Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Sondrelk]

It doesn't matter, the Nelf community is just tweaking at this point and any development other than an HD world tree this expansion will set them off.

I guess that is what happens when you make them the victims of a storyline one for shock value, that is then almost entirely forgotten and hastily shuffled away once it gets too inconvenient to keep dragging the consequences around.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Honestly I would find that even worse. Malfurion sacrificing himself at least does slightly benefit the story in removing a major Alliance aligned character who is probably a bit too powerful for the writers to handle.
Sacrificing Merithra just underlines how utterly pointless the entire deal with her needing to become a true leader was.

It would be preferable then offing Malfy. It wouldn't be the first time an offspring sacrifice themselves to help out a parent(See Darion Mograine for his Dad and his speech about doing it a thousand times over).

[Le Conceptuel]

It doesn't matter, the Nelf community is just tweaking at this point and any development other than an HD world tree this expansion will set them off.

It does reflect something peculiar about the playerbase that being in the spotlight for five years straight and presumably continuing to be in the spotlight for at least two years afterwards is considered a bad thing for them. All of the downright moronic nonsense in Shadowlands is understandable, because it's beyond idiotic that the Night Elves get to be tortured and eventually condemned to oblivion but Sylvie gets away with it because she was sad, but BfA and Legion have been nothing but parades of characterization for and critical events centered around Night Elves. It's even more odd because nobody else in any medium would accuse the developers of having a bias against them personally because their favorite race has to undergo struggle to be in the spotlight—as far as I can tell, Night Elf fans would prefer to see the Night Elves simultaneously be perpetually the center of attention yet do nothing but curbstomp every other race whilst never losing anything substantial. Unfortunately, that would never come to be because it makes for a terribly boring story.

[Cheezits]

It does reflect something peculiar about the playerbase that being in the spotlight for five years straight and presumably continuing to be in the spotlight for at least two years afterwards is considered a bad thing for them. All of the downright moronic nonsense in Shadowlands is understandable, because it's beyond idiotic that the Night Elves get to be tortured and eventually condemned to oblivion but Sylvie gets away with it because she was sad, but BfA and Legion have been nothing but parades of characterization for and critical events centered around Night Elves. It's even more odd because nobody else in any medium would accuse the developers of having a bias against them personally because their favorite race has to undergo struggle to be in the spotlight—as far as I can tell, Night Elf fans would prefer to see the Night Elves simultaneously be perpetually the center of attention yet do nothing but curbstomp every other race whilst never losing anything substantial. Unfortunately, that would never come to be because it makes for a terribly boring story.

People don't care about development if they don't like it. Nelves are going to be spammed forever now that Elune talks but until they get an HD world tree and a hoorah positive campaign it doesn't matter if they get so much focus.

In fact it's probably worse that they get so much focus that their community doesn't like as it means that other races don't get focus. But no old race besides them (and maybe Dwarves this expansion?) is going to get much lore until EK/Kalimdor are tweaked, barring a new continent filled with Worgen or something.

[AngerFork]

I have a feeling that, unless it was always bait, the Dreamer questline will be changed with Merithra sacrificing herself for Ysera instead.

Personally, I disagree. Sacrificing Malfurion, while honestly a pretty awful way for him to go out, serves to set up so many potential pieces for WoW into the future. How does Tyrande lead her people out of grief knowing that her beloved Shan'do is gone to the Shadowlands & not coming back? What becomes of the Druids with the main Archdruid gone never to return? For that matter, if we do wind up going back to Ardenweald for whatever reason, what sort of effect has Malfurion had on the eternal forest, & what effect has it had on him? He's powerful enough at this point that it isn't out of the question in time he could become a new Wild God, similar to Vol'jin seemingly becoming a Loa.

But it's not just that. Sacrificing Merithra for Ysera also has the issue where we would be losing the future leader of the Green Dragonflight for the past leader. It would be somewhat akin to Kalecgos being sacrificed to bring back Malygos, though without the ending part of Malygos' war on mortal magic attached. If Ysera is to come back, she'll likely be there in part to help give a bit more of her time & aura to Merithra & build that character up for the future. It also fits better in the story for Malfurion to be there instead of Merithra as there is a story reason why Malfurion could have fallen...Merithra doesn't have that same background at this point.

[huth]

Personally, I disagree. Sacrificing Malfurion, while honestly a pretty awful way for him to go out, serves to set up so many potential pieces for WoW into the future. How does Tyrande lead her people out of grief knowing that her beloved Shan'do is gone to the Shadowlands & not coming back? What becomes of the Druids with the main Archdruid gone never to return? For that matter, if we do wind up going back to Ardenweald for whatever reason, what sort of effect has Malfurion had on the eternal forest, & what effect has it had on him? He's powerful enough at this point that it isn't out of the question in time he could become a new Wild God, similar to Vol'jin seemingly becoming a Loa.

