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Recruit-a-Friend vs. WoW Glider
By Cameron Sorden | September 4, 2008
Tobold touched briefly on the double-dipping topic and riffs on an idea that a number of us in the blogosphere have been discussing for a long time: payment to advance more quickly. Go check out his article because he highlights some of the problems with that methodology. The big one is that it removes incentive for companies to make the game outside of the paid advancement fun (which is actually what WoW has done, considering that their 1-60 content hasn’t been revamped in four years).
Anyway, it was one of the comments on that post that really caught my eye. Notmercury states,
“I’m sorry, Tobold, I think I missed the topic on this one again.
Let me go down the list:
- Shortened leveling period to 70, causing lost subscription money. Check.
- Perceived unfairness from players who can’t afford to pay extra for advantage. Check.
- Use of some kind of third-party software to manipulate keyboard input. Check.
- Thousands of complaints on the forums and in GM tickets. Check.
Are we talking about Glider or RAF with multiboxing? Damn, I guess it really just matters who gets the extra money.”
Unless you’re totally new to the blogosphere and gaming news circuit, you probably remember all of the WoW Glider controversy a while back. Somehow they’re still operating as MMO Glider (I thought that Blizzard had successfully shut them down). Anyway, I think he makes a valid point. Both methods circumvent the regular leveling process and neither is particularly disruptive to play. I stand by that. I see Glider as a response to Blizzard never updating their low-level content. Most players wouldn’t use it if leveling were fresh or fun. Heck, it even costs the same as activating your RAF account (and is arguably less difficult to set up and use than dual boxing).
So what’s the story? It seems like Blizzard is okay with powerleveling yourself, provided you use their system to do it (and do it their way). But frankly, I don’t see a whole lot of fundamental difference between the two, except that botting is actually closer to playing the game it was intended to be played.
Topics: Massively Multiplayer, Videogame Industry |
September 4th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
I might turn my subscription back on if Blizzard let me create a level 70 priest in tier 6. Until then, I’ll pass.
September 4th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Why would you want a priest? Healbot, no thank you.
September 4th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Lol, nice catch… but:
“I don’t see a whole lot of fundamental difference between the two, except that botting is actually closer to playing the game it was intended to be played.”
I guess WoW was meant to be played /stuck to a highbie getting instance-grinded XP?
September 4th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Huh? I mean that WoW Glider (the botting program) is closer. Instance grinding on /follow is clearly not the intended way to play.
September 4th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
I think WoW has just gotten to a bad place in its life. 1 - 60 is dull, 60 - 70 is beyond awful with no options of which zones to visit like you have in the old world, and all of the ‘fun’ stuff is only available at lvl 70.
I just ran two toons to 60 with the RAF plan and I would say it was kind of cool, but definitely not the most enjoyable way to play the game. Once I got them to Hellfire Peninsula I had zero desire to grind through Outlands yet again. I haven’t logged in since and I likely will be turning off my sub until Wrath.
I think Blizzard has neglected leveling content for too long and they don’t know what to do now.
September 5th, 2008 at 2:33 am
I find it very bizzare and hypocritical that Blizzard in your previous article is complaining about how quickly players are consuming content but then they are doing all in their power to allow players to do just that: Recruit a Friend, reduced experience requirements, hero classes skipping 55 levels.
It seems all of their design decisions that were made to lure casual gamers have come back to haunt them.
Just imagine how easy the leveling will be in the next expansion and the one after that? I think the writing is on the wall folks: leveling will probably be extinct very soon as Blizzard makes their MMO even more accessible and easier.
The very mechanic that is so fundamental to MMOs is in danger of being totally trivilized to the point that it will be made meaningless. It’s like burning your furniture to heat your house. Eventually there will be no house left to heat.
September 12th, 2008 at 3:21 am
Come to think of it, isn’t RAF-scheme just a good trick to get the ‘power players’ to purchase another licence… erm copy of the game and another paid account for their up and coming toons?
Just a small show of sleight of hand for the ever hungry powerplayers who think that the monthly payment isn’t worth a thought?
Sure you can level faster, but with double the monthly fee… Go fer it!
Copra