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WoW Retail’s Tier Sets are often the focus of discussion in the community, and that’s not really a bad thing. It’s a system we’ve had for nearly the entire lifetime of the MMO - with one, dark, noteworthy exception. This system went from direct gear drops to a token system, which isn’t the focus of this discussion. The problem comes from some players thinking that the system simply doesn’t work anymore.
One of the major problems people have with the WoW Retail Tier Sets is that it doesn’t promote build diversity. These sets of gear instead force players down typically one very direct route, if you want to take advantage of a tier set’s bonuses. That’s the point of having it - that and the often cool cosmetic designs. But are they really a bad idea? No - but there is a bit of a caveat.
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WoW Retail’s Tier Sets are a good idea but could use a little updating
As someone who has raided on and off for nearly the entire lifetime of WoW Retail, I’ve chased more than my fair share of tier sets. It was so hard to get them in the 40-man raid days, but over time, it got a little easier to pick them up. You still had to fight multiple people over the Gear Tokens, but the groups got smaller in exchange.
One of the reasons Tier Sets are complained about is that they limit build diversity - what’s the point of having a ton of talents if there’s one defined build each season, based on whatever the Tier Set bonuses grant? That’s the problem I’ve always had with this kind of system in WoW Retail in the first place. Any set bonus that requires a specific talent or talents to use shouldn't be the design choice.
Tier armor is one of the greatest rewards in the game, after all - they feature special designs, high stats, and in general, are a reward for grinding out harder content in the game. I don’t even mind that tier armor has become easier to get via the Revival Catalyst.
In fact, as someone who doesn’t have as much time to raid as they used to, having multiple options is a brilliant change. It gives more players access to that kind of awesome gear for just playing the game. My problem comes in with the concept of build diversity. I just think the designs for this gear in WoW should feel strong, without leading players to a type of build.
In the old days, you were only given one set of bonuses per class, and you just had to deal with it. It was based on a particular build - Prot Warriors, Restoration Shaman, et cetera. Then, after many years, this type of armor was completely removed from WoW Retail - in Battle for Azeroth, specifically. This was not a popular decision and was reversed for the following expansion.
In modern times, each spec of a class has a different set of tier bonuses, which is a nice change of pace. Older sets didn’t have that luxury. However, I do think it can still stifle build diversity, and bring players around to just having one way to play, regardless of what spec they’re in.
You also don’t have to farm two to three sets of tier gear since the bonuses/stats change depending on what spec you’re in. Players will always complain about tier sets, every single season/expansion. It’s just how the game goes. You can’t please everybody in an MMO.
However, I would be interested to see what would happen if each spec had more generic, universal tier set bonuses that, while not focusing on a particular build, are still worth having. It could potentially serve both the master of build diversity, and creativity. One of the harder parts of designing this gear has to be making unique, powerful options for every spec and every class each season.
At the end of the day, tier sets are one of the biggest parts of WoW, and you want them to feel fun without feeling like they alienate certain types of players/build designs. We’ll just have to see what shakes out of the first set of The War Within. We know what the gear looks like, but not what it does.
My solution may not even be the right answer - I’m comfortable with that. I don’t think that tier sets are a bad idea, but I do think there needs to be some adjustment in how the bonuses are handed out on WoW Retail servers.
