Mechagon will be a pure grind fest in Patch 8.2 of World of Warcraft. At least Cortyn is really looking forward to it.
The topic of “Grinding” is quite a controversial term in MMORPGs. In the past, many games were based on grinding for hours or even several days at the same spot – that is, killing the same enemies over and over again. In many MMORPGs, this was the only way to level up. Today, the term is frowned upon by many and embodies boredom. But not for me.
Those who follow MeinMMO closely might remember an article from a few months ago, where I explained that I miss the grind in World of Warcraft. As if Blizzard had heard my wish, the new island “Mechagon” is coming in Patch 8.2 Rise of Azshara and will be a true grind paradise.
Only little mandatory content in Mechagon: When entering Mechagon for the first time, players will receive a small introductory questline and a handful of rotating daily missions every day. However, this takes only a maximum of 30-40 minutes per day before one can “check off” Mechagon if they’re just looking for the reputation needed for flying in Battle for Azeroth. Once that’s unlocked, players might turn their backs on the island.
So many goals, so much time: Mechagon is full of goals that each player can set for themselves.
Scrap as currency on Mechagon: Almost every enemy in Mechagon leaves behind a handful of scrap. This is practically a new currency that you can use to unlock a ton of things in the main camp. And when I say “a ton,” I really mean a lot. Although not everything is currently available on the PTR, according to the achievement, there are nearly 40 unlocks. These can be cool mounts, like mechanical saber cats, or temporary power-ups that allow you to fly on Mechagon with a jetpack before it’s unlocked for the whole account.
These upgrades have fluctuating costs. Some cost only about 50 pieces of scrap, while others can go for 2,000 scrap and more, making them quite “expensive”. Anyone wanting to have it all will need to farm for days, if not weeks.
A little overview of Mechagon is provided by this video from YouTuber SignsOfKelani:
Everyone can grind as much as they want: The cool thing is that Mechagon has no time-gating (aside from the unlocking of the dungeon after a few days). This means there is basically no content that you have to wait a long time for before it’s available. If you want, you can work towards a beloved mount right on the first day or search for a special pet you fell in love with weeks before the patch.
Secrets without end: However, Mechagon is more than just pure grinding, as there are also many secrets to discover. This thematically reminds me strongly of the Timeless Isle. There are abandoned Gnomish machines that you have to feed with scrap to get them running again. Then these machines begin to burrow into a mountain while being attacked by enemies. If you can protect the machine until the end, a cave will be revealed that contains a particularly rare enemy and a treasure chest with some extremely valuable (Mechagon) resources.
Many puzzles and small riddles can be found on the island, and it will certainly take many days to discover and memorize everything. I wouldn’t be surprised if the WoW team has included one of the large puzzles in the style of collective consciousness here again.
Why is grinding so great? For me personally, grinding is a form of relaxation. If I can just slay enemies for half an hour and make very small steps toward a goal, that relaxes me. You can listen to an audiobook or let some YouTuber chatter away in your ear.
Above all, it’s a goal that I can pursue at my own pace in World of Warcraft. I can decide whether I want to farm some scrap pieces for just 5 minutes today or whether I want to plow through Mechagon for the next 6 hours to free all mechanical life forms of their spare parts.
There are no artificial restrictions, no mechanics that tell me “You have already collected 500 scrap today, you can collect more tomorrow.” I really miss that. I am really glad that Mechagon will be exactly what I have been missing in World of Warcraft for a few months now.
In summary, Mechagon seems to be exactly what I wished for. A small but fine area full of farming opportunities. However, most of it is just “fluff” and little things that progress players don’t need. Thus, nobody is forced to go to Mechagon, and those who do not enjoy it can simply turn back after a handful of quests.
However, those who find joy or relaxation in long grinds and want to see steady progress while working towards that one mount or toy are likely to find their happiness in Mechagon for quite a while. I will definitely be one of those players.
Are you looking forward to Mechagon and all the small things that can be unlocked through grinding? Or will you ignore the island and prefer to stay away from such an area?
Generally, there is a lot of good in Patch 8.2, so the mood in the community is improving:
