Flying Next Expack

[Delaios]

What they do with flying will never be a deciding factor for me. I'm kinda okay with how they handled it this expansion. But I can't imagine I'd feel the same way without the flightmaster's whistle, the extra hearthstone and the grappling gun. Those three additions really helped a lot to make travel more manageable. I still would have liked to have it become available at launch (with similar requirements). Having it that way would even make it better than simply buying it at max level, because it also applies to alts that are still leveling.

[StationaryHawk]

I like how flying is rolled out as is.

[Eapoe]

I'm pretty much going to quit if they keep up with this RNG and grind fest game they have now. Already went casual after I burnt myself out and being casual gives me less of a reason to play, not more. Sure, there's always something to do when I log in, but that holds true in every xpac I've played, whether raid logging or signing on to farm old mounts/xmog/gold. Now I feel like I'm forced to log on during all my free time to stay caught up with everyone that it's not enjoyable.
Flight or no flight is so far down my list of things in this game it's barely worth mentioning.

[david0925]

Hypothetical question.

What if they have flying enabled from the beginning but reduce the speed of it to that of normal mount? I have always found it silly since BC that epic flying moves at literally double the speed (380% versus 200%) of ground mounts.

(inb4 people ask for ground mount to be bumped to 280% instead)

[SirCowdog]

I second this sentiment.

To not buy a content filled expansion just because your mode of transportation is limited to the ground is just asinine imo.

Except that it's not just about a mode of travel. It's about then entire fundamentals that the content is based upon. Don't try to oversimplify this issue unless you want to be regarded as being overly simple.

[Schmilblick]

Except that it's not just about a mode of travel. It's about then entire fundamentals that the content is based upon. Don't try to oversimplify this issue unless you want to be regarded as being overly simple.

He is overly simple, it's jaylock.

[SirCowdog]

Hypothetical question.

What if they have flying enabled from the beginning but reduce the speed of it to that of normal mount? I have always found it silly since BC that epic flying moves at literally double the speed (380% versus 200%) of ground mounts.

(inb4 people ask for ground mount to be bumped to 280% instead)

One of the possible suggestions I've made in the past would have flying handled similar to this.

Have ALL mounts be on an Artifact-style progressive unlock tree. As you complete more of the game, or earn points, or achievements, whatever, you choose what path to follow: Ground or Air. As you progress through the unlocks of your chosen mount type you unlock more and more abilities or upgrades.

Ground mounts start out faster, and gain abilities such as waterwalking, leaps, slowfall(or less damage from falling like catdruids), or the ability to stay mounted in combat.

The flight tree would start out relatively slow and weak, possibly only with the ability to glide while mounted, then gaining abilities like we've seen in other toys such as the Brulfist totem/Aviana's feather launch, Emerald Winds, and eventually working up to flying with a cooldown or fatigue bar, and finally(probably near the end of the expansion) reaching true unlimited flight.

Both trees would have filler stages that increase raw speed, with ground mounts getting access to larger speeds sooner, but both eventually capping out at the same speed.

This would allow Blizzard to potentially pace the progression of powerful mounted abilities across the entire expansion similar to how they've done with the Artifact trees. They'd still need to be careful about designing content which would be overly trivialized by flight-like abilities, but they'd also gain the ability to create new encounters and interesting content which USED those powerful abilities(jump puzzles, movement-based challenges, timed races, etc). Players would also benefit from having the freedom to choose what style of gameplay they wanted.

[Jaylock]

Except that it's not just about a mode of travel. It's about then entire fundamentals that the content is based upon. Don't try to oversimplify this issue unless you want to be regarded as being overly simple.

Why does blizzard have to change their winning formula? Vanilla didn't have flight until cataclysm, and the content and pacing was just fine. Why does blizzard need to create "flying content" just to extend the life of an old feature?

[Serissa]

Nobody cares, you're not that special, you know?

Yea, sure, I wasn't special when I unsubscribed back in WOD when Ion announced "No flying! Never again!"

And guess what happened just 2 weeks later - he changed his opinion. What a surprise.

Alone I'm not special. But together we are force.

[SirCowdog]

Why does blizzard have to change their winning formula? Vanilla didn't have flight until cataclysm, and the content and pacing was just fine. Why does blizzard need to create "flying content" just to extend the life of an old feature?

