Thoughts On Cataclysm And Player Reactions
Posted by 
Amatera on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 43 Comments Tags: blackwing descent, blizzcon, burning crusade, cataclysm, expansion, grim batol, hellfire peninsula, itemization, players, stats, wrath of the lich king
Amatera on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 43 Comments Tags: blackwing descent, blizzcon, burning crusade, cataclysm, expansion, grim batol, hellfire peninsula, itemization, players, stats, wrath of the lich king
Cataclysm is changing many things, but perhaps nothing moreso than player psychology. The thing you really have to be careful about, when deciding what information to reveal for an expansion that's still at least nine months out, is how that's going to impact progression from right now, up until its release.
We've witnessed it before: the vast swaths of people who fret for the worth of their gear when Wrath was announced. Many had considered themselves burned by the instant upgrades they found when they first stepped foot into Hellfire Peninsula. All the goodies that they had earned through blood, sweat, and tears of high-end raiding; so many epics, just completely wiped out by a green or a blue won for killing a few basic demons.
Blizzard took note of this and made gear scale differently in Wrath of the Lich King. I admit that I didn't find very many replacements for my Rogue's gear until I got into the 78-80 range. Sure, there's an innate thrill in obtaining cheap upgrades, but it surely isn't one that lasts very long.
Even though I'm sure Cataclysm will continue this positive trend, the effects of itemization mismanagement are still felt. I was shocked to hear that one of my guildmates hadn't even heard there was going to be an expansion, but when words reached his ears, he briefly sighed and wondered if all of this neat stuff he'd be accumulating would be worth anything a year from now. Who knows? Maybe initially, but it never will in the long run. Even Icecrown Citadel gear will likely struggle to find a home with the equipment that drops from Blackwing Descent or Grim Batol.
But I don't consider that to be a big deal anymore. I think a lot of people (and I know for sure that I have) accepted that as part of the game. It's always the effort I put into obtaining an epic that I appreciate more than the item itself (unless it looks really, really cool).
cataclysm logo
Cataclysm is already having its effect on players in other ways. One major issue is, of course, the controversial change to stats. Players are going to have to start wondering whether or not that extra Armor Penetration or MP5 is worth it on their next drop. In the end, this probably won't be a huge deal. All of these extraneous stats will be folded into the basic ones, so while you'll see certain things disappear entirely, you'll see others boosted greatly.
I believe this is something that will resolve itself with time, but players react quickly and fiercely whenever they're confronted with such sweeping changes. For the record, I agree with Blizzard's decision, and I think their reasoning is sound (that most people can't eyeball legitimate upgrades on the spot). It's just going to affect player habits, and I think that's what really scares people.
Naturally, we all fear the unknown, and while we know a lot more about the expansion than we did a week ago, it's done nothing but raise more questions. When nobody can provide concrete answers, the mob gets antsy. And that's when we get extreme claims of people quitting en masse or calling out Blizzard for ruining the game. The fact of the matter is that we've gone through this at least two times before, and the number of people who play WoW has only increased.
We'll get used to the differences, and we'll get through it again. But until we can wrap our grimy mitts around our very own copies of Cataclysm, player habits are still going to change. There's a psychological effect associated with anticipation that causes people to fear until the worst of things are over. Think of it as a roller coaster. Right now we're going up the first hill, we're tensing up, we're worried about what's to come, but as we crest that hill and start to come down the other side, we'll let loose and enjoy ourselves.
As I said earlier, I've come to accept a good many things about the nature of the MMORPG, and World of Warcraft specifically, but if there's one thing I know I'm personally going to have to change, it's this: I'm going to really have to pump the brakes on my habit of creating new alts.
Right now, I'm working on a Paladin. It's Level 73. When I hit the level cap, that means I'll have five 80s. But I really want to experience all of the new and improved 1-60 content. I want to move along the new leveling paths, complete all the new quests, and see what Goblins and Worgen have to offer.
One of the reasons I've never gotten an Alliance character past the mid-20s is because I hated having to jump around the world only to find a small pocket of quests available at each new location. Leveling a Horde character isn't a cakewalk, but Alliance just felt so much worse to me. Now that I have a race that I'd actually like to be, and the flow of leveling is going to be streamlined, I think I might be taking my first Alliance character to the cap.
I just have to make sure that I leave some classes untouched until Cataclysm comes around!
