Should Blizzard try to Change the Game Dramatically Every Expansion?

[Deleted]

What do you guys think?
Should Blizzard try to change the game completely every expansion to the point of it being unrecognizable?
Or you think its better fot it to stay relatively the same?

I must admit, i wouldnt mind if Blizzard made WoW a "proving grounds" to test new things.
But i comprehend that this would hurt a lot of fans.

I see Blizzard as the "conservative parents" of the MMO genre since Cataclysm.

What about you? Do you want dramatic changes or the game to stay the same because you just love it how it is?

[Deleted]

No, BfA is looking like the first expansion that is not a re-write. More like Legion+.

I kinda like it.

[Deleted]

No, BfA is looking like the first expansion that is not a re-write. More like Legion+.

I kinda like it.

I am one of those guys who want to game to change completely to the point of it being unrecognizable

But what people tell me all the time is "just play a different game then".

Fair enough, but i would like to see wow spice things up a bit.

[Razion]

It's scary when they drop the ball on things like Garrisons and Tables, yet my fear of boredom is greater, so I'd rather them try than do nothing.

[MoanaLisa]

I don't mind them messing with elements of the game outside of classes.

I think they change classes too often and when they do they change them far too much.

[dlld]

What I really want is blizzard to go back to the drawing board and make a new wow from the ground up, since the changes i'd want wouldn't be realistic when it comes to changing a live game. But that isn't happening anytime soon.

Which means any 'dramatic' changes are likely going to have a hard time truly fitting in to a game core that was designed like 20 years ago by now.

So I guess, no?

[Arrashi]

I am one of those guys who want to game to change completely to the point of it being unrecognizable

But what people tell me all the time is "just play a different game then".

Fair enough, but i would like to see wow spice things up a bit.

Than maybe you should...play other game ?

[Deleted]

No, BfA is looking like the first expansion that is not a re-write. More like Legion+.

I kinda like it.

Re-write of what?

[Schmilblick]

Yes, I like some refreshing options, not a reskin like the garrison table that is still following us in the next expack.

[Powerogue]

Each expansion has always been "we're going to try to learn from our mistakes of last time and try a few new things to spice things up" it's mainly just been a case of a lot of the new things not working, like garrisons.

The "proving grounds" is beta.

It's lead to some good and some bad but ultimately each expansion has brought us something worthwhile. BC flying, WotLK vehicles, cataclysm old world revamp, pandaria world treasures and a stronger emphasis on coherent story and worldbuilding, WoD new character models + the Goblin Glider Kit, and Legion level scaling, to name some major ones.

[Hashtronaut]

I don't mind them messing with elements of the game outside of classes.

I think they change classes too often and when they do they change them far too much.

Yeah I agree with this.
Feel like the game/activities/storyline should change, but why do they always need to flip classes upside-down and all around?

[ATZenith]

They kind of have to to keep interests. Even if people argue they shouldn't, it's a good thing for replayability. If nothing else.

[Deleted]

Re-write of what?

Wrath -> Cata wasn't a rewrite in your eyes?

[Soon-TM]

If Blizzard is going to change stuff just to prune the game and "streamline" it further, it shouldn't.

If Blizzard is going to add some flavor and complexity back to the game, especially class design-wise, then it should.

That's why this poll sucks imo.

[Celadir]

I feel "game changing" could be as easy as having a solid foundation in class design so that you change classes for an expansion to get that experience. Re-inventing the wheel comes with challenges and sometimes large setbacks that can make user experience...not so good overall. Adding things to the game is a 100% good thing, but the constant re-work of classes creates more issues than it resolves problems. My .02

[Deleted]

Wrath -> Cata wasn't a rewrite in your eyes?

Considering that you claimed BfA to be the first that wasn’t a rewrite, I’m not sure what your definition is, if you only bring up Wrath and Cata. Cata changed the world massively, sure, that’s a rewrite in a way. But the other expansions have not done that. They have only added more landmasses, just like BfA will. I thought you meant rewrite as in Legion being TBC 2.0, but that wouldn’t make sense either, as none of the previous expansions have been a rewrite in that regard.

So again I have to ask, rewrite of what, and how?

[Justpassing]

No. It didn't work out so well for SWG.

[Deleted]

Considering that you claimed BfA to be the first that wasn’t a rewrite, I’m not sure what your definition is, if you only bring up Wrath and Cata. Cata changed the world massively, sure, that’s a rewrite in a way. But the other expansions have not done that. They have only added more landmasses, just like BfA will. I thought you meant rewrite as in Legion being TBC 2.0, but that wouldn’t make sense either, as none of the previous expansions have been a rewrite in that regard.

So again I have to ask, rewrite of what, and how?

My logic is more about fundamental systems (this won't be a definitive list):

Cata - 10man Heroic (being equal), guild progression system, LFR, Monk, Pandaren (first neutral race)
MoP - Challenge modes, Scenarios, CRZ, BattleTag, acc wide achievements/pets/mounts (this was huge for my personal gameplay), flexible raiding
WoD - New style of levelling, removal of 10man Mythic, secondary stats obliterated, first squish, first ability prune, transmog wardrobe
Legion - World Quests, M+, Legendary system, Artifacts, Demon Hunter, Prestige System

Whereas BfA is building upon all the systems of Legion+previous xpacs (except legendary system)

Squish? (Done before)
Prune? (Done before)
Invasions? (Scenarios rebadged)
Azerite Armor? (Artifact/Netherlight Crucible rebadged)

Warfronts is new.
Allied races is new (but purely cosmetic sans racials).

This is not slagging BfA, it's building on some very well received systems, but there's nothing grand as far as I'm aware, I should say the previous expansions need to be a collective of everything they brought rather than any one feature.

[Unholyground]

It's scary when they drop the ball on things like Garrisons and Tables, yet my fear of boredom is greater, so I'd rather them try than do nothing.

At this point, missions/tables are amazing because it lets people do little to no effort and play the game without a sub fee. It is welcomed going forward until they realize they would make way more money and keep way more players active going strait up buy to play like Guild Wars 2.

[Lochton]

I don't mind them messing around with things but B better line up with C, and no B + E. If you know what I mean? That the expansion still has a relevant connection with the previous.