Are you fucking kidding me? The "Winning formula" you're referring to - the one that took WoW to the forefront of the entire genre - INCLUDED FLIGHT!

FFS....I can't even...

In before: "But Sircowdog! Flying wasn't waht maded t3h lich kingz gud!!!!!11!11"

Stop.

Nobody is trying to say that flying is the sole reason anything in wow is good. Flying was just PART of what made it good.

[Marston]

For me No flying on max level = no buying AT ALL, i can accept it for being restricted to max level, but no more grinding for something that Blizzard announcing it as a feature while it was baseline, let me enjoy the content at my pace and the way i want it.

Old TBC Model mixed with new stuff. You can immediatly buy a 60% flying mount. Over the course of the expansion, you can gradually upgrade the flying speed to 100%, 150%, 280%, 310%, etc.

Would that make you happy?

[Denarius]

Most people don't have a problem working for something in a video game. However, where a lot of people draw a line is having to re-earn something again and again that they already long ago earned. Having to jump through hoops again and again with long waits to use something you already had is pretty unacceptable for a lot of people.

like when you had to buy flight in bc, then buy cold weather flying in wrath, and whatever the skill was in mop? you've always had to "re-earn" it, but this way it actually feels good to re-earn it. Cause you aren't just "here's 2500g, let me fly" I know i actually enjoyed the feeling of getting pathfinder 2.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

It won't factor in me buying/playing WoW. I prefer they do the Mist model so the bitching can stop.

[Keile]

I think Legion handled it right. Hell at 110 when you got that Flight Master Whistle, getting around was already a breeze.

So long as they do something like that again next expansion they can keep doing Pathfinder achievements like they have been.

[MoanaLisa]

If the flying model is so great why is everything not done this way? Oh you want to do a 5 man? Here, wait 6 months because its locked behind pointless grinds and time gates! Raiding? Oh, here is another 6 months!

Because that idea is just stupid. Dungeons and raids are content. Flying is not.

[Jaylock]

Are you fucking kidding me? The "Winning formula" you're referring to - the one that took WoW to the forefront of the entire genre - INCLUDED FLIGHT!

FFS....I can't even...

In before: "But Sircowdog! Flying wasn't waht maded t3h lich kingz gud!!!!!11!11"

Stop.

Nobody is trying to say that flying is the sole reason anything in wow is good. Flying was just PART of what made it good.

But you are trying to fathom up all these reasons why flight should STAY in the game going forward by creating content specifically designed around flight when its UNNECESSARY. The game has always been and always will be a ground based content game. Other than some boss fights where there are flight mechanics to the fight (aka the fire bird boss in firelands) there is little reason to create flight specific content in the open world. There are only so many "race" flying quests that blizzard can add to the game before it becomes stale.

There is content in the game that has flight themes, but they dont need to full on make flight a part of the game and allow players to skip the part of the game that makes an open world MMO an open world MMO.

Flight specific areas were nice for the expansions in which flight was first introduced (TBC, WOTLK), but after that, no need to keep going in that direction and create plateaus where only people with flying can access because you know what, everyone and their dog has 2k gold to pay to a flight trainer upon hitting max level to be able to access areas like that now. It was cool back then because not everyone had the money or the way to access those areas (Netherwing Plateau, Skettis).

[Razion]

If Blizzard wants to deprive themselves of a feature that clearly a lot of people care about, whatever - I'm decidedly apathetic to the whole situation at this point. They've removed it and given it back so many times it feels pointless to feel invested either way anymore. That said, I would like to have it at level cap at some point, as it is a nice convenience when it is around. But better than that I'd rather ground mounts were just as fast as flying mounts already so people could feel like they actually had a choice.

[-Joker-]

Love the poll results. Appears I am with the majority. I'll buy it and try it. If it is awesome, I will play with or without flight. Don't even care. If it is not awesome, I'll progress as far as I choose and unsub to wait for the next one (like I did with the Panda bears).

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Then why is flying packaged as content now with pathfinder? Oh wait because its now considered content.

I'd call Flying a feature and not content. Something you have to unlock.

[De Lupe]

Okay. Have a nice day.

I for one hope they do exactly what they did here. I think this is the best way to handle the flying convenience; multi-task achievement for doing the content.