Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Captain Proton Leaker]

Next expansion leak. Spoilers ahead.

World of Warcraft: Sanguine

The writing staff does not want to tell Azeroth-focused stories anymore. Vanilla through BFA is seen as the Azeroth arc (with Legion and BFA concluding nearly all classic stories like the Emerald Dream, the Legion, Azshara, the Old Gods, the South Seas, Kul’Tiras, Kezan, etc). Shadowlands onwards is the new First Ones arc.

The next expansion takes place primarily on Nathreza, continuing seeds planted in Legion and Shadowlands. The main enemy is the secret leader of the Dreadlords who through time disruptions manifested his own race into being by manipulating the Mawsworn. He is considered much more powerful than the Jailer. He was imprisoned in the Maw but accidentally unleashed by the player at the end of Shadowlands. His goal is to become as powerful as the First Ones themselves.

The ‘covenants’ of this expansion are more like Order Halls. There are three of them, each based around the three roles; heals, tanks and DPS. You will empower these factions (and yourself) by collecting Ash-Remnants.

A Torghast-style dungeon is in Sanguine and is necessary to upgrade your faction with the Ash-Remnants you earned through other content.

The game is launching with three large zones on Nathreza, 5 dungeons and a mini raid. No new BGs.

There are no plans to go to K’aresh or the Dragon Isles in the near future. Those are primarily built up as a red-herring because the writers think it is more exciting to get unexpected stories than ones people have anticipated for a while. Azeroth is being low key abandoned in favor of other stories.

No new races or classes. No allied races or new customization options. The focus instead is on heritage armor and weapons.

Lootbox/gacha style shit has been talked about since 2015. They’re still playing around with it for this expansion. It could be dropped again but it’s more likely than ever with how bad WoW is flopping.

The team is struggling to figure out how to program working ‘mount races’ and jumping puzzles. No, I am not kidding. They’re acting like this is some rocket science shit.

WoW’s budget is way down since BFA. Don’t expect much in the way of cutscenes or cinematics.

Yes, Sylvanas is one of the primary protagonists of this expansion.

Resources were being diverted to this expansion after 9.1 dropped, but even that has paused because of all the mayhem at Blizzard. I can’t say for certain but I would be really surprised if this launched in 2022, even if it is pretty small.

Also, almost the entire WoW team actually petitioned Blizzard to cancel WotLK Classic since they’re embarrassed by how much attention Classic gets compared to retail. Of course WotLK Classic is coming regardless.

[Orwell7]

5 dungeons seems reasonable, I'd gladly pay 90$ for it!
And another like 500 for boosts so I can see the content!

[vertigo12]

Generally I think Timewalking could work better if Blizzard really put the effort into it, and I don't really think making the gear better is the answer. What Timewalking needs, and Timewalking raids especially needs is better incentives to actually do them. Currently the only one worht even considering as anything but a nostalgia trip is Black Temple for the Warglaive transmog for DHs.

What I would do is really focus on making cosmetic rewards players would actually want. Special mounts, unique transmogs, titles. There is for instance a blue recolor of the Firelands mog, why not have that drop from Timewalking instead of it just being NM gear.
You mention going back to old quest hubs, but I would go one step beyond and add new unique quests only available during Timewalking. Maybe during Legion Timewalking you are sent to complete some Kirin Tor emissaries with a chance for another unique mount or similar.

What is the difficult challenge would be to find that sweet spot between having players do something once and never again, and having them come back to farm stuff without it feeling like you are just waiting endlessly for MoP timewalking to come back around. And honestly, maybe that is an unavoidable and unsolvable problem.


Generally Timewalking needs unique rewards that are not just the random drop infinite dragon mount, or badge items. The dragon is close to what Timewalking needs, but the badge items are really the only other string to Timewalkings bow, and really its just toys and a mount. And while the Mount is decently cool, the toys are rarely if ever used, nor something I feel like players care that much about.

The rep bonus is another thing which is problematic in the long term, simply because its a reward that is dependent on the player not having played before, as well as the rewards from the reps being worthwhile.
Sure the WotLK reps gave decent stuff that I wanted, but once we get around to Legion stuff I am already done with those reps, and there isnt really anything the game has to offer at that point other than a badge mount and maybe an unused armor piece or two.

there's a specific time and expansion to be precise that timewalking will be the main feature or forefront content and that is when time travelling will be the major theme or narrative. They will introduce pre-Legion dungeons to mythic roster and they will have rotating time walking raid. You can even experience several version of some of the dungeons before the got remade.

