9.0 General Discussion

[Sondrelk]

ok so im guessing announcement coming with release date next week and ptr for prepatch

prepatch launch near end of september and expansion launch near end of october

so raid release on the 3rd of november
mythic race essentially gets 2 weeks for progression unless they post pone raid release for a week and mythic release for an extra week

Expecting the raid this year is very optimistic, even if Blizzard assumes pretty much every guild will finish it in time before the holidays.
Remember, it isnt just the bleeding edge world first raiders that are taken into consideration when a raid is released, but also the regular raiding guilds that will also most likely take a break in raiding.

But yes, a PTR Pre-patch should be due any moment now, and it follows that one might expect a release date at that time.

[hikaritd]

Expecting the raid this year is very optimistic, even if Blizzard assumes pretty much every guild will finish it in time before the holidays.
Remember, it isnt just the bleeding edge world first raiders that are taken into consideration when a raid is released, but also the regular raiding guilds that will also most likely take a break in raiding.

But yes, a PTR Pre-patch should be due any moment now, and it follows that one might expect a release date at that time.

I'd be surprised if PTR wouldnt get Pre-patch right after Gamescom (possible release date as well). End of August PTR, end of Sept Pre-patch live, November 10th SL live.

[Rootsbum]

Really hope that like goblins all the other races get options to change your nose and chin.

This.

NightElf males is in desperate need of "rounder" features.
In general I feel like races with glowing eyes needs more faces, as they look to similar without eyeballs.

[Dracullus]

Expecting the raid this year is very optimistic, even if Blizzard assumes pretty much every guild will finish it in time before the holidays.
Remember, it isnt just the bleeding edge world first raiders that are taken into consideration when a raid is released, but also the regular raiding guilds that will also most likely take a break in raiding.

But yes, a PTR Pre-patch should be due any moment now, and it follows that one might expect a release date at that time.

Expecting raid this year is reasonable if we assume Q4 2020 release and Christmas vacation for WoW devs will happen. Blizzard wouldn't leave us with non-season period for 5+ weeks.

Of course there is tiny chance for everything, don't forget we live in rather unstable times.

[Sondrelk]

Expecting raid this year is reasonable if we assume Q4 2020 release and Christmas vacation for WoW devs will happen. Blizzard wouldn't leave us with non-season period for 5+ weeks.

Of course there is tiny chance for everything, don't forget we live in rather unstable times.

Obviously it is a very "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation. But on the whole I think Blizzard are better off veering on the side of caution and taker a bit longer to release the expansion, and then take the hit of a long pre-raid season, as opposed to potentially creating a far too hectic opening raid. Not to mention the game seeming to be at a point where it could easily do with that extra week or three in development.

[Dracullus]

Btw, something that Towellie noticed on his stream: on Brawl menu on Beta there is message "no brawl - next in 114 days". It would be 1st December. Things like Brawls and weekly event start with Season 1 start, which is 3 weeks from release. Did devs confirmed at least current plans for November 10th release by accident?

[Adoxe]

Btw, something that Towellie noticed on his stream: on Brawl menu on Beta there is message "no brawl - next in 114 days". It would be 1st December. Things like Brawls and weekly event start with Season 1 start, which is 3 weeks from release. Did devs confirmed at least current plans for November 10th release by accident?

Wasn't there some random foreign website last month that had it listed as releasing November 10th and then it got removed when people started noticing it? Could be it afterall.

[Accendor]

ok so im guessing announcement coming with release date next week and ptr for prepatch

prepatch launch near end of september and expansion launch near end of october

so raid release on the 3rd of november
mythic race essentially gets 2 weeks for progression unless they post pone raid release for a week and mythic release for an extra week

The beta is not nearly in a state that is ready for release. Like, not at all.
I played for two days now and literally every single quest I did contained at least one issue and a lot of stuff is going on outside of quests.
Not even all features are implemented yet and class reworks are not done.
IMO its impossible to finish this in a way that would allow a launch in october.

From what I have seen until know a release in the beginning of december with a raid release in january is much more likely. That is, if they want to force release this year. Release in January would be way saver, but they are committed to 2020, so...

