Shadowlands Development Update - October

[Dystemper]

classes can be fixed in just a couple weeks, and nah 100% not a total rework of the maw, simply some new colours in spots, some more events, etc.

- - - Updated - - -



so do torghast and get the corridor creeper.

- - - Updated - - -



most odf those take literally no time at all to fix, bugs have been vanishing in thousands with every single weekly build.

- - - Updated - - -



so do torghast, get the corridor creeper.

If classes can be fixed in just a few weeks, why have they not done it yet? And no its not just adding some color and a few things to the MAW, what they stated sounds like a massive re-work .

[GMZohar1]

Once a week in the Maw... 10 Conduit Charges lol

Cool time gating Blizz

[Queen of Hamsters]

The name is the exact same as a hearthstone card, thats likely why they thought it was a worm, they googled the name and found the hearthstone card.

- - - Updated - - -



I mean not true at all.


Raiding
Heroic dungeons
Crafting CD's
Dailies
Weeklies
Daily badge gains
Weekly talent respec gold reduction.

bUt CdS In An MOoRpG WeRe FoReIgN CoNCePtS PrE-BfA/Sl!!!


Seriously, do people willingly discard the past once enough time has gone by, or is it just intellectual dishonesty at play? One has to wonder.

[FelPlague]

If classes can be fixed in just a few weeks, why have they not done it yet? And no its not just adding some color and a few things to the MAW, what they stated sounds like a massive re-work .

1. making the classes fixed so they are actually playable does not take long, and reason they havent done it yet is cause they only recenlty started working on classes as a large focus.

2. lets go over what they said

The Maw is intended to be the desolate and brutal domain of the Jailer, and not a place any soul in the Warcraft cosmos ever hopes to visit. But this is, after all, a video game, and telling that story can’t come at the expense of creating a fun environment for adventurers. We’ve heard feedback that this content is currently falling short of that mark, and we agree.

We’re working to increase visual distinction and combat gameplay variety across the different areas of the Maw,

as well as exploring adding new localized events and world interactions.

We also want give players who journey to the Maw a bit more direction, while still preserving the “sandbox” roots of Maw gameplay.

Players will venture into the Maw weekly to rescue souls to aid in restoring their Covenants, and the mysterious broker Ve’nari offers a range of cosmetic, convenience, and power rewards in exchange for Stygia.

Those goals need to be more immediately apparent early on. We’ll share more info about specific updates when these changes are ready for Beta testing and feedback.


paragraph 1- moot

line 1- Add some more colour/mobs difference between specific areas.
line 2- more world events and things like how currently they have teleporters and stolen mounts
line 3- give more direct context of where to go
line 4- this is already how it is right now, feels like they are just stating this to tell people of how the maw works for those who dont know.
line 5- likely make it more obvious what stuff is used for earlier on then later on, so some quest line shifting.


not a whole hecka lot.

- - - Updated - - -

Once a week in the Maw... 10 Conduit Charges lol

Cool time gating Blizz

what? you can go to the maw all the time, every day, that is literally just a weekly quest telling you to go to the maw... weeklies have been around since tbc...

[pewpmeiser]

This all sounds perfectly fine. I'm not indecisive enough, or feel like I have to be the best in every situation that I need to respec everything between every encounter.

[Soeroah]

God, I hope one of the Maw changes is to put the "thou cannot mount" thing behind a Jailer's Eye punishment, so we can at least mount on the way to our first area of interest each day.

Corridor Creeper is all well and good but being able to mount in that hellhole shouldn't be locked behind the final tier reward of a "challenge mode" any more than flying should be locked behind pet battles. World content is world content, which is completely distinct from challenging instanced-based content. QOL rewards for a type of content should be rewarded through doing that type of content, not another type. Like, how would raiders like it if the ability to upgrade their conduits was locked behind rated battlegrounds?

Stuff like flying or unlocking special mounts to be used in special areas should come from playing that content.

[GreenJesus]

Well, they wanted a place that no one wanted to go to, and they got it right.

I couldn't help cracking up at this.

[FelPlague]

God, I hope one of the Maw changes is to put the "thou cannot mount" thing behind a Jailer's Eye punishment, so we can at least mount on the way to our first area of interest each day.

