I might be willing to play WoW. If they instituted a progression server ala Fippy Darkpaw from EQ. Starting with Vanilla Pre BG, once certain content is defeated a timer begins and 3 months or whatever amount of time goes by and the server can vote whether it progresses to the next expansion. Now that would be the only way WoW could make it interesting for me at this point.
Just to question the philosophy. Army of Socrates.
For me to get 'old Vanilla WoW' feeling back, Blizzard would have to throw out systems he developed for long years, infuriating like 90% of it's current playerbase.
Nah it was already impossible in BC, so it is not gonna change.
For me a big part of it would be graphic overhaul to make older blocky races, dwarves, humans, nightelves, orcs, etc look better. Also stop the dumbing down of the talent/ability systems. Its slowly becoming Diablo III's ability system.....
i always assumed i would go back, but i have zero interest in WOW these days. The former lover is a great analogy, i have as much interest in playing wow as i have in calling my ex-wife...
I think the issue overall is that WoW was great on release, but they spent so much time after that cattering to a crowd that is not me, that I would never consider going back. Games cannot be all things to all people, so that is ok. The battles over tarren mills was great, epic fun that they could have built on. Instead the catered to the people that cried about such things and killed it. Adding world PvP after all these years when you had it originally, just smacks of insinserity with no committment to the reason some of us like world pvp, just a drive to pull in some subs.
Blizzard has no reason to drastically change WOW. It's going to do fine even by the time Titan releases. I have to believe the titan devs are carefully watching current MMOs closely, WOW devs not so much.
until and unless some game really dethrones wow i am not ready to believe this garbage . whether you like it or not . wow is still number one and people playing it are not ready to leave it in any foreseeable future
It is still best MMO and MOP can make it even better. TSW is good game but this 2 games have nothing in common. WOW is most complete theme park mmo ever made and i will always return back for any new expansion. And Titan will be for sure something epic and long lasting
Blizzard has no reason to drastically change WOW. It's going to do fine even by the time Titan releases. I have to believe the titan devs are carefully watching current MMOs closely, WOW devs not so much.
and you think titan will have likve 10mil sub or something?
you think its the next wow ?
keep dreaming buddy time has change face the reality already.
and if u mean blizz copy every single mmo's for titan yes they DO "watching closely"
It is still best MMO and MOP can make it even better
i stoped there plz go back to wow fanboy.
wow for 2012 standards is crap,gameplay wise,story wise,mechanics wise deal with it and MoP is the worst expansion blizz has ever created till now and most blizz fanboys agree
glad blizz copy pokemons so u will have fun with endgame.
You can never get back that feeling of your first time for anything. since this was not my first MMO it never held a important place for me. it had people and lots of them. it made what little world it had alive. it was all so new back then. it's just needs to die now. let other types of MMOs that truly want to try something different have a chance to mix up the genre.
Blizzard has no reason to drastically change WOW. It's going to do fine even by the time Titan releases. I have to believe the titan devs are carefully watching current MMOs closely, WOW devs not so much.
It is never a good idea to drastically change a game that has been around for a while. Just look at the NGE for SWG as an example of what not to do. However, the OP's suggestions were not necessarily that drastic as far as changes go, for example with more emphasis on world PvP. The only thing he suggested that I would consider quite a bit different is the dynamic world thing, but they already sort of have it in place with the battles that are on-going/raging in many parts of the world. I think it would be not such a stretch for them to add truly dynamic things.
My main concern about where WoW is heading these days is in further streamlining or rather, removing RPG elements to increase convenience. This is just a nice way of saying they are removing some of the elements that helped make up the soul of Vanilla WoW as an RPG rather than just a generic game. RPGs are not about convenience, they are about generating an imaginative world in which you can experience, engage in, and immerse yourself in.
I doubt if many wow players even know about up and coming games so I think the pandas will be win win for Blizzard no matter what. They have done it for 8 years now and their still the top dog but I reckon that this could be the last expansion or maybe squeeze one more out.
The thing that's killed WoW for me is all the recycling. I fully realise that the guys making these games have only so much time and so much resources but come on. With cataclysm not one single 'new' boss mechanic or special attack was new. Everything used had been introduced in Burning Crusade or Lich king already. The way they were combined may have been different but that was it. Even the majority of monster models were rehashes of previous ones.
It got to be like comparing the rebranding of packets of toilet paper. The pictures on the plastic packaging may be completely different and all bright and shiney and new but you're still going to use the contents to do exactly the same thing as last time. They're still using the same 4 or 5 cave maps that we're in vanilla WoW for pities sake. 'Blizzard' and 'New content' just can't be justified in the same sentence.
WoW could in fact be great again . . . if anyone actually talked about the right things required to make that rejuvenation happen.
I had some good years in WoW. But unless both the playerbase and devs actually start talking about foundational changes (NOT insert nifty want-it features x, y, and z here), it simply, fundamentally, irrevocably can't change.
See Whitelantern, Jonoko, and Scorpionone near the top of the list.
I appreciate what MMORPG.COM brings to me, as a gamer. But IMO you guys are operating at about 50% capacity. Be journalists, be what the gaming comunity REALLY NEEDS: Journalists who dig into what a Game is, at fundamantal levels, what the industry needs in human-interaction "standards". Not rewashes of emo-topics or marketing hype, easy talky-talk to just talky-talk.
The Internet makes talky-talk really easy, that's why we see so much of it.
Lets starts discussing, in intelligent fashion, over time, what the EVOLUTION of Online, virtual world, Gaming should be. I think we have enough fuel in the form of multiple beached whales (old or even failed games) as well as some successes to actually start that conversation, yes?
Mainly I agree with op. I will sure be back with all my 10 lv. 85 alliance. But am I so "high" on my mood as I was with previous expansions? No. No, but not because of "The Secret World, Guild Wars 2, Planetside 2", Not even minimally interested. Will try them for sure in future. But before there (for me of course) was only wow and the rest of the world. Now I have swtor and Rift. Playing SWTOR since day 1 and still barely can wait to login every day back and level through questing all my alts (12). I also miss Rift, but for now only thing that occupies my mind is swtor. And there will be pandas. So when I will need short break from swtor will have to choose between Wow and Rift. Then back to SWTOR.
Essentially there are many more good "players" (read mmos) out there than were 1-2 years ago. Never so many. Despite for now I'm just following on internet, I'm sure gw2, tsw, ... will "steal" at least temporarely some players from wow, rift and swtor.
I think Blizz would have to totally revamp the game to get those old players back and I doubt Blizz really are interested in such major workover as long as they still have millions of players.
Instead I think they are starting a bit on Wow 2, which frankly makes more sense than reworking a 9 year old game.
MMOs don´t lastforever, at least not with a massive amount of players but sequels might bring back the old fans whille keeping the current, and a Wow 2 would take at least 5 years to make so using your talented people for that instead of fixing up Wow have a lot more potential.
Even if Wow did all the changes Bill suggests I still doubt it would keep being big for more than 5 years more. Wow 2 on the other hand have the potential to make Blizzard rich the next 10 years after launch.
I agree with most others who said it's simply impossible for a game you've played for years to feel "new" again. Rather, what I think you have to hope for as a veteran player is that the new expansion content and updates to old content can instill you with a sense of strong nostalgia. That can keep old players playing for a bit longer and make the game feel fresh.
World PvP
What occured in Hillsbrad in classic WoW was quite astonishing and, I think, completely unpredicted by Blizzard. I don't think there was any conscious intent to create a pvp-centric contested zone; yet pvp on a grand scale for players of all levels occured there, universally across all severs. I think it's worth examining--by blizzard and any other MMO company who would like to fascilitate world PvP--exactly what elements coalesced in that zone that made it so conducive to PvP, and then try to replicate them.
I recently had a fancy to play again after a long break and got as far as installing, but was faced with the question - what is the point?
Issues:
I'm a 1 character pve man, so all the new questing content is meaningless.
I will never return to the hardcore raiding scene, however this means i will never be competitive against a similar skilled player. And this is the nub of the matter, the game is entirely gear centric. Being casual means being 2nd tier in terms of competitive edge, I may have x skill and make up some of the gap between the max tier of gear available to me and top of the game, and beat some players with better gear, but in balance I will mostly have a poor experience where I will be beaten because I have a gear disadvantage.
An interesting comparison I make is with gw1 - in that game I am a newbie in relative terms to the core player base and yet because it is not gear centric I can compete and have fun.
It's a pity I would enjoy playing wow casually for a few months.
rpg/mmorg history: Dun Darach>Bloodwych>Bards Tale 1-3>Eye of the beholder > Might and Magic 2,3,5 > FFVII> Baldur's Gate 1, 2 > Planescape Torment >Morrowind > WOW > oblivion > LOTR > Guild Wars (1900hrs elementalist) Vanguard. > GW2(1000 elementalist), Wildstar
Comments
I might be willing to play WoW. If they instituted a progression server ala Fippy Darkpaw from EQ. Starting with Vanilla Pre BG, once certain content is defeated a timer begins and 3 months or whatever amount of time goes by and the server can vote whether it progresses to the next expansion. Now that would be the only way WoW could make it interesting for me at this point.
