Why Blizzard should never remove items

[Djuntas]

So hey guys. Fun thread on this old topic thats been beaten to death, but I as many others probably know about now, heirlooms that we're removed in MOP and WOD are now gonna scale down to level 1. What this means is that my AGI polearm, or my AGI trinket I did manage to get back then, I can now use on a fresh new alt at level 1. On top of the weapons themselves having good stats, better than normal heirlooms, the weapon can also be socked with 2 gems. I could not find any information on what the best gems is for said heirloom weapon, but I think at level 1 you will at least get 1-2 more agi/str/int etc.

So what this all means is that people who did manage to get these good heirloom items will for always and permanently have the best heirlooms on a new character.

Im not sure if there has been another time in WoW where removed items actually gives an in-game benefit in terms of power. Of course mounts and stuff gives you...well, more swag but even the mount achievements can be gotten without removed mounts etc.

I just find it again stupid to remove content they worked on, I have never liked that - Me having say Hand of Adal title from TBC, a title I have used for so many years, and im glad I have the title, but if others could get it now Id still like it. But yea, I just thought this was odd, I know heirlooms...who cares, so you will level a bit faster, but I like to min-max these types of things.

[loppy88]

While I agree that removing items is crappy, especially if they are digital, the leveling process lasts hours after the rework, so it's nothing to worry about.

[Djuntas]

While I agree that removing items is crappy, especially if they are digital, the leveling process lasts hours after the rework, so it's nothing to worry about.

For sure, still this marks a time where you see a power increase through removed items. Im not sure if that happened so much before.

[loppy88]

For sure, still this marks a time where you see a power increase through removed items. Im not sure if that happened so much before.

Perhaps, but it won't matter in the slightest in the endgame. Guess it doesn't matter as much then, unless you plan on twinking.

[therealbowser]

Yeah, this was always the case. It's why I worked so hard to get the heirlooms when they were available. It's not the weapons you should be complaining about, though, it's the trinkets which absolutely blow the alternatives out of the water. The weapons just have two gem sockets--that is their only advantage now. The accessories are downright amazing. However, the accessories were also a lot easier to obtain, just a bit of a pain in the ass because it was WoD content.

All of this said, I am totally okay with there being new opportunities to gain these heirlooms again. In fact I was disappointed (but unsurprised) Legion and BFA didn't have heirlooms like this to collect. Despite the fact I already own most of the heirlooms (I wasn't able to get the offhand Garrosh items, but I didn't really work to get them to be fair), I wouldn't feel like it was 'unfair' that new players have an opportunity to get them as well. It could even be part of the next anniversary event or something, fighting Garrosh for goodies and a new chance to get the old stuff again.

But I also don't really care if they aren't available again, because I mean, I got what I wanted already. Had I missed them at this point I wouldn't care, because the current weapons are virtually identical to them in value. The only ones that really matter are the trinkets, IMHO.

Meanwhile void tendrils are one of the best heirlooms in the game and most people still don't have that one, despite the fact people practically give them away. lol

[Lanrefni]

I still want my Dartol's Rod of Transformation back,perma Furbolg was fun.

[Darsithis]

I see what you mean by this - having stronger weapons that can be socketed (but there is no guarantee there are gems you can use in them right away) can give a temporary boost of power right at the start, but that's only going to last a few levels, at best. Like how it's always been, those heirlooms will level out with the rest of gear as you level up and it won't matter anymore.

[Djuntas]

I see what you mean by this - having stronger weapons that can be socketed (but there is no guarantee there are gems you can use in them right away) can give a temporary boost of power right at the start, but that's only going to last a few levels, at best. Like how it's always been, those heirlooms will level out with the rest of gear as you level up and it won't matter anymore.

Actually, the scaling even at 120 is better. Eg 120 weapon mop heirloom has better stats than normal 120 two-hand heirloom. Also we can use gems right away, but maybe just not good once, aka only like...TBC or maybe wotlk gems.

[Zyrinx]

I still want my Dartol's Rod of Transformation back,perma Furbolg was fun.

This isn't gone, I still have mine.

[Darkeon]

How else would they compel you to login and grind for long periods of time?

By making good, wholesome, entertaining content? Get out of here, man!

[korijenkins]

Removal of content is their new way of incentivizing their game.

The Mage Tower skins are an appropriate example. They could've easily left the scenarios in the game, but chose not to.

[Queen of Hamsters]

FOMO-tactics will only become more and more prevalent in WoW, as in the rest of gaming culture.

I literally found myself worrying one night that I had missed out on the Season 1 pass of Anno 1800, I was sure it'd become unobtainable... Nah, it was just on a 40% sale. :3

The power of FOMO cannot be underestimated.

[ymirsson]

Where did you see this information? And why would anyone care about two gems of stats on a leveling character? It's not like that is a deciding factor for anything.

[Lanrefni]

This isn't gone, I still have mine.

It is if you faction changed to Horde so you could play with your friends.

[kranur]

Removal of content is their new way of incentivizing their game.

The Mage Tower skins are an appropriate example. They could've easily left the scenarios in the game, but chose not to.

A very very very small portion of the things becomes unavailable. If they made for example all of the transmog items, all titles and all mounts from prevous expansions unobtainable, then it will be a problem.
Choosing a few things that can be obtained only when they pose a challenge is not.

And regarding the weps .. pretty sure socket stats also scale with level, so the difference is not even noticeable.

[Zyrinx]

It is if you faction changed to Horde so you could play with your friends.

Ouch. Sorry, then.

[Spiffums]

Everyone is focusing on the example the OP used and not what the OP is saying about removing items.

[FossilFree]

Removing items is just bad for the game. I'll tolerate it for gladiator mounts, but that should be the end of it. Even AotC mounts should become a low chance drop instead of just disappearing, I mean that's what happens to cutting edge mounts and that is even higher difficulty.

Cataclysm was the worst for this, turning many junky green items and simple recipes into these super rare items they should have never been.

[doodle90]

They should readd them along with SoO weapons along with challenge mode items and just have them all purchasable with some sort of mythic+ currency like how Marks of Honor purchase PVP old sets. Maybe make the currency only drop in 10+ m+ or something.

Or even add timewalking mythic+ event that you can earn those in.
Time walking mythic+ Panda (complete level 10/15 key in all of the panda timewalking dungeons awards the armor set and a phoenix egg for example)

Also they need to freaking add back the super red mail gloves that dropped from SM. I had them on my shaman before tmog was added but npced them because who tf thought tmog was gonna be a thing and they were gonna vanish.

[Relapses]

How else would they compel you to login and grind for long periods of time?

By making good, wholesome, entertaining content? Get out of here, man!

And as everybody knows, "good, wholesome, entertaining content" means the same exact thing for every single person who has ever played WoW. That's why these forums are amazing: because everybody agrees on everything and nobody ever decides to have a dissenting opinion about anything. World of Warcraft: The bastion of friendly online communities the internet over.