Corridor Creeper is all well and good but being able to mount in that hellhole shouldn't be locked behind the final tier reward of a "challenge mode" any more than flying should be locked behind pet battles. World content is world content, which is completely distinct from challenging instanced-based content. QOL rewards for a type of content should be rewarded through doing that type of content, not another type. Like, how would raiders like it if the ability to upgrade their conduits was locked behind rated battlegrounds?

Stuff like flying or unlocking special mounts to be used in special areas should come from playing that content.

The example of pet battles compared to torghast which is required to get materials for legendaries.

also you say that but remember when flying speed was locked behind raiding?

[Kuja]

I don't know what Maw is, but I hope it's an endless tower, or at least 100 levels with increasing difficulty on each level, and increased rewards as well. And each level is randomized like a roguelike with different random monsters depending on what is the "topic" of the level. Possibly even old raid bosses scaled to be a bit more difficult, if it's the afterlife.

And make it really challenging, like mage tower style. So no one can possibly get to top floor in a very long time.

[Soeroah]

The example of pet battles compared to torghast which is required to get materials for legendaries.

also you say that but remember when flying speed was locked behind raiding?

I don't, actually. When was that?

In TBC we could buy both flying speeds, and in Wrath I got the fastest speed through the Long Strange Trip/Violet Protodrake achievement, which I don't believe required raiding. Was the only other way to get 310% from the raid meta achievements?


And I'd argue that doing Torghast to get materials for legendaries makes more sense than doing Torghast to let us mount in the Maw. Doing Torghast will help you power up your gear, which in return helps you do Torghast at a higher rate. You use legendaries to help you in instanced combat scenarios like dungeons and raids, so doing similar in Torghast makes sense. But the Maw is an outdoor zone which, as far as I've seen so far in my time there, is more about upgrading your covenant and progressing stories than anything relating to player power, except for a few legendary recipes and the socket/conduit upgrades (which I believe you can earn currency for through Torghast, too). The point is the Maw and Torghast are different kinds of content and it makes less sense to earn the one mount that can be used in a specific outdoor 'sandbox' zone you visit to progress your covenant level and questlines by completing a challenge mode based around player power and high-level play. So to me it's like having the conduit upgrade system behind pet battles or required rated battleground wins to level your covenant.

It might be one thing if the mount were purchased with Sytgia or were a layer 2-4 unlock, but being THE top reward for the challenge mode is only gating a QOL improvement the Maw desperately needs to a relative few players who are more likely to spend the bulk of their playtime avoiding the Maw as much as possible. The more casual players who are more likely to spend longer in the Maw (on alts, or collecting, or similar) are not going to have as easy access to the one mount that would make their actual endgame more enjoyable. It doesn't make sense.

[jellmoo]

I have very purposely been avoiding deep spoliers into what Shadowlands is going to offer. I did the beta for both Legion and BfA, and I think tthat I was the worse off for both. I want to have that feeling of both wonder and surprise again.

But things like this genuinely worry me. I understand that the Maw is supposed to be a place that souls want to avoid at all cost. But it isn't something that players should want to avoid. we should want to be there. It can be dark, foreboding, dangerous, difficult, scary and grotesque. But it absolutely should be fun. It should be visually interesting. It should be something that is enjoyable even if it's risky and hard. We should not fread going there because it's boring. That's literally the one thing it can't be.

[Redroniksre]

I don't know what Maw is, but I hope it's an endless tower, or at least 100 levels with increasing difficulty on each level, and increased rewards as well. And each level is randomized like a roguelike with different random monsters depending on what is the "topic" of the level. Possibly even old raid bosses scaled to be a bit more difficult, if it's the afterlife.

And make it really challenging, like mage tower style. So no one can possibly get to top floor in a very long time.

That is what it was suppose to be originally, but as far as i know it is completely different now. There are only a few sections of floors, and they tend to actually get easier the further you get. The only rewards you get from it are your Legendary crafting materials and cosmetics/mounts. There is no gear rewards from Torghast.

[FelPlague]

I don't, actually. When was that?

