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Reasons Zombie was a bad idea
happytklz
Member Posts: 128
Could have been great. Could have been lotro's monster play, but with some kind of story element, rather than just a mini-game. Could have been a way to give PvE-centered players a way of tasting PvP without re-rolling.
Ways it was mishandled that have led to the relentless hostility between players about it:
1. Should not have allowed Quest finishers to be killed over and over again.
2. Should not have tried this out when so many people are just trying to get characters to 70 for the expansion.
3. Should have, in any number of possible ways, built in disincentives for griefing by high level players.
4. Should have communicated MUCH more clearly and thoroughly about the whole event, particularly in terms of the mechanics of healing from zombification.
No one would have freaked out about this, and it would have been fine to have it on every server, if the above issues had been thoughtfully considered. The posts I have read, and comments in game, from those players who most passionately defend it, only serve to make my case for me. It has concentrated the bullying mentality of people who really should be on PvP servers, and forced everyone to deal with their sociopathic behavior. WoW has succeeded, apart from art design, largely because it offers a balanced and diverse set of possible approaches to the game. This event makes that strength temporarily go away, right when overall populations and new players are up, creating a huge amount of ill will, and ruining inter-player relations for weeks to come, if not permanently.
Big mistake. Hard to believe they didn't think this through, but that's the only conclusion one can reach.
Comments
I can understand the annoyance of lowbies and new players trying to level but majority of those leveling up this late in the game before expansion are players that have a 70 by now and are bored on their mains until Expac comes out. It was nice to see the effects of a disease that effects both society and activities around in the game. It kinda makes it realistic if you think about. If a plague spreads then surely it's gonna affect everyone that are trying to survive away from it.
Zombie invasions were getting bigger and bigger as it went into phase 5 as the plague grew stronger but by then some areas were over taken and it was fun to kill your own rivals and friends for the hell of it. Yea, armor duribility loss sucks but don't complain about it when you get zombied and not remove your armor if you get killed by NPCs.
Just like every other event. People would get heavy involved with it and mess around for hours and then get bored of it and you start to see a decline of people playing zombies in major cities. After Sunday night the whole zombie thing died down really quick and people were doing normal activities as usual. The only funny part is people still bitching about it when there isn't much activity. I guess some people take things so seriously that they want to impliment laws and shit because certain things make them feel not fun. Just enjoy this one of a lifetime opportunity and just enjoy being evil for once. Hell it beats grinding and raiding for once better than people sitting around and bitch at trade chat lol.
I find it dumb that people get so mad about it when they are clearly the same people that sit around in major cities trolling and spamming chat all day. Those type of people need to step out the door and take a breather. Leave the city, go do something productive, or if you need to AFK then don't be in the open, simple as that.
Somethings people need to adjust:
1) Don't go AFK in open areas or populated centers (ah, banks, and main courtyards, and mailboxes) :P
2) Buy and sell stuff on the AH whenever you can before zombie comes.
3) Avoid zombies if you dont want to get exploded by one or gased on. Not that hard unless they are in a middle of a huge pack.
4) If you do get zombified then retaliate onto others and enjoy spreading the plague. Run backs are the downside a little but eh thats the point of playing a 3rd faction.
I know lowbies are suffering the most that are below 30 (no mount peeps) but it will be all over soon. Just wait what happens until the next few phases.
MMO Reporter
If you do afk, make sure to do it on a flying mount in a major infection area about 12 feet in the air.
It'll drive the zombies nuts.
In every country and in every age, the priest has been hostile to liberty. He is always in alliance with the despot, abetting his abuses in return for protection to his own.
-Thomas Jefferson
haha Pappy all true. Now if only zombies had teleport....
MMO Reporter
I find it dumb that people get so mad about it when they are clearly the same people that sit around in major cities trolling and spamming chat all day. Those type of people need to step out the door and take a breather. Leave the city, go do something productive, or if you need to AFK then don't be in the open, simple as that.
Whoever you are describing, it's not me. I'm just trying to play the game I paid for on the server I chose for its specific ruleset.
Somethings people need to adjust:
1) Don't go AFK in open areas or populated centers (ah, banks, and main courtyards, and mailboxes) :P
AFK has nothing to do with it, you are avoiding the issue of people intentionally denying people access to flightmasters and quest finishers.
2) Buy and sell stuff on the AH whenever you can before zombie comes.
Again, irrelevant to the concerns I raised.
3) Avoid zombies if you dont want to get exploded by one or gased on. Not that hard unless they are in a middle of a huge pack.
Impossible to avoid zombies (read: players who like to grief) when they congregate around key NPC's.
4) If you do get zombified then retaliate onto others and enjoy spreading the plague. Run backs are the downside a little but eh thats the point of playing a 3rd faction.
You again ignore the central points of my post. If you enjoy PvP and "monster play" great, go play on a PvP server, or engage in the PvP which is built in to the normal servers.
I know lowbies are suffering the most that are below 30 (no mount peeps) but it will be all over soon. Just wait what happens until the next few phases.
