Yes, in terms of gradually nerfing content Corruption is working as intended but the perception on players is vastly different.
Person A played throughout the patch, Person B returned 2 weeks ago.
In the past person B would be doing say, 90% of person A's dps. And the boss having 30% less health doesn't change that.
By scaling player power up, instead of boss hp down. You have person B doing 60% of Person A's dps. And while the boss dies just as fast as in the past. The difference in perception is massive. Playing B feels like he is woefully behind and sees no real chance to catch up to person A. He feels useless because his damage is so low.
In a multipleplayer game, and any game really, the way players perceive your mechanics is as important, or more so, as the way the mechanic works behind the scenes.
Yes, previously you had people feeling bad because they beat the nerfed version of a boss and they complained about that. And the new system has that less because you don't see that big debuff of -30% hp stare you in the face and its hidden by your own power increases but on the flip side your punishing returning players instead and increasing the need to grind which leads to more burnout.
I obviously don't have the numbers but I wonder how big the burnout has been among mid-tier players as a result of the AP system, both in Legion and now in BfA. That constant need to keep playing, to keep grinding drains people. And based on a power progression cap being added in SL's I think Blizzard has noticed it aswell.
Last edited by Gorsameth; 2020-06-16 at 02:33 PM.
It ignores such insignificant forces as time, entropy, and death
Unless they implement the system where you can buy your legendary item specifically like they did in the final patch this will be feast or famine all over again. Some specs were total garbage until they got the right leggo via rng which meant days to months of being absolutely useless compared to those who had the ones they needed. Might as well be doing Nzoth without the cloak
You can add whatever thing you want on the Shadowlands seeing they are craftable. The pattern you get are also bind on account.
https://www.wowhead.com/guides/legen...ms-shadowlands
They said they have learned, just like they shown they had learned from it when making corruption...:>
And nice comparison there, spot on!
Last edited by Doffen; 2020-06-16 at 03:38 PM.
https://www.youtube.com/@DoffenGG
Gaming and WoW stuff
You make valid points. Especially about AP burnout. I played 7.0 and 7.3. 8.0 and 8.3. Precisely because I hate the need to constantly farm AP.
I resubbed about 2 months ago and really don't have any BiS Corruptions. Just random ones, mastery here, haste there, increased crit damage... I'm not even close at my Cloak cap (although it is rank 15) and I have more resistance than corrpution. Still I am able to compete with my guildmates and do quite well on the logs. Because even those random Corruptions give me a DPS boost, but you don't notice it as easily.
IS, TD and the other procs appear in the logs. Passive Corruption does not. But it still increases your damage. As you said, it's all about player perception.
Yes, TD for Tanks is OP, but imo Tanks are so important in 8.3 that they deserve it.
The only things a returning player needs to do is to get their cloak to 15 (takes about 5-6 weeks of casual play) and farm some essences.
Yes, that's more effort than just getting carried through a raid once or twice. And I understand that this creates a mental barrier. But it's just that: a mental barrier.
Considering the estimated release date of SL, if those systems now were not in place then there would be already complaints about a content draught. You can't do everything perfectly.
Of course I'd prefer not to have Corruptions, Azerite or Essences and instead have a glyph system with effects like the Legiondaries. And have a (perfectly tested) SL release in August. But that's not happening.
One last thing: Everything I state is from the perspective of DPS classes. For healers the current systems are horrible. Like really, really horrible. Tanks have it difficult at first and easy after a few weeks. But healers... HV is not really balanced around them, most Corruptions are useless for your role and your essences seem kinda lame. While I absolutely enjoyed playing a healer in 8.0, I don't really know how to start one now, since my heal characters don't have the possibilites that my DPS characters have.
I understand that Blizzard made this patch too much grind for returning players. Gating rank 3 essences behind reps is just a dirty way to push people into Najarta and Mechagon island. The earning rate and its time-gated nature are very annoying. I can only log in 3 days a week, having to spend like 1 hour doing those reputation "chores". Going at this rate, I expect to get exalted with Najarta zone within 3 months...
However, we should not view those essences, corruptions, and azerites as "forced" nor "bad". They are to further the power of the character. They are supposed to be longed for, as rewards for hard work. After about 2 weeks hating the system, I kind of understand why they put those in place. It creates replayability for geared people to re-do the "content" of the game. They allow some customisation or at least an illusion of such. There is some depth in changing the stat priority, azerites, and essence. My shaman can do more haste and cast many lava burst. I could also do more crit for mana return as restore and for better % To dispell magic effects with Cleansing water PVP talent. I could pick the Pack Spirit and play like a druid, or get the tides azerites to play like a heal bot. It is really working as intended.
Those rank 3 essences aren't much if we look closely. They are just some bonus minor effects to have. farming from rank 1 to 2 extending the minor proc from 4 to 6 second is not worth the effort imo. We simply have to accept that old players are better, and we accept the current state of gearing. I do have fun playing low keys MP, and random BG. My shaman doesn't have much gear, all rank 1 essence, 1 default corruption from the main questline. And I play fine, top healing done in BG sometimes. The game is fun if we play at our level.
In short, just play the game, essences and corruption will come. It takes time to go serious.
No these systems are trash. Power should be tied to accomplishments not busy work. Climbing the difficulty ladder? Every step should offer more power.
Do a daily quest that awards 10g? You should only ever get 10g. Bot some weird magical currency to grind the same mindless quest over and over again.
Legion was really the starting point for these truely terrible systems.
On one hand I understand what you mean. Having to do a list of chores every week just to stay current is a pain. On the other hand though you can't be expected to be handed a raid spot in a high end raiding guild or pvp group when your not willing to put in the work and others are. Its a fine balance that I'm sure blizzard struggles with everyday making sure people can do what they are capable of with out it being handed to them.
Best you can do is find a guild that plays the way you want to play and go from there.
Well if the other guy didn't convince me you sure did, guess I won't be doing any arena until shadowlands or classic TBC. That gearing process also seems bloated. And, from what I understand to be able to have the gear required to clear mythic 15 is a process itself.
"I don't contemplate, I meditate, then off your fucking head" -Kendrick Lamar
"If you have no sauce, then you're lost. But, you can also get lost in the sauce."-Gucci Mane
"I'm too drunk to taste this chicken"-Colonel Sanders
https://www.wowhead.com/guides/shado...s-level-squishNew players are sent through the new 1-10 Exile's Reach zone to learn the ropes of the game and their class. After finishing that content, they are automatically taken to the content for Battle for Azeroth for leveling 10-50. Experienced players are given their choice of where they do their initial leveling and which expansion content to level up in from there.
It ignores such insignificant forces as time, entropy, and death