WoW’s restriction of flying on Siren Isle is actually a good thing
When World of Warcraft 11.0.7 update and new Siren Isle area was first announced, one of the first questions many fans had was whether Flying Mounts would be available in the region. It’s a controversial topic, with many players vehemently against any flight restrictions, but after the release of the update it became especially clear that sometimes a little less freedom is beneficial to the game’s design.
For context, while Flying Mounts have been added entirely in OHthe first expansion of, Burning crusadeAt that time it was not yet a popular mechanism. It was initially limited to new expansion areas until 2010 disaster The expansion redesigned the original launch areas to be suitable for flight. However, even then, expansions such as Lord of Draenor And Corps did not allow flying at launch, making it available after players unlocked the ‘Pathfinder’ achievement as a compromise. Similar, OHIt has been announced that the new Siren Isle will be restricted from flying until the player upgrades the new one Circle of Cyrce items, are not allowed to fly during the island’s storm phase.
While it often comes with the usual criticism on the Internet, it’s understandable why people are outraged by this restriction. Flying is a huge convenience, and one that’s especially appreciated in MMOs. Not only does it allow you to overcome annoying obstacles without the risk of a moving monster knocking you off your steed, but it’s also much faster. Mounted on internal ground OH increases movement speed to a maximum of 100% (or slightly more for certain classes), while Flying Mounts up to 360% with the newly added Skyriding/Dragonriding system are even faster. And of course, once you’ve tasted both that high altitude and high speed, it’s hard to go back to that uncomfortable 100%.
But Siren Island is not an area that needs that kind of speed. In fact, it’s quite small and contains many secrets and gifts including hidden cosmetics, invisible treasure chests, and of course, lore. This is an area intended to encourage attentiveness and attention to detail, the type of area that is not really recommended when skydiving. But once you’ve seen most of what’s available on Siren Isle, flying is still there to help you find those last few items or complete common tasks. OH crush currency.
That’s part of the reason why allowing late flights has worked so well elsewhere. OH area, because you get the best of both worlds while not getting stale. Your first forays into an area or expansion can be traditionally oriented but when leveling your 3rd character (or just running through to collect herbs and ores), you are free to skip where you need to go or explore from a different angle. And after you’ve been on land for a while, you’ll appreciate the freedom of flight even more. Currently, it’s uncertain whether flying on Siren Isle will be account-wide like with the Pathfinder achievement or tied to your character’s progression with Cyrce’s Circlet, but unless you’re a gamer having the power to keep multiple characters ready for Raid at the same time means you can do everything in the zone on one character.
Until you earn your wings again, there are still plenty of other transportation options for you to try. new one Experimental Go package giving players a burst of verticality, while I finally found a use for all the Goblin Glider Kits I had stockpiled a few expansions ago. Then all the class-specific jumping, slow falling, and stealth abilities come into play once again, especially during the island’s storm phase, where tougher monsters roam available. ready to crush weaker characters. Players will need to once again pay attention to their environment, rather than simply floating all their problems above ground.
That’s why I was really excited when I first heard about the above flight restrictions OH‘s Siren Isle, despite the loss of convenience. Flying is great and I don’t want it removed from the game, but I also long for the days when you had to deal with terrain, where roads provided a relatively monster-free path through an area and the Flying Masters have invaluable checkpoints. Not all of that ultimately applies to Siren Isle itself, but it’s a welcome change of pace that I hope Blizzard doesn’t mind doing again.
Because this island has been reused from old content from Battle for Azeroth expansion, there is a common refrain among some players that it is a “cheap and lazy” reuse of assets and that flying is only limited to make the island appear larger than it actually is. But clearly more thought went into making this decision, even if it was an afterthought. Restricting flights, at least for a time, is simply more consistent with the design ethos of the area. So even if you’re an extreme flight enthusiast, try taking a moment to think about how being restricted from using ground stands will change the way you interact with yourself. like, even if you prefer flying. Or, just rush over to get your wings if that’s your thing.
World of Warcraft: The War Within immediately available for PC, including Siren Isle 11.0.7 content.
