Everything in alpha(beta) already?

[Deleted]

So basically, all the zones and endgame are in the beta now
-> 3 months of bug fixing and class tuning or am I missing something?

(the raid bosses they presented seemed solid too, even tho the nighthold will only release like 4 months after launch)

Might this mean they are working on 7.1/7.2 content patch and because they want to avoid another wod content lack and drought, they postponed legion?
Or does bug fixing and class tuning really take that long?

[megasus]

Might this mean they are working on 7.1/7.2 content patch and because they want to avoid another wod content lack and drought, they postponed legion?

That's what I was thinking. Since not everyone is involved in balancing/bug-fixing, they'll move on and work on patch content.

[Rilas13]

They do tent to work into the future, but I think if they had 7.0 done they wouldn't hold off on it that long. I agree in that it seems we have just about all the features around. Remember the prepatch is more like 2-3 months away from releasing*
All of the Legion content doesn't have to be fixed until the end of August. So I think we will see them focusing on classes now trying to get them taken care of by then end of July. As well as the broken shore event and DH starter experience as that releases early too.

Maybe they have started working on it, or it will be a priority for some of the team now that everything else is out.

Also important to consider that they don't need the entire team doing the same stuff. The art team might actually have all the legion patches well underway like Thal'Dranath zone possibly already created as that step comes a long way before the implementation of quest content, mobs, ect. I am sure a big chunk of the team will be occupied with bug fixes and tuning for the next couple of months though. The quest makers are still working on the last of the order hall class questlines as far as we know as there are still ... 5(?) more classes yet to have them implemented. Though I can't think of any other quest content that needs to be added in the Alpha(not that I am in Alpha).

[FluFF]

So basically, all the zones and endgame are in the beta now
-> 3 months of bug fixing and class tuning or am I missing something?

(the raid bosses they presented seemed solid too, even tho the nighthold will only release like 4 months after launch)

Might this mean they are working on 7.1/7.2 content patch and because they want to avoid another wod content lack and drought, they postponed legion?
Or does bug fixing and class tuning really take that long?

Not all classes got their class hall quest line yet
horde broken shore side is bugged beyond believe
tuning only just started yesterday with a first pass
no music in yet
not all loading screens done yet.
I'm not in Alpha so don't know how many mobs are still labeled with a placeholder temp model name, but I suspect they are still around.
Not sure if all professions are up and running and got their quests in yet.

There isn't an awful lot to do or any major build coming but I can see why we can use another 3-4 builds before PTR goes up in a playable state so that's like 1 month still counted for.
Then a solid month of PTR testing so you are already halfway into July at the earliest for a pre-patch on Live.

[Sencha]

Class design is awful at the moment. If they don't put some effort into it in the next 4 months, Legion will even worse then WoD.

[Sencha]

In terms of class design? Maybe, but that seems wholly subjective.

Everything else though is a vast improvement on WoD.
Legion so far seems to be the most content-packed expansion ever, by a huge mile ahead of any other expansions.

You can have all the content in the world, if the gameplay of my class is boring as hell there is no way I can enjoy the content.

[Wilian]

So basically, all the zones and endgame are in the beta now
-> 3 months of bug fixing and class tuning or am I missing something?

(the raid bosses they presented seemed solid too, even tho the nighthold will only release like 4 months after launch)

Might this mean they are working on 7.1/7.2 content patch and because they want to avoid another wod content lack and drought, they postponed legion?
Or does bug fixing and class tuning really take that long?

Alpha is when things are not content complete. The alpha currently is not content complete.

Beta is when it's content complete but under heavy bugfixing. It's not in that phase yet.

Stop mistakenly calling things beta when they are not.

[gcsmith]

Alpha is when things are not content complete. The alpha currently is not content complete.

Beta is when it's content complete but under heavy bugfixing. It's not in that phase yet.

Stop mistakenly calling things beta when they are not.

This alpha is usually what Blizzard call beta. Beta for Blizzard in the past mean it was no longer under NDA. I remember the night MOP Beta went live and Jesse and Crendor had like 1 quest chain in Jade forest available.

[TS26]

it will go to beta on 5/10

[Amerissis]

Not all classes got their class hall quest line yet
horde broken shore side is bugged beyond believe
tuning only just started yesterday with a first pass
no music in yet
not all loading screens done yet.
I'm not in Alpha so don't know how many mobs are still labeled with a placeholder temp model name, but I suspect they are still around.
Not sure if all professions are up and running and got their quests in yet.

There isn't an awful lot to do or any major build coming but I can see why we can use another 3-4 builds before PTR goes up in a playable state so that's like 1 month still counted for.
Then a solid month of PTR testing so you are already halfway into July at the earliest for a pre-patch on Live.

