9.0 General Discussion

[Kengaroo]

https://twitter.com/Stiven_SRB/statu...371689473?s=20

Maybe pre-patch next week?

[Shandodo]

https://twitter.com/Stiven_SRB/statu...371689473?s=20

Maybe pre-patch next week?

Background DL I'd guess. Definitely means new build, but we will have to see where it goes. Be on alert folks.

[DeusX]

Huge topic, tried to search, but couldn't find what I am interested in.
My question for the people with SL knowledge: is it going to be hard (time consuming) to maintain 2 specs on a hybrid class? Like elemental and resto shaman. How is this going to go in regard to covenants, legendaries and the other systems? In BFA it wasn't hard.

[Sondrelk]

https://twitter.com/Stiven_SRB/statu...371689473?s=20

Maybe pre-patch next week?

Highly unlikely, we have yet to get a 2 week end of season notice. 29th has been, and still is the most likely date.

[Dracullus]

About classes, I hope that quote from Ion on BfA launch that they won't do big class changes during patch cycle won't be true in SL and onwards.

Let's face it - it's impossible to revamp all during Alpha/Beta, SL is much better organized than BfA and they still found time to revamp only few specs. Legion got few more than usual, but whole Legion testing cost us lack of .3 patch and 14 months content drought.

Simply adjusting classes to new environment takes a lot of time, also not every spec needs revamp at all (I'm glad they haven't really touched my Fury Warrior that imo got great changes in BfA Beta).

So I would like something like that:

1) Alpha/Beta - pick 3 classes in worst shape (from gameplay POV of course) and focus ONLY on them, just adjust rest; tell that community from the start, so we set out expectations from start
2) every major patch (.1,.2,.3) pick ONE class to focus on
3) overall goal would be to revamp EVERY spec every 2-2.5 expansion; yes, even if some class or system is good or even great, it needs changes at least every 5 years - for example look at Mythic+, people already get used to it and demand changes.

Imo Blizzard lose too much time, cause they trying to change everything at once and later they run out of time or changes are too subtle to be nocited. This way there would be much less waste.

[Hitei]

About classes, I hope that quote from Ion on BfA launch that they won't do big class changes during patch cycle won't be true in SL and onwards.

Let's face it - it's impossible to revamp all during Alpha/Beta, SL is much better organized than BfA and they still found time to revamp only few specs. Legion got few more than usual, but whole Legion testing cost us lack of .3 patch and 14 months content drought.

Simply adjusting classes to new environment takes a lot of time, also not every spec needs revamp at all (I'm glad they haven't really touched my Fury Warrior that imo got great changes in BfA Beta).

So I would like something like that:

1) Alpha/Beta - pick 3 classes in worst shape (from gameplay POV of course) and focus ONLY on them, just adjust rest; tell that community from the start, so we set out expectations from start
2) every major patch (.1,.2,.3) pick ONE class to focus on
3) overall goal would be to revamp EVERY spec every 2-2.5 expansion; yes, even if some class or system is good or even great, it needs changes at least every 5 years - for example look at Mythic+, people already get used to it and demand changes.

Imo Blizzard lose too much time, cause they trying to change everything at once and later they run out of time or changes are too subtle to be nocited. This way there would be much less waste.

I assume the issue is in pulling the rug out from under people mid-expansion. Like if you were an (old) survival hunter and liked survival and went into Legion playing that survival, and then suddenly in 7.2 your entire spec was gone and now survival is melee and you don't even have so much as a weapon, that would be pretty shitty. They probably want to avoid any significant changes to a class in the middle of an expansion because people often pick the class they want to main at the start and they don't want to force people to reroll because there's a significant change in rotation and spec identity midway through.

Also, I 100% disagree that classes need to be changed just to be changed. If people are tired of a class, there are 11 other classes they can play. Minor changes are what borrowed power is for.

[Atticon]

feels insane that theres still no prepatch release date yet.

It seems really obvious to me it'll drop the week after the final Afterlives, so 22-23 September.

[Dracullus]

feels insane that theres still no prepatch release date yet.

What's insane about that? It not expac launch, we usually know date less than 7 days before. End of season notice was always just a hint.

[Hitei]

Ready for Music and Login Screen this week....

... Also ready to be disappointed cause it doesn't happen.

It really should be this week. Perhaps there's more music than usual or something.

[Sondrelk]

I assume the issue is in pulling the rug out from under people mid-expansion. Like if you were an (old) survival hunter and liked survival and went into Legion playing that survival, and then suddenly in 7.2 your entire spec was gone and now survival is melee and you don't even have so much as a weapon, that would be pretty shitty. They probably want to avoid any significant changes to a class in the middle of an expansion because people often pick the class they want to main at the start and they don't want to force people to reroll because there's a significant change in rotation and spec identity midway through.

