Account Wide Essences!

[Rinnegan2]

/Facepalm. Except no ones asking for that.... why that’s the typical counter point to account wide anything is beyond me.

Anyway, making essences account wide doesn’t actually fix the biggest flaw with them (imho). And that is, they’re 8.2 content which are virtually mandatory for anyone wanting to do anything meaningful in 8.3

New/Returning players will be grinding back in 8.2 while the rest of us enjoy 8.3... and it contradicts other design philosophies.

For several expansions now, Blizzard has wanted new/returning players to be able to jump into the current content each patch. As such, we see catchup gear implemented along with reduced AP grinds. But essences? Nope! Depending on class/spec, some are quite easy to get Rank 2 in a week, while others are geared behind rep, ridiculous currencies (Rustbolt FFS), raid drops etc etc

I agree though, it does suck for alts as well. I’m changing mains for 8.3 to go healing. All my healers are 415-430 ilvl but the only essences they have were achieved passively... I haven’t decided which one I’ll main for 8.3 so have been doing the weekly chest on all of them, but I simply don’t have the time (nor desire) to grind all the essences. Just focus on BiS? That could change with a patch note.

So, yes, I do enjoy playing my alts. But I don’t consider getting 6000 follower xp (which is gated OFC) in Naz, on my 4 healers to be “playing”.

well said 10chars

[KrayZ33]

I played FFXIV from launch til we got cockblocked at coil 5 like everyone else. I enjoy their character system for sure. Should WoW take from them in that regard? I don't think they should as their character system is set up completely different.

WoW's (alt) character system is designed to keep you occupied 24/7. There is nothing to it other than that.
It's not like it's vastly different and can't be changed to be different.. it's just a choice

[SLNC]

/Facepalm. Except no ones asking for that.... why that’s the typical counter point to account wide anything is beyond me.

Anyway, making essences account wide doesn’t actually fix the biggest flaw with them (imho). And that is, they’re 8.2 content which are virtually mandatory for anyone wanting to do anything meaningful in 8.3

New/Returning players will be grinding back in 8.2 while the rest of us enjoy 8.3... and it contradicts other design philosophies.

For several expansions now, Blizzard has wanted new/returning players to be able to jump into the current content each patch. As such, we see catchup gear implemented along with reduced AP grinds. But essences? Nope! Depending on class/spec, some are quite easy to get Rank 2 in a week, while others are geared behind rep, ridiculous currencies (Rustbolt FFS), raid drops etc etc

I agree though, it does suck for alts as well. I’m changing mains for 8.3 to go healing. All my healers are 415-430 ilvl but the only essences they have were achieved passively... I haven’t decided which one I’ll main for 8.3 so have been doing the weekly chest on all of them, but I simply don’t have the time (nor desire) to grind all the essences. Just focus on BiS? That could change with a patch note.

So, yes, I do enjoy playing my alts. But I don’t consider getting 6000 follower xp (which is gated OFC) in Naz, on my 4 healers to be “playing”.

Nothing to add to that. This is the actual problem and account-wide essences wouldn't fix that.

[darklogrus]

Essences are basically like Gear imo, you should have to work to get them on an alt. Could they be slightly easier, like how it's easier to get gear on an alt? Sure, but given for free... hell no.

And I say this as a person with over 12 120s. If you want to play an alt you need to put SOME work into it.

Why, its not like your Alt is putting in work to gear up. Mail some tokens, a crafted weapon and trinkets and you are basically on par with LFR..

[leorana]

I agree with most of what you have said other than the mount part as the mount is essentially just cosmetic. Essences vs mounts isn't really an apples to apples comparison to be fair. Overall though I agree that you think there should be some level of dedication to an alt/main in order to get them to where you want. Is it slightly overkill right now? Well if you play 5+ characters then yea it would be. I have two alts and I hardly play them because I am generally not interested in alts. I get them to heroic raid level and do m 7-10's on them for fun. Are they optimized essence-wise? No. Can they still tank and do decent dps? Yes.

