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Osiris' Rogue Guide v3(New)
Stealth FAQ (EU)
Grinding Guide 1.0
Blizzard gives into Generation Instant Gratification!
This rant has been boiling up from the depths for the past year or two. Each time I thought it would plateau, curb, or level off Blizzard surprises us with another amazing innovation that soothes and appeases the masses yet ruffles the feathers of the dedicated, sometimes lifeless mmo'ers.
I am not debating Blizzard's ability to make serious bank from their game. Obviously they are doing something right if they have the most popular MMO in the history of MMO's. I am questioning their attitude of caving to the needs of the lowest common denominator. The badge loot patch in 2.4 is the straw that broke the camel's back for me. Black Temple quality loots for running Kara and "Heroics." Heroics is in quotes because I have run a couple of these and they are anything but Heroic.
Understandably the Hardcore raiding community is taking up arms and complaining their loudest against the changes. It's a huge slap in the face from Blizzard. "Were glad that you spent months learning and breaking this content... spending more gold then a Chinese gold farmer would see in a lifetime. But were just going to let everyone else have the same quality loot for the work they have been doing in their Heroics"
Blizzard brought this on themselves though. Their plan of releasing expansions that nullify all of the content before it causes this rush to see end game instances that won't be worth a damn in a couple of months. Blizzard has alot of TBC content that a HUGE percentage of guilds have not progressed to. SSC, TK, BT and soon Sun Well. Before TBC it was Anqiraj, and Naxx. I remember both of those instances being out and I was still raiding BWL and Moltencore on a regular basis and enjoying it. When Wrath of the Lich King comes out all of the TBC instances will be worthless... the continent will be empty save for the one person per zone that will be leveling an alt.
But back to the present. Blizzard is going out of their way to make sure there are no obstacles in the way of the casual gamer. Taking away every last sense of accomplishment or symbol of status. There used to be quests that you couldn't find unless you moused over a foot print on the ground or an item hanging on a nondescript wall. Now all these items glow with sparklies and have a huge exclamation point on the minimap. You used to be able to ask a guard for help location a few important things in cities. Now you can use built in tracking skill to find an array of vendors and points of interest.
It does not end there. Each patch sees something that makes it a little easier. The experience from 1-70 was made quicker. For what? So people could make so many alts that they were forced to buy new accounts? But I won't be boycotting Badge Loot... no im not stupid I will stand in line and get my new daggers. I will hand in my easily farmed badges and shake my head at how absurdly easy this game has become. I fully expect that all characters to reach level 80 in the new expansion will have the latest season of Arena gear mailed to them.
I do feel sorry for every new player that will pick up this game for the first time in the coming year and level to 70 or 80 and never see BRD, Strat, Scholo, Diremaul, ZG, MC, BWL, Anqiraj or Naxx... will have no idea what it was to get attuned. Will only see a raid instance if they get bored... and even still they might just go in and solo Ragnaros to see what they missed but they wont understand that it used to be a 40 man raid that caused newbie guilds to wipe on the FIRST PULL!
~Cerias Shadows
I am not debating Blizzard's ability to make serious bank from their game. Obviously they are doing something right if they have the most popular MMO in the history of MMO's. I am questioning their attitude of caving to the needs of the lowest common denominator. The badge loot patch in 2.4 is the straw that broke the camel's back for me. Black Temple quality loots for running Kara and "Heroics." Heroics is in quotes because I have run a couple of these and they are anything but Heroic.
Understandably the Hardcore raiding community is taking up arms and complaining their loudest against the changes. It's a huge slap in the face from Blizzard. "Were glad that you spent months learning and breaking this content... spending more gold then a Chinese gold farmer would see in a lifetime. But were just going to let everyone else have the same quality loot for the work they have been doing in their Heroics"
Blizzard brought this on themselves though. Their plan of releasing expansions that nullify all of the content before it causes this rush to see end game instances that won't be worth a damn in a couple of months. Blizzard has alot of TBC content that a HUGE percentage of guilds have not progressed to. SSC, TK, BT and soon Sun Well. Before TBC it was Anqiraj, and Naxx. I remember both of those instances being out and I was still raiding BWL and Moltencore on a regular basis and enjoying it. When Wrath of the Lich King comes out all of the TBC instances will be worthless... the continent will be empty save for the one person per zone that will be leveling an alt.
But back to the present. Blizzard is going out of their way to make sure there are no obstacles in the way of the casual gamer. Taking away every last sense of accomplishment or symbol of status. There used to be quests that you couldn't find unless you moused over a foot print on the ground or an item hanging on a nondescript wall. Now all these items glow with sparklies and have a huge exclamation point on the minimap. You used to be able to ask a guard for help location a few important things in cities. Now you can use built in tracking skill to find an array of vendors and points of interest.
