Does exclusivity make a better game? Gating content

[Deleted]

Be happy that you are getting what you want. Yeah, you don't get to be that special snowflakes in shiny raid gear in front of the bank anymore. That is the price YOU have to pay for having raids. The others are paying more because they are not getting the content that truly want.

I truly don't want raids exclusive just for showing off. You can't even do that nowadays because of transmogs.
Who is going to inspect you to watch a number (itemlvl)? No one cares about numbers.

I just want that feeling of adventure and the feeling of having something above me, never seen, waiting to be done. The oldschool journey is what made raiding so special.
They could make raids exclusive and not making the requirement of "you must complete the previous raid to enter the new one".
Everyone could enter the raid just not kill the last boss if you don't have the skill/coordination.

This way you can see all raids, farm gear and still have that feeling of adventure.

[Lady Dragonheart]

In moderation leaning towards no. The only thing that I can understand retiring are expansion-questline-long rewards. Pandaria Cloaks and the Draenor Rings, for example. The things that proved that you played then and required some sense of dedication toward advancing the story, but weren't notoriously difficult to get (for most).

[Thelin]

I truly don't want raids exclusive just for showing off.
This way you can see all raids, farm gear and still have that feeling of adventure.

They do, its called LFR. Exclusive content should be a reward for people who put forth more effort. Take, Sinestra. You had to kill Heroic Cho'gall to unlock her, not normal, Heroic. That was exclusive to people who put forth that extra effort. Having gating requirements can take many forms. Brutallus was a gating requirement in Sunwell he was a massive gear check because it was a DPS race. Gates in this game take many forms in terms of rep, items, skill, gear, content, etc. Some are better ways than others.

[Sansnom]

I just want that feeling of adventure and the feeling of having something above me, never seen, waiting to be done. The oldschool journey is what made raiding so special.
They could make raids exclusive and not making the requirement of "you must complete the previous raid to enter the new one".
Everyone could enter the raid just not kill the last boss if you don't have the skill/coordination.

This way you can see all raids, farm gear and still have that feeling of adventure.

Then, for whatever reason, you do not know what "exclusive" means.

You can lie to yourself. You can lie to others. But your post indicates otherwise.

Your adventure is your own. But you care more about what you have done and what others have not than having that "feeling of adventure".

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So what you're saying is it should cater to the no effort crowd where it all just drops out of the sky and into their laps.

Who said anything about having loot drops out of the sky. They just want to play the game and have some rewards. Just like you and everyone else like you.

Well, I suppose you got your wish, and I suppose wrath-like game play level would be entirely too much for the new WoW playing crowd that the game (temporarily) attracts these days.

If Blizzard is catering to anybody, it is catering to players like you. As I said, their focus has been raid. The want to make raids. They want to make people like raids. Rather than making contents that they like, they instead made raid easier so they can at least complete it and gets to the end.

If Blizzard truly were catering to the "no effort" crowds, raids would occupy a minority of their development time and effort.

[Jewsco]

Vanilla wow wasn't hardcore though.

Me and you know that but try to tell that to the vanilla server people. Things took longer to do but that didn't make it hardcore.

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I truly don't want raids exclusive just for showing off. You can't even do that nowadays because of transmogs.
Who is going to inspect you to watch a number (itemlvl)? No one cares about numbers.

I just want that feeling of adventure and the feeling of having something above me, never seen, waiting to be done. The oldschool journey is what made raiding so special.
They could make raids exclusive and not making the requirement of "you must complete the previous raid to enter the new one".
Everyone could enter the raid just not kill the last boss if you don't have the skill/coordination.

This way you can see all raids, farm gear and still have that feeling of adventure.

So as long as you get it and not most others that is exclusive for you right?
I just love the special snowflakes.

[Deleted]

So as long as you get it and not most others that is exclusive for you right?
I just love the special snowflakes.

LoL i know i will not be able to get it because i have mediocre skill. But i like to have something to look up to.

I was only capable of killing Arthas after the endless nerfs to Icecrown.
Also thought Naxxramas on WotlK was pretty hard and everyone laughs at me lol

But it's cool to have something you "can't do"...because it makes it much more special and you can hear the orgasms on Teamspeak after you defeat the boss (if ever defeated)

[Deleted]

LoL i know i will not be able to get it because i have mediocre skill. But i like to have something to look up to.

