Blizzard's Greg Ghostcrawler Street answers questions with Legendary

Written by: Olivia Grace (@oliviadgrace) | December 4, 2012 2:43 pm

102 Comments

Gary Gannon, Josh Allen and Olivia Grace interview Blizzard Lead Systems Designer Greg “Ghostcrawler” Street!

10 vs 25-man raiding
Cross-Realm Zones
Daily Quests
Making Reputation Easier for Alts
Reputation Tabards?
Class Balance
Boss Encounter design
LFR Loot system
New talents a success?
PvP Balance
PvP power and PvP resilience
Gear Escalation
PvP balance’s influence on PvE

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Blizzard's Greg Ghostcrawler Street answers questions with Legendary

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http://twitter.com/HallusH HallusH

0_o
http://twitter.com/yarb23 Yadiel Báez

WAIT WUAT!? Whoaa! Gamebreaker on the spot huh!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=727587287 Blake Morris

are 40 man raids dead? been out of the WoW game for a while now… just curious
- mcfoyle
  
  lol like 6 years ago they died
- http://twitter.com/Luke_Malcolm Luke Malcolm
  
  They got removed when The Burning Crusade came out
http://www.facebook.com/nicolas.schaeffer Wicko Schaeffer

I wish it was more of a talk show rather than an interview, I think Lore exposing his opinion regarding dailies and letting GC answer his concerns would have been more interesting than juste letting GC giving us the usual blizz answser we’ve all seen on official forums.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Miguel-Crespo/501398647 Miguel Crespo

Gamebreaker doesnt know how to do a Interview lol
http://twitter.com/rutherford_lily Lily

:O amazing! Great work guys!
http://twitter.com/Latinkuro Latinkuro

Ghostcrawler says: you should be happy when there are other same faction players around not grumpy because they are competing with you for mob tags and node resources i think that kind of sucks !!!

I say: funny, this is pure guild wars 2 philosophy, good to see Guild Wars influencing the genre already this early on, even mighty wow cannot deny that fact. as per the example above.
- http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr
  
  Mob tapping and resource farming are such timeless MMO problems.
  
  I do like Guild Wars 2 design, but it really sets you up for BOTS, farming zones for xp and mats.
Monstercloud

I didn’t really hear any “hard-hitting questions” that I haven’t heard answered or at least touched on before. I didn’t expect them regardless, but I didn’t hear anything that hasn’t been asked before.

Even reading the bullet points, I was interested seeing “Gear Escalation”, hoping to touch on why balance Fire for mages based on future numbers, rather than current.

It felt like just another “meh” interview alot of WoW fansites get.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1428018828 Laurent Forest

Great job!!! Love the open floor like discussion. 2 thumbs up ^^
http://twitter.com/Luke_Malcolm Luke Malcolm

Meanwhile at Blizzard HQ, Notepads are out and ready as Josh Allen begins to speak.
http://twitter.com/Tidonius Tidonius

Gary’s working so hard to get every “working as intended” he can in.
- http://twitter.com/oliviadgrace Olivia Grace
  
  Gary’s working as intended. It was so much fun doing this!
  - Demi_God
    
    First I would point out that you are covered in green paint in your photo, or you have an evil twin with a terrible skin pigment malady. I will not judge either way.
    
    Secondly, I think it is appropriate that you should refrain from positive comments. The comment section underneath a video post such is this is reserved only for satirical remarks and non-constructive criticism. All other such posts will be trolled.
    
    Thank you,
    The Internetz
Demi_God

Where was the class nerfing, terrible content creating, crazed tyrant known as Ghostcrawler during this interview?

This particular individual answered questions in a timely, methodical manner that seemed to make sense. He seemed almost human, almost.
- http://www.facebook.com/kip.braunstadter Kip Braunstadter
  
  lol i felt the same way. glad GB landed this interview
Bandwidth_Druid

Great interview! Good job as always GBTV!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1660476603 Rob Kellams

This was great!!! I loved having Ghostcrawler here. really hope to see more interviews
Bandwidth_Druid

Great interview! Keep up the good work GBTV!
http://twitter.com/devdavi Davi

This was pretty sweet, congrats gamebreaker!
Key Foster

Super Great!!! Very good info. Love the live interaction.
http://twitter.com/Ricksterness Rick

Confirmed: Ghostcrawler watches Legendary and enjoys Lores’ disdain for dailies.
http://www.facebook.com/C4darkmane Andrew Clive Early

Shame he wasnt on Cam, but still awesome for you guys to get him on the show. great questions.
- http://twitter.com/oliviadgrace Olivia Grace
  
