Why does SL feel like end of expansion time?

[Wangming]

WOD didn't have 2 content patches, it had 1.

True. So Like wod it will not have an x. patch.

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Retail WoW sucks now compared to other games. The only thing WoW does well are raids and this expansion people don't even like the raid.

ESO: better graphics, better QoL, better customization, better store model, non-tab target combat, player housing, better questing.

Fallout 76: better graphics, better customization, better QoL, better consumes, better voice chat, better dailies, transparency and roadmaps, open world and instanced player housing.

Final Fantasy: better graphics, better dungeons, better classes, better professions, player housing, better mounts, better pets, better player customization.

BDO: better graphics, better customization, better combat

GW: more content, better combat, better classes.

WoW Classic: better open world, better PVP, better community, better consumes, better loot tables, better raid loot, better tier sets, better looking gear from a single expansion, better quests, better dungeons, better PVP gear.

Retail WoW: good raids

You forgot to mention story, but yes. That is the thing. There is no single WoW killer, but we have a lot more options. If WoW is boring, people leave. They might come back, or they might not.

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The big thing is SL doesn't have the AP grind the serve as a carrot on a stick to force people to mindlessly grind content so people don't feel obligated to log on and do said grinds. It's a good thing and a bad thing in the manner that people (theoretically) won't burn out as quickly. A negative side though is it makes the world feel emptier since few people are doing content, because they are forced to in order to avoid falling behind a power curve.

What I realized over the years is many things in WoW are designed to waste your time. That's how they keep you around. It takes a lot more time to get things done if everything is hindered by time sinks. Take away some of those time wasting mechanics, like the extra RNG of Titanforging, and you are left with people wanting more content, sooner. But the devs didn't get better at producing content quickly. There speed is the same. Or was, till Shadowlands. So now things are going tits up.

[NihilSustinet]

Shadowlands is brand new still, early on in the expansion. But for some reason 4 months into the expansion it feels more like the time between expansions, that purgatory time where the expansion is 18 months old, no more patches and still months away from a new expansion.

I log in, see way less Guildies on. The cities emptier. Trade chat not a non stop spam fest. It feels more like a ghost town and just less players on.

I typically only feel or see this after an expansion has been out awhile and people waiting for the next one. But we're still early on in Shadowlands.

I play on two full populated servers and it just feels empty lately. Even log time WoW friends I see not logging on as much. My Guilds usually has dozens of players on all the time, now it's just a few people on.

I can't even recall in all my years playing WoW, to see a new expansion so empty so early.

because Ion is a terrible dev and has no idea hwo to design a game that people actually want to play.

[Echocho]

Shadowlands is brand new still, early on in the expansion. But for some reason 4 months into the expansion it feels more like the time between expansions, that purgatory time where the expansion is 18 months old, no more patches and still months away from a new expansion.

I log in, see way less Guildies on. The cities emptier. Trade chat not a non stop spam fest. It feels more like a ghost town and just less players on.

I typically only feel or see this after an expansion has been out awhile and people waiting for the next one. But we're still early on in Shadowlands.

I play on two full populated servers and it just feels empty lately. Even log time WoW friends I see not logging on as much. My Guilds usually has dozens of players on all the time, now it's just a few people on.

I can't even recall in all my years playing WoW, to see a new expansion so empty so early.

Are you more on the casual side by any chance? A lot of casuals have quit the game because there's nothing to do for them. No gameplay loop tied to their character progression that keeps them coming back.
FFXIV has seen a massive boom in new players and it's probably partly because of this. Badge gear like they have over there is a great carrot for casual players where they can do some LFG/LFR each week to cap out their points and slowly upgrade their gear over time.

[rhorle]

What I realized over the years is many things in WoW are designed to waste your time. That's how they keep you around.

Isn't that the entire point of entertainment though? To give you a way to waste time while you are enjoying yourself? People usually only consider it a waste of time, or imply it is something bad, when they start to lose interest in the entertainment. Which is fine. But the entire point of entertainment is to create enjoyment for as long as possible. Subscription or "Service" games want to keep you playing as long as possible because that is part of how they make a revenue.

Plus it helps with the over all health of the game when you have people playing longer because so many of these types of games have some multiplayer benefit. The more basic multiplayer games decline usually because people stop playing so match making or groups becomes harder. So it isn't a bad thing that WoW wants to extend the time you spend in the game. Is the balance always right? Nope.

[Edward Wu]

If you PvE and don't like M+, you're probably not having fun in SL.
If you PvP and don't like Arena or RBGs, you're probably not having fun in SL.

Game is way too e-sports oriented these days. It's pure cancer.

[Doffen]

We haven't even hit the second page and this thread is already a wasteland of weapons grade shitty takes.

Just fucking quit the game, people. Stop posting on forums like a weird ex that can't get over the fact that Chad WoW has decided to go a direction you don't agree with. Fucking hell.

This guy...


Is right!

this game felt rewarding for YEARS before they added shit like Warforging, Titanforging, endless grinds. The game is just boring now because they took out that shit, but they didn't make the game feel rewarding or fun.

