Is the bnet crowd taking over WoW?

[Immy]

After reading this thread it makes me worry that the bnet philosophy of, "why am I not level 70 in an hour, and where is my town portal spell" is getting out of hand. I expect to read this kinda stuff off the general boards but when it's on the beta board that kinda worries me. There's been more than a few of these threads such as here, here, or here.

There's at least a dozen more of those on the boards that I just don't feel like looking for. For those who are actually in beta, what kind of "official" feedback is Blizzard giving you on these issues? It pains me that I have to read these posts yet I cannot reply to them. Here's hoping Blizzard takes them like the MMO newbs that they are.

[BirgittePovar]

MMO newbies or not, expect WoW to be overrun with them.

If anything there is even more hype in the Diablo 2 circles over WoW than there is in the EverQuest circles.

[Ravvenn]

I don't think anyone needs to point out what is already pretty obvious. They are still part of the audience and even though they are whiney rejects, they are future customers. While I don't think what they say is falling on deaf ears, I doubt anyone will actually 'listen.' They have as much of a right (although it's painful to read) to voice how they feel as the more experienced player(s).

As for 'official' feedback, you see what we see. Look for a Blizzard reply. If there isn't one, you should be able to guess why.

[Immy]

Ahh I apologize if it was already posted...the only other thread I saw was regarding the casual/hardcore gamer issue.

[Tuco]

I don't mind the WoW community containing lots of these kinds of people, I really don't. I just hope that WoW doesn't cater to them in the end game, where I'll be. I hope that I can escape them by adventuring in content too hard for them.

A question to those in the alpha or beta, how much walking do you do? I can imagine some degree of boredom if I get a quest from an npc, walk three minutes, kill 10 mobs, then walk three minutes back to the npc. Any opinion on this?

[Samus Aran]

Originally posted by Ravvenn
I don't think anyone needs to point out what is already pretty obvious. They are still part of the audience and even though they are whiney rejects, they are future customers. While I don't think what they say is falling on deaf ears, I doubt anyone will actually 'listen.' They have as much of a right (although it's painful to read) to voice how they feel as the more experienced player(s).

As for 'official' feedback, you see what we see. Look for a Blizzard reply. If there isn't one, you should be able to guess why.

Right. StoneCold has as much a right to voice his demands as you or I. Right? RIGHT? Bah.

In-game, you're going to run into b.netters. Sometimes it's best to leave the general chat, though localized general made it much better. I only hit the general channel now when I think a server crash is coming. That takes out 90% of the annoyance. Keeping your friends list updated is great; that keeps you from having to group with potentially annoying players. There's another 5%.

The other 5% are rushers, gankers and griefers. They're unavoidable, but I chalk this up to reality. In any population, you're going to have to deal with a number of little bitches. I'd be willing to guess that a good 2% really don't know they're doing something wrong. MMORPG etiquette is new to many in the game (including me).

[Nihnyes]

I'm curious, is it possible for their own flaws to rid them from WoW? The fact that they are not used to this style of gameplay, and won't be able to adapt, forcing them to leave? Or are they here to stay. I've seen a number of threads about the idiocy of these people.

What I'm asking is if they will not play WoW because they don't like it, and the regular MMORPG players (EQ players and the type that understand what is involved while playing an MMORPG) will be the community afterwards.
Any thoughts?

[frott]

Name one prominent diablo 2 guild, or even a prominent starcraft or warcraft guild, with the organizational skills to do something more than gather 8 people to all click the same server at the same time.

b.net kiddies are going to get stomped on, on each server, by mmorpg vets who can organize. Anyone sans head up ass at Blizzard would, frankly, be listening to fan sites that matter (aka this one) and the proponents of those sites (aka FoH, et al) to sculpt "long run" content.

The only "long run" content in D2 was, what, once you beat diablo in hard mode just keep killing cowz and levelling because the higher your level the better the loot that drops? Snooze.

EQ is exceptional, if you look at the number of women and non-vid-gamers that play(ed) it... I don't think EQers will make the long run community exclusively, I have a bunch of friends who have stayed away from EQ (and every other mmorpg) simply because it looked like a timesink piece of shit with bad graphics (my protestations to the contrary dwindled until I agreed with them) who are going to play WoW. I have friends who aren't into fantasy and prefer a quicker paced SCI-FI game, well, since all of those suck they'll settle for the quickest paced mmorpg with some story and substance: WoW.

A lot of people who are looking at approx a year of their life (or more) in /playtime in EQ aren't able to jump ship so readily. Some hate the cartoony graphics of FFXI and WoW... etc.