So what about you folks out there? Has the expansion already changed your playing habits? Do you think these are positive or negative changes? Are you worried about what's to come or have you already begun to accept what Cataclysm plans to offer?
We've witnessed it before: the vast swaths of people who fret for the worth of their gear when Wrath was announced. Many had considered themselves burned by the instant upgrades they found when they first stepped foot into Hellfire Peninsula. All the goodies that they had earned through blood, sweat, and tears of high-end raiding; so many epics, just completely wiped out by a green or a blue won for killing a few basic demons.
Blizzard took note of this and made gear scale differently in Wrath of the Lich King. I admit that I didn't find very many replacements for my Rogue's gear until I got into the 78-80 range. Sure, there's an innate thrill in obtaining cheap upgrades, but it surely isn't one that lasts very long.
Even though I'm sure Cataclysm will continue this positive trend, the effects of itemization mismanagement are still felt. I was shocked to hear that one of my guildmates hadn't even heard there was going to be an expansion, but when words reached his ears, he briefly sighed and wondered if all of this neat stuff he'd be accumulating would be worth anything a year from now. Who knows? Maybe initially, but it never will in the long run. Even Icecrown Citadel gear will likely struggle to find a home with the equipment that drops from Blackwing Descent or Grim Batol.
But I don't consider that to be a big deal anymore. I think a lot of people (and I know for sure that I have) accepted that as part of the game. It's always the effort I put into obtaining an epic that I appreciate more than the item itself (unless it looks really, really cool).
cataclysm logoCataclysm is already having its effect on players in other ways. One major issue is, of course, the controversial change to stats. Players are going to have to start wondering whether or not that extra Armor Penetration or MP5 is worth it on their next drop. In the end, this probably won't be a huge deal. All of these extraneous stats will be folded into the basic ones, so while you'll see certain things disappear entirely, you'll see others boosted greatly.
I believe this is something that will resolve itself with time, but players react quickly and fiercely whenever they're confronted with such sweeping changes. For the record, I agree with Blizzard's decision, and I think their reasoning is sound (that most people can't eyeball legitimate upgrades on the spot). It's just going to affect player habits, and I think that's what really scares people.
Naturally, we all fear the unknown, and while we know a lot more about the expansion than we did a week ago, it's done nothing but raise more questions. When nobody can provide concrete answers, the mob gets antsy. And that's when we get extreme claims of people quitting en masse or calling out Blizzard for ruining the game. The fact of the matter is that we've gone through this at least two times before, and the number of people who play WoW has only increased.
We'll get used to the differences, and we'll get through it again. But until we can wrap our grimy mitts around our very own copies of Cataclysm, player habits are still going to change. There's a psychological effect associated with anticipation that causes people to fear until the worst of things are over. Think of it as a roller coaster. Right now we're going up the first hill, we're tensing up, we're worried about what's to come, but as we crest that hill and start to come down the other side, we'll let loose and enjoy ourselves.
As I said earlier, I've come to accept a good many things about the nature of the MMORPG, and World of Warcraft specifically, but if there's one thing I know I'm personally going to have to change, it's this: I'm going to really have to pump the brakes on my habit of creating new alts.
Right now, I'm working on a Paladin. It's Level 73. When I hit the level cap, that means I'll have five 80s. But I really want to experience all of the new and improved 1-60 content. I want to move along the new leveling paths, complete all the new quests, and see what Goblins and Worgen have to offer.
One of the reasons I've never gotten an Alliance character past the mid-20s is because I hated having to jump around the world only to find a small pocket of quests available at each new location. Leveling a Horde character isn't a cakewalk, but Alliance just felt so much worse to me. Now that I have a race that I'd actually like to be, and the flow of leveling is going to be streamlined, I think I might be taking my first Alliance character to the cap.
I just have to make sure that I leave some classes untouched until Cataclysm comes around!
So what about you folks out there? Has the expansion already changed your playing habits? Do you think these are positive or negative changes? Are you worried about what's to come or have you already begun to accept what Cataclysm plans to offer?
Reader Comments (43)
first
Personally, after some reflection, I think a lot of the changes are going to be exciting and bring a sense of 'freshness'...no NOT of the Prince of Bel-Air kind...but rather a new sense of adventure as we travel about the new and improved? Azeroth.
