This Persistent Life: Expansion Dreams

#2:

Let all players experience the stories If the most prevalent rumor is correct--i.e., that the expansion will take place in Northerend, and pit players against the legendary Arthas Menethil--then some of the biggest unanswered questions in WoW's mythos will be coming to the fore very soon. If we take Blizzard's actions with the previous expansion as an indication as to what will happen next, then we can bet that it's going to be the hardcore raiders that will end up pwning the biggest, baddest villain in Warcraft's lore. Yes, guilds with the wherewithal to mobilize en masse and tackle the most challenging raid content deserve what rewards they get, but shouldn't all players get to experience the most momentous event yet in Warcraft history?

Arthas Menethil likes to eat babies.

Arthas Menethil likes to eat babies.

As of yet, all the coolest moments in the game from a story standpoint have been cordoned off to all but the most hardcore players. This leaves a good portion of players locked out of the most meaningful story elements of the game's story. While I agree that MMOs are only tangentially about their stories, Blizzard rightly values the mythology behind its games--see the upcoming WoW movie, or the soon-to-be-released comic series. Both are being handled by some the biggest names in their respective mediums, and yet, when it comes to the primary reason why people care about these stories--in other words, World of Warcraft, the most successful MMO ever created--Blizzard is squandering its efforts. It's puzzling.

WoW's designers have already made many concessions aimed at making the raid game more accessible to casual players. That's a definite step in the right direction. But there are a lot of players who have absolutely no interest in raiding who would probably love to enjoy the story elements that the hardcore guilds have access to as a side effect. What's the solution?

The Answer: Someone posted a cool idea on the official boards a while back: basically, Blizzard could implemented "easy mode" raids that players can complete with a small party, which are essentially the same as their legitimate counterparts, only without the epic rewards. This way, players who care about the mythology can experience it without disrupting the game's "ecosystem."

#3:

More flexibility when it comes to character roles I know I sound like a broken record; every time I write about WoW, I bitch about how the talent respec fees are far too hindering. Tanks should be able to ditch their shields once in a while, and beat people up without feeling like complete gimps, and healers should be able to kill monsters without having to call their friends. When it costs certain players 100 gold at least twice per week to actually enjoy the game, something is wrong. Well, I'm sad to say that the situation hasn't changed, despite the increasing frequencies of community protest. Blizzard has to implement some sort of dual-talent build system, and hopefully before the next expansion launches.

The Answer: Just implement a goddamn dual-talent system already. Everyone wants it, and it won't break the game. Make it so that players have to wait a few hours between swaps, and get it over with. As far as the expansion goes, well, the answer is a bit more complicated. It would be nice if Blizzard thought a bit about how traditionally-PvE-oriented classes could contribute to a PvP environment--i.e., how tanks in WAR can physically block enemy players--but I won't hold my breath for that. Still, it would be nice. How about it, Blizzard? Can you surprise us with an ingenious long-term solution to this really shitty problem?

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