Expansion To “Even The Playing Field”
Through my usual perusing for issues and feedback on the Warcraft Forums, I recently came across a post from a Blizzard Community Moderator in response to a question about the expansion. The player in question wondered if we would see an extreme change in gear levels and quality much like we did with the introduction of The Burning Crusade. Some (I wasn’t) players were upset that the gear they had previously was almost immediately replaced by higher quality greens obtained from the introductory quests in Hellfire Peninsula. If you’re interested, here is Bornakk’s Response:
“One of the goals in expansions is to level the playing field a bit for players and we like providing extra opportunities for players who (just as an example) want to get to high-end content but are currently far behind on things.
Keep in mind that the availability of higher level items is greater than it was before the launch of The Burning Crusade.
So take that for what it’s worth. :)”
As you can see, it appears that this somewhat extreme change was done with the intent of evening the playing field between players. The release of an expansion often brings in new and returning players as well as those of us who don’t have the time to experience “end-game” content and gear, and so new equipment from the start comes as a welcome relief to players who are perpetually behind the gear curve. This also allows players to experience the new instances sooner and with greater chances of success.
While this may agitate some players, I’d fully expect this trend to continue with the release of Wrath of the Lich King. It’s just the way of MMOs that your current gearset will eventually be replaced. Whether it’s through a new shiny epic from the Black Temple, or a quest from a brand new expansion, you’re going to have to progress and move on, and your equipment is along for the ride.
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