Should Blizzard try to Change the Game Dramatically Every Expansion?

[Wondercrab]

Yes and no. Systems with fundamental problems should be redesigned from the ground up or reverted to previously successful iterations when it's appropriate, but features that already work very well shouldn't be completely scrapped just for the sake of trying to make something a little bit better.

Class design from MoP to Legion features a lot of examples of polished systems being torn up and rebuilt, and the abandonment of the justice/valour system led to all sorts of problems with the reward structure in WoD's end game, followed by the slow reintroduction of PvE currencies in less elegant forms.

Now that I think about it, most of the design problems with WoW feel like they stem from this stuff. Either large problems are slowly iterated upon when sweeping changes would probably work better, or small issues face anthill-nuking solutions instead of careful tweaks. Overall I think slow iteration is probably better, though. Veering off course can be corrected when the changes are small, but it takes a long time to climb back up when you blindly drive yourself off a cliff.

[valax]

NO , but yes .

This whole azerite armor / artifact iteration of the game is something I don't like but got used to , they should go back to the classic gear model , legion legendaries were a cool addition but they should not be "legendaries" , made the playstyle a bit different at your liking .
But now that they want to remove tier and their bonuses I don't know if the bfa combat mechanics will be plain boring , i'm waiting to experience it first hand before judging.

[Velerios]

What i can't understand is: WHY DOES BLIZZARD NEED TO ABANDON ALL CONTENT EVERY EXPANSION?

Why can't we get something that works over expansion-borders except toys and mounts? For example the Farm in Halfhill: it made cooking far more interesting and worthwhile. But instead we got boring cooking back with WoD.

Something small like this, optional for everyone but works over expansions away.

The same with crafting: instead that you for example require for high level items also some ores from older expansions, it's always the same 2-3 new ore-types and nothing else.

Instead of changing the game dramatically every expansions, blizzard should embrace content of older expansions and include it in actual content. And it would also help leveling characters to make some extra bucks.

And in terms of character development: NO!!! I really hate ability-pruning, and they do it again in BfA. Instead of prune abilites, give us more new abilities, and make some simply non-viable anymore. Maybe some niche where you actually want to cast this spell, but you don't want to keep in in your main action bar.

For me, every expansion feels as we get weaker and weaker and weaker. Character-development is non-existent. Oh, i used Hammer of Wrath for years, and no i don't know how to cast it. No thank you.

[Marxman]

I think they change classes too often and when they do they change them far too much.

This is my biggest gripe with Blizzard. They'll often change something that is perfectly fun and functional just for the sake of change. See: Survival Hunter. There was no reason to turn it into a melee spec, especially with a brand new melee class being introduced. But they had to change something, because NEW EXPANSION! So they essentially ruined a spec for an entire expansion, and are now doubling down on it with BfA (to be fair, the BfA SV changes look much better). It's obnoxious and pointless and it makes the game worse.

Changing things that don't work is good. Changing things that do work is abysmal game design.

[Echoherb]

This is my biggest gripe with Blizzard. They'll often change something that is perfectly fun and functional just for the sake of change. See: Survival Hunter. There was no reason to turn it into a melee spec, especially with a brand new melee class being introduced. But they had to change something, because NEW EXPANSION! So they essentially ruined a spec for an entire expansion, and are now doubling down on it with BfA (to be fair, the BfA SV changes look much better). It's obnoxious and pointless and it makes the game worse.

Changing things that don't work is good. Changing things that do work is abysmal game design.

Hunters had the least distinction between specs of all the classes, and melee hunter makes the most sense considering they used to have melee abilities. I'm all about class changes when it makes sense, fundamental class changes each expansion doesn't feel good though. It looks like they are toning down the class changes dramatically for BFA though which is a good start, I just wish they would have kept our artifact abilities instead of getting rid of them or putting them in the talent trees.

[Serissa]

Should Blizzard try to change the game completely every expansion to the point of it being unrecognizable?

They tried. MOP (open world) -> WOD (garrisons).

And wow subs dropped from 10M to 5M in a half of expansion lifecycle.

[Pickynerd]

No. It didn't work out so well for SWG.

Now that was a shame, but Blizzard doesn't learn, even when they say they do.

[Pachycrocuta]

As a paladin player, I get tired of playing a new class with the paladin name every damn expansion. I will say that the paladin (protection, anyway) in Legion was the most fun I have had with it since Wrath (and the first time I didn't switch to a different character after getting my paladin to max level). I do have a fear that I won't like the class when BfA comes out.

There is no need to change the classes so god damned much every friggin expansion. Add new stuff to the game, sure. Add garrisons, order halls, island expeditions. But changing the classes just for the sake of change is fucking stupid and getting annoying as fuck with the frequency of it.

[ro9ue]

I don't mind them messing with elements of the game outside of classes.

I think they change classes too often and when they do they change them far too much.

I agree with this. I feel like it's a good feeling to be playing a rogue for ~10 years and feel like you are continually getting better at mastering your class. When they totally revamp classes I highly dislike it.


I'm ok with them adding more options though, but not adding to hotkeys. So for WoW, I'd like to see more -columns- in the talent UI and not -rows- if that makes sense.

[Aeula]

Considering the state of WoD, Legion and presumably BfA? Yeah. We need to get out of this mire.

[Trumpcat]

Class changes, new features, new mechanics, new whatevers is the reason I am mostly looking forward to every next expansion. BfA doesn't seem to try to overhaul daily life in WoW the way Legion did, but maybe the Warfronts and the Island Expeditions will be a great thing to spend time on.
Looking back rarely WoW had a Legion scale of changes anyway, it's mostly been smaller things and rebalancing, in addition to the traditional big chunks of content.

[chezwickcheese]

Only if it is needed such as failed class designs, garrisons etc

[tyrlaan]

I think every expansion would be too much, but more importantly, I think all polls on this site would boost their quality if they included the third option like you did, OP.