You enter a bright new digital world, exited to explore and hyped just to enjoy the vibe. Ten months later you're yelling at someone for standing in fire. Wh...
Ignore the clickbait title this is a really fascinating video.
You could sidestep a lot of this with a different approach to loot. It seems like Warcraft's feedback loop started at Loot With Good Numbers being the reward for Difficult Raids (from the very rough and distant perspective of an outsider with no interest in WOW). Don't do that. Don't reward the players looking for a challenge with stuff that makes the game easier. If you can, reward gameplay with more gameplay. If you can't, go with something cosmetic. You'll still end up with players grinding for the clout of a neat hat, but at least that social pressure won't be reinforced with mechanical pressure.
Even then just having the cosmetic items from completing difficult challenges would be seen as a bar. Oh you haven't downed the Giga Cum Dragon yet? Then I can assume you're hot trash.
You could sidestep a lot of this with a different approach to loot. It seems like Warcraft's feedback loop started at Loot With Good Numbers being the reward for Difficult Raids (from the very rough and distant perspective of an outsider with no interest in WOW). Don't do that. Don't reward the players looking for a challenge with stuff that makes the game easier. If you can, reward gameplay with more gameplay. If you can't, go with something cosmetic. You'll still end up with players grinding for the clout of a neat hat, but at least that social pressure won't be reinforced with mechanical pressure.
Even then just having the cosmetic items from completing difficult challenges would be seen as a bar. Oh you haven't downed the Giga Cum Dragon yet? Then I can assume you're hot trash.