Shadowlands: Rapidly Climbing the Ladder in Popularity

[Relapses]

My opinion is rapidly on the decline, I must admit.

Initially, I was impressed. The amount of content required of raiders was minimal, a lot of specs had seen improvement, and overall it was just a much more pleasant time than the opening month of BFA. Shadowlands had climbed the ladder & was looking down on BFA from afar, and I was really optimistic about the following steps.

But it just stopped dead. Now the ladder is rotting, & soon enough, it's just all going to collapse to the point where I'd personally consider it beyond saving. As someone working from home due to the pandemic, believe me, I 100% understand & sympathize with the situation that Blizzard have been put in, but that doesn't change the fact there are hundreds of great games out there fighting for my attention, and the longer this drought goes on, the further my interest in Shadowlands diminishes. After all, this isn't the final tier of an expansion (I've had my fair share of 1-year tiers) where this sort of thing is to be expected.

This is the point where I'm meant to be excited about what's coming next, but in part due to the wait, and in part due to Castle Nathria being a sluggish subpar raid, I just find myself questioning if I even want to wait for 9.1 anymore. Chances are I will play 9.1 because of my guild & their history of x.1 patches (Ulduar/Firelands/ToT/BRF/Nighthold), but if 9.1 flops...? I'm almost definitely out.

9.1 PTR is soon. Hold out a little bit longer, friend.

[GreenJesus]

Guys, try ElderScrolls Online. Is worth it. If you get tired of the PvE (actually the content is huge), PvP is fun to try. Leveling alts is super interesting....and the best thing is...You dont have to pay a subs to play!. YAAAYY!!!

One problem with ESO is you can't really do any harder raid content until you grind your CP to a level that takes forever. Like actual months of hardcore play. Its not really a game you can just pick up, level to max, gear up, and then do the content. It is good for just chilling and doing whatever you feel like though. The raiding scene is pretty intense though with requiring you to hit pretty insane levels of dps on a target dummy in order to he invited. You have to show screenshot of your dps on a 6 minute dummy before you are allowed in which is pretty standard. This requires you to light attack weave perfectly.

[ro9ue]

One problem with ESO is you can't really do any harder raid content until you grind your CP to a level that takes forever. Like actual months of hardcore play. Its not really a game you can just pick up, level to max, gear up, and then do the content. It is good for just chilling and doing whatever you feel like though. The raiding scene is pretty intense though with requiring you to hit pretty insane levels of dps on a target dummy in order to he invited. You have to show screenshot of your dps on a 6 minute dummy before you are allowed in which is pretty standard. This requires you to light attack weave perfectly.

Yeah I wouldn't be quick to recommend ESO if raiding is what you're after. WoW's entire design is focused on end game raiding. Like if you're looking for a better raiding game, it's not out there, WoW is king.

For ESO raiding is more of a niche activity. I recommend ESO more to the average player who wants a whole package of solid content like quality lore and story, more involved crafting, more leisurely group activities and most importantly for me... deep character customization both cosmetically and mechanically. Bigger on the RPG stuff.

[GreenJesus]

Yeah I wouldn't be quick to recommend ESO if raiding is what you're after. WoW's entire design is focused on end game raiding. Like if you're looking for a better raiding game, it's not out there, WoW is king.

For ESO raiding is more of a niche activity. I recommend ESO more to the average player who wants a whole package of solid content like quality lore and story, more involved crafting, more leisurely group activities and most importantly for me... deep character customization both cosmetically and mechanically. Bigger on the RPG stuff.

Yep. You got questing, exploration, crafting, housing/transmog farm, pickpocket/assassination for contracts, pvp campaign, etc. So much to do in the game. But raiding is super hardcore that requires a lot of investment (probably more than WoW).

[artam]

I must be in the minority here as this is the first expansion that I have stopped playing since starting in 1.7.

No, you are not.

[justandulas]

I did. Two times in fact. I quite like it, but not as much as FFXIV. Somehow it just didn't click. If I ever get a better PC and a good enough income to support multiple MMOs I might get my hands on all th expansions and start a fresh character with Greymoor. I'm a sucker of dark gothic vampire stories.

Both eso and ff14 are great games and have come so far since their rough original launches.

I would recommend them but with a word of advice... don’t go to them if WoW has you down and you’re just desperate to scratch ab mmo itch

You go to ff14 and eso because you love those titles: more than being an mmorpg, you have to love final fantasy to love ff14. Same for eso, it is truly an elder scrolls game with multiplayer more than it is an mmorpg in some ways... and that’s perfect.

[huth]

No, you are not.

Most certainly is. Most people stopped playing much earlier and then only come back when something new comes about. Consistently playing for many years is a definite minority. Nothing to do with SL, though.

[ketsui]

First expansion I didn't play at the start, and i'm SOOOOO glad I didn't. I guess I come here somehow hoping Blizzard will fix this shit but honestly its been pretty disappointing reading the repeated complaints about this one. I guess next mmo I'll play will be Riot's if blizzard can't get their shit together before then

[Toybox]

9.1 PTR is soon. Hold out a little bit longer, friend.

Believe me, I'm trying I'll be fine really because of the guild & whatnot, but really, it's sad to see this expansions promising start dwindle into what it currently has.

[Relapses]

Believe me, I'm trying I'll be fine really because of the guild & whatnot, but really, it's sad to see this expansions promising start dwindle into what it currently has.

