WoW: Dragonflight faced some issues after a good start. Nevertheless, the expansion has become a fan favorite, especially after Shadowlands and certainly with the release of Patch 10.1.5. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus agrees and states: WoW hasn’t been this good since at least Legion. Yet, he is currently investing almost no time in the game.
I have been playing WoW for almost 17 years, since a few weeks before the release of Burning Crusade. And I have always been a raider, for a long time even in progression, at one point even among the top 500 in the world.
Now, I only play WoW when my guild needs a substitute. I can’t summon the motivation to start the MMORPG anymore. And that’s despite World of Warcraft being at an all-time high.
Rarely have I agreed with Cortyn about WoW, but our demon writes: “World of Warcraft hasn’t felt this good in years.” It’s true; since Legion, I can’t think of a time when WoW was better.
Back during the testing phase, I was convinced by Dragonflight and shortly after release, the game completely captivated me. It’s strange then that I really have no desire to play now. Or do I?
The trailer for Dragonflight gave me goosebumps back then, even me:
Everything has improved, there’s always something to do
Dragonflight has improved almost everything about WoW. Professions are (again) meaningful, or at least more meaningful than before. The story, which was completely mishandled with Shadowlands, is now a bit more down-to-earth and at the same time more captivating.
Especially the return of talents has made a big difference. Being able to respec anytime and anywhere, having more than just one choice of three talents every few levels, and needing to engage more with your class brings that RPG feel back to the MMORPG.
The overall gameplay flow is simply better in Dragonflight now. When I think about how raids were in Shadowlands and how often players were forced to watch the boss’s monologues or wait until a mechanic could be executed… horrible.
PvE is more fun in Dragonflight. Both raids so far had more interesting bosses and prettier designs, even the mythic keystone dungeons are more enjoyable than before. Especially with the idea of rotating the pool with old dungeons each season.
Evokers are exactly what the game needed
In my opinion, the biggest strength of Dragonflight is the Evoker. Since Legion, there hasn’t been a new class, and Evokers have made me play a caster for the first time in 12 years.
The idea of having a “mid-range” class fascinated me so much that I fell in love immediately. Now, with the new enhancement specialization of the Evoker, which essentially just provides buffs, I feel very comfortable.
Almost no class has ever felt so right to me. So why is it so hard for me to hit the “play” button?
Evokers are exactly my class; I tested them in Beta for hours back then:
Raids feel like work
My biggest problem is the struggle against the bosses. It’s less about the progression itself; I’m used to that. It’s more that it often feels like you are banging your head against a wall.
Raids have become increasingly harder since World of Warcraft launched. Partly because addons have made the game easier overall. To avoid everything being trivial, tougher bosses had to be created.
What I have observed in recent years is that skilled players are increasingly congregating at the top of the world. Those who don’t have a place there quit – because they don’t want to raid below their level anymore.
This means that the gap between the best guilds and “everyone else” is widening continuously. Exaggerating: there are only pros or nolifers and the casual rest. And I find myself exactly in between, as I have neither the time nor the inclination to fight my way to the top. WoW should not become my second job, I experienced that during Shadowlands already.
Other games are more rewarding
Mounts, transmog, and battle pets have never interested me. I look for something I like, farm it specifically, and then wear it. But I don’t want to just collect. I miss the feeling of having achieved something.
In the time I spend playing WoW, I could be doing something else. Something that releases more dopamine, like Diablo or even just an exciting building game with a dangerous component.
In short: other games reward me better for the time I spend raiding. Leveling and gearing a character is still fun in WoW; it feels like progress. But as soon as the upgrades are only in the 0.X%-range, it becomes tedious.
I will play the new raid again, but let’s see how long. The final boss of Dragonflight definitely looks cool:
The only thing I could still try is PvP. But at the moment, I don’t want to let my guild down and would rather help there as long as I can still motivate myself to do so.
It’s hard to say whether my lack of motivation really stems from the mentioned reasons. The best explanation is probably: after 17 years without a break, I might need some distance. Because WoW is still one of my favorite games, and I hope to find more motivation soon. Maybe with the next expansion:
