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Blizzcon Dev Interview
BlizzPro had a chance to talk to Technical Director Marco Koegler and Quest Designer Helen Cheng at Blizzcon.

  • The goal is to have all of the Vanilla race character models updated for release, but that isn't set in stone.
  • There might be some clipping with the new cloak animation, so the team is looking at adding some more physics to the cloak rather than just using pure animations. This isn't ready to show off and uses even more CPU, so it may not be the correct solution.
  • After being boosted to 90 you will have a set of gear that is level appropriate, similar to how the level 80 Scroll of Resurrection boost works.
  • Time travel is just a means to get players back to Draenor and bring back the classic Warcraft feeling and characters.
  • As long as players prevent Garrosh from building the Dark Portal for the Iron Horde to invade, there won't be any permanent changes to the current timeline. This will let the story have some fun elements that involve characters from the present without changing the timeline.
  • The current classes are somewhat balanced, so adding a new class would upset that balance.
  • There were too many daily quests at the start of Mists of Pandaria, especially after taking into account alts. Warlords will still offer a wide variety of things to do, but it will be more exploring, dynamic events, and story through quests.
  • If garrisons end up being per character, there will likely be a way to make garrison leveling and improvements faster on an alt.


Blue Tweets
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
New Character Models
Will the new player models will also have new melee attack animations as well? The ones for the older races are rather stale.
All animations have to be redone to work with the new models. We are trying not to make them radically different but will improve. (Source)

Remember promising us to update moonkin form since WotlK and saying the glyph won't affect the update? We do.
I try to never promise. This is why. We will do the moonkin at some point, but it is lower priority than the races. (Source)

Garrisons
Please give options in the Garrison that don't require a daily login. Don't want to be forced to login every day.
The plan is for longer missions for those times when you know you won't be logging in frequently. (Source)

Can we please have the followers in our Garrisons not be limited to player races? think Ogres, Tuskarr, etc
Having some non-traditional races would be a lot of fun. (Source)

Will you consider race-based garrison design or just faction-based?
Just faction for now. Dividing things by race meant we would have had far less new art per building. (Source)

garrisons look awesome, But please dont make them mandatory for professions. Garrisons should be optional & fun. Not a grind.
The intent is to make them fun but they are not optional the way pet battles or brawlers guild was. (Source)

Warlords of Draenor Flying
What was wrong with the Wrath model of grounded leveling for main, BoA tome for alts?
If leveling is supposed to be trivial for alts, why not just make them all jump to max level? (Source)
Holy grasping at straws, Batman!
I disagree. It feels like the argument is "questing should be super fast and easy on alts." (Source)
But alts are meant to be played. If you just want more max level dudes, there are better solutions. (Source)

It IS a difference because then there's a lore reason, which is what people are asking for. Inability to mount is more boring.
I don't think many of the pro flight crowd would be swayed with a lore explanation alone. (Source)
Is there a good reason NOT to back up the gameplay decision with a plausible lore explanation and story?
Not at all. If there is a good lore reason, that's better. But lack of good lore should not bad gameplay go through. (Source)

Did you ever think about something like a 10 second cast time for flying mount summons? Or a 30 sec cooldown?
Yeah, we've tried those and also things like slow turning radii, etc. Haven't found a solution we think feels good yet. (Source)

Stand your ground GC. There are those of us who know flying was worst thing to happen to game.
That's not our stance though. Flying feels awesome, is convenient, fast and a great reward. The problem is one of timing. (Source)

Maybe because people want faster, but not instant, Mr. False Dichotomy.
Speeding up XP per quest would make it faster. Flying lets you ignore most of it. Faster is fine. Hollow, less so. (Source)

It seems like you're getting less good at giving reasons and better at excuses.
Imagine we let you fly in dungeons and raids. Do you think they would be as fun as they are today? That's really our reason. (Source)

So, do you also hate the way Rogues play the game? Sneak in, unlock prison cage, sneak away...?
I don't think you can really compare the benefits of stealth to flying. Besides it's a bonus to only 2 classes. (Source)
I understand. Just don't get what you mean by "trivial" then. I always thought flying made questing more fun.
Twitter shorthand to some extent, but you probably fight 4x fewer creatures when you can fly to avoid them. (Source)

It would be nice if flying was a risk vs reward decision. Swarms of Monstrous Kaliri? No fel canons yet tho D:
It would have to be very dangerous to overcome the benefits of flight. Kaliri didn't keep me grounded. (Source)

About no-flying stuff in Warlods, do you guys ever though about gatherers? I cannot imagine myself running for plants on foot
That's one reason why we wouldn't outlaw flying forever. But at one point you did all your gathering on the ground. It can be done. (Source)

Classes
not just that, but even 1 makes healing less fun. Spamming aoe heals is another problem.
Spamming AEs, especially smart heals, does make healing less fun in our minds. (Source)

That sounds pretty awesome to me, honestly. Prot might be sad to lose a dps CD though.
It might be fine for Prot to have an offensive and defensive CD. Depends on the whole package. (Source)

