I just checked my WoW folder size. I simply let it download the new stuff to an existing installation and do its thing per usual. As of right now (8/2/16) World of Warcraft for Mac occupies 52.32 GB on my iMac.
I have no idea what manages what or how but that is what I wound up with here.
As for class balance changes and the usual multitude of other changes with an expansion I really have to say, welcome to the ever changing world of MMORPGs. Every one of them changes over time. If you cannot hack that you probably need to play other kinds of games as these will repeatedly rock your boat and upset you. Change is a way of life in WoW and in every other MMO I have ever played and I've been playing them since early EverQuest and Asheron's Call.
When people become upset about change I think they forget that the developers are not out to get them, are not incompetent, don't listen, listen to the wrong people, listen to whiners, ignore legitimate gripes, etc. What really is going on is that they are trying to make the game better iteratively over time. Inevitably, some changes will wind up having unexpected consequences once they go live and need further refinement. In game systems this huge and complex from a software engineering standpoint the pursuit of the holy grail of perfect balance and everyone being happy for the most part most of the time is a never ending battle.
Don't worry. If you hate something and a lot of other people feel the same way you do, it probably will change if it truly is detrimental to the game overall.
If you like WoW or any other MMO for that matter, ride out the changes and be constructive with feedback if you care to bother offering it on the forums, etc. You get a lot farther with sugar. They are trying. I really do believe that having worked in development myself. However, it is so much more complex to balance and change things and try to get it all just right than users are normally able to appreciate. They want to please you. They want you to be happy with the game. They want to feel proud of their work. They want to enjoy playing it themselves.
Blizzard developers actually do communicate quite a lot with users about changes, the thinking behind them and they do take feedback seriously. Those complaining that they do not must have missed the recent series of developer chats on twitch I think it was where various major areas of development and change in the game were discussed in detail. What I saw in watching these was an acknowledgement of legitimate criticism and a commitment to continue trying to make it the best game they can.
I'm not saying all this as a fanboy blind to WoW's issues. There is plenty of room for improvement to be sure but I also think it gets a lot right and for the most part have a lot of fun with it. I don't expect perfection with any software and it is a good thing because there is no such thing and I doubt there ever will be.
By the way, my response to the usual flood of changes for an expansion is to do absolutely nothing, as in I haven't even logged in for all the pre-release hoopla yet. I'm busy with other stuff and I'll let the dust settle for a while on the normal issues of server disconnects, bugs and the rest of it. It's enough to deal with logging into toons who don't work the same as before without the other issues too. I like to set myself up for a little better experience by waiting a bit at times like these. I might login tonight finally but I might not get to it. WoW will be there when I feel like it.
I have no idea what manages what or how but that is what I wound up with here.
As for class balance changes and the usual multitude of other changes with an expansion I really have to say, welcome to the ever changing world of MMORPGs. Every one of them changes over time. If you cannot hack that you probably need to play other kinds of games as these will repeatedly rock your boat and upset you. Change is a way of life in WoW and in every other MMO I have ever played and I've been playing them since early EverQuest and Asheron's Call.
When people become upset about change I think they forget that the developers are not out to get them, are not incompetent, don't listen, listen to the wrong people, listen to whiners, ignore legitimate gripes, etc. What really is going on is that they are trying to make the game better iteratively over time. Inevitably, some changes will wind up having unexpected consequences once they go live and need further refinement. In game systems this huge and complex from a software engineering standpoint the pursuit of the holy grail of perfect balance and everyone being happy for the most part most of the time is a never ending battle.
Don't worry. If you hate something and a lot of other people feel the same way you do, it probably will change if it truly is detrimental to the game overall.
If you like WoW or any other MMO for that matter, ride out the changes and be constructive with feedback if you care to bother offering it on the forums, etc. You get a lot farther with sugar. They are trying. I really do believe that having worked in development myself. However, it is so much more complex to balance and change things and try to get it all just right than users are normally able to appreciate. They want to please you. They want you to be happy with the game. They want to feel proud of their work. They want to enjoy playing it themselves.
Blizzard developers actually do communicate quite a lot with users about changes, the thinking behind them and they do take feedback seriously. Those complaining that they do not must have missed the recent series of developer chats on twitch I think it was where various major areas of development and change in the game were discussed in detail. What I saw in watching these was an acknowledgement of legitimate criticism and a commitment to continue trying to make it the best game they can.
I'm not saying all this as a fanboy blind to WoW's issues. There is plenty of room for improvement to be sure but I also think it gets a lot right and for the most part have a lot of fun with it. I don't expect perfection with any software and it is a good thing because there is no such thing and I doubt there ever will be.
By the way, my response to the usual flood of changes for an expansion is to do absolutely nothing, as in I haven't even logged in for all the pre-release hoopla yet. I'm busy with other stuff and I'll let the dust settle for a while on the normal issues of server disconnects, bugs and the rest of it. It's enough to deal with logging into toons who don't work the same as before without the other issues too. I like to set myself up for a little better experience by waiting a bit at times like these. I might login tonight finally but I might not get to it. WoW will be there when I feel like it.
