26 Traits, AK8 - When's the best time to restart AP grind?

[Alcsaar]

Yeah,
That's EXACTLY how I feel.
3 days away from last Order Hall Research being complete.
About 10k OH Resources in the bank for AK-research.

So it just seems like there's no point really playing my main outside of logging on him to raid. - I do admit the initial AP grind did feel good, like you were progressing your character and feeling stronger as a result of doing WQs. - Kinda sad it just abruptly hit's a wall like that.

Leveling some alts now, so that's been refreshing =)

I don't know how anyone could actually like artifact power grinding.

It was boring, tedious, mostly unrewarding aside from finally getting a good gold trait or maybe passive. Not to mention it completely screws over people who like to play alts.

Maybe I'm biased though - the shadow priest artifact lay out is fucking awful. You have to go the absolute longest route because you need to first prioritize the furthest gold trait - so I didn't have my first gold trait till like ArtLevel 17 or something?

And then I had to turn around and go the complete opposite way to get the next best gold trait, which I didn't get until ArtLevel like 22.

My last gold trait is "only" 4 points away now I think? but its absolutely horrible.

Part of the reason for this feeling is because so many of the passives are boring as fuck. Shadowmend healing as a shadow priest? Dispersion cooldown (especially after the void form nerf)? Meh.

[Ealyssa]

Anyway, this is the devs' fault.

Yeah sure, let's talk like adults. The irony

It's quite pathetic seeing "adults" not having even the singlest amount of self control. "The game force me to do this" nope, it's not. Stop blaming others for your own failures and look in the mirror like "adults" (sorry, but the irony was reaaaaaaly strong).

[Schizoide]

Yeah sure, let's talk like adults. The irony

It's quite pathetic seeing "adults" not having even the singlest amount of self control. "The game force me to do this" nope, it's not.

You need to acknowledge reality. Many MMO players have that mindset. Telling them to have self-control makes you personally feel great, but it is not actually a solution to the problem.

[ChickenChaser]

You have reached the point where the grind is over and now it is just gradual increases as you normally play the game. AP is no longer a focus for you, use what you get but don't worry too much about it.

Well yes and no if you go into nighthold without the 5% damage Boost for your first trait after full artifact your gonna get destroyed....

But honestly I'd say wait 30-40 days for 6-8 more AK then start grinding since Nighthold isn't untill Jan-Feb.

However the legendary grind is still real now.

[Ealyssa]

You need to acknowledge reality. Many MMO players have that mindset. Telling them to have self-control makes you personally feel great, but it is not actually a solution to the problem.

But the solution isn't in the blizzard/wow equation. It only can be achieved in their real life. Expecting of game company to fullfill every nolifers dream (having always something to do) while at the same time protecting them from their own crazyness (farming until their fingers burn) is just impossible.

Blizard CAN'T fix this. These players need to face the fact that they are their own problem. And nobody outside themselves can fix it.

[Pull My Finger]

It will remain a nightmare from start to finish.

Failed concept is failed. But eventually, by the end of the expansion, you might be able to max out all 3 weapons. With like AK 50 xD

Failed comment is failed. Some people just don't get it, and have that impeccable talent to turn everything into something problematic in their head. As it was already pointed out: just play the game ... there's nothing "nightmarish" about the system.

[Otimus]

I don't know how anyone could actually like artifact power grinding.

It was boring, tedious, mostly unrewarding aside from finally getting a good gold trait or maybe passive. Not to mention it completely screws over people who like to play alts.

Maybe I'm biased though - the shadow priest artifact lay out is fucking awful. You have to go the absolute longest route because you need to first prioritize the furthest gold trait - so I didn't have my first gold trait till like ArtLevel 17 or something?

And then I had to turn around and go the complete opposite way to get the next best gold trait, which I didn't get until ArtLevel like 22.

My last gold trait is "only" 4 points away now I think? but its absolutely horrible.

Part of the reason for this feeling is because so many of the passives are boring as fuck. Shadowmend healing as a shadow priest? Dispersion cooldown (especially after the void form nerf)? Meh.

The AP grind was really fun when it goes decently fast. Reminded me of oldschool leveling, sort of. It's when it takes a week-ish per point that it becomes awful. That's not fun, it doesn't make you feel like you're "advancing", it just feels like gating at that point, IMHO, and if they wanted to do that, they should have just had a cap on how much AP you could get a week, rather than making things feel like such a boring fruitless slog.

It's ultimately not the biggest of deals, but a lot of design decisions in regards to gating/things like gating in Legion sure as hell come off as missed opportunities.

