Exile's Reach->Battle For Azeroth->Dragonflight?

[Wylyth1992]

"For the new player experience, new players specifically will be sent from Exile’s Reach to BFA, then onto Dragon Isles. More veteran players, people who have already leveled a character to max can choose like Chromie Time to go level in Draenor or Pandaria or Shadowlands. But for new players, it’s going to go: Exile’s Reach, BFA, Dragon Isles."

Wait, this doesn't make sense, they are completely skipping Shadowlands. Shouldn't BFA be a Timewalking option instead of Shadowlands? I'm confused.

Source For Interview: https://warcraft.blizzplanet.com/blo...-and-tina-wang To get quickly to the quote, CTRL+F and type "level 70".

[Morae]

It makes it easy to pretend SL doesn't exist.


Though, seriously, I think it makes far more sense for new players fresh to wow to not be sent to shadowlands. BFA is on azeroth and not some cosmic death dimension. It's easier to follow.

[Wylyth1992]

It makes it easy to pretend SL doesn't exist.


Though, seriously, I think it makes far more sense for new players fresh to wow to not be sent to shadowlands. BFA is on azeroth and not some cosmic death dimension. It's easier to follow.

Fair enough, though, new players might be confused to find certain characters are gone when they weren't gone when BFA ended. Hopefully there will be some sort of recap at end of BFA that shows what happened in Shadowlands.

[Chilela]

It kinda makes sense to me. BFA's zone plots were separate enough from each other where newer players could realistically get away with running them in any order, whereas SL's zones were more railroaded the first time around, as I recall.

[Gurahk]

It doesn't make sense to go into Shadowlands after Exile's reach, imagine being a new player and you get sent into WoW's version of hell after your first hour.

[Lochton]

"For the new player experience, new players specifically will be sent from Exile’s Reach to BFA, then onto Dragon Isles. More veteran players, people who have already leveled a character to max can choose like Chromie Time to go level in Draenor or Pandaria or Shadowlands. But for new players, it’s going to go: Exile’s Reach, BFA, Dragon Isles."

Wait, this doesn't make sense, they are completely skipping Shadowlands. Shouldn't BFA be a Timewalking option instead of Shadowlands? I'm confused.

Source For Interview: https://warcraft.blizzplanet.com/blo...-and-tina-wang To get quickly to the quote, CTRL+F and type "level 70".

They are not making it Shadowlands due to the nature of the story, as well, they want a new player to see the recent content of Azeroth, not some other realm that is heavily weaved by big names and actions without connecting the new player to the main world where they are to reside the most.

- - - Updated - - -

It doesn't make sense to go into Shadowlands after Exile's reach, imagine being a new player and you get sent into WoW's version of hell after your first hour.

Yeah.. You know that Gryphon/Wywern that took you away from Exile's Reach? Yeah, you didn't survive, welcome to the Shadowlands.

[Lochton]

Not only that, but like, it probably isn't even necessary to understand the events of DF.

There is, as I recall, nothing in Shadowlands (yet) that connects meaning to Dragonflight except for the whereabouts of Anduin.

[Maljinwo]

Shadowlands should be forgotten

[Lochton]

Shadowlands should be forgotten

And it has been written to basically be able to. I mean, they even stuffed the holes that would be created in the view of roleplay, as Genn returns with orders for Turalyon and his duty to watch other the leaders of the Alliance, and Bolvar returns with the story of Shadowlands, and people will be informed by the ones who returned. Ta-da. All wrapped up. No need to worry about the realm of death, we've fixed that *slaps tape on the door; "Enter at own risk"*

[Romanthony]

Well I mean by removing shadowlands from Story, you only lose the Slyvannas Plot.
I know the techinal reason is because they have to most likely have to alter things, change limitations and what not.
But I would be happy just to forget/Retcon Shadowlands never happened.

[GreenJesus]

There is, as I recall, nothing in Shadowlands (yet) that connects meaning to Dragonflight except for the whereabouts of Anduin.

And as a Horde player, why would anyone care where Anduin is? In fact, isn't our goal to kill him?

[Lochton]

And as a Horde player, why would anyone care where Anduin is? In fact, isn't our goal to kill him?

Eh, recent events, your goal isn't to kill him? Your goal is to celebrate the news brought out that Sylvanas isn't going to return, as she is to stay in the Maw even after she finds all the souls she needs to retrieve (Though, knowing Blizzard dev's right, they are going to feed the raging Banshee fans with something in the future, a little like we have Illidan on hold as well).

[Gurahk]

And it has been written to basically be able to. I mean, they even stuffed the holes that would be created in the view of roleplay, as Genn returns with orders for Turalyon and his duty to watch other the leaders of the Alliance, and Bolvar returns with the story of Shadowlands, and people will be informed by the ones who returned. Ta-da. All wrapped up. No need to worry about the realm of death, we've fixed that *slaps tape on the door; "Enter at own risk"*

I'm still not happy about the whole "loved ones can end up in different realms" thing, you'd think they'd find a solution for that.

