If you were given Ion's job...

[Maudib]

I would start by completely deleting everything Ion ever did from game.

The leveling experience would be made to last a LOT longer... 30 days plus.

Make the crafting viable for this longer journey.

I would do away with the various difficulties. There would be Normal and Heroic Dungeons, and one difficulty raid with some hardmode options. Perhaps Heroic dungeons would have additional or maybe even different bosses.

You would have to do a lot of Normals to be able to do Heroics... you would have to do heroics and craft, and get reputation to prepare for raids.

Gone would RNG gear tokens and titanforging... back to deterministic loot, with more sockets, crafting profession perks like sockets/fur liniing/etc...

People would has a BiS list, or a preparation list and go farm those instances for their gear. There would be Valor/Heroic badges for fill in pieces.

Epics would disappear from dungeons except maybe last bosses of Heroics. And even then raid pieces trump them every time.

Tier gear would make a come back.

A lot of this account wide crap would go away... just because your main is exalted with The Scooby of the Doos, doesn't mean your level 5 alt is too.

Instead of pretending that we were listening and then completely blow off every comment as if it were never asked.... we would just be honest. "This is the game now... if you don't like it... play something else. We're passionate about the game, and will always put FUN first."


Most importantly.. I would do away with LFR, dungeon finder, and instaport into dungeons/raids. If you cannot be bothered to play the game by being a part of the world, then you shoudln't be playing the game at all. Simple as that. Join a guild or be happy with the leveling/world content.

This is an MMORPG... or WAS. now it's more of an MMO-ARPG with a lobby based queue system instead of friends.

[Eleccybubb]

Instead of pretending that we were listening and then completely blow off every comment as if it were never asked.... we would just be honest. "This is the game now... if you don't like it... play something else. We're passionate about the game, and will always put FUN first."

Just to expand upon this with an example.

The Producer/Director of FF14 Naoki Yoshida has openly said once that if people are feeling burnt out with a game they should probably play other stuff and whatnot. As well as that he plays other games of the same genre as FF14. Not to mention he and the team try their best to listen and manage the criticism of the game.

My point is for a dev to come out and say that they are a fan of other games in the genre is pretty damn amazing. He doesn't go after the community and say "well if you don't like it then get lost" but encourages people that FF14 is not the only MMORPG out there.

Meanwhile Ion is all arrogant with his "we hear you but this is what's happening" attitude rather than actually trying to work with feedback, avoids the tough questions and is like "play our game or get out". Not to mention he actually went out of his way to trash the community once by saying they were at fault for the state of the game because of the small amounts of vitriol on the internet.

[Tazr]

I would greatly increase the feeling of an unsafe world by making outdoor content a lot harder.

Back to packs of mobs that you need to pick off one by one, throw in some CC, help of a friend.

We have a great arsenal of spells per class, but only ever use a handful of abilities and are always relatively safe. That's a real shame.

I do enjoy the variety in quests, but I just feel that playing through them is too simple.

Ugh. Just....UGH. What if you don't have anyone to help? What if your class is squishy and needs time to eat (heal)? What if your class doesn't have CC? How about a freaking second to loot? Needing to pee or answer the door means your toon just dies.

Open world content is supposed to be doable by low-gear/casual players. You want a challenge? Progression raid or PvP.

We had essentially THIS at the launch of MoP when players got dumped into the Jade Forest. Too many people meant insane mob spawn rates. People HATED it.

[Mardux]

I would start by completely deleting everything Ion ever did from game.

The leveling experience would be made to last a LOT longer... 30 days plus.

Make the crafting viable for this longer journey.

I would do away with the various difficulties. There would be Normal and Heroic Dungeons, and one difficulty raid with some hardmode options. Perhaps Heroic dungeons would have additional or maybe even different bosses.

You would have to do a lot of Normals to be able to do Heroics... you would have to do heroics and craft, and get reputation to prepare for raids.

Gone would RNG gear tokens and titanforging... back to deterministic loot, with more sockets, crafting profession perks like sockets/fur liniing/etc...