There is no such thing as a player you can know is a "lowbie" at this point in the development of WoW. I have several dozen characters, some high level, some low. Why should anyone paying for a game "suffer"? You exemplify the attitude which people choose WoW in order to avoid. EvE sounds more your cup of tea... oh wait, that would be hard, you might lose sometimes.
You can't "simply avoid" major cities if that's where your quests and trainers are. You are ignoring one of the key points I made... timing. it was dumb to introduce this when so many people are trying to level to 70 for the expansion. As it happens, that's not my situation, I'm simply pointing out that this is a source of much of the negative reaction.
Beyond all that... it's boring. It's the same crap over and over again for days. Someone at Blizzard wanted to try out an idea for monster play and the team didn't think it through. This will definitely have a negative impact on good will surrounding the game and the upcoming expansion... it already has. From Blizzard's point of view, it was a mistake because it is going to cost them sales.
For those who say it's consistent with lore: you're joking, right? I mean, yes, there's a backstory, but... undead characters become zombies? Whatever.
There's plenty of quests that originate outside of major cities. If you are seeking trainers, you can probably find most of what you need in Darnassus or in the areas around Darnassus.
Well the timing is kind of important since it has to do with the upcoming expansion. Be kinda dumb to do this after the expansion, don't you think?
Negative reaction? You mean like the recent nerf of the Paladin? Or that BC ruined the game? Or that it's played only by immature 12 year olds? Or any one of a billion other things players moan and whine about? You mean THAT negative reaction? My guess is that Blizzard is pretty used to it by now
Ah boring too is it? Same thing over and over for days? What like 3 days? 4? OMG they are RUINING the game making me do the same thing over and over for 4 days!!!!!
Sales? LOL You didn't really go there did you? Sales. Yeah, the game can barely stand to lose a customer.
You're making a mountain out of molehill, just like 95% of the negative posts on the forums. It's relatively easy to avoid the plague if you want to. It's much more fun to come to the forums and complain about it though.
Oh and one more sure fire, can't miss, undeniably the best way to avoid the plague.......when you die, just stay in ghost form.
I respecced 2 toons last night while in ghost form.
The biggest thing they should have done was to tell people how short the plague was going to last. I don't think people would mind being inconveinced in cities for a few days if they KNEW it was only for a few days. The problem is many people thought this event was going to last until Nov 13th.
For those that don't know, the event is finishing at noon today.
I know I personally would've participated more in 'cleansing' if I had known the city invasions would only be lasting for 3 days.
I play horde on a med population server. It hasn't been bad at all. Ogrimmar is the only city that really took a beating, and it was only for a few hours here and there.
It does?!
Not on the European servers.
WoW should make a new kind of server.
Call it PVE - Casual.
It would have no world events that interrupt normal gameplay.
Mobs and bosses would have lower health than normal servers.
Raid boss and mob damage would be reduced.
New content would be added 3 months after normal servers to make it fair for the competitive raiding aspects of the game.
Gear would be labeled PVE - Casual on the description and would be non transferable to other servers.
They would all be the same battlegroup.
Problem solved.
It does?!
Not on the European servers.
I don't know when the EU event ends, but in NA, the event ends in 7 minutes LOL
True Azrile. The first days of the plague was growing so huge as more people started up Zombie raids to spread plagues in cities and some lowbies. After a while people grew bored and go on their normal dailies or raids and just go on their daily ruitines.
For the response from Happy, Pappy kinda pointed it all out for me. It sounds like you need to realize that this a one-time event; leveling makes it challenging with a disease that owns people so expect that to happen; and lastly just suck it up and play zombie if you get owned by plague.
It's nice to rampage cities for once without needing to gather people to do it. I dont see other MMOs doing big events that gathers people to be involved and have fun rampaging cities and towns.
Btw, it is an MMORPG for a reason.
MMO Reporter
i play horde on a high population server and the zombies haven't interrupted my leveling one iota. People piss and moan, but when it comes down to it, stay out of the major cities and find a quiet place to grind. I made six levels on the weekend and died once to a zombie.
MMO Reporter
From my point of view the zombie event was an exercise in frustration, try to fight the zombies oh no i'm only level 31, once i'm a zombie oh no i'm still only level 31 and can't do diddly squat plus now i've got a repair bill, want to see your class or profession trainer? Better forget about it and log off for 2 hours because zombie griefers found it funny to camp those exact places.
All in all, a refreshing but majorly frustrating event that sucked for anyone without a 70 character.
From my point of view the zombie event was an exercise in frustration, try to fight the zombies oh no i'm only level 31, once i'm a zombie oh no i'm still only level 31 and can't do diddly squat plus now i've got a repair bill, want to see your class or profession trainer? Better forget about it and log off for 2 hours because zombie griefers found it funny to camp those exact places.
All in all, a refreshing but majorly frustrating event that sucked for anyone without a 70 character.
