Has WoW become too formulaic?

[styil]

EDIT: misspelled 'become' in title. If a mod could fix that I would be very thankful

Sure there are a couple of new gimmicks every now and then, but in general, it seems like Blizzard just sticks to the same old formula time and time again. There is way too much predictability in their game design as of late, which in my opinion, makes the game feel stale and gives the game a shorter life than it otherwise would have. As players who have been around for a while and mastered the game, this predictability only compounds the problem. Even relatively newer players will pick up the formula very quickly, and it won't be long before they realise they start gaming the system, rather than playing the game.

Same 5 pieces of tier slots since Wrath
Same profession items every expansion (e.g. Darkmoon v18?)
Same materials collection
Item levels in multiples of 5
Instant catch up mechanics each patch
Same achievement patterns since Wrath (e.g. General, Dungeons, Loremaster, Glory, etc.)
Same reputation systems since Vanilla
Gear becoming even more streamlined
and the list goes on.

Collectively, they make the game feel too formulaic. Players have learned the developer patterns and behaviours and as a result, have become much more cyclical in their consumption of content. They know what's coming next (e.g. the catch up mechanics) so there's no reason to stay subscribed for this patch any longer. And it seems like the way that they are combating the problem is by adding emormous layers of RNG (e.g. +0-50ilvl? Titanforged gear) to the same stale old systems rather than shaking things up. I believe that this is the wrong way to go and will only cause more frustration, burnout and turnover from the playerbase than retention.

I believe that it's time WoW had a massive shake up at a fundamental level. The game's basic systems have become way too predictable even for relatively newer players and are well past their use by date. There needs to be a lot less predictability in developer behaviour with the content they produce and their systems.

[MoanaLisa]

I think they could shake things up a little more but it doesn't take very long to notice that as much as some people would like to see more changes, there are many that think the game is shaken up too much already. Revamping the game at a fundamental level will turn it into likely another game and is not likely to be as welcome as you would think. The game has history and a culture. And whatever anyone says it's still the most successful MMO ever and one reason for that is that it's stuck to its formula.

[Vineri]

Eventhing is predictable, thanks to homogenization. All the complainers who wanted something their class didn't have. All the whiners who wanted to wear gear they were not allowed to, or have access to top gear, without working for it. Have skills they didn't unlock. Many more, no time, my time is short.

All the twists and turns were removed. Old-world-mob special abilities to fight? gone. Heroic areas (mobs much higher than you)? gone.

There is a recent discussion about resistance gear in the Nostalrius Mega-Thread. Resistance gear complexity - gone.

Classes used to be strong or weak against other classes, Mega Man style. Homogenization nerfed that, making them more or less equal. I liked the old system, regardless how others said is was unfair (unfair because they couldn't play their class).

So long story short, company decisions Blizzard makes are unpredictable, game choices predictable. I'm hoping legacy gets released. It's a choice I made long ago.

[Relapses]

The better question is whether gamers have become too dependent on formulaic games.

WoW has adapted to trends spawned by the desires of players themselves. The LFG is the result of players wanting to spend less time forming groups. The LFR is the result of a desire by players to have all content available to them for the price of the monthly subscription. The catch up mechanics exist because of the desire for all players to be on a level playing field for endgame content. And as a result of all of these adaptations, WoW is in its current state.

Players like to blame Blizzard for the "boneheaded" decisions they make, but almost all of the systems which are most criticized by players exist because players asked for them to exist. And since they're here -- and they've been here for as long as they have -- it's unlikely for Blizzard to do a 180 on all of these changes to go back to systems which some players like to wax nostalgic about. I don't know if the game is per se in a better spot as a result of these changes but I do believe that it may have lost a lot more subscribers than it has already if they hadn't made these adaptations.

