New Ion interview on class balance, bugs, GCDs, island expeditions and Azerite gear

[sillag]

The "we told you our issues during beta" criticism is always tricky because there are many different people with many different opinions and play styles doing a variety of different content. It is impossible to please everyone, but they are always listening.

fuck off ion.

[Hadriker]

Just sharing my perspective.


TLDR: Game design and philosophy has gone down the pooper, but there's still tons of good to decent content for ultra casuals (like me). I wish they would have the same game philosophy as classic personally with the added content and casual friendlyness of modern WoW.

This is pretty much how I feel about BFA. I enjoyed leveling quite a bit. but the new endgame stuff. Warfronts, islands expeditions, world quests, Azerite, etc just feel kind of half assed. Like they went for quantity and not quality.

Like I don't mind grindy content, but i don't want it to feel like a grind. I want the grind to actually feel like its working towards something i want. Everything in BFA just screams grind me forever in the hopes you might get the thing you actually want.

Then all of a sudden playing the game starts feeling like a chore, and that is where the fun stops.

[Zandalariprelate]

Say you think Ion and some people will get fired after this expansion? I am not the kind of guy that will support that kind of things because continuity is esencial in the long term and those people has mouths to feed(I think)

[Playintrafic]

Yes indeed. Suramar was some of the best questing content I've ever done. The withered army training was great also. Even coming back after I switched mains in February 2017. Suramar was fun to do again. It wasn't perfect of course but but it was fun and interesting once you had the right class.

- - - Updated - - -



Yes it did have it's problems, but it was far better than what BfA is now because it was new. BfA adds nothing new. Just the same recycled content.

Suramar was trash. Fucking horrible. Fuck it's one of the reasons I gave up on legion before it ever got good.

[Thetruth1400]

Wait what? How WoW was started to decline when Blizz merged with Activision, when durning WOTLK it was if i good remember 12 million players? I don't get it.

Anyway. I don't care anymore for what Ion have to say...

The end of WotLK was when WoW started its sub decline, it also coincides with when Activision started to actively be a part of the same company as Blizzard. Blizzard was on its own through the creative process of WotLK up until release, but was merged with Activision towards what would have been the later part of the expansion / Blizzard and WoW going forward.

For example; if you've been building a car for 2 years, I show up at 2 years 9 months when the majority of the car is already built, and you put the car on the road at 3 years, there's little harm I could have done with the majority already in place. Now the next time you start building a car, I am there from the start with my input, sway, and your financial obligation to me, things are going to be different.

Now sure, that's all just speculation that it is the cause, and even more so to say it's the only contributing factor (which I'm not saying), but it is a little weird that Blizzard's actions have changed to reflect stock holder > consumer around the same time the merger happened, and we have seen quite a few instances of poor quality control and releasing things before they're ready since then.

[Asrialol]

Ahhh. The typical White Knight response.

Did constructive criticism work during Beta? You know the answer.

YOUR FEEDBACK ISN'T CONSTRUCTIVE ENOUGH. REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Oh, dragging out the White Knight card. Bugs on beta made it to live? Been like that for over 10 years bro. Can you prove that no constructive criticism helped the beta progress, by the way?

I don't understand why people who hate the game bothers to post on a forum dedicated to the game. Wouldn't it be a better use of your time to be on a forum of a game you actually play, and enjoy?

Going through just the first page of your post history shows how much you hate the game, and Ion, apparently. Might want to reconsider being on this forum. You seem to be quite salty and toxic, to be honest.

Question: if someone enjoys the current state of the game, are they a white knight? Blinded by their fanboyism? Your opinion (which you seem to present as a fact, a lot) is the only 'correct' opinion?

[Tabrotar]

Oh, dragging out the White Knight card. Bugs on beta made it to live? Been like that for over 10 years bro. Can you prove that no constructive criticism helped the beta progress, by the way?

I don't understand why people who hate the game bothers to post on a forum dedicated to the game. Wouldn't it be a better use of your time to be on a forum of a game you actually play, and enjoy?

Going through just the first page of your post history shows how much you hate the game, and Ion, apparently. Might want to reconsider being on this forum. You seem to be quite salty and toxic, to be honest.

Question: if someone enjoys the current state of the game, are they a white knight? Blinded by their fanboyism? Your opinion (which you seem to present as a fact, a lot) is the only 'correct' opinion?

Yes, yes they´re because the game at this moment and in this state is utterly fucked up and bad.

[Asrialol]

Yes, yes they´re because the game at this moment and in this state is utterly fucked up and bad.

Is that a fact, or just your opinion?

[Angeredsoul]

Having classes not even ready til 8.1 really sums up their attitude and/or their ability to balance the game.

The game is let down terribly by the class design team, everything else is great about BFA.

[Asrialol]

Keep repeating the same drivel over and over champ.

Ignoring reality isn't healthy.

You're funny.

[therealbowser]

Wouldn't a far easier fix be to just remove the system and replace it with the superior version from wrath called glyphs?

Glyphs are azerite without boring ap,rng,and restrictive grinds.

