Hunters: Lore mentioned that class tuning hotfixes are coming soon, including for Hunters!

Legion Developer Q&A - Paul Kubit
Paul Kubit talked about Brawlers’ Guild, Micro-Holidays, Timewalking, and Professions today! The next Q&A isn't scheduled yet, but may be in February.



Profession Gear
  • The crafted gear has a limited duration. As more content is added to the game, higher item level loot is added elsewhere.
  • Obliterum upgrades help to keep crafted gear relevant.
  • Crafted gear is still on the radar, so in future patches the team will try to keep adding things.
  • Patch 7.1.5 added some things for Engineering and other professions, new armor may be coming in a future patch.
  • Patch 7.2 and beyond will add new recipes to primary and secondary professions.

Brawler's Guild
  • Bosses are set to a fairly static difficulty, increasing as you progress through.
  • Early bosses should be approachable for most players, with fights becoming more challenging later on.
  • Boss health adjustments based on spec is not something the team did this time. It might diminish the accomplishment of beating the boss.
  • The team thought about ways they could bring healers into the Brawler's Guild, so maybe they could do something in the future, but the Brawler's Guild is about fighting!
  • There aren't any plans to add additional bosses in this expansion, but it isn't out of the question.
  • Almost every idea makes it into Brawler's Guild.
  • A Mario themed fight was started and never finished, as was a Mega Man fight.

Timewalking
  • The team is talking about increasing the item level on Timewalking gear.
  • Scholomance probably won't make it to Mists of Pandaria timewalking. MoP timewalking is about the dungeons found in Pandaria.
  • In the future the team might be able to do Vanilla timewalking, but there are no plans to do it right now.
  • The Vanilla dungeons don't hold up to current dungeon design standards, which is why they didn't start with Vanilla timewalking. They don't feel challenging and aren't tuned for max-level players.
  • Timewalking is designed to cover content from two expansions ago and earlier.
  • Timewalking raids are probably coming at some point. It is a safe bet.

Engineering Goggles
  • The new engineering goggles are the highest tier crafted items right now.
  • The goggles are more powerful, so they take more to craft and have random stats.
  • You can farm or buy Hardened Felglass.
  • The googles are BoE, so you can sell them to someone else if you don't get the stats you want.

Professions
  • The cost of gathered materials comes from the time it takes to collect them.
  • Materials are more expensive in this expansion because you actually have to go and gather, rather than using your garrison.
  • Professions can change a lot between expansions, it is a place to experiment.

Talent Tomes
  • Talent tomes cost a little bit too much right now. This is largely due to the cost of the materials that goes into them.
  • In the near future the team will look at ways to adjust costs of things that are too expensive, including talent tomes.

Obliterum
  • The cost of unlocking the forge worked out pretty well.
  • Players had to interact with each other to make the armor pieces to unlock the forge.
  • It is very likely that the cost of unlocking the forge will be reduced in a future patch.

Skinning
  • Making skinnable mobs multi-tap is still something the team wants to do.

Crafting Material Costs
  • The team has been cracking down on bots, which also contributes to the cost increase of gathered materials.
  • Taking raw materials and using them to make something doesn't have much of a time commitment for the most part, so the profit margins are slim.

Micro-Holidays
  • The rewards from these holidays aren't really collectable items because of their short duration.
  • Extra experience from a leveling micro-holiday is a cool idea.
  • Call of the Scarab is a region wide faction competition, not realm-wide. It also rewards a good amount of experience.

Cooking
  • As the team was building out Legion professions, they wanted to have content for all of them.
  • For all of the primary professions, it ended up being quest lines.
  • For the secondary professions, the team didn't want to overwhelm you with quest lines.
  • Archaeology got a time gated quest line, Fishing got an Artifact fishing pole, First Aid got items that drop out in the world.
  • Cooking had a progression in Warlords with work orders. Cooking felt like a way that the team could flavorfuly incorporate work orders.
  • The randomness with Nomi is probably a little bit too random. You can give him a certain material and he will give you recipes that use that material.
  • Nomi is learning, with every patch he becomes more efficient. In Patch 7.1.5 the chance to get recipes has gone up significantly.

Rank 3 Recipes
  • When the team was designing the profession recipes system, it was a blank slate.
  • The rarity of recipes could be anything from a guaranteed drop to super rare. The team started by making them rare, as it is easier to make them more common in the future if needed.
  • The Rank 3 shoulder recipes were added to a fairly challenging part of the game, making them more rare.
  • It isn't breaking the game to have some RNG on the Rank 3 recipes, you can still make the items.
  • In the case where it does feel bad, such as gathering, adjustments can be made.
  • There isn't a lot of profit margin in crafting, but having the Rank 3 recipes help to give players a little more profit.
  • The team can increase the chance to get the Rank 3 recipes at the end of the expansion.

