Possibly no flying throughout entire xpac.

[Deleted]

You must be pretty naive to believe disabling flying mounts will lead to all the above.

Not alone no, but it's still a necessary step for that to be possible. But you are right, there are still many convenience features to cut in the future patch/expansions. Looking forward to it, the direction is right atleast, the game is at it's best as social game revolving around guilds, and succeeding as a team instead of individual. Diablo is pretty good and convenient game where you can shine as individual, and they don't need two similar games, which is why they are now free to make justice for mmorpg genre.

[Kazgrel]

I actually replied to it later.

Flying over trivial content from a birds eye view is more exciting than finding a way around packs of mobs with getting dismounted.

See, this can go on all day.

Now for some tinfoil hat material:

Seems to me the concept of no flight in WoD and in future expansions/content can serve as a means to artificially lengthen the time it takes to do anything in game, which in turn would require people to sub longer to complete it. What I believe blizzard underestimates is how many people will instead decide to just cancel their subs because they tire of having to ride through zones full of burning berserker-esque mobs and/or gankers.

Really, though, we should all expect mobs like that all over WoD.

- - - Updated - - -

Not alone no, but it's still a necessary step for that to be possible. But you are right, there are still many convenience features to cut in the future patch/expansions. Looking forward to it, the direction is right atleast, the game is at it's best as social game revolving around guilds, and succeeding as a team instead of individual. Diablo is pretty good and convenient game where you can shine as individual, and they don't need two similar games, which is why they are now free to make justice for mmorpg genre.

And how exactly does removing flight make the game more social and guild oriented?

[Deleted]

Not alone no, but it's still a necessary step for that to be possible. But you are right, there are still many convenience features to cut in the future patch/expansions. Looking forward to it, the direction is right atleast, the game is at it's best as social game revolving around guilds, and succeeding as a team instead of individual. Diablo is pretty good and convenient game where you can shine as individual, and they don't need two similar games, which is why they are now free to make justice for mmorpg genre.

Removing flight won't make people more social. Instead you'll just get more competition for viens, more people acting like knobs with agro dumping mobs on you while you mine and /loling at you.

WoW's community is toxic and nothing is going to change that.

[gamingmuscle]

And how exactly does removing flight make the game more social and guild oriented?

Over all I wouldn't expect much impact. On the PvP servers it may encourage it some as there likely will be more opportunities to pvp. But the PVE realms lack of flying will do jack shit to encourage social interactions

No flying has minor benefits for some players, and development benefits for blizzard.

[Giscoicus]

It exciting seeing the content you leveled through with a new perspective.

Nice how you completely dodge his comment, though.

Too bad you are just staring at skybox or alt tabbed.

[urasim]

Too bad you are just staring at skybox or alt tabbed.

Don't assume to know what I am doing in WoW. You're so far off with that comment.

[Deleted]

Too bad you are just staring at skybox or alt tabbed.

usually they are afk on flight paths as you are locked in for the ride with nothing to do, I can't see that changing in WOD.

[Deleted]

And how exactly does removing flight make the game more social and guild oriented?

Like I said, it's just one necessary step. But for example, it lowers the pace of the game so that there is time for random social situations. It's also easier to create content where being in a group is the most efficient way to play, and that in turn supports guilds and/or making friends. Flying alone is not the full answer, there are still more changes coming.

[Deleted]

Like I said, it's just one necessary step. But for example, it lowers the pace of the game so that there is time for random social situations. It's also easier to create content where being in a group is the most efficient way to play, and that in turn supports guilds and/or making friends. Flying alone is not the full answer, there are still more changes coming.

There's no such thing as "random social situations" during levelling. Because everyone does their own thing and forced group content turns into /1 LFG Ring of Blood spam or just gets skipped. its all about endgame, and flying at endgame helps you do the group content (raids and dungeons) without having to wait an age for your group members to turn up on the slow flight paths or ground mounts to the instance portal.

[Deleted]

Removing flight won't make people more social. Instead you'll just get more competition for viens, more people acting like knobs with agro dumping mobs on you while you mine and /loling at you.

WoW's community is toxic and nothing is going to change that.

You can actually change that. The best way is to make people more dependent on each other and guilds. The grievers, or knobs, don't excel in social enviroments, where they can be held responsible and effectively denied the chance to participate because you need friends (for example, top raiding guilds have very low percentage of toxic people in them, compared to LFR). I don't think Blizzard will take it all the way, but the situation can definately be improved by going in this direction.

[-Superman-]

Doesn't your stag form already carry a 2nd person?

Only if I glyph it. My Sandstone Drake carries a passenger, but if I am forced to the ground, I might as well use my Chopper. I pretty much only rode that in Pandaria til 90 anyway.

Point is, if you are going to neuter a Druid Form, you need to replace it with something.

[urasim]

Like I said, it's just one necessary step. But for example, it lowers the pace of the game so that there is time for random social situations. It's also easier to create content where being in a group is the most efficient way to play, and that in turn supports guilds and/or making friends. Flying alone is not the full answer, there are still more changes coming.

