Battle for Azeroth Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[GrinnersGrin]

Check your emails :O

[axi0m]

Not... really? I mean as far as Expansions go, they've all been "Big Bad Guy" and "HvA... Oh, wait. Garrosh was the Big Bad Guy all along!"

And the setup between what the Heart of Corruption was whispering and what bits we know indicate that it'll dissolve into "Old God Shenanigans" by the end of the expansion.

You missed some of the discussion about this I think. One great option is to have an expansion much like Vanilla where there was no true "Big Bad" pulling all the strings. You had Ragnaros, Nefarian, C'thun and Kel'Thuzad all in their own silos with little to no connecting threads. Like we killed Nefarian, then some time later AQ begins to stir so we go down to check it out. Not everything has to have a mastermind, or big bad pulling the strings. It would be great to just have different factions and enemies and races and cultures each with their own "not-quite-as-big bads" and then we move on to the next, get introduced to a different setting and culture and their story.

[Valysar]

Check your emails :O

OMG, I have an email from Spotify. /s

[Marlamin]

The only thing not working with the current build is the .exe file, and I think that could be deployed in a hotfix. They probably did it to try and prevent sandboxing the client. (Tho there are working versions of the 8.0.1 exe out there so it didn't really help).

Exe patch requires a new build by definition, just not a content build.

[CosmicGuitars]

Towelliee saying streamers/etc got emails a "few weeks ago" and "can't confirm that alpha is this week".

Seems like it's just a waiting game now.

[Lamora]

Check your emails :O

Sweet, my Rising Sun Kickstarter has arrived!

[Projectmars]

You missed some of the discussion about this I think. One great option is to have an expansion much like Vanilla where there was no true "Big Bad" pulling all the strings. You had Ragnaros, Nefarian, C'thun and Kel'Thuzad all in their own silos with little to no connecting threads. Like we killed Nefarian, then some time later AQ begins to stir so we go down to check it out. Not everything has to have a mastermind, or big bad pulling the strings. It would be great to just have different factions and enemies and races and cultures each with their own "not-quite-as-big bads" and then we move on to the next, get introduced to a different setting and culture and their story.

Vanilla also lacked a real overarching story and was mostly based on world building as a whole, which is why it worked that way. Expansions can't really do that to the extent that Vanilla can without introducing another EK/Kalimdor sized area. (Cataclysm kinda did... but considering how that's the second worst expansion...)

[huth]

Exe patch requires a new build by definition, just not a content build.

I'm sure some people wouldn't mind getting an uncompiled exe. Blizzard probably would, though.

[TriHard]

Alpha this week

[axi0m]

Vanilla also lacked a real overarching story and was mostly based on world building as a whole, which is why it worked that way. Expansions can't really do that to the extent that Vanilla can without introducing another EK/Kalimdor sized area. (Cataclysm kinda did... but considering how that's the second worst expansion...)

Honestly I liked Cataclysm, not as much as BC or Wrath but in my personal opinion it's definitely above MoP and WoD. I kinda get what you're saying about needing the landmass for it, but I'm sitting here thinking that the troll stuff, the snake-people and Vulpine's, and the Kul Tiras/Pirate stuff could all be their own segragated stories that don't NEED to completely interconnect to form a cohesive narrative. However I veered away from my design and story/worldbuilding background to pursue a different career, so comparing my thoughts and ideas on making a good story and cohesive narrative are obviously going to differ from those who make a career out of it.

[Caerule]

Honestly I'd love to see a long-lasting villain again that is killed at the end. The Lich King may have been too omni-present, but it was nice to have an overarching threat. We've not had a lot of that. A lot of final villains of expansions have only been present as some over-arching enemy behind the scenes or final revelation.

Deathwing was only around as a raging beast. Archimonde got freshly summoned. Kil'Jaeden died in the patch he was revealed in. Argus was all new.
Meanwhile, all the interesting plotting characters that shape the original story, tend to die in the first raid. Cho'gall, head of the Twilight Hammer, that set up most of the non-cataclysmic parts of Cataclysm, died in the first raid. Twice. Gul'dan and Xavius, dead in tier 1.

I'm hoping we can see a final villain again that we encounter and have built up, throughout the expansion. For example, it would be great if the Prophet Zul, the Zandalari rebel leader that's been fanning the flames of Troll aggression for years, is revealed to have been an Avatar of N'Zoth when slain.
Another great idea is for us get touched with enough corruption during later tiers of BfA, that we start hearing N'Zoth's whispers, attempting to drive us mad, until we slay him in the final tier. Like how players with sentient artifacts hear them speak sometimes. A nice way to build up the boss and create a sense of urgency.

But yeah, I'd love it if we get significant buildup of the final boss this expansion.

[leviathonlx]

Check your emails :O

Unless you're a streamer, part of the crew running a fansite, or a mythic raider with mythic argus down you will not get an invite to the initial Alpha.

[Shampro]

The Void needs a ''Gul'dan'', someone that has a face and a voice that you can recognize and instantly find iconic in the franchise related to that particular villain. Right now it's just a faceless blob of spooky whispers, which is OK for the Old Gods themselves, but for the overall theme of the Void vs Azeroth it isn't exactly compelling. Cho'gall could've been it but yah know, RIP.

[leviathonlx]

The Void needs a ''Gul'dan'', someone that has a face and a voice that you can recognize and instantly find iconic in the franchise related to that particular villain. Right now it's just a faceless blob of spooky whispers, which is OK for the Old Gods themselves, but for the overall theme of the Void vs Azeroth it isn't exactly compelling. Cho'gall could've been it but yah know, RIP.

The void should be subtle and not at all in your face like the Legion or like how they were in Cata. Thye should be like how Yogg was in Northrend.

[Lightwysh]

The Void needs a ''Gul'dan'', someone that has a face and a voice that you can recognize and instantly find iconic in the franchise related to that particular villain. Right now it's just a faceless blob of spooky whispers, which is OK for the Old Gods themselves, but for the overall theme of the Void vs Azeroth it isn't exactly compelling. Cho'gall could've been it but yah know, RIP.

Bolvar....

[Varolyn]

I've been playing since late 2007, and the only beta I've been invited to was the Legion one, and that was in June a little over two months before the expansion launch. I highly doubt I will be invited to alpha, but I wouldn't be surprised if I get into beta again. Apparently, from what I've heard, once you get invited to one beta, blizz keeps flagging your account for each expansions beta afterwards, even if you have been unsubbed for some time.

[Shampro]

The void should be subtle and not at all in your face like the Legion.

Oh I'm not saying that it shouldn't be built up, I'm saying that at some point, I'd like to interact with someone that isn't a blob talking about darkness. Even if it's someone that we trusted and ended up being thier ''Gul'dan'' all along, (cough Locus Walker cough). Deception is also within thier theme I'd say.

[Deleted]

Unless you're a streamer, part of the crew running a fansite, or a mythic raider with mythic argus down you will not get an invite to the initial Alpha.

Oh really? How come that i got Alpha Invite for Legion in like the second wave, and i am neither of that above.

[leviathonlx]

Oh really? How come that i got Alpha Invite for Legion in like the second wave, and i am neither of that above.

So you got it in 'like' the 'second wave' not the 'initial wave'. The initial group invited is always small.

[ATZenith]

Towelliee saying streamers/etc got emails a "few weeks ago" and "can't confirm that alpha is this week".

Seems like it's just a waiting game now.

hey blizz, its me ur friend streamer. thanks in advanc