Ion Hazzikostas wrecked world of warcraft

[shaggawoolin]

For me it is clear that the current development team destroyed world of warcraft over the years.

Instead of focusing on the world, they moved all their effort to (competetive) endgame. They forgot about the world they created in classic, and left it unchanged for a very long time until cataclysm, where they renewed it in a way people did not like much as well.

Nowadays, if a new expac releases, all the focus is on new raids, mythic dungeons and rated pvp. Questing content is more a chore than a main feature, while it should be the core gameplay. It should be about the world mainly, and about dungeons and raids only if there is any time left to create them.

I believe the classic reboot was successfull at start, because all of the world mattered again. In nowadays World of Warcraft, the world does not matter at all, and the fun gameplay happens in instanced content only. Leveling is a chore, without any kind of challenge. Crafting in old content does not matter. Crafting at end level feels like a raiding extension, as you need mats from raids to get raid level gear. Beside that, crafting is just another chore, as like are world quests.

Endgame feels like a massive collection of time gates, where you cannot decide yourself what you want to play. Patch 8.3 shows that really well, where you have to do both assaults and world quests, which lack of fun gameplay or any kind of engagement. While the Nyalotha raid received all developer attention.

For me it is clear that Ion Hazzikostas, as game director, is directly responsible for how the game evolved. I think he should be replaced by someone who actually knows how to design a MMORPG with a living and breathing world, which does not want to be a dungeon crawler.

[Sanguinerd]

Did anyone expect anything else? The guy was the head honcho of Elitist Jerks.. it's really not surprising he only gives a shit about percentages.

The game is all about timers now.

[Trend]

For me it is clear that Ion Hazzikostas, as game director, is directly responsible for how the game evolved. I think he should be replaced by someone who actually knows how to design a MMORPG with a living and breathing world, which does not want to be a dungeon crawler.

Just FYI, the thing you are describing started years before Ion got a job at Blizzard. But sure, pretend the direction that you don't like is all Ion's fault.

[Echocho]

Nowadays, if a new expac releases, all the focus is on new raids, mythic dungeons and rated pvp. Questing content is more a chore than a main feature, while it should be the core gameplay.

It has literally been that way since patch 1.5 back in 2005.
15 years is a bit late to start complaining don't you think?

[l33t]

Indeed he wrecked WoW, but moreso with his absurd class and system changes, turning everything into hybrid of korean starcraft 1000aps and diablo resource collect/spend gameplay, removing iconic abilities, removing new abilities with every expansion, removing meaningful talents, etc. One thing is when the game you play become instanced instead of open world; but when you lack the will to play the game because how shitty your class/spec became, that is a completely another level of developer's failure.

[shaggawoolin]

Just FYI, the thing you are describing started years before Ion got a job at Blizzard. But sure, pretend the direction that you don't like is all Ion's fault.

He is the game director, and in charge for where WoW heads nowadays. He also was a vital part of the development team before. Nowadays he is responsible for to what the game evolves. And what i described in my first post is the current state.

And in the current state, the existing world does not matter. He had time enough to change that. Instead, he added timers to everything, forgot about the old world even more and made challenges and competitions in instanced content the core gameplay. It is his fault, and he should allow someone else who knows how to design the world in world of warcraft to do the job properly.

[Dawon]

But questing and story IS a chore and just something to get rid of asap, to reach the actual endgame! If I wanna mess around with quests and a good story, I for sure as hell wont play any mmorpg but a strong storydriven singleplayer game! :P

[shaggawoolin]

Indeed he wrecked WoW, but moreso with his absurd class and system changes, turning everything into hybrid of korean starcraft 1000aps and diablo resource collect/spend gameplay, removing iconic abilities, removing new abilities with every expansion, removing meaningful talents, etc. One thing is when the game you play become instanced instead of open world; but when you lack the will to play the game because how shitty your class/spec became, that is a completely another level of developer's failure.

Yeah, that too. Classes do not feel and play like they used to. While i think it was ok to fix their weaknesses, i do not really recognize classes nowadays anymore. I loved to play a shadow priest in tbc, for example, but nowadays it is just some damage dealer, which adds nothing but dps to a group setting. Where it is all about load and fire, and nothing else. Not really fun anymore.

- - - Updated - - -

But questing and story IS a chore and just something to get rid of asap, to reach the actual endgame! If I wanna mess around with quests and a good story, I for sure as hell wont play any mmorpg but a strong storydriven singleplayer game! :P

Well, classic was massively successfull, while people leveled their chars. No, it is not about endgame. It is about the path to endgame. It should be about both nowadays, and not being focused on endgame and endgame only.

The world should have been developed and not been forgotten about. That was blizzards biggest mistake.

[Lolites]

forgot about the old world

and now in 8.3, whne they actualy USE two of the old world zones, people are complaining we didnt get new zone instead...

[shaggawoolin]

and now in 8.3, whne they actualy USE two of the old world zones, people are complaining we didnt get new zone instead...

They do not really develop those old zones. They just phased the old npcs out and added new ones with some generic quests.

That is not what i mean by devloping the world.

Developing the world means they would make leveling content matter for endgame. As like questing being replayable at endgame level and update the existing regions accordingly. Adding new events and world bosses. Updating old assets. Continue unfinished quest lines. Add rares and treasures. All that could have been possible.

The idea they reuse uldum and mogushan for 8.3 has another reason. Budget. They literally created some generic world quest region in an existing asset because they ran out of money after the nyalotha raid was done.

[Mojo03]

And this is literally different than how the game has pretty much always been how?

[Mirishka]

It has literally been that way since patch 1.5 back in 2005.
15 years is a bit late to start complaining don't you think?

If the internet has taught me anything, it has taught me that for some people, it is never too late to start complaining.

[Lolites]

They do not really develop those old zones. They just phased the old npcs out and added new ones with some generic quests.

That is not what i mean by devloping the world.

Developing the world means they would make leveling content matter for endgame. As like questing being replayable at endgame level and update the existing regions accordingly. Adding new events and world bosses. Continue unfinished quest lines. Add rares and treasures. All that could have been possible.

The idea they reuse uldum and mogushan for 8.3 has another reason. Budget. They literally created some generic world quest region in an existing asset because they ran out of money after the nyalotha raid was done.

i understand, the thing is one time changes to zones would be challenging enough (we know how cata went) and CONSTANT changes to old zones would mean one thing - no new zones EVER, its impossible they would constantly work on old zones bcs theres crapload of them, and im pretty sure people prefer new zones over changes to old zones...
i get you, i would love more use anc changes of old zones, but thats just impossible unless they massively increase staff (which would need more money hence higher sub or even more mtx) or decrease the speed of adding new content...

[shaggawoolin]

And this is literally different than how the game has pretty much always been how?

Should it continue to be like this if it is not successfull?

Should blizzard change their endgame-only strategy?

[Lolites]

Should it continue to be like this if it is not successfull?

Should blizzard change their endgame-only strategy?

there is many things that make wow sub numbers drop, but focus on endgame is simply not one, as it was focused on endgame pretty much from TBC...

[Mojo03]

Should it continue to be like this if it is not successfull?

Should blizzard change their endgame-only strategy?

You're blaming Ion for wrecking the game and then acknowledging he's doing the same crap they've been doing forever?

How is that wrecking the game?

[KaPe]

there is many things that make wow sub numbers drop, but focus on endgame is simply not one, as it was focused on endgame pretty much from TBC...

Well the OP has said it's the "endgame" and backed up it by numerous sources, with indisputable data, including Ion personally stating "yes, I'm ruining this game specifically to piss off shaggawoolin". Meanwhile, your post has none of that - so who am I supposed to believe?

Oh wait, my bad - the OP actually did none of that and is simply another poster going "THIS is why WoW is now ruined, I don't have any proof - and no one really does - but is simply HAS to be true", while also believing that any blame can be placed on a single person. Nevermind.

[therealbowser]

I don't like Ion very much, but pretending like everything needs to be blamed on a sole scapegoat and that removing that person will solve everything is not only wrong, it's a toxic ideology that's damaging to the game.

"Omg Metzen is ruining the story, if we remove him the story will get better." "Omg, Ghostcrawler is ruining the game, if we remove him the game will get better." Now we have new scapegoats who are being blamed for every problem the game has (and never being credited with anything that ever goes right with the game, just like their predecessors).

Again, I don't like Ion. Maybe the game would be better without him, or maybe not. What I do know is that he is not the sole cause of every problem in World of Warcraft. He is part of a team. You don't have to like him and probably shouldn't, but acting like removing him would magically make World of Warcraft a perfect game is ludicrous.

Posts like this are a waste of effort. It's not about who should be removed, rather it's what should be added. We definitely need new blood in the World of Warcraft dev team, more fresh ideas to counter out the old ones. Why doesn't anyone ever push for that?

[shaggawoolin]

You're blaming Ion for wrecking the game and then acknowledging he's doing the same crap they've been doing forever?

How is that wrecking the game?

He is in the position to change that for a long time already. He did not.

[Faesroll]

spoken by someone who has no idea how a gaming company works