WoW Imitates 4e?

[Asmor]

BlizzCon, the annual convention thrown by Blizzard in celebration of its own games, is this weekend, and they've announced the new expansion.

I'm super excited for it, for reasons that aren't really pertinent here (*coughpandasandpokémoncough*), but one rather interesting thing is that they've completely changed how Talents work, and the new system reminds me a lot of 4th edition's powers.

How Talents currently work doesn't really matter, so please forgive me for glossing over this. In the next expansion, they're going to be changed so that every 15 levels (15, 30, 45, 60, 75 and 90), you get a choice of 3 different abilities, and you select one of those 3 abilities to customize your character.

Remind anyone of 4e's power system? At prescribed levels, you make a discrete choice from a short list of balanced but diverse options.

Along the same lines is a particular specialization of the new Monk classes. Currently in WoW, healers basically heal full time (and it's a very different and nerve-wracking experience from being a damage dealer). One option for playing the Monk will be as a healer who heals by dealing damage. Leader, anyone?

 

[TarionzCousin]

Monk pandas? Is it April 1st?

I do like the idea of having vanity pets battle it out, though.

 

[TarionzCousin]

After spending a few minutes at the site, I now think this will be very cool.

 

[Griego]

Hmm, picking abilities at prescribed intervals is pretty generic, but the Monk healing via damage definitely sounds inspired by 4e.

 

[Pentius]

It's gonna be pretty hilarious to see trolls claiming 4e is copying WoW with the powers system. I mean, I might have to go to the WotC boards to see it, but I do fully expect to.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

Hmm, picking abilities at prescribed intervals is pretty generic, but the Monk healing via damage definitely sounds inspired by 4e.

One spec of healing priests already do this (Discipline priests heal at least partly by means of using damaging spells), and there've been many suggestions that a melee healer that heals by punching would be a good idea. Hell, I wanted to have my ret paladin heal by smacking things upside the head for a while now.

Brad

 

[Dice4Hire]

Doing things by levels does not seem new to computer RPGs at all.

Diablo did something very similar with its trees of abilities you got at specific levels.

 

[Therise]

I dunno... WoW imitating D&D is something you could always say and have it be generally true in some respect. Though I agree that you're definitely on target about the new pet-combat system imitating Pokemon.

Whatever WoW is becoming, it seems to be developing things that will cater to people who like the Korean/Chinese MMOs. The new Tyreal-styled mount is very reminiscent of the style of Aion. Also, what I've seen of the previews of the Pandaren and their new starting area, that's a pull for more kids/casual players... and I'm sure the Asian themes (which are really cute and fun, from what I've seen) won't hurt when trying to attract more of the Asian audience.

Other changes, going now to level 90 (more of the same type of questing we've seen, for sure) and yet intending to nerf world flight until you hit lvl 90, I don't think that will go over all that well. Leveling in Cataclysm was a definite slog, I gave up on several toons around 82-83, so I can't imagine 5 more levels of that slowness toward 90. I got two toons to 85, I think, and then unsubscribed.

I want to feel excited about the changes, but it's going to be ... what... maybe another 8 months to 1 year or so before the expansion comes out? Do we know? At present, though, I just don't feel like these changes and additions are all that exciting to pull me back in. Sometimes I think they announce these things way too early.

 

[Summer-Knight925]

It's gonna be pretty hilarious to see trolls claiming 4e is copying WoW with the powers system. I mean, I might have to go to the WotC boards to see it, but I do fully expect to.

The argument that 4e has "WoW-like powers" is not how they work, but rather the fact they are there

It actually started in (I want to say) Tome of Battle, as well as Magic of Incarnum, it all had a '4e-like-power usage stuffs'

When it is compared to WoW it is the concept of the "time based" Powers

That's why they compare them, just how the powers come off, which technically is not the case, but just how some people saw it at first glance.

However, I do not think WoW is trying to be like 4e but rather fixing a few of its glitches, at least IMO
I don't play WoW or 4e, i just saw your post and wanted to explain why people make that argument.

 

[Pentius]

The argument that 4e has "WoW-like powers" is not how they work, but rather the fact they are there

It actually started in (I want to say) Tome of Battle, as well as Magic of Incarnum, it all had a '4e-like-power usage stuffs'

When it is compared to WoW it is the concept of the "time based" Powers

That's why they compare them, just how the powers come off, which technically is not the case, but just how some people saw it at first glance.

However, I do not think WoW is trying to be like 4e but rather fixing a few of its glitches, at least IMO
I don't play WoW or 4e, i just saw your post and wanted to explain why people make that argument.

I'm not talking about current 4e=WoW troll-lols(which I am well acquainted with, thank you), but rather a new surge in their popularity that I predict when/if this new system in WoW rolls out in which trolls don't realize the new system in WoW is new, but assume it pre-dates 4e, and thereafter accuse 4e of copying something it did first.

But it's not funny now, because I had to explain it.