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Algalon the Observer
Obzerver
Member Posts: 225
Info, screens and a sneak peek of the hard mode only encounter of Ulduar. Once engaged you have exactly one hour to kill him before he de-spawns for an entire week.
Comments
The most funny thing about this is that Blizzard does not realise that the hardcore guilds are already practicing most of their encounters on Private servers. This will increase the use of private servers by miles.
Whether players get around this or not. Blizzard is delving into a somewhat newer area of MMOs. Giving something for Hard core guilds only. If succesful, one may wonder if they might continue to move in that direction and lessen its emphasis on casual players
Torrential: DAOC (Pendragon)
Awned: World of Warcraft (Lothar)
Torren: Warhammer Online (Praag)
There is a very fine line that Blizzard is trying to balance
1. Not waste dev time on content very few people will see ( ala old raids)
2. Create content that is challenging for advance raiding guilds.
Their 'hardcore' model is perfect. Casual players are not complaining because they can easily see endgame raids in the 10 man version and see the story unfold for themselves..... and hardcore raids are being challenged by the over-tuned encounters in the hardmodes, along with the hardcore part of trying to finish acheivements.
WotLK is MUCH more friendly to casual players because now they are able to see the 'endgame raids'.
There is a very fine line that Blizzard is trying to balance
1. Not waste dev time on content very few people will see ( ala old raids)
2. Create content that is challenging for advance raiding guilds.
Their 'hardcore' model is perfect. Casual players are not complaining because they can easily see endgame raids in the 10 man version and see the story unfold for themselves..... and hardcore raids are being challenged by the over-tuned encounters in the hardmodes, along with the hardcore part of trying to finish acheivements.
WotLK is MUCH more friendly to casual players because now they are able to see the 'endgame raids'.
I am seeing HUGE changes to the play of Wow in the last 2 years. Those who played it until 2006 won't even recognize it in its end game now. The game is for ALL - casuals and hardcore now.
1. Forget the typical mmorpg mechanics of grinding for gear only. Epic gear is NO reference point to brag anymore. It is only a means to an end and is even multi purpose (spell power for healing AND dps).
2. Scaled Raid encounters of the same bosses (with extra tactics) are combined now with achievements awards and status symbols. These are much more significant then epic gear. Status symbols stay much longer than gear. Downing a boss is NO reference point. Donwing him in the hardest modes AND get the titles is the new status.
3. A 5/6 month production cycle just keeps the game .... going and going. Until of course you as an individual needs a break.
4. Easy step in and multiple choices to gear up faster for those that needed a break AND those alts.
5. Incredibly varied possibilities of searching for YOUR playing styles. Hardcore can go into that niche part of the game with awarding achievements. From getting to Battlemaster, Rival, Justicar etc in PvP to doing the utmost difficult Raid achievements or just become Chef de cuisine.
Add to the 5 above a sixth point which I would call the most innovative mechanism yet: the changing landscape : from destructable buildings, anti air systems (wowish Ulduar) to the very introduction of phasing technology (changing worlds)
----- If all this is IN the new mmo from Blizzard -----
It will be an imposible task to top that next mmo from Blizzard.
vehicle fights, destructable terrain, phasing and flying mounts were not thought of when WOW started, which is one of the things that makes the 'old world' kinda boring when you quest there. I can't wait to see the new game that starts out being built with all those things in mind.