Battle for Azeroth Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Scourge12309]

I think it depends.

There's new skins, and there's full sub-races.

The former includes Mag'har, wildhammer, Dark Irons and so on. In that case, I expect them to just be customization.

The later include nightborne (for blood elf), high elf (for night elf), broken (for Draenei), and will use different models/race name in tag/voices from parent race's. As such, I'd expect them to have a different opening narration to explain why you are in the same area as the parent race.

(I'd love to see them at least revamp all level 1-20 areas to update racial status post-legion, but that's very unlikely to happen right now).

Well if they are gonna revamp kalimidor and eastern kingdoms it wont be that much of extra work, they can just add a start zone in hinterlands for wildhammers, searing gorge for dark iron etc. New starting zones will be a thing then already anywya

[DrIvoRobotnik]

So, we are talking an awful lot about sub-races. Has anything been strongly hinted at or leaked? Or are we all just having fun with speculation to the fullest?

[KayRule]

Please stop using objectively in an entirely subjective situation. It obviously very obviously isn't necessary. Blizzard could continue to put out new expansions and not ever update it and things would be perfectly fine. "I really think it should be like this!" =/= objectively necessary.

It regurgitates old content with a new coat of paint at the expense of new content. Unless you are suggesting Blizzard update Kalimdor, the Eastern Kingdoms, Outland, Northrend, Pandaria, Draenor AND the Broken Isles (lol, good luck)--you are still going to hit a point in the zone progression where you suddenly go back in time to before what you just did.

"B-but you can just level from 1-110 in the scaled Kalimdor, Eastern Kingdoms, and Northrend!"
Yes, and thereby render Outland, Pandaria, Draenor and the Broken Isles complete and total wastes of space far beyond the claimed waste of space you are applying to 1-60 right now.

A revamp is extremely unnecessary and a pretty mediocre use of dev time that could otherwise be spent on things that are actually new instead of "Defend Hyjal from void elementals instead of fire elementals!"

If this is how you sincerely feel and isn't just some very poor trolling, then you're going to be disappointed in a month.

[Chemical Ellis]

Subraces would make no sense without their respective new intros

Why on earth would a brown orc start in Durotar?

Because they've been part of the Horde since their family followed Thrall from Nagrand to Durotar 10 years ago?

[RippedLife]

So, we are talking an awful lot about sub-races. Has anything been strongly hinted at or leaked? Or are we all just having fun with speculation to the fullest?

absolutely nothing has been "leaked" or hinted at. blizzard are keeping Radio silence as usual which mostly hurts themselves but they are too retarded to see that

[zlygork]

I can't believe you guys are missing the obvious clue here. Loads of gifs of Taylor Swift, who is a musician, confirm two things:

- bard class incoming
- new speed buffs from tailoring

You heard it here first*.

/Tinfoil




* And probably last.

What if Bard is not a hero, but a "legendary class" that can only be reached through a legendary questline after reaching tailoring lvl 900? Your character would then be permanently class changed to a bard. Bards would then wear leather, forcing you to abandon your tailoring and get into leatherworking. I think this would be a very immersive concept.

- - - Updated - - -

Subraces with full new intros and storyline or just customization within limits of existing models?

My expectations if blizzard ever does sub-races would be about the development time that went into class questlines put into sub-race questlines, and at least somewhat unique models. I don't remember blizzard ever reusing assets for a selling hook and don't see them starting now, after they redid 10 races within a single expansion. Not as combinced as others that they are definitely coming now, though.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

If this is how you sincerely feel and isn't just some very poor trolling, then you're going to be disappointed in a month.

Your arrogance is not needed, especially if you are wrong.

[GoodUsername55]

absolutely nothing has been "leaked" or hinted at. blizzard are keeping Radio silence as usual which mostly hurts themselves but they are too retarded to see that

There is more than enough proof to suggest sub races are extremely likely, but i don't expect anything different from you.

[Syegfryed]

Subraces would make no sense without their respective new intros

Why on earth would a brown orc start in Durotar?

because they are part of the horde since BC? so in fact they could be there in the cata starter zone?

i always will say, sub-race its just a lazy thing to not add a new race, sub-race shenanigans can easily be done with a better customization to you character in the creation menu

[Ningjinq]

I think the only truly egregious part with the timeline in leveling is BC/Wrath because outside of those the story carries very well.

The only other part I find bad is 1-60 doesn’t feel like a starter leveling area in how the story is told. It’s like starting a story midway through the book.

Particularly some of the early starter zones feel like there’s an assumption of you having played the vanilla plot lines and know what’s changed. Which as time goes on is fewer and fewer players.

[Directionalk9]

I think depending on the big overall theme of the expansion sub-races don't make sense, or don't feel like a good fit. Same goes for what is the new "continent." Kul'tiras only vs. Great Seas Islands.

