Some News About WotLK Classic

I've been reading that there won't be any Dungeon Finder in Wrath of the Lich King Classic. I am guessing Blizzard made this decision because they think most people want it that way, but as usual a vocal minority has made it clear that they don't agree. Or maybe they're not a minority? I am just assuming a behemoth like Blizzard would know what they're doing before they announce a huge thing like that. After all the Dungeon Finder was a thing of the real Wotlk, but apparently Blizzard think this might've been one thing that took the game series a step in the wrong direction (whatever direction that is).

I queued to get the Collector's Edition.

Here are my 2 cents though - I disagree with Blizzards assessment that the Dungeon Finder would ruin the game. I don't however entirely mind that they won't implement it. In that way I also disagree that not adding it would ruin the game. I guess you could say that I am, boringly enough, quite meh about the whole thing.

I've been playing for several years now without the Dungeon Finder, just using LFG-channel and it works perfectly fine. Do I always find a group for where I want to go? No I don't. Does it some times take quite long to gather people? Yeah, it happens. But some thing that I recall being a huge issue in Vanilla specifically (and TBC considerably less thanks to summon stones) is people leaving an instance mid-run and everyone having to waste loads of time to find another person (or just having to wait for everyone to get to the instance). Off the top of my head I can't recall that happening to me even once. Maybe once. But either way not often enough to be even remotely considered a problem that needs fixing. 

In fact, the Dungeon Finder has one major flaw and this is where I think the main issue lies regarding whether you're pro-Dungeon Finder or anti-Dungeon Finder. To me who plays something like five character simultaneously, it's not an issue to log onto character lvl 12 and do questing while I gather a group for character lvl 70 heroic run. In fact I did just that this evening before writing this post and it worked a charm. Rather than just getting annoyed at wasting my time hanging around in Shattrath waiting for my group to happen, I actually got something done. And this is also where the flaw of the Dungeon Finder comes in. With the Dungeon Finder I am actually forced to be on that specific character to get an instance, and must wait rather than do something more productive with my time (I am not one of those people who enjoys farming mats). Maybe not a big issue on a tank or healer character, but I recall 30-45 min queues not being uncommon for a dps character.

For the way I personally prefer to play the game I think the Dungeon Finder might actually be more of a hindrance than a boon. But for all those people sinking every second of their time into their main, I can understand how they want something that would shorten the wait.

TLDR: I don't care either way and I'm definitely not upset they're not going to implement it.

The other news is that dedicated TBC servers will disappear with the launch of Wotlk Classic, just like in the original launch of Wotlk. 

I'll be honest, when I first read about this I was a bit sad. Even though Wotlk is probably my favorite expansion, TBC is second in line and I absolutely love it. Like I've already established, I don't feel anywhere near done with it yet and this announcement just made me feel even more stressed for achieving whatever it is I imagine I need to achieve. I am also notoriously sentimental and want to save every happy memory forever.

But who am I kidding? I haven't gone back to Classic Wow for even a second since TBC was launched, even though I intended to. I actually went to do it but then it required a complete download of the game and I couldn't be bothered... When Wotlk launches I won't have time for any shenanigans I think I need to finish off in TBC, of which there really aren't many. And like the post (in the link) rightfully points out, it's not actually like Outlands goes away with the launch of Wotlk. I can still go there and do... whatever.

I don't actually recall whether Outlands was an area one had to visit to level between 60-70 before being ready for Northrend in Wotlk? If that's the case I'm not even leaving it behind, just like Azeroth, but will get to re-visit it over and over.

I think Blizzard is making the right call here with pushing everyone forward to Northrend to get that launch off to a good start. Maybe that was less of an issue with TBC? Either way, Outlands will still be there and I see more of a point in preserving an OG version of Vanilla WoW than Classic TBC.

TLDR; I am ok with it. Knowing myself I won't give Outlands a second of my thought once Wotlk is released.

So WotLK Classic Has Been Announced

To no ones surprise (just read the comments on a previous post), Wotlk has been announced. I am happy, of course. Hype in fact!

But I can't help but feel, yet again, that Blizzard is rushing me. I took things so slow I enjoyed things so much in Classic that I had barely made it to max level when TBC Classic was announced. I really had to scramble to get myself ready for Outlands and basically missed out on all the endgame content in Classic, again! I didn't get to experience it the first time around and not this time either. 

Did some Dire Maul though.