  Hopefully next time!
Andreas Phylactou

Congratulations Gamebreaker……really big stuff having an interview with Ghostcrawler. Keep up the good work….so proud of you guys!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1202711774 Rivka Lichter

Awesome interview! And congrats on getting him to chat with you, really cool
http://twitter.com/Slayerqt Bradley

Kinda surprised there wasn’t an ad break in the middle to plug in Storm Legion.
- http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr
  
  Have to wonder how much Gary wanted to ask about player/guild housing. Bring Rifts Dimensions into the discussion.
http://twitter.com/crocodilius ryan phillips

Greg Street called……he wants his loot back!
Suicideking666

Olivia looks so excited.
- http://twitter.com/oliviadgrace Olivia Grace
  
  I was approximately 9x more excited than I look!
Nova2012

Very nice to see, Gratz! GBTV . It’s amazing to see 3 geeks with webcams, almost burning down their studio and wearing wiggs turn into a whole bunch of geeks working to give us the gaming news in a professional manner (ok ok, yes they have some fun along the way). We all know that the fact that Greg Street agree’d to do this interview is a sign that everything is working as intended and I don’t have to ask myself, why do I watch these guys? So freaking proud of your success! You got your Homie’s & Bitches here bro!

Thank you!
Shagral

Wow! This was super interesting. Moar interviews please!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Hamad-Ali-Al-Jalahma/512893526 Hamad Ali Al-Jalahma

This was amazing, hope we get to see more interviews in the future.
http://twitter.com/TheFeyLife Fey

No way! I think it’s safe to say, GameBreaker, you are a big deal now. Horraayyyy!!!
jayremy

Ghostcrawler talking while his face remains frozen in a smile looks silly.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Ed-Bennett/705015073 Ed Bennett

Congratz on getting this interview guys! Really coming up in the world Was really great to watch
http://www.facebook.com/patty.anthony Patty Anthony

Great interview, good job!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000044363739 Joakim Nango

Ghostcrawler, you suck.
- http://twitter.com/unigolyn unigolyn
  
  Go away. GC is the best dev this game has ever had. You are either ignorant of pre-Wrath balance, or are confused about what GC’s job actually is.
  - http://www.facebook.com/justin.rose.587 Justin Rose
    
    shutup, your prolly a mage
http://www.facebook.com/mark.bradden.1 Mark Bradden

why not ask when free to play was coming or when titan will be ready or is the annual pass gone for ever .
- http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr
  
  The annual pass would have been a good question. Not sure if the other two questions would have elicited much of a response.
- http://twitter.com/CoCoSeltzer Junkens
  
  WoW isn’t going Free to Play. It’s back up to over 10 million subscribers because it’s still the best of the best among MMOs. Why fix it if it ain’t broken? Get over it.
  - http://twitter.com/maaDDoc =maD.Doc:.
    
    Best of the best is a question of taste, sure the numbers says it, but I know a lot of people playing WoW that doesn’t really like the game, but plays it for the social aspect and hang out with the friends they’ve made over the years. So it is all a question of taste.
http://www.facebook.com/brandon.rauls.5 Brandon Rauls

Ghostcrawler can kiss my fucking ass for ruining the Fire Mage spec…. I hope you get beaten with a fucking crowbar
- http://twitter.com/Fromnowear James Moynihan
  
  1) Just look at the data. Fire is still very good in PvE based on the raid parses being logged. It’s enormous lead over *every other spec in the game* has just been reduced.
  2) Representation and consequently dps of arcane and frost has gone up in those parses as more skilled players try them out. That’s healthy for the game to have diversity.
  3) Most importantly of all: That’s a really extreme statement you made about GC. Take a step back and remember it’s a game. It’s great that you’re passionate about it, but this is not an appropriate response and greatly discredits other gamers in the community by your example.
  - Skiprichards
    
    Fire mage is a terrible example due to the fact that its extremely RNG crit based. I play a fire mage and i can do insane damage on a boss one week, and not do near the damage the following encounter. This is why you see fire mages dominate the top logs for many bosses when in reality its rather inconsistent.
http://twitter.com/Ishenar Mephit

^
http://twitter.com/Ishenar Mephit

Make those rep tabards available for people who have hit revered. The commendations at revered are frkin useless.
- http://profile.yahoo.com/LQQTTYOYF7336LX3GJWPPHERN4 George Proper
  
  no it isnt once u get the commendations its all ur toons that get the 100% rep so ur alts get it
  - http://twitter.com/Ishenar Mephit
    
    I was thinking it would be nicer to have a BoA tabard available @ revered so you dont have to haul every alt through dailies. Just an idea!
    - http://twitter.com/LunaSaint Alex Muggleton
      
