The only monster Blizzard can't NERF...or... can't they?

[Omedon]

I've been contemplating and blogging on the evolution of WoW, to be redirected with the "big bang" of Cataclysm, for some time, and there has been an aspect of that evolution remotely implied, but never solidified in my view until recently.

Keep in mind, that this article's reference to PUGs is one largely aimed at the negative experiences we encounter PUGing 5-mans cross server, or the headaches of forming PUG raids, the kind of headaches that gave rise to gearscore abuse, and other such abused shortcuts, which are effective when used properly, but often aren't.

A lot of people in a lot of places have inferred that Cataclysm (not "Cata"! You can't acronym a single word, you can only be too lazy to spell the whole word out! :P ) will "kill PUGs", an angle that I had dismissed, in my moral view of WoW, as outside the model of inclusion, and I still think to a certain degree that an anti-PUG game has it's downsides... until the major upside dawns on me.

If you're not PUGing, you're, Ideally, not mixing incompatible expectations of gaming, time efficiency or social aspects among people. Ideally, You're not hearing GOGOGOGO, you're not being rushed or pushed outside your interactive comfort zone. If you're not PUGing, Ideally, you're with friends.

So, an anti-PUG game... is a "pro-friend" game.

Now, what is an anti-PUG game? I'd say the guild leveling system, and reports of more "team co-ordination based" group content are two obvious elements of an anti-PUG game. If the dungeon finder has taught us anything, it's that "you're not the boss of me" and "LOL you're so bad", etc, are the battlecries of those that have become the only monster in WoW that blizzard can't NERF: the anonymous, abusive, unaccountable cross-server PUG. By incentivizing "sticking to your peeps", it is reasonable to speculate that you will see less of that. I know I have every intention to organize "5-man GXP night" for my small, friendly guild, and so for those that have no desire to deal with "GOGOGOGO" given the weekly format of valor points, well, there would then far less reason to do fully randomized 5-mans, unless one simply feels like it, or is grinding hero points. That's anti-PUG, that's pro friend, and I'd bet money that I'm not the only one getting that. If people are seeing less GOGOGO's, that's a better game for everyone.

Fully/mostly randomized PUGs will always exist, and should always exist, because while the majority of experiences (and it's sad that it's come to that) are either indifferent or negative ones, PUGing is also a forum to occasionally meet the GOOD players, and the friendly players that have yet to have a guild (or just a circle of friends) meet their expectations, and perhaps your guild is that guild! Granted, if you're the one GOGOGOing and abusing your group, well, your guild (if any) probably isn't supposed to grow, and you're supposed to be alone in the ideal world... of warcraft.

Thank you for reading.

[Thallidomaniac]

You know there are servers that are so abandoned that people have trouble even getting PuGs together for the raid weeklies, right?

[Feel The Power]

Basically, for anyone who didn't want to read it all: guild runs are better than pugs and Cataclysm wil be a guild friendly expansion, but pugs will still always exist.

[Omedon]

You know there are servers that are so abandoned that people have trouble even getting PuGs together for the raid weeklies, right?

My response to those scenarios is that when they arise, the game only amplifies in the social importance of the good people sticking together. This is an issue that Blizzard must and does moderate within reasonable expectations. At some point, the few and the understanding need to work together, and if they can't, that's really not Blizzard's problem.

You're also speaking to the current landscape (the unfortunate era of "25 or GTFO"), wheras I am talking about the future, but in that future, my point still stands. One who respects their own time enough to look into the built-in resources blizzard has provided (displayed server activity, realm forums) will make their decisions (of realm choice) accordingly. If these trends shrink communities further, it's not unreasonable to expect or anticipate Blizzard moving to act, either through free transfers, or perhaps merging servers.

[Redbullz]

Well written, I second that emotion
especially when trying to level an alt, the first thing you do is look for people with heirlooms in your group, and even those sometimes prove just how easy it is for anyone to level to 80 without knowing what the hell's going on around them.

[Dessan]

It's not an acronym, it's an abbreviation. You can abbreviate a single word. WoW is an Acronym, Cata is an Abbreviation.

All in all, yeah I just hope come Cata pugs themselves will be a bit more tolerable unlike the state they're in today, but it definitely means what with shared raid lock outs I only need to deal with 9 strange people per week not 33 of them.

[Omedon]

It's not an acronym, it's an abbreviation. You can abbreviate a single word. WoW is an Acronym, Cata is an Abbreviation.

Agreed, but it's still annoying, in my opinion.

[Willferel]

Basically, for anyone who didn't want to read it all: guild runs are better than pugs and Cataclysm wil be a guild friendly expansion, but pugs will still always exist.

Thank you. I tried reading it, but then I was like wtf I am drunk. Back to football watching.

[Against the Modern World]

I don't think that guild leveling system will help pro-friend game. I'm afraid it'll cause small guilds to join together, so getting levels will be easier. But big guilds mean it's going to be like a big PUG, only with a guild name. For me, perfect guild is 1 raid, and no more.

Of course, some guilds of RL friends will still persist.

[Togarox]

Basically, for anyone who didn't want to read it all: guild runs are better than pugs and Cataclysm wil be a guild friendly expansion, but pugs will still always exist.

So pretty much stuff we already knew?

[Pantelija]

What is the point of this thread , as someone already pointed out u are telling us things we already know o.O

[Omedon]

What is the point of this thread , as someone already pointed out u are telling us things we already know o.O

And we appreciate your free bumps!