Battle for Azeroth Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Highwhale]

Well, if the island is filled by trolls or mogu, it makes sense to drop troll or mogu themen items (which were frequent in MoP) and so on...

Troll or Mogu theme? Fine. What stopped them from making actually new models with those themes?

In WoD even crafting had unique weapons models.

If we follow your logic - why make new Warfront armor? They could simply re use WoD garrison armor of SW and Ogrimmar city guards.

[rda]

By the way, I've been meaning to ask:

They talked about warfronts having strategic choices. What exactly is it now? Do players collect different types of resources that go towards different upgrades (eg, NPCs that fight for you) like in old AV? Or is there something more involved?

[Holdodlig]

Fine by who's standards? Yours?



Even Legion that didn't had normal weapons drops at start of expansion had new and unique weapons models that players didn't had before.



Its okay. Keep white knighting your idols.

I don't see how I am white knighting my "idols" just because I say something is meant to give player items that weren't available for them. That's just facts actually. And yes, that's fine by my stantards that's the point of giving my opinion. But hey, I don't ask you to understand this it seems a bit too hard for you.

[Deleted]

The two short stories that are going to come out are the ones from the collector's edition, that we saw teased a while ago. They said then these are also going to be available for free, only the artwork won't be ofc, as that is exclusive to the CE.

[Cosmic Janitor]

The two short stories that are going to come out are the ones from the collector's edition, that we saw teased a while ago. They said then these are also going to be available for free, only the artwork won't be ofc, as that is exclusive to the CE.

They should have just put an artbook in the CE, that would have been enough for me and many others. I wouldn't be surprised if they planned with such a narrow timeframe this time that they just didn't have all of it ready for print though.. or they really think it's a decent replacement for the artbook :/.

[Mahmeya]

Troll or Mogu theme? Fine. What stopped them from making actually new models with those themes?

In WoD even crafting had unique weapons models.

If we follow your logic - why make new Warfront armor? They could simply reuse WoD garrison armor of SW and Ogrimmar city guards.

I think that some level of re-use is tolerable. Maybe because I would not expect them being a source of unique mogs, considering they have unique pets and mounts as drops already. Plus, mogu are probably not going to be expanded upon so spending time for a small amount of new drops would not be so efficient.

Crafted weapons not having unique models is disappointing, in that I fully agree. WoD actually miraculously managed to create a good-looking crafted gun, something unseen since Nesingwary 4000.

[rda]

Well there are a few levels of choice. Yes on how everyone chooses to utilize the resources they gather but also group distribution among targets (you need to defend a bit, you need to control resources, you need to advance to new posts).

Thank you. (This would have been perfect material for a dev blog: the overview of how warfronts work. Blizzard astroturfers, take note.)

[Drekmar]

Holy shit, doing Warfront with a retarded group is nightmare. It's pure hell... 30min my ass.

[Cosmic Janitor]

Holy shit, doing Warfront with a retarded group is nightmare. It's pure hell... 30min my ass.

Well there is no established meta yet. Once there is it will get better and if it's just because someone will spam a macro that lists what to do next.

[Drekmar]

Well there is no established meta yet. Once there is it will get better and if it's just because someone will spam a macro that lists what to do next.

Sure, but one thing is established meta, other thing is skipping everything to assault valorcall pass while loosing mine and having hardly any control over 3 points. Its not even doable without demolishers, but they completely ignored the objectives.

Spam a macro? Enough people will run DBM and DBM will just tell them what to do; the rest will just follow them. Warfronts though will likely always have a few stragglers just checking the scenery

Dont underestimate ignorance. For best Warfront experience bring your own group.

[Cosmic Janitor]

@rda, and this is why I say there are choices to be made Stupid people can make stupid choices and make the Warfront take forever. I still think it will be extremely hard to lose it, but at some point you might wish you could . . .

I mean at that point not progressing just becomes a failure state in itself, because if you already went through the 3rd group reformation like some LFR runs, you just quit and take it as a loss.

Edit: Also I've seen the water elemental on the front page now. No wonder I didn't spot any differences ingame :>

[rda]

Holy shit, doing Warfront with a retarded group is nightmare. It's pure hell... 30min my ass.

Out of curiosity, what specific thing the group was doing and what you think it should have been doing instead?

(Disregard, I found it - assaulting bases that are way too forward without defending what was just taken. I think this is going to be cured in no time, frankly. It's just knowing how the map works. Sure, there will always be ignorant people, but they will follow the pack, this is a known problem with known solutions = leader spamming. It works 100% in PVE because all you need for it to work is for the map to play predictably.)

[Mekkle]

I'm really enjoying the option voiced npc interactions, i hope they do it tons more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfBE3PzjMWo&t=0s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaJ_VU2OQZc&t=0s

[Kiki b]

Me and other people? If you don't care it doesn't change the fact that its lazy re use job from Blizzard side.

