Greedy Goblin

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Goodbye WoW endgame!

I made my decision finally and quit playing WoW "seriously". OK, that's a lie, you can't play WoW seriously anymore. In our guild the raiding was extremely busy, pretty successful (top 10%, maybe even 5%), but after DS nerf the people disappeared literally overnight. Why bother trying on bosses that can be oneshotted in months and why bother collecting gear that will be replaced by the first green dropped by the first panda?

Many of our players gave away his wealth and quit WoW, and clearly not only from our guild, as the desperate Scroll of Resurrection shows. I do not quit WoW, partially because I signed the 1-year contract (that was a clever move from Blizz, as they offered only a vaporware for it), but also because the scenery, the stories make Azeroth a nice place to hang out (as long as you have all chat channels off and whisper and invite blocker addons). I will clearly play in Pandaria, but most probably won't bother to raid.

No, I'm not disbanding the guild, it's a good base for openraids which I believe will be the standards of future casual raiding (HC topraids are different issue of course). So if you just want to get lost in Azeroth without "/g lulz guyz i saw a hottie today lol" crap, feel free to join.

I actually figured out why WoW is a "bad game". Because it's not a game at all. It's an interactive movie. You can't win, you can't lose, your actions don't change the story, just adjust the speed you consume content. There is no "World" in World of Warcraft, even if everyone else would disappear from your server you wouldn't notice (until you'd start to wonder why there is no anal spam on /trade). You can play with the themepark toys or make your own sandbox content like these guys.

Probably there won't be any more directly WoW-related posts here. I move on. I won't come back spitting on WoW and those who still play it. I learned a lot about people, especially about the social behavior that supports the M&S. I'll make good use of it.

I've seen many bloggers saying goodbye to the game they played and blogged about. They all described the moment as blue.

Well, my blogging future can't be more blue:
I hearby announce the creation of the "goblinworks" channel which will serve as a staging point of our EVE operations. You can join to share and get technical information or find teammates for the non-solo EVE activities like mining raids or scamming M&S corporations.

Before you'd ask "why don't you form your corporation", I tell it: because there is no point having one until we have reasonable plans for 0.0 system control. Trading needs no corporation, scamming morons and slackers need you to join their idiotic lolcorp. So it's much better if we stay in the NPC corp (when not being busy exploiting M&S).

Bloggers fear to change focus due to losing readers. It's stupid:
The top graph shows constant decline in readers in the last year due to having less and less practical ideas, clear proofs and more philosophical posts. The graph below is the last month, showing nice increase due to posting the opposite.

So dear readers, if you suffer from the lack of "game" in WoW, join me in EVE. They say it's a harsh, evil world, but it's a lie, EVE is nice and friendly.

You are desperately needed to fix that!
 

36 comments:

Sum said...

Quitting wow is fine, but not all bosses can be one-shot :P

The way Blizz has done raiding now is

normal modes = clear in the first week

hard modes = the real raid

even to my pretty casual guild.

But good luck to you in eve, judging by the blog you enjoy it much more than wow :P

Anonymous said...

Several weeks after I've started playing WoW I had a week long problem with my internet connection, so while my friends were leveling I was left behind. After I got my connection back I installed a private server on my old PC just in case that ever happens again.

In my opinion WoW has turned into a chat program with built in game content. You can solo pretty much everything while leveling (I leveled a Retribution paladin just to check it and I soloed most dungeons up to Hellfire Ramparts, but had to invite a friend to finish off the last boss), so there is no real need for other people except for times when you need to sell stuff at AH to make extra gold.

I'm playing SWTOR at the moment and it's a single player game which desperately tries to be a MMOG, but has a built in option to hide all chat, so you might never group up or speak to other people at all. Endgame raiding (apart from Nightmare modes which I haven't tried) is easier than 4 man instances and is on the level of Wailing Caverns. Apart from bashing I have nothing to say about that game. WoW just feels better even with all the M&S and many things that were broken by Blizzard over the years. And don't make me start about customer support.

There might be no "World" in WoW, but it's a sandbox, it's a "choose your own adventure" experience. SWTOR is a rail shooter. And no, I don't mean the actual space combat rail shooting.