But it's not just that. Sacrificing Merithra for Ysera also has the issue where we would be losing the future leader of the Green Dragonflight for the past leader. It would be somewhat akin to Kalecgos being sacrificed to bring back Malygos, though without the ending part of Malygos' war on mortal magic attached. If Ysera is to come back, she'll likely be there in part to help give a bit more of her time & aura to Merithra & build that character up for the future. It also fits better in the story for Malfurion to be there instead of Merithra as there is a story reason why Malfurion could have fallen...Merithra doesn't have that same background at this point.

Eh, i don't think a diabolus ex machina is really a sensible solution here.

There's also the question of whether it actually works. The quest name only suggests she is involved, not that it actually manages to bring her back. It could be a desperate attempt only to be rebuffed and told to step up and lead.

[Cheezits]

Eh, i don't think a diabolus ex machina is really a sensible solution here.

There's also the question of whether it actually works. The quest name only suggests she is involved, not that it actually manages to bring her back. It could be a desperate attempt only to be rebuffed and told to step up and lead.

I thought about this as well, but Malfurion's dialog sounded like it happens after that attempt fails and he realizes what must be done. Still, it could all be a swerve.

I'm sure she'll come back but HOW is up in the air.

[huth]

I thought about this as well, but Malfurion's dialog sounded like it happens after that attempt fails and he realizes what must be done. Still, it could all be a swerve.

I'm sure she'll come back but HOW is up in the air.

Without context, we can't know whether that is actually normally used for anything. "Sounded like" isn't really worth much in this situation.

[Nymrohd]

The thing is, beyond Malfurion, Merithra has had more character development in WoW than Ysera has. Between her questline in BfA and the one in DF we have had more meaningful interaction with her than Ysera who was more of a prop than a character.

[Cheezits]

I remember hearing in interviews that they wanted raids to be simpler in DF, and based on raid testing this looks to be the case with most of the new raid bosses. Can anyone who actually tested them confirm?

[Sondrelk]

The thing is, beyond Malfurion, Merithra has had more character development in WoW than Ysera has. Between her questline in BfA and the one in DF we have had more meaningful interaction with her than Ysera who was more of a prop than a character.

Bringing Ysera back wouldn't accomplish more than Ysera being back. There isn't really any good storylines that could be gleaned from it, except maybe for when you have Nozdormu turn and want more than just Alexstrasza to react to it from the original five dragons.

Even then though, Ysera has already given the most potent storyline so far in terms of Alexstrasza dealing with her death and reappearance in Ardenweald. Whereas Merithra still has a far more impactful storyline available where we learn more about the Emerald Nightmare, Ysera potentially having been corrupted by Order, and her entire flight struggling to see her as a leader.

- - - Updated - - -

I remember hearing in interviews that they wanted raids to be simpler in DF, and based on raid testing this looks to be the case with most of the new raid bosses. Can anyone who actually tested them confirm?

Really curious about the same as well. Based on the dungeon journal it looks about the same in terms of complexity, but things like these are hard to parse without hands on experience.

[Foreign Exchange Ztudent]

Another comment I saw from Raid Testing was the visual clarity has been really leveled up with this new raid. So kind of interested to see how they've achieved it.

[Catastrophy349]

https://twitter.com/PreachGaming/sta...a8MYfJ3RQdUlfA Our answer...

[Cheezits]

https://twitter.com/PreachGaming/sta...a8MYfJ3RQdUlfA Our answer...

Unless he asks about a world revamp, I'm not too interested.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

https://twitter.com/PreachGaming/sta...a8MYfJ3RQdUlfA Our answer...

Man He really went from “the game is bad and I won’t support it with the ethic issues that came to light” to “I’ll pay o come over and ask questions” the second there was enough buzz to warrant it didn’t he.

[Makabreska]

Man He really went from “the game is bad and I won’t support it with the ethic issues that came to light” to “I’ll pay o come over and ask questions” the second there was enough buzz to warrant it didn’t he.

YouTubers/streamers following buzz. What's new? From one big release to another.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

YouTubers/streamers following buzz. What's new? From one big release to another.

Ya but I’d think most YouTubers would avoid drawing ethic lines in the sand and then going “that line never mattered” so blatantly while the issue is still ongoing.

But Mabye I’m just over estimating YouTubers.

[Jaggler]

Man He really went from “the game is bad and I won’t support it with the ethic issues that came to light” to “I’ll pay o come over and ask questions” the second there was enough buzz to warrant it didn’t he.

It's just like with every other streamer that jumped ship to FFXIV. It was never about the quality of the game.

It was always obvious, that Preach cares about WoW. We don't even know what the end product is or what it is about. Could be about the game, could be about the inner workings of Blizzard. How come, people already judge what he is doing?

[Makorus]

I fucking hope the community doesn't accept Preach back.

Proper piece of work.

[Makabreska]

I fucking hope the community doesn't accept Preach back.

Proper piece of work.

Please. Community at large wont care. It will be mostly "Look! DF looks so good that peeps are coming back!" I mean, if Blizz invites him back...