People would has a BiS list, or a preparation list and go farm those instances for their gear. There would be Valor/Heroic badges for fill in pieces.

Epics would disappear from dungeons except maybe last bosses of Heroics. And even then raid pieces trump them every time.

Tier gear would make a come back.

A lot of this account wide crap would go away... just because your main is exalted with The Scooby of the Doos, doesn't mean your level 5 alt is too.

Instead of pretending that we were listening and then completely blow off every comment as if it were never asked.... we would just be honest. "This is the game now... if you don't like it... play something else. We're passionate about the game, and will always put FUN first."


Most importantly.. I would do away with LFR, dungeon finder, and instaport into dungeons/raids. If you cannot be bothered to play the game by being a part of the world, then you shoudln't be playing the game at all. Simple as that. Join a guild or be happy with the leveling/world content.

This is an MMORPG... or WAS. now it's more of an MMO-ARPG with a lobby based queue system instead of friends.

What were your issues with ICC and Ulduar bosses? Since you want them deleted from the game.

[Maudib]

Ugh. Just....UGH. What if you don't have anyone to help? What if your class is squishy and needs time to eat (heal)? What if your class doesn't have CC? How about a freaking second to loot? Needing to pee or answer the door means your toon just dies.

Open world content is supposed to be doable by low-gear/casual players. You want a challenge? Progression raid or PvP.

We had essentially THIS at the launch of MoP when players got dumped into the Jade Forest. Too many people meant insane mob spawn rates. People HATED it.

He said packs of mobs you needed to pick off one by one... not this run in, aggro everything, and have no fear of dying whatsoever.

Kind of liek the Gnolls in Westfall. You would circle the groups and range pull one or two. If you pulled more... you were dead. If you don't have CC? Then that's when you looked at your toolset for managing more than one mob. A warrior could hamstring a mob and lite the other further away allowing him to do more damage one while minimizing damage taken from another.

i used to love to come across 3 packs that had to be dealt with cleverly or you died. That made the encounter challenging and fun. As opposed to today's game where you can just run into a pack of 3-6 and not even be concerned with dying. Where is the fun in that? Might as well just delete the mobs and leave bags of loot behind.

Yes it takes longer to level... but if you are having fun... does it matter? The problem with it now is it isn't fun or rewarding. So ANY time spent leveling is wasted.

[xindralol]

Say you were given Ion's job as lead game director and was given ample resources by Activision/Blizzard to make the game better...how would you go about doing so?

Make as much $$ as I can and then get the hell out of the gaming industry.

[Maudib]

What were your issues with ICC and Ulduar bosses? Since you want them deleted from the game.

Ion's work on the encounters team was good... and I guess I should have said "Everything he did as lead developer should be deleted" Which is Legion and BfA.... but you know that... as well as all the bad mechanics brought to game under his direction. He should be fired. I mean that honestly. The guy is out of his depth.

[ToxicFlame]

He said packs of mobs you needed to pick off one by one... not this run in, aggro everything, and have no fear of dying whatsoever.

Kind of liek the Gnolls in Westfall. You would circle the groups and range pull one or two. If you pulled more... you were dead. If you don't have CC? Then that's when you looked at your toolset for managing more than one mob. A warrior could hamstring a mob and lite the other further away allowing him to do more damage one while minimizing damage taken from another.

i used to love to come across 3 packs that had to be dealt with cleverly or you died. That made the encounter challenging and fun. As opposed to today's game where you can just run into a pack of 3-6 and not even be concerned with dying. Where is the fun in that? Might as well just delete the mobs and leave bags of loot behind.

Yes it takes longer to level... but if you are having fun... does it matter? The problem with it now is it isn't fun or rewarding. So ANY time spent leveling is wasted.

do these changes by any chance entail anything other than adding more hp/dmg to the mobs?

[sil3ntearth]

I would fire Lore.

I agree with this 100%.