Bernard said...

I’m looking forward to your future EvE posts.

So far the EvE community has been fairly dismissive of your money making and observations about the game.

There is a belief that EvE attracts fewer M&S through its unforgiving nature and heavy emphasis on community. I am not convinced that this is entirely the case as there seems like a lot of options for M&S to feel good about themselves by selling them PLEX and encouraging them to zerg newbies. Nothing is denied the players that are willing to spend enough money on them.

Anonymous said...

Gevlon, what about PvP in The PuG? Do you still PvP?

You said here [1] if the guild disbanded everyone would get 2k gold. Now it seems the project is in hibernation (since you stated you won't be playing end-game until MoP)?

[1] http://greedygoblin.blogspot.com/2010/06/pug.html

And @ Anonymous, what about PvP compare?

Steel H. said...

@Gevlon, anon "While I jokingly say that I’m looking forward to playing an MMO solo, the sad truth is many today hope for just that in their Massively Multiplayer games, and SW will make Cata look like a sandbox."-Syncaine

I was waiting for this post for a loong time. I like to think I did my part in pushing you forward. All I can say is that I still miss Storm Peaks, and Shadowmoon, and...

Thinking about control of all known space already, ha? One does not simply walk into 0,0... There is evil there, that does not sleep. And also drama, bullshit and complicated politics and mechanics like you wouldn't believe. It's definitely not for everyone, but for the right person it can be truly epic. Anyway, a very small taste of how the 'endgame' in EVE rolls, that you ~might~ like: http://goonmetrics.com/

Eaten by a Grue said...

Well one thing nice about this is there is only one server and no EU/NA distinctions. So we can all play together.

Gevlon said...

@Anonymous: why would my withdrawal put The PuG to hybernation? I'm just one guy.

@Steel: 0.0 is overrated. I'd guess less than 10% of the EVE population was EVER been there. The Mittani knows that, that's why he leads ganking events to highsec. However that has little impact. Let's see how far a scamming campaign can go!

Steel H. said...

True, in many ways/points of view. 0.0 certainly suffers from a lot of broken mechanics - risk vs reward, horrible sov mechanics, supercapital and technetium imbalances, etc. Actually, the Mittani's main goal and campaign platform (when he's not busy terrorizing hisec) is fixing nullsec stagnation and problems. And it looks like CCP has moved from wasting time on other crap and is busy fixing EVE, there are a lot of big changes coming up soon. (hopefully)

Like I said, 0.0 is definitely not for everyone, there are many issues that deter 90-whatever% of players. Still being in a 1000 vs 1000 high stakes battle to the death... it's a different experience.

Unknown said...

> I actually figured out why WoW is
> a "bad game". Because it's not a
> game at all.

You are just bored to death. It's not WoW, it's not raiding, it's not the content. It's you. That's why you was looking for alternatives (World of Tanks first, then EvE).

A videogame that hooks your for years and lets you blog about it on a daily basis it's the opposite of "bad game". As said above, you are just bored of Azeroth.

Gevlon said...

@Loque: if I'm bored, why do I keep playing it? Why will I play in Pandaria.

It's not the content, it's the constant nerfs and the welfare.

IO said...

Official CCP data, Feb 29 2012:

Locations of active chars with more than 5m SP just after midnight: High Sec 66.00%, Low sec 7.37%, Null sec 20.73%, Wormhole Space 5.89%.

20% of characters live in 0.0, I would assume as much as 50% have at least once visited there (and probably horribly died in fire).

chewy said...

Commenting that "WoW is a bad game" wasn't well thought out Gevlon, as others have mentioned, it's more likely that you're bored with it and for good reason.

I struggle to see a how WoW will return to the glory days of growth or what will take its place.

Whilst I have no intention of playing EVE your blog is an interesting read, good luck with your new interest.

Anonymous said...

whats the best way to get started in eve? 14 day trial?

IO said...

Best way to start is if someone gives you "Invite a friend" invitation, that way you get 30day trial. If you will extend the trial, the inviter will get 30 days time.

