In this week's WoW Factor, we look at Patch 5.0.4. Also, we stack the game up against some of the new MMO mechanics being seen in games recently.

I was about to write this week’s WoW Factor on Patch 5.0.4 when I started seeing all kinds of reports from payers about Warcraft taking the hit from Guild Wars 2. Now before you get the wrong impressions, I want to talk about World of Warcraft’s staying power in this article. WoW remains one of the best MMOs ever made and while new designs and concepts coming into play over the past few years have made other games amazing, Warcraft still remains an amazing game.

Read the rest of the article here.

"For a game that was built on an RTS legend of Warcraft, I still think World PvP is an area that WoW really needs to improve on."

As someone who first experienced warcraft way back when Warcraft II came out, I cant agree more...sadly I gave up on warcraft and Blizz many, many years ago.  that cruel, harsh oftentimes dark world is long gone.

"There are some great elements which allow you to check out of the theme park and back into some of the more social and sadbox features of MMOs coming to the table."

I'm sure that was a mistake right? 

Originally posted by Leethe

"There are some great elements which allow you to check out of the theme park and back into some of the more social and sadbox features of MMOs coming to the table."

I'm sure that was a mistake right? 

A freudian slip, perhaps.

Originally posted by TyvolusNext

"For a game that was built on an RTS legend of Warcraft, I still think World PvP is an area that WoW really needs to improve on."

As someone who first experienced warcraft way back when Warcraft II came out, I cant agree more...sadly I gave up on warcraft and Blizz many, many years ago.  that cruel, harsh oftentimes dark world is long gone.

 

 

 

Whether talking about ganking, griefing, or "FFA full loot PvP", to crafting interdependecies, to economic interrelationships, when boiled down to its most basic element, the fundamental game design question every game company must ask itself when at the initial drawing board is:

"Exactly how much do we want players to have a real impact on the play experience of other players?"

For the last several years, the answer to that question from major game companies has been a resounding "None."

That's why various games have stripped out most things that allow players to have a real impact on others into segregated, "consensual" areas.

Players being able to have an impact on the gameworld, and other players, is what makes such things "meaningful".  Game companies are not willing to risk it, unfortunately.

Blizzard could probably add some contrived, consensual RTS features to the game, but it would likely feel as meaningless as the PvP in any other game.

Originally posted by Rohn

Originally posted by TyvolusNext

"For a game that was built on an RTS legend of Warcraft, I still think World PvP is an area that WoW really needs to improve on."

As someone who first experienced warcraft way back when Warcraft II came out, I cant agree more...sadly I gave up on warcraft and Blizz many, many years ago.  that cruel, harsh oftentimes dark world is long gone.

 

 

 

 

Whether talking about ganking, griefing, or "FFA full loot PvP", to crafting interdependecies, to economic interrelationships, when boiled down to its most basic element, the fundamental game design question every game company must ask itself when at the initial drawing board is:

"Exactly how much do we want players to have a real impact on the play experience of other players?"

For the last several years, the answer to that question from major game companies has been a resounding "None."

That's why various games have stripped out most things that allow players to have a real impact on others into segregated, "consensual" areas.

Players being able to have an impact on the gameworld, and other players, is what makes such things "meaningful".  Game companies are not willing to risk it, unfortunately.

Blizzard could probably add some contrived, consensual RTS features to the game, but it would likely feel as meaningless as the PvP in any other game.

who said anything about adding RTS features to the game.  The references to RTS applied mainly to the fact they were far more dark and violent and war filled prior to wow.  Its too late for Blizz to make any changes now -- that ship has sailed, the pvp crowd that appreciates open world pvp abandoned this game in droves.  Its a great game for kids and soccer moms and the carebear crowd.  There is literally nothing Blizz can do to win me back for any of their games.  I didnt even remotely consider buying Diablo III and no changes to wow would ever bring me back, and TITAN is D.O.A for me.  if you still like and enjoy Blizz games and look forward to their future -- thats fine with me, but unless you were playing warcraft back in the 90s, I wouldnt expect you to understand what the author or I was getting at.

And if you want to experience open world pvp try out AION. 

Originally posted by sketocafe
Isle of Quel'Danas on Bonechewer was the most fun I had in wow with open world PVP. Everyone was level capped, everyone wanted to be there once a day for their dailies and you were allowed to fight each other, so it all added up to some chaotic pvp'in fun. I think you need those two elements of every is level capped and both sides have a heavy population in the area and it works out. 

Agreed. Granted I was on a different pvp server, but agreed anyway.

Quick, let's not talk about cross-realm zones.

I agree with op that wow is indeed amazing game. Got 1st place in my heart after week into gameplay. Stayed so for long years before my new best game ever become SWTOR.

About "Somehow over the past few years people forgot that MMOs are social games." i do not agree at all. They CAN be of course this, too. Have nothing against. But I would never play games with forced grouping. MMO actually only mean "a lot of players at same time on same server". Nothing less, nothing more. What they actually do, should be left to them. Socialising should be done as I like to say far far aways from computer keyboard with real friends. I guess companies should create for people that can not live without socializing online new kind of games MMCO, massive multiplayers cooperative games. Would be much better. Same goes for PVP. Is hard if possible to create games to be great in PVP AND at the same time PVE. It would be better if game would be PVP *OR* PVE. Just my opinion of course.

Now back to wow and MOP expansion. In short, I actually love or at least have no problem with anything they have changed but two. This two alone I think will decrease per se sub number of wow.

Bigest mistake ever of Blizzard with Wow - imo - is new talent system. Bad. Bad. Bad. Terribly bad.  There are no words to describe this.

Second which have made completely uninteresting to play this class, are changes to shamans. What they were thinking?? Since day 1 shaman's trademark are TOTEMS! Totems! And more totems! And now they have made totems actually obsolete, something just casual. Resubbed back to wow 2 days ago and I'm already 100% sure shaman - once my preferred class - will be my last alt to level if ever. All fun is gone. This is like if they have removed shapeshifting from druids! Immagine druid in human form prowling on ground or doing tanking in human instead of bear form. No longer druid. 

For the rest as I said, love some, I'm at least neutral to other changes.

Time will show how deeper have they burried Wow, how many subs will loose to insane changes.