Developer Q&A with Ion Hazzikostas - Battle for Azeroth

[Ophenia]

I think we have to redefine the meaning of a “race” in WoW if “Kul Tiran Human” is added. They’re humans who wear a lot of green and own ships. The fact that some are skinny or fat doesn’t change their genetic makeup.

Well Void Elves are still Blood Elves anyway so

Tbh it aint that bad now if you dont take into account the legendaries wich wont even be a thing next expansion so yeah it became instantly more alt friendly by not having legendaries to grind.

Ion said BfA will be the same level at Alt-friendliness as Legion.
So, there will be something completely alt-unfriendly that will replace the Legiondaries.

The fact there is a catchup mechanic for the Azerite is enough for this expac to be alt-unfriendly. It was shit in Legion (until the moment they finally decided to give everyone the same Knowledge, which will still be an end-of-expansion mechanic, likely), and they didn't learn anything by not setting this Heart of Azeroth as unique for all specs.

[Deleted]

Bah, wrong quote, sorry. I was talking to DesoPL.

[FelPlague]

@chaud
you put Alts twice

[Tiwack]

Wish these two leeches would get their heads out of their own butts.

Pay to be able to participate in a great game while having little to none to say on the future direction of it. It truly sucks.

[Hiromant]

That's how being a client works.

[Segus1992]

Im not sure how I feel about personal loot being the only option for raids.

With no tier and ilvl = upgrade no matter what, does it matter at all? Gearing is not a thing anymore, you just upgrade your ilvl by 0.5 points, get 0.5% damage, and move on to the next boss. Thought-based decision making is not encouraged.

[Saverem]

Seriously again nothing about gnome paladins...

Oh no, the 2 people that play Gnomes will be so disappointed.

[Segus1992]

Well Void Elves are still Blood Elves anyway so



Ion said BfA will be the same level at Alt-friendliness as Legion.
So, there will be something completely alt-unfriendly that will replace the Legiondaries.

The fact there is a catchup mechanic for the Azerite is enough for this expac to be alt-unfriendly. It was shit in Legion (until the moment they finally decided to give everyone the same Knowledge, which will still be an end-of-expansion mechanic, likely), and they didn't learn anything by not setting this Heart of Azeroth as unique for all specs.

How the hell is the bolded part "likely"? Do you think they thought the original system was good? It's one thing to not believe Blizzard can do good design, it's another entirely to think they're all just stupid.

[Aestholus]

@chaud
you put Alts twice

Professions too

[Queen of Hamsters]

Not a very exhaustive Q&A, nothing major was revealed and no action on the Alpha...

At least the chat of Twitch proved once and for all how fortunate we are that random nobodies are not in control of this game.

Random 1: M+ has been great, will Uncharted Islands utilize affixes as part of their randomness?
Random 2: M+ WAS SHIT LOL THIS GAME DEAD USED TO BE GREAT BUT BLIZZ ONLY CARE 'BOUT MONIES!!!!!!!!!!!111

[Ophenia]

How the hell is the bolded part "likely"? Do you think they thought the original system was good? It's one thing to not believe Blizzard can do good design, it's another entirely to think they're all just stupid.

Well, they had the possibility to make the Azerite neck the same for all your specs (that's a damn neck), that would make sense (of course that couldn't have worked for Artifact weapons as they are designed).

So yes, they still want us to farm like hell to keep alt-specs on par, that seems obvious to me.

They even said the catch-up mechanics will be the same as Legion. And during Legion, catch-up mechanics arrived late, and the only one that was fine was the last one.

[Segus1992]

Well, they had the possibility to make the Azerite neck the same for all your specs (that's a damn neck), that would make sense (of course that couldn't have worked for Artifact weapons as they are designed).

So yes, they still want us to farm like hell to keep alt-specs on par, that seems obvious to me.

They even said the catch-up mechanics will be the same as Legion. And during Legion, catch-up mechanics arrived late, and the only one that was fine was the last one.

And they said it'd be more like it was towards the end, specifically mentioning being 3 AKs behind and that feeling terrible. Did you not watch it and just came here to whine about things they actually adressed?

[VyersReaver]

BfA will have traditional weapon drops including war glaives.

Oh, good. Can't wait to NOT get any other weapons as a DH ("Just wait for the glaive to drop, mate").

[Super Kami Dende]

That fucking goes away next goddamned Expansion. Just like Artifact Weapons. Use your damned head.

ALL Player progression except Levels in an expansion goes away at the end of a goddamned expansion, Use your damned head.

[DesoPL]

Oh no, the 2 people that play Gnomes will be so disappointed.

Blame blizzard for putting gnome priests back in CATA.

[Dracullus]

I liked what Ion said about feedback, but it was kinda pointless. People with brain know this already, rest.. well they'll keep bitching as usual.

[Edlarel]

Oh, good. Can't wait to NOT get any other weapons as a DH ("Just wait for the glaive to drop, mate").

Nah, it'll be just like any expansion. Demon hunters will equip 1h swords, axes, fists, and warglaives. Not sure if they get any 2h.

Warglaives, meanwhile, will likely go to the classes that can win them from Illidan (rogue, monk, warrior, death knight) in addition to demon hunters. This will be no more an issue than giving a rogue a 1h sword over a dagger.

[Ashcrack]

If a talent choice is taken by everyone and mandatory, then it could shift to baseline or change it.

They always say this but nothing ever happens...

[Katsutomai]

ALL Player progression except Levels in an expansion goes away at the end of a goddamned expansion, Use your damned head.

Only since Legion and now BFA. Legion cut huge swaths out of characters and then put in inside an Artifact Weapon. That was taken away. Now it's being added back as Azerite gear. Only to be taken away yet again at the end of BFA. Legion didn't add any Talents. BFA won't add any Talents. We're going backwards instead of forwards. Shit like this didn't happen in MoP and earlier. Blizzard is slowly taking away core RPG elements while pushing RNG harder than ever.

[Bormec]

Well Void Elves are still Blood Elves anyway so

All of the Allied Races are really just subraces, but in the case of all of them, they’ve been physiologically altered by outside forces, natural or cosmic/divine. Barring some kind of unreleased quest text saying they crossbred with the Drust or were subjected to a witchs’ curse, then the only thing that has affected Kul Tirans to be different than any other human is an over abundance or severe lack of food.