TLDR: People with different agendas organized within a powerful structire to do something selfish at the expense of the rest of the community.
In a way race to world first works like this if thst is the level you aim for. If you play for loot, game is done once you are BiS. Now people cannot get BiS anymore. I'm not sure if its a good design decision. Its a bald one, for sure. It ruins everyone's 'fun'. Though it would seem this type of grind isn't fun, hence why its botted and regarded as second job.
I'd argue this kind of event doesn't ruin anything. Maybe on this very specific server where they are deliberately playing without any future, but in the game it self if you know that you are going to release more expansions having this kind of epic send off is cool as hell.
Think of World of Warcraft. Sure there is the "race to world first", but how much cooler would it be if there was one boss that could only be killed once? Yeah, maybe that wouldn't make much sense now when people actually make a living off of playing the game, so that would push out most people from even attempting to get the rare kill, but at least it would have consequences in the game instead of just waiting until next week to kill the same big-bad-guy again.
WoW is a theme park MMO, and exclusive content for hardcore players exists as long as 1) it does not take too much time to develop 2) it is inclusive enough 3) it is minor.
So Yog + 0, Sinestra and Ra-den worked, for example, and a highest difficulty also works but having raiding as a whole exclusive before a massive grind is no longer acceptable. And usually the mythic only mechanics are an after thought.
There is no way I as working human being can compete with MMORPG players who have no life. But I sure as hell am not going to finance them with my sub.
But Blizz and I have different goals anyway. They want me to stay subbed. I want to complete certain content on a certain difficulty (one below the highest) and then quit, doing something novel/fun/useful instead of doing the same shit over and over and over again (or die trying). Because ever since they removed lockout on gear (start of M+ dungeons) the game has become too no-life-friendly. I cannot compete with such.
The comparison is moot though. Cannot defeat the Lich King? You can see the cinematic at the very least. But that is the only result. The one where a boss can only be defeated once would increase realm community perhaps. But even the top 100 guilds per faction achievement did not pan out to improve faction balance.
> So Yog + 0, Sinestra and Ra-den worked, for example, and a highest difficulty also works but having raiding as a whole exclusive before a massive grind is no longer acceptable.
You're quite right it's not acceptable but that doesn't stop Blizzard from stubbornly insisting on time-gated mechanics, over and over again.
I tried my best to get into Shadowlands' end-game. Got extremely bored around Korthia and then Zereth Mortis and couldn't even finish their story lines; I almost fell asleep on the keyboard about a month ago and I figured "eff this, not doing it" and just left. This was my first time playing for more than a month ever since mid-Legion (I usually visit each expansion briefly ever since Pandaria but the game just doesn't appeal to me anymore, and hasn't done so for a long time).
> But I sure as hell am not going to finance them with my sub.
Same thought. I played on and off for 3 months, renewed it for 2 more months but I barely even get in now (just grinding rested bonus leveling all my alts 2 times a week, and that turned out to be hugely more interesting and fun). I'll just let the sub lapse. The next expansion doesn't look at all enticing either.
> But Blizz and I have different goals anyway. They want me to stay subbed. I want to complete certain content on a certain difficulty (one below the highest) and then quit
The funny thing is, me and many others have zero problems paying for WoW like it's cable TV and do so forever. But they have mercilessly and meticulously removed anything and everything I found fun in the game and made it tailored to no-lifers and streamers that actually make money out of playing. As you said, I can't compete with them -- but even if I had the time and energy I am still 99% sure I wouldn't have the desire to do so.
So yeah, it's not about the money, it's about sending a message, as the Joker said in "The Black Knight". I can buy 2 years of subscription right now and won't feel it in my monthly balance. But... I'll let my sub lapse to signal that the current state of the game is not okay with me.
In a way race to world first works like this if thst is the level you aim for. If you play for loot, game is done once you are BiS. Now people cannot get BiS anymore. I'm not sure if its a good design decision. Its a bald one, for sure. It ruins everyone's 'fun'. Though it would seem this type of grind isn't fun, hence why its botted and regarded as second job.