Blizzard's Instance Attunement Guide

[TeaLeaf]

Blizzard posted their very own attempt to explain how to get where you want to go and what you will need to do along the way.  See it here.

TL.

[sheepy]

thats quite cool, looks simple enough for me to understand.

[Bastet]

Looks quite eazy, but i am quessing implementation will be evil.

[Bob]

Nice map indeed

[ChimpBoy]

When I see this chart it makes me really happy I cancelled my subscription.  Whatever happened to the simple attunements of the past, like Molten Core or BWL?  Onyxia was bad enough, let alone this :sad:
 
How can a casual player ever hope to keep up with the content deployed when you look at this attunement chart.  I log on for maybe 2/3 hours a night, perhaps 2/3 times a week.  This chart is effectively telling me that if I want to raid then I have to spend all of that time looking for a group to get instance rep, then I have to spend all of my time looking for an even better group to do the heroics :sad:   Trust me, as a class that is neither a tank nor a healer, that ain't much fun  :crying:   Only the most organsied guilds are going to get to see places like Hyal and the Black Temple.
 
Blizzard is saying that I am going to have to work my ass off to even see these places, & to be honest I just can't be bothered to put that much effort into a game.  The reputation grinds in pre-TBC were the worst part of the game, and now they've multiplied the problem ten-fold.  Yes, I know rep is easier to get now, but it's still locking me into a play style if I want to progress on content.  This game is becoming more & more of a timesink grind, just like EQ and SWG were.  I loved this game levelling from 1-60 (and then 60-70) because it wasn't like that, there was plenty of content to enjoy for all.  Now, post-TBC, it's falling into the same old problems like every other MMORPG has :crying:

[Gorion]

got to agree with you fully, but not every mmorpg have these problems

[TeaLeaf]

How can a casual player ever hope to keep up with the content deployed when you look at this attunement chart.  I log on for maybe 2/3 hours a night, perhaps 2/3 times a week.  This chart is effectively telling me that if I want to raid then I have to spend all of that time looking for a group to get instance rep, then I have to spend all of my time looking for an even better group to do the heroics :sad:

Looking at one of my alts (the priest) I have levelled it from 60 to 70 (it will hit 70 tomorrow) purely via questing.  Having done these quests and having done only two instance runs between 60 and 70 I find that I am Honored with almost all factions and approaching Revered with most simply from the rep bonus given by quests and hand ins.  One instance run in each of the instances should convert many of these to Revered for me, so I do not believe rep gain is a problem for anyone, even the casual gamer.   I consider my alt a casual player - it has only 25 days logged on it since level 1 which works out at less hours per week than you play, so I am sure others can achieve the same simply by questing and levelling!

If it is the top end loot you are after then look at the revamped PVP system, you can get huge equipment upgrades via this with not a lot of effort or time involved.  That's a massive change from pre-TBC.

Only the most organsied guilds are going to get to see places like Hyal and the Black Temple.  Blizzard is saying that I am going to have to work my ass off to even see these places, & to be honest I just can't be bothered to put that much effort into a game.  

This unfortunately is so, but if the content were easy then everyone would moan that it was not a challenge.  Also, remember that the vast bulk of the content is under the 'Normal' & 'Heroic' levels and these are challenges you *CAN* undertake,.  However I do not believe you should expect to get more out of a game than you are prepared to put in, so yes a player who plays 2 hours per week should find things a little harder than one who plays 10 hours per week.  With the time you have said you are willing to contribute then you will see the heroic instance runs and of course I am sure you would surround yourself with friends in such an instance run and not just PUG it. Heroics demand a quality group with excellent teamwork and plannign - expecting anything less is complete folly.  

With a not disimilar investment of time you could also join a guild that raids Karazhan and then progress on to Gruul's Lair.  There are a number of guilds who plan to run only 2 raid nights per week - SOG are starting exactly this in a couple of weeks for example!  That leaves only 4 instances you will not yet see - 2 of them are not yet in game (welcome to the club, we've not seen them either) and the other 2 only a handful of guilds in the world have seen as the game (TBC) is so new and we're still advancing through the lower instances gearing up to progress.  Just like MC and then BWL then AQ40 then Naxx each instance is a step and requires greater effort - but just like pre-TBC over time as the general level of equipment and skill matures on a server these instances will become more and more PUG-able and easy.

