Why flying being gated behind rep grind makes no sense

[SirCowdog]

So, you mean at near end level before two zones were hell without flight?

Currently, you having flight - heck - any expansion having flight has not expanded it, it has just given you a shortcut. A lot of the places can be gotten to by foot (even wrath). Makes more sense to have people on the first chapter of the story, and earn it so they can apply content for the rest of the chapters were they can weave in flight.

Not really useless to expect that the players you make the game for actually plays the game?

It never fails to astound me that people are still don't understand the nature of the problem with Pathfinder.

It's not that people don't want to work or earn flying. Its not even that they want to skip the experience of the game the first time through. It's that the rep grind and time gating isn't actually enhancing or improving either of those things!

The actual problem is that Blizzard's solution doesn't actually address any of the sources of the "design difficulties" with flying. It just arbitrarily locks it away until it doesn't really matter.

Really they should just take the plunge and overhaul how flying works so they don't have to screw their players by delaying access long past when the delay has served its purpose.

[Lochton]

It never fails to astound me that people are still don't understand the nature of the problem with Pathfinder.

It's not that people don't want to work or earn flying. Its not even that they want to skip the experience of the game the first time through. It's that the rep grind and time gating isn't actually enhancing or improving either of those things!

The actual problem is that Blizzard's solution doesn't actually address any of the sources of the "design difficulties" with flying. It just arbitrarily locks it away until it doesn't really matter.

Really they should just take the plunge and overhaul how flying works so they don't have to screw their players by delaying access long past when the delay has served its purpose.

[Mainly to answer the bolded part] Hence why I only support a single chapter Pathfinder. You'll still have reputation grind but the very basic which anyone would be a fool not to have mostly. Thus flight can't be rush achived either and content has some time where it'll feel vast before people achieve flight. I'm in no way in support of further parts (I didn't mind doing more parts but it felt over the top).

[nonameelf]

Flying being time gated is just stupid.

If you complete the story content and have explored the zones then you should be able to fly. You shouldn't have to wait nearly a year to get it.

[SirCowdog]

[Mainly to answer the bolded part] Hence why I only support a single chapter Pathfinder. You'll still have reputation grind but the very basic which anyone would be a fool not to have mostly. Thus flight can't be rush achived either and content has some time where it'll feel vast before people achieve flight. I'm in no way in support of further parts (I didn't mind doing more parts but it felt over the top).

I actually agree, conditionally.

If they're not going to overhaul flying to better integrate it with the design imperatives of WOW's open world formula...then at the very least they should remove the time gating(which isn't actually necessary, explained below), amd make the unlock possible in the launch content.

So...when I say "possible in the launch content" I don't meam faceroll easy. I would suggest something more along the lines of a moderate rep grind combined with a MageTower-like skill barrier that slowly gets easier as gear/AP levels increase. Tie it into mild time gating via lore releases such as Suramar or the War Campaign, with actual in game explanations for why we can't fly. Kua-fon is a perfect example.

As for why the time gating until 8+ months of the expansion isn't needed: Argus and Nazjatar are both completely separate instances, and could very easily have their own flying unlocks. If War Mode restricts flight as well - as many have suggested - then there's even less reason for such a long timegate.

All in all, the current pathfinder system is just lazy. If we're going to be stuck with it, we should at least get the best possible version of Pathfinder that Blizzard is capable of delivering.

As it is, Pathfinder is sub par. Weak. Lazy. And quite frankly, I think both that the players deserve better and that Blizzard can do better.

[Lochton]

As it is, Pathfinder is sub par. Weak. Lazy. And quite frankly, I think both that the players deserve better and that Blizzard can do better.

Oh, I agree but I believe it is a stage up from just throwing coins at an NPC.

[kyoloco]

thats actually why i quit

ive been putting up with pathfinder since wod and i couldnt do it anymore

every single pathfinder gets worse and i just dont think its worth it

[Eggroll]

The hardcore no-lifed it in a record time anyway, so gating didn't stop them from zooming through it. The losers are the casuals who support this game, yet they get treated with repetitive boring chores every day leaving them no time to really enjoy the game. It makes absolutely no sense.

I quit several times and even when I reactivated, I played once, or twice max per week, no longer than 1 hour a day and couldn't stand looking at the same zone anymore.

Who thought of this anyway? What's wrong with simply just not giving flying to anyone until a certain time has passed rather than make people hate your own game. This is beyond ridiculous.

The whole Pathfinder thing was the devs revenge for the "No-Fly" player riots in WoD. They keep it because they are still butthurt that the players didn't agree with their notion of no-flying. It's as Preach said: Flying is like the Jeannie out of the bottle. Once it's out, you can't put it back in.

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thats actually why i quit

ive been putting up with pathfinder since wod and i couldnt do it anymore

every single pathfinder gets worse and i just dont think its worth it

Same, it makes everything in the game a chore - to achieve Pathfinder.

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As it is, Pathfinder is sub par. Weak. Lazy. And quite frankly, I think both that the players deserve better and that Blizzard can do better.

They should just fucking remove it. It was introduced as an act of spite against the playerbase. It's time the devs got over themselves.