Most important stat? I cant get rid of ENOUGH Spirit as a healer ;P
To be fair, some healer specs (esp. Mistweaver) don't value Spirit enough. We intend to fix for 6.0. (Source)

1 burst cd is enough per spec
I don't know that it would be a hard and fast rule, but if you always macro your CDs together, why have different CDs? (Source)

will changes to vengeance in dreanor protection more viable in trial of gladiator arenas but less annoying without high ap?
Maybe. It's more important to have a fun and balanced trial than to have Gladiator tanks. (Source)

Actually everything we call 'skill' on the game is about responding to a visual/sound stimulus. Just like snapshotting
It's about degrees. A mod can't reliably tell you when to use a speed boost to survive. It can solve when to redot very easily. (Source)

Druid (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
I was curious if you were happy with the Druid split into Feral and Guardian this xpac. Did it live up to your expectations?
Overall yes. It's tricky for us to determine how often a Guardian or even Balance Druid should use cat form. (Source)

Guardian Druid often feels boring compared to other tanks. Are there any plans to address it?
They need stronger active mitigation. (Source)

Hunter (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
Please bring back the truly rare hunter pets, some of us like camping for them... effort worth the reward.
What was the last truly rare one by your definition? (Source)

Priest (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
While you're talking about healer stuff, when is the really bad priest T90 going away?
We like tier 90 for priests. We can split out healing from DPS / Shadow versions in 6.0 though. (Source)

Warrior (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
wasn't root break on intervene intended to give a choice for that tier? Back to safeguard being required.
The value of balanced PvP has to trump the value of every talent being a fun choice. (Source)
You keep using this word "balanced" I don't think it means what you think it means.
"Balance" is when other players can't crush me. When I crush them, it's "skill." (Source)
small war. nerf needed but this is boring. Was nice to have small utility with MSR. Wars very one dimensional and
What would you have liked to see instead that would have solved the problem? (Source)
Disrupting Shout gone (Warriors don't need 2 interrupts), AoE reflect replaces reflect.
To be fair, they would need a new talent to replace Disrupting Shout that presumably is something useful. (Source)

Blizzard Art Update
Blizzard has added more pieces to the World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria Art gallery.

This article was originally published in forum thread: Blizzcon Dev Interview, Blue Tweets, Blizzard Art Update started by chaud View original post
Comments 62 Comments
  1. mmocf3c5a88651's Avatar
    Just thinking about cloak physics. Wow that would be cool!
    Damn low tier pc's weighing us down >.<
  1. mmoc8ba596ddc7's Avatar
    Blizzard is hitting EVRYTHING right on with this xpac
  1. OneSent's Avatar
    "Time travel is just a means to get players back to Draenor and bring back the classic Warcraft feeling and characters."

    I though it wasn't a time travel expansion.
  1. Lynneiah's Avatar
    Are people STILL not over the no flying business? Oh dear...
  1. Ryme's Avatar
    I worry Blizzard thinks that having to fight 40% more mobs whilst levelling constitutes as fun.
  1. mmocc8bc14c60b's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Lynneiah View Post
    Are people STILL not over the no flying business? Oh dear...
    Hahah yeah wtf, no flying is awesome imo!
  1. Somebody's Avatar
    The goal is to have all of the Vanilla race character models updated for release, but that isn't set in stone.
    This worries me. I thought they promised Vanilla and BC races model updates.
  1. willowe's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Ryme View Post
    I worry Blizzard thinks that having to fight 40% more mobs whilst levelling constitutes as fun.
    Actually, it's more along the point that flying from mob to mob is 100x less epic/fun than being the badass who raised a whole town of Scruffy Clan Orcs looking for 15 [Scruffy Orc Ears] instead of skipping past every mob and/or pet that doesn't drop one.

    Also, they take loads of time making the 'Worlds' we play in: flying above the trees makes things look boring - it's just a carpet of trees and a hill here and there. Down in the forest, is everything that makes the world beautiful. Skipping that is what makes most Cata zones so forgettable.
  1. Aberrict's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Somebody View Post
    This worries me. I thought they promised Vanilla and BC races model updates.
    They said BC races would come after the Vanilla races, so if they're aiming to have the Vanilla races done for the expac release. The BC races would probably be rolled out in the next major patch.
  1. ColbyWolf's Avatar
    "About no-flying stuff in Warlods, do you guys ever though about gatherers? I cannot imagine myself running for plants on foot"

    What? I meann.. WHAT? Dude. I just. DUDE. what?
  1. Kaleredar's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by willowe View Post
    Actually, it's more along the point that flying from mob to mob is 100x less epic/fun than being the badass who raised a whole town of Scruffy Clan Orcs looking for 15 [Scruffy Orc Ears] instead of skipping past every mob and/or pet that doesn't drop one.
    A completely subjective experience.

    Also, they take loads of time making the 'Worlds' we play in: flying above the trees makes things look boring - it's just a carpet of trees and a hill here and there. Down in the forest, is everything that makes the world beautiful.
    Again, completely subjective. And a flawed argument, really.

    Here's hellfire peninsula, meant to be traversed on the ground.



