And so Challenge Modes will depart.... but they shall return
It was Askevar who first brought to my attention that Challenge modes will be gone in 6.0, and she offered to invite people from Frostwolves to join as socials to Band of Misfits so they could access the Thundering Serpent Hatchling. I have mine from Apotheosis, but had hoped to be able to get a guild one happening - Challenge Mode Noobs could only manage silvers, and despite completing my golds, trying to get a guild one going is tough. However Aza, Owl and Lushen also have their golds but was not done within guild - but the three of them have embarked on getting their next toons their golds which has been great because that means the guild will get the achievement as well (you only need 3 in the party to get it).
But Challenge modes are returning in 6.0, which Ian Hazzikostas confirmed:
There are a slew of achievements for completing challenge modes, as well as getting all the medals. I remember when they first came out, I thought it was great - it was something that allowed skilled players to compare themselves to others, and it wasn't gear which made you the good player - it really was skill as everyone was 463 ilvl.
The Grumpy Elf's post "I support removing Challenge Modes" had the shock factor title that is so typical of TGE, but upon reading it he touched upon things which I hadn't considered.
Hit and Expertise will be gone. Fewer gem slots. Less enchants. Stats squishing. What does that mean for challenge mode gear? It might mean there will be certain CM BIS you have to get just so you can get it done... and who knows what bugs may play up scaling new items down to 463. Removing them altogether and making a new WoD is just fine, and there will be new ones for Warlords of Draenor for those who want to keep doing them, with new rewards, so I now agree with TGE about their removal. Imagine the programming nightmare!
Personally, I love challenge modes. I love pushing myself, seeing what I can and can't do, and at the moment trying to be as cheapass as I can get when running them (cheap food, cheap buff etc). I feel like because I've done them I am a half decent healer, maybe not a fantastic one but at least decent. I still doubt my abilities because I am unable to get Proven Healer as a druid, when everyone says it's so easy. Yes I have my golds, but I will always feel like I've been carried there. In Proving grounds, I still get stuck halfway through wave 28, and I've put it down as I may be good but I'm not THAT good. Lucky it's not some kind of test to get into raiding or anything.
There's still a fair bit of time to do your challenge modes if you want the gear or the mount. Thunderspank had a good run for challenge modes with pugs from OpenRaid, and I know Riptyde often pulls people from OQ. There are people who want to do them, like you, looking for the right group, and maybe just maybe, you might find that one person in a 100 who might make it onto your friends list. But make sure you're confident in your healing, if you're a healer! Or you could end up with a rather shameful dent in your ego.
But Challenge modes are returning in 6.0, which Ian Hazzikostas confirmed:
There are a slew of achievements for completing challenge modes, as well as getting all the medals. I remember when they first came out, I thought it was great - it was something that allowed skilled players to compare themselves to others, and it wasn't gear which made you the good player - it really was skill as everyone was 463 ilvl.
The Grumpy Elf's post "I support removing Challenge Modes" had the shock factor title that is so typical of TGE, but upon reading it he touched upon things which I hadn't considered.
Challenge modes were designed with the concept of the game we have now. The game we have now is changing incredibly next expansion. Not just a minor change in abilities or what they do but huge sweeping changes and all those changes will effect challenge mode balancing.
Hit and Expertise will be gone. Fewer gem slots. Less enchants. Stats squishing. What does that mean for challenge mode gear? It might mean there will be certain CM BIS you have to get just so you can get it done... and who knows what bugs may play up scaling new items down to 463. Removing them altogether and making a new WoD is just fine, and there will be new ones for Warlords of Draenor for those who want to keep doing them, with new rewards, so I now agree with TGE about their removal. Imagine the programming nightmare!
Personally, I love challenge modes. I love pushing myself, seeing what I can and can't do, and at the moment trying to be as cheapass as I can get when running them (cheap food, cheap buff etc). I feel like because I've done them I am a half decent healer, maybe not a fantastic one but at least decent. I still doubt my abilities because I am unable to get Proven Healer as a druid, when everyone says it's so easy. Yes I have my golds, but I will always feel like I've been carried there. In Proving grounds, I still get stuck halfway through wave 28, and I've put it down as I may be good but I'm not THAT good. Lucky it's not some kind of test to get into raiding or anything.
There's still a fair bit of time to do your challenge modes if you want the gear or the mount. Thunderspank had a good run for challenge modes with pugs from OpenRaid, and I know Riptyde often pulls people from OQ. There are people who want to do them, like you, looking for the right group, and maybe just maybe, you might find that one person in a 100 who might make it onto your friends list. But make sure you're confident in your healing, if you're a healer! Or you could end up with a rather shameful dent in your ego.
I was a little surprised when I found out, but then I remembered the stats change in WoD. I'm assuming it would be a development nightmare to try and scale them properly. I'm almost done with my gold runs (7/9), though I must say I'd like to do them on alts for more phoenixes. Since the achievements are becoming FoS, I'm wondering if this means the mounts will be BoA.... if it wasn't for those birds, I wouldn't mind as much. '-'; The mount collector in me wants them all on my main. I hope we'll get a blue post to clarify this soon (right now, I'm inclined to believe they'll remain like PvP mounts - only on the toon that earned the phoenix).
ReplyDeleteBeen loving doing them with my guild team. CMs are a blast! Can't wait to see the WoD ones!
I haven't worked much on Proven Healer. I stopped after Gold as I'd like to tweak my CM set for Endless - it seems rather challenging (I'm not sure how it feels like on a Druid. I only poked it as a Disc Priest). Some mobs were a bit more annoying (mostly due to NPCs not always being smart). I'm sure you could get to 30 if you dedicated yourself to it. Reading your blog, you seem like quite the healer. :) You seem to be working hard! I'm sure you'd get it!
You know, I totally forgot about having an alt so I could get a different coloured mount. I have no alts, so that's moot! But I am not someone who likes to play multiple toons, but yes Kaila, I can't wait to see the WoD ones - hope my guildies want to do some with me!
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