The reputation grinds in pre-TBC were the worst part of the game, and now they've multiplied the problem ten-fold.  Yes, I know rep is easier to get now, but it's still locking me into a play style if I want to progress on content.  This game is becoming more & more of a timesink grind, just like EQ and SWG were.  I loved this game levelling from 1-60 (and then 60-70) because it wasn't like that, there was plenty of content to enjoy for all.  Now, post-TBC, it's falling into the same old problems like every other MMORPG has :crying:

MMORPG by their very design are time sinks.  otherwise they'd be a pretty poor MMORPG!  Don;t berate them for being what they say they are on the tin.  Pre-TBC you had very little end-game content choice if you were not in an 'uber raiding guild', but with TBC your choice has multiplied beyond comparison.  There are so many instances, each of which can be done on different difficulty settings, that it is pretty tough to get bored - and the rep is there already - on my main I have not had to grind for *any* rep to date, all my rep has been acquired whilst questing or seeking a loot item from a particular instance - it is almost impossible to avoid getting the required rep to run heroics!

As for complexity - yep I'll give you that - it is more complex, but also hugely more fun.  Quests send you all over the place, to different instances, different factions, different types of enemy.  Is it an improvement from pre-TBC?  Absolutely no question that it is a categoric YES.

I'm not selling WoW to you - if you cancelled your subscription then good for you, I'm just trying to correct some of the information portrayed in your post.

TL.

[ChimpBoy]

I'm not selling WoW to you - if you cancelled your subscription then good for you, I'm just trying to correct some of the information portrayed in your post.
 
TL.

I know TL, but it's all about opinions. With the greatest respect, though, you are by no means a casual player TL, and you have a very good network of friends and guildmates to help you quest through the stuff that needs a group I've just begun to despise a game that runs out of solo content fairly quickly once you hit 70 and demands that you group to get any further in the game. I want to dip in & out of that playstyle when I choose to, but there's bugger all left for me to do on my own, so I am forced to spend all my time online asking guildmates & strangers if they want to group up & instance.
 
I never stated that you had to grind to get to level 70, and I too am honoured with a lot of the reps just by questing. What we're talking about here is the endless debate between "casual players" and "hardcore players", and unfurtunately those two opinions on the game mechanics are always going to be polarised.  We both know that at level 70 this game is rarely about skill; it's about gear, getting in a strong guild, and the time you spend grinding mats/pots.  That for me has simply stopped being fun.

[TeaLeaf]

Solo content does reduce a lot at 70, that's a fair point, but then the casual player might spend a long time actually getting to L70 - and whilst my main is not a casual player the time I use to play my priest is equivalent to that of a casual player.  

My priest is now L70 and still hasn't finished the quests in Blade's Edge Mountains so I have the remainder of those quests and two whole further zones to go through before I run out of solo content.  I've got to that level on my own, just questing with only 2 instances runs the entire way.  If you are a casual player it might take you some while to get to 70 and then run out of quests perhaps?  You are right though that once you have finished these then the solo content diminishes as you then need to look to parties etc to make groups etc.

Aszune is of course a PVE server so it would be interesting to hear from someone like Smilodon to see if life changes at 60/70 if you are on an RP server - does RP provide any 'content'?

At the end of the day though the game on a PVE server is you against the environment.  Once you have done all the quests, reached Level 70, funded and bought your epic flying mount to explore those remaining inaccessible areas, you reach a stage where the next logical progression is to continue the PVE challenge as part of a group.  Solo content can only be there for so long and if you dip in and out of the game I can understand why it is a problem.

TL.

[Jamoe]

This is where guilds like ACL (Argh Crap Leggit) come into things. We don't have many members and promote a very casual play style. Concentrating on the 5/10 man instances. We generally run for fun and loot is often the bottom of the agenda.

Friday night + vent + beer/hot chocolate  + ACL = Fun and Frolocs :yahoo:

[TeaLeaf]

Which is the same as almost all Guilds, SOG included.   A bunch of people running instances for fun.

TL.