Blue Posts and Other WoW News: Answering some MoP QQ and thoughts on MMOs

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Blue posts
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"The real game doesn't start until you're max level".
"The real game doesn't start until you're max level".
Before I begin, I should clarify that the following post is composed entirely of my own, personal opinions.
I think that games in the MMO genre tend to transform at the level cap, mostly because leveling has ended, which heralds a slight change in basic gameplay.
In World of Warcraft, many of the same experiences that are available when leveling up remain available at the level cap (questing, exploring new areas), and you also gain access to new experiences and challenges. The motivations and goals tend to be a bit different and less single minded. Rather than pursuing a new level, and the new abilities and talents that can come with it, instead you might be seeking a powerful item, trying to defeat a more powerful enemy in PvE, or achieving a milestone in the PvP game, among many other goals including completing achievements, finishing collections, capping professions, etc. Gameplay broadens, from the relatively simple road of questing and leveling, into a broad plain of possibilities.
The leveling experience awaits once again with a new character though, and playing a game with a new character class can offer an entirely new gameplay experience, especially if you select a different class role than the one you're already used to. Of course, expansions also offer the opportunity to experience leveling again for end-game characters. Some would say that there's an unfortunate tendency for players to plow through expansions as quickly as possible to pursue end-game again, because they have a pre-conception that "it's the only thing that matters".
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Honestly, that is what tabletop gaming is for. Players and their game masters (GMs) spend hours creating characters that are unique to the player. And then the GM creates a story that the players follow. But while a (good) GM might have an overall plan for his/her players the path they take is determined by the players not the GM.
Honestly, that is what tabletop gaming is for. Players and their game masters (GMs) spend hours creating characters that are unique to the player. And then the GM creates a story that the players follow. But while a (good) GM might have an overall plan for his/her players the path they take is determined by the players not the GM.
I absolutely adore table top gaming, and it's a popular pass time here at Blizzard.
I believe that a good game master, with the help of a group of players who are willing to invest themselves in the story and their characters, together can create an experience that is truly thrilling, engaging, cathartic and satisfying. Even a not so serious game can be outright hilarious, and I don't think I've ever spent as much time laughing as I have around the gaming table.
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Challenge Modes - A progression of achievements, hardly revolutionary
Challenge Modes - A progression of achievements, hardly revolutionary
It's quite an awesome feature as I see it; after not too long a dungeon becomes too easy or simple because of out-gearing it or a number of other reasons. These challenge modes will allow you to compete on par with other players who have better gear as everyone will have a fixed Ilvl when inside challenge dungeons.
This means you are all competing for the prestige of being the fastest to complete these dungeons compared to others.
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Pet Battles - No comment
Pet Battles - No comment
This particular mini-game may not be for everyone, and it's not designed to be. We want to be sure that there is something in the game that each player can enjoy doing, be it PvP, PvE or even pet battles; pet battles are being implemented to create a fun, new type of activity that all players have access to and offering an alternative to increasing the power and strength of your character specifically.
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New Zones - I always love a new zone, but think it's all a bit stale now. Same models, same textures, same trees, it's just not exciting anymore
New Zones - I always love a new zone, but think it's all a bit stale now. Same models, same textures, same trees, it's just not exciting anymore
Just as it was in BC, WotLK and Cataclysm, the setting is changing. I don't think that the look and feel of any expansion to date has been like the previous, they have all had a very unique feel, this is true for Mists of Pandaria as well.
Mists of Pandaria will be on a continent which is largely based around Asian culture, this differs greatly from any previous expansions. BC was a very demonic setting, WotLK was in a cold and frigid Northland, and Cataclysm was set where the world was beginning to literally falling apart as can be seen in the landscapes. So we assure you that it will be different ^^
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I think the only thing that will make me buy the expac would be no flying in the new zone. It's the only way to bring back PVP, i purposely rolled on a PVP realm for 1 reason, I want to skirmish WHEREVER and WHENEVER I want, not when i queue for a BG, that's what PVE realms are for.
