Breakfast Topic: What features from other games would be fun in WoW?
by Brian Cutaia 
Sep 22nd 2010 at 8:00AM
Let's face it: We all need an occasional break from WoW in our gaming rotation. My most recent slump sent me from the computer chair to the couch to play a little something called Super Mario Galaxy 2. Now, obviously World of Warcraft is not -- and will never be -- anything close to a platformer. Sure, there are some similarities, but if history is any guide, too much platforming in the land of Azeroth only leads to frustration. Having one of your party members miss "the jump" in Wailing Caverns is always a toe-tapping exercise in patience. Hell, if you need proof that your average MMO player isn't well versed in the art of platforming, just look at Naxxramas. If I had a nickel for every time I'd seen players eat slime during Frogger, fall off the Gluth pipe or trip over their two left feet in Heigan's dance studio ... Well, let's just say I'd have a pretty nice nickel collection.
But if I were to pretend for just a moment that World of Warcraft were designed solely for my own personal entertainment, I think I'd include a lot of odd mechanics in raids to greatly shake things up. Messed-up gravity. Interesting jumping puzzles over bottomless pits. Water levels! Just imagine how much the feel of a dungeon would change if only you had the right zone-wide buffs to include. Buff up the monsters, give all the players a 100 percent haste and run speed buff, and just watch things get chaotic. Oh, yeah -- and the floor behind you is slowly falling away ...
Obviously, if these things were implemented in the game, it would be the beginning of the end for Blizzard. These are simply terrible ideas; I'm aware of that. That's the point, though -- we've all had that one idea that we think would be ridiculously fun to try, even though it's incredibly impractical.
If you had your way, what bits and pieces would you steal from other genres for your own personal version of WoW? Do you have some brilliant way to turn everyone's favorite MMO into an awesome FPS or RTS?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics, Guest Posts
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 10)
Hedwinkle Sep 22nd 2010 8:09AM
A Warcraft RTS?! Well I never...
Rakah Sep 22nd 2010 8:29AM
i don't know a jump in WC but there is that one in BFD
Umehte Sep 22nd 2010 9:11AM
Oh there most certainly is a jump in wailing caverns. My wife forces me to make it for her everytime we go. I don't know why, I usually botch it just as often! At least the one in BDeeps is a short swim back...
hahke Sep 22nd 2010 8:10AM
I'd like to have better diplomatic options. Huh? I haven't been playing Civilization V to encourage such a thought.
Nina Katarina Sep 22nd 2010 8:20AM
Hee hee.
I'd love to be able to influence those guys who I'm supposedly exalted with into in-game actions... hey, Argent Blade, declare war on Sons of Hodir!
Silversol Sep 22nd 2010 8:41AM
Cenarion Circle.... you should fight Cenarion Expedition, reclaim your former glory!
(cutaia) Sep 22nd 2010 10:37AM
Apparently I need to try this "Civ" I keep hearing about. It's all anyone can talk about these days. :D
Raydex Sep 22nd 2010 12:04PM
I'd like to be able to capture reputation quartermasters with PokeBalls and force them to fight each other to death. Then take all the loot.
Radioted Sep 22nd 2010 12:51PM
The only thing keeping me safe from Civ V is it's non-existence for Mac. Once it comes out for Mac... game over man, game over.
Donny J. Canup Sep 22nd 2010 8:12AM
If had to pick one thing it would have to be the mechanic of RPG's where if you get hit you look as if you have a bruise or a gash where the enemy hit you. I've seen this in other games before and it makes you feel for your character. Especially when he's in the red and about to die, he's slumped over (barely standing up) with blood all over his beaten body. That would be awesome in wow.
Neyssa Sep 22nd 2010 9:25AM
Warrior tank with barely 10k HP left - stumbling on the floor, can hardly keep his shield.
Paladin heal crit for 40k - tank is smiling and standing bravely in front of the boss.
Next hit 30k damage - stumbling again
2 sec later, up again.
I think tanking would feel a little bit like jumping up and down all the time :)
falc Sep 22nd 2010 9:25AM
Would be a bit silly with the current tanking model tho.
As your character gets from full hp to red in a matter of seconds and (hopefully) healed back to full hp again just as fast ;)
Just an observation.
Viator Sep 22nd 2010 10:12AM
They could always give some sort of bandaged look to the tank; standing there, with your shield, almost mummified with bandage :)
Richard Sep 22nd 2010 11:24AM
The problem with this is the assumption that hit points is somewhat equivalent to the amount of blood in your body. The model that WoW seems to be pressing is that health is more equivalent to the amount of energy you have left to continue the fight. Otherwise, abilities like getting healed by Victory Rush would be silly.
Think of Last Stand. Your increase in health is more akin to a boost of adreneline that lets you fight just a little bit past where most normal mortals would die.
Conversely, if health was a 1-1 ratio of the amount of "damage" your body could take, then no one would have more than 4 health as anyone epic warrior, mighty wizard, or peasant can be killed easily by a 1d4 damage dagger wielded by a child.
Jorges Sep 22nd 2010 11:59AM
It sounds cool, but tanking would look incredibly painful and cruel if this got implemented.
Darasen Sep 22nd 2010 12:06PM
It could be based on equipment damage so it would be a yo-yo. Shields with gashes torn cloaks etc. Your gear would look like Batman's at the end of Arkham Asylum.
Vazpucci Sep 22nd 2010 7:03PM
With that said, it would as well be awesome if the more damaged your character is the more it effects him. If he falls from great distance, he is hurt for 10 or so seconds and runs slowly. Speed decrease if he is near death and so fourth. LoTR's online did something like this with the fall effect.
MusedMoose Sep 22nd 2010 8:13AM
I actually like the idea of battling through a place where the floor's collapsing, though the "fight while you run from your impending doom" thing was done in Halls of Reflection, and while it was done well, it was also one of the more stressful fights.
A Portal-esque dungeon could be great fun, once you got used to it... though I think it's the sort of thing that would cause all kinds of frustration among players who know the place as they have to deal with people who are just fooling around. *shrug* Not that fooling around in and of itself is a bad thing, but I doubt most PUGs would last through it.
Hasselhoff Sep 22nd 2010 1:38PM
I remember the first time I ran HOR. It was on heroic, so the stress levels were incredibly high already from the wave segment of the instance. We had watched no videos, we were all decked out in T-9 and it was still stressful. When we got to the part where you're escaping the Lich King and he's just slowly walking after you with that cloud around him, I remember turning to my wife, the healer, and saying, "I have never been so scared in this game as I am right now."
It was utterly unnerving to see him catching up to you like that, completely calm, walking slow, because he knows that he has you. And he would have too, if the Skybreaker hadn't shown up when it did. I have to give Blizzard the greatest applause for that instance, particularly the escape.
Angrycelt Sep 22nd 2010 8:28PM
I love the HoR escape. It can suck for bad pugs, but I agree with one of the other posters, it was stressful and ominously scary at the same time. And when the Skybreaker came flying in that first time? Epic. I'd love more pressure than just an enrage timer on boss fights. Movement like the Prince in Kara, while frustrating to learn are so gratifying when you conquer them.