Archaeology
  • There isn't as much of a reason to go on an endless grind now with how archaeology works. This was intentional.
  • There are less projects you can solve so that you don't get down to the last one and feel like it takes forever to get.
  • There are plans to make archaeology better in Patch 7.2!

Patch 7.2
  • Patch 7.2 should be coming to the PTR pretty soon.

Profession Dungeon Requirements
  • While the team was building the profession quest lines they leaned on dungeons because they could scale. At this point in development the world scaling tech didn't exist.
  • Removing dungeon requirements for professions isn't going to happen, but it could probably be less dungeon heavy in the future.

Gathering Professions
  • The team talks about making gathering professions separate each expansion, but it hasn't happened yet.
  • They could add a third profession slot that is gathering only.
  • Some of the people asking for another profession slot just want something new, but don't want to get rid of their existing professions.

Random Secondary Stats
  • There won't be an item to allow players to reroll secondary stats on crafted items.
  • If you want different stats, make another item.
  • This was taken into account when setting costs for crafting items, so they are a little bit cheaper.

Artifacts and Weapon Crafting
  • With Artifacts, professions that could craft weapons in the past no longer had this choice.
  • The team tried to replace these weapon choices with crafted relics. It didn't completely fill the fantasy of a weaponsmith.
  • The team will look at the quality of the crafted relics and maybe add some more crafted things.

Weekly Events
  • Separating Timewalking from the other events is something not planned right now.
  • The team might remove less relevant events in the future.
  • Keeping Timewalking rare helps to make it special.

Micro-Holiday
  • Maybe there will be a New Year's Eve micro-holiday in the future, but it doesn't feel like the other micro-holidays.
  • Right now the micro-holidays that are being added are Azerothian holidays rather than analogues to real world holidays.

Engineering
  • Reaves having a bank access is something the team looked at. It was considered for Patch 7.1.5 but didn't get put in.
  • The team wants to save some things for later. If Reaves is the best thing right away there would be nothing left to add.
This article was originally published in forum thread: Legion Developer Q&A - Paul Kubit started by chaud View original post
Comments 69 Comments
  1. rogoth's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Wretchedmist View Post
    Alright, so redesign them like you did with other things. Also, the most challenging dungeons I've ever done were probably during Vanilla. The group's "control" was more important than any other expansion - position, crowd control, threat, pulling, damage priority, etc. TBC dungeons were tough for a while, too, along with those three ICC ones in Wrath. Those are the first that come to mind.

    to be honest with you, i highly doubt they will add the timewalking tech to classic dungeons, for several reasons, mainly because firstly they have cut back on so many class abilities, many of the fights in these dungeons would actually be mathematically impossible if they were tuned properly to be "like they used to be", and this point applies to timewalking raids too, they have cut so many abilities that many bosses in older raids are just plain unkillable as a result, secondly there is the issue with doing something like this in a queue-able group that requires so much setup and control, don't forget the vast majority of the playerbase today has no knowledge of what it was like back in times of yore, and even if they did, there's so many dungeons now that are nowhere near what they were like back in the day that it's not a proper experience.

    and yeah, i agree with you about the 3.3 dungeons being the last truly "hard" dungeons they added to the game, even cataclysm release dungeons weren't hard even though the usual minority screamed they were etc, and since then blizz have made dungeons so asinine and boring snoozefests it's not even funny.
  1. Biggles Worth's Avatar
    After reading the summary there, why even bother making a video.
  1. mmoc133ea5993d's Avatar
    Ohh ffs...not a fucking clue about the game, huhh?
    "Obliterum upgrades help to keep crafted gear relevant." aham....

    "The Vanilla dungeons don't hold up to current dungeon design standards, which is why they didn't start with Vanilla timewalking. They don't feel challenging and aren't tuned for max-level players." Because BC and LK dungeons are challenging and tuned for max lvl players?

    "Archaeology got a time gated quest line, Fishing got an Artifact fishing pole, First Aid got items that drop out in the world." Archaeology is ok, Artifact fishing pole is beyond useless (for me..got it, levelled it and looks nice in my bank..) First aid just made it levelling pain in the ass and anyway..any1 using 1. aid for anything? (beyond CoS? even there the healer can "use" it anyway...)

    "The randomness with Nomi is probably a little bit too random." Liitle bit? LITTLE BIT? Fuck you...

    "While the team was building the profession quest lines they leaned on dungeons because they could scale." Sending into a mythic only dungeon to be able to craft 815 ilvl items...smart....
  1. Alfakennyone's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Biggles Worth View Post
    After reading the summary there, why even bother making a video.
    Don't be an ass.
  1. Gaucho-'s Avatar
    If they think of doing WoD timewalking before classic one, then... wow.
  1. nicode's Avatar
    I really wish Legion crafted gear wasn't such a joke. There really needs to be a way for people to incrementally increase the power of crafted gear so that you can at least keep it on par with the raid progression you've made. Something like a drop from bosses which is used to upgrade crafted gear appropriately (normal, heroic, mythic). Limit it to 1 or 2 crafted items equipped. And you can use the obliterum concept to make it so that you don't waste an item because RNGesus gives you a better boss drop. Obliterate your old crafted item and use it to get a slightly less powerful item for a different slot.

    The cost of mats is insane. This has nothing to do with the garrison -- it's a 100% classic Blizzard over-correction.

    And lol at the incoming hunter changes... can't wait to see those.

    WTF is the point of the PTR if you change everything the night before and have to immediately implement untested hotfixes
    PTR is Blizzard's new alpha testing. Why pay for a QA department if your paying customers will test it for you?
  1. Banquetto's Avatar
    "Nomi is learning, with every patch he becomes more efficient. In Patch 7.1.5 the chance to get recipes has gone up significantly."
    Huh, maybe I should start throwing stuff at Nomi again, then. I gave up a couple of months back when I realized a new cooking recipe was a rarer drop than Ashes of Al'ar or suchlike. :-P
  1. Tarx's Avatar
    I would love too add a third main profession. I would like to have engineering only for fun on my main without lost the enchanting and the jewel crafting .
  1. Bags's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by rogoth View Post
    f yore, and even if they did, there's so many dungeons now that are nowhere near what they were like back in the day that it's not a proper experience.

    and yeah, i agree with you about the 3.3 dungeons being the last truly "hard" dungeons they added to the game, even cataclysm release dungeons weren't hard even though the usual minority screamed they were etc, and since then blizz have made dungeons so asinine and boring snoozefests it's not even funny.
    do you not do m+?
  1. ElDoorO's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Roar-Powah View Post
    Getting rank 3 recipes from RBG is so asinine, Blizzard logic is fucking ridiculous. Trying to force people into any part of the game is silly, or did Blizzard forget the backlash in MoP with the Ring forcing you to PvP. Blizzard is so out of touch with their own game it's a great /popcorn show at times.
    It's rank 3. If it were rank 1 I would agree, but rank 3... I have no problem wrapping these around other aspects of the game. In most cases I've seen rank 3 just saves you a small few mats -- nothing significant.
  1. aphmau's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by cateran View Post
    "The Vanilla dungeons don't hold up to current dungeon design standards, which is why they didn't start with Vanilla timewalking. They don't feel challenging and aren't tuned for max-level players." Because BC and LK dungeons are challenging and tuned for max lvl players?
    Vanilla dungeons, aside from a few that have already been redone and don't really exist in their old form, were tuned for the level they were appropriate for. There was no high-level BFD for example. BC and LK, and every expansion, has had dungeons that already exist in two difficulties, normal and heroic, with heroic being tuned for max level of that expansion. It's easier to tune TW stuff around that because the dungeon itself doesn't need a lot of tuning, and instead it's about making sure that you are synced down to a level/stat level that is appropriate for that difficulty. It means less work because most of it was already done. Vanilla dungeons, on the other hand, mostly had a single difficulty, and tuned a decade ago. Any vanilla dungeon that got extra work, such as The Deadmines or Scholomance are out because of the statement Blizzard made today about wanting to include dungeons from the new area, not reworked vanilla stuff.

    Also, you seem mad about all of this. You should probably relax a bit, designers do this for a living, and while they certainly can't sit there and give you access to all of the e-mails and meeting minutes to explain the minutiae of every single decision, understand that a lot of thought goes in to decisions. It isn't arbitrary.
  1. Coldfire989's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Kellorion View Post
    Anyone else think this guy was a bit of an ass?
    Most of the ones they have on these things are over rated high and mighty my shit dont stink types.
  1. retrograde's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Alfakennyone View Post
    Don't be an ass.
    Step 1: Practice what we preach
    Step 2: Allow people to have opinions
    Step 3: Be a good example, not a bad one
  1. Alfakennyone's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by retrograde View Post
    Step 1: Practice what we preach
    Step 2: Allow people to have opinions
    Step 3: Be a good example, not a bad one
    I have.
    It's not really an opinion.
    I am.

    Ty
  1. Bquitze's Avatar
    With crafting they so completely missed the mark. Adding quests (which are quickly forgotten) doesn't make crafting or farming feel more meaningful. Working hard towards a single piece of gear that will last even if it takes a concerted effort of farming provides a more meaningful experience.
  1. adondriel's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by nicode View Post
    I really wish Legion crafted gear wasn't such a joke. There really needs to be a way for people to incrementally increase the power of crafted gear so that you can at least keep it on par with the raid progression you've made. Something like a drop from bosses which is used to upgrade crafted gear appropriately (normal, heroic, mythic). Limit it to 1 or 2 crafted items equipped. And you can use the obliterum concept to make it so that you don't waste an item because RNGesus gives you a better boss drop. Obliterate your old crafted item and use it to get a slightly less powerful item for a different slot.

    The cost of mats is insane. This has nothing to do with the garrison -- it's a 100% classic Blizzard over-correction.

    And lol at the incoming hunter changes... can't wait to see those.



    PTR is Blizzard's new alpha testing. Why pay for a QA department if your paying customers will test it for you?
    I would much prefer to equip an entire set of 865 crafted gear, than only be able to equip 2 that go up to raid quality. it's not meant to be raid quality, it's meant to get replaced by raid quality, to then be upgraded later, when possible.
  1. TartyMelon's Avatar
    I really love these sessions that these guys do, like so much!
  1. mmoc133ea5993d's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by aphmau View Post
    Vanilla dungeons, aside from a few that have already been redone and don't really exist in their old form, were tuned for the level they were appropriate for. There was no high-level BFD for example. BC and LK, and every expansion, has had dungeons that already exist in two difficulties, normal and heroic, with heroic being tuned for max level of that expansion. It's easier to tune TW stuff around that because the dungeon itself doesn't need a lot of tuning, and instead it's about making sure that you are synced down to a level/stat level that is appropriate for that difficulty. It means less work because most of it was already done. Vanilla dungeons, on the other hand, mostly had a single difficulty, and tuned a decade ago. Any vanilla dungeon that got extra work, such as The Deadmines or Scholomance are out because of the statement Blizzard made today about wanting to include dungeons from the new area, not reworked vanilla stuff.

    Also, you seem mad about all of this. You should probably relax a bit, designers do this for a living, and while they certainly can't sit there and give you access to all of the e-mails and meeting minutes to explain the minutiae of every single decision, understand that a lot of thought goes in to decisions. It isn't arbitrary.
    aham because the difference between a normal and hc dungeon is tremendous... new bosses, new mechanics, etc..ohh wait, no...bigger healthpool and damage...yeah kinda hard to to do it...

    No offense but the TW dungeons tuned for god knows what, but 100% not the original hc....

    And those designers and developers...they are not doing too good job, do they? I mean I`m working for my salary as well, but if i try to do such a low level, "don`t give a fuck" result in the end....well, i would not stay long in my workplace....They fucked up...big time, not the first nor the second and i`m sure not the last time either. I could not care less about how easy or hard is the job what they are doing (especially because no such a thing exist "too hard job"..just lack of necessary and relevant knowledge, experience, assets, skills....for example: to run 10km is easy, hard or impossible task? Or is it based on personal skills and abilities? Same with everything..they sucks because of lack of the mentioned traits and/or natural intelligence) but it`s their job to fix...I know I can vote with my wallet and hell I`m gonna do that....
  1. FelPlague's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Sargiean View Post
    I'm not sure I agree with the assessment from the devs that materials are only more expense this expansion because we have to go and gather them, rather than relying only on our garrison. For example, in expansions other than WoD we've seen blue gems become cheap on the market after a few months, and potions and flasks have always been negligibly expensive. Now 1 potion of the old war goes for around 700g on my server - which even accounting for inflation was not the case in Wrath, Cata, or MoP. I've prospected hundreds and hundreds of stacks of ore all this expansion too and the yield of blue gems seems far below what it was in MoP, Cata, or Wrath. It's more than just the garrison.
    lol what? no, i remember i couldent raid in our main team back in wrath because i was too younge to use the AH enough to afford pots and flasks, i was given the spare ones and was on our second team for mosto f the expansion, they were super expensive
  1. Averrix's Avatar
    I just love it how Blizzard, with every expansion, tries to redo classes/specs and ends up breaking half the stuff and spends the entire expansion trying to get the classes back to how they were and by the time the end of the expansion comes, most of the time, things seem to be back to normal, just for Blizzard to break all the classes/specs again next expansion and repeat the whole thing all over again. When will they learn, if it ain't broke.....

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