I am sure Gevlon can do so, if not, post here again with your email.

Vincent Trevane said...

@Anon, a current player can send you a 30 day trial. They get a plex(1 month play time) when you subscribe. A lot of people offer you half the value of the plex(220m or so) if they refer you.

If you know someone playing, ask them. If you don't, I'm sure someone here could oblige you.

Fade Toblack said...

@Anon Get somebody to send you a recommendation link - you'll get a 21-day trial.

Squishalot said...

Gevlon - technically, your project is over without being successful (haven't cleared hard-mode current content), which would warrant the payments. Technically.

That being said, I do think EVE is a better fit for you. I'm also awaiting the launch of D3 for you to diversify your interests further.

Keep on blogging.

Unknown said...

> It's not the content, it's the
> constant nerfs and the welfare.

Mists of Pandaria will bring even more nerfs, buffs, changes and -of course- welfare. If you plan to wait for the expansion, you're just waiting for new content. So you ARE bored of the current game, it's not a matter of "wow-is-not-a-good-game" and "but-eve-is-amazing".

You already know the Blizzard cliche, right? Patch the game, buff classes, nerf classes, forums whine, buff more, nerf more. Repeat until death.

The new expansion wont change that, you're simply looking for something new after years of constant wow-related stuff.

Anonymous said...

Gevlon, E-Uni just did a GREAT class on how to successfully do low-sec hauling. If you inty is fitted the right way, you can pretty successfully get past 90% of the gate camps. You just cannot use cargo expanders or rigs for the same purpose. Its all about warp stabs and rigs to help you align quicker and medium shield extenders in the mids.

Suggest you check it out.

Anonymous said...

@Gevlon,

Start your corp for it anyway even if the need for it won't arise until much later. You can set a modest tax rate for members so the warchest starts building up now rather than later.

Gevlon said...

@Last anonymous: and the warDECS will arrive in like minutes?

Anonymous said...

unless they changed it npc corps take 11% tax
creating your own corp = 0% tax for you

BUT:
trading does not affect corp tax

so if you don't run missions and just trade no need to create a corp

Rowan said...

@Gevlon, the Dec Shield alliance can apparently be used to ditch unwanted wardecs. Haven't used it myself, but the highsec PVP types (if you can call them that) are crying about how unfair it is, so it must be good for something:

https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=22792

Anti said...

@Anon - if you have a friend already playing they can send you a 21 day buddy trial. then if they loan you a PLEX you can put it on the account. you get a 51 day account that doesnt have trial restrictions and they immediately get their PLEX back via the buddy reward system.

it basically gives a new player a free 51 day account.

Boxington said...

Also, staying in the NPC corp keeps you safe from wardecs from high-sec griefer corps. But, don't forget that by staying in the NPC corp you are losing 11% of all mission payouts (though this doesn't matter if your income comes from trading/markets).

Anonymous said...

If anyone would like to start playing Eve, then email me (Martin_crazy@hotmail.co.uk) and i'll send you a refer-a-friend. You'll also get 200m from me after i sell the PLEX that i get for refering you (After you sub ofc).

Anyone else, feel free to contact me in game (Maiev Merica) and i'll happily answer any questions you have about the game, since i've been playing on and off for nearly 8 years.

Bristal said...

WoW didn't become "bad", it became predictable. More to the point it became intolerably predictable to YOU.

The mere fact that it continues to survive (as you will continue to play casually) your intense scrutiny and criticism suggests that it is a fantastic game.

I don't plan to play EVE, but I'm interested to see if your blog will inspire as many interesting philosophical discussions.

Riptor said...

Ah well. I quit WoW more than a year ago and still enjoyed reading your blog. I guess Eve won't change that. Maybe i'll see you ingame...

Beta Sequence said...

If you were anyone else I would definitely say start your own corp to skip out on Tax, but considering your profile you are correct, Wardecs would arrive within minutes.

One of the people in my wormhole blogs (with massive changes to names and a month long delay for security) and even then we attracted some interest from PvPers.

There are Tears you see, but then there are public tears with a large reader base. These are made of gold to the right person. I'm not saying you would provide such tears, but the possibility would be enough to attract greifers.

