What is World of Warcraft Really About?

[sandmoth12]

Is World of Warcraft more about seeing new content or getting new gear? I realize that they probably both need to exist to have a successful game, but one has to be a greater motivator than the other. I am not buying the argument that they are both equal.

My personally belief is that while many players play the game for different reasons, the largest motivator/reward is seeing content. And this is so because it rings true in our history as being gamers. Look at all the old console games before MMO's existed most of them did not have a gear reward system. You simply played the game trying to beat it because you wanted to see the end. Look at the super mario franchise for example hugely popular and the game had no other rewards besides seeing the end. You become addicted to trying to beat the game.

This is the engine that drives most games. If you don't believe me, then try to imagine a game without a story line and only offers gear advancement. It is possible to have a game without gear advancement and still be successful. But it doesn't work the other way around. And what happens when you finally beat a game? You either stop playing it/forget about it or go trade it in for another game.

Now this is the fundamental reason why end game should be hard. Because once you see the end game content no matter if it's on easy, normal or hardcore you are done.

And the above reasons is why LFR is bad for the game.


I like this hypothesis because it fits in perfectly with the gaming reward system we grew up with. Which in my eye's give it a fair amount of validity.

[Pebrocks The Warlock]

It's a game, you're meant to have fun. That is really the only thing WoW is about.

[Last Attempt]

You're thinking too hard lol just play the game and have fun.

[Razstah]

World of Warcraft is meant to destroy the lore they created in the Warcraft RTS games

[Brash]

You've never beat a game on multiple difficulty levels just because the game was that fun and the first play through on normal or hard wasn't enough?

[winterfox72]

My whole reason to level up and gear up is so I can go back and solo old content. So Its both. I solo'd EOE, Black Temple, Naxx, Onyxia, Molten Core and BWL yesterday and today. I love the epic feeling of soloing stuff. I also like the Nostalgic feeling of old content. But I cant do that without getting better gear. I really enjoy the new content and raids, but I love the old stuff too. So I guess it depends on the person, but for me its Experience over Gear, but cant get the experience without the gear.

[Zeras]

For me it's about lore and experiencing it. It's about meeting someone like Chen Stormstout, having a beer with him and understanding the value of a big belly.
:P

[Marmot]

You've never beat a game on multiple difficulty levels just because the game was that fun and the first play through on normal or hard wasn't enough?

I only ever play through a game once, cos a second play through is boring.

[Brash]

I only ever play through a game once, cos a second play through is boring.

Then may I ask why you have multiple characters and would kill a boss more than once?

[Bathory]

It's meant to be an immerse environment that at the same time, applies to a lot of different tastes.

[Pebrocks The Warlock]

World of Warcraft is meant to destroy the lore they created in the Warcraft RTS games

There was hardly any lore to begin with. WC3 was the first to actually give the lore and WoW built on it.

[xanzul]

Is World of Warcraft more about seeing new content or getting new gear? I realize that they probably both need to exist to have a successful game, but one has to be a greater motivator than the other. I am not buying the argument that they are both equal.

My personally belief is that while many players play the game for different reasons, the largest motivator/reward is seeing content. And this is so because it rings true in our history as being gamers. Look at all the old console games before MMO's existed most of them did not have a gear reward system. You simply played the game trying to beat it because you wanted to see the end. Look at the super mario franchise for example hugely popular and the game had no other rewards besides seeing the end. You become addicted to trying to beat the game.

This is the engine that drives most games. If you don't believe me, then try to imagine a game without a story line and only offers gear advancement. It is possible to have a game without gear advancement and still be successful. But it doesn't work the other way around. And what happens when you finally beat a game? You either stop playing it/forget about it or go trade it in for another game.

Now this is the fundamental reason why end game should be hard. Because once you see the end game content no matter if it's on easy, normal or hardcore you are done.

And the above reasons is why LFR is bad for the game.


I like this hypothesis because it fits in perfectly with the gaming reward system we grew up with. Which in my eye's give it a fair amount of validity.

Oh shut the hell up. Stop making these threads. Want hard content? Go do it. No one is making you do LFR and normal modes. Stop trying to take content from others.

---------- Post added 2013-03-28 at 11:19 PM ----------

You've never beat a game on multiple difficulty levels just because the game was that fun and the first play through on normal or hard wasn't enough?

For some reason Blizzard is lazy for doing what other video game developers have been doing for decades. Maybe we should hold all game developers to these standards instead of just Blizzard? Oh wait that would mean less material to use to bash Blizzard with and we can't have that.

---------- Post added 2013-03-28 at 11:21 PM ----------

I only ever play through a game once, cos a second play through is boring.

Because everyone is you. I know it is difficult to comprehend but different people like different things. If a mode is too easy for you DO NOT DO IT. My god the day you people get that one thing through your thick skulls is the day this community sees marked improvement.

