Power Word: Pissed Redux
August 25, 2009 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Blizzcon, Cataclysm
After I posted the original diatribe against patch 3.2, I was informed by some people who wished to sound very important that if I just “waited until Blizzcon” all of my flaming would be for naught and that I would be racing to repair my sullied
Although this patch is filler content, it’s hard to let Blizzard off the hook for the mounting instances of just re-using old content that still looks and smells very much like the original. My dad always used to say “if it looks like shit and it smells like shit, it’s most likely shit.” Obviously substituting “shit” for “re-used content,” but the metaphor survives. The bulk of end-game content (two-thirds of the end-game instances) has shown little more than developers who are very capable with their cut and paste skills and PR’s god-like ability to make the bulk of people think that this stuff is actually good. I think that this is where I am about this: I understand that 3.2 is just there to help people get gear and get ready for the raid on Icecrown, but what I don’t think that players should do is let Blizzard off the hook for it. The last thing we want to do is settle. We want to be amazed with content in every patch. I can’t speak for everyone, but I don’t want content that has already been ingested once, subsequently vomited up, put on a plate and garnished with a sprig of mint and labeled as “new.” And honestly, 
if you claim you haven’t seen this throughout this expansion, you are either blind, or enjoy that acrid taste of bile. For all the innovations that have been made, they fall back on content that has already been established, claiming that they want everyone to see it. To me, it’s just a less-than-sincere way of making us jump through hoops while they seemingly drag their feet. With the exception of Ulduar, all other end-game content has been somewhat secondary and lacking any sort of creative flare that we saw so much of in The Burning Crusade. I’ll even go so far as to say Malygos was a pretty cool raid as well, but in terms of epic raids, Ulduar is the only thing that has extended the story thus far.
With that being said, Blizzcon gave us some amazing experiences and things that I’m really, really looking forward to in Icecrown and Cataclysm. The idea of hopping aboard an airship and flying up to the next floor whilst attempting to down another ship that is racing you to the top is insanely cool, and the complete restructuring of the world is going to invigorate this game in ways that have hitherto been impossible. These two examples show that Blizzard (as previously stated) isn’t lazy in general, and in fact, may not be shotgunning Frescas in a conference room. (though the image is still funny) But it still stands to reason that all-in-all, Wrath has been confoundedly weak in the end-game department, and I hope that we see some improvements to raiding in Icecrown and beyond.
I don’t want this to be read as a flame, but instead a warning: Don’t buy in to Blizzard hype and think for yourself. If you feel like you aren’t getting your money’s worth, let them know (preferably without flaming) and give reasons to back up why you’re upset. In my job, everyone has to be accountable in order for things to run smoothly and this is the way that we should hold everyone that we give money to. Blizzard is accountable for your 10-40 hours of enjoyment a week, make sure that they hold on to their part of the bargain.
