How will flight be handled the next expac?

[Maneo]

Ah yes, the "everyone is universal pro flying" playerbase that supposedly exists. Always good for a laugh.

remember back in WoD "No flying in WoD or any future content"... took them what a week or two to back pedal?

I sure they did that on their own accord and it had nothing to do with player feed back <rolls eyes>

[schwarzkopf]

I think WoD and Legion came up with a good balance between what makes sense (no flying) and what the noisy minority want (flying).

Can't see any reason to change. However they need to enable it in all old content (e.g. Timeless Isle, Argus in next xp) though.

[Hctaz]

Where is option #7: We get true Aerial Combat?
Because I'd be down for aerial combat.

Yeah they will never do this. They talk about how everybody hated Vashjir in Cataclysm because of the problems that flying combat enabled (and swimming IS flying combat). I never had a problem with it, but apparently enough people hated it so that they decided it was a bad idea to try it again. I assume this follows through to flying combat.

Also they would have to implement a new daze effect or make every flying mob move at mount speed. I just don't see how they'd do it. The whole point is that they don't want people to skip the ground combat. Putting some new daze effect that doesn't dismount you but you makes you permanently move slower until leaving combat would probably be just as aids to you as the way grounded only content works. But that's the only way they'd put flying in at the very start of max level without flying combat. You would have some new effect that effectively works like daze without knocking you off of your mount.

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I am in favor of having flight for everyone at launch, but give the enemy the ability to blow you out of the sky causing mass body run backs, you will be able to unlock stealth flight via a series of achievements you can only achieve via these death walks.

Honestly I wouldn't mind them doing this. Give people flight but put in that "valid lore reason" that they keep asking about. I wish they had done this in Legion TBH. Just like... you CAN fly, but if you're in the air longer than three seconds then the Sentinax just blasts you out of the sky.

[Coffeh]

No I just don't think it's a feature, or integral to my experience.


Maybe you don't have to argue everything? Maybe that's too much to ask.

This is why I can't take the anti-choice crowd seriously. If you don't want to fly, if you prefer to be on the ground, then....don't fly. You always have that option.

You can't sit there and make a serious argument about how much flying detracts from the game, then turn around and say you lack the willpower to opt for gameplay that you claim to prefer. Are you putting yourself at a disadvantage? To some degree, I guess. Without flying you can't fly to quest objectives or avoid combat. But your argument is you hate to do those things anyway. So don't then.

There is no legitimate argument against the option of flying.

[Khallid]

This is a burning question on my mind. Although I really enjoyed Legion I enjoyed it so much more once I had flight, but damn if it wasn't one hell of a wait.

Pre no flight I only had one toon I played, and very little. Post flight being enabled I have 9 toons at max level and play a considerable amount more (this applies for both me and my wife).

So what are they going to do

1. Double down on stupid put flight behind some BS achievement and it won't be available till the last half of the expac.
2. Go full dumb ass and not have flight in the expac (like they intended with WoD)
3. Have the achievement able to be completed at launch
4. Flight enabled with the first content patch
5. Flight being able to be purchased at max level
6. Flight purchasable at the in game store for 50 bucks.

I am fine with 3-6 personally.

I find that not having flight at max level doesn't make the game more immersive or engaging it just adds to the tedium.

Riding through a zone for the 20th time no different then the previous 19, dealing with WoWs horrible collision mechanics, and trash mobs so tightly packed you have little choice but to engage them even though they offer no threat challenge or reward is not engaging game play it is tedious.

Here is hoping we get a definite answer come Blizzcon.

Most likely something similar to #1. The idea is that flying trivializes quests, so once you're done with all the quests they let you fly (usually not in the initial content patches). Blizzard doesn't seem like they are going to cave out of that position. I haven't seen any blue post that would suggest a change in mentality.

I would only expect them to let us fly early on if they intentionally make the expansion areas to be impossible to navigate by land. Something like terrain being completely destroyed so flying is the only option and there is no argument to be had. This would be very intentional and ingrained in the map design, so I still think it's a long shot, but it's the only viable scenario where I think they would do it.

