.
yokumgang May 30th 2009 9:30AM
Zach is a troll. He did it for the lulz.
Zach May 30th 2009 11:54AM
Yeah I noticed that too. I'm curious as to what compels people to lie on an anonymous survey over the internet about accomplishments in a computer game.
I mean, when I put it that way, it makes those people sound like morons. But I'm sure I'm missing something here...
richard.ashton May 30th 2009 2:14PM
I voted Algalon for the lolz coz i thought other people would've done the same. Obv not.
Eisengel May 31st 2009 1:24PM
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it."
- Kay
matt Jul 1st 2009 6:00AM
Two guilds have killed Algalon? I can think of 4 off the top of my head (Ensidia, Underground Kosmonauts, Apathy and Gentlemens Club)
Josh Bashara May 30th 2009 8:30AM
They are accelerating the development and release of new content, and it's because they have to in order to stay on top. It's been a few years since launch now. They can't sit back and rest on their laurels like they could around the pre- and post-BC eras. Player apathy is a serious concern for any MMO company, and even Blizzard has to deal with it.
Sooner or later, players tend to get bored with a game even if new content is coming at a steady pace (like an expansion every 2 years, for example). So they have to start speeding up the new content between expansions as well. It's all about keeping the customers on their toes, and never giving them TOO much time to sit around and keep doing the same old things, without even the smallest new things (like Sunwell and the AT, or new dungeons).
And as far as bug fixes and class patching, it's the same principle. They have to keep players somewhat content and willing to play, and that's hard to do if you're not having fun because of balance issues or broken mechanics. (But as a Warlock, I can pretty much say they're doing a crappy job right now, like some other classes probably would.)
Every single action that Blizzard takes is to generate new (and secure existing) revenue.
Eisengel May 31st 2009 1:33PM
I used to log on every day at a set time, and I'd play for a straight 5 hours. Now.. I'll log on maybe 4 to 5 times in a full week, and play for about 2 hours (dailies). The problem for me was never content, it was getting a raid to run it. I've found that this seems to be the common cycle of WoW guilds:
1. Righteous Indignation Phase: Man, our old guild(s) were crap, we'll form a new one and do it right!
2. Square Peg/Round Hole Phase: Wait, who does what? Are you a tank? Was that other toon your alt?
3. Humming Along: Just one-shotted , w00t!
4. Speed Bump: X doesn't want to play? Y hates X? Y had a kid and is gone for a few months? Loot Drama, etc...
5. Ghost Town: Yeah, I know half the people don't log on, but that doesn't mean the other half of you have to run off! Man, or guild sucks, we should form a new one and do it right!
I found this cycle takes from 2 months to about a year, and often coincides with content releases. I haven't had more than 3 months of raiding twice a week since I started playing WoW, because usually the raid/guild starts to deteriorate, not because there is no content to move to.
Magresda May 30th 2009 8:30AM
It's not like the content disappears when a new patch comes out. Keep them coming at a rapid pace, I say - believe it or not, some people actually raid for fun and not just phat lewts.
6 months for 3.1 was way too long, and I think Blizzard acknowledges this. A rapidly changing game means a game that stays interesting - I'm sure I'm not the only one who contemplated canceling my subscription while waiting for Ulduar.
DoctorOnline May 30th 2009 8:31AM
Too fast. >.<
Well, they're only too fast because I really want a shot at the beautiful Ulduar proto-drakes [har har har, like that'll happen] and I'd be happy if they delayed Icecrown for a year so I could feebly attempt all those challenging achievements.
Aside from the drakes, I feel they're just about right so far.
Fighstar May 30th 2009 8:42AM
Considering 3.2 isn't really THAT big, I guess it's fair to say they will bring out smaller patches faster. Instead of holding back on big floodgate releases, they are allowing content to be updated and improved faster for those and peak level with nothing to do.
The game doesn't move so fast no one can catch up, and it moves fast enough that those able to explore new content don't have to wait 5 months to do so.
I like this method of patching, and I think it's here to stay.