Friday, June 26, 2009

Dumbing Down, or "Is Warcraft Sliding Into Easymode?"

According to WoW Insider, there's a new feature coming to mark quest goals on your map and people are complaining about dumbing down the game.

I have a different perspective. Yes, it's making questing easier, but...

It's not really changing anything.

This will function exactly the same as looking up coordinates or using QuestHelper. If you do either regularly, nothing will change except the time taken to find your goal (and perhaps a gig of free space when you delete QuestHelper?).

Aside from that, those who don't use those resources and try to stay pure to the game are almost all at endgame anyway and won't be using this feature except maybe when new dailies come out, leveling an alt, or the next expansion--and do NOT tell me those whiners won't use this new feature like cheap little hypocrites in their race to 90 for the precious server firsts.

But for the most part, the hardcore purists don't need this feature because they're busy trying to down uber hardmode raid bosses. It is not making their part of the game any easier, so I don't see why they should care, unless they have the stupid idea that everyone should have leveling as hard as they did. (Times have changed, guys. Get over it.)

Me, I'm ecstatic, and not just because I can delete QuestHelper now.

I'm happy because I can FINALLY stop looking up directions for lazy people. Yes, some people seriously won't tab out to Wowhead. /exasperated

This change doesn't make the entire game easier. It makes leveling quicker. And since the majority of players have at least one 80, faster and easier leveling is a good thing.

Altoholics rejoice.

4 comments:

  1. Hm. Mixed feelings.

    I've been playing about a year and a half. I have one level 80 and a cadre of alts between levels 20 and 70 strung across servers, factions, races and classes. I enjoy tanking Northrend heroics with my DK, but I am in no way "trying to down uber hardmode raid bosses." I've never even been on a raid.

    I really like the levelling game. I like the quests, the scenery, the lore, the storylines. I like running instances with appropriately levelled parties for the challenge, the contest, the excitement of it. WoW is a wonderfully crafted game. Not just the end game, but from level 1 on up.

    No, I don't look up coordinates, I don't use Quest Helper.

    I guess in game quest assistance is a good thing if what you want is to get your latest alt to current content ASAP . . . but I'd like to enjoy the journey there. Faster, easier levelling is not my friend. It means I've got quest chains turning gray on me before I'm done with them. It means people I should hook up with to run instances outlevel me too quickly to really do more than one or two runs.

    But I have to admit, wowhead is nice when I'm stumped. I mean, I do not agree with the blanket statement that "faster and easier levelling is a good thing". Even though I do have one level 80 and another alt in Northrend . . . but I do like the quest objective tool tips that pop up now. I'll probably like this too.

    I guess if I want to level slowly, I don't have to use the tools they give us. It is frustrating, though, to watch players I enjoyed running an instance with leave me in the levelling dust. It's disappointing that no one stays at level 60 long enough to get a group of together for AQ20 or Zul'Aman. They seem like really awesome good times.

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  2. My brother likes the lore part of leveling, but I do think having the tools doesn't mean you can't still take your time.

    I understand the feeling of being left behind. I've had more than one friend who played more often than me and got their characters higher faster. I think it's just inherent in play time and play style, the people behind the characters, rather than the game itself.

    I also don't expect every 80 to be pwning raids, because not every 80 is hardcore. But at 80, your life ceases to revolve around quests and this change really won't affect the 80 lifestyle all that much.

    And, hey, I'd go to AQ with you if we shared a server. We have yet to clear AQ40, despite our high level. Apathy/scheduling is part, but the coordination wasn't there either. To do old world raids, you have to get your raid leaders to care.

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  3. Personally I don't feel like I'm effected much by the quest helper. I've leveled enough characters that I pretty much know 99% of the quests by heart (kinda sad really T_T).

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  4. This new feature COULD help you level faster but it doesn't REQUIRE you to level faster. They're not upping quest XP again, just giving you a little map spot so you know where such-and-such a quest can be completed.

    I really could have used this when I first started the game. I was completely lost, alone in the wilderness. It took me two full days of play to reach level 6 and head from Northshire Abbey to Goldshire because I couldn't find the specific Kobolds I needed (they were in a cave on the edge of the zone). It didn't make it more fun, it made it more frustrating. I have a terrible sense of direction and knew nothing about Wowhead (or in my case, Thottbot) or "mods" or any of that stuff. This is going to be a great tool for any leveling character and is going to be mostly irrelevant to those who only play at high-level.

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