In TBC we could buy both flying speeds, and in Wrath I got the fastest speed through the Long Strange Trip/Violet Protodrake achievement, which I don't believe required raiding. Was the only other way to get 310% from the raid meta achievements?


And I'd argue that doing Torghast to get materials for legendaries makes more sense than doing Torghast to let us mount in the Maw. Doing Torghast will help you power up your gear, which in return helps you do Torghast at a higher rate. You use legendaries to help you in instanced combat scenarios like dungeons and raids, so doing similar in Torghast makes sense. But the Maw is an outdoor zone which, as far as I've seen so far in my time there, is more about upgrading your covenant and progressing stories than anything relating to player power, except for a few legendary recipes and the socket/conduit upgrades (which I believe you can earn currency for through Torghast, too). The point is the Maw and Torghast are different kinds of content and it makes less sense to earn the one mount that can be used in a specific outdoor 'sandbox' zone you visit to progress your covenant level and questlines by completing a challenge mode based around player power and high-level play. So to me it's like having the conduit upgrade system behind pet battles or required rated battleground wins to level your covenant.

It might be one thing if the mount were purchased with Sytgia or were a layer 2-4 unlock, but being THE top reward for the challenge mode is only gating a QOL improvement the Maw desperately needs to a relative few players who are more likely to spend the bulk of their playtime avoiding the Maw as much as possible. The more casual players who are more likely to spend longer in the Maw (on alts, or collecting, or similar) are not going to have as easy access to the one mount that would make their actual endgame more enjoyable. It doesn't make sense.

Wotlk.

Most people had flying speed 280, but if you wanted flying speed 310, you needed to get a 310 speed mount.
yes long strange trip existed, but that took AN ENTIRE YEAR of dedication to get, you really saying a year of timegating is fine but 2 hours of doing torghast aint?

And no the maw is about upgrading you, not so much the covenents, it gives you conduit upgrades, it gives you gem sockets, and it upgrades torghast. it also only has 1 legendary recipe. and no you cant get stygia from torghast.
and no, because pet battles are not part of normal progression, torghast is.
also "The TOP reward" no.. itsn ot.. .its hilariously easy to do, it just takes time, you just need to do all 8 layers which are each harder then the last but by only a small amount.

[Soeroah]

Wotlk.

Most people had flying speed 280, but if you wanted flying speed 310, you needed to get a 310 speed mount.
yes long strange trip existed, but that took AN ENTIRE YEAR of dedication to get, you really saying a year of timegating is fine but 2 hours of doing torghast aint?

And no the maw is about upgrading you, not so much the covenents, it gives you conduit upgrades, it gives you gem sockets, and it upgrades torghast. it also only has 1 legendary recipe. and no you cant get stygia from torghast.
and no, because pet battles are not part of normal progression, torghast is.
also "The TOP reward" no.. itsn ot.. .its hilariously easy to do, it just takes time, you just need to do all 8 layers which are each harder then the last but by only a small amount.

If it's "hilariously easy" to do then I'll have much less of an issue, but my worry is they're using similar terms for it as they did for the Mage Tower, and that's a level of skill I don't think should be attached to this. And by "top" reward I literally mean it's the final reward of the Torghast challenge mode, not that it's the most difficult thing in the game on its own.

As for the 310% mount speed, I was more okay with the year long dedication because I already have 280% flying mounts. I could fly, fast, and this was just a minor upgrade. But here we're talking about a 100% movement speed boost in daily/weekly content that, as I said earlier, I find to be excruciatingly dull and at times unfairly difficult as it is. The Maw, as it stands, is just not fun. Mounting won't solve it, but it'll definitely help. I've only played the beta and I already want mounting in the Maw faster than I've ever wanted flying in the live game.

You're giving me hope that I'll be able to get this mount within the first week of the expansion with a group, though, so thank you. Have you done it on the beta?

[FelPlague]

I don't know what Maw is, but I hope it's an endless tower, or at least 100 levels with increasing difficulty on each level, and increased rewards as well. And each level is randomized like a roguelike with different random monsters depending on what is the "topic" of the level. Possibly even old raid bosses scaled to be a bit more difficult, if it's the afterlife.

And make it really challenging, like mage tower style. So no one can possibly get to top floor in a very long time.