I specifically love this comment too lol - you sometime play because you're a chinese prisoner and the government makes you too.

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I played FFXIV from launch til we got cockblocked at coil 5 like everyone else. I enjoy their character system for sure. Should WoW take from them in that regard? I don't think they should as their character system is set up completely different.

totally agree with what you've said, including the mount being less than optimal example. that being said, I agree that there should be dedication in order of achievement, it's the amount and type I'm dedication I'm arguing about. I treat essences as gear (and I explained why previously), and that's why I think they should lessen the grind for it somehow.

there *should* be a very close relation between dedication/proof of skill and gear, you win the Olympics - you get a medal. sadly, it's not the case at all. think about legion legenderies, how much time invested, usually doing a more difficult content to improve your chances of a drop...only to get those stupid running speed boots (while your alt got his BIS on his first strike). as long as it's an heavily RNG game, and as long as you can buy carries/gear there is no link between gear and skill or dedication, yet it is the most limiting factor for pugs to get in to an appropriate and doable content. as long as this problem persists - make gearing alts a non - issue with account-wide.

As for those Chinese prisoners, it's funny how's one man trash is another man's gold :-)

[Onikaroshi]

Why, its not like your Alt is putting in work to gear up. Mail some tokens, a crafted weapon and trinkets and you are basically on par with LFR..

Which is why I said EASIER, maybe to get rank 1 it's almost nothing. But you're not sending heroic/mythic gear over to your alt, so rank 3 should still take some work.

[leorana]

Nothing to add to that. This is the actual problem and account-wide essences wouldn't fix that.

this is indeed the larger problem, but in this specific scenario (gearing alts for 8.3 while participating in 8.2) account - wide will band aid work. his main can unlock all the essences (rightfully, by playing the game and putting the time and effort), and when 8.3 hits - he can choose to any healer he wants without needing to go backwards.

new/returning players - no. account-wide wouldn't solve that, but enabling essences for new/returning players who hasn't done the work to get them is the literal definition of being caterd (which is wrong and no one is asking for that). in that case (when 8.3 hits) I would suggest to remove gating (you have to grind the rep, but you're not limited by a daily amount), remove RNG (get a guaranteed drop from bosses who could drop it). you're still obligated to do the content to unlock it, only nothing is ARTIFICIALLY blocking your way and holding you back on 8.3 content

[Yunaqt]

Ps who doesn't have a significant other in this day and age?

I'm going to go out on a limb and and say Single people

[Softbottom]

I'm going to go out on a limb and and say Single people

gottem /10chars

[Yunaqt]

btw. the first letter in MMO does not stand for #ME

Here I thought they were just illiterate with 'ME Multiplayer Online'

[leorana]

Why, its not like your Alt is putting in work to gear up. Mail some tokens, a crafted weapon and trinkets and you are basically on par with LFR..

I see no difference between tokens or crafted gear and essences, they are all gear. if we decide alts don't deserve gear based on 'no effort' - we should remove tokens and BoE gear as well. an alt who doesn't deserve Rank-3 essence (for not playing) doesn't deserve the first rank either. if you decide lesser essences will be freebies for alts/new/returning players - you might as well give them higher rank essences as well.

[Chromell]

~6 hours more covenant progression for your alts. A real game changer!

How do you know it is just that?

[darklogrus]

I see no difference between tokens or crafted gear and essences, they are all gear. if we decide alts don't deserve gear based on 'no effort' - we should remove tokens and BoE gear as well. an alt who doesn't deserve Rank-3 essence (for not playing) doesn't deserve the first rank either. if you decide lesser essences will be freebies for alts/new/returning players - you might as well give them higher rank essences as well.

I just find it odd how I can Boost a toon to 120 and be at 390ilvl 50neck or mail a fresh toon gear to bump them to 400 and nobody cares. Comment that a toon whos essences are already 3/4 on his mains 2 different specs should have a much easier time with essences on alts and everyone goes nuts..

But this is MMO-C after all where the biggest anti-(insert here) end up being the fist in line..