It does not end there. Each patch sees something that makes it a little easier. The experience from 1-70 was made quicker. For what? So people could make so many alts that they were forced to buy new accounts? But I won't be boycotting Badge Loot... no im not stupid I will stand in line and get my new daggers. I will hand in my easily farmed badges and shake my head at how absurdly easy this game has become. I fully expect that all characters to reach level 80 in the new expansion will have the latest season of Arena gear mailed to them.
I do feel sorry for every new player that will pick up this game for the first time in the coming year and level to 70 or 80 and never see BRD, Strat, Scholo, Diremaul, ZG, MC, BWL, Anqiraj or Naxx... will have no idea what it was to get attuned. Will only see a raid instance if they get bored... and even still they might just go in and solo Ragnaros to see what they missed but they wont understand that it used to be a 40 man raid that caused newbie guilds to wipe on the FIRST PULL!
~Cerias Shadows
Labels: rant
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posted by Cerias Shadows at 3/11/2008
Cerias Shadows
Zyk
Osiris
Khormid
19 Comments:
QQ Moar. When you get to level 80, you can inflate your epeen for another year in your uber-leet endgame gear until blizz makes level 80 endgame accessable for non-hardcore raiders before the next expansion following WotLK.
Same "quality" loot, yes. But not the *same* loot, and that makes a difference.
Do you know how many people I have seen walking around Shattrath with the Warglaives of Azzinoth? Two. That's it.
Even if I go out and get great Badge gear, they still don't carry the same distinctive look as those Warglaives do.
If you want your BT loot to be something to show off, saying "I raided Black Temple!" to anyone who sees it, then it still serves that purpose.
They're making the 98% of their customers who aren't hard core raiders happier, and the other 2%
whine.
Math is hard.
very nice post
Bearhuggy, stormreaver
What many people seem to forget is that many of us, labeled as Casual gamers are, in reality, hardcore gamers with a job, a wife and responsibilities. The simple fact is that when WotLK comes out the big reset is hit and it all starts over, in the meantime what Blizzard is doing is offering one last opportunity for those of us that are on the cusp to see more of the content they have created before it all becomes meaningless.
I keep getting this image of my mother, Oh soooo long ago, getting on me about being more worried that my brother might get more than me, rather than focusing on what I had. Perhaps the lesson stuck.
When I read that Nhilum was going to stop raiding until WotLK because others might get gear comparable to theirs I really had to laugh, and laugh HARD. Talk about cutting off ones nose to spite the face.
I say to everyone... "Focus on YOUR game and enjoy YOUR fun. Leave the fun and game of others to them". YOUR game has not Changed one iota.
If it's such a chore to conquer the content, and you only feel accomplished when you get "status symbols", why are you even playing?
dude, can't help but think this post is a little whiney. wow has been out for how long now? and every expansion that raises the level cap, introduces greens that outperform purples...which in turn causes all the hardcore people to work hard, spend gold, learn bosses and obtain the highest level epics available. wow is a game that thrives on obsession. and the way to create obsession is to not play by the rules. sorry you feel cheated by the new badge rewards, but whether you realize it or not, if blizzard didn't do that kind of stuff, there would be NO such thing as a "hardcore raider" to stand apart from the players like me.
You know, I haven't played my rogue in roughly 8-10 months now. And admittedly, hadn't visited the site in that long either. Although, after reading through your post, I can wholeheartedly agree.
It all started with that damned change to the heroic key reputation requirements...that's what started the crack in the walls of the flood gates, in my opinion.
Sad times for anyone who thought playing their class well, and working for their rewards was something fun. More and more the "Ive never grouped before" players are now just leeching the epics from the BGs, sitting in LFG waiting to sabotage the next heroic they have clue how to handle...
Although I understand the angst re constant raiding nerfing, I don't understand its ferocity. I too fought the long and winding battles to achieve attunement, only to have them removed within weeks of completing them. Do I regret having done that? No. Do I regret not simply "waiting" for it to be easier? No. Enjoy the game as it is is at the time you want to do something.
I never did get to do Naxx, and going back there with a bunch of level 70's just doesn't seem right. So I am all for a revamped Naxx moved to the new WotLK expansion so I can can experience this as it should be. For me, this is great. For those that hit the place prior to TBC, I understand a certain annoyance that others will now get an opportunity they wouldn't otherwise experience. It's very situational - if you've done raiding the "hard way", don't begrudge those who get it "easier" later on. Does it diminish you past experiences within the game? I think not.
Have the grace of an older generation, and reminice about "how things were in your day", but don't be angry or upset about how things change - they always will! :-)
Lordy. And I bet you had to walk uphill six miles in the snow both ways to and from school every day, Grandpa.
