Would you play WoW if it didn't have raiding?

[Deavane]

I would not play WoW if raiding was gone. I won't touch other games that don't have it either. It is the reason I play MMOs.

Everything I do in this game is to best prepare for the raid tier to come. My goal in WoW is to push as high as I can when it comes to guild rank.

Note: Eventually there is a ceiling when it comes to competitive progression raiding. I simply look to beat all other guilds that raid a similar schedule. The icing on the cake comes when you best guilds that raid more than you.

[Bullarkie]

I would most definitely leave for a different game. I thought WoD raiding was not only challenging but a lot of fun. It took a lot of pulls to kill Mythic Archimonde but it felt great when he went down.

[Iflash]

Yeah I would. But I am an achievement hunter, so I have something else to focus on. Back in Vainilla and BC there was more to the game than raiding, nowadays? Not so much.

[kurama]

Yes, but if i play a new xpac and is a warlords 2.0 whitout raids i guess I will be playing just the first 6 months

[Queen of Hamsters]

I probably would since I fell in love with the game before I knew what raiding was. BUT, I would play less. A lot less.
The few times that I've been prohibited from raiding due to real life, I've felt that I'm missing out on content and not getting to test myself and experience it with others.

[Desparil]

No, nooooope

[Mytheros]

Since mid Cata I *have* been playing WoW without raiding....with only one exception -- if the one awesome guild I was with (and with the same exact people still playing) existed still then I'd think about raiding again, but besides that one exception I've had more fun without the "hassles" of raiding than with them.

[Drynix]

I always wonder, to those that don't raid, what do you do in the game?

I get the group of people that are there for the PvP, but there are people that don't raid and don't pvp. I got a couple of them in the guild and whenever I ask them they mostly respond with an "I dunno, lol".

[Deleted]

It depends. If raiding was gone I would expect that slack to be picked up somewhere, probably dungeons. I'm not a fan of raiding but if they dropped it entirely and left everything else the same I would probably give it up as a lost cause. If they started doing more launch dungeons and then new dungeons with patches I'd likely enjoy it more than I do now.

There's no universal law that says MMO end game needs to be raiding but it would be important to understand what WoW's end game would be under the circumstances. Most subscribers to WoW play the game without participating in organized raiding so anything is really possible.

Don't Blizz have any math on the demand for small group content versus organized raiding?

If they do then we all know what they are going to do as WoW's budget continues to shrink.

Jaina might find peace again.

[Camthur]

While I wouldn't want them to have no raiding since so many do enjoy it, a part of me would be thrilled with the potential of that situation. In that scenario, maybe they'd put the dang story out in the world where it belongs.

Raiding should be where you go test yourself and get a higher tier of equipment while hanging out with others. The last thing is should be is the place people HAVE to go if they want to see how the expansion ends.

[Deleted]

The last thing is should be is the place people HAVE to go if they want to see how the expansion ends.

We can agree on that.

Raids should focus mostly on gameplay IMO. I imagine raids are hard enough to create without adding storylines to them that cease being entertaining after clearing them once.

It's better to make the story of an MMO accessible to everyone outside of raids where players can see everything at their own pace, IMO.

I imagine that it wouldn't be hard to prove that most raiders raid mostly for the gameplay.

[jmpfleegor]

yes, but only if they replaced the raids with other content.

[MoanaLisa]

Don't Blizz have any math on the demand for small group content versus organized raiding?

If they do then we all know what they are going to do as WoW's budget continues to shrink.

Jaina might find peace again.

I'm sure they have a lot of math. I'm also sure they have a lot of respect for the game's history and culture which includes raiding as a very top-of-the-line feature. There's a lot of talk about the developer's bent toward grasping after money but if that were strictly the case raiding would not be in the prominent place in the game that it is today. Sure, it's about the game they want to play but the history and culture that exists in a game as old as this one matters. That's exactly why they have gone so far out of their way to insure that anyone that wants to see the inside of a raid can see one.

[Luckx]

Last i did max lvl non LFR raid was WOTLK, ICC. Im playing WOW for Questing,World PVP, Random bgs, Arena, Professions, not raids. But i would like to see ICC/Ulduar/Naxxramas TimeWalking raids

[Deleted]

I'm sure they have a lot of math.

I am impressed by how you can argue with yourself.

Do what the math tells you to do.

That's what you would tell me.

[MoanaLisa]

I am impressed by how you can argue with yourself.

Do what the math tells you to do.

That's what you would tell me.

Acknowledging that developers may have their own preferences which might be different than mine is not arguing with myself. It's a very limited view of a discussion in which everyone just makes demands based on what they prefer instead of acknowledging that the actual people in charge of the game may not view things like I do. The essence of what I said, just to be clear, is that while they may have a lot of math, the culture of the game may matter more than the math. That's a choice they can make and we should be aware of that whether or not we agree with it. If I were game director and raids couldn't generate more than 15-20% participation without something like LFR I personally would probably change that given the resources they take up. I don't always just belt out my own opinions with demands that everyone think like I do. That's not really the basis for a discussion.

[Baine]

To the OP: Since I do not care about raids and raiding I would likely continue to play WoW.

- - - Updated - - -

I always wonder, to those that don't raid, what do you do in the game?

I get the group of people that are there for the PvP, but there are people that don't raid and don't pvp. I got a couple of them in the guild and whenever I ask them they mostly respond with an "I dunno, lol".

I did not enter in Hellfire since last august since I was so tired of raids. I farmed Tanaan Jungle on my mains (H and A) and on alts. Ran several mythic dungeons runs and checked my garrison missions regularly. I am not unsubscribed now but toward the end of my sub, I ran a lot of random bgs.

Oh I also, I like to farm old raids.

[Deleted]

Acknowledging that developers may have their own preferences which might be different than mine is not arguing with myself. It's a very limited view of a discussion in which everyone just makes demands based on what they prefer instead of acknowledging that the actual people in charge of the game may not view things like I do.

Then why are you here?

Your world is small, remember? I'm sure you've done the math on that already.

There's a world outside of Blizzard.

The essence of what I said, just to be clear, is that while they may have a lot of math, the culture of the game may matter more than the math.

So let me see if I understand you correctly: Blizzard is a for-profit company that will make as much money as possible for the least effort, which is perfectly acceptable for a business that isn't violating anyone's free will, but WoW has a culture of raiding that needs to be maintained even though it is becoming less and less relevant and Blizz can focus their energy on more small group content that will probably be received much better.

Are you deliberately fighting with yourself or are you naturally conflicted?

You know what would be great for the game overall? If millions of people returned, then WoW would receive more investment in all areas of the game.

Or we could let this go, and just adapt to whatever happens.

[NightTrain32]

Would have no point for me the challenge and gear are the only reason I play. As the story has become further and further removed from WCIII I seem to get less attached to the story.

[Deleted]

Yeah, I'd still play WoW without raiding. I spend most of my time roleplaying, anyway, so raiding barely affects me.