So it will all tie up with the next storyline of erasing current reality and rewriting/changing the future or history. We have to go back in time and make sure the well of eternity will not implode on itself the next time around and even stop Amanthul from interfering and cause the roots of all the complication he did when he pull out Y'shaarj.

[Vineman24]

Next expansion leak. Spoilers ahead.

-snip-

This is so shit I can actually see this coming. Also lack of CGI cinematics in SL confirms that budget is definitely was cut.

[Dracullus]

And today we have another fucked up quest in Korthia cause Blizzard throw all testing on playerbase. Seriously, best way to improve WoW at the moment would be if everyone decided to ignore PTR for next patch.

[Pheraz]

Next expansion leak. Spoilers ahead.

World of Warcraft: Sanguine

The writing staff does not want to tell Azeroth-focused stories anymore. Vanilla through BFA is seen as the Azeroth arc (with Legion and BFA concluding nearly all classic stories like the Emerald Dream, the Legion, Azshara, the Old Gods, the South Seas, Kul’Tiras, Kezan, etc). Shadowlands onwards is the new First Ones arc.

The next expansion takes place primarily on Nathreza, continuing seeds planted in Legion and Shadowlands. The main enemy is the secret leader of the Dreadlords who through time disruptions manifested his own race into being by manipulating the Mawsworn. He is considered much more powerful than the Jailer. He was imprisoned in the Maw but accidentally unleashed by the player at the end of Shadowlands. His goal is to become as powerful as the First Ones themselves.

The ‘covenants’ of this expansion are more like Order Halls. There are three of them, each based around the three roles; heals, tanks and DPS. You will empower these factions (and yourself) by collecting Ash-Remnants.

A Torghast-style dungeon is in Sanguine and is necessary to upgrade your faction with the Ash-Remnants you earned through other content.

The game is launching with three large zones on Nathreza, 5 dungeons and a mini raid. No new BGs.

There are no plans to go to K’aresh or the Dragon Isles in the near future. Those are primarily built up as a red-herring because the writers think it is more exciting to get unexpected stories than ones people have anticipated for a while. Azeroth is being low key abandoned in favor of other stories.

No new races or classes. No allied races or new customization options. The focus instead is on heritage armor and weapons.

Lootbox/gacha style shit has been talked about since 2015. They’re still playing around with it for this expansion. It could be dropped again but it’s more likely than ever with how bad WoW is flopping.

The team is struggling to figure out how to program working ‘mount races’ and jumping puzzles. No, I am not kidding. They’re acting like this is some rocket science shit.

WoW’s budget is way down since BFA. Don’t expect much in the way of cutscenes or cinematics.

Yes, Sylvanas is one of the primary protagonists of this expansion.

Resources were being diverted to this expansion after 9.1 dropped, but even that has paused because of all the mayhem at Blizzard. I can’t say for certain but I would be really surprised if this launched in 2022, even if it is pretty small.

Also, almost the entire WoW team actually petitioned Blizzard to cancel WotLK Classic since they’re embarrassed by how much attention Classic gets compared to retail. Of course WotLK Classic is coming regardless.

haha
seriously who spends 5 minutes of his life to pull such horrible ideas out of nowhere. Ofc this will NOT happen

[Makabreska]

haha
seriously who spends 5 minutes of his life to pull such horrible ideas out of nowhere. Ofc this will NOT happen

You could tell that by looking at the burner account who posted it. The "leaks" season is slowly starting, I guess.

[huth]

You could tell that by looking at the burner account who posted it. The "leaks" season is slowly starting, I guess.

Which is odd, since it's way to early for that. Oh well, guess it's time for Christmas stuff to appear in EU supermarkets soon.

[Dracullus]

Which is odd, since it's way to early for that. Oh well, guess it's time for Christmas stuff to appear in EU supermarkets soon.

Probably many of them just don't know expac will be reveal ~February 2022 at the earliest.

Month ago I would say "who knows when", but I already saw people rushing to claim free Diablo II Beta. Yeah people don't give a fuck anymore or never truly were. Just dingle shiny new expac in front of their eyes, community will be hyped, streamers will act like their child was just born.

[Edward Wu]

<Uther reaches toward the wound beneath his chestplate.>

When Arthas struck me down, Frostmourne shattered my soul. But it was not divided into one part that was noble and another that was cruel.

Rather, it was as if a portion of my consciousness remained frozen in time while the rest of my soul carried on.

To feel that missing fragment restored... well, it has caused me to reflect upon many of the choices I have made.

I wonder if the new Uther & Jaina convo on his soul sheds some light on Sylvanas, and actually points towards her not being redeemed. The 2nd line in particular should relay that Sylvanas shouldn't be pardoned for all her numerous crimes simply because we've been dealing with the "evil shard" this entire time.