I think the only thing that will make me buy the expac would be no flying in the new zone. It's the only way to bring back PVP, i purposely rolled on a PVP realm for 1 reason, I want to skirmish WHEREVER and WHENEVER I want, not when i queue for a BG, that's what PVE realms are for.
Well, we are taking several initiatives to try and bolster world PvP and bring it back to everyone! For one, we are not allowing flying in Pandaria until level 90. This means that there will be no people suddenly taking off into the skies when you approach them, unless they have reached the max level :p We are re-introducing optional world bosses which players will fight each other for. There are also many more initiatives that are being taken so we hope that world PvP will once again be bustling with activity :)
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Filed under: Today in WoW






Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Cyno01 Jan 13th 2012 2:57AM
I'm more excited than i care to admit about the pet battles...
Especially if its available as a semi-separate mini game on a mobile platform.
Ballmung Jan 13th 2012 3:22AM
I completely agree. I think making pet battles on a mobile app through the armory would be fantastic. And seeing the inspiration for them it might also get a little nostalgic =D
Revnah Jan 13th 2012 7:28AM
I just don't get why people QQ about it. I actually don't think at this point that I'll do many pet battles, if any at all. But I think it's brilliant that Blizz are adding more, alternative content for people to enjoy.
If you don't like it, don't do them! I mean, it's not like they're replacing, say, raiding with pet battles (LOL, imagine the forums if they announced that), in which case the complaints would be justified. But how can ADDING things that at least part of the player base enjoy, ever be a bad thing?
Noyou Jan 13th 2012 7:45AM
After reading the latest info on pet battles, I think it is an amazing opportunity. If they do nothing else but implement it, as it looks now, MoP will be a huge success. The level of detail and amount of different things you will be able to do is almost overwhelming.
SR Jan 13th 2012 8:57AM
One of the more legitimate concerns I've heard about Pet Battles is that they could be using that time and resource to make better raids.
Admittedly, the newest raid, Dragon Soul, only has 8 bosses and 2 brand-new models in the whole raid. The start of Cata, there were 12 bosses available, with unique models being thrown EVERYWHERE. Compare that to Icecrown Citadel, which also had 12 bosses, with plenty of thought put into fight mechanics and... once again, new models.
Noyou Jan 13th 2012 9:28AM
Making better raids/dungeons is a pretty lame excuse, in my opinion. Maybe one raid an expac will get run over and over in the future. Raids have the least shelf life or any aspect in WoW. The pet battles system, like it or not, will probably be around for a long, long time. Kara is probably one of the best raids they have ever done. How many people still run it? I do as well as some of my guildies, but I am willing to bet the vast majority of players don't give it a second thought.
The other thing is, there will probably be totally different development teams on pet battles then there will be on dungeons and raids. So most likely, you can have your cake and eat it too.
Caylynn Jan 13th 2012 9:51AM
I don't understand the appeal of pet battles myself. Probably because I'm "old" - Pokemon was something my nieces and nephews played. So I really don't understand it or why it will be a great addition to WoW.
That said, I'm not QQing about it, because I do see that many people are excited about this feature. That's great for them! I just hope that the things that I enjoy (dungeons, raids, PvE stuff) will receive as much attention from Blizzard in MoP.
Faar Jan 13th 2012 12:17PM
@ SR:
The concern that pet battles would take resources away from raid (model) creation may SEEM like a valid one on the surface, but it's not much truth in it really, because the people that make raids aren't the same people that program the pet battle system (and particularly, neither of those two groups are 3D graphics artists capable of designing boss models.)
It takes specific skill sets to do each of these tasks, and they don't neccessarily overlap much, if at all. Blizzard therefore has separate teams with separate staff, handling different aspects of the game. It's like blaming Ghostcrawler for the crappy human and orc player models; it's not his job taking care of that bit.
VincentMagius Jan 13th 2012 12:22PM
@Rev
They could make a raid fight involving your pets. It would be awesome and never happen.
RL: "Sunflower down! Summon another!" "Everyone send in your Withers!" "MC phase coming up, send in the Battlebots and Bone Raptors".
Achievement: Murlocopalypse. Summon nothing but Murloc pets.
Bossy Jan 13th 2012 3:49AM
No doubt those Pet battles will be a huge success.
Why ?
It is a single player activity BUT it is played against other players.
BUT I am sure your pet can play against NPC's too, : everyone can win.
It is turn based and so it will be liked by other people than the keyboard junkies.
If implemented well ... "like including trainers", people will travel through the world.
There is a reason Pokemon sells into the multi millions with pixel screens of 100*100.
Hunt for that very very rare one ...
You start to, "care" about your precious pet as it grows on abilities and this without disturbing the game balance/gear chase.
The competitve dungeon runs will be nice too, but the Pet Battle System will be massively played.
daimonie Jan 13th 2012 5:57AM
I cared for my pet in Pokémon Yellow. I put it into balls. I put it into computers. As soon as something was throwing Hyper Beams, i just threw it in to catch it so that my precious other pokémon didn't get hurt.
And still, each time i talked to pickachu, there was this humongeous heart. I even tried feeding him bitter-herbs till he died, but no, he kept loving me.
Arrohon Jan 13th 2012 5:56AM
"I cared for my pet in Pokémon Yellow. I put it into balls. I put it into computers. As soon as something was throwing Hyper Beams, i just threw it in to catch it so that my precious other pokémon didn't get hurt.
And still, each time i talked to pickachu, there was this humongeous heart."
Aw, that's kinda cute.
"I even tried feeding him bitter-herbs till he died, but no, he kept loving me."
WTF, I thought you cared for him O.o
Roneebean Jan 13th 2012 4:40AM
Ugh no flying , enemies behind every bush. Time for realm change. If I want PVP I can go to battlegrounds QQ
DarkWalker Jan 13th 2012 8:02AM
The places with the least PvP will be the PvP realms where one faction is too dominant (Illidan for Horde and Thunderlord for Alliance, for example). If someone from the "wrong" faction tries to step outside their cities, players might even queue for the chance of killing them :)
Otherwise, I partially agree with you; rekindling World PvP would make me unwilling to continue playing in one of the PvP realms I have characters in. The difference is that I flat out refuse to pay for a realm transfer; I would rather change games than pay Blizzard anything besides the subscription and expansion price.
SR Jan 13th 2012 8:52AM
Flying enabled for level 90 players only=massive leveling gank squads in Pandaria?
I still have bitter feelings in Hellfire Peninsula and Howling Fjord, where I was constantly gank-bombed by max-level characters back then. Haven't had that problem in Cata, but I'm sure that's because I server-transfered at the end of Wrath.
The reports by my old friends in Detheroc seem to agree with my prediction.
thawedtheorc Jan 13th 2012 4:24AM
One of the things I would like to see would be pvp areas like Venture Bay and other Grizzly Hills locations that remain relevant for higher levels. VB was a real discovery for me, but a month into the expansion, you hardly saw a soul there.
EaterOfBirds Jan 13th 2012 4:55AM
Agreed, I really thought VB was a cool idea, not long into cata it was fairly irrelevant though.
SR Jan 13th 2012 8:57AM
"not long into Wrath"
Fixed.
holtzmanneffect Jan 13th 2012 8:01AM
Out of curiosity, why the pre-Cata header picture?
Zhaph Jan 13th 2012 10:44AM
This post definitely rekindled my excitement for Challenge Mode and for World Bosses. I started playing late in BC, so I missed out on some of the internet dragons that I should have killed. Also, I'm all about the no-fly zone in Mists; flying (and especially the fastest level of flying) dramatically changed my knowledge and appreciation of the zones I leveled through in Cata, since I could just zoom around from quest to quest. It'll be good to be on the ground again in a new, separate area; this is one of the things I liked the most about WotLK's initial launch.