Battle for Azeroth Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Hyrja]

There isn't even a single release candidate for 7.3.2 out yet. Not gonna happen this week.

[Smokinya]

If 7.3.2 is coming out this week, maybe that raises hopes that we will see 7.3.5 on the PTR (if it exists) before BlizzCon.

Isn't 7.3.2 bringing Antorus with it? We won't have that launched until after Blizzcon.

[Hardwing]

Let's get some productive discussion going. So let's do this. Guess the features list of the next expansion:

3 Major features (e.g. Artifacts/New class or race)
3 Mid-tier features (e.g. World Quests)
3 Minor features (PvP Brawls)

Major features:
-Islands around Kul'Tiras and Zul'Drak(Kezan and Nazjatar in another expansion)
-subraces(Naga and Etherals in Kezan-expansion)
-separate capitals for Horde(Darkspear Island) and Alliances(Kul'Tiras or an island in front of it if it is too large)

Mid-tier features:
-completely customizable boat you can change with help of your profession, earn parts for in quests, etc., but more a gimmick with command center in it due to the experiences of garrisons
-overhauled leveling with scaling, graphic updates but no revamp of the world due to lack of resources
-overhauled professions so you need to do less or more fun things until you reach the current level

Minor features:
-more options for character-customisation(touched by the light, the void, fel, tatoos, etc.)
-history quests available through archaeology, showing the history of the world and important characters
-better weather-effects

[Smokinya]

Major features:
-Islands around Kul'Tiras and Zul'Drak(Kezan and Nazjatar in another expansion)
-subraces(Naga and Etherals in Kezan-expansion)
-separate capitals for Horde(Darkspear Island) and Alliances(Kul'Tiras or an island in front of it if it is too large)

Mid-tier features:
-completely customizable boat you can change with help of your profession, earn parts for in quests, etc., but more a gimmick with command center in it due to the experiences of garrisons
-overhauled leveling with scaling, graphic updates but no revamp of the world due to lack of resources
-overhauled professions so you need to do less or more fun things until you reach the current level

Minor features:
-more options for character-customisation(touched by the light, the void, fel, tatoos, etc.)
-history quests available through archaeology, showing the history of the world and important characters
-better weather-effects

Pretty good feature list but I don't know where everyone is getting the notion that Nazjatar wouldn't be a part of a South Sea's expansion. As South Sea expansion would deal with Pirates, Naga, Trolls and possibly have N'Zoth as an end boss, or have 9.0 be a Black Empire expansion. There is no way we have a South Sea expansion without Azshara being the main villain or one of the main ones.

- - - Updated - - -

Major Features:
-South Sea islands: Zandalar, Kul'Tiras, Kezan, Dragon Isles, Plunder Isle (possibly Nazjatar but I could see it being added in as a patch)
-Subraces
-Old world revamp (could possibly only be one continent or a select number of zones)

Mid-Tier Features:
-Scaling applied to all aspects of the game with a certain cap. For example, all Vanilla zones scale to 60 max.
-More tweaks to professions (I actually liked what they did with professions in Legion just not the associated RNG).
-More dynamic events within the world (something like the Argus rifts but more randomized, and more varied content within)

Minor Features:
-World Quest revamp (I actually love WQ and think they're much better than dailies since there's different ones every day).
-All dungeon content up to Cataclysm has become timewalkable and a few more select raids.
-More reasons to log in every day.

Additionally I expect better weather effects and a new alternate progression system. I'm guessing it'll either be a Path of the Titans deal, or a customizable weapon situation (hilt, blade, etc).

[Shadochi]

Isn't 7.3.2 bringing Antorus with it? We won't have that launched until after Blizzcon.

It lays some extra groundwork for Antorus that could also be hotfixed in. And it can also open up a few weeks after 7.3.2.

[Smokinya]

It lays some extra groundwork for Antorus that could also be hotfixed in. And it can also open up a few weeks after 7.3.2.

That is a good point. I just don't see what the point would be I guess since 7.3.2 doesn't contain anything but Antorus and the Silithus wound.

[Shadochi]

That is a good point. I just don't see what the point would be I guess since 7.3.2 doesn't contain anything but Antorus and the Silithus wound.

And that's why it doesn't matter if they release it next week and then release antorus a month later, or if they release it days prior to antorus. So it is possible to get 7.3.2 on Live before Blizzcon.

