Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Dracullus]

It wouldn't be wildly beyond comprehension for it to release by the end of December if the first FF Alpha version lands within a week or so, but delaying for up to a month (like they did with SL) isn't out of the question. What's thrown people for a loop is that they've never announced a release date this early. Usually a release date is announced when its about 3 months away. Certainly never before Alpha..

They didn't revealed release date, we always get estimated season on pre-order page (for example Legion/BfA before 23rd September, SL/DF before 31st December). But pre-order happened so late (9 months later than Shadowlands!) and December is pretty much out of question for release, so 15th or 22nd November release is almost certain...

... if they will be ready of course. Yes, historical data is against it, Alpha/Beta have to be concluded in 4-4.5 month. But here's the thing - it's not like deadline was revealed year ago (like with Warcraft 3 or SL) and we had no Alpha since then. We got this date NOW, almost right before Alpha. So I'm more in curiosity than panic mode.

We will see if Alpha is more advanced than usual. Key thing will be talents, I think no matter what they will release zone per build anyway to focus all feedback on single thing.

[Makorus]

That's pretty much a translation issue though, every other interview did state that we will get the new wing of Uldaman during the pre-patch (since Alextrasza will send us there to get information about the dragon isles or something). It's the same thing they did with the bombing of theramore back during MoP, or with the blackrock spires dungeon during WoD.

No other interview mentions the Prepatch + Uldaman thing.

[Revamp Man]

I just realized they kinda skipped a TW raid this time around
Normally when we get an expansion in TW we then get the raid for the next expansion and this time it was MoP...I was hoping to get my Lei shen trinket

[Slybak]

So I'm more in curiosity than panic mode.

Same. Like I said, the timing is unusual but nothing that raises big red flags.

We will see if Alpha is more advanced than usual. Key thing will be talents, I think no matter what they will release zone per build anyway to focus all feedback on single thing.

The talent revamp for DF is the kind of thing that would ordinarily require lots of testing, but on the other hand the kind of revamp they're doing isn't adding dozens of new abilities for each class, which I think some people expect (and which is not really reasonable).

I think the thing that frustrated a lot of people with SL testing is that they wanted fairly substantial changes to big systems and that's not something that Beta is for. Beta is for fixing bugs and ideally getting at a good starting point for numbers balancing and that's pretty much it. That was hard for some of the Covenant systems because of both the exclusivity inherent in the system they designed and that it was layering on a substantial amount of new stuff, whereas the talents aren't exclusive to the same degree and the new trees are being populated with existing stuff. And so testing is probably going to prioritize fixing new player-discovered ability combinations that are game-breaking.

[Lady Atia]

No other interview mentions the Prepatch + Uldaman thing.

I'm quite sure they talked in a video interview about it somewhere. Anyways, we will see who is right once pre-patch hits =)

Besides, the dragonflight sites mentions the new dungeon wing and there is literally no way they do a new dungeon wing aswell as an upscale of the old dungeon with classic mechanics, kekW.

[Cheezits]

I feel like the acquisition announcement is their official response to the criticisms about the preorders going out.

"Here's why it's 2022..."

[micwini]

I feel like the acquisition announcement is their official response to the criticisms about the preorders going out.

"Here's why it's 2022..."

It's kind of weird tho. "We just hired 100 new people and they all instantly know how the codebase works and can immediately start working on Dragonflight!". In the long term it will bring more content, but on the short term, all of those new employees need to be worked in and that would slow down progress a bit for a couple of months, so they don't really gain much short term.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

I feel like the acquisition announcement is their official response to the criticisms about the preorders going out.

"Here's why it's 2022..."

I mean it could, but thats a maybe to me personally.

[Cheezits]

It's kind of weird tho. "We just hired 100 new people and they all instantly know how the codebase works and can immediately start working on Dragonflight!". In the long term it will bring more content, but on the short term, all of those new employees need to be worked in and that would slow down progress a bit for a couple of months, so they don't really gain much short term.

The main reason it's out 2022 is because the development timeline is likely the same as ever, it was just revealed in Spring 2022 instead of November 2021. This just feels like an official response: note that no devs have commented or been allowed to comment on the worries about rushed development.

[Lahis]

I feel like the acquisition announcement is their official response to the criticisms about the preorders going out.

"Here's why it's 2022..."

Those guys will be up to speed for 10.3 at the earliest. They can't save 10.0

[Makorus]

Those guys will be up to speed for 10.3 at the earliest. They can't save 10.0

Up to speed... on what?

[Makabreska]

Those guys will be up to speed for 10.3 at the earliest. They can't save 10.0

So like, it will take 1.5y+ for them?

[Lorgar Aurelian]

Up to speed... on what?

The way wow is coded, the tools they use to make art, ect. Different games/studios work with different programs and methods and Old things like wow don’t tend to work on the same basis as other products so it takes adjustment time.

[tumbleweed010]

Those guys will be up to speed for 10.3 at the earliest. They can't save 10.0

Rmap up time for professional software engineers isn't 12+ months, let alone 9, regardless of how massive a system is.

10.1 & 10.2 aren't also simultaneously in actual development right now, so their impact would likely be seen in some parts of 10.1 ot 10.2 at the latest.

And 10.0 doesn't need saving when there's so few things that need actual, rigorous testing.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

It will show in time, personally I feel like MMO teams can't be small anyways, massive project regardless of how long its around but I digress. 10.0 doesn't need saving IMO based on what we know of it.

[Cheezits]

It will show in time, personally I feel like MMO teams can't be small anyways, massive project regardless of how long its around but I digress. 10.0 doesn't need saving IMO based on what we know of it.

Well, it's not going to include any radical new gamemodes for people. Nothing short of Housing or an insanely good story(???) is going to excite people who don't care about PvP/Raids/Arenas.

So there's no 'saving' it, people will either like it or not.

[Makorus]

The way wow is coded, the tools they use to make art, ect. Different games/studios work with different programs and methods and Old things like wow don’t tend to work on the same basis as other products so it takes adjustment time.

They've been working there since May.

It'll take them 3 months tops to be on top of things. Considering how high the turnover for software developers is, nothing would ever get done if it took people 1.5 years to learn an enviromnent LMAO.

[Cheezits]

So apparently the "mystery stables" on the PTR now have a dismounting effect when you get near them, similar to how important story NPCs in hubs work.

Maybe it will be tied to prepatch or the DF intro? Though I thought it was going to be at the new docks.

[Slybak]

Rmap up time for professional software engineers isn't 12+ months, let alone 9, regardless of how massive a system is.

And regardless of the ramp up time for getting the hires from Proletariat familiar with WoW's code, the problems with the game almost all exist at the design, scheduling, and management level.

[therumblings]

I'm holding out hope for a datamineable build today and alpha starting next week. I'm mostly eager to see some substantial details about the Evoker.