WoW: The Price of Progress.
As is the case with others I have once again entered the World of Warcraft in a valiant effort to kill the devilish mistress known as time. Through playing again I have exposed myself to a favorite staple of the World of Warcraft experience: Exorbitant costs for minimal benefits.
Some items in the game have sockets into which gems may be placed. A gem of +4 damage can be placed into a hat and so give the character wearing the hat +4 damage. In the attempt to maximize one's stats certain gems will be purchased the stats and price of which will vary. That being said, compare these two gems:
Glowing Shadow Draenite
Matches Blue or Red Socket
Stats: +4 Spell Damage and +4 Stamina
Cost: 3 Gold 50 Silver
Glowing Nightseye
Matches Blue or Red Socket
Stats: +5 Spell Damage and +6 Stamina
Cost: 54 Gold
The cost/stat ratio is in no way equal for these two items. To go from no gem to Glowing Shadow Draenite is far less costly and more statistically beneficial than the jump from Glowing Shadow Draenite to Glowing Nightseye, as can be seen in this awesome chart:
If we ignore the issue of whether or not any of this really matters we are left with a question of utility: Is the Glowing Nightseye really worth it? Will that +1 Spell Damage and +2 Stamina truly make significant enough a difference to justify the 50 Gold 50 Silver price increase between the two gems?
A purist will answer that it is absolutely significant, that one must always attempt to maximize one's stats in all situations. But can we question the purist? What is the functional difference between a total of +973 spell damage and +974 spell damage? The numerical difference is 1, but what of the difference in terms of gameplay? Is that one point of damage and two points of stamina worth the cost? Are there better uses for one's funds?
And what of this situation with regard to the game itself? What does this say about World of Warcraft as a game? Does this situation indicate sensible game design?
Thoughts?
4 comments:
a question:
is there a range on the amount of dmg these things do?
like each attack can do 40-440 dmg per hit?
In some cases.
Rank 11 Shadowbolt does 541-603 dmg.
Rank 8 Corruption deals 900 damage over 18 seconds.
I think the bigger question is the worth of 50g compared to 3.5g.
I agree with you though, that the 3.5g one is the way to go.
Oh, and chart is teh best evar
I was going to include a section explaining the economy of WoW and the difference in value of the 3.5G and 50G. The problem was:
1) Explanations of the value of currencies with regard to item and the utility thereof are incredibly dull.
2) I am incapable of concisely explaining the WoW economy.
I really like the chart. It explains my point through the use of lines.
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