Reddit AMA with Ion Hazzikostas

[Tabrotar]

This is how I can tell you have never worked in software before. Broken shit gets released ALL THE TIME that, in retrospect, totally defies common sense. You also seem to think that Ion is aware of every single thing his team is doing at all times and can see all of these details and closely works on all of them. He does not. He tells his managers what needs to get done, the managers tell their workers and then shit gets done. Sometimes those workers forget common sense or don't think fully from the player/end user perspective, and THAT is when shit like this happens. And they don't get fired for it either usually since the issue does not impede from use of the software. If you had ever worked in a software company AT ALL, you would know that shit like this happens on a weekly basis and the support team has to damage control.

People in this community don't seem to understand the difference between user experience issues and actual design flaws. The warfronts thing is a user experience issue. Azerite armor being a garbage system is an actual design FLAW.

Ah yes damage control...

When fucking multiple thread pointed out those fucking issues and fucking NOTHING happend and it went live where was the damage control/quality managment/whatever you wanna call it, then hm?

[Deleted]

have you asked in every warfront or island "hey everyone do you liek it?"
or are you literally just sitting there waiting for someone to say "I LOVE THIS DO YOU GUYS LOVE THIS?"

Also your example is horrible, because americans are raised in america, so things they may like or not like another country will not like/like
so a resturant that americans go to in another country they may hate, does not mean its a bad resturant...

- - - Updated - - -

As I mentioned at the outset of this AMA, this is a beginning of an ongoing conversation. In some of my responses today, I referred to plans for our upcoming content update. That patch will be coming to the PTR very soon, and we'll be doing a livestream on Tuesday, September 18 at 11am PDT on the Warcraft Twitch channel where we'll discuss the major pieces of content in the patch. I look forward to continuing the discussion.


WUT!?8.1 reveal!?!?!?!

As I said, feel free to show me where the vast majority like and continously enjoy these 2 features. I will be waiting. And before you say "People that enjoy them will stay quiet", not everyone. Take Warsong Gulch as a good example. When it was released there were plenty of people that disliked it, and plenty of people that liked it (I liked it, and I was vocal about it). Both parties voiced their opinions. Same with Alterac Valley and Arathi Basin. Take TBC, there were people that voiced their opinion about 10 man and 25 man raids. Both those that hated it and those that loved it. Ok, next expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, the one expansion that has gotten most praise out of them all so far. How weird that people actually were vocal about liking an entire expansion. Sure, there were people complaining, but the majority liked it.

Now, let's jump ahead to BFA: There are people that has voiced that they like the expansion and those that dislike it. HOWEVER; I have yet to see people liking Warfront and Island. If you like those 2, good for you! But from what I have seen, including my own opinion, those 2 are badly done with bad design in mind. There are A LOT of people not liking those 2. Sure, they are getting fixed, but that just means that they built those 2 with bad design from the very start, and only now realises that "it didn't go as planned", and need to put EVEN MORE TIME in changing the design to TRY and appeal to more people. I get it that not everything they envision will go as planned or be received well, but again, some design features was voiced in Alpha that has not been adjusted. There is a reason why the community is confused on why even have Alpha-release if our input is not used as data to adjust the game.

Since you are a "Defender against critics" for some unknown reason (yeah, why are you even arguing to people disliking something to begin with? It's almost like we are not entitled to having opinions unless our opinion agrees with you...), tell me why the majority of the comments here dislike Warfront and Islands? Why were they one of the questions top voted?
Also, since you like arguing against people that dislike something that has to do with WoW; could you enlighten me regarding the other topics as well that people are disatisfied with, and why those people are wrong in having those opinions?

State of Shamans (I play Shaman, I can go into very detailed summary if you want to know why we aren't happy with the state of Shamans)
Azerite Power Grind
Repgate
Timegate

Also, since you believe those are good game designs, maybe you could enlighten us all why those are good game designs, and why should we like them.

[Hell-Nicø]

TLDR : The sorry state of the game and the fact that each and every of the new features introduced as just bad isn't a mistake, it was purposefully designed that way.