The issue about trash mobs has nothing to do with flying. It has to do with how much Blizzard likes to fill the maps with enemies for no reason.

[SirCowdog]

No I just don't think it's a feature, or integral to my experience.


Maybe you don't have to argue everything? Maybe that's too much to ask.

It's a forum. A place where ideas are thrown around, discussed, and argued. If you don't want to have your ideas and views challenged, then I humbly submit that you don't go to places where that's likely to happen.

Having said that: The way in which you mentioned flight was as though it was only something tacked on to just to TBC. I take issue with that, since it was part of the open world experience for TBC, WotLK, Cata, and MoP. Flight has STILL been part of the open world of the game for longer than it hasn't. This idea that flight is harmful to the game requires some pretty incredible levels of mental gymnastics and willful ignorance that I simply can't tolerate. And I will continue to fight it every time I see it posted.

If you want to say you like the grounded experience, fine. I take no issue with that. Different people like different things. But when you cross the line and suggest/imply/insinuate that flight isn't a part of WoW, then I'll cut in and argue with no hesitation. If that wasn't your intent, then I apologize. But maybe next time word your post a little better to be clear.

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I think WoD and Legion came up with a good balance between what makes sense (no flying) and what the noisy minority want (flying).

Can't see any reason to change. However they need to enable it in all old content (e.g. Timeless Isle, Argus in next xp) though.

A "good balance" meaning: Flying will be treated like shit and ignored for most of the expansion. Because that's what happened.

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Honestly I wouldn't mind them doing this. Give people flight but put in that "valid lore reason" that they keep asking about. I wish they had done this in Legion TBH. Just like... you CAN fly, but if you're in the air longer than three seconds then the Sentinax just blasts you out of the sky.

As long as there was also the ability to play well and dodge the beams, or fly low so you stay under the radar, or something similar. Simply letting people fly then making flight useless because you insta-gib as soon as you mount isn't a solution.

[schwarzkopf]

A "good balance" meaning: Flying will be treated like shit and ignored for most of the expansion. Because that's what happened.

That's very odd, Flying has been around for around 6 months now - so you either believe the next expansion is being released this week, or you aren't too hot at the maths.

Either way - flying shouldn't be in the game at all, the fact it is - that's a compromise. Your alts - they all get to fly through the content like there is no content at all.

[Mask]

Legion did it very well. Perfectly happy with this implementation.

[Nalorakk]

Remove mounts like GW2? Didn't Arena.net just added mounts to game? And one of them have ablity that's close to flying.

And the mounts are interesting and built into the world, making the game more gamey to traverse. Zipping from point A to B like WoW flying is hilariously shitty design.

[Paula Deen]

Remove flying altogether and make the world more gamey to traverse ala GW2.

The same GW2 that just added Flying Mounts?

[Doomchicken]

remember back in WoD "No flying in WoD or any future content"... took them what a week or two to back pedal?

I sure they did that on their own accord and it had nothing to do with player feed back <rolls eyes>

Oh yes, it must of been so overwhelming for them considering they had no intention of adding it in legion from the beginning like "everyone" wanted to.
Loud dipshits does not mean all people are dipshits. Thankfully.

[RobertoCarlos]

Oh yes, it must of been so overwhelming for them considering they had no intention of adding it in legion from the beginning like "everyone" wanted to.
Loud dipshits does not mean all people are dipshits. Thankfully.

Explain why its ok to sell flying mounts in the game store and the blizzcon warship/balloon mounts to help sell their overprice adcon?

Why is it ok to sell people flying mounts then restrict their use. Seems very dubious business practice to me.

[Mormolyce]

I imagine the same as this expansion and WoD.

Personally I just hope we find a way to STOP FUCKING TALKING ABOUT IT.

[Hctaz]

As long as there was also the ability to play well and dodge the beams, or fly low so you stay under the radar, or something similar. Simply letting people fly then making flight useless because you insta-gib as soon as you mount isn't a solution.

