Developer Q&A - Ion Hazzikostas

[Deleted]

Are raids 20-minute content ?

yeah, normal raid uldir can be done in like a hour. Are high m+ keys a 20 min content? You have how many dungeons in whole BFA so far- 10? Each have like 4-5 bosses to kill and based on week affixes every dungeon feels like new challenge. And uldir? Uldir has just 8 static bosses.

[Ophenia]

yeah, normal raid uldir can be done in like a hour. Are high m+ keys a 20 min content? You have how many dungeons in whole BFA so far- 10? Each have like 4-5 bosses to kill and based on week affixes every dungeon feels like new challenge. And uldir? Uldir has just 8 static bosses.

Guess there is no point continuing this discussion, if you truly believe it's normal that "most of the players are doing 1-2 Mythic+ per week".

And if you believe Normal Uldir is what we're talking about, too.

[Yllana]

An extra outer ring that has two spec specific traits per spec.

A ring with spec-specific only sounds good

Someone that is dedicated to a spec should have a small advantage over someone who is constantly switching.

There is already a disadvantage: having to know more than one spec/rotation/utility/UI... they are just adding another disadvantage on top of it

The 9 bosses that exist may be in the same order for both factions. Alliance may play through the entire battle, then have the recap of what they missed. Horde players may get their flashback moment during the middle of the raid.

That sounds way less interesting than the "...separate faction experiences..." stated earlier

[andrewjoy]

There is value to having a bit of friction when it comes to changing specs.

So in opposition to every design decision for years ?

Why does your agility gear turn into int gear when you switch to a healing spec then.

Remove all that and lets go back to having a int set and an agility set for druids , and a strength set and int set for paladins. Hell lets put block and defence back on some plate and crit and hit on other.

You just want people to farm your skinner box more , have some backbone and admit it.

[Segus1992]

So in opposition to every design decision for years ?

Why does your agility gear turn into int gear when you switch to a healing spec then.

Remove all that and lets go back to having a int set and an agility set for druids , and a strength set and int set for paladins. Hell lets put block and defence back on some plate and crit and hit on other.

You just want people to farm your skinner box more , have some backbone and admit it.

Is nuance a difficult concept? Difficult to figure out that "a bit of friction" means "a bit of friction"? Maybe the English is too hard? If so, "a bit of friction" means "not the exact same set of gear between specs".

- - - Updated - - -

There is already a disadvantage: having to know more than one spec/rotation/utility/UI... they are just adding another disadvantage on top of it

No they aren't. If you're so bad that learning a new spec is difficult then yes it's friction, but that friction has never changed.

The ONLY case in WoW history where gear was completely shared (in endgame) between specs was pure DPS specs in TBC. Since then, tier sets have been spec specific OR gear has had different stats OR we've had artifacts.

In BfA, if azerite gear wasn't a choice you had to pay to change, we would only need to change weapons and trinkets for some specs, the rest would share all gear.

Azerite gear is too rare, but it isn't too restrictive compared to what we've had in the past.

[Deleted]

He still plays.

I like the %performance of his key runs and raids, especially the raids.
Says quite something about his "archievements" and the state of resto shaman, I want to be constructive about it but I cant, here we clearly have someone unable to play a class and telling others how they should play the game or a class that is utterly worthless and/or actively hampering others by paticipating in raids/mythics.
What is worse? Im sure I dont have to answer that.

And Im also aware now why he thinkgs Blood DK is to strong (he is, but mainly because others tanks are mediocre at best, like he even admitted) and needs a hitting from the side, because he had worse healing in EVERY SINGLE mythic kill they archieved.
His keys look just the same and while I was to lazy to check those aswell, Im 99% sure he just got carried by DPS.

Its an actual tragedy to have someone with 370 gear level and 0 performance telling others what is the best for them.

[Deleted]

Why is it an issue if people want to change spec? i thought we got over this shit in Legion.........

Azerite is the shittest thing they've ever added into the game, just delete it next patch and put tier back in again please.

[Sanguinerd]

I don't agree with everything said in the Q&A but I seem to be in the minority but I actually agree with the "dedicated to one spec gets the advantage" thing, it's one of the few things that make it still feel like the old days.

It's also quite hilarious to see people judge Ion for his "low ilvl" and thus concluding he doesn't know what he's talking about

[TickTickTick]

You should be a little bit annoyed while playing a video game, while also paying to be able to play it. It's totally normal that there should be a fair bit of annoyance in every entertainment activity there exists.

[Walkerbo]

Players: why cant we queue for Warfronts as a guild group?
Ion: they are not fun.
Players: ...

[Jwco]

I'm pretty sure Ion is Nathanos.

[Puri]

Someone that is dedicated to a spec should have a small advantage over someone who is constantly switching.

That makes perhaps sense for someone who would change specs but stay in the role, like a arcane mage going fire.
Hybrid classes that can not just switch specs but roles should actually be rewarded for it, they are doing the whole group a favour while doing something they might even like less.

[Resheph]

Is it just me, or did I just watch a whole lot of nothing?

It's you. Clearly nothing they can do or say would satisfy you anyway.

[Deleted]

yeah still wont keep playing that boring shit.

[Metallourlante]

It's you. Clearly nothing they can do or say would satisfy you anyway.

Well, to be honest they repeated the same things over and over. 1 hour of Q&A for some questions that could have been answered in like 10-15 min max.

[Stacie]

I actually almost fully agree with Ion. No need to always be in best gear. You should have to swap (with a cost) or farm other items for a different spec. That's kinda how its always been no handouts. And he is totally right about unless you are going for world first or high keys being a few % behind the best possible won't be enough to make that content impossible or even feel harder.

People really need to get out of the whole "i need to be 100% optimal" thing. Majority of the time they really don't need to be.

[Eleccybubb]

At least they are a vocal minority. Other people who just quit, you know. Just quit. They don't say a fucking thing. They're gone.

To be fair dude there is a good chunk of fair criticism.

For me I just think the Azerite system is very... stale is the best way of putting it. I don't feel happy with the system.

Plus my big issue is with the Q and A itself. A good chunk of answers don't address some very valid critique or they have a bit of a "it's our game now shut up and listen" mantra. Plus it just feels like they want to do these and get them over with rather than actually want to do them.

That's just my 2 cents of course. The game is still good though. As I said I mostly quit because PS4 is taking up my time.

If WoW ever got a console port which yeah is very very unlikely then I'd more than likely come back.

[Greyvax]

I've never been so demoralized by a Q&A. It's pretty clear this team has absolutely NO idea what they're doing, led by one of the most underqualified "game directors" in history.

Likely going to let my sub run out finally, because there's clearly nothing exciting to look forward to on the horizon. Just more of the same (all talk, no action)

[Deleted]

I've never been so demoralized by a Q&A. It's pretty clear this team has absolutely NO idea what they're doing, led by one of the most underqualified "game directors" in history.

Likely going to let my sub run out finally, because there's clearly nothing exciting to look forward to on the horizon. Just more of the same (all talk, no action)

Would you please stop talking such an enormous bullshit?

[Greyvax]

Would you please stop talking such an enormous bullshit?

Thank you for your contribution to this conversation. Reported BTW. Have a nice day