A new feature will soon be introduced in World of Warcraft. It could be immensely useful for you – or also quite annoying.
In recent years, World of Warcraft has tried to become increasingly accessible for a wider segment of potential players. Improved support, such as for gamepads and other controllers, settings for color blindness. With patch 10.1.7, another feature from the plan is coming: a ping system.
What is a ping system? In most games, a “ping system” refers to the ability to quickly point out a circumstance with a button press and inform your team. In MOBAs or shooters, you can often indicate where you see an enemy or where an area needs special attention with a key press.
Usually, these pings are context-based, meaning they vary depending on what you saw and under what circumstances. In shooters (like Overwatch), you can ping an enemy to show their location. However, if that enemy has just disappeared from sight, the ping indicates that you have lost visual contact.
This way, important information can be conveyed with just a quick button press, without having to rely on chat or voice communication.
How the story continues in WoW, you can see here:
What does the ping system look like in WoW? Concrete details are not yet available, but the PTR for patch 10.1.7 is expected to go live in a few days, and then you can try out the feature. In a Twitch interview with “Maximum” from Team Liquid, Associate Game Director Morgan Day has already revealed a few details about the ping system. It is expected to be context-based and allow for some adjustments. Day said:
It will show a “thing” in the game world, and there will be different options. You can place it in the world or on a player or an enemy. By giving players this tool to communicate faster and equipping it with many adjustments, it’s something that could be great for guilds, but also an important tool for accessibility.
In any case, a quick “ping,” perhaps accompanied by a sound, is likely to be better than typing “I’ve added” in the group chat, which can easily be overlooked in the heat of battle.
How good and extensive the feature actually is will likely be seen in a few days when the PTR for patch 10.1.7 starts and the first groups provide their feedback. However, it is likely that the function can also simply be turned off or that there must be a Mute
function for individual players.
This week, however, the Patch 10.1.5: Tears of Time will go live first.