I was around for WoD... as bad as this is, it's nowhere near as bad as that was.

[Deferionus]

Another empty word.

What was 'depth' of Legion? Farming AP, praying for legos/titanforging?
What was 'depth' of MoP? Farming dailies, doing circles in shrines?
What was 'depth of Wrath? Farming easy dungeons, clearing 5 year old raid, doing circles in Dalaran?

A) Legion's systems were innovative and different at the time compared to previous expansions. There were tons of positives in the expansion. Never gonna make everyone happy, but Legion was refreshing. This was the first expansion I played all the way through since Wrath.

B) MoP I personally leveled two of my characters to max, did a couple LFRs, and quit. The expansion was empty to me with it being dailies on steroids.

C) Wrath was very poorly received on the first patch with tons of people hating on vehicle combat and Naxx being reused and so easy. Ulduar was then extremely well received and ICC was well liked also. At this point not many people were burned out on the original WoW formula and it improved upon previous iterations of it. Gotta remember that WOTLK added achievements in its prepatch which became one of main things a decent sized group of the player base do today. Also added dual spec in the prepatch.


Shadowlands isn't super terrible but its definitely been hurt by the delay of 9.1.

[Toybox]

I was around for WoD... as bad as this is, it's nowhere near as bad as that was.

BRF & HFC are levels above Castle Nathria. If I'm going to be stuck in a content drought, at least let it be good content I'm stuck with Reminds me of 4.3 moreso than anything else.

[Osmeric]

I was around for WoD... as bad as this is, it's nowhere near as bad as that was.

Personally, I found WoD to be far better than this. This was not an expansion to be dismissed lightly; this was an expansion to be thrown with great force.

[Sidiusss]

I do not know how for others, but I played "The Wrath of the King and the Cataclysm". I tried playing Shadowlands these days, and I didn't like either pve or pvp. The magic of this game is gone, and it's not the wow that it ever was, and I'm sorry, because wow is a part of my childhood. I quickly made myself a character and bought boost but i didn't find te interest.

[Flurryfang]

BRF & HFC are levels above Castle Nathria. If I'm going to be stuck in a content drought, at least let it be good content I'm stuck with Reminds me of 4.3 moreso than anything else.

We might still see raids at the quality level of BRF and HFC come out, so it might still match WoD for its raids. We are too early to tell, but im quite sure that most people would prefer the current max level content over the non-content of WoDs dailies.

- - - Updated - - -

First expansion I didn't play at the start, and i'm SOOOOO glad I didn't. I guess I come here somehow hoping Blizzard will fix this shit but honestly its been pretty disappointing reading the repeated complaints about this one. I guess next mmo I'll play will be Riot's if blizzard can't get their shit together before then

They won't get their shit together.
Its far more likely that they will ride WoW as it is now into its grave before actually making a makeover for the game. Its simply just more profitable to start a new IP than toss tons of money into "getting their game design shit together" on an "old" game.

[D3athsting]

Why did they replace isle of thunder and timeless isle with that cesspool called Maw? Even Tanaan was way better

[TheRevenantHero]

Both eso and ff14 are great games and have come so far since their rough original launches.

I would recommend them but with a word of advice... don’t go to them if WoW has you down and you’re just desperate to scratch ab mmo itch

You go to ff14 and eso because you love those titles: more than being an mmorpg, you have to love final fantasy to love ff14. Same for eso, it is truly an elder scrolls game with multiplayer more than it is an mmorpg in some ways... and that’s perfect.

I don't love Final Fantasy but am really enjoying FF14. The combat is more fun, the visuals are better, and the community isn't a cess pool like WoW.

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I was around for WoD... as bad as this is, it's nowhere near as bad as that was.

I absolutely hated WoD....Shadowlands manages to be worse though.

[Toybox]

We might still see raids at the quality level of BRF and HFC come out, so it might still match WoD for its raids. We are too early to tell, but im quite sure that most people would prefer the current max level content over the non-content of WoDs dailies.

Absolutely, & that's definitely the hope. It just feels that there's SO much riding on 9.1 compared to any x.1 patch in the past, and I'm really, really hoping it manages to deliver.

[Cosmic Janitor]

They won't get their shit together.
Its far more likely that they will ride WoW as it is now into its grave before actually making a makeover for the game. Its simply just more profitable to start a new IP than toss tons of money into "getting their game design shit together" on an "old" game.

Is it? Developing a new game from the ground up would take at least 2+ years, realistically 3-4 given how long they already screw around with D4, not to mention its projected release, and most likely we'd be looking at 5+ years for a proper MMO. Building a new paying customerbase is also far from quaranteed to succeed, just look at HotS or the original D3 release.

Their design is also clearly intended, frankly it's just modern game design by the numbers; fincanially abuse your playerbase as much as possible while trying to retain as many of them as possible, while also investing the least amount. A new game would be exactly the same, it's not a symptom of being an old game that has already been overhauled 9 times, it's a sign of the times. In fact a new game would likely be even worse, just look at overwank.

[Soon-TM]

It just feels that there's SO much riding on 9.1 compared to any x.1 patch in the past, and I'm really, really hoping it manages to deliver.

Well, it isn't really surprising, considering that 9.1 will release at a time where past expansions were already rocking their .2 patches. And that is assuming a reasonable release date, let's say late June, i.e. 10 weeks of PTR.