Blizzard have effectively gotten rid of flying

[rda]

What are you talking about. Content that needs flying to get there? Than no, it adds nothing. Getting from A to B isn't a new tool to tell a story.

It's not about needing flying to get there, but anyway...

"That is once again, your opinion."

"What you consider a new tool isn't a part of this discussion."

[-Joker-]

I don't mind if there are some no-flight zones like we had through all expansions (Isle of Quel'Danas, Wintergrasp, Tol Barad, MoP isles), if there are areas open for flying at the same time. Actually, having a mixed approach is totally ok for me. I just don't like being grounded everywhere in current content.

I don't mind current content being all ground, I'm just not interested in an entire expansion being flight free. Give me a year or so on the ground to do everything, explore everything, adventure to my heart's content, and then unlock flight. If it comes sooner, yay. If it doesn't come at all, I might have to spend more time in Classic content leveling alt classes. I try to stick to my 3 characters, but sometimes I will roll a 4th just to get out of heroic gear and remember what it was like starting out.

[Deleted]

What are you talking about. Content that needs flying to get there? Than no, it adds nothing. Getting from A to B isn't a new tool to tell a story.

The genre of road movies and Lord of the Rings would like to have a word with you.

Thing is, travel is a tool for storytelling if something special happens at that time - things which are relevant for the plot. If nothing relevant for the plot happens while traveling, then the whole scene with travel gets cut. This kind of storytelling is mostly irrelevant for WoW, because storytelling happens with quests and cutscenes. There are not many occasions where you stumble across a quest while traveling, but in these cases it's irrelevant if you get there on the ground or in the air.

Now, in WoW we have a different thing regarding flying - it enables us to get to areas we could not reach before - like mountain tops which have no access on ground mounts because they are too elevated. It also enables us to get specific content, like air races in BC and MoP, and the whole questline for druids and their epic flight form. It even provides storylines for specific factions (again BC and MoP). Without flight, we would not have such type of content.

What flight does remove is the option to do "open world mazes" and platforming. You can easily solve this problem by installing small no-flying areas exactly in areas where you want to have such mazes / platforming, or installt anti-flight measures like anti-air units and cannons, or simply use this type of content while leveling, where flight is not demanded.

There are plenty of possiblities for a compromise which would satisfy people who value flight highly / miss flight after some time of playing new content and people who don't care about it / would not miss it at all. But for some reasons Blizzard does not want to consider these and rather disappoint a part of their player base instead.

[Raelbo]

What are you talking about. Content that needs flying to get there? Than no, it adds nothing. Getting from A to B isn't a new tool to tell a story.

Of course it is. The merit of the story is in how it is told. Flying enables the game designers to build zones differently, which enables them to make unique settings for their stories.

At this point, you're just doing what you're accusing everyone else of: Expressing an opinion as fact.

[rda]

The genre of road movies and Lord of the Rings would like to have a word with you. ....

(I already grabbed popcorn bracing up for the reply. My prediction: "What are you saying m8? Are you OK? I have the facts." and a sentence or two of other worthless BS.)

[Deleted]

Give me a year or so on the ground to do everything, explore everything

That is something you could only get in vanilla, when the game was released, because yeah there were so many places to explore.
The broken isles, you can do an explore everything in one month or two just playing casually, i do not see why would anyone need a whole year for such a tiny land mass as the one we have in the broken isles.

[Kuja]

I don't mind no flying. And flying would eliminate all "puzzles" and the hunt part from treasure hunts. But it does help tons, so don't mind being able to fly later on either May even re-sub once we can do so just to observe the places from sky high.

[Deleted]

Of course it is. The merit of the story is in how it is told. Flying enables the game designers to build zones differently, which enables them to make unique settings for their stories.

At this point, you're just doing what you're accusing everyone else of: Expressing an opinion as fact.

Ah god.
Please tell me the difference between icecrown and old barrens.

[Kethmil]

What i dont really get is why you anti-flying guys are so adamant that we pro-flying guys dont get what we want.