[mojusk]

I'd like to do some casual +10-15 keys with my alt tanks.
Can you recommend me good and "really easy" essences that I can get by playing the end-game content I enjoy (m+)

what tanks do you have?
on my prot warrior alt i just use crucible rank 3 major, vision of perfection rank3 and aegis of the deep rank1 as minor. aegis arnt bis and i cba getting null barrier, but im doing just fine.

[Sangfoudre]

I'd like to do some casual +10-15 keys with my alt tanks.
Can you recommend me good and "really easy" essences that I can get by playing the end-game content I enjoy (m+)

Crucible rk3 as major, mechagon bubble (mostly useless in FH) and conflict rk 1 or higher as minor, if you don't pvp, aegis will do.

[Terongor]

But none of it is actually removed... it has to be made more alt friendly.
Not removed as a system.

I want the essence and the system around it to be more friendly when considering alts.
Instead of regrinding my way to X faction rep / X amount of bodygaurd quests / 30k honor on EACH char i want my essence on.
Clear EP for the Reliquaries X amount of time etc etc etc.

I never said or mentioned i want the essence system removed. it just needs to be more friendly for returning players / new players and alts alike.

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Essence of the Focusing iris as a tank isnt a thing.
Anima of Life and Death it is then, but that is useless to say the least. Its a nice aoe dmg ability but nothing useful defensive wise for a tank.

RPG are character progression tied not account as such by making it account tied it would lose the character progression from your other characters same argument why reputations are character progression not account progression.

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I'm going to go out on a limb and and say Single people

Well yeah but most of them choose to be single as hooking up and meeting people has never being easier but its going out of topic.

[Raelyn]

IMO, almost everything should be account wide. They did it with pets, mounts, reputation, achievements... I would love currencies (some, not all) to be account wide too. I hate having 100+ dubloons on like 6 different toons - why can't I combine them?? Pet charms are account wide. Not too much different to those.

[Nefarious Tea]

The colors are just the roles(blue/teal generic, yellow tank, green healer and red DPS). There's also hidden columns with descriptions of where to get them/what they do for the start of the patch when I wasn't as familiar.

This should work for copying? Have to manually add the red for essences that the character can't obtain, didn't bother setting that up.

Gentleposter and a scholar, thanks!

[Great Destiny Man]

new/returning players - no. account-wide wouldn't solve that, but enabling essences for new/returning players who hasn't done the work to get them is the literal definition of being caterd (which is wrong and no one is asking for that). in that case (when 8.3 hits) I would suggest to remove gating (you have to grind the rep, but you're not limited by a daily amount), remove RNG (get a guaranteed drop from bosses who could drop it). you're still obligated to do the content to unlock it, only nothing is ARTIFICIALLY blocking your way and holding you back on 8.3 content

Considering 8.3 has another system of power progression being introduced (cape + corruption resistance) I'd honestly rather the essence requirements were nuked down to much lower levels so that new/returning players can just straight up focus on the actual current content and the grinding involved with that. I'd prefer the overall player pool increase because it's easy to get back into, rather than having arbitrary walls that increase the risk of making returning/new players just say "fuck it, why bother".

[Elias01]

People have been saying stuff since beta for BFA and nothing has really changed; Hell people have been saying stuff since Nov 2004 lol. It's not a horrible attitude to have - it's reality. Blizzard doesn't give a shit about what we think as long as they continue to fill up their coffers with sub/xpac/cashstore money.

They do care what you think. But if you post feedback it doesnt mean Blizz will automaticaly implement change. Have you guys maybe think about fact that your feedback is bad? Thats why Blizzard do not make changes based on feedback of every average entilted Joe. You have to realize that you are not game developers. You know nothing about mmorpg development and your feedback is mostly from your own perspective and experience instead of being based on scale of entire game where every feature affects entire game and not just you. Accwide power progression is bad for the game thats why blizz wont change it. I think people what have problem with this just play wrong game nothing els. If you really see essences and pretty much everthing outside of dungeons and raids as gate or waste of time than you just dont like playing mmorpg games.