[Hey There Guys its Metro]

8 seems to be the sweet spot for me. I've gotten a ton of power from full clears this week. Feels like it's really starting to add up.

[ophion1990]

It will remain a nightmare from start to finish.

Failed concept is failed. But eventually, by the end of the expansion, you might be able to max out all 3 weapons. With like AK 50 xD

If you play a character casually it's actually pretty fun since you can usually attribute a point every time you play it. If you play like a normal person though, it does feel really slow paced and horrible. A 3 day grind for a trait that you likely don't give a shit about? Come on now.

I'm honestly amazed OP managed to bear with it as long, I clocked out at 24 because I was getting WQ that awarded <1% progress (as I mentioned in another thread on the subject). Just play the game as you usually would, the AP/AK will flow in and you'll get your traits as you go along. I do think it was a miscalculation on the devs' part where they actually expected people to do that, rather than gring AP to reach max level asap.

so you basically want a gameshark concept?

I think this system is very rewarding for those who put the time & effort on AP. Just like any other MMO.

It's not nescessarily rewarding though? The gold trait is something to look forward to, sure, sub has a trait that only gives dodge, another that gives dodge and immunity to fall damage (which I admit is pretty sweet) and another that gives backstab damage, all around the same area in the tree. Those 9 point spent feel so boring and especially the backstab ones feel like a complete waste, since any time I use the ability, I don't actually wanna use that ability.

[Raiju]

But the solution isn't in the blizzard/wow equation. It only can be achieved in their real life. Expecting of game company to fullfill every nolifers dream (having always something to do) while at the same time protecting them from their own crazyness (farming until their fingers burn) is just impossible.

Blizard CAN'T fix this. These players need to face the fact that they are their own problem. And nobody outside themselves can fix it.

TIL: Game designers aren't responsible for game design. Thankyou for your lesson Ealyssa.

[Deleted]

It's working as intended. But lol at the cry babies calling Blizzard dev's incompetent, what have you ever done?

[Copey]

Isnt there a 4th hidden trait once you unlock and max all traits?

[xpose]

I stopped at 22 and getting my 2nd golden on my off spec before i pick it back up. it feels more rewarding than trying to get an extra radius on my sunfire for the same amount of AP.

[Caeth]

Just play as you normally do. It's a creative version of gating. Rather than say you can only get a maximum of 1000 AP a week and each trait costs 1000 AP, they're using AK. It gates while still rewards you for playing more. There's a distribution of people with some having fewer traits and some having more traits but it's in a tight range of ~4-5 points rather than you missing a couple weeks and the spread being ~10 points.

[Schizoide]

Expecting of game company to fullfill every nolifers dream (having always something to do) while at the same time protecting them from their own crazyness (farming until their fingers burn) is just impossible.

While that is completely true, that is a straw man argument because nobody advocated it. Obviously they can't provide infinite content and repeat none of it. Instead, the content should end.

When you get to 34 points, that's it (until they add more artifact talents in 7.1). No more mainspec artifact to grind, no near-infinite soft-capped logarithmically increasing costs. Just move on to your alt specs and classes. That is the player-friendly strategy that they should have pursued.

[Deleted]

5% flat damage? Yeah, it's pretty big.

When you're questing? Doesn't make any practical difference.
When in dungeons? Doesn't make any practical difference.
When raiding? Doesn't make any practical difference.

[Nzete]

As a holy priest, the last 4 points do nothing other than suck artifact power.... whee fun.

[Phookah]

When you're questing? Doesn't make any practical difference.
When in dungeons? Doesn't make any practical difference.
When raiding? Doesn't make any practical difference.

You think getting a 5% damage boost is negligible? If you do 300k single target, thats a 15k boost for putting in a point. If you raid in a 20 man, thats 14-15 dps all getting that? 225k more raid dps. Which is almost another person.
No, it totally makes a difference.

[deadman1]

Except he is right. It's not a playstyle but borderline OCD on a number and wanting to be the "best".

Stop going crazy on a fucking number, and start enjoying the actual game. Your sanity will be better and we'll stop seeing stupid thread about "OMG the grind is killing me" (nope it's not the grind. You're just retarded and should seek some fresh air, outside, in "World of Reality")

I didn't say I played like that, I said other peoples playstyles are just as valid as other peoples.

He is objectively wrong because that playstyle doesn't hurt anyone else, it's 100% valid whether you like it or not or play like that or not.

[Ealyssa]

no near-infinite soft-capped logarithmically increasing costs.

No need to wrongly use scientific terms. Doesn't make you smart.

This is not a logarithmic curve, at all.