Wow will diminish in time. The new expansion pack coming out will bring lots back to the fold but not long. maybe in couple years wow will decline, but im sure blizzard will have World of starcraft  working to keep its money flow going.

Wow isnt going anywhere right now. I dont play it anymore due to various reasons but its still a great game.  Ppl mainly continue to play due to the fact that there are alot of ppl still playing that can help with quests.

The real question is.....If  WOW does begin to decline what will happen to the 25-40 man raid instances?

Originally posted by Krayzjoel

The real question is.....If  WOW does begin to decline what will happen to the 25-40 man raid instances?

I've also stopped playing, but last I heard from friends who still do, the 25-40 player raid instances have already fallen by the wayside. Like I think they've dropped back to 25 now for instances like MC.

Well, WoW starts to show its age.

I cannot speak for others but my main reason for leaving was the endless gear grind - grind raids/arenas/PvP. I think the grind race slowly phases out more casual/older players thus causing slow degrading of the game's community.

Now, I don't have time to raid anymore and I really don't want to. While it was fun for awhile I started to feel like it was a second job and not a casual fun. I have level 70 in Kara gear but that gear is quite simply obsolete in comparison with gear from later raids and arenas.

I don't expect to have the same quality of gear like a hardcore raider (me disliking the philosophy of hardcore raider is a different matter) but pre TBC I was at least mildly competitive for both PvE and PvP. Quite simply I am not anymore and the only way for me to change that is devoting at least a few months to raiding/arean play.

I went to LOTRO where I can play more casaully and equip myself with decent combination of items from quests/reputation/raids/instances/quests. Quite simply this pace offers much more flexibility then WoW model of raids/arenas. Don't get me wrong, my gear is still only say 80% of what a well geared raider would have but we are close enough. Gear yourself with blues and purples from WoW instances and rep and you are less then say 25% in comparison to raider/arena goer. To simplify I have a sporting chance to fight LOTRO hardcore raider of same class and level, in WoW I am dead just on the gear difference alone.

That is my impression and I don't think much changed from six months ago when I left. The rift between casual and hardcore became too wide.

Wow has lost it - In terms of basic fundementals of MMO playing.  That is in terms of balance.

It has lost balance in terms of PVP versus PVE.  

It has lost ALL balance in terms of classes - both in PVE and PVP. 

BLizzard have done some fundemental mistakes with the game in TBC.  Sadly one person was allowed to destroy a good balanced gameplay by bringing in Arenas where 2 ppl could progress in unbalanced gameplay to get endgame items.  Thats not MMO. 

I will never forgive Blizzard for the way they have treated my spec in the last 4 patches.  I quit WoW on the eve of new patch when it came aparent that they don't care about individals and their longterm progress - but rather are favoring certain classes that already have it very good. 

Thats why I quit.  And thats why I will keep Proofing the point that devs that behave like that should NEVER be allowed so much as TOUCH a MMO game again.

And THAT is the downfall of WOW.

WoW is a great game, WoW gave me a lot of fun, but thous days are over now. For me it's time to move on. And hopefully AoC will deliver what I want :) We'll see.

P.S However, Blizzard has done a great job to mmo industry, mmo's are much more popular than they were used to.

Originally posted by Krayzjoel

Wow will diminish in time. The new expansion pack coming out will bring lots back to the fold but not long. maybe in couple years wow will decline, but im sure blizzard will have World of starcraft  working to keep its money flow going.

Wow isnt going anywhere right now. I dont play it anymore due to various reasons but its still a great game.  Ppl mainly continue to play due to the fact that there are alot of ppl still playing that can help with quests.

The real question is.....If  WOW does begin to decline what will happen to the 25-40 man raid instances?

 

WoW is a good game.  I like it.  But I grow tired of the leveling,  and the constand grind for gear.  Running the same instances over and over and over just hopeing for that piece to drop.  Or living day in and day out in BG's for gear.    Wich doesnt make much sense right now to me because once the expansion comes out, the greens that you get in the first area will be just as good as any blues and maybe some epics you get from OL.   Just like when TBC went live.

So even though WoW is a great game, and I know the expansion will be done great...  I just dont have that kind of drive anymore.

On Topic:  WoW isnt going anywhere.  Its way too big, and way too popular.   The new games coming out might put a ding in thier sub numbers, but  WoW  is many peoples first MMO.  They will leave to try out the new games, but eventually they will go back to where they feel comfortable and Blizzard will be there waiting with open arms.   

I have no doubt  WoW  will one day die.  But not for a long while to come.

/cheers