Battle for Azeroth Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[LordyLordy]

This was not happening in material amounts prior to MoP (people largely stayed through the entire expansion), started appearing in MoP and quickly grew to be the dominant effect for subs in WoD and Legion. This is all over the activity charts.

This is not based on anything. People unsubbed a lot during Cataclysm and TBC.

[Chickat]

Mac'aree is gorgeous.

[rda]

This was not happening in material amounts prior to MoP (people largely stayed through the entire expansion), started appearing in MoP and quickly grew to be the dominant effect for subs in WoD and Legion. This is all over the activity charts.

This is not based on anything. People unsubbed a lot during Cataclysm and TBC.

Open your eyes, please. I told what this is based on in the very text you reply to. It is just two sentences and you already managed to get lost.

[killwithpwr]

Mac'aree is gorgeous.

Reminds me of Talador... But in a good way

[Hitei]

The amount of arrogant ignorance is astounding.

That "not just" above is a big deal. It required new tools and massive changes to topology which echoed through many areas of the game up to skills like warrior charge.

The introduction of flight was a major effort. It is only later, after the numerous necessary changes, both big and small, were already implemented and ironed out, and when the tools evolved to the point where they could connect the dots automatically and flag holes and worse things automatically, etc, it is only then when it became possible to get flying more or less for free in the new zones. After the big initial effort was over.

It is fine to not know things. What isn't fine is spout BS nonsense regarding things you have no clue about with a straight face. If you don't know - and you don't - ask. Don't state. You are a constant offender.

Have your last word, dear, I promise I am not going to reply.

You were really physically unable to try and get a last word in even after posting a snide comment about people having last words?

No. It did not require new tools or massive changes to topology "which echoed through many areas of the game". The transitions between zones in Outland are pretty much identical to the transitions between zones in vanilla that you could fly over. Which is the same reason why the vast majority of EK/Kalimdor zones (and the majority of transition spaces) have the same terrain they had preCata. It just meant they couldn't be lazy and leave crap like the nonsense modeling behind ZG or the open flat spaces off in remote areas where terrain textures stopped and started that way.

I.e. They just put zones flush up against each other or divided them by gaps rather than space them out. They just continued to do the exact same sort of hills that divide STV and Duskwood; Hillsbrad, Silverpine and the Hinterlands; Desolace and Feralas, etc, etc. They just made zones as they always had been, but without weird patches inbetween.

In fact, Outland zones are with the exception of Nagrand and Terokkar, generally lazier and way lower effort than the average vanilla zone. They are extremely flat and mono-texture without much effort in the way of complexity. If anything, I would argue Blizzard put less effort into terrain in BC than they did in most of Vanilla's zones. And don't worry, you can go ahead and whine "You're wrong because I don't agree!" some more, so that you have the last word, since I'm a little worried not having it might send you into a depression or something.

[rda]

No. It did not require new tools or massive changes to topology "which echoed through many areas of the game". The transitions between zones in Outland are pretty much identical to the transitions between zones in vanilla that you could fly over. Which is the same reason why the vast majority of EK/Kalimdor zones (and the majority of transition spaces) have the same terrain they had preCata. It just meant they couldn't be lazy and leave crap like the nonsense modeling behind ZG or the open flat spaces off in remote areas where terrain textures stopped and started that way.

Do you know what topology is? Do you understand why I mentioned warrior charge as a small example of things that had to be touched mechanically? Do you know what tools I am talking about, what they do?

You have ZERO clue.

All of your BS post is irrelevant because you don't have a faintest idea of what it is that is involved and what it is I am talking about. You didn't understand any of what I wrote so you skipped all of it (because how on Earth you can ever reply to what you have zero idea about), and put up your irrelevant BS conveying your amateur "vision" of what is going on.

The extent of your reply to me is "No" with zero details explaining what specifically is "No" and why. You don't have a clue of what to even object to yet alone why, so you object to everything point blank. All you have is this desire to somehow state that you are right and so you say "No", and since a single "No" looks a bit silly you pad it with your best understanding of what you think might be relevant. Since, again, you have no clue, this ends up being completely irrelevant and your post is, indeed, just a single silly "No", all other text is just sitting there doing nothing.

Stop talking about things related to development. You are like a janitor who goes "yeah, there's nothing hard in developing games, you just go and hit random buttons for 40 hours per week telling the computer what to do... I saw them do it, it is nothing special".

PS: I realize other posters might be tired of this, so next time I will likely reply to your BS with a single liner about you being clueless again, or not reply at all.

[deviantcultist]

One possible scenario I'd dislike for 8.0 would be something completely random like Pandaria. I am aware the expansion wasn't bad, but the thematic was completely out of place.

The whole Il'gynoth, Shadowpriest dagger, Naga presence and Void introduction makes me think that a legit sequel is a sea-based expansion were N'Zoth, Naga and other elements could be the core theme.

From there, we might head out to K'aresh or something so we might face things outside of Azeroth.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

One possible scenario I'd dislike for 8.0 would be something completely random like Pandaria. I am aware the expansion wasn't bad, but the thematic was completely out of place.