[Smokinya]

And that's why it doesn't matter if they release it next week and then release antorus a month later, or if they release it days prior to antorus. So it is possible to get 7.3.2 on Live before Blizzcon.

True but wouldn't that also signal the end to the PVP season and break their 77 day stint? Plus aren't bosses still being tested on the PTR? I know its just an arbitrary number but they've been so consistent it seems unlikely they'd change things up now.

[DeicideUH]

Let's get some productive discussion going. So let's do this. Guess the features list of the next expansion:

3 Major features (e.g. Artifacts/New class or race)
3 Mid-tier features (e.g. World Quests)
3 Minor features (PvP Brawls)

Major Features:
- Huge Customization improvements (including scars, tattoos, some height adjustment, body types like non-hunched orc, and Sub-races, which include high elf, nightborne, broken, forest troll and others)
- New "continent": South Seas, with 5 new zones: Kul Tiras, Zandalar, Kezan, Tel'Abim and Plunder Isle
- Have your own boat: You can attack/capture other boats, recruit crew, explore hidden isles, fight sea monsters. Eventually, you also get access to your own submarine in later patches, to access underwater patch zones like the Eye, Mak'aru or Nazjatar.

Mid-tier features:
- World Quest system updated. Less WQs active at a time, but they are all elite and more varied.
- Max-level campaigns: Several storylines (kinda like Suramar's, but shorter) available at max level. You can select a chapter to do for each week. Can stay in the same campaign until you finish it or select next chapter of any campaign in any order. Campaigns send you all over the world, and reward cosmetic items, mounts, toys, heirloom upgrades, or unlocks further customization options or other benefits not solely related to power-level.
- New battlegrounds, finally.

Minor features:
- Mob and quest scaling implemented in all old zones. Now, zones have a minimum level, and all previous content goes up to level 110. The minimum level of many zones have gone down. All previous expansions have minimum level 60, so you can choose any past expansion to level up in, instead of having a fixed leveling path.
- Partial world revamp: All zones 1-20 have been revamped to update the races' status. This also doubles as pre-expansion content, as those zones will scale up to 110.

[Pantupino]

We have more leaks than in any previous expansion, haven't we? I'm following leak season every two years when a new expansion is about to get announced but I don't remember a time where we had 2-3 "leaks" per day.

This thing deserves a spot on the hypetrain.

so be it. Soon™

[Fahrad Wagner]

so be it. Soon™

Thank you Pantupino haha!

[Hardwing]

Pretty good feature list but I don't know where everyone is getting the notion that Nazjatar wouldn't be a part of a South Sea's expansion. As South Sea expansion would deal with Pirates, Naga, Trolls and possibly have N'Zoth as an end boss, or have 9.0 be a Black Empire expansion. There is no way we have a South Sea expansion without Azshara being the main villain or one of the main ones.

- - - Updated - - -

Major Features:
-South Sea islands: Zandalar, Kul'Tiras, Kezan, Dragon Isles, Plunder Isle (possibly Nazjatar but I could see it being added in as a patch)
-Subraces
-Old world revamp (could possibly only be one continent or a select number of zones)

Mid-Tier Features:
-Scaling applied to all aspects of the game with a certain cap. For example, all Vanilla zones scale to 60 max.
-More tweaks to professions (I actually liked what they did with professions in Legion just not the associated RNG).
-More dynamic events within the world (something like the Argus rifts but more randomized, and more varied content within)

Minor Features:
-World Quest revamp (I actually love WQ and think they're much better than dailies since there's different ones every day).
-All dungeon content up to Cataclysm has become timewalkable and a few more select raids.
-More reasons to log in every day.

Additionally I expect better weather effects and a new alternate progression system. I'm guessing it'll either be a Path of the Titans deal, or a customizable weapon situation (hilt, blade, etc).

Nice list, too. I would love if Blizzard would allow us customizable weapons.