[Santoryu]

Did he even discuss personal loot? Seems not

[morph4037]

So far it seems most answers boil down to, "Fuck you , that's just how it is".


I am a bit surprised.

Consider the source of the answers, it makes it less surprising.

[Sungamnori]

Q: We've seen a pattern of the community giving feedback and you not listening to us and having to fix it later

A: We just go in blind and make our best guess

Q: But we've given you plenty of feedback and...

A: HOW COULD WE KNOW??? WE HAVE TO GUESS!!

[Rafalga]

Saying a lot of shit while saying absolutely nothing. It's not at all surprising that he is actually a lawyer.

[rrayy]

So because he's not a Class designer he has no *general* idea as to where the game is heading ? So you tell me CEO's don't know where the company they lead is heading to ?
Just a general example but I guess you'll spin it around as usual.

Ion isn't a CEO. They work as a TEAM. There isn't one person who is clearly above the team.

[Kallisto]

You've expected different?

"Why everything is timegated?".

"Because we got players with less time!"

"mmkay...."

Should have said "You guys asked for it." then point to every thread that was made during Legion of people crying for artificial gating because they could not control themselves.

[rrayy]

What's truly amazing to me is the amount of people that are unable to see that BFA is pretty much working as intended. The intent with WoW isn't to make quality content, it's to make content just passable enough to keep you logged in. Blizzard's metric of success with WoW changed after WoD. They stopped measuring and reporting the number of subscriptions, and instead they track how long you play per session. Understand, the tedious grind and the Azerite system are all intended to keep you logged in as long as possible.

What amazes me is people continue to spew this myth. This isn't true AT ALL. The developers design and create a game they think the masses will enjoy. They take pride in their work. Your myth is created solely because they don't make the game exactly how you want it. You want a game that caters solely to you. They have to make a game they hope will be great for many different people. You like it one way, other players hate what you want and would like things to be a different way. The fact is you are not the only one playing the game.

This myth you and others continue to perpetrate really needs to die.

[Pratt]

So he's claiming the dev team lacks the ability to run traits through a basic sim? How can you say with a straight face that you didn't have enough data when players on day 1 easily figured out which traits were super broken?

[rrayy]

What's it feel like to be incapable of recognizing basic facts? I mean, they've basically admitted how badly they shit the bed with BFA at this point, and it's a fact that they haven't publicly released subscription numbers since WoD. HMMMMMM. Like I said, you're probably the niche that will take whatever Blizzard puts out and ask for more because you don't have the ability to be critical of products that you consume. That's fine, I hope you enjoy your stay, but don't pretend like what you're being served is a gourmet meal when it's McDonald's. You know the meme of that dog sitting at the kitchen table while the house burns around him with the caption that says "this is fine"? That's you.

Not being happy with how things have gone so far doesn't = admitting things "s*** the bed with BFA".

Also, correlation does not prove causation. Yes, they stopped reporting sub numbers, but that does not prove any of the myth you and other claim as fact. It was done so because it no longer accurately conveyed game health to their subscribers as they have stated multiple times. Finally, the only niche here is the minority of players who complain simply because the game is not catered solely to them. I have the ability to complain, but I also have the ability to actually be willing to try different things out. You don't because you are unwilling to try anything that isn't in your specific vision of the game, think their opinions are actually fact, and make up narrative to confirm your bias when you aren't getting exactly what you want. That is why this myth continues to permeate. It is convenient confirmation bias of the entitled members of the player base like you.

[Mafic]

Ion's response about classes needing niches and strengths and weaknesses is infuriating. They took away our ability to adapt to situations by picking different talents, then told us that we should have niches based on 'class fantasy', then they say they feel vindicated when peoplw complain about losing out on their ability to play different aspects of the game? Like having no mobility and complaining about no mobility because every fight requires mobility. But Ion says that is 'working as intended'? Genuinely infuriating for their class vision to be people unable to contribute to certain situations in the name of class fantasy. Livid.

