In the early days of World of Warcraft, the intention was for players to acquire viable leveling gear through professions. However, internal disagreements among designers meant that some individuals "cheated a little bit" to enhance the power of their crafted items, according to a recent interview with principal designer Kris Zierhut.
Zierhut, who joined Blizzard in 2005, reflected on the "no changes" era of WoW Classic in 2019. He noted that during development, there were instances where mistakes were made, and changes that were considered necessary were not implemented. One such area was the role of crafted gear in the original game.
While professions were designed to offer players robust gear options, the system was not uniformly applied. The primary issue stemmed from designers working on raid and dungeon content indirectly increasing the power of their own gear. "Eric Dodds, the crafting designer, was always very responsible and followed the rules, and other people cheated a little bit," Zierhut explained.
This clandestine adjustment meant that raid and dungeon gear often superseded what could be crafted, despite the initial design goals. The revelation offers a humorous glimpse into the studio dynamics of the early 2000s, where developers might have subtly influenced game balance to benefit their own areas of focus.
Recent developments, particularly with World of Warcraft: Forever, are now addressing these historical imbalances. Players can expect to find many high-quality, soulbound crafted items that can compete directly with gear obtained through questing and dungeons, making professions a valuable component of the leveling experience once again.