Yea well the plague sort of symbolize the frustration and trying to survive from the evil that Arthas is bringing. Then again bud, you will be able to resume normally once the AD guys cure the place, which is most likely today. '/end spoiler
MMO Reporter
From my point of view the zombie event was an exercise in frustration, try to fight the zombies oh no i'm only level 31, once i'm a zombie oh no i'm still only level 31 and can't do diddly squat plus now i've got a repair bill, want to see your class or profession trainer? Better forget about it and log off for 2 hours because zombie griefers found it funny to camp those exact places.
All in all, a refreshing but majorly frustrating event that sucked for anyone without a 70 character.
Yea well the plague sort of symbolize the frustration and trying to survive from the evil that Arthas is bringing. Then again bud, you will be able to resume normally once the AD guys cure the place, which is most likely today. '/end spoiler
Sure it does, but that doesn't mean i have to like it.
To the op, you should be managing WoW cause you hit the nail right square on the head with your analysis.
I think the idea of having zombies or npc's attacking cities is great. But Blizzard went about it all wrong. As the op said most players didn't know anything about it like where to go heal as well as the entire scheme of things regarding the invasion. Blizzard dropped the ball on this one as they didn't really put any info out there that would give some knowledge to players.
Another thing is you can't fight them at all without being turned into a zombie. How can you defend the city when with one hit you're plagued and soon to be zombie? It doesn't make any sense. I would of loved to of been able to fight back but we dont have that option.
Many of the palyers who love it are the same ones who go around in packs infecting others. This isn't what the invasion is about but you know kids. Imature to the hilt. I know of several who go to starting zones just to infect newbies and these guys are all 70's.
This isn't what the invasion is suppose to be about. It's about defending the cities but since blizzard didnt give us an option to fight back then some players went beserk acting like fools going around griefing lowbies and others.
I heard its over tonight. If true, tonight can't come fast enough.
Hahaha...About time Blizzard grew some balls and actually brought some consequence into the game. WoW is easy-mode most of the time and you guys are just whining. Stay away from the major cities if it bother you that much, or even better, try out some other games and break your addiction to the game a little. When you get pissed off cause of this, it's a surefire sign you play the game way too much.
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Grammar nazi's. This one is for you.
There's mention of "suffering"....how can one suffer in a mmo...really...how?...especially this event...if you are slain..you die seconds from a graveyard in most cases. If it interrupts the grind..then maybe the game should be treated as such...and not like a second job. I've been ganked several times...sometimes it generated a genuine and refreshing startle and eventual chuckle. I don't know why this is so stuck in the craw of some gamers. ...and the timing issue...???...its October...when is a halloween influenced event suppose to take place?...maybe they should push back the WOTLK release until everyone re-acclimates from this apparent and seemingly jarring plague event....again...not meant to offend...just my opinion.
edit: I can understand suffering from Lag or latency..or other performance issues...but not from things occuring within context and course of play
I see where many of you are saying to go to darnusses but what you may not know is Darnusses was full of zombies too, no different then the other cities.
I teleported to darnusses, while I was loading in I heard all this growling near me, right away I knew it was the zombies. When I finally loaded in I had been plagued and the guards were all over me hitting me, I was so disgusted I just stood there getting hit, where was I to go, or do?
yeah this is a great idea, and add to it they aren't ever allowed to transfer off, actually the type of people that need this server should stop playing MMO's, they can't seem to handle change well.
"The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand."
- Lewis Thomas
You are a whiner and most players enjoying the event don't care about such uptight stale BS you are serving right now. One word to people like you: just keep leveling up your tenth alt the way you've done for three years in a dead world and whine about every fun chaotic event that gives a real sense to the expansion and WoW lore. YOU and the whining likes of you are the big mistake in the mmorpg environment. Don't worry, in ten days you can return to your routine again and level up your 11th alt in your stale server.
You are a whiner and most players enjoying the event don't care about such uptight stale BS you are serving right now. One word to people like you: just keep leveling up your tenth alt the way you've done for three years in a dead world and whine about every fun chaotic event that gives a real sense to the expansion and WoW lore. YOU and the whining likes of you are the big mistake in the mmorpg environment. Don't worry, in ten days you can return to your routine again and level up your 11th alt in your stale server.
The reason many players didn't like it wasn't because they couldn't level, it was because the event had no substance, no story line, no way to fight and defend the cities. It was just a bunch of zombies thrown together and badly at that, in many parts of the cities.
Now, if you didn't mind an event with nothing in it but a bunch of roving zombies which you couldn't even fight against then it's understandable some players liked it.
I see where some players said they were having a blast but a blast at doing what? Running around with no purpose? Running around griefing others while infecting them? Getting infected with one hit only to die a short time later? There was nothing there, nothing but aimless running around without any purpose or storyline. This isn't fun, at least players with any sense of thinking wouldn't want to do this and rightly so.
Add a story line with substance, making it worth the while to engage in battles and then you'll see players immersing themselves in it. Not like the garbage they put out there with level 70's in newbie zones and the way all the npc's who players needed to interact with getting killed repeatedly.
All this zombie invasion was, was a mindless event with no direction. How can any player, veteran or new get into something like this?