Class changes may take a great deal of getting used to but for me, the allure of the changes is making the most of them. Challenges, after all, are meant to be taken, accepted, and beaten, not run away from screaming "OP NERF!"
I may have to delete some of my mid level characters just to enjoy the new process of leveling in a new and exciting Azeroth...high level ones are gonna change to Worgen lol
@highwayman
psh I am for damn sure gonna roll a goblin when I get the expansion lol
As far as the changes go I felt pretty upset when I saw that Blizzard was going to so drastically change the way the game played and how you were meant to look at gear but as I start to think about it more and more I start to realize that I don't exactly love the way it right now.
well, a brand new (old) azeroth is cool, new quests, itens and races...but what really pissed me off was " VC and SFK heroics" k, i now its new and cool, but man, what happend to the other low lvl dungeons, i will like to see a new BFD, WC...even with the new LFG. The new LFG make real easy to find a party to the low lvl dungeons but, i still think that we need an new atractive to do this low lvl dungeos, since a lot of players have friends high lvl to rush them in, or pay for some High lvl for a quick rush, i don't know about u guys, but for me, thw old dungeos content still sucks
Frankly i understand the pyschological effect, not working on "another" mage on "another server" for the fun of it cause i wanna be worgen, and the stat changes have made me thing alittle different, but not much. The biggest "worry" i have is more about Azeroth's change in the fact that the new people coming into the game(like a friend of mine who jsut got WoW not too long ago) will have to deal with a new azeroth that even there friends don't know. But to that it will also make the new players feel like they are needed in this time of a Cataclysm
What do you mean by people are going to have to consider if the next drop with Mp5 or Armor Pen is really worth it? Those stats are going away entirely in the expansion, so people can STOP caring about them when its out :P
@Globality
Well, they're still going to matter in the meantime, right?
Everything this expansion brings is for the better. Nothing bad about it.
For playing habits? Well, word slipped by Chris Metzen, Mike Morhaime, and a few other Blizz devs in interviews that Cataclysm will be out in 2010, maybe as early as Next BlizzCon (Before August)
With that in mind, and also with the gear issue you pointed out, Im just grinding away for Gold; doing 25 dailies ata time.
Faction Change will most likely be out before Cata, so I can make this guy Alliance. With that said, I will easily be able to make my Worgen Warrior (Gettin back to my roots) and mail all of my accumulated gold, bags, etc from Octaviax to my new worgen, Xzenor.
Man. Rerolling never felt so good
a lot of people i have talked to are upset that the new expansion is offering nothing "new" (i.e. the demon homeworld and such) but the game has always been about Azeroth and it's inhabitants. i think it's fantastic that the "old"world is being updated. it's about bloody time. we all killed hogger. he should not still be pestering the guards of elwynn. the world evolves, thanks to our (and the baddies) impact on it. i am very excited to see this expansion come to fruition. and yes, some stats are going away, but not for a while, so an up is an up still, and i will not be considering the gear changes of the next expansion on my very next drop from ToC. those who are, are just being silly
Well once Cata comes out my guild leaders switching to Aion. Our lead shaman already sharded his gear/deleted his toon/and uninstalled WoW that on saturday. Anyway need a troll priest?
Wow, those are some pretty extreme reactions! I wouldn't want someone that kneejerk leading my guild, anyway.
If he's that insistent, then why wouldn't your GL switch to Aion sooner, as it's sure to launch before Cataclysm.
I laughed at those sad people who keeps QQ-ing and saying WOW is getting ruined. We had 2 expansions already and a hell load of people are still around, even those who QQ'd about Draenei and BElf lore problems in TBC, about Allies getting Shammies and Horde getting Pallies.
It's all the same shit, they'll QQ, they'll leave, but guess what? at least 2 other people will join WOW and when those leavers saw their friends playing Cataclysm and enjoying it, they might join back in.
WOW change, history doesn't, it'll just repeat itself over and over.
@Conchuir
Actually there will be new zones like always been, like the Elemental plane`s.
And some underwater/islands that we will level up in.
i personally am not happy that Blizz has annouced the next xpac already. Wrath isnt even finished and im sure there will be more changes to come with Wrath. Cataclysm better not come out for atleast 6 months+ after Icecrown Citidel is put out on the live servers. this way it gives players plenty of time to experience all this expansion has to offer.
I wanna make a goblin and a tauren pally, but good God do I dread having to start back at lvl 1(which is the only reason I made a DK).
