If the Cataclysm rumours are true, and they seem fairly logical, then I’m sure a lot of players will likely return to Azeroth, if only just to see what’s up. A nostalgic romp.
Basically what the rumours describe is a reimagining / remake of the original WoW content.
Maybe this is my current state of Diku-burnout talking, but there are sticky points for me:
- I liked WoW’s original design best. It peaked for me in late 2005 and since then it’s been downhill. Albiet a slow downhill, there’s no arguing against this: WoW is a great game. I just liked it better before. I know I can’t go back in time and I don’t think Blizzard can enter a magical time-warp either.
- WoW has moved further and further away from the game I enjoyed. I don’t see how a reboot will bring it back where I would have preferred. More likely that gap will just increase, with a final spike driven to the old areas.
- Blizzard has gutted the leveling experience so much, I can’t see how redoing continents will repair that. IE: Players able to accelerate to lvl 20, get a mount for a pittance, so swift travel will be everywhere. Or is the remixed Azeroth going to be promoted to Endgame content so this isn’t a concern?
There are other minor points as well: The lack of new classes, the fact that flying mounts in Azeroth is just overdue. The cynic in me also sees this as a way for Blizz to avoid creating as much new artwork as expansions usually consume.
It’d be nice to see the old areas get the upgrade treatment, but I would have preferred they hadn’t been virtually abandoned in the first place.
My status for WoW is mostly unchanged. I’m on a wait and see, but I’m not on the edge of my seat with it.
11 Comments »
#1 written by Keen
about 383 days ago
They may have gutted the leveling experience. They may have completely trivialized PvP in their game. They may have done X, Y, and Z all wrong.
-BUT-
This offers them a chance to fix it. Offers them a chance to set the game on a new (better) path. If the leaks are true then I feel like they’re taking the game down the exact path it needs to go. They need to make the heart of their game (Azeroth and Kalimdor) relevant again. They need to bring the heart of the lore back into the spotlight rather than focusing on just the end of Warcraft 3. These leaks appear to be aligning the game with Warcraft 2 – EXACTLY what the game and the future of Warcraft needs.
I have my fingers crossed that this isn’t a load of crap.
#2 written by Rog
about 383 days ago
There’s no doubt I agree, this is exactly the direction WoW needs to go from here. Lore-wise and game-wise this is where it should come together, exactly as you say, channelling Warcraft 2.
I guess I’m mostly skeptical that they’ll pull it off.
#3 written by Keen
about 382 days ago
I’m immensely skeptical about the whole thing. It’s been their modus operandi for the past 5 years to do the opposite of these rumors. Perhaps they’ve realized this. Perhaps they’re ready to make amends. I just doubt it.
#4 written by Rog
about 382 days ago
Oh I think they’ll try it. I just don’t actually see this as a return to the original WoW.
More of an erasing.
They’ll redo that content and make it similar to WotLK & TBC. Meh.
LOL I’m not sure who’s skeptical more.
#5 written by Keen
about 381 days ago
The sources I have close to Blizz employees are telling me this is “very accurate”. We’ll just have to see.
I get the feeling this is like an erasing as well. More of a “Well that was a fun 5 years… but really, let’s set the game on the fast track to the future”.
#6 written by JD
about 381 days ago
“Additional instance cannot be launched. Please try again later.”
Until this gets fixed, it doesn’t really matter what the plan to implement.
To be that in the proper frame of reference, I still pay to play this game. :(
#7 written by donna
about 380 days ago
You know the funny thing… I dislike the levelling process, and I dislike pvp, so … the game really works for me, and I’m enjoying it more than I ever have. :)
Anyway, on an unrelated note… http://www.massively.com/2009/08/13/lfm-massively-is-looking-for-a-few-good-bloggers/
;)
#8 written by Taekwandean
about 380 days ago
What do you all think of them recycling the Ony raid?
#9 written by Rog
about 380 days ago
@Taek: Actually that’s encouraging too, but I guess I’d have to see it and decide if I liked it. I’m not against them recycling per se, it all comes down to whether or not it’s less fun, more fun, or the same.
The gripe is that they should even have / want to, none of this stuff should have been deprecated in the first place IMHO. So yeah, I guess we just like to bitch about it. ;)
#10 written by Taekwandean
about 379 days ago
Yeah, I certainly agree that they should have made a greater effort (or at least some effort at all) to keep the old content relevant after the expansion(s), but what I was really asking is what we all thought about the accusation that they are losing steam on producing new content and are trying to cover themselves a bit with rehashes of the old?
#11 written by Rog
about 379 days ago
Ahhh. Yes, that I’ll agree on. That’s part of why I’m not expecting much of the remixed content, because it seems obvious to me that they wouldn’t be bothering at all if it wasn’t for the cost-saving factors of re-using art and other assets.
Mind you, the entire games industry is struggling with the art / assets issue. The expense of creating a AAA game has gone up dramatically with HDTV and gamer expectations for exceptional quality art. The games themselves don’t sell for more, but they’re supporting larger and larger development teams (200+ person teams are not unheard of).
That’s definitely a big part of the trend toward “casual” games, although it’ll bounce back when publishers want to create distinction against most of the shovelware.
I expect what we’ll see for awhile are sequels re-using assets and more licensed products (there’s already a ton of Star Wars art to leverage, ugh) and a few ventures into procedurally created visuals.
For Blizzard though, with their flagship product, they could afford more. This just really cements them in my mind as having become corporate and more about margins than creating great product.