[Deleted]

Yeah it may be formulaic, but it can be also good thing for some players. Ie. i know that i don't need to gear my alts in a hurry, as i know there will be some easy catch-up gear in last patch. I know there's catch-up gear, but i still don't know how crappy it's implemented. Ie. tanaan jungle sucks, so i farmed it only on my main. Rest of my characters get just BoE baleful tokens. Legion catch-up may actually force you into playing that alt?

[styil]

Yeah it may be formulaic, but it can be also good thing for some players. Ie. i know that i don't need to gear my alts in a hurry, as i know there will be some easy catch-up gear in last patch. I know there's catch-up gear, but i still don't know how crappy it's implemented. Ie. tanaan jungle sucks, so i farmed it only on my main. Rest of my characters get just BoE baleful tokens. Legion catch-up may actually force you into playing that alt?

Ia that really a good thing? Not playing the game because you know that freebie gear is only a couple of months away? Design that actively encourages you to not play is a bit counter intuitive in my opinion.

[Aeriedk]

Eventhing is predictable, thanks to homogenization. All the complainers who wanted something their class didn't have. All the whiners who wanted to wear gear they were not allowed to, or have access to top gear, without working for it. Have skills they didn't unlock. Many more, no time, my time is short.

All the twists and turns were removed. Old-world-mob special abilities to fight? gone. Heroic areas (mobs much higher than you)? gone.

There is a recent discussion about resistance gear in the Nostalrius Mega-Thread. Resistance gear complexity - gone.

Classes used to be strong or weak against other classes, Mega Man style. Homogenization nerfed that, making them more or less equal. I liked the old system, regardless how others said is was unfair (unfair because they couldn't play their class).

So long story short, company decisions Blizzard makes are unpredictable, game choices predictable. I'm hoping legacy gets released. It's a choice I made long ago.

I relate to this quite a lot. I really enjoyed how everything in the past was a little more unique and now everything is relatively the same but in a different skin. A tank is a tank, a healer is a healer, a ranged is a ranged, and a melee is a melee. There really isn't too much we need this because of that anymore. I know that was intentionally, but now everyone just plays whats "best" creating giant clumps of particular classes not even each expansion anymore but every patch.

Personally I think the game needs more "unique" things to get rid of the homogenization, but I think that ship has sailed as they actively homogenized the game. I could hope for complexity to create a little inequality among players since we now there really isn't any between classes, but that ship has sailed too.

I lurk around the game, but I haven't played like I used to in years. Honestly its because the game changed, but in all the wrong ways. Things I felt they should have kept the same they changed and what I liked they changed. You never know though!

[FelPlague]

EDIT: misspelled 'become' in title. If a mod could fix that I would be very thankful

Sure there are a couple of new gimmicks every now and then, but in general, it seems like Blizzard just sticks to the same old formula time and time again. There is way too much predictability in their game design as of late, which in my opinion, makes the game feel stale and gives the game a shorter life than it otherwise would have. As players who have been around for a while and mastered the game, this predictability only compounds the problem. Even relatively newer players will pick up the formula very quickly, and it won't be long before they realise they start gaming the system, rather than playing the game.

Same 5 pieces of tier slots since Wrath
Same profession items every expansion (e.g. Darkmoon v18?)
Same materials collection
Item levels in multiples of 5
Instant catch up mechanics each patch
Same achievement patterns since Wrath (e.g. General, Dungeons, Loremaster, Glory, etc.)
Same reputation systems since Vanilla
Gear becoming even more streamlined
and the list goes on.

Collectively, they make the game feel too formulaic. Players have learned the developer patterns and behaviours and as a result, have become much more cyclical in their consumption of content. They know what's coming next (e.g. the catch up mechanics) so there's no reason to stay subscribed for this patch any longer. And it seems like the way that they are combating the problem is by adding emormous layers of RNG (e.g. +0-50ilvl? Titanforged gear) to the same stale old systems rather than shaking things up. I believe that this is the wrong way to go and will only cause more frustration, burnout and turnover from the playerbase than retention.

