9.0 General Discussion

[Gorsameth]

It would help a lot if they let us get some 8.3 stuff during long pre-patch. PVP season is rather out of picture, but why won't keep rank 4 essences (maybe some alternative source for PVP one?), Brutosaur (this especially), rewards for 12xM+15, Ahead of curve?

Curve is gone. Balance is likely completely out the window for pre-patch. The game isn't balanced around it.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

All the invested players will likely continue to stick around.

[Blayze]

That reminds me; is Exile's Reach available in the prepatch?

[Arcinatoss]

Fuck dude I'm happy but so sad at the same time lmao. Back to beta testing Heist league for Path of Exile I guess.

[gunner_recall]

so can we assume, and yea i know assuming anyhing at this point when everything has changed is not worth anything, but at least one could try to expect that if they were to follow the prepatch, at a maximum as its been in previous expacs, 4 weeks after the 13th would be the 10th of november. if its longer then we would have the longest prepatch ever?

https://www.icy-veins.com/forums/top...eptember-29th/
According to this, the longest is MoP with 67 days.

[Sondrelk]

It would help a lot if they let us get some 8.3 stuff during long pre-patch. PVP season is rather out of picture, but why won't keep rank 4 essences (maybe some alternative source for PVP one?), Brutosaur (this especially), rewards for 12xM+15, Ahead of curve?

Brutosaur should definitely be available until the expansion actually releases, or at least until the pre-patch events begin.
Not sure why they are not allowing essences either, I guess maybe it is because of the changes to Azerite in the pre-patch. Who knows.

[Dracullus]

You know what I'm gonna change my guess from November 20th to "Sometime in December."

Because it's obvious that Blizz overlaps their dates with FF14 now, and they confirmed their 5.4 patch will drop in December.

(For context, FF14 is dropping 5.3.5 on the 13th as well they announced this week.)

I'm starting to think launch is December and season 1 12th January. Before it would cause lot of screaming/whining, but now ground is prepared. And imagine how many data from Mythic dungeon they could get during that month.

Curve is gone. Balance is likely completely out the window for pre-patch. The game isn't balanced around it.

Dude who cares at this point, it's non-hardcore PVE.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

That reminds me; is Exile's Reach available in the prepatch?

Exile's Reach, the Level Squish, and Chromie Time are all in the prepatch.

[Sondrelk]

That reminds me; is Exile's Reach available in the prepatch?

Should be, yes.

[Dracullus]

Should be, yes.

Lol, it's even main content of pre-patch.

[Dreen]

You know what I'm gonna change my guess from November 20th to "Sometime in December."

Because it's obvious that Blizz overlaps their dates with FF14 now, and they confirmed their 5.4 patch will drop in December.

(For context, FF14 is dropping 5.3.5 on the 13th as well they announced this week.)

they could still launch 2 weeks ahead and line up season 1 opening with FF14 patch, cause i doubt they'd want to release raid/pvp/m+ overaching into the holidays

[Kathranis]

Exile's Reach, the Level Squish, and Chromie Time are all in the prepatch.

Also the new customization options and of course the pre-expansion world event (likely not immediately).

[Gaidax]

Expecting Blizzard ot have taken Covid into account when they announced the release date earlier wasnt exactly unthinkable. The timeframe they gave as fairly close by, and their workers have had months to get used to their new reality.

Though I guess maybe the second wave hit them especially hard, who knows.
Not to mention that given their offices placement in the most liberal state in the states I think there might be some actual tension over voting season. I would definitely not put it past them.

They did not announce Shadowlands release date a year ago, only like what, a month and a bit ago or so?

They taken COVID-19 into account, they probably thought they could make it, but ran out of time on polish which is needed.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

They did not announce Shadowlands release date a year ago, only like what, a month and a bit ago or so?

They taken COVID-19 into account, they probably thought they could make it, but ran out of time on polish which is needed.

I still think this is a matter of something went sideways here at the end. Either a hidden bug or they did a balance chance and Law of Unintended Consequences kicked in.

[Sondrelk]

They did not announce Shadowlands release date a year ago, only like what, a month and a bit ago or so?

They taken COVID-19 into account, they probably thought they could make it, but ran out of time on polish which is needed.

That would be my guess, yeah.
Covid can be unpredictable and has led to quite a few unforseen circumstances, but I imagine they would be able to plan a month in advance, which is why I think other factors might be at play outside just blanket "Covid-19"

[Zexaniro]

They did not announce Shadowlands release date a year ago, only like what, a month and a bit ago or so?

They taken COVID-19 into account, they probably thought they could make it, but ran out of time on polish which is needed.

what are you talking about? they haven't even finished the expansion let along started to plan the polish, watch Bellular's latest video

[infinitemeridian]

what are you talking about? they haven't even finished the expansion let along started to plan the polish, watch Bellular's latest video

The expansion is finished lol, the content and systems are done. All that is left is tuning and bug fixes, hence the delay.

[Nagawithlegs]

what are you talking about? they haven't even finished the expansion let along started to plan the polish, watch Bellular's latest video

The "not finished" part likely relates to the Maw, which is mostly empty and will remain mostly empty until a patch. They made it empty to make the expansion more consumer-friendly, so it being empty is not a flaw.

By that nature every expansion is unfinished until its last patch.

[Makorus]

I think people need to lower their expectations a bit.

Just because they delayed the expansion doesnt mean that Blizzards stance on most things will change lol.

A lot of things the outrage Youtubers call "unfinished" is not unfinished, they just dont like the design of it.

The only thing that is kind of unfinished, I suppose, is the Maw, but thats because their entire design for it went down the toilet.

[Nagawithlegs]

I think people need to lower their expectations a bit.

Just because they delayed the expansion doesnt mean that Blizzards stance on most things will change lol.

A lot of things the outrage Youtubers call "unfinished" is not unfinished, they just dont like the design of it.

I understand people saying the Maw is unfinished, but it's a stupid complaint because its the equivalent of flying to the Broken Shore and Tomb of Sargeras in Legion at launch and crying that there's nothing to do (besides that one Orc for the secret quest).