In this Week's WoW Factor, Reza Lackey explores the good and bad things that come along with Flying in Azeroth. Read on for a good history lesson, and a trip down memory lane.

One of the most compelling aspects of MMOs is the exploration and sense of discovery as you adventure through the world. With the recent announcement of no flying mounts in the new 5.2 zones, the debate of flying mounts and their use has reheated. While flying mounts offer tremendous convenience, I would argue that they also detract from the overall fun and experience of adventuring - perhaps giving a player too much power when exploring new content.

Read the rest of Reza's The WoW Factor: The Power of Flight.

I think if you're on a PVE server there isn’t a problem with flying mounts but they definitely have a negative impact on PVP servers. I'm all for no flying mounts until level cap in new zones also as they just trivialise the journey which is what MMO's are meant to be about. Once you’re at the cap then it’s appropriate to have them for convenience and getting about but not before.

I actually dont like Flying Mounts. It hurts the longevity of the game. Specially now that they are being brought in at launch half the time. The idea of Exploration is one of the selling features, the second you get on a flying mount you fly up look down and go "OH thats whats its like" with the flying mount you can explore the entire planet in a day.

I have been playing this game since it was released. But sometimes for some reason i wish things would become simple like they were at launch. Less crowded areas no flying mounts and hard content. 

Lots of improvements were made with MoP but too much rep grind and i wish they kept the cataclysm 5 man heroic formula.

Also the theme for this expansion isnt very appealing. Flakes and heals bright, days and Pandas ....

rather than Burning legions or an undead and dark world. I want the good old bad guys back. But still game is going foward ...

I hope their next expansion will come out sooner just cause this expansion theme, landscape and art made a lot of my friends and guildies leave the game.

Now comon take away those flying mounts and next xpac make us De-level  instead of leveling up. Either that or open a revamped vanilla server with rereleased remastered gradually released content

Wow man, are we still talking about this? Very original article thank you.

This is a subject that's never been discussed to death over the years and a subject that is worthy of discussion time and time again thanks to ongoing research and findings on the subject. Your article really tackles the issue in a different way and brings a fresh perspective!

I mean as a boring forum thread i would understand but as an article on a big mmo site, no.

Originally posted by Ringside

I have been playing this game since it was released. But sometimes for some reason i wish things would become simple like they were at launch. Less crowded areas no flying mounts and hard content. 

Lots of improvements were made with MoP but too much rep grind and i wish they kept the cataclysm 5 man heroic formula.

Also the theme for this expansion isnt very appealing. Flakes and heals bright, days and Pandas ....

rather than Burning legions or an undead and dark world. I want the good old bad guys back. But still game is going foward ...

I hope their next expansion will come out sooner just cause this expansion theme, landscape and art made a lot of my friends and guildies leave the game.

Now comon take away those flying mounts and next xpac make us De-level  instead of leveling up. Either that or open a revamped vanilla server with rereleased remastered gradually released content

I find this interesting, most of the people I meet really love the art direction and the graphic style that they went with.  The new zones are very beautiful.

Originally posted by black_isle

Wow man, are we still talking about this? Very original article thank you.

 

This is a subject that's never been discussed to death over the years and a subject that is worthy of discussion time time again thanks to ongoing research and findings on the subject. Your article really tackles the issue in a different way and brings a fresh perspective!

 

I mean as a boring forum thread i would understand but as an article on a big mmo site, no.

It was recently brought up by the developers and they made comments on it, so its news.

I never said graphics were bad. Is it beautyful yes it is... But the theme is bright pandas and wisdom over bloodie wars or the dark feeling of a wotlk expansion. Just look at the numbers from 13 millions to 5 millions TOP subs. Of course ask the current subscribers and if they like it they will say yes since they are playing the game and those who didnt like it camt answer since they are gone.

But the MASSIVE drop in subscription speaks for itself and my personnal taste go with the masses

Is it true that the whole world is seamless, so you could fly over it loading screen free?

And how long would it take to go from one end to the other`?

Perhaps the problem is the simplicity of flying mounts.  Maybe they should have limited range, impeded by how high you fly, and getting hit should knock you off. 

Increase the danger, risk, and limit the distance that can be flown without letting your mount rest and feed, and I think that flying can have it's place in new content.