Before: Loot was boring and slow, that was great and rewarding.
With TF: So unrewarding and shit!
Now: Loot is boring and slow, but now its suddenly bad and uNrEwArDiNg.

Its like you have given up at this point.

They tune Mythic encounters ridiculously high for the average guild then take far loo long to properly nerf them, it's worse this expansion because loot just doesn't exist and they kept the same tuning philosophy so you can't even brute force it anymore.

No, they finally made powering up slower and ungrindy so that those who got carried by titanforging and hard grind now finally realized they are shite and not good enough.

Its not worse this expansion because gearing now is as easy as WoD and before, its just finally hit people they are more shit than they thought they are.

[msdos]

True. So Like wod it will not have an x. patch.

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There is no single WoW killer

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I find it funny that anytime you make a comparison, OTHER people INSERT the TERM "WoW killer". Notice how I never used that term. Other people are attached to that term and I'm not sure why, it's like a psychological thing, they probably wanna use it as a strawman is my guess, because it's easier to argue against one single thing "killing" off something so big.
People are all about logical fallacy on this forum.

Example: you should stop posting on these forums cuz you hate WoW!!!!! = fallacy.

[Edward Wu]

This guy...


Is right!

That guy is on my ignore list for a reason, if it wasn't for your completely banal agreement I would not have seen that horrifically shit post of his. Thanks a bunch, bro.

[LemonDemonGirl]

I think most people have finished their Covenant storyline, have done Castle Nathria, and do a crapton of M+ stuff.

Maybe they're burnt out, or are just waiting for 9.1

[Doffen]

That guy is on my ignore list for a reason, if it wasn't for your completely banal agreement I would not have seen that horrifically shit post of his. Thanks a bunch, bro.

You are welcome, bruv.

[ellieg]

We haven't even hit the second page and this thread is already a wasteland of weapons grade shitty takes.

Just fucking quit the game, people. Stop posting on forums like a weird ex that can't get over the fact that Chad WoW has decided to go a direction you don't agree with. Fucking hell.

100% agree. Its sad. Going to a wow fansite like they're stalking their exes Instagram.

Literally do anything else. Quit wow, stop reading up on it, and get a new hobby. Its pathetic, im assuming most of you are grown ass men

[Dracullus]

Time is a flat circle.

[Thirtyrock]

Shadowlands is brand new still, early on in the expansion. But for some reason 4 months into the expansion it feels more like the time between expansions, that purgatory time where the expansion is 18 months old, no more patches and still months away from a new expansion.

I log in, see way less Guildies on. The cities emptier. Trade chat not a non stop spam fest. It feels more like a ghost town and just less players on.

I typically only feel or see this after an expansion has been out awhile and people waiting for the next one. But we're still early on in Shadowlands.

I play on two full populated servers and it just feels empty lately. Even log time WoW friends I see not logging on as much. My Guilds usually has dozens of players on all the time, now it's just a few people on.

I can't even recall in all my years playing WoW, to see a new expansion so empty so early.

Could the two threads you started already on not liking Shadowlands not have sufficed for your complaining?

Sort of lost, a little confused, and rather bored with SL so far
Will the 9th expansion finally be fresh and not Legon 3.0?

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Long content break, an expansion that feels like BFA 2 more than something fresh, a story that most players do not like (either don't care or dislike), a 9.1 reveal that was extremely underwhelming, no PTR in sight.

Basically this is what happens when the game doesn't bother to refresh itself. It starts feeling stale faster.

[TrollHunter3000]

BFA and Legion 4 months in I recall still being very packed and tons of players on. But Shadowlands feels different now.

Plus wasn't 7.1 and 8.1 patches both released already by this time in both those expansions?

They literally already addressed this to you, you had to farm AP then.

[Djuntas]

Just getting SUPER tired of the gating. Just stop...Give us flying, give us anima dropping like you plan to...NO GATES - I feel stupid for playing wow...Might as well just not play until 9.3.5

[SirFinlot]

It's spring time. Lockdown is being relaxed a bit.
Why would anyone rot in front of pc for 1% damage increase when they can go out.

[Echocho]

It's spring time. Lockdown is being relaxed a bit.
Why would anyone rot in front of pc for 1% damage increase when they can go out.

I don't know, same reason as why we "rotted in front of our pcs" the last 30 years?

[Masternap]

I 100% agree and I have no idea why so many people in here defend it. I've been playing since Classic, and not once has it felt like the end of an expansion in the very first patch.

Can't even tell what exactly it is - it's not only that there's been no new content for so long and we know we'll still have to wait a few months. Somehow it feels like the content that is there is only meant to "hold you over", if that makes sense. It doesn't feel like something you want to experience. It's just there to pass the gap towards the "real" content. But at the same time this is supposed to be the real content.

It just feels... bad. Really, really bad.

[FelPlague]

BFA and Legion 4 months in I recall still being very packed and tons of players on. But Shadowlands feels different now.

Plus wasn't 7.1 and 8.1 patches both released already by this time in both those expansions?

7.1 yes, but it didnt have nighthold, nighthold came a fair few months after.