You dont want to fly? Well, right, is totally up to you. Just never use a flying mount and you are done, you lose ABSOLUTELY nothing if flying mounts exist and you dont use them.

But please, dont spoil OUR fun.

You might say "yeah, but then developers create content with flying into account and we cant adapt to it". Flash news. Content is already created for all these past patches. Adding flight doesnt change them, they are exactly the same as they were before flying was added. So why they suddenly become sour because others can fly?

I repeat, you dont like flying, just dont.

[-Joker-]

That is something you could only get in vanilla, when the game was released, because yeah there were so many places to explore.
The broken isles, you can do an explore everything in one month or two just playing casually, i do not see why would anyone need a whole year for such a tiny land mass as the one we have in the broken isles.

I thought the same thing of Pandaria until I ended up underwater, off the coast, fighting a giant clam for a toy. Unlike those who use Google and YouTube to instantly locate and establish a plan of attack, some of us just wander... often into trouble. To this day I am still discovering things in Broken Isles and I have 3 lvl 110 characters who all completed the questlines in each zone. Not everyone is interested in instant gratification.

[Deleted]

It's not about needing flying to get there, but anyway...

"That is once again, your opinion."

"What you consider a new tool isn't a part of this discussion."

Are you ok? We already know how to get from A to B.
You admitted flying removes options for developers to tell a story. You then rambled something about flying adding other tools. I ask you which tools?

[Kazgrel]

Yeah...no, very few people talk about MoP with any sort of praise, and the definitely don't care for all the no-flight zones.

Bold emphasis mine...are we browsing the same MMO-Champion?

[Deleted]

The genre of road movies and Lord of the Rings would like to have a word with you.

Thing is, travel is a tool for storytelling if something special happens at that time - things which are relevant for the plot. If nothing relevant for the plot happens while traveling, then the whole scene with travel gets cut. This kind of storytelling is mostly irrelevant for WoW, because storytelling happens with quests and cutscenes. There are not many occasions where you stumble across a quest while traveling, but in these cases it's irrelevant if you get there on the ground or in the air.

Now, in WoW we have a different thing regarding flying - it enables us to get to areas we could not reach before - like mountain tops which have no access on ground mounts because they are too elevated. It also enables us to get specific content, like air races in BC and MoP, and the whole questline for druids and their epic flight form. It even provides storylines for specific factions (again BC and MoP). Without flight, we would not have such type of content.

What flight does remove is the option to do "open world mazes" and platforming. You can easily solve this problem by installing small no-flying areas exactly in areas where you want to have such mazes / platforming, or installt anti-flight measures like anti-air units and cannons, or simply use this type of content while leveling, where flight is not demanded.

There are plenty of possiblities for a compromise which would satisfy people who value flight highly / miss flight after some time of playing new content and people who don't care about it / would not miss it at all. But for some reasons Blizzard does not want to consider these and rather disappoint a part of their player base instead.

I know travel is a tool for storytelling, that's why I said, it isn't a new tool. I have been saying that being grounded provided extra tools for storytelling for a reason.

You can reach the top of a mountain without including a system that allows players to flatten terrain, and you can include quests that involve flying as that doesn't mean giving the player the ability to fly above terrain obstacles freely.

[-Joker-]

What i dont really get is why you anti-flying guys are so adamant that we pro-flying guys dont get what we want.

You dont want to fly? Well, right, is totally up to you. Just never use a flying mount and you are done, you lose ABSOLUTELY nothing if flying mounts exist and you dont use them.

But please, dont spoil OUR fun.

You might say "yeah, but then developers create content with flying into account and we cant adapt to it". Flash news. Content is already created for all these past patches. Adding flight doesnt change them, they are exactly the same as they were before flying was added. So why they suddenly become sour because others can fly?

I repeat, you dont like flying, just dont.