WoW is an evolving product. Times change. Think fondly on the fun you had with earlier iterations of WoW and look forward to having more fun with future iterations if you are so inclined to continue.
I for one welcome most of the changes Blizzard has made. WoW is a game, after all, and anything they can do to reduce drudgery I am in full support of (including glowing herbs; those were torture to see as a color-blind player).
Back to you.
Well put Cerias, I agree with you 100% and I too think it sucks. But like you I will shamefully stand in line to get the gear they are just handing everyone. I personally got to experience almost everything from open beta till now. I can honestly say it wouldn't be the same if I hadn't. It is truely sad but it's Blizz's decision. I can only hope each person finds some aspect of the game they like and enjoy's it, because if you don't, what are you paying 15 dollars a month for ?
Cheers
Sichosis (Silan)
70 NE Rogue Whisperwind (on break)
I guess it could be viewed as a whine... or as a QQ post... but seeing as I am in the casual spectrum... no longer raiding the hardcore dungeons I find that position hard to back up. I may be a casual gamer... but I do not want access to BT "quality" loots for running heroics... even though I can barely scrape time for a Kara run on the weekend. I don't know how to make it anymore clear then that. Risk vs. Reward is what it comes down to and without its not really an MMO in my eyes.
I am also quite capable at math thanks Robert. I am not contesting that Blizz's choices are smart from the sell more, make more money perspective. They are quite successful at that. However I can say that many companies that begin to make games solely motivated by the money aspect tend not to succeed.
~CS
Not everyone has a raiding guild with bt on farm status heck there are even some of us who can't get their guild to do kara for those of us doing heroics in pre kara regular gear is I guess a bit more difficult than for those who already have uber gear.
so yes we do fail from time to time when trying to get 3 badges before returning to real life on a good day.
And then after weeks of saving them up we may have enough to buy a shiny new piece to replace our gear and get a step closer to those already in the uber loot.
For them to complain so much that casuals are catching up to them seem unjustified as one
we don't have the gear to have heroics on farm status
we don't play enough to save as much badges as you do
so it seems the ones that benefit the most of this are again the hardcore raiders.
*clap clap clap*
Spot on.
it's just like fans from unknown bands that suddenly becomes a success. The old fans will always think that the good songs are the old ones, and will enrage when see some teenager humming tunes from them on the streets.
There is an enormous gap between old-school beta testers and people like me, that started a few months ago. Is it so wrong to diminish this gap?
Raids will still be hard, and even if people eventually get their hands on 500 badges (jeez, I almost cried to sleep when I had to turn 10 of them for a Nether!), that will mean nothing. Raiding is about dedication and commitment, not ubber stats.
To finish, lemme say that 2.4 Badge Loot is not for casual players. It's for unlucky raiders that just can't get their tier 6 leg tokens to drop. Only them have 100 badges sitting around.
Wah. Sucks to be you
Quite a usual analysis, thanks for having shared yours with us.
Btw, no matter how easy it is to get kikoolol epics, I'm enjoying wow because of High end pve experience.
Did you cried of joy when you first got an epic loot? even BT like? I didn't. However, I did cry of joy when my teamates and me downed Ragnaros after tons of wipes! How many people manage or had the chance to see Ragnaros for real at level 60?
Gearing up sucks, and it sucks even more when you have to farm heroics for 5 badges.
Try Karazhan in green stuff and you will enjoy it :)
Understandably the Hardcore pvp community is taking up arms and complaining their loudest against the changes. It's a huge slap in the face from Blizzard. "Were glad that you spent months learning and breaking the competition... spending more time in an Arena than a PUG honor farmer would see in a lifetime. But were just going to let everyone else have the same quality loot for the work they have been doing in their Heroics & BG"
By the time 2.4 rolls around and all the "casuals" are decked in "Faux BT gear". I guess the hardcore raiders forte will be rolling around Shatt with thier newly aquired SUNWELL gear which they spent an extensive amount of time and money on. (And is also an extensive amount better than faux BT gear)
Sounds like the future to me....
Or maybe I should start complaining that my "sub-par" Kara gear from a PUG run, will be(or maybe already is?) obsolete when I go to Northrend. Sombody has got to do it. The hardcore raiders dont seem to be complaning that my "casual" S2 gear is "better" than the Kara gear they disenchanted to dust over 9 months ago.
That fang set from WC looks more and more like tasty sugarloaf everyday.
All for many paths to get epic gear... badges, PvP, PvE... not so keen on the complexity of the game getting whittled away. Last time I went looking for something in an antique shop to give to my mum for her birthday it didn't have a foot tall question mark floating above it.
If you don't need cunning and skill to play your class, and insight and curiosity explore the secrets of the play world then its getting ruined.
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