Just to question the philosophy. Army of Socrates.
nope that game is just a 1 pixel trash
ppl keep leaving and more leave once MoP comes out..the most ridiculous expansion ever made
gw2 baby...sry blizz no matter what u do or copy ur game will remain old like it or not.
gw2 is the next thing
anw those who still play that 1 pixel game....have fun with your pokemons
Nope.
For me to get 'old Vanilla WoW' feeling back, Blizzard would have to throw out systems he developed for long years, infuriating like 90% of it's current playerbase.
Nah it was already impossible in BC, so it is not gonna change.
Old be New? lets flip that. NO
I think some of the changes Blizzard is doing in WoW are actually ideas they are testing the waters with for their Titan MMO.
For me a big part of it would be graphic overhaul to make older blocky races, dwarves, humans, nightelves, orcs, etc look better. Also stop the dumbing down of the talent/ability systems. Its slowly becoming Diablo III's ability system.....
i always assumed i would go back, but i have zero interest in WOW these days. The former lover is a great analogy, i have as much interest in playing wow as i have in calling my ex-wife...
I think the issue overall is that WoW was great on release, but they spent so much time after that cattering to a crowd that is not me, that I would never consider going back. Games cannot be all things to all people, so that is ok. The battles over tarren mills was great, epic fun that they could have built on. Instead the catered to the people that cried about such things and killed it. Adding world PvP after all these years when you had it originally, just smacks of insinserity with no committment to the reason some of us like world pvp, just a drive to pull in some subs.
Nope never did like wow, and yes i gave it a fair shot but just couldn't get into it.
Shiftyt
Blizzard has no reason to drastically change WOW. It's going to do fine even by the time Titan releases. I have to believe the titan devs are carefully watching current MMOs closely, WOW devs not so much.
until and unless some game really dethrones wow i am not ready to believe this garbage . whether you like it or not . wow is still number one and people playing it are not ready to leave it in any foreseeable future
It is still best MMO and MOP can make it even better. TSW is good game but this 2 games have nothing in common. WOW is most complete theme park mmo ever made and i will always return back for any new expansion. And Titan will be for sure something epic and long lasting
and you think titan will have likve 10mil sub or something?
you think its the next wow ?
keep dreaming buddy time has change face the reality already.
and if u mean blizz copy every single mmo's for titan yes they DO "watching closely"
i stoped there plz go back to wow fanboy.
wow for 2012 standards is crap,gameplay wise,story wise,mechanics wise deal with it and MoP is the worst expansion blizz has ever created till now and most blizz fanboys agree
glad blizz copy pokemons so u will have fun with endgame.
You can never get back that feeling of your first time for anything. since this was not my first MMO it never held a important place for me. it had people and lots of them. it made what little world it had alive. it was all so new back then. it's just needs to die now. let other types of MMOs that truly want to try something different have a chance to mix up the genre.
It is never a good idea to drastically change a game that has been around for a while. Just look at the NGE for SWG as an example of what not to do. However, the OP's suggestions were not necessarily that drastic as far as changes go, for example with more emphasis on world PvP. The only thing he suggested that I would consider quite a bit different is the dynamic world thing, but they already sort of have it in place with the battles that are on-going/raging in many parts of the world. I think it would be not such a stretch for them to add truly dynamic things.
My main concern about where WoW is heading these days is in further streamlining or rather, removing RPG elements to increase convenience. This is just a nice way of saying they are removing some of the elements that helped make up the soul of Vanilla WoW as an RPG rather than just a generic game. RPGs are not about convenience, they are about generating an imaginative world in which you can experience, engage in, and immerse yourself in.
Playing MUDs and MMOs since 1994.
I doubt if many wow players even know about up and coming games so I think the pandas will be win win for Blizzard no matter what. They have done it for 8 years now and their still the top dog but I reckon that this could be the last expansion or maybe squeeze one more out.
The thing that's killed WoW for me is all the recycling. I fully realise that the guys making these games have only so much time and so much resources but come on. With cataclysm not one single 'new' boss mechanic or special attack was new. Everything used had been introduced in Burning Crusade or Lich king already. The way they were combined may have been different but that was it. Even the majority of monster models were rehashes of previous ones.
It got to be like comparing the rebranding of packets of toilet paper. The pictures on the plastic packaging may be completely different and all bright and shiney and new but you're still going to use the contents to do exactly the same thing as last time. They're still using the same 4 or 5 cave maps that we're in vanilla WoW for pities sake. 'Blizzard' and 'New content' just can't be justified in the same sentence.
