If content is sufficiently difficult, you'll get your butt kicked right back out if you're under leveled, under AA'd, under geared and/or under skilled. If you have a working combination of those, then I think you have earned it. It's not about hailing npcs 1000 times, it's about being capable. Different people will earn that capability differently. If you want to earn it through progression (which still does not guarantee you capability), you have the right over self control to not skip ahead. Chose the path that suites you.
I don't have a problem with progression in theory; it does provide a sense of accomplishment. The problem with TDS progression specifically is a combination of poorly done quests and a lack of content. House of Thule launched with Tier 1 and Tier 2 unlocked, which included 6 zones. This is slightly smaller than the entire TDS expansion. While progression even there presented issues, having 6 zones available immediately when you purchase an expansion is monumentally better than having 2, with one of them being tiny. To add to this, the progression quests are basically bottlenecks, where they require you to kill mobs that are very scarce. With a whole server trying to kill the same mobs, there's bound to be drama and it certainly won't be fun.
Much of the fun, for me, of a new expansion launching is exploring the new lands. Until I've hit every zone, I don't normally like to hit a static camp for too long or start questing too much. With the two small zones that will be available tomorrow, I only see problems. On Beta, my wife and I ran into issues working new Katta's partisan line on a weekday afternoon. There were four small groups in the zone doing the same thing we were and there weren't anywhere near enough mobs to go around. Now imagine how bad these two small zones will be on live servers tomorrow. It just doesn't create a "fun" experience.
My understanding - correct me if I am wrong - is that TA's can still be sold and completed tasks will count for achievements/keying, but people who are out of the zone/not by the chest (if there is one) won't get the experience for completing the mission. Pretty sure I got a TA for one COTF mission. Or am I thinking of another expansion? They have made changes to quests and missions before, but this is the first time I am aware of that they have modified wholesale the exp/con system for all mobs across expansions. Other than when I have been deployed, this will be the first time that I haven't gotten expansions on release day since I started playing in Kunark. Crazy.
Look on the bright side. If all of the people that threatened to quit and cancel their accounts in a fit of nerdrage actually do it, there won't be enough players left to actually clog up the Tier1 TDS zones.
Of course there have to be doors/flags on new zones! How else can we keep out the riff raff? On a serious note, the first week is gonna be interesting with so many trying to flag before raids resume. I know on Bristlebane with multiple raid guilds, it's gonna be some strong competition for mobs/drops!
Well, as predicted, people are running into bottlenecks fast. Working the first partisan task in new Katta I couldn't find an elemental for drops I needed. Did /who and there were only 17 players in the zone. It's only a weekday afternoon, too. Primetime is going to be a joke.
