The discussion of the disappearing proto-drakes got me thinking about some other issues, but the post was already getting long so I thought I’d split those thoughts into another topic.
World of Warcraft has always been about symbols of status. From the beginning, you could look at someone’s gear and know what they had accomplished in the game. If a druid was wearing the antlers of the Cenarion Helm, then you knew that they had completed Molten Core. If they were wearing the Crown of Malorne, then you knew that they had completed Karazhan. These status symbols also include special non-combat pets, mounts, tabards, weapons, and titles. Achievements are the latest addition to this list, and some achievements award other status symbols.
Some people are irritated (or angry) that they won’t get a proto-drake. In part, this is an issue of perspective over the Blizzard achievement system. If an achievement is “a thing done successfully, typically by effort, courage, or skill” as my dictionary claims, I think Blizzard delivers. If you look at the list of achievements, there are offerings for every type of player. Consider the Fishing achievements. There are some that you’ll earn just through everyday fishing, such as the number of fish you’ve caught and your skill level. There are some that require some effort and investment in time, like the Angler achievements in Outland and Northrend. Some require effort and luck, like Mr. Pinchy’s Magical Crawdad Box. Finally, there are a few that require effort, skill, luck, and timing: you could participate in the Booty Bay fishing contest every week, and still not complete the Master Angler of Stranglethorn achievement.
When it comes to symbols of status, the Fishing achievements offer two: the Titanium Seal of Dalaran for completing The Coin Master, and the title “Salty” for completing Accomplished Angler. Anyone that invests enough time casting in the Dalaran fountain will complete The Coin Master. But only the few, the proud, and the slightly insane will complete Accomplished Angler because of its dependency on Master Angler of Stranglethorn.
Obviously the real question is one of entitlement. I bought the game. I pay a subscription to continue the game. Shouldn’t I be entitled to experience every part of the game, whether that includes instances, gear, or achievements?
I could easily make an analogy to real life and point out that not everyone can be an astronaut. As a native citizen of the United States, I have an opportunity to become president, but it’s not a guarantee. It’s extremely unlikely that I’ll win an Olympic medal, an Oscar, a Grammy, or a Nobel Prize. But again, there are smaller “achievements” that I’ve earned that others don’t have. I am one of hundreds of millions of people that have traveled in Europe. I am one of several million people that have traveled into the Tracy Arm Fjord in Alaska. I am one of several thousand people that work where I work. And so on.
Granted, World of Warcraft isn’t supposed to be real life. But it is true that our interest in playing World of Warcraft is driven by many of the same drives that we have in the real world. Shouldn’t there be things in the game that not everyone can accomplish?