All of that isn't a lot of work though. Adding music, loading screens and model names takes little time and doesn't really need testing or bug fixing. Those questlines and the scenario will take some work, but chances are the build Blizzard is working with already has that covered. All in all, I think there's plenty to do (bugs and tuning), but a large part of the team could be working on the next patches, as they're not all involved in bug fixing and class tuning.

[Aggrophobic]

Class design is awful at the moment. If they don't put some effort into it in the next 4 months, Legion will even worse then WoD.

Ehm... No it's not. Tanks are a bit boring to play but most DPS specs are cool and same with the healers.
Legion is looking really good so far.

[Echocho]

A lot of things are still in alpha state and not ready for large scale testing. However I'd guesstimate them moving into beta during may and start the testing of the final product.

- - - Updated - - -

This alpha is usually what Blizzard call beta. Beta for Blizzard in the past mean it was no longer under NDA. I remember the night MOP Beta went live and Jesse and Crendor had like 1 quest chain in Jade forest available.

It only took them a decade or so to get their terminology straight. Quite impressive

[Adlian]

From what i saw so far on the alpha, zones/quests feel pretty finished. Guess they are starting with the polishing now.

[Manabomb]

In terms of class design? Maybe, but that seems wholly subjective.

Everything else though is a vast improvement on WoD.
Legion so far seems to be the most content-packed expansion ever, by a huge mile ahead of any other expansions.

..... We are playing the same expansion, right? How does Legion have the most content an expansion has ever had? Is it the renaming of daily quests to the world quest system, or the recycling of half the barebones garrison system, or the green fire class quest that every other class has been waiting for since MoP?

Objectively speaking, Blizzard is doing nothing different or nothing new with Legion beyond the artifact system, which might as well be an over-glorified expansion long legendary quest (which we won't have in Legion, either). So no, to say Legion "seems to be the most content-packed expansion ever" misses the mark by such a long shot it hits Ghostcrawler in the face. He doesn't even work there anymore.

Edit: Another point, class design in specific is a disaster. The entire philosophy the team currently has for tanks seems to be a return to vanilla-tbc esque "you're only there to mana sponge and threat", which is a step backward from the less healer reliant active mitigation. They've pretty much ruined fun for the sake of the raiding community once again by removing fistweaving and gladstance which fit both specs well, but only became a problem when players were "forced" to play those specs.

To me, the only saving grace of their class design this time around is returning Disc priest to being more attonement based instead of being a holypriest that bubbles people. Outside that, however, the huge majority of specs are plain and simple boring to play. Fury warriors and ret paladins feel as slow as an arms warrior, combat rogue literally plays exactly the same as it does now in WoD (the most boring spec of WoD, honestly) and Brewmaster got all the fun sucked out of it. Like a fun vampire.

[Sencha]

Ehm... No it's not. Tanks are a bit boring to play but most DPS specs are cool and same with the healers.
Legion is looking really good so far.

Tanks are a mess. Good luck finding one in Legion.

Most dps classes are awful too : rogue, hunter, warrior, feral, ret, dk.

Looks like healers have been spared.

Yeah yeah, Legion is looking really good so far ...

[Rekz]

Ret and fury warriors are in a good spot atm. Not sure about dk or hunter tho.

[Aggrophobic]

Tanks are a mess. Good luck finding one in Legion.

Most dps classes are awful too : rogue, hunter, warrior, feral, ret, dk.

Looks like healers have been spared.

Yeah yeah, Legion is looking really good so far ...

I don't know about "mess" but tanks are a tad boring and much easier to play now.

Frost DK is a better version of what we have had since Cata and I like it, fury warrior is really fun and much better than what we have hade for a long time though the talet tree is a bit wierd at times, retribution is way, way, way better than it ever was, there is no discussion here.

Hunter has always been super boring imo so I can't really comment on that one, fearal's is a bit so-so but it works

Rogues old combat spec is a bit better than it used to be, assasination is the same as it was, sub I havent played yet.

I get the feeling you only watched a few bitter youtubers and didn't try them yourself.

But yes, you're right. Legion is looking really good so far.

[Deleted]

Legion is far from done, at least class wise. And Xavius is a more recent example of how far encounters are currently - but this is easy to fix.

[Kryos]

Or does bug fixing and class tuning really take that long?

Yes it does.

[Deleted]

So basically, all the zones and endgame are in the beta now
-> 3 months of bug fixing and class tuning or am I missing something?

(the raid bosses they presented seemed solid too, even tho the nighthold will only release like 4 months after launch)

Might this mean they are working on 7.1/7.2 content patch and because they want to avoid another wod content lack and drought, they postponed legion?
Or does bug fixing and class tuning really take that long?

They just started tunning the classes so this might be a solid month of work. Also postponning legion is just making WoD shittier and shittier.