Flying World of Warcraft is a dream.
Flight gives me the power to go anywhere. Its why the airplane was invented in the first place. Human beings have always had this itch flutter in the sky. Soaring through the air makes us free.
But, the flight has been a controversial issue in WoW ever since it’s inception in the Burning Crusade expansion. Back then, players could earn flight if they had reached the level cap, and had enough gold.
WoW was a different game in the early days. Earning enough gold was a lot tougher back then, especially if you were a filthy casual. ;=)
For hardcore players, buying flight was a lot easier though. Well, buying a basic flight was easier, which only increased your speed of about 60%.
Which meant your ground mount was way faster. If you really wanted to fly, you needed epic flying which increased your speed to about 280%, but it cost a whopping 5,000 gold.
Today, 5,000 gold doesn’t mean much, but in the Burning Crusade expansion that was a lot of dough. It could take a player months back then to earn that amount of money.
I still remember having to farm gold so all of my alts could have a flight in Wrath.
So, is paying for flight better, or do you prefer earning it with Pathfinder achievements? Sound off in the comments below.
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Flying in World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
When I began playing the game eleven years ago (Back in my day…LOL), I was broke! If it wasn’t for my guildies, I wouldn’t have been able to purchase my first ground mount.
Gold was harder to earn when WoW was newer. I can only imagine how much flight would cost today, but I actually miss paying for the flight. Yes, you read that right. I miss having the freedom to earn my flight.
During Wrath, Cataclysm, and MoP, I had to earn the gold for my main and alts to fly. Not only did they have to train to learn the slowest flight, but they also had to learn the fastest.
You may wonder why do I miss this?
I miss having freedom.
Blizzard is forcing me to earn Pathfinder.
Their motto on fun has changed. No longer is Blizzard putting my needs and wants as a player first. They’re more focused on making me jump through hoops, to force me to play the game the way they believe I should play.
For example, there are world quests and dailies which require me to PvP, and I hugely dislike PvP. During Wrath, I never felt as if I was forced to do PvP.
There are also professions I enjoy doing in my spare time, and I did them often during Wrath. You could even say professions actually mattered back then, but not because I had to do them for Pathfinder. Blizzard has taken away my freedom of choice here.
When WoW Was at its Peak
To me, the early years of the game felt more open. I would log in and spend time camping rare hunter pets, or I would run a random dungeon with friends.
I’ve posted my thoughts on Classic here. On that post, I discuss how I hated the sharding, which placed me on a separate part of the same realm as a different player, ruining social interaction. In Classic, we were free to choose how we leveled, and what our talents were. We also had more freedom on how we played the game, as Blizzard wasn’t guiding your every step.
Retail has taken a lot of our freedoms away. Pathfinder is another example of Blizzard being the authority and artificially forcing me to play longer.
Back in Classic, BC, and Wrath, players would earn epic mounts, rare armor sets, weapons, or pets. These items were so rare and took so much work to earn, it felt like an accomplishment. This was before achievements even existed in the game.
I will admit, I don’t need to camp a rare for months today, but there was something special about having the freedom to make my own fun and feeling proud of my accomplishments, and it had nothing to do with how Blizzard wanted me to play.
But, we’re all paying $15 a month, and should be able to play the game how we want, not the way Blizzard dictates.
I know I’m not alone in feeling like this. It’s not just about the flight. The issue is much larger than this. Retail is broken. Patch 8.2 has implemented necessary changes to the game, but Blizzard has a long way to go before WoW will return to its roots.
Pathfinder Why Blizzard Really Added It to the Game
Flying World of Warcraft is more than an achievement where Pathfinder is concerned. Blizzard wants us on the ground. Before Warlords of Draenor’s release, Blizzard made comments about flight cheapening the player bases experience.
Polygon interviewed World of Warcraft Game Director, Ion Hazzikostas, four years ago before Warlords of Draenor’s release.
Hazzikostas said “The world feels larger, feels more dangerous. There’s more room for exploration, for secrets, for discovery and overall immersion in the world. At this point, we feel that outdoor gameplay in World of Warcraft is ultimately better without flying. We’re not going to be reintroducing the ability to fly in Draenor, and that’s kind of where we’re at going forward.”
Basically, Pathfinder was a comprise. Blizzard doesn’t want us flying, but players enjoy being able to fly. We let Blizzard know what we thought with our subscriber numbers in WoD when they dropped.
But, Pathfinder has given Blizzard a superficial way to keep us playing the game longer. Blizzard shouldn’t punish the fandom. They should design more zones, and complete the ones they have.
Some players choose not to fly, and others are more casual players. Both players are fine and should be allowed to choose how they want to play. Blizzard should give players options on how they want to earn flight. If they allowed us to choose whether we wanted to use gold, or get the achievement, it might solve a lot of problems.
But, casual players, and those who like more freedom, shouldn’t be punished. Pathfinder achievements take forever to earn. By the time the flying World of Warcraft achievement is earned, the expansion is over.
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Flying World of Warcraft: Why Choice is The BEST Option
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Blizzard shouldn’t remove Pathfinder from the game. But, they need to add an option that allows players to choose how they wish to earn flight.
Not everyone agrees on how Blizzard is running WoW lately. And, while I was still in college, I was playing WoW casually. I still to this day haven’t earned Pathfinder in WoD or Legion.
It’s a ridiculous achievement that sucks the fun out of the game. Flying is part of what brings the fantasy to World of Warcraft. Blizzard has lost sight of what it means to be immersed in a fantasy world.
I miss being able to just log on and do any number of random things. I would pursue random quest chains, go after pets, mounts, or do just about anything. Now, I feel if I don’t do Blizzard’s time-gated reputation grinds, I won’t learn the main storyline, and I won’t earn flight.
Blizzard has trapped me in a never-ending cycle of dread. I’m playing because I love the lore, my characters, and nostalgia. I hope WoW can be fixed.
The game I used to love so much is a shell of its former self. I don’t want WoW to go offline any time soon. Please, Blizzard, if you read this post, think about what made WoW a glorious game. WoW was at the top of the gaming world. It not only moved mountains, but it also created them. Can we please return to its former glory?
If any WoW fans are reading this blog, please sound off in the comments below. Let Blizzard know not only how you feel about the flight, but about the state of World of Warcraft, especially if you played WoW back in the day. Can the game be improved? Does your heart hurt to see retail now?
Check out this post for speculation on WoW’s new Expansion at BlizzCon 2019. Want to know the most interesting zones in WoW Classic? Or maybe you’re looking for the best ways to gain reputation in World of Warcraft? Don’t forget to check out the seven best quest chains in WoW Classic. Have you ever wanted to taste Crispy Bat Wings? Well, my first review on the World of Warcraft Official Cookbook is available. Be sure to read those articles for help.
Happy Hunting!
Spyells