    Here's Storm Peaks, which HAD to be traversed via the air.




    Guess which one looks more "beautiful and less boring?"

    Give you a little hint, it's not hellfire.



    Skipping that is what makes most Cata zones so forgettable.
    Actually, I LOVED zones like Uldum because the QUESTS were ridiculously fun. Instead of having just "kill 20 X for 20 Y," they actually made an effort to make the quests themselves fun and exciting.

    Shooting down pursuing airplanes as tail gunner to Harrison Jones? Much more fun than killing some orcs for their miscellaneous tools for the umpteenth time while running around on the ground.



    Frankly, if Blizzard WERE concerned with the only problem being "we don't like players hopping between mobs," then they WOULD have made efforts to curtail this by doing things like adding cooldowns to flying mounts after dismounting, or somesuch. That's a VERY easy solution that both lets people actually USE their flying mounts, travel efficiently, avoid extremely extraneous mobs, AND prevents them from hopping between quest mobs.

    But they're just caving to whiners. I don't feel "It just didn't feel right" is a valid point. Frankly, I'd rather have SOME form of flying than NONE.
  1. Harmzuay's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Somebody View Post
    This worries me. I thought they promised Vanilla and BC races model updates.
    What he's saying is they're trying to get them all done for the release of the expansion, but they may not all be ready by then. They're all going to be done, it's just a matter of when. If they aren't all done, they'll release what ones are ready. Just be glad they aren't going to half-ass something just to have it ready for the expansion release. Get it right, then release it.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Kaleredar View Post
    Here's Storm Peaks, which HAD to be traversed via the air.
    Did you play Storm Peaks when it was current content? They gave you ways of getting around when you needed to without having a flying mount. They can do things like that instead of just enabling flying in every zone from the word go.
  1. Ikkarus's Avatar
    "Time travel is just a means to get players back to Draenor and bring back the classic Warcraft feeling and characters."

    This is sad because it feels like a filler expansion, we travel back in time, meet some ppl, kill some orcs, and that's it, nothing relevant..It would be much more interesting if this "rift of time" that Garrosh opens bring some consequences in the present and, in the end we must shut down the Red Portal because it became instable, during this events some character from the past may end up crossing the portal before it destruction...I don't know...

    It would be great to see Nerzul interacting with the helm of the Lich King or something like that...
  1. SteveZombie's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Somebody View Post
    This worries me. I thought they promised Vanilla and BC races model updates.
    They promised they were all being done this expansion, but not all for launch.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Ikkarus View Post
    This is sad because it feels like a filler expansion, we travel back in time, meet some ppl, kill some orcs, and that's it, nothing relevant.
    In BC we went to a dead world to stop a bad guy from our world bringing stuff back and murdering us.
    In Wrath we went north to stop a bad guy bringing stuff back and murdering us.
    In Cata we ran around places that got messed up to stop a bad guy murdering us.
    In Mists we went south for no reason in particular and weren't in much danger of getting murdered.
    Were any of those expansions filler?
  1. Seukos's Avatar
    Chaud, fix the typos in the blues, if that's even possible. xD
  1. cptaylor38's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by SteveZombie View Post
    They promised they were all being done this expansion, but not all for launch.

    - - - Updated - - -



    In BC we went to a dead world to stop a bad guy from our world bringing stuff back and murdering us.
    In Wrath we went north to stop a bad guy bringing stuff back and murdering us.
    In Cata we ran around places that got messed up to stop a bad guy murdering us.
    In Mists we went south for no reason in particular and weren't in much danger of getting murdered.
    Were any of those expansions filler?
    I think your one about Mists speaks for itself.
  1. Ikkarus's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by SteveZombie View Post
    In BC we went to a dead world to stop a bad guy from our world bringing stuff back and murdering us.
    In Wrath we went north to stop a bad guy bringing stuff back and murdering us.
    In Cata we ran around places that got messed up to stop a bad guy murdering us.
    In Mists we went south for no reason in particular and weren't in much danger of getting murdered.
    Were any of those expansions filler?
    Well, each expansion changed Azeroth and the actual state of the lore, the way they said "Time travel is just a means to get players back to Draenor and bring back the classic Warcraft feeling and characters" just feels like that all they want is a excuse to show us some old characters and then at the end of the expansion bring us back to Azeroth as if nothing had happened...I hope I'm wrong, like I said, it would be awesome if this "trip" to Draenor change something in the actual state of the lore..
  1. Ausr's Avatar
    I think, honestly, I can speak for most of us in telling these people still whining and crying about no flying for a patch:

    SHUT
    THE
    HELL
    UP

    God damn. Wasting his time with your whining and not asking good, genuine stuff.
  1. bigmac's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by hypetrain View Post
    Blizzard is hitting EVRYTHING right on with this xpac
    Except the no flying change.
  1. BrerBear's Avatar
    Some of those Twitter posters like StephenReis123 and JDofAndersonia are so obnoxious and smarmy that I just want to smack them hard. I think Ghostcrawler encourages that behavior by even engaging with them.

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