Originally Posted by
DisposableHero
Dear everyone. The problem is not that any of the items or systems being complained about are mandatory, they clearly are not. The problem is that making the following choice:
"I am going to maximize my PVE gear and raid progression on my main"
now takes an order of magnitude more time investment than it did in previous expansions. Consider the following:
Maximizing PVE gear progression now revolves around one new system in addition to the previous ones, Elder Charms of Good Fortune. Their existence increases the grind associated with the above choice.
Valor gear is now locked behind reputations, increasing the initial grind with the above choice,
Valor point rewards while now also coming from two new avenues in Daily Quests and Scenarios, have had all their existing reward values reduced by at least 40%. A heroic dungeon rewards at most 80 points per run, down from 150 points in 4.3. A wing of LFR rewards 90 points per run, down from 250 points. Killing a normal mode raid boss awards 25 points, down from 100. The amount of time require to reach the weekly cap of 1000 valor points has increased by an order of magnitude, and the majority of it is done outside of raid instances, which was not the case for successful raiders in any previous tier or any previous expansion (going back even as far as Badges of Justice in Burning Crusade).
The pattern for critical item enhancements such as high end weapon and wrist enchants, belt buckles, and leg patches are now hidden behind reputations, making them more expensive forcing raiders to spend more time making money to maintain upkeep on their gear.
Cauldrons are gone and feasts are no longer capable of providing the best available food buffs, and 300 stat food materials are exceptionally more onerous than previous best of breed food buffs making maintaining raid consumables more expensive than before.
So no, none of this stuff is mandatory, not LFR, not Elder Charms, not valor epics, not daily quests, not rep grinds, nor expensive enchants, nor expensive consumables, nor scenarios, nor heroics, etc. None of it is mandatory. However, making the choice to maximize your PVE progression is a more arduous and time consuming choice today than it has been since burning crusade, and that is not a good direction for wow to take. It is terrible design, and it should be called out as such by the community.