60 and Beyond (End-Game Progression)

[Zarathustra]

Eyonix (I believe) mentioned that the druid epic quest is currently midway through design I believe.
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Disclaimer: My main is a Druid. It is the class I most enjoy in WoW, and that is considering 2 alts at 60 and 4 more in their 40s. So if this post comes across as biased, that is the reason.

The biggest complaint Druid players have regarding quests is not the lack of an epic-item-omg-shiney-reward quest, but the entire skill/talent progression after level 16 that is lacking. I have to say I was amazed playing my Druid in December of 2004 and seeing that there was a quest for every new skill I was gaining. Talk to the Great Bear Spirit? Awesome. A long quest chain to find the source of a poison in Darkshore, culminating in receiving the ability to cure poisons? Rock on. Retrieval of the pieces of a sacred amulet in areas I'd never even HEARD of (I remember thinking, "where the hell is the Gold Coast Quarry?"), swimming into waters where both my breath and fatigue bar are making things tense (before they made the quest easier to cater to the whiners), and then receiving a new travel form for underwater? Wow.

I was drawn into the class. I felt a true progression with my character as he "learned" his new skills. Then level 20 arrived and it was time for Cat Form.

*pays 30 copper*
*learns Cat Form*

Wait... what? That's it? There's a Great Cat Spirit in southern Moonglade begging for a quest to be put in place... and I just buy the skill?

It wouldn't have been as noticeable if not for the rich backstory and very involved plot in early levels, and I'm quite please with the job they did through a Druid's teens. But after that point there is absolutely no progression in the way of quests.

I truly WANT to see a difficult quest line leading to Remove Curse. I want the necessity to seek out a powerful Druid of the Talen to learn Hurricane now that every Druid has it available to him. I want to see a long-distance delivery that outlaws the use of any flight paths, hearth stones, or teleportation, with a time limit, ultimately rewarding with travel form. I want to return to the Great Bear Spirit and accept some important task in order to learn Dire Bear Form.

The same goes for all classes. I saw much of the same with my Warlock in that the quests in his early levels were amazing and really drew me in to the flavor of the class, and then abruptly ended.

I'm glad they're working on an epic quest for Druids. I'm sure I'll enjoy it with my 60 Druid, and do hope the reward will be as well implemented as Benediction is for Priests. But I think the many levels of progression before these epic quests is more important, and should be worked on right now to enrich the game on the way to 60.