I believe that it's time WoW had a massive shake up at a fundamental level. The game's basic systems have become way too predictable even for relatively newer players and are well past their use by date. There needs to be a lot less predictability in developer behaviour with the content they produce and their systems.

were getting a cape added to teir so 6 peiceso f tear
no.. not really... every expansion has had diff profession items...
uhh... mining herbing and skinning? yeah its allmost like those are professions....
uhhh yes?
who cares?
who cares?
Who cares?
and who cares?

- - - Updated - - -

I relate to this quite a lot. I really enjoyed how everything in the past was a little more unique and now everything is relatively the same but in a different skin. A tank is a tank, a healer is a healer, a ranged is a ranged, and a melee is a melee. There really isn't too much we need this because of that anymore. I know that was intentionally, but now everyone just plays whats "best" creating giant clumps of particular classes not even each expansion anymore but every patch.

Personally I think the game needs more "unique" things to get rid of the homogenization, but I think that ship has sailed as they actively homogenized the game. I could hope for complexity to create a little inequality among players since we now there really isn't any between classes, but that ship has sailed too.

I lurk around the game, but I haven't played like I used to in years. Honestly its because the game changed, but in all the wrong ways. Things I felt they should have kept the same they changed and what I liked they changed. You never know though!

people used to do that in vanilla too, i rmeember so many people re-rolling mage, then come BC rerolling to other classes cause so much better

also thing is there is no way for them to make "something unique" as at this point they have done allmost anyting, so anything they do people will just go "ok this boss+ this boss" or "this rep" or "that system" so of coarse there isnt going to be brand new never seen before raids every patch

[Aeriedk]

were getting a cape added to teir so 6 peiceso f tear
no.. not really... every expansion has had diff profession items...
uhh... mining herbing and skinning? yeah its allmost like those are professions....
uhhh yes?
who cares?
who cares?
Who cares?
and who cares?

- - - Updated - - -



people used to do that in vanilla too, i rmeember so many people re-rolling mage, then come BC rerolling to other classes cause so much better

also thing is there is no way for them to make "something unique" as at this point they have done allmost anyting, so anything they do people will just go "ok this boss+ this boss" or "this rep" or "that system" so of coarse there isnt going to be brand new never seen before raids every patch

The class switching drives me nuts. I don't really mind from xpac to xpac, but from patch to patch and sometimes even balancing update to update kills me. Have some loyalty to your class I say! I've been playing DK main since they came out. Just wish people had to stick with something rather than switching to faceroll or the best DPS. I swear playing your class in the down times can make you a better player because then you really have to squeeze out everything you can from your class.

[FelPlague]

The class switching drives me nuts. I don't really mind from xpac to xpac, but from patch to patch and sometimes even balancing update to update kills me. Have some loyalty to your class I say! I've been playing DK main since they came out. Just wish people had to stick with something rather than switching to faceroll or the best DPS. I swear playing your class in the down times can make you a better player because then you really have to squeeze out everything you can from your class.

people have allways switched from patch to patch

[Aeriedk]

people have allways switched from patch to patch

There have always been people that do it, but never like it is now. The last time I was playing nearly my entire guild switched toons to facilitate better raiding. If we were pushing content hardcore it would be one thing, but we hardly could be described that. Just seems like everyone does it now and it is so easy to do it.

[Valech]

I wish it was. That way I could predict a few things for future addons. But I cant.

[Struggle]

The bland and stale taste comes from a lack of content. The lack of content comes from a vocal minority of casual players who demand catch up mechanics that effectively make the previous patch's content all but irrelevant.

Kills the immersion, kills the drive to see content as the reward isnt worth it, and kills people's drive to play anymore. Instead of an entire expansion of content to go through, you only have 1 patch/tier at a time in actuality.

[Dhrizzle]

Ia that really a good thing? Not playing the game because you know that freebie gear is only a couple of months away? Design that actively encourages you to not play is a bit counter intuitive in my opinion.

That seems like an odd way to look at the game. Are you skipping Legion because the next expansion will probably give a boost to lvl 110?