I never said there wasn't any new blood in WoW, I said it's a fair bet there's not much of it.
WoW being a single player game if you want it to be is part of the challenge presented here: Why play an MMO at all if you're not interested in the "MM" part of it?
I'm having trouble articulating what I mean exactly, but removing the obstacles to reaching X point feels like it removes part of the bond between players. Everyone from 2.0 launch has war stories from Titan HM. Most folks who care about the story came away from 2.55 with powerful emotions regarding the climax. Removing those things from the prerequisites satisfies in the short-term, in my opinion. It means the strangers I'm playing with might truly be strangers, and there would be fewer things that we experienced together-yet-separately to try and draw common ground.
This community can be stand-offish enough without there being less we all have in common. Then again, maybe I come at this with my own biases. I never understood the "I don't want to play the game" mentality. I didn't have a problem with Ishgard being locked behind content. I don't have a problem with lore cementing jobs in specific places. It just gives me something to strive towards, which to me is the entire point of gear-treadmill games.
I mean, I don't want to PLAY Pokemon, I just want all my favorites in the starter area. Not everyone plays to collect badges, and less than 3% have beaten the Elite Four. Why should I have to go to other cities to get what I want every time I play it?
WoW being a single player game if you want it to be is part of the challenge presented here: Why play an MMO at all if you're not interested in the "MM" part of it?
I'm having trouble articulating what I mean exactly, but removing the obstacles to reaching X point feels like it removes part of the bond between players. Everyone from 2.0 launch has war stories from Titan HM. Most folks who care about the story came away from 2.55 with powerful emotions regarding the climax. Removing those things from the prerequisites satisfies in the short-term, in my opinion. It means the strangers I'm playing with might truly be strangers, and there would be fewer things that we experienced together-yet-separately to try and draw common ground.
This community can be stand-offish enough without there being less we all have in common. Then again, maybe I come at this with my own biases. I never understood the "I don't want to play the game" mentality. I didn't have a problem with Ishgard being locked behind content. I don't have a problem with lore cementing jobs in specific places. It just gives me something to strive towards, which to me is the entire point of gear-treadmill games.
I mean, I don't want to PLAY Pokemon, I just want all my favorites in the starter area. Not everyone plays to collect badges, and less than 3% have beaten the Elite Four. Why should I have to go to other cities to get what I want every time I play it?