[Sondrelk]

The beta is not nearly in a state that is ready for release. Like, not at all.
I played for two days now and literally every single quest I did contained at least one issue and a lot of stuff is going on outside of quests.
Not even all features are implemented yet and class reworks are not done.
IMO its impossible to finish this in a way that would allow a launch in october.

From what I have seen until know a release in the beginning of december with a raid release in january is much more likely. That is, if they want to force release this year. Release in January would be way saver, but they are committed to 2020, so...

Sounds about what you would normally expect from a Beta this new actually. Remember that even with an optimistic release of late Octiber we would still be looking at at least a full month of dedicated Beta. And when you combine that with the knowledge that ht dev team is a couple of builds ahead of what we see there is no problme believing that launch will be more or less bug free.

[Yarathir]

I think people are really, really optimistic when they think SL will release in October at all. November seems more right, if not December.

[Valysar]

I think people are really, really optimistic when they think SL will release in October at all. November seems more right, if not December.

I am moving house at the end of October, I hope not: D

[Yhvh]

This.

NightElf males is in desperate need of "rounder" features.
In general I feel like races with glowing eyes needs more faces, as they look to similar without eyeballs.

Yeah... Not wanting to play the "They have more toys than I do" ball, but realistically let's compare Night Elves with Forsaken, for example.

Take out hair, skin and eyes. That is kind of the "default", it means every race gets at least 3 hairstyles and eye and skin colors.

Now, looking to the actual novelty options, Night Elves get scars, tattooes, jewelry, leaves, ear size, beards. While it being a recurring request among the community, the bone display option is just the one single thing besides the default features, that Forsaken got.

[LemonDemonGirl]

Yeah... Not wanting to play the "They have more toys than I do" ball, but realistically let's compare Night Elves with Forsaken, for example.

Take out hair, skin and eyes. That is kind of the "default", it means every race gets at least 3 hairstyles and eye and skin colors.

Now, looking to the actual novelty options, Night Elves get scars, tattooes, jewelry, leaves, ear size, beards. While it being a recurring request among the community, the bone display option is just the one single thing besides the default features, that Forsaken got.

I think a few other races should get jewelry, tattoo, scar and beard options too. Maybe every non AR race if they can do it

[therumblings]

I think a few other races should get jewelry, tattoo, scar and beard options too. Maybe every non AR race if they can do it

This. Dwarves have been massacred in the first wave of customization, we need more beards! And for all races!

[Accendor]

Sounds about what you would normally expect from a Beta this new actually. Remember that even with an optimistic release of late Octiber we would still be looking at at least a full month of dedicated Beta. And when you combine that with the knowledge that ht dev team is a couple of builds ahead of what we see there is no problme believing that launch will be more or less bug free.

I mean... they never managed to make a bug free release, but BfA was really bad in that regard. Blizzard reputation to ship polished games is already ruined, but I doubt they can afford to actually bury it with a release equally bad.

Again, to make this very clear: No system is finished yet. We are currently giving feedback DURING development, we are not testing the version that will make it to LIVE. 2 months to finish ALL game systems, rework the classes that are not done yet, do class balance and covenant balance and fix all the important bugs and as many of the smaller ones as possible AND finish Raid testing AND (most likely) performance testing?

Really, I see no way how this is going to work out by the end of october and to be honest, I personally would really prefer they take their time and actually polish the systems and the code this time. I can "forgive" (sorry, lack of a better word, I don't want this to come over entitled) a delayed release easily, but another spit in the face like BfA at launch is too much.

[Sarethion]

2 months to finish ALL game systems, rework the classes that are not done yet, do class balance and covenant balance and fix all the important bugs and as many of the smaller ones as possible AND finish Raid testing AND (most likely) performance testing?

I mean, their internal build is probably a bit further along, but still... I agree with your sentiment - I think Shadowlands is conceptually a very nice expansion, but from what I read and hear, it doesn't really sound like it's getting really close to being finished.

I mean, I don't have any doubts that Blizzard will flesh out systems before release, but if they really plan to launch this year... I don't know, I'm worried they might end up a couple months short in terms of balancing, polishing and bug fixing.

