Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Nymrohd]

50% chance they release the alpha immediately after the announcement, ergo the "Reveal Event" is literally the formal beginning of the expansion's full press & testing cycle.

50% is insanely high. The chance of an alpha going up that fast seems slim at best to me. If nothing else, alpha means datamining on a massive scale. The datamining upstages their marketing campaign significantly and early datamining almost always has a few cases of incomplete information creating a mess with player perception; they do not want that at all until they have at least a bit of time for us to digest the information in the panel and in the encrypted parts of 9.2.5.

Let's expect a bit less.

[Raetary]

I can forgive a melee spec if its a red mage-esque hybrid that switches betwen melee and ranged combat.

Other than that, no thanks.
More ranged specs please.

[Nymrohd]

I can forgive a melee spec if its a red mage-esque hybrid that switches betwen melee and ranged combat.

Other than that, no thanks.
More ranged specs please.

Absolutely think we need more ranged specs. They don't have to be casters though (that was the good thing with the tinker, it would be a physical ranged and could use guns and xbows).

[Yunravel]

you google dnd bard and every dude you find has drip IDENTICAL to Wrathion. Vaguely ethnic fantasy fuckboi: That's the bard stereotype.

Lmao /10chars

[Fahrad Wagner]

you google dnd bard and every dude you find has drip IDENTICAL to Wrathion. Vaguely ethnic fantasy fuckboi: That's the bard stereotype.

Sounds like my stereotype too

I can forgive a melee spec if its a red mage-esque hybrid that switches betwen melee and ranged combat.

Other than that, no thanks.
More ranged specs please.

Yes, yes, yes, yes, one thousand times yes

[Ersula]

50% is insanely high. The chance of an alpha going up that fast seems slim at best to me. If nothing else, alpha means datamining on a massive scale. The datamining upstages their marketing campaign significantly and early datamining almost always has a few cases of incomplete information creating a mess with player perception; they do not want that at all until they have at least a bit of time for us to digest the information in the panel and in the encrypted parts of 9.2.5.

Not if their presentation is specifically about what we're going to datamine. Immediate early access has been a pretty popular marketing strategy lately: Even nintendo has been doing it. The last two expansions did include a playable build immediately after the reveal, the only difference i'm proposing here is that its not exclusive to Blizzcon attendees.

Otherwise this is the pretty normal time for the alpha to start: The public alpha almost always starts a few weeks into the patch before it being on the ptr. If not on Tuesday, it will surely start within the next month.

[Nymrohd]

Not if their presentation is specifically about what we're going to datamine. Immediate early access has been a pretty popular marketing strategy lately: Even nintendo has been doing it. The last two expansions did include a playable build immediately after the reveal, the only difference i'm proposing here is that its not exclusive to Blizzcon attendees.

I would love it don't get me wrong. But the size of the early datamine is huge. That would have to be one long ass reveal video to cover everything. And it always makes sense from a marketing sense to divide things over time so as to prolong the hype. And Alpha is NOT early access. It's limited access to very few people. We are all obsessed with WoW here so a very large number of people in this thread makes it into beta and some even get into alpha (personally only missed the Cata beta) but it's still a tiny part of the community. The only case of it working differently was MoP and I don't think that was a successful experiment.
IF there is a revamp though that is meant as new leveling content, I could see that happen, with just that content on it. I could even see Early Access given to some content ahead of the expac by a bit longer so we can be kept busy.

[Marlamin]

I mean, we still don't know what that mysterious 96.0.1.42717 build on wowdev3 is, one of the options is definitely 10.0 with an edited build number to not give any hints as to how far along in testing they are.

[zeir]

I mean, we still don't know what that mysterious 96.0.1.42717 build on wowdev3 is, one of the options is definitely 10.0 with an edited build number to not give any hints as to how far along in testing they are.

parrot is on some hard HOPIUM, 10.0 in 2024 based on season 4 and wrath classic.

[Fahrad Wagner]

I mean, we still don't know what that mysterious 96.0.1.42717 build on wowdev3 is, one of the options is definitely 10.0 with an edited build number to not give any hints as to how far along in testing they are.

What are we going to do when you'll be gone Marl? Speculate on thin air and dust

[Ersula]

I would love it don't get me wrong. But the size of the early datamine is huge. That would have to be one long ass reveal video to cover everything. And it always makes sense from a marketing sense to divide things over time so as to prolong the hype.

Typically it's a reveal of the expansion, the pre-order, several months of radio silence, then the alpha.

I wouldn't call that "Prolonging the hype." Or you can frame it as, the marketing began 6 weeks ago when they told us to anticipate this reveal. That makes me think someone said "Well we could reveal it right now... or we can make them wait 6 weeks & release the alpha the same day"

But still my most pessimistic estimate is they let people test whatever we're getting in 9.2.5 immediately, and the alpha opens up a few days later.

[Fahrad Wagner]

parrot is on some hard HOPIUM, 10.0 in 2024 based on season 4 and wrath classic.

Don't you dare disrespect the Lord Marlamin Birb, 10th of his name, Earl of the Datamine, Slayer of Spoilers, Cracker of Codes, Digger of Goodies and call him a hopium user the birb is a SCIENTIST.

SOMEBODY PLEASE PHOTOSHOP A KAKAPO WITH A MINING PICKAXE AND A HELMET! And add it to the hypetrain! @Arafal counting on you boo

[SniperCT]

Honestly with the reveal basically 2-5 months late (based on normal blizzcon versus the feb virtual blizzcon), I could see an alpha announcement with the reveal.

[Ersula]

parrot is on some hard HOPIUM, 10.0 in 2024 based on season 4 and wrath classic.

I'm deeply concerned about some of your math skills: Or that the season would end at the release date of the expansion, not the patch.

[Fahrad Wagner]

I'm deeply concerned about some of your math skills: Or that the season would end at the release date of the expansion, not the patch.

People in this thread now be like:

[Dracullus]

I mean, we still don't know what that mysterious 96.0.1.42717 build on wowdev3 is, one of the options is definitely 10.0 with an edited build number to not give any hints as to how far along in testing they are.

I still think 10.0 will have some kind of demo, would be huge if it would be available for pre-order. And they did it already with Classic when we had demo for virtual ticket.

[Lady Atia]

parrot is on some hard HOPIUM, 10.0 in 2024 based on season 4 and wrath classic.

It is not. A season won't last 12 months kekW.

[Baedril]

I'm deeply concerned about some of your math skills: Or that the season would end at the release date of the expansion, not the patch.

Clearly they introduced season 4 because they needed another year-long season, and not because they wanted to split up a year long season into two and actually give their customers who are still playing some relevant content to play with instead of just abandoning them for a year like before. 2025 release date let's go!

[Dioporco]

I'm deeply concerned about some of your math skills: Or that the season would end at the release date of the expansion, not the patch.

I am more concerned about people not understanding that 10.0 will be 2022 99%




S4 will be like 3 months, because has no rewards no hall of fame hence people are not caring that much beside doing some "free" QA for Blizzard 10.0 raid affix system

[Raetary]

Don't you dare disrespect the Lord Marlamin Birb, 10th of his name, Earl of the Datamine, Slayer of Spoilers, Cracker of Codes, Digger of Goodies and call him a hopium user the birb is a SCIENTIST.

SOMEBODY PLEASE PHOTOSHOP A KAKAPO WITH A MINING PICKAXE AND A HELMET! And add it to the hypetrain! @Arafal counting on you boo