Yeah if they are going to prune hard they have a responsibility to fix classes. I wasn't surprised by the response but I am surprised they still don't see it a top priority.

[Gultar]

Not being happy with how things have gone so far doesn't = admitting things "s*** the bed with BFA".

Also, correlation does not prove causation. Yes, they stopped reporting sub numbers, but that does not prove any of the myth you and other claim as fact. It was done so because it no longer accurately conveyed game health to their subscribers as they have stated multiple times.

In what way is sub numbers not a valid metric for discerning the health of the game? See they didn't really ever explain why that is the case, simply that it is the case.

[Alanious]

Ion Hazzikostas you're a fucking clown. You want people to believe "Raw data" live will aid you with decision making? He'll never admit that Beta's data was not reviewed, because they were too fucking busy promoting BFA without even fixing anything regarding gameplay. Ghostcrawler faced EVERY QUESTION and faced the community on his own! You're a fucking socialist clown #RIP

[meowfurion]

The disconnect from Blizzard to feral Druid issues is mind numbing. They haven’t fixed us. It’s still the same issues. But they will bend over backwards to fix other classes. And it’s stupid that they nerfed BM and Sub. Why not just bring up the bottom classes namely FERAL DRUIDS AND FIRE MAGE????

- - - Updated - - -

Ion Hazzikostas you're a fucking clown. You want people to believe "Raw data" live will aid you with decision making? He'll never admit that Beta's data was not reviewed, because they were too fucking busy promoting BFA without even fixing anything regarding gameplay. Ghostcrawler faced EVERY QUESTION and faced the community on his own! You're a fucking socialist clown #RIP

THIS^^^^^^^

[alexa420]

Best canine education toys searching for dogs they assume about their acquiescence or readiness execution as play will probably find out the work strengthening. Notwithstanding when the toy is absent.
Expand

- - - Updated - - -

Best canine education toys searching for dogs they assume about their acquiescence or readiness execution as play will probably find out the work strengthening. Notwithstanding when the toy is absent.
Expanded power and diminished strain can instantaneous faster exhibitions. puppies that are "masterminds" might also come to be involved with the diversion and allow themselves to reply besides over-examining their activity.

For more info about dog training add . and com with the site which is written below.

Dogstrainingtools

- - - Updated - - -

Best canine education toys searching for dogs they assume about their acquiescence or readiness execution as play will probably find out the work strengthening. Notwithstanding when the toy is absent.
Expanded power and diminished strain can instantaneous faster exhibitions. puppies that are "masterminds" might also come to be involved with the diversion and allow themselves to reply besides over-examining their activity.

For more info about dog training add . and com with the site which is written below.

Dogstrainingtools

[Crookids]

Yeah, there are some rotation changing and/or impactful traits but in comparison to the sheer amount of IMPACTFUL, QoL or game changing traits from weapons in Legion it’s a joke. And let’s not forget you weren’t constantly chasing a new piece of gear with said traits and relying on RnG to even make yourself viable.

I never get pissy about Blizzard but I’m really pissed this time around. They constantly contradict themselves, never admit and backpeddle on a mistake and give vague answers to serious issues. Look at Outlaw Rogues. For some reason you decided to nerf the hell out of their viable Azerire trait so now Snake Eyes is necessary, secondary weights have changed and compared to the better scaling in the other specs — it’s now become an almost dead spec when it’s niche fights are loaded with the other spec and ST, Outlaw is nowhere to be found. On top of that the rotation has become more complicated (which I like) but doesn’t reward your for the extra effort. Add in RnG of roll the bones and it becomes “WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!?”

- - - Updated - - -

I have to ask but what does socialism have to do with anything???

Yeah, I’m curious too. However, I’m for the mentality of pointing out socialism is bad every chance you get so I ain’t mad at it lol.

[Alteiry]

I have to ask but what does socialism have to do with anything???

I like how when rightwingers get mad at capitalism they don't like, they call it socialism. The Cold War in a nutshell.

[Deleted]