Walkmode

[notsouki]

Should be 2 options.

Warmode - NO Flying

No Warmode - Flying

[MoanaLisa]

We always did. Even when flight was buyable at max level we went through the zones on the way to max level.

They do not have any reason to delay flight aside from the fact that Afrasiabi and some others want it that way. There is NO reason they've put forth that holds up to scrutiny, at all. Their initial reason in WoD was that they couldn't deliver some kinds of content because flight would trivialize it. Seen any of that content lately. Yeah, me either.

I'm not disagreeing. Just saying how things are. I think there are some things that it will take a new team at the top of the game to overturn. This is one of them.

[Relapses]

On a fundamental design level, Blizzard has decided that exploration and travel time are an essential part of the game. Every attempt to reason in favor of fast travel or alternatives to what Blizzard has chosen to identify as a core gameplay mechanic completely ignores this fact. And it won't be changing until they come out and say, "Hey, you know what? We no longer give a shit about this and we're changing our minds." Since flying has been handled the same exact way for three expansions, however, it seems incredibly unlikely as the developers have been on record each time this comes up giving the exact same justification I just provided.

[Aphrel]

Well, if they introduce flying at expansion launch again they mightaswell cut details and resources back on the outdoor world to how it was in tbc and double the amount of raids or something instead. No point in trying to create a details beautiful outdoor world if everyone will be flying over it to get from A to B.

[Nnyco]

Sounds like a stupid idea, the way blizzard is doin it right now seems to be best. Do everythin once and then you can skip it with flyin, if you so desire.

[Relapses]

Well, if they introduce flying at expansion launch again they mightaswell cut details and resources back on the outdoor world to how it was in tbc and double the amount of raids or something instead. No point in trying to create a details beautiful outdoor world if everyone will be flying over it to get from A to B.

I disagree there. Cata had flying from the getgo and it still had some incredibly lush and detail rich zones. (Deepholm is beautiful.) I doubt Blizzard is forcing people on ground mounts for implicit reason of making us appreciate the scenery. It's more likely because they want travel time to feel significant. If you have to travel from one continent to the next, it should feel like a journey... not opening our spellbook and clicking a fast travel teleport.

[SirCowdog]

I believe they still want players to experience the world content at least once the way they designed it: on the ground.

That's why these discussions never go anywhere and are completely pointless a waste of time.

I believe Blizzard should step up their game and make playing "The way it was intended" to include flying.

The way it's set up now is just one more aspect of Blizzard now knowing their players. Making content for the shareholders, not the players.

- - - Updated - - -

On a fundamental design level, Blizzard has decided that exploration and travel time are an essential part of the game. Every attempt to reason in favor of fast travel or alternatives to what Blizzard has chosen to identify as a core gameplay mechanic completely ignores this fact. And it won't be changing until they come out and say, "Hey, you know what? We no longer give a shit about this and we're changing our minds." Since flying has been handled the same exact way for three expansions, however, it seems incredibly unlikely as the developers have been on record each time this comes up giving the exact same justification I just provided.

WHAT exploration?

That explanation makes sense only if Blizzard were actually delivering engaging and interesting ground content; which they aren't. It's copy/paste kill x quests broken up by a handful of escort missions and extremely childish puzzles.

As @clevin said:

"Their initial reason in WoD was that they couldn't deliver some kinds of content because flight would trivialize it. Seen any of that content lately. Yeah, me either."

[Mysterymask]

I disagree there. Cata had flying from the getgo and it still had some incredibly lush and detail rich zones. (Deepholm is beautiful.) I doubt Blizzard is forcing people on ground mounts for implicit reason of making us appreciate the scenery. It's more likely because they want travel time to feel significant. If you have to travel from one continent to the next, it should feel like a journey... not opening our spellbook and clicking a fast travel teleport.

though on the flip side of that coin...there was little to no reason to do...ANYTHING in those zones again after you leveled outside of flying to the raid (The final raid wasn't even IN a cataclysm zone). I mean I guess people still did Deepholm for the Thrazane dailies and then the place that actually gave dailies prohibited flying (Tol Barad and Molten Front).

Mists of Pandaria was probably a better example to be totally honest. Nice areas, flying basically from the get go..and reasons to actually go around and see most of it....but then flying was disabled in Daily Island version 7.0

But now at the very least we have shit to do in all the zones we level in

[Alkizon]

Because Warmode exists to break down divides by removing the PvE-PvP server split.

This would serve only one purpose, to further divide an already dwindling playerbase.

Well, technically there is no separation, since modes choice is flexible, and most of problems arise exactly because of this. If it would tough, as it should be, this would have been a completely different story, but it's just economically more profitable to do stuff in this (current) way for Blizzard (psychologically/mechanically (in terms of gameplay) this is brutal and unfair dictatorship trick that has long been harassing/corroding community from the inside).

Friend's old stuff from EU:

decide finally <url>, who do you work for <url> you can't please everyone, or...ither..., so you just play off of players with each other and this is one of main reasons why community is toxic.