@Shamtastik
You hit the nail right on the head!
All of you QQs, if you don't like the changes, then nobody is forcing you stay. Go play Aion or Eve and in 6 months you will be doing the same thing, complaining about the changes they made to that game.
WoW is still the best MMROPG on the market no matter what they do to the content (which keeps getting better). The fact that old Azeroth is going to change, bringing a new line of quest for each faction makes lvling from 1 exciting again. Yes, our current gear will become worthless, but that means more raiding, crafting and rep grinding, which is not a bad thing and Blizzard is working on becoming less "grindy" to level a toon.
I have already reserved my copy of Cataclysm and look forward to many more years of WoW.
RESPECT THE SHAMAN!!
I love people saying "Good God! I don't want to have to level another alt again." why do you think they are changing the way you level? At least this way they make is different so that maybe it isnt such a boring task. Bring it on Blizz! Cant wait.
With the new expansion the flying in azeroth, easier farming materials, much more low lv ganking >:), and makes traveling around there faster. :D
Worgen Mage ftw! Mirror Image + Worgen = Pack Attack..... anyways, there might be a reason why we are gaining only 5 lvs instead of 10 my guess:..... we defeat Deathwing, Nozdormu comes back and returns the world to the way it was before the destrustion, then Nozdormu leaves again, then either we continue againest the Lich King or Azshara comes forth and begins a ritual to summon Sargaras and we have to gain 5 more to stop/slow the summoning.....my guess most likely not right but still atm im happy about Worgen Mages, tho' i dont lv classes again but Worgen Mages seem awesome to me....
i think that i've reduced my attempts at raiding all of the instances i can. i've set into a more "help guild and get hierloom items" stance. (hierloom item are the bind on account stuff. The fact is that the xpac seems to kinda be a half version almost as if it should be called xpac 2.5. the only major thing is the new places that need programming and the new classes.
um haha ive red that someones guild leader is switching to aion hahahaha i have no idea whats the big hyp on that game its not very good its not smooth its all patchy yes you get to fly at lvl 10 or so and yes it hase very very good graphics but not everyone has the comp power to have at least the minnumummmm graph lvl and youd have to buy like a 1-4000$ comp haha but ive played it wow is way better and ive herd that this new CATA is suppost to it self blow aion right out of the water and wow runs way smoother sorry haha i can go on all day commparing aion to wow but all i have to say is allience ROXS HORD SUCKS and CATA WIILL ROOOCCCKKK!!!
im exited 4 the expansion....cept the idea of TAUREN PALLIES!!!!!....SERIOUSLY BLIZZ.....WTF!!?!?!? HOW DOES THT MAKE ANY SENSE!?!?!? AT LEAST U ENCOUNTER DWARF SHAMMANS IN THE ULDUAR INSTANCES!!!......TUAREN......PALLY.....FUCK NO
Why the hell is every 1 sucking up 2 this next x pac (should be calld money pac, for blizz!!) its just gnna make wow even shitier just like BC then lich king, its stupid and should be reduced back to core wow thats the only x pac that im ever gnna buy again
all you noobs " catas gonna rawk" thats what evry 1 said bout lich king and lich king suks and it boring and to easy
if u think is "gonna rawk" you prolly a little kid or never played real wow aka core wow where shit wasnt easy as takin a piss. wow is a joke money cow for blizz and ur all just feeding it
/Sigh
Do any of you read lore posts here, or on wowwiki.com? In WoW there is dialogue discussing how tauren have roots with the Light/sun. Therefore paladins and priests. It's really not that far fetched. Tauren- sun/nature. Night elves- moon/nature.
I'm getting really tired of people QQing about the new class combinations. They complain about something in lore that they really know nothing about. I will admit, my knowledge on lore is sketchy at best, but it's easily looked up. Like, there ARE night elf mages, they are called highborne, am I correct? What's stopping them from returning?
As far as the other changes go, I'm looking foward to it. I'm very sentimental and I'll miss the old azeroth, but I'd love to have a brand new experience leveling an alt, and just like Amatera, I will stop making new alts too, so I can have a new happy fun time.
@ hoodie
Stop trolling. WotLK is too easy...do you have Algalon on farm then? Wtb armory link. And.... you're spending time on a site based on WoW when you're such a hater? Stop wasting your own money then. But keep posting, gives the rest of us a good laugh.