Safe to say anyone that likes MMORPGs played EQ and grasped it before moving on to the better one: WoW. So the assumption that the end game community is EQers is safe, but loaded. I'm sure the percentage of someone who's played EQ who makes and lives the endgame of WoW is going to be high, but I'd rather listen to those who stay away from EQisms ./...

[Nihnyes]

I think what that poster doesn't understand is the "RPG"... ROLE PLAYING GAME. Although the majority don't RP, the game is still based around a world that you are sort of meant to live in. Walking places? Boo hoo, it makes total fucking sense. Hello, it's an evolving WORLD. If you took out some of the realistic aspects, the game would not be an mmorpg.

[Hwed]

I don't mind the WoW community containing lots of these kinds of people, I really don't. I just hope that WoW doesn't cater to them in the end game, where I'll be.

These kinds of assumptions are starting to make me consider something.

All these EQ players just keep on assuming that they'll be at the end game, and that the Diablo/Warcraft crowd will be a bunch of cretins flopping around in whatever WoW's version of Dreadlands is.

Consider this: Everquest is a simple game that requires virtually no eye-hand coordination, no twitch skill, and very little attention to play. Any housewife with an AOL connection and a box of bon-bons can manage. The "end game" is pretty much based only on time commitment and being lucky enough to have a good guild leader to pull you along. (the exception being leaders themselves)

Blizzard games have always had an upper tier of players, no,freaks who can just absolutely destroy everyone else because they have a kind of skill that is utterly foreign to many EQ players, especially those who hail from MUDs and D&D instead of Nintendo and Sega.

From everything I've seen, WoW may very well require that kind of skill into its top tier of players. The gap between a mediocre player and an excellent one may be significantly larger than Everquest.

What if the top encounters require people who are badasses at using each class to its absolute full potential? What if playing 8 hours a day and being in a great EQ guild just isn't enough?

What if the Warcraft twitch-fiends come out on top, and all you hangers-on who've climbed the mountain in EQ because you had great leaders wind up struggling to come in second?

Of course, I could be wrong and WoW could be yet another game playable by trained circus monkeys... but for anyone to assume that they're going to be in the end game is a little shaky right now. :P

[Ravvenn]

A question to those in the alpha or beta, how much walking do you do? I can imagine some degree of boredom if I get a quest from an npc, walk three minutes, kill 10 mobs, then walk three minutes back to the npc. Any opinion on this?

If you actually get bored within three minutes of walking in WoW, I'd be pretty shocked. For starters three minutes isn't a very long time. The travel time is not nearly as bad as people are making it out to be. For places further away (going from one major place to another) you will need to atleast travel once to get 'flagged' at the Gryphon Master. After that, you will be able to fly if you have the cash. Still, the run isn't bad.

If you are unable to follow a path with signs that point you to where you need to go, you have issues. I do get lost a bit but normally from wandering off the path to find herbs, then getting chased by whatever mob and finding myself in the middle of nowhere. Even then, the run still isn't bad. I'd said before, I compare the worst run to going from Nexus to Ssra - except the world is actually nice to look at, so are the mobs. Not to mention once you get to point b it isn't a huge piece of shit.

I don't see why people want to play such a huge game if they want to skip most of its content. As I've said before, PoK spoiled people, Teleports spoiled people, and people are lazy.

[Samus Aran]

I really don't understand all this hoopla about running. I came from Diablo 2 straight to WoW and the only time I remember ever complaining about the run was in the Barrens, during that dwarf quest that's quite a run South. That was before:

1) I figured out where the autorun was (for teh win!),

2) The new death system was incorporated and

3) There was anyone on the server. It used to be a huge event to see someone else on the road. Much /wave ing ensued.

Now, the ghosts run hella fast, and you're back in business in no time, even on that long run.

I'm used to "send portar! giv itam!" and I love the run. The world is beautiful and immersive and there are tons of people running around to stare at. For me, the mount will be mostly cosmetic.

[frott]

Originally posted by Samus Aran
I really don't understand all this hoopla about running.

And I hope you realize that your opinion matters to us (me, at least) and so the case is closed as of now.

I mean, I literally saw a post that complained about 30 minute running times and when someone confronted them they said: "ya, u haff 2 run back and forth then back then forth again 2 do 2 diff queztz" or something the equivalent.

I just hope those with beta posting power replies to as many of the kids as possible saying: you are wrong and here is why. It's a lot of work, and I know that time could be spent playing, but fight the good fight!

[Samus Aran]

This might be a good time to admit that I don't really look where I'm going enough when I run. I often chat and arrange my items while vaguely following the road and, uh, end up in the wrong town.

Sorry about that, all who /f on me.

[Nihnyes]

I used to run from Kelethin to Qeynos for the enjoyment. Old world EQ > all.

Back on topic: lol