[thesmall001]

The experience is about exploration and having as much fun as you can.

The game is about progressing your characters as far as possible and being the best at whatever you want to be.

The story is about survival. Making your way against the harshness of the world and being a small force of good in a huge world and watching the ripples of your impact.

[rnbwtrout]

its new content. the world revolves around change/new content. a steak is super yummy delicious, but a steak for dinner every freaken day...nah.

[Philosopino]

I wouldn't say the op is over thinking, after all video games is a growing media. If books and videos could have different use and purposes video games could aswell

[nadileal]

Could not agree more

[Noorri]

Is World of Warcraft more about seeing new content or getting new gear? I realize that they probably both need to exist to have a successful game, but one has to be a greater motivator than the other. I am not buying the argument that they are both equal.

WoW is about having fun. It's a game, and beeing fun is basically part of the definition of a game. Neither is a greater motivator then the other, they work together to create fun. If Blizzard removed gear from the game and so basically didn't let you improve your character at all at max level, most players would stop playing. If Blizzard stopped making new content, most people would stop playing. They are equally important because without one the other is basically worthless, at least to an MMORPG.

My personally belief is that while many players play the game for different reasons, the largest motivator/reward is seeing content. And this is so because it rings true in our history as being gamers. Look at all the old console games before MMO's existed most of them did not have a gear reward system. You simply played the game trying to beat it because you wanted to see the end. Look at the super mario franchise for example hugely popular and the game had no other rewards besides seeing the end. You become addicted to trying to beat the game.

We live in a very different game world today then we did then. Our expectations of what a game should be has skyrocketed, and the basic reward structure in the old Mario games is to little to stimulate us today. We did gather "gear" in Mario, but it was in the form of mushrooms, fire flowers, feathers to fly with, capes and other similar stuff. Those games had a much simpler "gear" structure then WoW has, but it is at a fundamental level the same thing. Gearing up and using that gear to seeing new content in WoW is on a fundamental level the same as getting the fire flower in super mario and using it to get past a level you found hard.

This is the engine that drives most games. If you don't believe me, then try to imagine a game without a story line and only offers gear advancement. It is possible to have a game without gear advancement and still be successful. But it doesn't work the other way around. And what happens when you finally beat a game? You either stop playing it/forget about it or go trade it in for another game.

League of Legends begs to differ. There is no story line in that game whatsoever, it's just the same "go beat the enemies" all the time. They have several types of "gear" advancement, from gear that you buy while playing that gets reset between games to different runes that can be equipped before the game and lasts until you get better ones or more slots to fit them in. And this is one of the most played games in the world.

Now this is the fundamental reason why end game should be hard. Because once you see the end game content no matter if it's on easy, normal or hardcore you are done.

End game doesn't need to be hard when you replace it constantly with new end game. You never become done. When new content comes out the first part of the fun is progressing through the content, and the last part is getting the best gear you can. Then new content comes out. The only way people become done in a game like WoW is when they become bored of the entire process or the time between content becomes to long. If the game is too easy people will get bored of it because it poses no challenge at all, but LFR does pose a challenge. It just isn't nearly as big as the challenge of normal and heroic. LFR is actually hard for some people.

And the above reasons is why LFR is bad for the game.

Without LFR you wouldn't have the hard content. Blizzard would have stopped making these raids because they were basically spending a huge part of their time making stuff that next to noone did. That does not make sense. Without LFR Blizzard would probably have stopped making raids at all and focused their development resources on improving the questing, 5-mans and adding in stuff other then raiding such as PVP content and things like Pet Battles and daily quests.

[Redmage]

nobody can tell you what a game "is about" or why you should play it.

Some people play games to do things they can't do in real life.
Some do it to challenge themselves or compete against others.
Some play games for the art and story.

You can't just say "LFR is bad" because for some its a convenient way to accomplish their "why", for others it does nothing for them; but for those people there are other things to do.

You can't just demand that everybody conform to your ideology and play for the same reason you do.

[_Myth_]

For me,World of Warcraft is about the Lore and vibrancy of the world. Its about the music,the conflicts,the races and the ever evolving storylines. The awesome community,which still exists though its overshadowed by the sheer mass popularity of the game.

There is weight and lore behind every single thing that exists within the game itself. And at the same time,WoW itself is a truncated display of what the Warcraft universe is actually like in terms of scale and Lore. They can only show so much in an MMO by current technological means. The true vastness of it all cannot be truly conveyed.

That does it for me really,ive always loved Warcraft lore and the Warcraft universe. Going right back to WC1 when i was a kid. But thats just me,i doubt im alone in that regard. I grind for gear and strive to see new content just like everyone else,but with regards to what WoW is really about...its going to be different for each person. But for me..well,everything i just typed =)

[starlord]

its to crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and bask in their rage whispers.