World of Warcraft new expansion Warlords of Draenor will bring some new things into the game that are too strong, even a bit crazy. And that is exactly the plan.
In an interview with Polygon, Cory Stockton, who is responsible for the design of the Garrison, explains Blizzard’s plans and a fresh design approach: it’s okay to risk the balance. After ten years, you can do crazy things. He absolutely expects that there will be comments about some of the new abilities and features in the Garrison like, “Blizzard is crazy! This needs to be nerfed immediately!” The forums might explode, there would be topics of discussion, that is exactly what is intended.
After 10 years, it’s okay to do something crazy
In the conversation with Polygon, much revolved around a workshop in the Garrison that introduces items that clearly “break the rules”: grenades, jet packs, and gloves that can shove enemies away.
All these things have been designed with the intention of breaking the rules that have been in place for so long. A few years ago, no one would have thought that such things would be introduced in World of Warcraft. Today, these are conscious decisions to keep the game fresh.
World of Warcraft, now master of hotfixes, takes more risks
But of course, Blizzard is already standing by with the fire extinguisher, should one of these fires really get out of control. Over the years, they have become the masters of hotfixes. And if one of the fresh Garrison items is exploited, they can fix and nerf it quickly.
When asked why Blizzard brings these items into World of Warcraft if they are going to nerf them anyway, Stockton replied, “That’s just how it works. If you introduce weak items and tell players that you will buff them later, they have already lost interest in them.” If players once believe something is bad, it stays bad. That’s why it’s better to start strong and then correct as needed.
Today, unlike the early days of World of Warcraft, it is also possible to tailor items specifically for PvE or PvP, so that an item only deals damage to enemy players or to mobs. Such possibilities were not available at the beginning. This also explains Blizzard’s new courage.
Garrison will be further refined over Warlords of Draenor, then likely abandoned
The Garrison in Warlords of Draenor will be developed throughout the entire expansion and new content will be created for it. Perhaps new buildings will be introduced, or maybe the upgrade level will go up to four.
After the expansion, the concept may be transferred to other zones. However, the currently built Garrisons will likely remain on Draenor. The follower system that is introduced with the Garrison is probably also going to be used for further expansions of World of Warcraft. Here, great potential for the future is seen.
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