Vincent Trevane said...

What kind of operations are you thinking of? Pretty much everything requires SP, which means planning in advance for capability.

IMO create the corp and join DEC Shield. It is legal and protects you against griefers.

Botter said...

I saw this coming. Like you I am stuck with the 1 year trick. But instead of EVE I went for SWTOR. Pretty neat. Give it a try.

Anonymous said...

Excuse me why would Gevlon want to try out SWTOR? Keep in mind he already pays for WoW. The PvP is good yes (tho I hate the ability delay), but he already has WoW and his guild platform for that. The storyline, good yes, but more single than multiplayer. The multiplayer is faceroll. Raiding is easier than the instances you do while leveling up.

If you want good story, there are tons of good games out there, like ME3. If you like BioWare games and MMO it may be a fun game for a while (a few months at most).

With no interesting AH game at all, and even easier to get credits than WoW gold I believe Gevlon will have much more fun in EVE (tho he'd never call it "fun"). SWTOR is more like WoW in space, and he is bored with WoW. Speaking of space I just cannot imagine the fellow playing the space missions. Would you? I mean the most faceroll of game component I've seen in a while in a modern game (and yes I played some of those old games where you had to shoot from a spaceship).

My advice for Gevlon: stay away from SWTOR. You won't like it; you got more interesting projects.

Moononu said...

Ah well Gevlon, you were a much-valued bad influence upon me in WoW. I gave WoT a fairly hefty go after you starting blogging regularly about tanks.

And now, I find myself tempted again to have a go at EVE. I do hope you keep blogging - I don't always agree, but I often find myself laughing at your insightful comments.

Keep the refreshing perspectives coming!

Jessica said...

"I won't come back spitting on WoW and those who still play it. I learned a lot about people, especially about the social behavior that supports the M&S. I'll make good use of it."

I never expected less of you Gevlon.

Your blue future looks like a very good one. You know I'm done with WoW and I can't pretend I'll join you for Eve. My hunting area is elsewhere these days. But I'll never forget our virtual friendship and all the fun we've had, our agreements and disagreements. You were one of those who made Azeroth to such an interesting place to hang in.

Anonymous said...

I used to read your blog back when I played WoW and did my own goblin marketing to two maxed gold account (Ulduar was 'new'). I, also, became frustrated with end game raids going from very hard to challenging and quit WoW for Eve.

Have been in Eve for awhile now, goblin marketing away while mining, industrializing, planet manipulating, moon mining, and now leading a strong corporation in 0.0 I find your blog quite entertaining. Your insights are, for now, entertaining. I am curious to see how they mature over time as your knowledge of the workings of the economy expands. Here is something to ponder with the current happenings of Eve:

Minerals are generated by players either through mission scrapping, mining, or killing rogue drones. Right now, I am directly involved in a major war that is restricting massive amounts of drone minerals to reaching the market. My corporation alone as 5 jump freighters (155 million+ units) of nocxium, zydrine, and megacyte that is being kept from the market due to war. We have personally shut down two regions from industrial activity, so what we're producing (out of 2 systems) is but a fraction of what normally comes in. Tritanium alone has risen from 3.4 to 4.5 during the conflict.

Everything has a reaction, our 'war' is raising mineral prices to some effect. The drone regions are around 30% of the mineral influx into empire (rough estimate based upon personal estimates and knowledge form the last 2 years, take it or leave it).

As prices change, industrial building costs change... you missed the goon interdiction and that did have an effect in 0.0... we had to actually mine ice again! Just because you don't see the direct occurrences in Empire space does not mean things are not occurring. Empire builds most of the 0.0 modules, ammunition, and to a lesser extent T2 ships. There are not enough manufacturing slots in 0.0 to just produce the ammo that is used... yet we still get it from somewhere.

I will continue reading your blog and I am curious to see your reactions to events as your knowledge expands and you see how things are truely intertwined.

Steel H. said...

Here is something you might/should want to read, if you don't follow EVENews24 already: http://www.evenews24.com/2012/03/14/the-great-contract-scam/