J. Allen Brack said:Classic has really been a wake-up call but we are still in denialFixed that for you
that guy killed my baby.. the HGC. I don't like that guy. I don't like that guy a lot. I don't like him, like one of the most on this planet.Anyways. Regarding the social experience.Modern WoW is nice because it has something for every type of player. If you want a challenge that requires teamwork to the hair, you can join a guild, and work on clearing mythic dungeons and other difficult tasks.If you are a casual, LFR can suite you.Modern WoW receives undeserved doo doo.
Gonna say this until I'm blue in the face:The only thing you need to be social is people. If you're failing to socialize, you need to stop blaming conveniences and grouping tools and start looking in the mirror to find the problem.
For the time, Vanilla was a great social time. Compare it to all the other games at the time. Also look where people were in their lives at the time. I was in college or out of college with jobs, but a lot of time on my hands in addition to being an introvert. It's different now.. I don't have the time to devote to WoW like I did in vanilla/tbc. There are so many other games to play to scratch that itch for an hour or 2 at a time. I now hold a good job and have a family. I can't schedule to play at specific times. As far as people want the challenge and want to progress with all the deaths and pain, to finally get that sense of accomplishment beating x boss. There's Udemy, linkinlearning, and many others that provide that same feeling of learning something, getting good at it, and using it when needed. I do think there's something in what has been spoken about shadowlands. You'll feel done after you do your tasks. It wont be a never ending grind for optimization every day. That in itself could make the game more "social." That, or people will log off and play other games.
I agree its just as social as it was when it launched but people are different and expect different things. You won't make friends with someone that doesn't want to make friends, doesn't matter if its 2004 or 2024.
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Blizzard shouldn't be responsible for you being able to create meaningful social interactions to begin with. If you cant create meaningful relationships with other players without blizzard forcing you to through restricting accessibility to content that's not a problem blizzard should be responsible for.
Much like many aspects of the game, it's all down to personal definition. Which varies massively. To someone, a social game is one where you're forced to sit in Trade Chat for an hour or so(which is a hilarious comparison to LFR que) in order to get into a dungeon or raid. And having to ask for others because the mobs you need for a quest are too packed in a game where you have little to no answers for multiple targets. While to another, a social game is one where you can play as you choose and run into random interesting people. I've found a few people who are now bnet friends through LFR, pugs, and just running around in the world.
My biggest criticism of the current status of this game being social revolves around professionsI miss BoE gear that had any value at allI miss enchanting on more than just ringsI miss sockets being more commonI miss having mats and hitting trade saying "Hey, i need someone to make this for me" rather than just the 2 times per tier I have use for a social interaction.I miss having a profession and getting another raider gemmed up, or crafting to fill that missing slot
J. Allen Brack's statements are cringe worthy. Its the same feeling I have watching any WH covid-19 briefing. Know the meaning of your words, please. You can say social, however you mean connected (shorter queue times / no trade chat solicitation). I have ran many dungeons were no one will talk to you. The frequent feeling more often then not is cold. Its wam, bam, thank you mam - the money is on the night stand - let yourself out while I go shower. "we've listened to feedback from the community" listening is not understanding // The book "Inside the Magic Kingdom" stresses knowing the question the guest/customer doesn't know how to ask. I feel that Ion "Elitest Jerks guild" and J. Allen are playing with a multi-million dollar toy and aren't in touch with the core community. I love the risk of trying new content, however does it have to come at the cost of removing the "love at first sight" effect. (of love at first play) I personally feel sicken every time I hear Ion or J. Allen explain their weakly rehearsed - broken excuses - which turn into a tap dance routine."as well as making it easier to kind of find friends, group up, make progress, or play alone, all within the social environment." kind of find friends? I do understand the cause and effect fish. Two different player groups (three now with classic) the core player - first to max level, mythics, raids, and grind - grind - grind. Then the casual - who wants a max level toon (will pay for it), wants to see some of the RnG (will pay for carries), and wants to follow the lore (wont read or watch bridge material). I would love to see a refocus on class fantasy and purpose. Not all classes and spec need to be "balance" (when everyone is special no one is special) I miss proving ground and game play like the mage towerMy point - playing the game is about identifying with your toon. Your character is an extension of who you see yourself as. (irl or fantasy) You login to explore this world with your family, friends, work mates, and ex's. The game continues to fail at the social level. It's easier, fewer lengthy queues, and less time logged in, however its sterile. I feel as though when Ion or J Allen address the player base - it's a well we know best - this is what we are doing to do - and like it or leave. I do miss Mike and Chris - They conveyed passion, excitement, and dignity. I am in my 13yr of WOW - I will continue to play. I do have a great love for this game.