      But then you wouldn’t get any charms.
      Besides, after about 40 heroics there’s no real reason to run them anymore.
http://twitter.com/Deadalon Deadalon

Thank you GB for getting this interview – Just goes to show how good job you are doing. And still you are able to be critical about the game – instead of beeing fanboys.
- http://twitter.com/Deadalon Deadalon
  
  I still would have tried to get more info on how LFR loot system is affecting the roles played atm. I feel alot of healers and tanks are going DPS now with Brawlers guild.
  - http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr
    
    That would be interesting to know if that is a thing. While I’m running Brawler matches with my Frost Mage and Affic Lock, I’m not bothering with my Resto Druid.
    - http://twitter.com/Deadalon Deadalon
      
      Ye – I think alot of ppl have left their hybrid classes alone for this expansion when they see new systems like LFR loot and ilvl systems.
      
      So far this seems to be the expansion of the pure classes. Most players will now focus on improving their gear for 1 role and that reduces the likelyhood of ppl playing hybrids.
      
      Many players liked to play hybrids and gear up in 2-3 specs. Now its pretty much impossible with the new ilvl system. The game is balanced for those extra 8 ilvls and if you dont have them you will be gimped to very high degree the further you go into this expansion.
      
      This is something that BLizzard totally missed when implementing these systems and I think the long term effects could be very big if not fixed.
      - http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr
        
        I could see where gear upgrade points and legendary gems will really affect off specs.
  - http://twitter.com/oliviadgrace Olivia Grace
    
    That’s an interesting question, actually. Given the amount of solo content, is anyone tank/heal specced any more?
    - http://twitter.com/Deadalon Deadalon
      
      Ye the current system is very punishing for tanks and healers. Many healers that now are trying to get dps gear for Brawlers guild are Qing as DPS in LFR and making the Qs longer and longer. If they had ways to get 476 offspec gear they would just Q as healers – get rewarded and reward everyone playing with shorter Q times.
      
      I see this getting worse with every week we play. The current systems in the game – LFR loot system, Daily quests, Brawlers guild AND the new Valor ilvl system are pushing ppl towards going DPS. Something has to be done – and it has to happen very quickly. This is for me a thing that BLizzard has ignored and the focus on 1 character and 1 spec is to high atm.
      
      Some specs have a total nightmare gearing up dps gear. Holy paladins have it worst since they need entire new set of strength gear but all healing classes are suffering greatly because of this.
      - http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr
        
        Main spec/Off spec gear has existed in WoW for awhile now. Now that Mists has been out for over a month, collecting off spec gear during heroic dungeons and normal raids have not been a problem.
        
        While I can see the pressure to go dps in lfr for that dps set, a basic set of dps gear should be fine for dailies.
        
        I do agree that the gear upgrades will increase the difference between your main and off spec gear, I still think the system has great upside.
        
        Brawlers Guild is probably going to be short term content, I’m just not that focused on getting my main healer through Brawl’gar.
        
        Personally, when I play my Resto Druid, I like to heal and don’t get to distracted by any dps content.
    - http://www.facebook.com/howboutnok Brady Loftus
      
      Im a resto shaman rarely will i change to my ele OS, ill get a friend to dps or tank the dailies with me
    - Pernille Sylvest
      
      I do solo content in dk blood spec. My priest go as disc or spriest, depending on my mood and who I am doing dailies with. Switching her spec on soloing is nearly not worth the bother.
http://www.facebook.com/mitchel.vanderpol Mitchel Van der Pol

That evil face.. It’s staring into my soul, and at the same time nerfing my class D:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000880806773 Jeremy Johnson

Ghostcrawler is a fucking duchebag
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000416714256 Gareth Tucker

Great interview, hopefully next time you can get in some tougher questions without making it awkward for him.

perhaps you can do the same for other games as well, GW2/Rift and such.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_JD5RIAPTFFZFIF3DCNYVVG7NIQ Kyle Bohannon

should have played the first 30 seconds of blizz blues ep :11 is hunters op?

“let me go ahead and summarize all the q&a’s now and all the ones in the future”
“yea you know we might could do that”

lol
http://www.facebook.com/Danimal5882 Daniel Gagne

I still would like to see the LFR and Elder Charm drop rate increase to 20%, but I’m thrilled that Blizz is at least considering a “reroll” option for duplicate loot, unwanted loot, etc. Best idea I’ve heard outside of a greater drop rate. The only thing is though, take it a small step further – make it a random chance, if loot is won, to be any appropriate item from any loot table in the particular LFR segment one is in (or entire instance if need be). This would give some people extra reason to kill bosses that they’ve cleaned out, loot wise, or at least a reason to grumble less when killing such bosses. It would definately give some replayable value to every boss in every segment that a player considered worth running for loot (could there even be a slight chance at a valor reward instead of gold if a less-lucky roll was made?).