I guess most people want to exclude Nazjatar to leave room for another expansion and allow Blizzard to really go deep with the lore. Technically the Tomb of Sargeras could have been included into a south-sea-expansion, but the lore around it was expanded quite nicely. Ian Bates(Red Shirt Guy) posted a nice concept how it could work with Kul'Tiras:

http://warcraft.blizzplanet.com/blog...dows-kul-tiras

If Blizzard keeps the expansion focused on Kul'Tiras and threats like the Zandalari and a growing influence of N'Zoth, there should be enough material. Deal with the Zandalari in 8.1, have a Naga-attack in 8.2 and the last fight(not necessarily against the old god) in 8.3 and it is decent enough. It would be a channel-island-expansion with the through south-sea-expansion coming one or two expansions later. Kezan, Najzatar and Pirates have more than enough room for their own expansion if done right.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Let's get some productive discussion going. So let's do this. Guess the features list of the next expansion:

3 Major features (e.g. Artifacts/New class or race)
3 Mid-tier features (e.g. World Quests)
3 Minor features (PvP Brawls)

Neutral Naga
Player Boats (As the new Garrison/Order Hall)
New Alternate-Advancement at the level cap (It's actually just a reskinned Artifact Tree)

Goblin/Worgen revamp
Old World Level Scaling
World Quests while leveling

WoD Timewalking
New Timewalking Raids for Wrath, Cata, and MoP
New hairstyles

[Marlamin]

It lays some extra groundwork for Antorus that could also be hotfixed in. And it can also open up a few weeks after 7.3.2.

There is a bunch of Antorus content in 7.3.2 though, outside of stuff that can be hotfixed in. (Sound/music files, spell effects, etc). It'll definitely hit after 7.3.2 hits live. Silithus and the other encrypted stuff can probably wait until after BlizzCon though.

[Shadochi]

There is a bunch of Antorus content in 7.3.2 though, outside of stuff that can be hotfixed in. (Sound/music files, spell effects, etc). It'll definitely hit after 7.3.2 hits live. Silithus and the other encrypted stuff can probably wait until after BlizzCon though.

Yeah, I realized later on that I should've left out the 2nd sentence in there. But my point is that even if 7.3.2 dropped on live this week, it doesn't mean Antorus will open this week/month/year/decade/century/whatever.

[Marlamin]

Yeah, I realized later on that I should've left out the 2nd sentence in there. But my point is that even if 7.3.2 dropped on live this week, it doesn't mean Antorus will open this week/month/year/decade/century/whatever.

Oh definitely, yeah. It could even open during 7.3.5 whenever the hell that is. *shrugs*

[Soulwind]

Yeah, I realized later on that I should've left out the 2nd sentence in there. But my point is that even if 7.3.2 dropped on live this week, it doesn't mean Antorus will open this week/month/year/decade/century/whatever.

And considering they don't want to interrupt any highend guild with Blizzcon, they may wait until at least the week after to open it.

That way they can do that "...and it launches NEXT WEEK!" thing that always gets the crowd cheering.

[Shadochi]

And considering they don't want to interrupt any highend guild with Blizzcon, they may wait until at least the week after to open it.

That way they can do that "...and it launches NEXT WEEK!" thing that always gets the crowd cheering.

Oh definitely, yeah. It could even open during 7.3.5 whenever the hell that is. *shrugs*

Another thing is, that in my opinion NH could've lasted for another 2-4 weeks, ToS would also be OK if it lasted for 2-4 weeks longer than the 2x77 days (2 cycles) that NH lasted. And to be honest in the end of the expansion that would've helped out a bit with the raid drought (not gonna call it a content drought since we were told that there'll be more story content) by shortening it by 1-2 months.

[DeicideUH]

Another thing is, that in my opinion NH could've lasted for another 2-4 weeks, ToS would also be OK if it lasted for 2-4 weeks longer than the 2x77 days (2 cycles) that NH lasted. And to be honest in the end of the expansion that would've helped out a bit with the raid drought (not gonna call it a content drought since we were told that there'll be more story content) by shortening it by 1-2 months.

They could increase the 11 weeks period to 12 weeks (around 3 months), and people wouldn't notice a difference. But that would be enough to delay Antorus for 6 weeks.

[Blayze]

I had an idea ages ago for a Tinker class that was sealed inside their own creation, so as to prevent contamination while dealing with all sorts of cleanup duty.
At the time I had it pegged as being draenei, gnome, goblin and Blood Elf only, riffing on everything from Killa Kans to Wraithlords depending on the race.

Then the addition of Warframes got me thinking: What if one faction had mechs like that, and the other had something functionally identical but thematically different, to try and bring the faction identity back to the old days of Paladins and Shamans but not actually cause balancing issues?

The question is, what could the other side get to counter a robot full of mechanical toys?
Dragonkin.

Flamethrower vs dragonbreath.
Rocket launcher vs magic.
Chainsaw vs raw physical might.