World of Warcraft players always get excited with the launch of a new expansion, a new major content patch, or a major feature. Everyone always forgets that launches suffer from a myriad of issues. This Patch 11.2.7’s Housing launch is not the exception. It is, in fact, worse than one could have imagined.
You start the Housing quest and teleport to — say — Razorwind Shores (Horde).
The quest asks you to explore the island (optional) or to purchase your lot to build your house.
You either played in Alpha, Beta, or watched a stream and liked say lot #39. That’s the one at the cliff to the east. Problem. It’s been purchased by someone else.
You talk to Tocho Cloudhide, the tauren, and select: “I want to see other neighborhood options.”
Sure, it shows you the name of the neighborhoods… but each has the never-ending loading animation and never shows you the available lots in each neighborhood.
This is the one feature that allows you to cycle through different neighborhoods until you find an empty Lot #39 available for purchase. If you are that player, you are stuck there waiting for that loading animation. Poor experience for you.
But other player might have figured out that they can bypass waiting for that never-ending loading screen. Simply take the portal back to Orgrimmar, then take the portal to Razorwind Shores. This method teleports you to a different neighborhood every single time.
Well, that’s another loopy, poor experience. When you open the map, some lots are available for purchase, but Lot #39 is acquired. You teleport back to Orgrimmar, then again back to Razorwind Shores. Open the map. Same result. Now repeat this 15 times, and maybe you finally find one neighborhood with an empty Lot #39. You press Whirling Surge and spam Surge Forward to get there as fast as you can. You click on the Cornerstone to purchase Lot #39… and it is reserved.
You teleport back to Orgrimmar, and back to Razorwind Shores another 15-25 times. Finally, a second Lot #39 is available. You press Whirling Surge and spam Surge Forward to get there as fast as you can. As you land, you see over 20 people standing on the cornerstone, and there is a House already.
At this point, I have repeated the teleporting to Orgrimmar and back to Razorwind Shores about 60+ times. Lot #39 is simply beyond my reach. Tocho’s words torment me: “This place has much to offer. Let’s see what we can find for you. And if you can’t find what you want or you have any questions, be sure to speak up.”
Hearing these words over 60 times feels very groundhog day-ish. Should I continue another 60 times? Should I just accept I won’t have my precious?
At this point, either one must wait until the developers fix the never-ending loading animation so that I can cycle through Neighborhoods to see if a Lot #39 is available or create my own neighborhood — and that still doesn’t guarantee that one of the charter signees won’t also claim Lot #39 before I get there.
This should have been designed so that anyone who wants Lot # 39 clicks “Purchase” and a shard is created. No need to wait for the never-ending loading screen in the neighborhood dashboard. No need to teleport to Orgrimmar and back to Razorwind Shores 60-120 times.
