Why I like the Concept of Battle of Azeroth Warfronts

The whole industry was looking at the BlizzCon last weekend and was eager to learn what the market leader plans next for its titles. It’s an open secret that many studios more or less just try to copy what’s successful in WoW. Either because it’s the right thing to do or because they think it’s what you have to do to make games work nowadays. So you naturally start looking at the new features and ask yourself what could make sense for your game as well. Or what generally is a neat idea for a MMO.

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Warcraft II Meets WoW

In this regard I really like Warfronts. There are only a few details out, but apparently it’s a 20-toon co-op RTS-like scenario. You build a base, gather resources, and recruit troops to fight a NPC commander. Even if you’re not a fan of the Warcraft franchise, or RTS in general, this is exactly the type of system you need on top of the common MMO features. I mean, there’s always some type of grind, some type of new dungeon and raid update. And surely games vary in how interesting or challenging they make these core aspects. But if you’re searching for something unique that can give your usual experience a new twist, Warfronts is what you’re looking for.

I Like the Concept of Warfronts

That being said, I know nothing about World of Warcraft and whether or not Warfronts can be successful. I just like its concept, because it’s new, at least to me. It’s essentially a game within a game. If you think about it an MMO is perfect to offer this kind of variety. It can be a MOBA, FPS or RTS, at least in theory. Warfronts not only is different, it’s also extendable. You can add maps, or even make it a 20 vs 20 PVP experience. Ain’t that great?

What’s the Unique Feature of Neverwinter?

It’s also an interesting topic for Neverwinter. We’ve already talked about how games often lose all of their unique systems over time and merely settle for standard mass-market features. Neverwinter is a good example. Gauntlgrym was an independent game mode that got trashed with Elemental Evil. Then Strongholds PVP introduced a MOBA-like map that never really worked for multiple reasons. So when following the BlizzCon and its announcements, you start asking yourself. Where are our unique feature in Neverwinter right now? What are our “Warfronts”?

I’m not trying to say that Cryptic should copy the idea. It’s not even fair to challenge them to pull something similar off simply because of the size of the studios. But that doesn’t mean they can’t come up with an innovative idea outside the usual grind, campaigns and group content. Just name one feature outside the core MMO elements that has been released since Strongholds PVP. Exactly, there are none. Fishing? Not quite. Hunting and Sahha? Maybe, but these are probably too close to a grind or lack rewards. I like it more than other stuff though.

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New Events Might Do the Trick

It really seems like freeing resources to do something out of the ordinary is indeed one of the challenges the game faces. In one of the latest streams Julia said they are trying to pull some devs for a special events task force. Some new fresh events could certainly do the trick, although those tend to wear off fast as well. Examples like Sahha however show that new game modes could work if they are implemented correctly. The “volleysoccer” in my opinion just need a few tweaks and competitive environment and suddenly would generate a lot more hype. Why not have a summer Sahha tournament each year?

It’s not like the devs never try something new. But if they do, they usually miss the last 10% to make it really special. So here’s my appeal (again). Be a little more courageous, a little more adventurous, essentially a little more D&D-y. You might not now whether a chest is a mimic, but you miss out on 100% of the treasures you don’t try to go for.


What’s your take on the matter? Does Neverwinter need its own “Warfronts” or is the game fine without it? Share your thoughts in the comments below and visit the corresponding thread on our message board!

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j0Shi

j0Shi plays the Neverwinter MMORPG since the open BETA in 2013 and is a regular contributor to the blog and the whole UN:Project. Originally a Guardian Fighter, he has built up ALTs of all classes and plays on BIS/near-BIS level.

2 thoughts on “Why I like the Concept of Battle of Azeroth Warfronts

  • November 10, 2017 at 10:55 am
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    Neverwinter DOES have something that sets it apart from the rest. It has the foundry. User generated content for an MMO is something that is rarely seen and at one point it did set neverwinter apart from the rest of MMORPGs. Unfortunately the devs (and cryptic/PWI) have shown time and time again that it does not care about it so it has deteriorated to the point where it’s not even mentioned anymore..

  • November 13, 2017 at 12:05 pm
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    Thanks for the article J0Shi. I agree, it would be nice if Nevewinter had a little something special. Sahha can totally be fun if it’s worked on. Also, maybe Cryptic can take a look at lots of content they have already created which can be super fun if rewards and challenging difficulty is incorporated.

    The quest in Maze Engine where you have to run from dragons with Makos comes to mind. Also the event where you have to escort a merchant cart through a zone, I forget which one it is. They’ve included that mechanic in Merchant Prince’s Folly, which is nice. It just needs to be tweaked to become a lot of fun. There are several mechanics in Underdark that could be fun. Like you said, they get 90% there, then become distracted and lose steam. There are many more ideas like that which can completely revitalize this game.

    I am happy though that they seem to be moving in the direction of including more diversity with each new module.

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