Comments on: The Escalation of Convenience http://rog.gameslate.com/2009/08/the-escalation-of-convenience/ The world, virtual or real, as Rog sees it. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 06:00:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Ninetytwo http://rog.gameslate.com/2009/08/the-escalation-of-convenience/comment-page-1/#comment-164 Ninetytwo Thu, 13 Aug 2009 12:46:25 +0000 http://rog.gameslate.com/?p=1073#comment-164 I think Bliz believes that it can force itself to create newer, more fun gameplay by hewing to a content nerf schedule that routinely culls old (usually more grindy) content. By and large, they've succeeded: the game is so much less grindy in every aspect of play than it was at launch. Of course, it leaves old-timers feeling less special for having done something when it was hard, but Blizz basically believes that kind of vanity shouldn't be playing a role in their game design decisions. Except, of course, when it does-- raiding is still the top of the ziggurat for gear, save for PvP gear that is very difficult for non-arena jockeys to get. But in general, it's just more of Blizzard's standard policy of pushing people toward their newest content. I think Bliz believes that it can force itself to create newer, more fun gameplay by hewing to a content nerf schedule that routinely culls old (usually more grindy) content.

By and large, they’ve succeeded: the game is so much less grindy in every aspect of play than it was at launch. Of course, it leaves old-timers feeling less special for having done something when it was hard, but Blizz basically believes that kind of vanity shouldn’t be playing a role in their game design decisions.

Except, of course, when it does– raiding is still the top of the ziggurat for gear, save for PvP gear that is very difficult for non-arena jockeys to get.

But in general, it’s just more of Blizzard’s standard policy of pushing people toward their newest content.

]]> By: Rog http://rog.gameslate.com/2009/08/the-escalation-of-convenience/comment-page-1/#comment-163 Rog Thu, 13 Aug 2009 01:15:45 +0000 http://rog.gameslate.com/?p=1073#comment-163 Correction noted and changed in the article above. =) Correction noted and changed in the article above. =)

]]> By: Donna http://rog.gameslate.com/2009/08/the-escalation-of-convenience/comment-page-1/#comment-162 Donna Wed, 12 Aug 2009 23:20:44 +0000 http://rog.gameslate.com/?p=1073#comment-162 "Is changing" should be "has changed" -- patch came out a week ago. :) Really, they're sort of doing both removing & adding of hurdles. Remove a hurdle? Drop the mount req level. Add a hurdle? Lvl cap 80. :) Heck, you think that's bad, ALL dungeons (regular lvl 80 heroics and all) drop badges of conquest, the uber-leet badges of last Monday. As an example, I had 20 badges of conquest last monday. Yesterday, I spent 58 on a new high level hat, and still have another 10 in my bag... and that's peanuts compared to some of my guildmates. :) I like it, though. It means much less having to run through Naxx AGAIN FOR THE SEVENTYBILLIONTH TIME to gear up guildmates so they can get into the fun instances, and more ... well, fun instances. :D “Is changing” should be “has changed” — patch came out a week ago. :)

Really, they’re sort of doing both removing & adding of hurdles. Remove a hurdle? Drop the mount req level. Add a hurdle? Lvl cap 80. :)

Heck, you think that’s bad, ALL dungeons (regular lvl 80 heroics and all) drop badges of conquest, the uber-leet badges of last Monday. As an example, I had 20 badges of conquest last monday. Yesterday, I spent 58 on a new high level hat, and still have another 10 in my bag… and that’s peanuts compared to some of my guildmates. :)

I like it, though. It means much less having to run through Naxx AGAIN FOR THE SEVENTYBILLIONTH TIME to gear up guildmates so they can get into the fun instances, and more … well, fun instances. :D

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