I love flying. As a Druid I have insta-flight and can even pick flowers in my bird form. Plus, with the gloves from Pandaria, I farm herbs just as fast as Tauren. Agreeing with Blizzard's design change doesn't instantly make someone anti-flight. I, on the other hand, am pro-game. I like seeing the world get back to its pre-Cata roots one expac at a time. Personally, flight should have always only been at Max level and only in those zones. Azeroth never should have been unlocked. It spoiled a great many petulant individuals. Some of whom can be found in this very thread.

[Deleted]

(I already grabbed popcorn bracing up for the reply. My prediction: "What are you saying m8? Are you OK? I have the facts." and a sentence or two of other worthless BS.)

You know rda. Not often I say that but you really are desperate. I'm sorry for the state you find yourself in. I wish you get better in the future.

[-Joker-]

Ah god.
Please tell me the difference between icecrown and old barrens.

Sunlight. Icecrown is low flat areas surrounded by mountains and upcroppings on each side. Barrens is essentially the same minus the snow. Both have foot paths to climb up and come down, but are essentially just large zones made more easily traveled with flight.

[Kethmil]

I love flying. As a Druid I have insta-flight and can even pick flowers in my bird form. Plus, with the gloves from Pandaria, I farm herbs just as fast as Tauren. Agreeing with Blizzard's design change doesn't instantly make someone anti-flight. I, on the other hand, am pro-game. I like seeing the world get back to its pre-Cata roots one expac at a time. Personally, flight should have always only been at Max level and only in those zones. Azeroth never should have been unlocked. It spoiled a great many petulant individuals. Some of whom can be found in this very thread.

Tbh, only each one can decide if he prefer flying or no flying WoW.

Fact is there are plenty of people on each side, and blizzard has to cater to both groups.

Current is the only solution. You get half-an-expansion without flying and half-an-expansion with flying enabled. As a father who cant make his two childs play together with the same toy together ends up dividing playing time on the time, half a time for each sibling.

So @ anti-flying: you already had your half a time. Now suck it up and shut up while is ours. Any further bitching is just being an spoiled kid.

[AzazeltheRuthless]

What i dont really get is why you anti-flying guys are so adamant that we pro-flying guys dont get what we want.

You dont want to fly? Well, right, is totally up to you. Just never use a flying mount and you are done, you lose ABSOLUTELY nothing if flying mounts exist and you dont use them.

But please, dont spoil OUR fun.

You might say "yeah, but then developers create content with flying into account and we cant adapt to it". Flash news. Content is already created for all these past patches. Adding flight doesnt change them, they are exactly the same as they were before flying was added. So why they suddenly become sour because others can fly?

I repeat, you dont like flying, just dont.

No, because if you are "anti-flying" (truthfully I don't think anybody is actually anti-flying, just think they are ok with the hard gating Blizzard uses to achieve it) you lose competitive advantage. Rare mob up, you need to attack, well if the people flying can get there 3x faster than you, it'll be dead before you get there. Specially in an expansion with how World Quests and rares currently function, this would be incredibly problematic. When flying is unlocked, it forces everyone to use it, because you will miss out on things if you stay grounded.

Farming herbs, hard to farm on a ground mount, when druid are flying above and picking them. Same with mining and skinning. Let alone the issues it creates on PvP server where people will swoop down out of nowhere and just fly away.

Flying has a lot of game power built into it, letting you trivialize questing and many other aspects of the game. I think this current system of Blizzard requiring people to at least finish everything on one character without flying as a type of gate check. Is perfectly ok, because you experience the content how they want you too. Then, they give you a tool, where you can abuse all those system from then on out.

[Deleted]

Sunlight. Icecrown is low flat areas surrounded by mountains and upcroppings on each side. Barrens is essentially the same minus the snow. Both have foot paths to climb up and come down, but are essentially just large zones made more easily traveled with flight.

Exactly my point.

[Raelbo]

Ah god.
Please tell me the difference between icecrown and old barrens.

Really mate, I've never really struggled to differentiate between the two. Maybe it's just you.


But just in case you are genuinely unaware of how flying is integrated into the zone to give it extra storytelling capacity, take a look up in the sky next time you're there. Orgrim's Hammer and the Skyfire say hi. Please don't try and tell these weren't part of the story.....