The Queue: I meant to do that

Please ignore yesterday’s Queue header image, because we totally meant to do that.

Liz: Enjoy the same old, same old until we start getting micro holidays.

Mitch: To be fair, last year did add a mount, a pet, and (I think) a few more things. Plus, it looks like starting with the Valentine’s Day holiday, Timewalking-style scaling will work on the event bosses for players level 20+. More farming? Sure. But still a nice QOL change the holidays needed (and not one that could be applied to Winter Veil anyway).

Liz: Yeah, just this year looks like another year for sameness. And I’ve done this one… a lot at this point.

Mitch: Yeah, but you can go BACK TO DRAENOR this year!!!!

Liz: Pls no.

Liz: Honestly, I’ve developed serious group-phobia over the past expansion or so. I know I’m a perfectly capable player (not the best, but not bad), but going into PUG dungeons (especially heroics) makes me really anxious because of player behavior. I won’t PUG at all as a healer or tank. Sometimes you hit the lotto and get an awesome group. Sometimes you get one that does nothing but hurl abuse until you’re vote kicked. So… yeah, I definitely feel World Quests have replaced dungeons as casual advancement. Instead of repeatedly, painfully running dungeons, I can World Quest my way into gear and then do higher level content in guild groups when I want to.

Mitch: I think I say this every time it’s brought up, but y’all should really try to dip your toes into Mythic/Mythic+ dungeons. If you list your own group on Group Finder, you have total control over everything and can tell people ahead of time it’s a learning experience. They’re really a lot of fun. But to get back on topic: When I do play my alts (briefly though it may be), I tend to do WQs for the emissary rewards, and occasionally PVP. The new scaling system is great for it, and PVP gear is pretty nice. Random dungeons haven’t been usurped by WQs because they’re “good enough,” though (for me at least). WQs fit my style of barely playing alts. On my main, I’ll queue for dungeons for the AP.

Liz: Mythics are for guild groups of people I know. Strangers, heal thyselves, because I am not putting up with you. Sorry to all of the perfectly nice strangers out there.

Liz: This is the annoyance of RNG-based gameplay. I haven’t been bothering with the addon, but just throwing food at him. Still don’t have everything. Hooray for randomness!

Mitch: I haven’t really bothered with cooking. Everyone seems to hate Nomi though, so I’m sure you’re not alone.

Liz: You do collect some gear along the way but… if you’re tired of Illidan (and that buggy Ravencrest’s Legacy quest) there are probably easier ways. Right now the chain ends at the collect-80-box-tops Soul Prism of the Illidari quest.

Mitch: Isn’t this the one that rewards an Artifact appearance? I can’t remember. But gear-wise, it suffers the same problem profession gear does: By the time you get it, you have better gear anyway. But isn’t the lore in itself the reward?! Illidan had this prophetic life we knew nothing about! We’re learning all about it now and we can feel bad for murdering him after he did terrible things! Aren’t you thankful?!

Liz: Doing the Light’s Heart scenario gives you a tint. And it may be required for class hall advancement. But if you do take Mitch’s line of thought and think lore is its own reward, you definitely don’t need to repeat it on alts (if that’s what you’re asking). Though it’s entirely possible it will gate something at some point.

Liz: I think it is now a microtransaction world; we are just kindly allowed to live in it. But, seriously, it’s been a success so of course they’re going to try to continue that success, so you see microtransactions in their latest (Overwatch) and added to older titles (StarCraft 2 and, with the Necromancer, Diablo 3).

Mitch: Specifically in Overwatch, no, I don’t think so. Loot boxes, sure. But no way they’re going to lock skins or maps or heroes behind a paywall. SC2 on the other hand… yeah, a bit. The Abathur commander for co-op cost money, and I’m sure the other ones have as well (I’ve gotten behind on it so I don’t know for sure).

Liz: I’m pretty sure all the commanders cost $5. And it makes sense; they’re a chunk of new content.

Liz: That’s all for today, Quevians! Please leave your questions in the comments for the esteemed Mr. Matthew Rossi to answer tomorrow. We’ll see you next week!