Was Blizzard too ambitious with 7.1.5?

[styil]

Nighthold is expected to release on the 17th of January, with 7.1.5 slated for release (at least a week) earlier than that. This would put 7.1.5 expected release date of January 10 at the latest. However, 7.1.5 next week seems unlikely, which makes me wonder: was Blizzard too ambitious with 7.1.5?

It feels like they set themselves unrealistic goals in a disruptive time of the year with holidays and breaks very common:
1. Talent rebalancing
2. Class rebalancing
3. Stat rebalancing
4. Legendary rebalancing
5. 7.1.5 content

At the current state, it feels like they haven't really achieved any of the first 4 goals, and are arguably even worse than how things are on live. I just cannot see every Blizzard employee returning to work tomorrow and finishing every single task they started in the next 7 days.

Do you think that Blizzard was too ambitious with their goals for 7.1.5? Should they have set themselves fewer goals to achieve or given themselves much more time to polish the patch? Or do you think that everything will be fine in the next 7 days?

[Celadir]

I don't think they are being too ambitious as they are behind in correcting a lot of issues that made it to launch. "Tweaking" numbers is expected, but what they're doing is more or less development. Examples: fire mages specifically facing a lot of changes, addressing legendary items, and a large change in how our stats add up.

[Teri]

Yes this isn't a minor tweak patch as they likely wished it was, and they are basicly running behind their own schedule of fixing existing problems, as well as being strained for Nighthold release & micro holiday announcements/dates.

[Wreckitryan]

100% agreed.

If they were ready, they wouldn't be so silent with communications.

It feels like they are extremely behind due to the holidays.

[Evilmoo]

4 days to get used to new talents / stats / rebalances?
I was hoping 7.1.5 would be tommorow, but restart notice does not mention it so yeh, tight schedule.

[Lochton]

Nighthold is expected to release on the 17th of January, with 7.1.5 slated for release (at least a week) earlier than that. This would put 7.1.5 expected release date of January 10 at the latest. However, 7.1.5 next week seems unlikely, which makes me wonder: was Blizzard too ambitious with 7.1.5?

It feels like they set themselves unrealistic goals in a disruptive time of the year with holidays and breaks very common:
1. Talent rebalancing
2. Class rebalancing
3. Stat rebalancing
4. Legendary rebalancing
5. 7.1.5 content

At the current state, it feels like they haven't really achieved any of the first 4 goals, and are arguably even worse than how things are on live. I just cannot see every Blizzard employee returning to work tomorrow and finishing every single task they started in the next 7 days.

Do you think that Blizzard was too ambitious with their goals for 7.1.5? Should they have set themselves fewer goals to achieve or given themselves much more time to polish the patch? Or do you think that everything will be fine in the next 7 days?

Uhm, 7.1.5 has already sent out most the files to people. And Nighthold is basically ready.

[Mad_Murdock]

The good part is 1-4 only affects a percentage of players, lets says it's even a whopping 30% (though probably more like 10%). So depending on how you look at it, they could release 7.1.5 today and not that many people would overly care about the tuning. I'm guessing more folks are interested in the side items like Micro holidays and Brawlers guild.

[Moozart]

Yes this isn't a minor tweak patch as they likely wished it was, and they are basicly running behind their own schedule of fixing existing problems, as well as being strained for Nighthold release & micro holiday announcements/dates.

Micro holiday garbage could had been scrapped , the time they put into that could had been better served elsewhere.

[xxcloud417xx]

100% agreed.

If they were ready, they wouldn't be so silent with communications.

It feels like they are extremely behind due to the holidays.

I feel like you're right about the Holidays part. I mean, think about it this way, do you want to do any major product rollout or release the day after the Holidays are officially over for most people? It's a nightmare to get to the office and go "alright, let's jump right into something really really important without a bit of time to go over it again before we do."

Chances are, they're going to release it next week once they've had the time to clear up the Holiday food comas and hangovers lol

[styil]

Uhm, 7.1.5 has already sent out most the files to people. And Nighthold is basically ready.

Yes those files are part of point 5 in my list. The concerns however are with points 1-4.

[Mad_Murdock]

Micro holiday garbage could had been scrapped , the time they put into that could had been better served elsewhere.

You know that whole thing about different teams working on different things? Micro Holiday events are most certainly not the same group as class design and balance.

[boz0]

You know that whole thing about different teams working on different things? Micro Holiday events are most certainly not the same group as class design and balance.

Actually, I'm pretty sure the group that does class design and balance is on extended vacation, not micro holiday

[Dietrik]

My take away from 7.1.5 is nothing really is different for my 2 raiding toons, my profession alts have some changes, but so what?

ilvl is just as irrelevant, just more stats on higher level pieces. But rules for equipping are the same, less of that one stat i won't equip.

So all this work for Brawlers guild which i'll do at some point when i have nothing else to do.

[Stormykitten]

While i don't think everything in 7.1.5 was planned, I think it is a necessity. this time around, it's not like WoD where the content is lacking (it isn't, for most types of players) but instead we have specs that are incomplete due to the battleaxe pruning while others are very well designed, so they really have to devote a lot more at changing classes than usual. Like, I know they tend to wait for a new exp, but some specs just feel broken, even if they can put out numbers. Clearly too little iteration time to push the expansion out.

[wink-]

Not having 7.1.5 hurts me mainly because it will be another week that I can't raid with my friends. I came back late, but due to the time block with Artifact Knowledge and Order Hall Research, I can't participate. I have to wait 26 more days to equip my second legendary. I'm at artifact knowledge level 5. Even though I have the gear, I have to wait for those dang time blocks. I know I'm not alone in my pity party!

Legion has been the least friendly expansion for newcomers/late starters in WoW history.

[babalou1]

Not having 7.1.5 hurts me mainly because it will be another week that I can't raid with my friends. I came back late, but due to the time block with Artifact Knowledge and Order Hall Research, I can't participate. I have to wait 26 more days to equip my second legendary. I'm at artifact knowledge level 5. Even though I have the gear, I have to wait for those dang time blocks. I know I'm not alone in my pity party!

Legion has been the least friendly expansion for newcomers/late starters in WoW history.

You need better friends.

[Belloc]

100% agreed.

If they were ready, they wouldn't be so silent with communications.

It feels like they are extremely behind due to the holidays.

Generally, companies don't communicate much during holiday breaks.

[Dietrik]

Generally, companies don't communicate much during holiday breaks.

Also they don't typically announce anything for minor patches, just major ones. Balance patches normally just get deployed.

[Low Hanging Fruit]

Of course they were. But at least it gave everyone another subject to pointlessly bitch out about.

[Ironswan]

Not having 7.1.5 hurts me mainly because it will be another week that I can't raid with my friends. I came back late, but due to the time block with Artifact Knowledge and Order Hall Research, I can't participate. I have to wait 26 more days to equip my second legendary. I'm at artifact knowledge level 5. Even though I have the gear, I have to wait for those dang time blocks. I know I'm not alone in my pity party!

Legion has been the least friendly expansion for newcomers/late starters in WoW history.

As far as I know the patch will not be of benefit to you as far as AK goes.You still have to do the process normally since from what you have given us it that this is your first character in legion,so with that you can only boost AK when you already have a character at or above AK 20.