The whole Il'gynoth, Shadowpriest dagger, Naga presence and Void introduction makes me think that a legit sequel is a sea-based expansion were N'Zoth, Naga and other elements could be the core theme.

From there, we might head out to K'aresh or something so we might face things outside of Azeroth.

And yet they created entirely new lore(Like the Mogu and such). I'd say that's a very positive thing for Warcraft Heck even in BC the Etherals were a new race and seemed *Out of place*

[Soulwind]

And yet they created entirely new lore(Like the Mogu and such). I'd say that's a very positive thing for Warcraft

MoP had as many revelations about the lore as Wrath, if not more.

It established many elements that were then taken by Chronicles (which is why Pandaria plays a fairly big role in the first volume).

Having such an empty canvas allowed the writers to get creative and explore new ideas. Warcraft needed that at the time.

Now, with Chronicles out there, they no longer have such large gaps in the lore to fill in. We already know how Azeroth was shaped.

There is a decent blank page in the "recent history" of Azeroth: The way it is now, not a whole lot happened between the Troll Wars and the First War. It's not enough time for the rise or fall of some massive civilization, but it could be enough to write a couple new human/elf/dwarf kingdoms that somehow fell out of relevance shortly before the First War. They'd be easy to connect to Kul Tiras.

That or new planets/dimensions would be the only way for Blizzard to pull another Pandaria out of their ass. And considering they always like to retcon these stories into the established events, I'd say the islands we've known for years but haven't visited yet are more likely candidates than a whole new world with close to no connection to Azeroth (K'aresh, Nathreza or Nihilam).

[deviantcultist]

And yet they created entirely new lore(Like the Mogu and such). I'd say that's a very positive thing for Warcraft Heck even in BC the Etherals were a new race and seemed *Out of place*

I see your point. However, there is a slight difference.

Ethereals did seem out of place. Their connection to the major events of TBC made their role and presence clear and have almost become a staple of their own. Their presence keeps being a thing the more we move on with expansions and their association with cosmic events and the Void makes them extremely important as of now.

Pandaren and Mogu on the other hand, they were out of place - but everything in Pandaria was out of place as is! They never connected to anything from the lore apart from the fact that Chen was an easter egg in WC3. If it wasn't for Garrosh throwing an Orc party, Pandaria could have literally been a concept from a different game/universe.

Chronicle did piece some of these things together, but the expansion experience did feel the way I put it give or take.

Personally, the only thing that will put me off is if 8.0 and its race additions are something whimsical and silly. Things like Ogres, Furbolgs, Murlocs or another recent rumour about a turtle race from Hearthstone make me scared of what the community asks for.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

I see your point. However, there is a slight difference.

Ethereals did seem out of place. Their connection to the major events of TBC made their role and presence clear and have almost become a staple of their own. Their presence keeps being a thing the more we move on with expansions and their association with cosmic events and the Void makes them extremely important as of now.

Pandaren and Mogu on the other hand, they were out of place - but everything in Pandaria was out of place as is! They never connected to anything from the lore apart from the fact that Chen was an easter egg in WC3. If it wasn't for Garrosh throwing an Orc party, Pandaria could have literally been a concept from a different game/universe.

Chronicle did piece some of these things together, but the expansion experience did feel the way I put it give or take.

Personally, the only thing that will put me off is if 8.0 and its race additions are something whimsical and silly. Things like Ogres, Furbolgs, Murlocs or another recent rumour about a turtle race from Hearthstone make me scared of what the community asks for.

Mogu had their place because due to their connection to the Titans, Lei Shen messing with Ra'den. I mean we learned it in 5.2 but it still solidified itself in Warcraft Lore.

[Smokinya]

Open your eyes, please. I told what this is based on in the very text you reply to. It is just two sentences and you already managed to get lost.

So got a reliable link for these "activity charts" something posted by an official source? Because if you don't its just more words. You spout off about Hitei not having a clue and not sourcing anything and just saying "NO" but the only person who is making a weak argument is you. You cite all this info with no information to back up. Its just words on a screen from a keyboard warrior until you provide us with reliable sources for your information.
?
For example, show me a video or some sort of official Blizzard response in regards to how they changed the topology of the warrior charge skill? I'd really like to know. By all means if you're right thats great but you claim others have no sources but neither do you. This cop out argument about the game design and direction of WoW is completely irrelevant to this thread. We're speculating about the next expansions features and story. Not talking about the changes made to flying that happened over five years ago.

I get it okay you aren't happy with Legion. You think the devs are being lazy. Many of us disagree. So can we just please for the love of the Light stop circle jerking our OPINIONS and just talk about 8.0.

Really wish we would've gotten a gamescom reveal so we didn't have nearly 20 pages of bullshit fluff in here.

[rda]

So got a reliable link for these "activity charts" something posted by an official source?

Posted by Blizzard? No, they don't publish this or related data. They used to, but when things started flopping too hard, they stopped publishing.

The activity charts are from warcraftrealms. If you want to discuss whether these charts can be used for drawing the kind of conclusions I drew, sure, let's do this.