To be fair I feel like the endgame content of Classic is slightly more difficult to get into as a super-casual as I am, even when considering Pugging seemed to be way more prevalent and successful than it used to be back in the day. But raids in Classic are massive undertakings that took hours on hours, whereas the introduction of 10-man raids yet again proved to be my ticket into that aspect of WoW.

I've got two fairly well geared level 70 now (and possibly more by the time Wotlk actually hits), so in that sense I am way more prepared for Wotlk than I was for Outlands. I can actually run off to the Howling Fjord straight away this time, which I also intend on doing. While tanking is ok in TBC (it was pretty bad in Classic) I recall it as being an absolute joy in Wrath and I am really looking forward to getting into that again.

But even though I am better off and better prepared this time around I still don't feel like I am anywhere near done with TBC Classic yet. I know there are still going to be several months before the actual release so I can't say for sure that I am not going to feel ready for it when it actually comes, but right now I don't. There are entire areas in TBC I've barely set foot in yet. I have done exactly zero quests in Shadowmoon Valley or Netherstorm. I've barely done any quests in Nagrand or Blade's Edge Mountains. I find that after Hellfire Peninsula and Zangarmarsh + instances you're practically 70, so I need to actively choose to go to different areas to quest to experience them (I am at the moment taking a mage through Terokkar).

And some Zul'Aman

Even though I have done every instance and almost every raid (not TK yet) I haven't done them much. Karazhan that I've probably done the most out of the raids, I've done maybe ten times in total. But of course, I myself have spoken about taking breaks from WoW and Blizzard clearly don't want to give me, or anyone else, any chance of doing that. As soon as we feel like we can take a breather, and not because I am bored with it but rather the opposite, they need to throw (old) new goodies in our faces. I can understand their reasoning and I don't doubt that there is some expensive marketing research and analysis behind it that has calculated the exact time next expansion need to come to maximize profits.

I'm just worried they're going to achieve the opposite, a complete burn-out.

Field Report #30 - I Am That Noob Now

Back in the day when I played WoW, after a year or so of finding my footing, I started to play fairly seriously. Especially when I started to get into raiding in TBC, I was one of those people who pored over logs, read every detail in patch notes and analyzed it all to bits. I wrote posts on how to play classes I didn't even main, because I even put time into analyzing their rotations (can't say whether my guides were good or not though). While I hope I never looked down on the players who spent their time doing other things, I do know occasionally thinking "why wouldn't you want to bring your A-game to every group?".

Now I find myself constantly being that person. I don't know tacs for raids (other than what I barely remember from having done them 10+ years ago). I don't know what I need attunement for nor do I keep track of my rep on any of my characters (it doesn't help that I level everything simultaneously). Just the other week I joined a raid for Mount Hyjal only to find out I can't enter. I was mortified... My guild asked me if I wanted to join for their raids and I was almost embarrassed to say I hadn't signed for anything yet because I have no idea how Discord works. Fortunately they were kind enough to work me through it slowly and it's not that hard after all.

I have no idea what my BiS gear is and I only just downloaded an Addon that allows me to see what loot I could get from bosses (AtlasLoot) so that I can join in on that Reserve Loot thingy in Pugs. When the new patch was released and we suddenly only needed Honored to get into Heroics I had no idea until someone told me. Joining a Pug for Zul'Aman this week I quickly read some notes on raid tacs while I was making my way there so I wouldn't ruin the evening for everyone else (I think I did ok). I used to know these things way ahead and plan ahead, knowing exactly where I was going, what I was doing and what I needed. I used to be the person who explained these details to other people. Maybe it is karma then that I am receiving the same from others now.

Because now I log in and I don't have a clue. I feel like I have to ask about everything. I feel like I am constantly left behind, gear-wise. Everyone is going to fancy raids and have all the fancy gear with the fancy DPS. I am never the best in my groups.

This might sound horrible but it's actually all just pretty amusing. It's how I started out in WoW and somehow I've come full circle. I've seen what it is like on the hardcore side of things, doing the server first runs and discussing every fight with your fellow guildies. While I loved that part of WoW as well, I don't miss it. I enjoy this side of WoW just as much, for completely different reasons. I log in and I don't have a mission. I have nowhere I need to be and nothing special I need to do. It's whatever I have time for or brain power left in my head to do that evening. I don't have a purpose other than what I fancy for the evening and it's exactly the way I want it to be. 

Fortunately I feel like people have patience for my lack of knowledge, and hopefully my cheery demeanor can make up for some lacking gear. I still try to do my best of course. And best of all, I finally got to answer my question - now I know exactly why some people don't bring their A-game.