The point is that Blizzard isn't going to throw out the Azerite armor system, there is a 0% chance of it. It's bad, yes, but instead of trying to argue to have it removed -- which Blizzard will never, ever do (until the expansion is over) -- try to find compelling ways to fix it.

Or at least I'd like to suggest that, but I mean, I don't think Ion & friends are listening anyways.

[Alopex Major]

Then you missed out on an excellent questing experience.

No, he's right, Suramar was intolerable. Never touched that mess on any of my alts.

[Barnabas]

I don't get why anyone expected different answers for any interview they give? They aren't going to come out and say everyone hates our new azerite system. That many people that played at the start of expansion have quit and more are on the verge. He'd get brought into a meeting soon after where his bosses tell him he got fired.

[Kallisto]

The end of WotLK was when WoW started its sub decline, it also coincides with when Activision started to actively be a part of the same company as Blizzard. Blizzard was on its own through the creative process of WotLK up until release, but was merged with Activision towards what would have been the later part of the expansion / Blizzard and WoW going forward.

Here's the problem with this train of thought. When Wrath and Cata came out Vivendi was still in full control of the situation. Activision-Blizzard was still controlled by them. It wasn't until 2013 that they bought themselves out. Leaving Vivendi with around 10% of shares (down from near 70%, which were sold off about 6 months ago i think).

Even then every former employee that's left Blizzard even some that left on bad terms have all sung the same song. Activision doesn't control or influence Blizzard. If they are not being truthful then this is some big coverup and a non disclosure agreement isn't going to hide that either.

[Deleted]

Oh, dragging out the White Knight card. Bugs on beta made it to live? Been like that for over 10 years bro. Can you prove that no constructive criticism helped the beta progress, by the way?

I don't understand why people who hate the game bothers to post on a forum dedicated to the game. Wouldn't it be a better use of your time to be on a forum of a game you actually play, and enjoy?

Going through just the first page of your post history shows how much you hate the game, and Ion, apparently. Might want to reconsider being on this forum. You seem to be quite salty and toxic, to be honest.

Question: if someone enjoys the current state of the game, are they a white knight? Blinded by their fanboyism? Your opinion (which you seem to present as a fact, a lot) is the only 'correct' opinion?

Josh Allen saying they should have listened to beta feedback is proof enough for me they didn’t. Your posts are toxic towards other posters.

[Lei]

Oh, dragging out the White Knight card. Bugs on beta made it to live? Been like that for over 10 years bro. Can you prove that no constructive criticism helped the beta progress, by the way?

I don't understand why people who hate the game bothers to post on a forum dedicated to the game. Wouldn't it be a better use of your time to be on a forum of a game you actually play, and enjoy?

Going through just the first page of your post history shows how much you hate the game, and Ion, apparently. Might want to reconsider being on this forum. You seem to be quite salty and toxic, to be honest.

Question: if someone enjoys the current state of the game, are they a white knight? Blinded by their fanboyism? Your opinion (which you seem to present as a fact, a lot) is the only 'correct' opinion?

Seriously tho what does it mean "hating the game"? It sounds like one of those catchphrases you hear on mlm presentations. Or something like a 4-6 year old would say to their parents when they are sulking "I HATE YOU!" *crossed arms and grumpy face*.
If somebody "hates" the game (fundamentally), they quit and never look back. People who keep following the game and want it to be BETTER don't hate the game. And no game is perfect, so if someone points out the flaws doesn't mean they "hate" it.
Can we (I mean you) stop talking in strawmans?

Also what is "better"? You might ask. At this point I don't think anyone can deny that there are huge problems with the game's main systems, and that the devs seemingly put up the blindfold and pushing it more because they don't have anything else (just like wod and its own one trick pony: the garrisons) .

[BiggestNoob]

Ion's latest Q&A and this interview both reveal a lot about him. He's delusional about the state of the game and has decided to depart from the core values that made WoW a great game.

People like to rag on WoD but it was the last expansion where you could legitimately play multiple characters or specs at a high level. This is the second in a row where players are locked out of playing the game they're paying for, without any justification aside from obvious manipulation of flawed metrics that supposedly measure the health of the game. Legion introduced M+ which was instantly a hit, but instead of improving on it, they've actually decided to make it worse. Somehow Ion makes one of the best additions to the game, ever, something that is starting to lose favor to what CMs were.

Ion should either resign or learn how to be a good leader and start caring about this game again. You can tell he doesn't give a shit because he can't even bother to remain competent at the spec he's mained for what, 20 years now?

[PlazaPlaza]

IoN Is An AsShOlE iM sTuPiD aNd PlAy WoW CuZ Im AdDiCtEd.

Read this is a mongo

[CasualFilth]

IoN Is An AsShOlE iM sTuPiD aNd PlAy WoW CuZ Im AdDiCtEd.

Read this is a mongo

Hi Ion, what's up? Having fun with the imbalanced War Mode? Why haven't you levelled an Alliance character yet?

[PlazaPlaza]

Hi Ion, what's up? Having fun with the imbalanced War Mode? Why haven't you levelled an Alliance character yet?

I don't like him at all btw.