The only thing that it slows is the time it takes to get from point A to B. The combat is just as fast, and most people won't even leave town/garrison at max level. Good guilds will run heroics with their members since it's getting harder. If anything this game is going to a less casual friendly place. If you're not good at the game, good luck getting good groups.

The only time people will want to leave the town/garrison is to travel to raid. You can queue for battle grounds, arena, heroic five mans, scenarios, and LFR anywhere in the world. You can get all materials from the garrison. So, what exactly do you expect people to be doing in the world where you're able to chat with people?

[-Superman-]

Dude... Most of those things you mentioned were at a Blizzcon and on the website at some point.

Thanks for proving my point. Until it happens IN GAME, no amount of "hearsay" means jack shit.

[Kazgrel]

Like I said, it's just one necessary step. But for example, it lowers the pace of the game so that there is time for random social situations. It's also easier to create content where being in a group is the most efficient way to play, and that in turn supports guilds and/or making friends. Flying alone is not the full answer, there are still more changes coming.

I can socialize with my guild while flying just fine.

"You can do that while on a flight path."

Sure can, but most of those take long enough that I go afk if I have to use a fp.

These "random social interactions" may occur on new toons prior to level 15, but even then I rarely ever ask or get asked to group up at that point.

[-Superman-]

Can you borrow that timemachine of yours? I wanna see some future too.

and the ad hominem begins... it's called speculation. It's what ALL of us are doing. Even you Skeletor.

[Deleted]

Gathering eggs for Cloud Serpent Rep... need flight
Doing dailies in VotFW against the Hozen... need flight
Build Lorewalker rep, or just meet Chromie for Timeless Isle... need flight
Get to Mt Hyjal from Winterspring... need flight
Questing in Deepholm... need flight

Please, tell me more about how the game is on the ground. I find it fascinating. Even if there is an aroma of fertilizer attached to it.

Have you given any thought that maybe Blizzard is building a new continent without the need of flying?? Do you actually believe they would just give you an inaccessible area, only reachable through flying??

Have some faith in the company you pay every month, if they say no flying is required, I expect the game to reflect just that.

[urasim]

and the ad hominem begins... it's called speculation. It's what ALL of us are doing. Even you Skeletor.

You're misusing ad hominem here. He wasn't attacking you.

[Deleted]

There's no such thing as "random social situations" during levelling. Because everyone does their own thing and forced group content turns into /1 LFG Ring of Blood spam or just gets skipped. its all about endgame, and flying at endgame helps you do the group content (raids and dungeons) without having to wait an age for your group members to turn up on the slow flight paths or ground mounts to the instance portal.

You lack any vision about the design. If today they would make leveling and grinding in groups twice or three times as efficient as solo, people would be looking for leveling/grinding groups all the time. Then you just need to give them incentive to talk to each other and make the pace of the game (no flying for example) slow enough that they have time to talk and BAM, you have random social interaction that turn in to friendships or at the very minimum strenghten the server community.

It's not a game for everyone though. For example diablo is great if you don't enjoy socialing while waiting your group members.

[gamingmuscle]

Like I said, it's just one necessary step. But for example, it lowers the pace of the game so that there is time for random social situations. It's also easier to create content where being in a group is the most efficient way to play, and that in turn supports guilds and/or making friends. Flying alone is not the full answer, there are still more changes coming.

Flying actually has nothing to do with it. LOL They need to create content that requires a group to complete...and it has to be worthwhile =P Flying does not prevent them from doing that.

[Azaael]

If I had to take a guess on their plans-and again, this is just a guess-that they might be considering something like GW2's Waypoint system. It would probably be the one way where they can combine a mix of:

A. Not pissing people off
B. Not needing to fly
C. Keeping convenience while keeping exploration and
D. Keeping money mildly in check.

If they take away flying with no other convenience, they're going to piss people off-a lot of people-and rightfully so, and possibly enough they take a big sink in subs they really don't want. But a waypoint system could actually cover a lot of ground, literally. You get waypoints, and then can easily jump around to them-to hubs, towns, cities, around the cities, to raid instances, dungeons, and the whole nine. But it still leaves them free to develop the world to put hidden things around and the like. Teleporting from one area to another still requires you cover some of the questing ground or whatnot by mount.

If you charge a bit of silver for teleporting(more for further it gets), it'll keep a tiny bit of money out of the economy. I'm not sure what a good price would be though. It shouldn't be so much you don't want to, it should be cheap, but still something where if you sit there and do it all day you may notice yourself a little lighter.

Things stay convenient-which is what the people want-but it enables the devs to still develop little odds and ends without worrying about flying, which is what the devs want. Plus-Blizz like many have been known to snatch ideas from others, and polish them up, so it wouldn't be off course for them to utilize this idea.

Again-just a guess of what they *may* be planning. I could live with this to be honest, so long as they made a lot of waypoints.