I was only capable of killing Arthas after the endless nerfs to Icecrown.
Also thought Naxxramas on WotlK was pretty hard and everyone laughs at me lol

But it's cool to have something you "can't do"...because it makes it much more special and you can hear the orgasms on Teamspeak after you defeat the boss (if ever defeated)

Naxx in WotlK was an absolute joke. An achievement for noone dying during the entire raid should speak volumes about how easy it was.

And for all the people talking about welfare epics, please understand that ilvl is what matters, not the color of text. Same with the welfare legendaries in MoP and WoD, they didn't feel awesome getting because pretty much everyone had them and they just became the standard for that item slot. Well, I guess it did feel nice knowing you didn't have to grind the same bosses for that single purpose any more.

To answer the OP: No, not necessarily. Most of the reasons I've seen here are extremely subjective (Immersion, Something to look up to, etc). Also, how is mythic raiding not exclusive? Because people can do the same raids on easier modes? Why would anyone care? They are doing the "braindead" version, with much worse gear rewards, usually no titles or mounts, and sometimes less lore specific stuff.

Frankly, most people who want more exclusivity than we already have are not even good enough to currently do the exclusive stuff. I find that a bit odd.

[Veelia11]

I'm a believer in a small amount of exclusivity.

There are some things that are great to have if you've earned it and you know that not too many other people can get (something that you cant even buy) -- I can't think of too much examples atm, besides the Scepter from the Gates of Ahn'Qiraj (which I think is a bad example because its TOO exclusive...) but I would not be against it. I think it makes the game more dynamic and exciting.

Does anyone remember what it felt like back in Vanilla to see someone in full epic gear? I want to see someone and feel like that again! Lol

[jellmoo]

I disagree completely with everything you just said, there is a way to get there but if you're not willing to then you're not entitled to it either. This is the way any progression system works time invested = results.

Why? Why does there have to be a single path that caters to a single player type? Why can't we have multiple paths that allows people to do something they love to do?

Nobody is saying anything about not investing time. It's just a matter of *how* that time is invested.

[jellmoo]

absouluty agree, however, in wow, the system is not sufficent.

If you love raiding/doing dungeons, you do them properly, and not the version that blizzard puts out which are autmoated and so easy you can ignore all mechanics and have nothing in common with content that people "love"


there should be other content for people if they cant/want (i think its often the second one) in such content

I agree that the system as is doesn't work. There needs to be multiple paths to get to content and rewards, with different difficulty levels, different time sinks, and different methodologies involved.

Scaling content to different group types would be a great start. Giving players the option to challenge themselves in different settings (solo, group, raid, PVP, profession, etc...) and get to experience all content and get great rewards would be another.

The "Raid or Nothing" method results in people not doing the content, as well as people not enjoying the content they do. It should absolutely be a path, it just doesn't need to be the only path.

[Krieger]

Exclusivity gives noobs incentive. I remember being a noob running through Stormwind, seeing someone in full epic tier gear was really EPIC and made me want to start raiding!

[Demithio]

If Blizzard is catering to anybody, it is catering to players like you.

Not even remotely true. The game is absolutely nothing like the way I remember it when it was progression based. And, I'm not even referring entirely to raids, all aspects of the game have changed dramatically.

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Exclusivity gives noobs incentive. I remember being a noob running through Stormwind, seeing someone in full epic tier gear was really EPIC and made me want to start raiding!

Exactly. I remember doing the same thing. Seeing people wearing full dungeon sets or raid sets early on in the game made me want to go and get them. It was a very strong motivator and it added to the excitement. There was something I wanted and didnt have, so I worked (omg that word again!) at getting them. After obtaining them I felt proud and rewarded for my effort.

[Deleted]

Personal opinion: Yes, in moderation. I was never a hardcore player (cosest I came to that was in classic / BC), which meant there was always more new stuff to explore. For example new raidbosses, who will finally go down if we come better.
That was taken out completely in the last expansions. E.g. in raids I've seen all the bosses quite fast after the release. The harder difficulties usually add nothing but a little higher numbers and probably 1-2 new abilities in the mix. So I wasn't as motivated to get further, and the game quickly became boring.