[Cosmic Janitor]

And today we have another fucked up quest in Korthia cause Blizzard throw all testing on playerbase. Seriously, best way to improve WoW at the moment would be if everyone decided to ignore PTR for next patch.

And what quest would that be? US/EU?

[Makorus]

And what quest would that be? US/EU?

EU, the one where you have to tame critters.

[Cosmic Janitor]

I wonder if the new Uther & Jaina convo on his soul sheds some light on Sylvanas, and actually points towards her not being redeemed. The 2nd line in particular should relay that Sylvanas shouldn't be pardoned for all her numerous crimes simply because we've been dealing with the "evil shard" this entire time.

The concept of "good & evil" is too simple anyway, ideally the quest would be interpreted in that way. But given how the writer's moral compass seems to be utterly broken at times and concepts like partial culpability/responsibility are alien to them (see draka/thrall wait&listen) I'm not confident that this is what they were going for. Sylvanas was negatively influenced to a large degree, as was Uther apparently, denying that effect seems wrong as well. That being said, her redemption will come, they sure as hell won't just execute her.

- - - Updated - - -

EU, the one where you have to tame critters.

Ah I see, I haven't done that one before (I agree to your conclusion though, given the Kyrian Fly quests last week). Good thing the reward was trash for me though..

Edit: Ah well ended up doing it anyway now, due to curiosity. The Inky Black Potions did help alot with finding them from 100m away. Also my server is in the ghost town category, which probably helped making it less annoying/griefy as well.

[Lady Atia]

I wonder if the new Uther & Jaina convo on his soul sheds some light on Sylvanas, and actually points towards her not being redeemed. The 2nd line in particular should relay that Sylvanas shouldn't be pardoned for all her numerous crimes simply because we've been dealing with the "evil shard" this entire time.

No, it actually says exactly the opposite. You forgot Uther also was on the side of the Forsworn at the start of this Expansion - and he got his redemption. Now that he got his soul fragment back he is actually reflecting upon his past choices - so it stands to reason that Sylvanas does the same, hence we will get her redemption. They won't waste one of the most beloved heroes of their franchise anymore haha.

[Edward Wu]

No, it actually says exactly the opposite. You forgot Uther also was on the side of the Forsworn at the start of this Expansion - and he got his redemption. Now that he got his soul fragment back he is actually reflecting upon his past choices - so it stands to reason that Sylvanas does the same, hence we will get her redemption. They won't waste one of the most beloved heroes of their franchise anymore haha.

Uther's actions as a forsworn aren't even a tiny fraction comparable to Sylvanas', so using that argument to hand wave Sylvanas' actions falls flat. You fail to point out how it says the opposite. The explanation given by Blizzard is pretty clear here, not sure how you can misinterpret it that badly.

[Makabreska]

No, it actually says exactly the opposite. You forgot Uther also was on the side of the Forsworn at the start of this Expansion - and he got his redemption. Now that he got his soul fragment back he is actually reflecting upon his past choices - so it stands to reason that Sylvanas does the same, hence we will get her redemption. They won't waste one of the most beloved heroes of their franchise anymore haha.

Beloved my ass. She was consistently getting bad press since WotLK, BfA increased that thousandfold.

[Daronokk]

Beloved my ass. She was consistently getting bad press since WotLK, BfA increased that thousandfold.

Sylvanas has been evil since Vanilla WoW. She doesn't deserve a redemption as there is nothing to redeem.

The only reason Sylvanas would get a redemption is because she's Danusers waifu and he's obsessed over her. He should get therapy if you ask me, that is not normal behaviour.

[Makabreska]

Sylvanas has been evil since Vanilla WoW. She doesn't deserve a redemption as there is nothing to redeem.

The only reason Sylvanas would get a redemption is because she's Danusers waifu and he's obsessed over her. He should get therapy if you ask me, that is not normal behaviour.

It also not very normal to focus hate on a video game story writer, like I have seen it many times before. Not to mention I actually have yet to see any proofs of "waifuiness", considering all the bad shit she has done under him as a writer.

[ilgynoth]

Beloved my ass. She was consistently getting bad press since WotLK, BfA increased that thousandfold.

bad press doesn't exist. any kind of press = attention = popularity = more money . marketing 101

[Makabreska]

bad press doesn't exist. any kind of press = attention = popularity = more money . marketing 101

"Go play WoW, they butcher one of their most iconic character there hard"? Also, tell me how what has been going on at Blizz lately is not a bad press.