Also, I 100% disagree that classes need to be changed just to be changed. If people are tired of a class, there are 11 other classes they can play. Minor changes are what borrowed power is for.

As much as I wish it were not so I have to agree. Mid-expansion really isnt the time to change a class unless it is catastropically bad or unbalanced. Besides, it would feel pretty shitty to be a fan of Demonology and have to play a terrible spec until the last patch or something. Sure, you would in theory have most of the next expansion to play the new version, but noone wants to feel like they are just waiting for the good stuff at the beginning of an expansion.

That being said if a class really is that bad like MM is shaping up to be or like Enh or Ele was in BfA then there should definitely be more substantial changes.

- - - Updated - - -

It seems really obvious to me it'll drop the week after the final Afterlives, so 22-23 September.

That would have meant a end of season announcement yesterday. Not to mention a 4-week Pre-patch is more fitting with all the others.

[Veliarne]

Just realized , in 2-3 weeks we'll prolly play the pre-patch. Small/Medium hype train? or full on nerd hype?

[Vasoka]

Tonight may be the night we get login screen and music, lads! Especially with the mysterious new build wowhead spotted.

[Atticon]

Tonight may be the night we get login screen and music, lads! Especially with the mysterious new build wowhead spotted.

Hope it's good. It'll probably be using the Bolvar theme as the main motif and I really like that one.

[Sondrelk]

Hope it's good. It'll probably be using the Bolvar theme as the main motif and I really like that one.

Well going by the BfA one it will probably be mostly a medley of the various tracks from the different zones.

Personally I am a big fan of the fanmade one on youtube that mixes Seasons of war with Bolvar's theme and invincible.

[goldlock]

Just realized , in 2-3 weeks we'll prolly play the pre-patch. Small/Medium hype train? or full on nerd hype?

They should announce the end of the pvp season before the patch.

[huth]

Highly unlikely, we have yet to get a 2 week end of season notice. 29th has been, and still is the most likely date.

Yeah... 15/16th is technically possible, but very unlikely. 22nd maybe, 29th probably. After that and we're short on time for the pre-patch event.

[tamarin]

The next build is tagged as 9.0.2 so there's speculations it's either pretty big or maybe it correspond to some significant internal milestone such as the ptr going from "beta" to "release candidate".

If so, maybe they'll want to get an idea of how stable it is on the ptr before committing to a specific prepatch release week.

[Hitei]

The next build is tagged as 9.0.2 so there's speculations it's either pretty big or maybe it correspond to some significant internal milestone such as the ptr going from "beta" to "release candidate".

If so, maybe they'll want to get an idea of how stable it is on the ptr before committing to a specific prepatch release week.

Probably the title screen/music build.

[gunner_recall]

About classes, I hope that quote from Ion on BfA launch that they won't do big class changes during patch cycle won't be true in SL and onwards.

Let's face it - it's impossible to revamp all during Alpha/Beta, SL is much better organized than BfA and they still found time to revamp only few specs. Legion got few more than usual, but whole Legion testing cost us lack of .3 patch and 14 months content drought.

Simply adjusting classes to new environment takes a lot of time, also not every spec needs revamp at all (I'm glad they haven't really touched my Fury Warrior that imo got great changes in BfA Beta).

So I would like something like that:

1) Alpha/Beta - pick 3 classes in worst shape (from gameplay POV of course) and focus ONLY on them, just adjust rest; tell that community from the start, so we set out expectations from start
2) every major patch (.1,.2,.3) pick ONE class to focus on
3) overall goal would be to revamp EVERY spec every 2-2.5 expansion; yes, even if some class or system is good or even great, it needs changes at least every 5 years - for example look at Mythic+, people already get used to it and demand changes.

Imo Blizzard lose too much time, cause they trying to change everything at once and later they run out of time or changes are too subtle to be nocited. This way there would be much less waste.

I've been saying this but don't expect class revamps this expansion. We'll see SOME changes that'll push classes in the direction they want them to go or where they need them, like Spriests received, but this is the leveling/future proofing expansion. Next one will see class revamps, more than likely.

[Sondrelk]

I've been saying this but don't expect class revamps this expansion. We'll see SOME changes that'll push classes in the direction they want them to go or where they need them, like Spriests received, but this is the leveling/future proofing expansion. Next one will see class revamps, more than likely.

I still feel the devs need to acknowledge that some of the classes are in bad shape at the moment. Holding off on massive class changes for the next expansion is all nice and good, but the classes we ahve now do at least need to function well enough to make us comfortable playing them. Especially importantt for this one since there are so few lateral power systems to patch the gaps, making the base class good is more important than ever.