More objectively: I'd say no. Exclusivity means, that many players don't experience parts of the content that is made. Most people seem to dislike knowing that there would be more, but having to "work" to experience it in a game, which is completely understandable. Economically, it's a waste of resources.

[e] Just another thing I want to add, a thing Blizz becomes increasingly fond of: Exclusivity based on an RNG is in my opinion a really bad thing. Example would be legendaries, which directly influence the power of your character. You may be unlucky and don't get those you want even after months of playing, whereas others get it in their first instances, and there is absolutely nothing you can do about that. To a lesser extent this applies also to many of the rare mounts, pets and other flavour items.

[TEHPALLYTANK]

Exclusivity gives noobs incentive. I remember being a noob running through Stormwind, seeing someone in full epic tier gear was really EPIC and made me want to start raiding!

It never was for me, this type of thing is pretty subjective. I got into raiding because I wanted to continue progressing(I'm a completionist and obsessed with efficiency), and then later I kept raiding because I had fun raiding with friends.

[Jtbrig7390]

TBC Started easy epics? False. You were heavily gated in TBC you had to kill Vashj/Kael to get into BT/Hyjal which a lot of guilds couldn't do. They ended up nerfing the fights and then later of scrapping the attunement all together but that wasn't for quite some time.

Yes epics existed easier in TBC in terms of crafting and heroics having 1 epic on the last boss but that was it in terms of ''ease''.

Ya you totally couldn't afk in pvp and get epics that was good enough to do kara so u could get more epics....

TBC also started tokens for epics as well.

[Krieger]

Exactly.

Another thing to mention that is somewhat relevant to this discussion topic. Epic gear should feel epic again. As someone who doesn't raid much anymore, I am perfectly fine with running around in blues for the majority of the expansion. Loot tables like this would make me content;

Heroic Dungeons: Almost all Blue gear, one guaranteed epic from last boss, low chance of epics from other bosses.
Raids: 50% Blues 50% Epic gear, last boss of wing (or whole raid) drops only Epic gear
Mythic Raids: Epic Gear exclusively

Blue gear should be utilized more. When you see someone rolling around in all epic gear, it should make you stop and go "Wow".

[Jtbrig7390]

thats saying, and the end of the warlords, so now, after progression is over for a year or so, people can do afk ashran to raid highmaul

so you saying stupid shit

I wasn't talking about Warlords I was talking about TBC...

Do try to fallow along if your going to throw out childish insults.

[Fenderxx]

I don't view it as gating so much as a goal to work toward. Of course you don't want that goal to only be obtainable by 1% of the population but I would say things such as Mythic dungeons and Normal Tier Raids are completely obtainable goals for casual players. Yes, you do have to put in some time and work, but the reward will mean something.

[SirCowdog]

I truly don't want raids exclusive just for showing off. You can't even do that nowadays because of transmogs.
Who is going to inspect you to watch a number (itemlvl)? No one cares about numbers.

I just want that feeling of adventure and the feeling of having something above me, never seen, waiting to be done. The oldschool journey is what made raiding so special.
They could make raids exclusive and not making the requirement of "you must complete the previous raid to enter the new one".
Everyone could enter the raid just not kill the last boss if you don't have the skill/coordination.

This way you can see all raids, farm gear and still have that feeling of adventure.

Wildstar tried that format, with only a single difficulty of raids. They also had ridiculous attunements. It didn't work out so well. Less than 5% of their players ever set foot in a raid.

Whether the exclusivity is through gear, attunements, or skill, making content that can only ever be completed by a small fraction of your intended players is a bad idea. Providing lower difficulty settings so that people can play at their own level is a good thing. The feeling of adventure that you're looking for might be better found in single-player games where the format allows for it, because they don't have to cater to such a broad array of players.

The game can not be sustained by only creating content for such a small percentage of the players. LFR exists for that reason, and it's why things like Mythic-only dungeons are a bad idea.

[Jtbrig7390]

yeah and it has nothing to do with current content and the system, so stupid throw out noonsense

Once again do fallow along and see who I was replying to and why I said what I did.....

My reply wasn't even too you.