[kaminaris]

The whole Pathfinder thing was the devs revenge for the "No-Fly" player riots in WoD. They keep it because they are still butthurt that the players didn't agree with their notion of no-flying. It's as Preach said: Flying is like the Jeannie out of the bottle. Once it's out, you can't put it back in.

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Same, it makes everything in the game a chore - to achieve Pathfinder.

Agreed. Can't be bothered to do all the cool stuff without flying. Hardly have any motivation to go out of pyramid. Basically I didn't leave city for at least 7 months except for to dungeon/raid. Now with flying I caught up with pets/achievements/collection stuff.

Pathfinder idea isn't all that bad but execution suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks.

[Eggroll]

Oh, I agree but I believe it is a stage up from just throwing coins at an NPC.

No, I don't think so. Because it's not CONTENT. It's just an arbitrary barrier. I liked the notion of leveling on the ground. Getting to buy flight was like a "coming of age" of the character itself. It's like "ohh, now I'm all grown up, I can have a driver's license and own a car" kind of thing.

Like really, it was part of each individual character's progression. And that's simply gone with Pathfinder.

[Frozenbro]

A pro flying baby got banned, nothing new, they wont shut up until they get flying as soon as the expansion is out with the only requirement being to log in lmao.

[Lochton]

No, I don't think so. Because it's not CONTENT. It's just an arbitrary barrier. I liked the notion of leveling on the ground. Getting to buy flight was like a "coming of age" of the character itself. It's like "ohh, now I'm all grown up, I can have a driver's license and own a car" kind of thing.

Like really, part of each individual character's progression. And that's simply gone with Pathfinder.

Flight is not content either, it is a luxury feature. A cheat pass. A shortcut. The idea of purchasing it for gold never really made sense to me, only time I would accept it by gold is when an expansion is 3 versions behind give or take. When the 9.0 expansion comes, then I would like to see WoD go to a 50.000 gold price as account wide.

[Eggroll]

Flight is not content either, it is a luxury feature. A cheat pass. A shortcut. The idea of purchasing it for gold never really made sense to me, only time I would accept it by gold is when an expansion is 3 versions behind give or take. When the 9.0 expansion comes, then I would like to see WoD go to a 50.000 gold price as account wide.

I never liked the idea of account wide flying, as stated my last post. Doesn't feel very RPG-ish.

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A pro flying baby got banned, nothing new, they wont shut up until they get flying as soon as the expansion is out with the only requirement being to log in lmao.

Not true. The only requirement being maxlevel and have the gold for it.

[GhostlyBG]

Even my GF who is barely playing the game right now has flying unlocked. If you can't get around to unlocking flying then I suppose you are not even subbed to the game.

[Frozenbro]

Not true. The only requirement being maxlevel and have the gold for it.

Cause paying gold is very RPG-ish right? you contradict yourself so hard its actually hilarious.

[Eggroll]

Cause paying gold is very RPG-ish right? you contradict yourself so hard its actually hilarious.

Yes, if you don't buy it in the store, it is. I explained it in a previous post.

[babyback]

Even my GF who is barely playing the game right now has flying unlocked. If you can't get around to unlocking flying then I suppose you are not even subbed to the game.

Pretty much this. I am down to only playing a few hours every week and some weeks I don’t have time to play at all and I’ve unlocked flying and I am even exalted with all the horde BfA factions.

[Lochton]

I never liked the idea of account wide flying, as stated my last post. Doesn't feel very RPG-ish.

Sooo, grinding up some coins to obtain an ultimate luxury ability that can basically take you safely around the content fast paced is RPG'ish?

I find it quite RPG'ish to have pathfinder. Travel the lands far and wide, learn and explore and earn your right to soar above the lands.

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Even my GF who is barely playing the game right now has flying unlocked. If you can't get around to unlocking flying then I suppose you are not even subbed to the game.

Even my wife is behind on WoW yet unlocked flight at the lowest casual rate you can without much problem other than actually exploring the content.

[Frozenbro]

Yes, if you don't buy it in the store, it is. I explained it in a previous post.

Yeah you wanna feel like you grew up and buy that flying license, which is just bs, pathfinder just needs you to GASP play the game, oh the horror, i have to actually play the game i can no longer just pay the flying fee!

[Eggroll]

Yeah you wanna feel like you grew up and buy that flying license, which is just bs, pathfinder just needs you to GASP play the game, oh the horror, i have to actually play the game i can no longer just pay the flying fee!

You know, if you could express your opinion without derogatory comments I would actually argue with you. But you seem to be incapable of that.

[MiiiMiii]

Blizzard understands flying never should have existed at all.
They said in WoD it will NEVER be added.
Should have stuck to that plan.

Awaiting "if u don't like flying just don't use it lol" reply.

Most things in this game these days feel like a complete waste of time with catch up mechanics. Unlocking flying and allied races is some of the only things in the game that actually feel like an investment.

It's the same reason everyone just farms mounts and transmog outside that. Gear = waste of time. Mounts/transmog/flying/allied race unlocks last forever.

Guess what I did in 8.2 once I unlocked flying? I quit, again. Probably will be back to unlock the mechagnome + vulpera even though I will probably never play either race.