Who is WoW designed for anyway?
My post about the blue post suggesting there is a bit of fiery love on the way elicited some responses. The one from pewpewlazerz got me thinking.
Why can’t Blizzard get the classes/abilities balanced?
Then something occurred to me. For something to be balanced (imagine a see-saw), then there needs to be a central point, or axis, around which everything is balanced.
Now I am sure that someone like Tobold could give a much more in depth and well reasoned analysis of game design, and the pro’s and cons’ of balance, but we amateurs have a voice too, so here’s what I think.
WoW is designed around:
- Hardcore endgame raiders
- Theory crafter’s
- Casual players
- Role Players
- PvPers
- Grannies and Grand-kids
- Men & Women
- Horde and Alliance
- Mages and the others
So you see it’s really quite simple for Blizzard to get the balance right because they have 1, or 2 or mmmm many more central axises to design around.
Ok, so it’s not that easy then.
Hardcore endgame raiders
Require extreme challenges, will devote ludicrous amounts of their time and energy and min/max stats – potentially a different mix for each and every fight (swapping specs as required).
Theorycrafters
Well, tehy craft theory. Theoretically with x,y + z spec and a,b + c rotation you will get the best results assuming you have purple gear and are max level and all other things remain constant. Often they find the loophole in Blizzard design that changes the balance.
Casual players
Are a mixed bag, and really slice across the entire player base. Thier main distinguishing feature being their (possibly self imposed) play time limitations.
Role Players
Role playing comes 1st, so if the shiny purple epic doesn’t have the right lore, or doesn’t look as good as the grey vendor trash, then it gets the thumbs down.
Fire the top min/max Mage spec? (alright, just imagine it is). Well FridgeMagnet the Gnome was brought up in the family Iceworks – so his Spec is Frost – and that’s all there is too it.
Or here is another example of skipping abilities in the name of roleplaying from WowInsider: All the World’s a Stage: Sacrificing spells for the story
PvPers
Spell hit the most important stat in the game – No! Try the PvE usless relience stat. Suddenly stat priorities are all arse-about.
Grannies and Grand-kids
You think they care that Warlocks are OP, that seed of corruption reduces Mages to water carriers? No way, they are still leading Hogger around the farm.
Men & Women
I had to bring sex, I mean gender into it somewhere. Maybe it is an unfair stereotype, so let’s call it masculine and feminine playstyles.
Horde and Alliance
A whole world of differences, racial skills, quests, transport blah blah blah
Mages and the others
OK, Warlocks are OP! Do I care? Well not personally, but everyone seems to have a nemisis. Does it really matter?
Who Cares?
So what we find is that Blizzard doesn’t have a central focus to build balance around. Quite likely 95% of the WoW population don’t care.
- What % of the population read the forums?
- What % of the population read the blogs?
- What % of the population write on the forums?
- What % of the population write the blogs?
- What % of the population min/max?
Me thinks that like my little Imp friend says: “Can’t we all just get along?”
Me thinks we should follow in our resident hunter’s footsteps and give Less QQ, More Pew Pew
What if we didn’t know any better?
Constructive feedback and theory crafting is all well and good. Without the detailed theory crafting would we know that Warlocks are OP? If we didn’t have damage meters would we know or care that I am AFK 80% of the time (the only reason a Warlock would be allowed to beat me!).
I think I have as much chance of defining, let alone influencing the WoW game balance as I do of converting the speed limit in our local 40kph school zone to a 110kph freeway.
Notes:
- Gross generalizations abound in this post – create your own definitions of my samples instead of being concerned about my hurried ones.
- This post was inspired by pewpewlazerz, but in no way is intended as a flame of his comments. To be honest I agree with him, but I just wonder if we pervert the game to our own ends, then wonder why Blizzard hasn’t changed the rules to stop us.
Gnomer and Out!
Nice post and I totally agree…
With the size of WoW, both in game terms and audience, it’s a wonder Blizzard gets anything done.
I still QQ about it…
But I can recognize the size of the challenge and appreciate it.
Great post!
-Fri
I generally try and not QQ about blizzard, but some of the moron’s we play with sure do make a nice rant post from time to time.
Basically I tend to bitch about the one thing that blizzard can’t control … us
)
The QQ may sound harsh sometimes but I think you should interprate it as signs of deep affection (well or addiction
).
It’s just like in football. The biggest fans, the ones who will live and die for their team, who loves it whatever happens, are the ones that will complain loudest about stuff.
It’s passion. Pure passion. They may sound like if they’re whining but deep inside they actually worship Blizzard as well as the game.
QQ in itself is a horrible “term”, unfortunately it tends to reflect on forum trolls more than anything I think.
QQ at it’s heart is feedback, it’s just a case of whether it is heard, and more importantly acted upon.
But yeah I agree with Larisa, the more you are passionate about something, the more likely you are to voice your disapproval, and the harsher it will sound.
On the subject of harsh terms… here i Australia we refer to sporting referees (particularly in Aussie Rules) as white maggots (they wear white coats… or at least used too)