WoW could in fact be great again . . . if anyone actually talked about the right things required to make that rejuvenation happen.
I had some good years in WoW. But unless both the playerbase and devs actually start talking about foundational changes (NOT insert nifty want-it features x, y, and z here), it simply, fundamentally, irrevocably can't change.
See Whitelantern, Jonoko, and Scorpionone near the top of the list.
I appreciate what MMORPG.COM brings to me, as a gamer. But IMO you guys are operating at about 50% capacity. Be journalists, be what the gaming comunity REALLY NEEDS: Journalists who dig into what a Game is, at fundamantal levels, what the industry needs in human-interaction "standards". Not rewashes of emo-topics or marketing hype, easy talky-talk to just talky-talk.
The Internet makes talky-talk really easy, that's why we see so much of it.
Lets starts discussing, in intelligent fashion, over time, what the EVOLUTION of Online, virtual world, Gaming should be. I think we have enough fuel in the form of multiple beached whales (old or even failed games) as well as some successes to actually start that conversation, yes?
Wherever you go, there you are.
Mainly I agree with op. I will sure be back with all my 10 lv. 85 alliance. But am I so "high" on my mood as I was with previous expansions? No. No, but not because of "The Secret World, Guild Wars 2, Planetside 2", Not even minimally interested. Will try them for sure in future. But before there (for me of course) was only wow and the rest of the world. Now I have swtor and Rift. Playing SWTOR since day 1 and still barely can wait to login every day back and level through questing all my alts (12). I also miss Rift, but for now only thing that occupies my mind is swtor. And there will be pandas. So when I will need short break from swtor will have to choose between Wow and Rift. Then back to SWTOR.
Essentially there are many more good "players" (read mmos) out there than were 1-2 years ago. Never so many. Despite for now I'm just following on internet, I'm sure gw2, tsw, ... will "steal" at least temporarely some players from wow, rift and swtor.
cataclysm x-pac made the old like new ; Blizzard is catering to a different generation now
I think Blizz would have to totally revamp the game to get those old players back and I doubt Blizz really are interested in such major workover as long as they still have millions of players.
Instead I think they are starting a bit on Wow 2, which frankly makes more sense than reworking a 9 year old game.
MMOs don´t lastforever, at least not with a massive amount of players but sequels might bring back the old fans whille keeping the current, and a Wow 2 would take at least 5 years to make so using your talented people for that instead of fixing up Wow have a lot more potential.
Even if Wow did all the changes Bill suggests I still doubt it would keep being big for more than 5 years more. Wow 2 on the other hand have the potential to make Blizzard rich the next 10 years after launch.
I agree with most others who said it's simply impossible for a game you've played for years to feel "new" again. Rather, what I think you have to hope for as a veteran player is that the new expansion content and updates to old content can instill you with a sense of strong nostalgia. That can keep old players playing for a bit longer and make the game feel fresh.
World PvP
What occured in Hillsbrad in classic WoW was quite astonishing and, I think, completely unpredicted by Blizzard. I don't think there was any conscious intent to create a pvp-centric contested zone; yet pvp on a grand scale for players of all levels occured there, universally across all severs. I think it's worth examining--by blizzard and any other MMO company who would like to fascilitate world PvP--exactly what elements coalesced in that zone that made it so conducive to PvP, and then try to replicate them.
Issues:
I'm a 1 character pve man, so all the new questing content is meaningless.
I will never return to the hardcore raiding scene, however this means i will never be competitive against a similar skilled player.
And this is the nub of the matter, the game is entirely gear centric. Being casual means being 2nd tier in terms of competitive edge, I may have x skill and make up some of the gap between the max tier of gear available to me and top of the game, and beat some players with better gear, but in balance I will mostly have a poor experience where I will be beaten because I have a gear disadvantage.
An interesting comparison I make is with gw1 - in that game I am a newbie in relative terms to the core player base and yet because it is not gear centric I can compete and have fun.
It's a pity I would enjoy playing wow casually for a few months.
rpg/mmorg history: Dun Darach>Bloodwych>Bards Tale 1-3>Eye of the beholder > Might and Magic 2,3,5 > FFVII> Baldur's Gate 1, 2 > Planescape Torment >Morrowind > WOW > oblivion > LOTR > Guild Wars (1900hrs elementalist) Vanguard. > GW2(1000 elementalist), Wildstar
Now playing GW2, AOW 3, ESO, LOTR, Elite D
I honestly can't imagine why someone would still play world of warcraft.