/by Iso Victrix » 16 Mar 2008, 14:37
The way I see it, is Blizzard isn't making the game any easier or harder. They're trying to maintain a balance. For instance, Blizzard, in the race to maximum level, have changed the finishing line twice - from 60 to 70 and soon from 70 to 80, and they have only made a corresponding 'dumbing down' of the hurdles to get over on the race track. So the actually journey to maximum level, on the whole, remains at the same level of difficulty.
I also think that lowering of prices is directly related to the fight against Gold Buyers/Seller. 5000 for the best riding skills is one hell of a lot of gold and some players for whatever reason buy gold in large amounts. If prices are lowered in game, that means more gold in the pockets of the players and less gold bought from Farmers.
Like the article gets at, the opening up of previously exclusive endgame raiding is in no way a bad thing. Casual players should not be a second class citizen under a hardcore raider simply because, well I'll say it, a casual player has a real life and isn't prepared to religiously (or fanatically) play WoW for pixels.
Aren't vanguard raiders happy enough that they are the first to see it and then to kill it, to stand [AFK] outside the Ironforge, and now Shattrath, Banks on their bear mounts with items 99.9% of everyone who inspects them will never own, reading about how to get their next item and how their accomplishments are being 'devalued' because other people have an ever increasing equality of opportunity to do the same.
Are their accomplishments that shallow that they need to keep reminding everyone else just how superior they are to you?
Maybe raiding is supposed to be it's own reward? Oh wait, IT IS!