How do you feel about modern gathering vs how it used to be?

[Queen of Hamsters]

Back in the day, there were A M E T R I C S H I T T O N of nodes across a map, but if one player gathered it, the node disappeared instantly.

Today there are fewer nodes, but gathering one starts a timer (1 minute?). Within that window, anyone can continue gathering the node.


Which did you prefer?

[Toybox]

I was originally going to say the modern system because of how you're no longer directly competing against people in a way similar to how you were back then (although it was always fun to be a Tauren Druid in Uldum snatching herbs in front of people ).

But the old system didn't have 5-10man multi-accounting herb trains, so that automatically puts it behind for me. It's better when I'm not looking to herb myself as it means potions/flasks end up pretty damn cheap, but if I'm looking to herb for whatever reason, then I know I'm not going to be rewarded much for my efforts.

[Dread Pirate Phayde]

I think in some ways I preferred the old style. Too many times I'm gathering now and the node just randomly disappears, though I don't know if its because it's been farmed out or a phasing issue, but it gets ridiculously annoying to have it multiple times, so gives us more nodes.

[Bloodyleech]

The new system actually has a cap of 5(?) people on the same node. Either via timer or using it 5(?) times will let it disappear.

I like the new gathering system more. I'm not really farming anymore, except some thorium sessions and in these you will get massively more nodes now than before.

[Queen of Hamsters]

I think in some ways I preferred the old style. Too many times I'm gathering now and the node just randomly disappears, though I don't know if its because it's been farmed out or a phasing issue, but it gets ridiculously annoying to have it multiple times, so gives us more nodes.

Oooh yes, it's most definitely an issue that others have already farmed so the "timer" ticks down just as you're farming it yourself.

It's beyond annoying, especially when 10-man multibox trains are scouring the zone's every route. One going one way, the other going the opposite way.

It's why I've gone to Warmode farming, because the multiboxers are extremely rare there.

- - - Updated - - -

I was originally going to say the modern system because of how you're no longer directly competing against people in a way similar to how you were back then (although it was always fun to be a Tauren Druid in Uldum snatching herbs in front of people ).

But the old system didn't have 5-10man multi-accounting herb trains, so that automatically puts it behind for me. It's better when I'm not looking to herb myself as it means potions/flasks end up pretty damn cheap, but if I'm looking to herb for whatever reason, then I know I'm not going to be rewarded much for my efforts.

Yeah, I actually think I preferred the old system. I remember farming during WOTLK and it was non-stop, you never went far without finding a freshly spawned node. Someone could come "steal" it, of course, but it was rare. I got more herbs/hour then than I do now, no doubt about it.

From a goldmaking/market standpoint I couldn't say which system is better, although it'd be nice to see a comparison with inflation accounted for between herb prices in WOTLK, and herb prices today.

[Indigenously Abled]

A more limited supply was better for the market, and simply gathering was actually viable for making a decent sum of gold.

[Schizoide]

New model is far superior. Seeing another player out in the world should never be a bad thing in PvE content. Competition for limited resources sucks.

[unbound]

Considering that the new approach is bugged and has been bugged for at least 3 expansions now, I would tentatively vote for the old version by a narrow margin.

I've actually seen a node pop up next to me as I was gathering an existing node, and despite trying to harvest it within 20 seconds of it appearing, it still despawned as I was harvesting.

I'd say the number of times that a node has despawned on me (bug or not) while harvesting rivals the competitive node harvesting that actually happened in the old days.

[Blackmist]

New is an improvement, but they really need to have them personal. That way you're never going to get close to a herb just to see it despawn as you use it, and it also destroys 10 druid multiboxers slurping up all of it.

[exochaft]

Well, considering I was always a Skinner/LWer on my main out of sheer stubbornness... there isn't much difference.

When it comes to herbs and ores on my alts... it's a bit complicated. The new way makes it theoretically easier for people to get mats... but if you're following a train of bots or multiboxers, you can still come out poorly anyways. Realistically, the amount of herb nodes I got back in the good ol' days with competition is relatively the same under the new system. Since the amount of herbs capable of being looted in a zone and per node (along with respawn timers) is higher under the new system, you flood the market with more herbs than you used to... so the new system helps buyers, the old system helps sellers on a per node basis. I suppose Blizz does make some volume adjusts in some cases, but not always, so it could be a wash regardless.

If anything, it's all perspective and relative to the times and what your goals are. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if they decided to go the FF14 method of nodes... although that would wreck the AH prices something fierce. Honestly, I'm more concerned about the state of crafting professions rather than gathering herbs/ores.