1. it is called the endless tower, sadly it aint
2. it used to have 50 (70 but you started at 20)
3. its difficulty increased, but because of your powers you also grew stronger, some runs the enemies would outscale you, but most runs you outscaled the enemies at varying degrees, what powers you get is rng so it was variable. like every rogue lite
4. yes this part is correct, levels are random, and different momnsters based on topic
5. old raid bosses KINDAAAA there is 2 that reference old raid bosses but sadly nah, it would be cool though.
6. sadly it cant really be challenging because of how it works, it never can be, cause either
A. its super duper challenging and most runs have no chance at winning with some having a chance, and then some easy.
B. its middle ground and most runs can do it, but some will have a really hard time, and some will have a super easy time
C. its super easy and literally every run can do it, but some will be insanely easy while others will be just ok.

This changes per spec and per class, i have done at least 1000 hours of torghast, and i main warlock, i dont play many other classes, but i gave em a shot, and some classes... holy fuck so easy. boomkin for example was hilarious.
Spam moonfire+sunfire on everything, perma x10 starfall following me, and starfalls hitting enemies aswell as my dots ticking having a chance to call moons onto enemies, and they are slown, and my dots tick 9x faster, and yeah..
then dk my dots sometimes summoning undead, then also applying all 3 specs dots when i cast a plague, and also i just have so little cooldown on my summoning undead spells etc.
Dh with 0 second cooldown on blade dance, and blade dance giving 100% dodge during it and dealing massive damage every time it hits for awhile.

there is just sooo many.

then you get one like demonogly where you have a run where you get corruption slow, and shadowbolt deal more damage from ashen phylactries...

[Thoramir]

I don't, actually. When was that?

In TBC we could buy both flying speeds, and in Wrath I got the fastest speed through the Long Strange Trip/Violet Protodrake achievement, which I don't believe required raiding. Was the only other way to get 310% from the raid meta achievements?

before the achievements the almost all mounts where at 280% but there where a few mounts at 310% like ashes of alar

[Icelin]

Tbh, I wasn't really understanding why they were struggling with The Maw to begin with. I never seen what was on beta for that zone. I just mean in general. I mean they get to make a type of hell in the Warcraft universe. That is on the levels of Doom and Diablo stuff. I couldn't understand the team that would be working on it would be so disinterested and barely give any effort. It's like Video Games pioneering 101.

So hopefully they can do a good job and enjoy it while creating.

[FelPlague]

Tbh, I wasn't really understanding why they were struggling with The Maw to begin with. I never seen what was on beta for that zone. I just mean in general. I mean they get to make a type of hell in the Warcraft universe. That is on the levels of Doom and Diablo stuff. I couldn't understand the team that would be working on it would be so disinterested and barely give any effort. It's like Video Games pioneering 101.

So hopefully they can do a good job and enjoy it while creating.

The big issue with the maw was the original reason to go there got scrapped.

The struggle with the maw was originally we were supposed to go there to get torghast keys, thats it, it was literally just for a few quests and torghast keys.
but when we wanted those removed and blizz listened, they had to come up with reasons for us to want to go there, and so theyve had to rush to add reasons.
hell until only a couple weeks ago there was no reason to go there other then your quests and unlocking a pretty cheap upgrade for torghast.

[plz delete account]

Guy replying in the US forums comments:

"Please consider allowing mounts in the Maw. Until then, play will be at an absolute bare minimum."

Exactly this, I honestly can't understand why mounts aren't allowed in the Maw and the Eyes of the Jailer mechanic isn't an excuse. It could as well be designed around players having the ability to mount up while currently it doesn't at all interact with the ability not being able to mount up. It's my main gripe with Shadowlands and I will definitely do the Maw absolutely minimum until/unless mounts are available. Additionally, the Corridor Crawler mount from Torghast isn't good either. I just don't want to ride a **** worm or whatever it is. It's just limiting player choice and not fun at all.

IMO they should just remove the Eyes of the Jailer system completely but that's not going to happen..

Maw is supposed to be played in minimally anyways outside of Torghast.

[xenogear3]

With this kind "Update" "Feedback", we will be lucky to see Shadowlands in January 2021.