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For example, show me a video or some sort of official Blizzard response in regards to how they changed the topology of the warrior charge skill? I'd really like to know.

What?

I guess I wasted time replying to the first para.

[Dragon ANX]

I was thinking today that with some devs moving from WoW(in last years) to this secret project and with the recent eula change about legacy windows support ending, that maybe 8.0,9.0 or at max 10.0 wil be WoW 2.
What i mean by WoW 2 is a fresh Engine because WoW is dying(i'm not talking about Subs) as Ion and other develops sometimes talk about how they are limited or blocked of trying new things because of how old their engine is.
Sure they have being doing some fixes or reworks here and there, but there is a limit of how far they can keep doing it, if they want to keep developing WoW.
Since WoW launch there was a big evolution of hardware, softwares, coding paradigms and etc.

So what you guys think? are we getting a new engine between 8.0 and 10.0?

[Sarethion]

One possible scenario I'd dislike for 8.0 would be something completely random like Pandaria. I am aware the expansion wasn't bad, but the thematic was completely out of place.

Well, I'm in the opposite camp - I'd love an expansion that isn't connected with the current story, sort of like a break from what we had in Legion or WoD. You know, a grand adventure with mystery, exploration of a completely wild, never before seen land, etc. I think that would be a nice change of pace after 2 expansions where we had to save the world from a giant threat.

[Scornedfury]

I was thinking today that with some devs moving from WoW(in last years) to this secret project and with the recent eula change about legacy windows support ending, that maybe 8.0,9.0 or at max 10.0 wil be WoW 2.
What i mean by WoW 2 is a fresh Engine because WoW is dying(i'm not talking about Subs) as Ion and other develops sometimes talk about how they are limited or blocked of trying new things because of how old their engine is.
Sure they have being doing some fixes or reworks here and there, but there is a limit of how far they can keep doing it, if they want to keep developing WoW.
Since WoW launch there was a big evolution of hardware, softwares, coding paradigms and etc.

So what you guys think? are we getting a new engine between 8.0 and 10.0?

I think that's a long stretch of connecting dev movement and OS restrictions too Wow 2. The way you say that is as if you think they can just copy and paste everything over to a new engine and that's not how it works. Things would have to be done from scratch practically and even IF they wanted to make a new wow mmo it would take far longer then 10.0.

Also If you're saying there moving a few wow devs because they are working on wow with an entire new engine again id place my bets they'd be a lot more big things and people moving around that would be happening.

There is no evidence I the slightest they are looking into making a new mmo or making a new engine for wow considering they are more actively involved in making new sliders, animations and overall graphics improvement then ever.

Sorry but I'd try to get rid of that idea out of your mind so you don't become disappointed when it's not what you think. Especially when there's no proof for it.

[Bashkar]

Of all the "leaks," I like the concept of the next expansion focusing around existing zones, as N'Zoth's influence expands. Similar to Pandaria kicking the Legion arc into motion, i'd like to see a thematically subdued (but coherent) expansion, with an ending that rolls Azshara/N'Zoth for 9.0, which ultimately pulls us into an expansion where Void Lords are more front-and-centre.

Alleria is already a glowing purple plot device, we're heading that way anyways.

[Dragon ANX]

I think that's a long stretch of connecting dev movement and OS restrictions too Wow 2. The way you say that is as if you think they can just copy and paste everything over to a new engine and that's not how it works. Things would have to be done from scratch practically and even IF they wanted to make a new wow mmo it would take far longer then 10.0.

Also If you're saying there moving a few wow devs because they are working on wow with an entire new engine again id place my bets they'd be a lot more big things and people moving around that would be happening.

There is no evidence I the slightest they are looking into making a new mmo or making a new engine for wow considering they are more actively involved in making new sliders, animations and overall graphics improvement then ever.

Sorry but I'd try to get rid of that idea out of your mind so you don't become disappointed when it's not what you think. Especially when there's no proof for it.

I'm not hyped for it and if my post passed the idea of "The way you say that is as if you think they can just copy and paste everything over to a new engine and that's not how it works. " sorry that was my bad, i was trying to say that a new engine would require a lot of work and time, so they would need to slowlly transfer devs to the "New Engine" team as their progress on it became more solid.

There is no evidence I the slightest they are looking into making a new mmo or making a new engine for wow considering they are more actively involved in making new sliders, animations and overall graphics improvement then ever.

When i say WoW 2 i was thinking in something like the Dota 2 Reborn Update where Valve changed the game engine with a "Update" rather than launching a Dota 3, in WoW this could come as a Xpack Feature.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

When i say WoW 2 i was thinking in something like the Dota 2 Reborn Update where Valve changed the game engine with a "Update" rather than launching a Dota 3, in WoW this could come as a Xpack Feature.

Yes they could but still it would be very very difficult to do. a MOBA as good as Dota 2 is. WoW is a much bigger game and the difficulty would be much more. Not shutting you down, just want you to be aware of how hard it would be.

[TriHard]

no new cinematics, disappointing.

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also I'd pay for a WoW with whatever engine HOTS use tbh.
The colors in that game are amazing