Of course the chance of getting loot from any boss this way would be rather slim anyways (15% X 15% = just over 2% chance – like the Ashes of Alar?) Still, for players a chance is a chance, and for some players who are obsessed with getting a particular piece of loot, any chance is a chance they can’t pass up. What do you think of that idea Greg? That might help quite some of the people like myself voicing frustrations with the current LFR gear rate, eh?

Thanks so much for doing this Interview with my favorite wow people! I was soo excited when I saw the video posted!
http://www.facebook.com/fernando.rainha.1 Fernando Rainha

Just nerf 30% frost mage damage. I don’t know how the hell you let the freaking TfB and remove gag order that was used to save a healer in a deep.
Healer in a deep no trinket = death
You don’t nerf mages cuz the game would be peaceful for a long time and you would lose money
Krzysztof Kotarba

nice legendary episode. Maybe next time instead pic put like forum avatar or something like that… It feels wierd waching that pic for 30 min my soul is nerfed
http://www.facebook.com/howboutnok Brady Loftus

I am a resto shaman ele OS i hate it when i have to dps, so i generally play as my resto ill survive with out the dps
http://twitter.com/kirzanSix Michael Coulombe

He’s looking at you, staring into your mind. And all you can hear is: “I will nerf youuuuuuuuuuuu!”
pool842

People can be so weird sometimes…. especially the weird goatee guy lol…is it just me or do these three give you the impression that they are owed something? I Don’t know, they just look like they need to get out more, like wow is there actual world? If that makes sense? I don’t know Its probably just me.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_QIVAVX6YWOKIOX4IM5R24XKM6Y CommonS3ns3

Hybrids can still heal all to well shit needs to be nerfed more not buffed whinner goatee boy just sucks at pvp
- Demi_God
  
  So what you are saying is that you are still losing to underpowered, over-nerfed elemental shaman, ret paladins, etc. Have you considered improving your game?
  
  Don’t answer actually, we all know you’re mad because you’re bad.
Kagitaar

Congratulations on getting the interview guys, I was quite surprised when I saw the video on MMOChamp with your tag.

There we a few spots you could have pushed a little harder, but overall I thought it was a nice interview.
- Demi_God
  
  I think Gamebreaker is one of the few sites if no the only site, that realizes that if you approach a developer with “gotcha questions” that will be your first and last interview with them.
  
  There are plenty of other websites trying had to provide leaked screenshots and gaffes from developers.
http://twitter.com/RichardIRL Richard Elder

The only real problem I see with getting duplicate items in LFR is that item that you already have may be an upgrade for someone else in the raid. Since it’s not tradable it’s impossible to help people that can actually use it. I was kind of disappointed that I received a piece of armor that I had to vendor since I was already wearing it, instead of it going to someone who could really use it.
- Pernille Sylvest
  
  The only problem I see with duplicates is that I can not disenchant the excess copies of an item I get.
  
  An option of being able to give disenchant service in the no trade slot of the trade window, or being able to send those items to the enchanter on the account, or making disenchant account wide, when the account has a disenchanter at appropriate level (together with smelting, milling and prospecting for other mat refining abilities), but that is a can of wurms to open up for.
- http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr
  
  Yeah, but that would defeat the purpose of the first RNG roll that determines who gets gear. A large guild could class stack in a lfr run and then assign the gear based on their guild raid needs.
  - Bigdaveusmc
    
    The RNG roll, whatever the F that is, is a completely stupid method for most gear. I don’t care if a guild power runs members for gear. This appears to be the ole, punish the many for the sins of a few. I wonder if they do the same moronic thing internally with polices and employee management.
http://twitter.com/FERADOPASTO FERA DO PASTO

How about doing LFR every week and geting nothing but gold ? is it intended to work that way ? because im a subscriber and im geting very frustrated about it, is that what u guys wanted to do in 5.1 ?
- http://twitter.com/Deadalon Deadalon
  
  Ye – this is a issue and will get bigger and bigger the further we go into this expansion. Lets not forget that it can take 30 runs to get an item dropping in LFD. I can’t see subscribers paying for 30 weeks to get a lvl 476 weapon dropping in LFR…. Not even 2 months.
  Like GC said – they feel its better that ppl are angry at them rather than other players in LFR. But I doubt he will be saying that when ppl will start unsubing based on pure frustration of Random loot drops and duplicates in LFR.
  