The most likely theme is the Void. If we are fighting a full on Old Gods and Void Lord infestation, sub-races in my opinion would feel out of place, and I think neutral Ethereals or just two new races feels better, or secret option number three, more on that later.

If however the void hints we've been getting during Legion amount to the B-Story in 8.0 and a re-focus of the Horde and Alliance conflict are the A-Story, then it makes far more sense to add in the sub-races. Firstly, a lot of the requested sub-races have already been strong allies or fully inducted into said faction. Mag'har, Dragonmaw, Taunka for the Horde. The Dwarf Clans, and Kurenai for the alliance. Adding those, more or less just completes the faction's playable races.
With the HvA conflict taking center stage, also opens up opportunities to make (playable) allies of other groups, Man'ari, Zandalari, Nightborne, other requested sub-races.

Now for a long tangent of something I've been thinking Blizzard might do based off the 7.3 story revelations, the Audio Drama, and Alleria's new abilities, and the Netherlight Crucible. Only if the Void is the primary story. I don't see any of this if we have a raucous adventure from isle to isle.

The Light and Void are primal forces, that we don't fully understand. They aren't good or bad, they just oppose each other. They're terrible at parties.

I think we will gain Light power and/or Void power, similar to how we get AP currently. I don't think it will be tied to our weapons though, and just baked into our class/spec.
Let's say you like gold and have paladin fantasies when no one is around, so you choose to Light, and farm it like bandit... and you play a Resto Shaman. At certain levels your abilities have "light" modifiers similar to the tier two choices in the NLC. Something like Healing Rain + Light Shield. The players affected by your Healing Rain now have a chance to be protected by a Light Shield for X seconds absorbing X amount of damage. For Void, Healing Rain + Shadowmend, players affected by Healing Rain have a chance to trigger Shadowmend, healing you for X in addition to the healing from Healing Rain.

Now to how this can slightly replace the no new playable races option. Gaining Void/Light power doesn't just unlock ability modifiers, but at certain levels new customization options. You go full Light, because late at night, Paladin's keep you happy. You get a Angel Wings, your Tauren becomes Lightforged, maybe a permanent halo, may-haps your eyes glow a radiant yellow.
Void options (just spit balling) Void burns, shadow horns, twilight feets. Perhaps a utility ability, shadow meld when out of combat.

Ehh, I extrapolated a lot, from a few things, but meh.

[Blayze]

What I want to see Blizzard do is for them to acknowledge that not every character needs to be raid-capable, and let us do permanent things like join the Defias and fuck Westfall's shit up, or have a Night Elf character reject Elune and become a satyr outcast.

[Ningjinq]

Hmm, while I disagree with the part about HvA coming back, having Light or Void powers definitely would be the best guess I’ve seen so far at what endgame systems they could add.

[Byleth]

Hmm, while I disagree with the part about HvA coming back, having Light or Void powers definitely would be the best guess I’ve seen so far at what endgame systems they could add.

Yeah, I don't hear this suggested too often, but every time I do, it makes the most sense to me too.

And to be honest it gave me tingles the first time I read about the idea, more so than sub races (which I personally really want).

[Aeluron Lightsong]

What I want to see Blizzard do is for them to acknowledge that not every character needs to be raid-capable, and let us do permanent things like join the Defias and fuck Westfall's shit up, or have a Night Elf character reject Elune and become a satyr outcast.

Yeah no...every character should at least viable to do raiding. And no I'm not talking about Mythic.

Hmm, while I disagree with the part about HvA coming back, having Light or Void powers definitely would be the best guess I’ve seen so far at what endgame systems they could add.

I was thinking more Path of the Titans based AP system. Like you can pick a theme and go on from there. Unfortunately some Titans go along with others.

Eonar would be every choice for a healer(She's all about cultivating Life). Norgannon,Aggramar and maybe Khaz'goroth can be damage(Aman'thul maybe to).

Flawed idea I know but it'd be cool.

[TriHard]

Subraces would make no sense without their respective new intros

Why on earth would a brown orc start in Durotar?

If they revamp the world then each of the "sub" races could actually get their own starting zone, starting intro is really simple if they go by current standards.

But I don't expect that though, I think they'll just start wherever the current ones do but then revamp those to fit a united front (trolls of different tribes,etc etc)

[Mekkle]

This war better not touch my trains!

I'm very surprised you have not made the Feel Lord the Hype Trains conductor in the pics yet, silly hat and all.

[Blayze]

Yeah no...every character should at least viable to do raiding.

As if you're gonna raid on every alt.

[Azalar]

No trademark registering yet? Damn. We've had them much before at the time of other expac reveals.

[RippedLife]

There is more than enough proof to suggest sub races are extremely likely, but i don't expect anything different from you.

show me ONE form of oral or written proof. anything really lmao you only got the "they used new hair for important npcs which they've done since the game exists