Breakfast Topic: What features from other games would you like to see in WoW?
by Robin Torres 
Dec 19th 2011 at 8:00AM
EverQuest had its issues and Blizzard improved on most of them, but one thing EQ had that WoW doesn't is surnames. Once you hit level 20, you could choose a surname for your character. Star Wars:The Old Republic is implementing something similar, only you create a family name for all of your characters. I want to have Roblinator Shinycollector or Peenk Sparkles.
I would also love a sidekick or mentor system like in City of Heroes. Two players of vastly different levels can play together by temporarily kicking up the level of the sidekick or temporarily lowering the level of the higher-level character. I know we have Recruit-A-Friend and there are all those levels to be given, but it's just not the same as playing together in level-appropriate content with balanced experience gain. I want to invite friends to play and run dungeons together, not run them through dungeons.
Something I think we all would like to see is the level of character customization we find in so many other MMOs. I don't need to choose nose size or ear placement, but I would like to be able to choose a body type (like a healthier blood elf) and tattoos, scars, cosmetics, warts or whatever. For Forsaken body types, one of the choices could be to not have my bones sticking out of my clothes! Gosh, I want that so much. I'm OK with bones sticking out of my skin, but really, the clothes thing doesn't make much sense and is ugh-lee.
The thing that has always intrigued me about single-player roleplaying games and now SW:TOR is that there are often choices when doing quests and those choices affect your character. Yes, WoW has reputations that change how some NPCs react to us. But you can only select Accept or Cancel on a quest -- not really a choice. I wish I could take my character along her own path of neutral goodness and have that affect her options in the future, rather than having to torture things or sort through poop to progress through the story.
What surname would you choose? How would you like to customize your character? What are the features from other games that you would like to see in WoW?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
zinckiwi Dec 19th 2011 8:03AM
The oft-mentioned RIFTian AoE looting. A small thing, but a big small thing.
shatnerstorm2 Dec 19th 2011 9:53AM
This. So annoying to have to click on each individual mob, especially when you're killing tons of mobs farming something (I'm looking at you, Frostweave/Embersilk Cloth). AoE looting would be a godsend.
Khristalyn Dec 19th 2011 11:23AM
I just want to be able to DE soulbound items cross player -.-
Tondef Dec 19th 2011 12:17PM
Agree, AoE looting is a Rift / SWTOR gem. I wish we had it in WoW.
Also even though they just implemented transmog - again Rift had that from launch, and it is free on the wardrobe tab.
lcampos2 Dec 19th 2011 1:07PM
Yes, this definately! For everything already mentioned and for the dead, buried bodies as well :)
razion Dec 19th 2011 8:07AM
Fishing from other games.
As an example, I used to frequent a site called Gaia Online (mainly for roleplaying purposes). When I joined, they had this neat little fishing game where you casted your reel, and they had two bars on the far side. Your bobber would continuously reel in auto-matically, and the fish would "fight" you by trying to peel away. It it, your bob, got past one of the bars indicated, the fish would get away. You controlled this by reacting with your mouse, as if it was the fishing pole. You would upgrade your poles to either increase the distance of the poles for mroe wiggle-room, other poles would give you stronger tugs but have smaller distances, and so on. Different bait you bought would get different fish, which you would exchange for items and so on.
But I've rambled. Fishing needs an overhaul--but I'd like to see ALL professions interact and be special when you craft, or otherwise. Having to manually cut your gems, with your performance effecting how many gems you got, aiming your pick when you mined, and so on... that's the kind of interaction I'd like with professions: mini-games.
Zoquara Dec 19th 2011 8:13AM
Fishing DOES need an overhaul. I leveled mine this expansion, and other than farming for Fires, I don't do a thing with it. Ok, and the Sea Pony pet...
They also need to figure out a better system for milling, mass disenchanting, and prospecting.
Noyou Dec 19th 2011 8:25AM
I wouldn't mind being able to craft fishing poles and other add ons. Cooking and engineering can make lures. I would probably not fish anymore if it got more involved than casting and clicking on the bobber. In fact, I would go the other way and ask that auto-loot really be auto loot.
mem0ryburn Dec 19th 2011 8:25AM
Am I the only person who loves fishing in WoW? Surely I can't be. It's something which requires no effort and almost no attention and is perfect for those times when you want to log in but you just don't want to play, you know?
Revnah Dec 19th 2011 8:36AM
You're not alone, I love fishing too :-)
chyllyphylly Dec 19th 2011 8:58AM
To fix fishing is so simple,
Engineers make a boat using Embersilk Net and there you go, a trawler.
Would make fishing rather fun I think.
razion Dec 19th 2011 9:39AM
Don't get me wrong, I love fishing as it is in-game. However I also understand that most people who play the game aren't fond of "wait ten seconds, click bobber" method. Just adding a simple "move mouse for a bit" can keep it just barely engaging enough for people who would otherwise be lulled to sleep to find enough activity to keep going. While on the other hand, people who are more meditative would barely see a difference at all (besides maybe alt-tabbing from the game to watch a video while you wait for the splash). Maybe a better option would be to just add netting and make that like the fishing I describe, so there's a mode for each type of player (meditative single-line or active netting).
goldeneye Dec 19th 2011 10:30AM
Ooooh yeah, a net for that boat you get in Thousand Needles !!
caldai Dec 19th 2011 2:08PM
Definitely overhaul fishing. I like the mini game / challenge idea. I would also like to see cooking personalized. Add the chefs name to the dish like "Caldai's fish feast" .
rebecca Dec 19th 2011 3:06PM
It'd be awesome to be able to use the 1k needles boat elsewhere....but i LOVE the idea of engineers making a trawler...that'd be cool.
Stella Dec 19th 2011 8:08AM
Legacy names like in SW:TOR.
mem0ryburn Dec 19th 2011 8:08AM
Surname would depend on if it were a SWTOR type thing or something I could choose independently for each character. If it were a blanket surname a la SWTOR I would spend probably too much time to decide the perfect one. I've always wanted to be able to have surnames. My main is Nubeushagrid and it does irk me not having him called Nubeus Hagrid. Sometimes I think the name looks a little like it could be pronounced "NEW-bo-sha-GREED" lol. Surnames would be amazing. Also agree about the undead bones thing. It is one of the main things about the undead that puts me off of them. That and their lame dances (especially the males').
Zoquara Dec 19th 2011 8:10AM
I couldn't agree more about the Undead bones thing... That's one of the reasons I can't stand to play one. Also, on the Surnames issue, even Asheron's Call did/does allow 2 names, and THAT is one OLD game! I also wish we had more character customization options... Body types, more facial feature control.... Many games (MMOs or otherwise) in which you can change that sort of thing allow for MANY options, not the very few WoW does.
RS Dec 19th 2011 8:13AM
AOE looting and Colored Sparkles on dropped mobs, like in SWTOR.
If you see green sparkles..there's a green item waiting, blue..blue, purple..purple.
You still don't know what the item is, just that it's worth picking up.
mem0ryburn Dec 19th 2011 8:34AM
I'm really not sure if I like that idea at all. AoE looting, of course, it should be in the game, but the colour-coded loot indicator? All at once it sounds sort of neat and sort of stupid. I think it would affect my looting habits in a way in which I really don't want it to.