  There has to be a happy medium on character progress. Its not atm with system like LFR loot system.
  - Pernille Sylvest
    
    I run LFR on two toons, and I have had items drop at least every other week on both, one of them got the weapon. Discounting duplicates.
    
    Upgrades from raiding every other week is pretty close to how it would be in normal/heroic raids, when the encounters are on farm status (my own thumb rule is after getting the encounter down three times, then it is farming) and you still need upgrades.
    
    Raiding never was an option to get a weekly upgrade before so I do not see why it should be now. However MoP is as close as ever to it, if you count in the vp earned which with a couple of dungeons/dailies ends up with enough vp for another upgrade every 1.5-2 weeks.
    
    It sucks when it is a duplicate item that can only be vendored or reforged/gemmed/enchanted for optimizing offspec gearset, rather than a real upgrade. Would be nice if there is a loot chance of crafting mats too, so the gold bag is less frequent – and even better if a duplicate can be disenchanted.
  - http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr
    
    I’m running LFR on my alts and so far my ilevel is 480. Should finish up my legendary gem this week and upgrade my lfr caster sha touched weapon.
    
    While there is a significant RNG component to LFR, let’s not continue with the entitlement theme. Encouraging the thinking, because I play a sub, I’m entitled to gear.
    
    All, I look for from raiding is a fair roll on gear.
http://www.facebook.com/shaun.laskey.9 Shaun Laskey

bullshit pvp gear is op over lfr as pve…its funny how pve cant do shit againt pvp gear though, when im a way higher lvl
- Jason McDaniel
  
  You are comparing apples and oranges. You have no PVP power. Get some PVP gear or quit bitching!
http://twitter.com/dohcheezits Doh Cheezus

I believe in Harvey Dent. I mean Greg Street
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=505406819 Steve Manning

Go fuck yourself Greg Street. You’re a worthless piece of shit that has continuously ruined this game ever since you came on board. I hate you, and wish you’d get your lying, lazy piece of shit ass fired. Go back to playing in the water.
http://www.facebook.com/brandon.white.37266136 Brandon White

Should ask him why he sucks at his job.
http://profile.yahoo.com/KEIHUKGGWJITTQHSEGZDVHYZTI Uncle Larr

So what I’m hearing is yeah we implemented all these changes knowing they weren’t really good solutions but we did it anyhow thinking “Hey we can always just try to fix it later” on the customers time…..
- http://twitter.com/Pwnstar2 Pwnstar
  
  Yep, MoP launch felt like it was a rush, and half done.. Seems like they just wanted to push release with known problems… Oh well, Blizzard has lost my trust in making quality games
http://www.facebook.com/davidallmighty David Cohen

The new talent system is 100% cookie cutter imo… if yur a tank you take these, if youre a dps you take these, if youre a healer you take these, and if you pvp or pve you take these. Yes there is a small amount of wiggle room, but I wouldn’t say it is any different then the original system, if not it is more cookie cutter then before. At least with Mon, Priest, Warrior, which are the 3 I play.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Schmo-Schumacher/100002102358837 Schmo Schumacher

Blizz needs some balance with the devs’, the archmage is a worthless dork.
Bob Smith

Street looks like a guy with Downs
- Saboteur Sweden
  
  Please bann this bastard.
http://twitter.com/Pwnstar2 Pwnstar

Rofl.. I love how he just skipped the question about Rogue talents, and was talking about Pally..
Thanks, that is why I canceled my Sub
http://www.facebook.com/keri.strasza.9 Keri Strasza

Ok, part of this pissed me off, Avoiding cookie cutter talents, bull crap, you totally screwed that up when you made some of the Tier Bonus’s REQUIRE a specific talent, this is totally unacceptable.
Bigdaveusmc

The current loot system and the crap rep system, need to be replaced.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1345807311 Yordan Yurukov

I’m glad that I learned the goal/strategy of WOW. “Never run out of stuff to do”. We don’t play games for stuff to do or pay money to do stuff. We play for fun and there is no fun in farming honor/conquest/justice/valor and now even real farm? Patch after patch, change after change. I’m glad that other games appeared which are pure fun for no subscriptions. I stopped paying for just doing stuff.

Blizzard's Greg Ghostcrawler Street answers questions with Legendary

Patch 5.3 Release Date Confirmed

Patch 5.3: Purely Pandaria Profession Leveling!

Preparing for Patch 5.3

Patch 5.3: Blizzard’s First Ever Live Video Interview!

This Week in MMO Ep 144:
WildStar, Rift, Dust 514

Patch 5.3 Release Date Confirmed

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