The Illusion of Progression: A Novella

[Zorlond]

Ah. So you didn't do any of the content that was meant to be difficult -- something ZA most assuredly was not, even at release -- but feel you can claim with certitude that "WoW never added harder content.".

I've watched the videos and read the fight descriptions of the 25'ers. (remember, raid leader, and even if we didn't have the bodies to get into them, my guild did want to progress, so I Did The Research.)

Nothing I've seen, not one damn thing, lead me to believe there was any increase in difficulty. Actual difficulty (as in, the AI actually knows how to fight, not just follow a script), not just the chore of herding 25 cats around instead of 10 (which is a completely different pita). Whether or not Blizzard 'meant it to be difficult', it wasn't designed to actually be so. You just had to know what the script was and follow it to a T. The rest was just numbers determining the tolerance level of mistakes.

[Elandriel]

Sorry OP, but I cannot agree with you. I am not saying you are wrong, because you have every right to see progression in your own way. And in that regard, you are correct.
But, like you said, that is not progression I am thinking about. You see, to me everything revolves around how I "feel". I have to feel stronger, quicker or more capable than before. I don't care about bigger numbers, stronger enemies or legendary weapons if they don't give me that feeling or at least the perception of being better.
Perks' bonuses are indeed there, as you say, and they bring actual improvements. But they are so small and synergize so badly with each other, their effects could actually be called non-existent. Do I feel that 2% improvement in reload time? 4% in crit chance? If my name would be Data from Stark Trek, then I could, but sadly I don't.

The game is so easy that no skill, tactics or knowledge is necessary. If playing this game was something that would require an actual effort, than those little improvements would probably be more beneficial.

And besides, you calling one type of progression an illusion and the other (your) the proper one, is just nitpicking. The same could be said about the word "skill". Everyone keep saying this game is skill based, and yet there is no skill required to play it. Unless you call bunny-hopping a skillful behavior.

[ironhands]

The game is so easy that no skill, tactics or knowledge is necessary. If playing this game was something that would require an actual effort, than those little improvements would probably be more beneficial.

And besides, you calling one type of progression an illusion and the other (your) the proper one, is just nitpicking. The same could be said about the word "skill". Everyone keep saying this game is skill based, and yet there is no skill required to play it. Unless you call bunny-hopping a skillful behavior.

Skill based =/= difficult. It just means that the difference between winning and losing is determined by the actual skills of the players, not how much time they spent farming an event. A skilled player doesn't worry about bunny hoppers in PvP.

The progression we see in most MMORPG is an illusion, there is no debating that. Calling one "proper" however, is incorrect. They are both valid, but the whole level up/gear creep is just an illusion. You are not more powerful, you just have the items on par with the enemy stats, which will continue to grow with the next expansion, eliminating any desire to go through older content, and making it harder for anyone to start and catch up in a reasonable amount of time.

[meremortal]

I don't know if anyone else try it but you can get to the end of the game, beating nim and consuming the most of the content with white or green weapons and without applying any single ego skill.

It is the same if you do the opposite.. nothing changes

[Eltruism]

Worst than media.

Beleiveing you can progress at anyhting by interacting with the code of this game. o.O