What do you do when your favourite game goes to shit?
Sorry for the title, I'm not sure how else to get the point across.
So this year has been pretty bad for games in my world. My all time favourite game of World of Warcraft released the worst expansion ever with Battle for Azeroth. Yes, it was somehow possible for them to make an even worse expansion than Warlords of Draenor!
Then I found a new game to spend my free-time on - Fortnite! It's been a lot of fun, I have put tons of hours into it and have basically not played anything else than Fortnite for most of 2018. However, the past couple of months has really seen it go downhill in my opinion. It's more popular than ever, yes, but the last couple of seasons has really changed it for the worse. It's never been very balanced on account of there being endless amounts of RNG, but I could live with it. But now they've gone and added airplanes, and as of today there's this sword you can pick up that utterly destroys everything in its path.
The developers of Fortnite keep changing core aspects of the game, which is exactly the reason WoW also went to shit. They changed basic mechanics, and now it's just... Not fun. The meta has been put entirely on its head, and both games are unrecognizable from what originally got me into them. It could be a bit about nostalgia in the case of WoW, but definitely not for Fortnite as that game is only barely a year old.
So now I don't know what to do! I wish the devs could just leave their games alone, because I'm a hundred percent sure they know what makes their games good. But I suppose money (and investors) talks and that's why they constantly change them to appeal to the masses in order to hit quarterly earnings and whatnot...
This is basically like a relationship. Over time, the person changes too much, and you feel like they aren't who you fell in love with - and you need to move on. But how do you move on? Because I, for one, just want to go back to the good old days.
I know it can be tough, and resentment has a way of poisoning memory, but the time you spent with them isn't lost. It's not gone, and it wasn't wasted. It might not seem that way right now, but you chose them and stayed with them because they fulfilled something in you and made you see something in yourself you wouldn't have otherwise.
I know it stings when distance grows, especially to the point of breaking, and you'll likely feel bitter for a while. That is a valid feeling, and it's okay to live in it for a while--just don't let it unpack its bags and move in for good. Bitterness does not pay you rent. Evict it, forcibly if needed, once it has overstayed its welcome. Also, try not to let it become pollution for your past, overriding the good times and memories you still hold. Animosity may hold your present and guide your immediate future, but it has no claim to what has gone before. A long time from now, once the dust has settled and the sharp pain has subsided, you'll want to remember things as they actually were rather than what they became in hindsight.
You'll find another, if that's something you want. Maybe not right now, but when you're ready for it. If you don't want to, that's okay too. It's okay to step away from the whole thing. Focus on you. Focus on family and friends. Pour your time and attention into things that will give back to you, because it's natural for your mind to drift only to what's been taken. If and when you're ready, it's okay to put yourself back out there. You'll probably be a little less eager, a little more wary, but hardship teaches us and experience shapes us, so you'll be wiser and more skilled as well.
Though it feels like something's been taken from you, time and reflection yield growth. You will soon be more than you were now and then. It's hard to see right now, but you'll know you've finally moved on when you can look back on this and appreciate yourself for where you are rather than resent yourself for where you're not.
You move on by finding something new. That's just the way of it. I loved Fallout 3 more than any other game and was disappointing by every fallout afterward. So I moved on to find games like Fortnite, Dishonored, and others. I even abandoned Fortnite because just like you, I didn't like the direction they were going.
If you're having a hard time moving on because you've invested in fortnite or WOW realize it's illogical. The sunk cost fallacy applies here. You know these games aren't likely to improve anytime soon so stop engaging with them.
I don't have a great solution, but I wanted to commiserate as I'm in a similar situation with Fortnite! And I stopped playing WoW during Legion, but that was also a big change for me as it's by far the game I've sunk the most hours into, and to this day is still the only game I've really felt at home in.
One thing that's sort of helped me is playing with friends. I've been playing a lot of Fortnite season 7 even though I don't like the changes because I have a friend who's really into it. Playing with someone more casual helps me take the stuff I don't like a bit less seriously.
Otherwise, generally when I stop being into a game I've put a lot of time into, time is what eventually makes it better! The good old days feeling never comes back, but eventually a new game comes along, and the cycle starts again. In the interim, I do other stuff or play single player games.
What feels wrong in season 7 to you? It would be great if you compare it with season 4 in a few words. I played 4, then moisty was gone and so was fun...
A few things season 7 has: flying around in planes smashing builds and third partying with impunity; an OP sword that spawns in a set location where everyone now lands and dies before the first circle; massive lag when you kill the last player, to the point where you wonder if lost every time; poor optimization, sound issues, and other fun bugs.
Backtrack, switch genres up and try to find something new.
A game doesn't need to be new to be enjoyable so there are plenty of games from 2 or more years ago that you can get for little-to-no money.
You like WoW, how about taking a stroll down RTSs memory lane and play some C&C?
Older ones are now open source and completely free!
Personally I still enjoy playing Generals Zero Hour (you can online with some tinkering), even if i always get my ass handed. If it gets frustrating just fire up some overhaul mods.
I understand that sinking a lot of time in a game may have you feeling as though you're too committed to it to leave it, but i'd argue that spending time apart may make it much more enjoyable instead (of course at the price of not being super competitive).
I stopped playing Fortnite around this period last year, imagine how i felt 2 months ago when i got back not only to BR but also to STW, it was stunning seeing how much it changed! It was honestly mindblowing and i'm currently enoying some fucking around with friends in it.
I am a PS4 player and have now been paying for the PLUS services since its launch; while i was annoyed by the expense at first i have to admit with hindsight that getting 3 games per month spices things up a bit (even if they can be hit or miss - sometimes you gain and some other you just abandon them).
Whatever you decide keep in mind that a game is supposed to be enjoyable first of all; if it gets frustrating or flatout annoying might as well jump ship.
I'd be happy to list out some completely random games i played lately and enjoyed, if you're interested feel free to ask and i'llwrite some out next time i'll have some time.
You move on, enjoy the time you spent with those games and find something new. It sucks, like losing a good friend, but there's nothing you can really do other than find something else or keep playing. I'm starting to feel the same way about csgo after it went f2p, every other match has a ghoster or aim botter or Smurf account now and it ruins the fun. I've since gone back to Warframe because of fortuna and it's great. Halo is another example for me. My friends and I used to play coop for hours on heroic and legendary, but that went wayside after Halo 3 and then I was alone and lost interest after reach.
Now, the entire industry is going in a direction I feel like I can't follow, maybe it's because I've been playing games for over 25 years, but then a game comes out I can really enjoy and realize it's not me, it's the industry. It's no longer about making beautiful game worlds or engaging stories, it's about how long they can keep you hooked into the game. How long can they keep you invested in that economy like fortnite, destiny and even wow. There are the occasional games like Witcher 3 and breath of the wild, but for the most part, those are few and far between. Warframe is another service game and I understand this, but it's never once make me think I need to spend money or fork over a credit card, I can just jump in and be a space ninja and enjoy my time no questions asked. I've stopped buying games immediately on launch, lost faith in developers that I grew up with, and drifted apart from friends online, but when the industry finally takes that final leap and every game becomes a service I won't be following and I'm not sure what to think of that situation.