[Lochton]

I'm still not happy about the whole "loved ones can end up in different realms" thing, you'd think they'd find a solution for that.

Well, that was the old arbiter.

[deenman]

SL could have been the best expansion ever,20 mil subs,highest rated etc etc,and i would still say doing bfa for first player experience makes the best sense,out of all the expansions its the most chill start and modern experience,its not just sl that would feel out of place,legion is also not a good point to throw random new players,neither is wod,tbc or wrath arent gr8 either and those also have the added baggage of being ancient,not a very good representation of the current game

[Darknessvamp]

It's probably because they realise how out there Shadowlands is compared to the down-to-Azeroth standard that is Exile's Reach and how easy it would be to put off new players if they are introduced as warriors of the Alliance/Horde about to go to war for the BfA story (which Exile's Reach introduces in context) only to get dropped in this place full of cosmic bs continuing a storyline they have no investment in and dumping concepts, characters and covenants that are all to become pointless for who knows how many years as Dragonflight becomes current events. Heck ignoring Shadowlands means the biggest questions on New Players minds as they finish BfA stuff and go into Dragonflight is where has Sylvanas gone, what will Tyrande be doing and what will Wrathion be doing in the next expansion, it's almost a testament to how irrelevant the whole current/lastest expansion has been to WoW's story that it can essentially just be kicked to the side and forgotten (that is till they get a boner for their brand of cosmic crap again).

[Nathanyel]

I'm still not happy about the whole "loved ones can end up in different realms" thing, you'd think they'd find a solution for that.

Apparently still necessary reminder that this was deliberately crafted propaganda by the Jailer, I haven't had the opportunity to read the novel myself, but from what others quoted, there is no indication that the "fire eel" misses her mate, and without the Anima Drought, travel between the realms was easy, and unless you were judged to go to Revendreth, souls presumably could visit other realms, Kyrian aspirants who were failing their tests could go back to Oribos to get to another afterlife etc.

[Dracullus]

People obviously use it as jab at Shadowlands, because you know current expac bad haha, but it's logical thing to do. BfA zones are perfect for fresh player experience, they are most down to earth, plot is not connected to some world is ending threat (BfA war plot is almost non-existent in zones), they are in Azeroth, have shit ton of side quest to do, Horde and Ally have completely separate experience. It's very likely that Zuldazar/Kul Tiras were builded with that purpose in mind.

DF has chance for replace it though, or maybe BfA will be 10-60 and DF 40-70 for new players (I don't expect level squish at least next few expacs since they plan to expand talents next ~6 years).

[Maljinwo]

*slaps tape on the door; "Enter at own risk"*

Now every Stormwind's grandma can go into oribos and keep looking for their family!

[Hitei]

"For the new player experience, new players specifically will be sent from Exile’s Reach to BFA, then onto Dragon Isles. More veteran players, people who have already leveled a character to max can choose like Chromie Time to go level in Draenor or Pandaria or Shadowlands. But for new players, it’s going to go: Exile’s Reach, BFA, Dragon Isles."

Wait, this doesn't make sense, they are completely skipping Shadowlands. Shouldn't BFA be a Timewalking option instead of Shadowlands? I'm confused.

Source For Interview: https://warcraft.blizzplanet.com/blo...-and-tina-wang To get quickly to the quote, CTRL+F and type "level 70".

It makes pretty good sense. BfA was the ideal for Shadowlands because it introduces the Horde and Alliance and Sylvanas (you have to do the Lordaeron intro stuff) and is also the most up to date question content besides Shadowlands, and is self-explanatory, not particularly requiring earlier knowledge (you don't need to know why the Alliance and Horde are currently at war, just that they are).

Dragonflight is unrelated to the previous few expansions. It's just about Aspects and an exploration party going out to explore, because right now happens to be the time where the islands are waking up. There's no ongoing story you have to at least somewhat explain, Dragons are looking for Dragonhome, easy. This means Shadowlands doesn't have to be the default experience.

So then they went "what should be the intro". Shadowlands didn't make sense, because it's a very awkward expansion for someone who knows nothing about Warcraft, you get off the island and suddenly you're in the land of the dead, without knowing what that is, helping people you don't know and hearing about characters (Sylvanas, Lady Proudmoore, the Night Warrior, etc.) you've never heard of. Shadowlands requires at least a bit of intro, which is why BfA was used before it.

So then your next logical step is to just keep using BfA: it's very modern and tight questing. It's a pretty solid entry for new players, you show up in stormwind and get recruited to go treaty and help the war effort. You get taught about the places (Zandalar, KT) you go to, so you don't need prior information because NPCs talk about the history and stuff.

It's a very good expansion for brand new people and is low concept, where Shadowlands expects referential knowledge and is the end of several storylines.