More Artifacts in future, or back to weapons as loot drops?

[Nayami]

I wonder how we'll move on from our artifacts. Guess we could...

- Drain all power from our artifacts to kill the final baddie and dump them
- Keep them and keep on upgrading them
- Replace them during the pre-patch of the following expansion with new artifacts

I really wonder what they'll do.

[Tyrion Moonblade]

My personal hope is that we keep these weapons, with the option to either build a new artifact or empower our existing one using power from the Army of the Light in the next expansion, with that being the last one and Warcraft IV being announced. Also expand transmog to basically be whatever you want as long as it takes the same number of hands. Want fist weapons instead of doomhammer? No legitimate reason why you shouldn't have it. Want a sword and board instead of your giant fischer price Holy spec hammer? That option should have already been an alternate appearance anyway. Everyone's equipped with the same thing anyway, let your players look however they want.

BTW anyone who wants the RNG bullshit to return can bugger off. Any reasonable person prefers an AP grind to not only RNG for the actual drop but relying on whether or not someone else has higher priority than you, or simply wins it through a roll over you. You get your "weapon drop dps increase" fix from relics.

- - - Updated - - -

It will be completely unacceptable when "Green Sword of the Monkey" is more powerful than the Ashbringer.

Fixed that for ya.

[Aeula]

Artifact weapons are just an excuse for blizzard to be lazy on the models. Having the same weapon for an entire expansion doesn't feel good. Artifact power is just as stupid.

[Deleted]

Blizzard has never stuck by a concept that works. They seem to be under the impression that controversy=popularity. And as we all know innovation generates controversy. So say goodbye to all the things we don't complain about.

- - - Updated - - -

Artifact weapons are just an excuse for blizzard to be lazy on the models. Having the same weapon for an entire expansion doesn't feel good. Artifact power is just as stupid.

I'm actually gonna defend them a bit here. Each specialization has 6 distinctly different artifact models and more coming on the horizon. That's 12-18 completely different weapon models and 60-90 color variations per class, most of which are absolutely amazing.

In past expansions we've had what, 10 new models with 3 color variations per raid? Math isn't my strong suit but that seems to be less than what we got with artifacts.

[Aeula]

Blizzard has never stuck by a concept that works. They seem to be under the impression that controversy=popularity. And as we all know innovation generates controversy. So say goodbye to all the things we don't complain about.

- - - Updated - - -



I'm actually gonna defend them a bit here. Each specialization has 6 distinctly different artifact models and more coming on the horizon. That's 12-18 completely different weapon models and 60-90 color variations per class, most of which are absolutely amazing.

In past expansions we've had what, 10 new models with 3 color variations per raid? Math isn't my strong suit but that seems to be less than what we got with artifacts.

Of which most players will have access to TWO skins and maybe five to six colour variations.

[The5thVegetable]

For those voting for weapons to go back to just ordinary loot drops, I'd be genuinely interested to hear your thoughts on why you'd rather have that over artifacts.

As much as I very much see the appeal of artifact weapons, i'm one of those who woul dprefer to see the good ol' weapon system reintroduced.

Not because the artifact system isn't great, but simply because it narrows down available options for weapon transmogs so much. And as someone who is first and foremost a Roleplayer, this is a big minus, as customization comes before gameplay mechanics (Unless I start raiding, but I lack the energy these days to get into it.)

However, if Blizzard decided to add a plethora of obtainable item models in the future, maybe just through greens or weapons without stats that you can obtain and use for transmogs, i'd definately be for artifacts sticking around, as that means we'd have both a great progression system AND an ever growing variety of weapon appearance options.

[Spiral Mage]

They'll return to the standard formula after this expac. There'll be some story thing at the end about how your weapon has to be given up, or it's power is lost, or something.

Artifact Weapons as a system was like many other things BLIZ does, it sounded good in theory but the execution was flawed and has several glaringly obvious problems that made it over all a bad idea. They'll probably realize that or already do, and will abandon it in the future.

Besides, you're already hunting for weapon drops just like every other expac. Haven't you noticed? They're called Relics now, but instead of just getting one new weapon and being done, you have to hope for three different drops to get the benefit.

[Deleted]

Of which most players will have access to TWO skins and maybe five to six colour variations.

Ye, sure. But wasn't it kinda like that before as well? As a casual player I only really had access to LFR models, PVP models and perhaps normal mode models a bit farther down the road. I'm not counting trash loot models here. We have less models if we count green/blue quality trash weapons but those models were rarely nice or put any amount of effort into anyway.

And honestly that wasn't really the point. These models have been created whether or not we as players gain access to them. It's difficult to argue that blizzard has held back on creating high quality weapon models for our artifacts. They have, lots of them. Beside from protection warriors sword&board none of these models look like vendor trash.

[Ayperos]

I honestly hope they carry over. I love this idea. Just keep adding sexy skins to them.

[Self Inflicted Wounds]

I don't really see the point in getting rid of them. Garrisons can't really move with us, so even though we spent a lot of time powering them up.. they had to remain on Draenor... but artifacts? It'd be lame to go back to "random drops off random people" .. when you've wielded the most powerful weapons in lore. It just doesn't make logical, or fun sense.

[Nakotsu]

I love Artifact Weapons, and everything about them; the gradual progression and increase in power, hunting for relics to improve them, all the appearances you can unlock, the upgrades that make empowering them fast, the lore and story, quests to acquire them, everything.

But what about the future? How are weapons going to work in the next expansion? Would you be content with leaving their artifacts behind and going back to just hunting for weapons as loot drops they way we did pre-Legion? Or would you rather the artifact system continue in the future, however it works, maybe upgrading existing artifacts with a new array of abilities to unlock, or new artifacts entirely with new lore and quests revolving around them?

haha there will be no next expansion they ruined the game on purpose to make everyone quit. there might be 100,000 people in 3 - 6 months.

[Goondicker]

Weapon drops. People like artifacts so much because of the talent system in it (which is like our old talent trees that were scrapped). They should have kept the old talent system and I think the artifact weapon success is proof of that. The only difference is that the progression starts at max level.

Getting a relic drop in a raid feels like getting a ring. Meh.

The excitement from a weapon drop is awesome. Tons of people have a fond memory of getting an epic weapon - like Bryntroll for early ICC. I doubt I'll even remember getting a shitty blood relic drop.

[Self Inflicted Wounds]

Weapon drops. People like artifacts so much because of the talent system in it (which is like our old talent trees that were scrapped). They should have kept the old talent system and I think the artifact weapon success is proof of that. The only difference is that the progression starts at max level.

Getting a relic drop in a raid feels like getting a ring. Meh.

The excitement from a weapon drop is awesome. Tons of people have a fond memory of getting an epic weapon - like Bryntroll for early ICC. I doubt I'll even remember getting a shitty blood relic drop.

Thats because so much damage is locked behind weapons. But nowadays they are really just stat sticks.

[stomination]

I hate artifacts, farming AP and the fact that it completely ruins transmog options.

I'd love to go back normal weapons after legion.

There are thousand of things to xmog to right now.

[threads]

maybe they'll do a system where we return our artifacts to their owners and then build our own weapons. could have a lot of customization.