Sure it is. The point is that they'd finally show you why you can't fly. You can fly if you want, but if you fly too long then you just die. Solves the people whining about "Why can't we fly? It doesn't even make sense lorewise"

I guess the point is that, instead of artificially locking flight for no reason, they simply give you a reason why you can't fly yet. Makes more sense to me. This would give you a balance of being able to use flying to maybe ascend from a sticky situation without making it so that you can avoid ground travel for questing. You can't just fly up and right on top of a quest mob because the timer would be too low, but you can ascend up a cliff by mounting up and dismounting. Would have made Stormheim a lot less of a pain to navigate. Would also make ascending cliffs more interesting. You would have to scout out a place to land within the timer in order to not get instakilled so you could ascend the cliff.

[Deleted]

Ah yes, the "everyone is universal pro flying" playerbase that supposedly exists. Always good for a laugh.

Kinda like the "I always hated flying, I just never said anything before Blizz made flying an issue in WoD" crowd.

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Either way - flying shouldn't be in the game at all, the fact it is - that's a compromise. Your alts - they all get to fly through the content like there is no content at all.

You mean the content I already experienced once or twice? The same experience that Blizz said I had to experience to have flying? I did that already. And now I have flying. Why is that an issue to you?

[SirCowdog]

That's very odd, Flying has been around for around 6 months now - so you either believe the next expansion is being released this week, or you aren't too hot at the maths.

Either way - flying shouldn't be in the game at all, the fact it is - that's a compromise. Your alts - they all get to fly through the content like there is no content at all.

Fly through the content...except the content which doesn't have flying. It's funny how Blizzard can't even follow their own logic of "Play the content through as it was intended, then get flying later". Flying wasn't even available for the same amount of time that it was restricted before it was restricted again. And yet people still leap to defend this joke.

Which is why I said flying was treated like shit for most of the expansion. But don't let me dissuade you from believing that being able to fly in content that doesn't matter anymore is fully acceptable and really shiny and great. Truly your cup of hate runneth over.

[Deleted]

Personally I just hope we find a way to STOP FUCKING TALKING ABOUT IT.

If we stop talking about it Blizzard will remove flying forever. If they could get away with it they would remove it from old content as well I'd wager. That adds more gametime as well..

[SirCowdog]

Sure it is. The point is that they'd finally show you why you can't fly. You can fly if you want, but if you fly too long then you just die. Solves the people whining about "Why can't we fly? It doesn't even make sense lorewise"

I guess the point is that, instead of artificially locking flight for no reason, they simply give you a reason why you can't fly yet. Makes more sense to me. This would give you a balance of being able to use flying to maybe ascend from a sticky situation without making it so that you can avoid ground travel for questing. You can't just fly up and right on top of a quest mob because the timer would be too low, but you can ascend up a cliff by mounting up and dismounting. Would have made Stormheim a lot less of a pain to navigate. Would also make ascending cliffs more interesting. You would have to scout out a place to land within the timer in order to not get instakilled so you could ascend the cliff.

You just described the sort of system that I thought would be acceptable. :/

I don't know that a simple timer would be ideal, but it would at least be better than the nonsense no-flying we have now.

[Asotcha]

They're most likely going to handle things the way they've been doing them since WoD. Achievement-based, able to work toward it from launch (such as exploration, story progress etc) rewarding a mount run-speed boost or equivalent until they release an extra part /step of the achieve, and then flip the flight-switch later when it suits them. Then no flight in extra areas at their release (but possibly after depending on their design).

Now that we've had a couple expacs of this, it builds a general consistency. With the advent of the flight-masters whistle it has made things much more convenient even without having it. I hope there's another thing like that in 8.0.

[VyersReaver]

I'm sure this thread will feature lots of novel and insightful opinions that we haven't seen in any of the previous 10,000 pages of threads about flight.

This. Why does TC milking this again? It's not like you have any say in what Blizzard does, since they are ignoring all the deviating opinions anyway (see NLC).