And yes, I'd rather wait a bit longer, including into 2021 and get a good expansion than have it rushed out this year.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

I mean, their internal build is probably a bit further along, but still... I agree with your sentiment - I think Shadowlands is conceptually a very nice expansion, but from what I read and hear, it doesn't really sound like it's getting really close to being finished.

I mean, I don't have any doubts that Blizzard will flesh out systems before release, but if they really plan to launch this year... I don't know, I'm worried they might end up a couple months short in terms of balancing, polishing and bug fixing.

And yes, I'd rather wait a bit longer, including into 2021 and get a good expansion than have it rushed out this year.

There's no indication they are struggling to get it to release 2020. They seem to be handling it fine, as for how they're gonna balance covanents I don't know but overall balancing before the end of the year doesn't seem to be an issue.

Mostly game design philosophy clashes(Devs v fanbase)

[spleen1015]

We're still 3+ months away from release. If this was the state of beta with less than a month to go, then I would be concerned. Today, I prefer to wait and see how it goes.

[Sondrelk]

I mean, their internal build is probably a bit further along, but still... I agree with your sentiment - I think Shadowlands is conceptually a very nice expansion, but from what I read and hear, it doesn't really sound like it's getting really close to being finished.

I mean, I don't have any doubts that Blizzard will flesh out systems before release, but if they really plan to launch this year... I don't know, I'm worried they might end up a couple months short in terms of balancing, polishing and bug fixing.

And yes, I'd rather wait a bit longer, including into 2021 and get a good expansion than have it rushed out this year.

I guess much of it depends on whether Blizzard intends to try and "fix" classes in a more substantial way before release. There is no secret that many players do not like the classes as they currently are in BfA, and only a very few of them actually got any substantial fixes in Shadowlands. And I am not even talking about core changes like what SPriest got, but more tuning changes, or at most removing or altering specific abilities.
Good example would be MM with Precise Shots and Rapid Fire. Currently one is actively being ignored for DPS and the other is frantically being playtested to see if there is hope for a way to ignore it completely. Both these abilities are pretty bad, and there are other classes that have similar problems that are given band-aid fixes instead of something more substantial.
In short, I don't think that Blizzard can afford another expansion of classes being almost universally reviled with their dedicated players simply twiddling their thumbs hoping it gets fixed in another year or two.

[razorpax]

Expecting the raid this year is very optimistic, even if Blizzard assumes pretty much every guild will finish it in time before the holidays.
Remember, it isnt just the bleeding edge world first raiders that are taken into consideration when a raid is released, but also the regular raiding guilds that will also most likely take a break in raiding.

But yes, a PTR Pre-patch should be due any moment now, and it follows that one might expect a release date at that time.

The non world first raiders do matter however the race to world first is insanely popular compared to other gaming events and blizzard knows it

The raid releasing in time for top guilds to get the race done gets eyes on the game and gets more Christmas sales

I mean my heroic team won’t be too bothered definitely less so with it avoiding the holiday crunch

- - - Updated - - -

The beta is not nearly in a state that is ready for release. Like, not at all.
I played for two days now and literally every single quest I did contained at least one issue and a lot of stuff is going on outside of quests.
Not even all features are implemented yet and class reworks are not done.
IMO its impossible to finish this in a way that would allow a launch in october.

From what I have seen until know a release in the beginning of december with a raid release in january is much more likely. That is, if they want to force release this year. Release in January would be way saver, but they are committed to 2020, so...

Keep in mind that a release in October can mean fuck all for testing essentially we’d have two more months and we are builds behind what they have internally

- - - Updated - - -

Wasn't there some random foreign website last month that had it listed as releasing November 10th and then it got removed when people started noticing it? Could be it afterall.

As much as I hate the idea of 3 months of BfA....it’s possible

Release the 10th and raid open on the first
Leaves easy 2 weeks for progression

- - - Updated - - -

There's no indication they are struggling to get it to release 2020. They seem to be handling it fine, as for how they're gonna balance covanents I don't know but overall balancing before the end of the year doesn't seem to be an issue.

Mostly game design philosophy clashes(Devs v fanbase)

Remember when ppl were saying “oh according to ppl I talked to at blizzcon this is coming in 2021 they are so behind”