There are at least 4 new weapon models. A ton of recolors, which aren't new in the literal definition, but can match with gear sets their original counter parts may not have, and for all intents and purposes may as well be new. Especially the ZA recolors considering their original models are unavailable today. There's only one strict model copy from islands, and I don't know anyone who likes that 2h mace model from WoD anyway.

It's not "White Knighting" to be excited about weapon models that legitimately aren't in the game.

[rcshaggy]

I'm really enjoying the option voiced npc interactions, i hope they do it tons more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfBE3PzjMWo&t=0s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaJ_VU2OQZc&t=0s

In before the Blizzard Fans make those two a couple...

Do any Horde characters do the same?

[rda]

It works in PvE because almost all PvE these days is completely linear so there is only one path for people to follow (and some still manage to get lost). Tell me again how well it works in BGs where objectives are split around the map

Well, that's the point. Warfronts are PVE so they are going to be figured out fast and we will never talk about the "strategy" that they require, we will just think of that as a set of simple things to remember. As regards the AI, what I saw from islands wasn't impressive in the least and on a bigger scale it is bound to be even less impressive. We also had mobs trying to do PVP before - remember the PVP encounter in Trial of the Crusader? It was a real cockblock for PUGs but only for several first weeks, then even a grandma knew to *gasp* CC healers and focus targets. Same with warfronts - a few weeks into BFA these stories of PUGs failing will be seen as "okay, you got some noobs, it happens".

[The Stormbringer]

http://www.wowhead.com/news=284942/b...rassil-attack-







HOLY FUCK It actually makes some sense and not because we woke up feeling bored.

Also it confirms that she didn't burn it intentionally.

Nah, still doesn't make sense. "Anduin Wrynn will attack us everywhere!" is bullshit. There is no way she thinks Peaceboy McPriesty the Nice will come after them like that.

[Deleted]

HOLY FUCK It actually makes some sense and not because we woke up feeling bored.

Also it confirms that she didn't burn it intentionally.

Does it make sense for Sylvanas to have hidden motives and use her people's fear for the Alliance to exploit her own agenda? Sure, decently in character.

Does it make sense for any Horde member to go through with this ridiculous plan? Nope.

[rda]

By the way, a prediction regarding war mode: it is going to eventually be dominated by a single faction and that faction will be the Horde. Bookmark this post.

(It will actually be good for the Alliance, because in the backwards world of world PVP it is better to be outnumbered as your biggest problem is always lack of targets. But that's only if you know what you are going into and what for = HKs, and it doesn't become much less boring.)

- - - Updated - - -

Does it make sense for Sylvanas to have hidden motives and use her people's fear for the Alliance to exploit her own agenda? Sure, decently in character.

Does it make sense for any Horde member to go through with this ridiculous plan? Nope.

The excuse for the Horde members is probably going to be "but she is the warchief! blood and honor, bla bla bla, I have to follow ma warchief to the grave". Even though they just had the warchief turned rogue = Garrosh, which was too much even for them. And Gul'dan earlier.

There is so little logic in all this that it is simpler to point out where it exists than where it doesn't.

[Nevcairiel]

By the way, I've been meaning to ask:

They talked about warfronts having strategic choices. What exactly is it now? Do players collect different types of resources that go towards different upgrades (eg, NPCs that fight for you) like in old AV? Or is there something more involved?

Since noone has really answered in full detail yet:

Individually, you can collect resources (actually go harvest lumber, and pickup iron from the chest where your peons put it), and spend it on:
- Buying Units - You do this entirelly autonomous, its not a collective goal, if you buy some units they'll be added to the next "wave" that walks out periodically
- Contribute to unit upgrades, either weapons or armor
- Contribute to the next building project

Strategically, it may make sense to push for the first weapons/armor early on, or maybe a certain building to get other units unlocked. Someone will probably work this out. But if you actually have a strategic group, you can definitely play different warfronts.

Outside of resources, the group as a whole of course has to take enemy bases, which requires at least a group of players to take down the boss, and you have to defend the bases you got, or they will fall again. So if you really want to strategize this in an organized group, you could split your raid in maybe 4 (rotating) groups, one on lumber duty, two doing offense, one defense.

Some bases hold a strategic value like unlocking certain units to buy, or some other perks like offering a flight point to the front.

As a single player you can probably not have that huge of an impact, but if you sign up with a 5 man group and play as a base-capturing strike force even in an otherwise random Warfront, you can probably do quite some damage.

(This would have been perfect material for a dev blog: the overview of how warfronts work. Blizzard astroturfers, take note.)

They posted in the feedback thread just the other day that it was intentional that not much info was given so they can assess how "intuitive" it is. One might assume there might be a blog about that later, but designing it intuitively is definitely a good idea since 90% of all people are not going to read it anyway.