But proposal(OP) doesn't change essence of fact that flights aren't part of content, but form of catch-up mechanics: they aren't active/interactive/dangerous, don't introduce any form of gameplay, but only take it away. And therefore, as before, they make game worse = "shorter". But here, again, read me correctly - I don't speak for/against arcade puzzles and I'm not against flying, I'm against freebies. I'm for everything in the game to make sense, or to give players opportunity to make one on their own, but it's simply not there now. Now this is just mechanic to circumvent the rules, but people are so used to this privilege that they consider it their inalienable right... and this is why there is so much whining about it.

[clevin]

Flight trivializes almost all world content, not sure you have a good argument there. It's just a fact that it does as it makes travel quicker and avoid almost all hostile npcs except for those that are quest objectives. That falls squarely in the category of content trivialized by flight.

Yawn. Sorry, no. That and every other argument has been debunked many times. If you aren't familiar, you need to go read older threads but here's the short version... no world mobs are a threat at all. I ride past them now on the ground. If I have to fight them because they daze and dismount me, they aren't a threat to kill me nor are they interesting - they give no rep, nothing really drops from them, etc. They're just in the way. So don't hold them up as something critical to the game. They're fodder and that's it.

Oh and making travel quicker does not trivialize content by itself and if you think it does, trash your flight whistle and stop using flight points. Ride everywhere.

You and others utterly ignore that the game maintained millions of subs from TBC through MoP, with flight active. There was no problem and most of you just make shit up, forgetting that assertions like "Flight trivializes almost all world content" aren't actually arguments. Your opinion isn't fact.

[Relapses]

WHAT exploration?

That explanation makes sense only if Blizzard were actually delivering engaging and interesting ground content; which they aren't. It's copy/paste kill x quests broken up by a handful of escort missions and extremely childish puzzles.

As @clevin said:

"Their initial reason in WoD was that they couldn't deliver some kinds of content because flight would trivialize it. Seen any of that content lately. Yeah, me either."

If I were to wager a guess, it's a time investment thing. If Blizzard gave players more tools to fast travel throughout the expansion, content consumption rates would increase and time investment would decrease. I'm fairly pragmatic in personal opinion about flying. I would 100% use it if they made it accessible from the beginning. But I also understand the reasons Blizzard has for not implementing it and personally don't care enough about flying to get into these discussions and using its absence as a bullet point example of them being out of touch with the community.

[Lochton]

Or maybe go back to how it was pre pathfinder. Wasn’t that added in the wonderful WoD expansion? I think 8.2 is months off

Still not that far off. As well, rather Pathfinder than purchases. Rather earn it. Rather it be a reward for having been active in the content.

[Deleted]

Sounds like a stupid idea, the way blizzard is doin it right now seems to be best. Do everythin once and then you can skip it with flyin, if you so desire.

Not really since pathfinder is still locked away.

[Nnyco]

Not really since pathfinder is still locked away.

Because you havent done everythin yet, because everythin isnt out yet. derp

[khazmodan]

Still not that far off. As well, rather Pathfinder than purchases. Rather earn it. Rather it be a reward for having been active in the content.

So... as long as all other people enjoy the game the way you enjoy it then they can get the same reward, but if they want to just raid and pvp, they are screwed. What do those people need flying for?, supplies for raiding; herbs, fish, etc.

There is a limit to how much a player will grind through to get to do what they like in the game and Blizzard hasn't done a very good job in the last few expansions figuring that out. Because they have been bad at this they have been bleeding subs and not reacting like they used to by backing off on requirements for different things.

[Nutri]

Adding additional shards means more player fragmentation leading to an emptier world.

Not the best solution imho.

[khazmodan]

If I were to wager a guess, it's a time investment thing. If Blizzard gave players more tools to fast travel throughout the expansion, content consumption rates would increase and time investment would decrease. I'm fairly pragmatic in personal opinion about flying. I would 100% use it if they made it accessible from the beginning. But I also understand the reasons Blizzard has for not implementing it and personally don't care enough about flying to get into these discussions and using its absence as a bullet point example of them being out of touch with the community.

I don't think flying is an example of being out of touch with the community, I think its an example of Blizzard wanting to see how far the donkey will walk to get the carrot so they don't have to make as much content to keep the player subbed. Blizzard knows what the community wants just like car makers know that car buyers want a car that can last 1 million miles. The plan for Blizzard is maximum profit with minimum cost, so they are constantly probing to see how much loyalty you still have that motivates you to buy whatever cash grab they roll out the door.

[Cosmic Janitor]

I believe they still want players to experience the world content at least once the way they designed it: on the ground.

That's why these discussions never go anywhere and are completely pointless a waste of time.

I had experienced the content 1 week after launch already, let's not pretend this is anything else than artifcial stretching of content. All the other rubbish is just brown nosing excuses of fanboys and laughably transparent diversions from blizzard.

[Lochton]

So... as long as all other people enjoy the game the way you enjoy it then they can get the same reward, but if they want to just raid and pvp, they are screwed. What do those people need flying for?, supplies for raiding; herbs, fish, etc.

There is a limit to how much a player will grind through to get to do what they like in the game and Blizzard hasn't done a very good job in the last few expansions figuring that out. Because they have been bad at this they have been bleeding subs and not reacting like they used to by backing off on requirements for different things.

Flight is a luxury that should be earned. Rather earn it for my whole account than paying for it pr. character.

[tyrlaan]

Am I the only one that was expecting this thread to be about having characters walk vs run and was disappointed when they opened the thread?