Breakfast Topic: Is the game being dumbed down?
by Mike Schramm 
Jun 24th 2008 at 8:00AM
We worried about this way back before patch 2.3, but now that almost everyone has gotten a chance to experience all the changes to the UI, we'll check in on what you think: did putting a glow around interactive items -- and in some cases, actual exclamation points above inanimate objects -- dumb the game down?Makabriel thinks so -- a quest in Dustwallow that used to revolve around the player finding hidden clues now has all the clues glowing with exclamation points above them. And I've seen some pretty nutty examples ingame, too -- while, yes, before it was annoying to have to re-search an instance for a little thing to click on, nowadays it seems almost so obvious that there's no game in it at all. Of course, I still do use the various resources online to find out-of-the-way mobs (those still don't glow), but item-finding isn't even a challenge any more.
Of course, this isn't World of Findcraft -- the real game is in fighting creatures and increasing your character's stats and abilities. No one raved about finding little clickable objects in the first reviews, so why shouldn't Blizzard take that part out of the challenge? What do you think: is the game dumbed down too much, or do the glowing clickable items let you focus on finding the real fun in Azeroth?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Virtual selves, Walkthroughs, Odds and ends, Blizzard, Breakfast topics, Quests, NPCs
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Hank Jun 24th 2008 8:06AM
It makes no difference. After about 10 minutes of searching on ones own, you either asked a guildy, in the general or trade channels, or looked it up on Wowhead or Thottbot. All they did was reduce this activity.
Jordrah Jun 24th 2008 8:21AM
^yea, this.
all it did was reduce the amount of time you spent looking stuff up. for example, the first time i rolled a horde toon and had the quest to go in WC and get those little plant things (serpent bloom? w/e) i ran the place twice and never got any, i figured it wasn't a drop and it was hard to see/find. so i went to wowhead, looked it up, saw the screenshot and got it done.
it doesnt really dumb it down, the game isnt an intellectual one to begin with, it just lazy's it up
William Jun 24th 2008 8:38AM
@Jordrah
I guess I got lucky. Serpentbloom shows up on the minimap for herbalists! :D
Worcester Jun 24th 2008 10:29AM
I was always conflicted about this in the past. I hated it when I'd ask about something and I'd get a half-dozen /w to look on Thottbot. Granted, for experienced players those questions are annoying. For a new player, though, the "look on Thottbot" answer was equally annoying. After all, it is a Massively Multiplayer game.
It sort of breaks the 4th wall to look something up online while you're playing, as do the glowing effects. I think it comes down to which is more acceptable? For me, it's the glowing items.
On a related note, I think it's sad that more people don't "play" the game. So many people seem to think it's so serious. They have no patience, no sympathy, and seem to have no fun at the same time.
Irmie Jun 24th 2008 8:32PM
I really like the shiny stuff. Ask any of my guildies. Shiny is distracting and lovely. But it could be simply too much - I enjoyed the object search portion (WoW does, after all, have a variety of activities that appeal to each person in a different way), so I kind of miss the effort involved.
fLUx Jun 24th 2008 8:07AM
I agree you should be able to turn it all off, but to be honest anything which makes my life easier leveling is great, it takes enough time as it is. I would love to know the /played time of somebody who never uses any online resources, they do everything in game with no addons to help, and did it before all the glowing of items, it must be 20-30days?
William Jun 24th 2008 8:41AM
/agree. Once you level to 70 a couple times, if you roll a new toon you just wanna get the leveling done as fast as possible. The "?" makes it easier to get to the "endgame" experience when you've already seen all the content but just can't remember quite where that barrel or chest was when you came through last time. I'd rather spend my time memorizing strategies for endgame raiding, than where the crate in Ashenvale is.
Thijz Jun 24th 2008 8:58AM
Actually back in the days before Thottbot and WoWhead were all-knowing gods and add-ons made it possible to play the game with your eyes closed, you were pretty fast if you got to lvl 60 in 16 days.
One of my friends got his paladin to lvl 60 in 16 days and a few months after that another friend lvled his hunter to 60 in 14 days. The paladin was looking like: "HUH!? o.O"
Docsthaname Jun 24th 2008 8:09AM
Spending time looking for some stupid bush, or some hidden object, is dumb. Besides, almost everyone that's new (but knows about them) is just going to go to wowhead or something anyway, and find exactly where it is. As for the new people who DON"T know about them....they're just gonna get frustrated, or try to ask in general (which will be of course met with the typical "In my pants" "At your moms" "NOOB" "Chuck Norris karate kicked it" Whatever)
Frank Jun 24th 2008 8:13AM
I for one enjoy all the improvements that they've been adding to the game.
Yes they've made it easier, but they've also made it more enjoyable.
Starbeast Jun 24th 2008 8:13AM
I hated it, before the glowy stuff. And the number of quests I abandoned, before I got lightheaded, simply amazes me, because I LOVE some of these guests!! Yes, they bring tears to my eyes, some of them, but they rock!!
Dominace Jun 24th 2008 8:14AM
Tbh, it seems that blizzard are no longer interested in tedious quests such as finding a pin in a hay stack, generally they weren't very fun and usually took you away from the quest clusters. As seen in the BC and fro what we can see more of in WOTLK, the content has become allot more interactive and made, generally allot more fun.
Sure, some people may like harder quests, but really, whats the real significance of that, when you hit the level cap its all really worth moot compared to what the rest of the content has to offer.
William Jun 24th 2008 8:36AM
/agree
_LarZen_ Jun 24th 2008 8:30AM
Hey didnt you guys hear? WoW is old news...
sephirah Jun 24th 2008 10:04AM
@_LarZen_
Maybe, but they probably can spell "Well" and "Really" correctly...
_LarZen_ Jun 24th 2008 1:33PM
Or mayby the entire worlds native language aint English? But then again it aint a shock that wow players actualy mock for silly things...it's just the way children act.
Cya in Azeroth...oh...not!
Theserene Jun 24th 2008 2:03PM
Says the little child trolling game forums. When you grow up dear, things will seem more interesting.
Now go get your blankie.
ThorinII Jun 24th 2008 8:30AM
You still get noobs spamming chat about "where's this," and "how do I find that."
So, either it hasn't been dumbed down too much, or there are some really dumb people playing this game. Ok, maybe both.
I have to say I agree with Jordrah, though. I think they lazy'd it up. I am a very lazy person and think that is a good thing!
_LarZen_ Jun 24th 2008 8:32AM
Wel then again most of the players are children, so ofc they need to make it realy REALY easy.
Culhag Jun 24th 2008 9:15AM
While there are children playing the game, they far from make the majority of players.