The second thing I'd do is pull back a bit on the sharding technology. I know they all get a boner over it, but it really screws with the sense of community and a living, breathing world. 3, I'd squish the levels to 60 and make every level matter (looks like they may do that), and 4 give everyone in the art department a raise, because they've been carrying this game.

Lore needs to go. He represents everything that is wrong with the gaming community right now.

[Soon-TM]

Translate it how you want. Your thing. I wouldn't said what I have said if the reality has proven to be otherwise.

Then kindly show the facts behind such a wide sweeping statement. Sources pls.

- - - Updated - - -

do these changes by any chance entail anything other than adding more hp/dmg to the mobs?

It would also entail giving them powerful spells/special moves that should be interrupted/avoided/outranged.

[Maudib]

do these changes by any chance entail anything other than adding more hp/dmg to the mobs?

No need to, as you increase level you come across more things to deal with like patting off on low health to possibly pull other mobs. Casters getting silenced from spell elements, stealthed mobs, ranged mobs, mobs with pets, mobs in closed areas that need to be somewhat kited, mobs that telegraph spells and attacks.

Mobs that need spell stolen, curses to be removed, poisons to be cleansed, Mobs that stun.
When they made their health and damage such that they weren't dangerous... tey removed the need to use your other skills.


"OMG he is going to cast frostbolt!" Meh he hits like a feather. "OMG, he just cursed me..." NP it only ticks for 3 HP every 5 secs.

When you make these things mandatory to deal with, the game becomes much more engaging and fun. It also makes for much more attentive players.

[ToxicFlame]

No need to, as you increase level you come across more things to deal with like patting off on low health to possibly pull other mobs. Casters getting silenced from spell elements, stealthed mobs, ranged mobs, mobs with pets, mobs in closed areas that need to be somewhat kited, mobs that telegraph spells and attacks.

Mobs that need spell stolen, curses to be removed, poisons to be cleansed, Mobs that stun.
When they made their health and damage such that they weren't dangerous... tey removed the need to use your other skills.


"OMG he is going to cast frostbolt!" Meh he hits like a feather. "OMG, he just cursed me..." NP it only ticks for 3 HP every 5 secs.

When you make these things mandatory to deal with, the game becomes much more engaging and fun. It also makes for much more attentive players.

sure that would be cool ... I guess... (then again I'm the kinda guy that would love an aura that just kills every pleb mob around me instantly), but that requires functioning classes that are fun to play otherwise it's just an even bigger pain in the ass but I guess that's a different topic.

[Alcsaar]

Artifact power systems gone, azerite traits gone, flying unlockable from the start, a reason to actually run mythic+s over 10 that isn't just for a shiny achievement. Immediately start working on a true actual necromancer class. Its time that we get an actual new ranged class and not another melee.

[Maudib]

sure that would be cool ... I guess... (then again I'm the kinda guy that would love an aura that just kills every pleb mob around me instantly), but that requires functioning classes that are fun to play otherwise it's just an even bigger pain in the ass but I guess that's a different topic.

Well they have that boost button that does practically the same thing... instantly kills every mob in all the zones up to 110... only costs $60.

[Baine]

Thank god you don't have a chance to replace Ion. Problem with many many ideas is that they do not consider the need of multiple play styles.

[Donald Hellscream]

I don't know probably in a way that would make people mad and go for their torches and pitchforks.

[Mardux]

Ion's work on the encounters team was good... and I guess I should have said "Everything he did as lead developer should be deleted" Which is Legion and BfA.... but you know that... as well as all the bad mechanics brought to game under his direction. He should be fired. I mean that honestly. The guy is out of his depth.

I assume you have experience as a lead game designer, what with your ability to tell what is and isn't within the depth of the current one.

Sadly, i am not a lead game developer so i, in fact, don't know all the job entails, who is out of their depth, or even what the LGD has personal control and final say over.

Also, you are not omniscient, you shouldn't assume you know what others know.

[evertonbelmontt]

Class Design.

Master loot.

Tier sets.

[whywhatwhowhenhow]

This thread reminds me of....

[Sanguinerd]

It's clear we should all be very happy most of the people around here will never get Ions job :P