Developer Q&A with Ion Hazzikostas

[chaud]

See the front page for the recap!

[Xjev]

"Artifact Knowledge will be unlocked automatically, there won't be any more need to research, just wait."

Would you still gain it if you are un-subbed?

[zlygork]

"Artifact Knowledge will be unlocked automatically, there won't be any more need to research, just wait."

Would you still gain it if you are un-subbed?

The whole point is for it to help people come back into the game and catch up, so yes.

- - - Updated - - -

Hopefully not. If you're not paying for a sub', why should your character's power still increase?

Cuz the whole point is to bring people back.

[derpkitteh]

"Artifact Knowledge will be unlocked automatically, there won't be any more need to research, just wait."

he says this like it's a good thing. this increases the "research" time even more than it was before, the current system of 4 hours is so much better than that.

everything else so far, good to see more account wide stuff. what i've done on ptr, that is an ok amount of questing upfront, that's pretty good.

[Zequill]

for the relic, they should had made (or change) them so the index fit between spec, like the first few number go to the least desired trait and the higher the most desired trait. So they could just print high number relic to get trait everyone want.

My issue with the present system is that you have a double RNG. You want a specific relic WF/TF then you want it to roll a not awful Rank 2 crucible trait and the Rank 3 trait you really want.

Also, that screw the loot system where people will always want to keep/roll for relics to see what kind of trait they will roll. People might no longer trade them, what awesome with the personal loot system we have atm.

[Collected]

For them to not have a solid answer about what will happen to artifact appearances post legion at this point in the expansion is rather curious imho.

I'm not saying it 100% suggest they're planning to carry the system forward but it makes me wonder.

[Kellorion]

So no decision on Artifact appearance post Legion, except for PVP ones, and the answer is no?

[zlygork]

If 7.3 content doesn't bring you back, you're telling me automatic AK research will? What type of players do we want coming back, exactly?

I totally get where you are coming from and I hate it, but the kind of players blizzard focuses the most on IS sadly the kind of players that ignore or try to skip as quick as possible everything that is not endgame - the same players that absolutely hate the idea of AP

[Logwyn]

"Reforging
Reforging had lots of downsides, such as trying to perfectly get the hit or expertise cap.
Every item that doesn't have your best two stats you would reforge to have your best stat. This didn't really make for interesting choices.
This also narrowed the distinction between items, making them feel more similar.
It also made it harder to evaluate upgrades, as you had to look at the item in its current state as well as how you could reforge it.
There were some good parts, such as giving players choices to make."

I get a choice now.... Does the item have haste or not? No then pass. Wait for RNG to give me a haste item. If you want me to choose the iLVL over what secondary stat the item gives me then just have a primary and no secondary or all secondaries are equal.

Honestly reforging to me was fun but I like number crunching.

[Teri]

"Artifact Knowledge will be unlocked automatically, there won't be any more need to research, just wait."

Would you still gain it if you are un-subbed?

If you come back to the game yes. Right now PTR is at AK46 without doing anything (56 million%)

[Utigarde]

Sticking to character bound Prestige isn't going to help the painful death of PvP. If I could actually use all my stuff on all my characters, I'd absolutely PvP more. I don't want to grind to 13 again just because I switched characters.

[Teri]

"Artifact Knowledge will be unlocked automatically, there won't be any more need to research, just wait."

he says this like it's a good thing. this increases the "research" time even more than it was before, the current system of 4 hours is so much better than that.

everything else so far, good to see more account wide stuff. what i've done on ptr, that is an ok amount of questing upfront, that's pretty good.

You don't need to wait for anything, the whole region will be at AK41 (16 million%) on day 1, and AK55 (630 million%) 14 weeks later

Even playing field.

The second you hit 110 on an alt or returning main then you could get 60 traits within a day at AK55 since they also remove the pre-requirements for 3rd relic slot and 7.2 traits.

AP rate will increase by about 157.5 x the speed, without increasing current AP trait costs.

Right now PTR is at AK46, without doing anything.

[derpkitteh]

You don't need to wait for anything, the whole region will be at AK41 (16 million%) on day 1, and AK55 (630 million%) 14 weeks later

Even playing field.

The second you hit 110 on an alt or returning main then you could get 60 traits within a day at AK55 since they also remove the pre-requirements for 3rd relic slot and 7.2 traits.

AP rate will increase by about 157.5 x the speed, without increasing current AP trait costs.

Right now PTR is at AK46, without doing anything.

i don't really care about it being an even playing field. i want to get the ak quickly so i can speed up the grind more quickly. this is just more artificial timegating.

[Teri]

i don't really care about it being an even playing field. i want to get the ak quickly so i can speed up the grind more quickly. this is just more artificial timegating.

5 days or 7 days, doesn't matter much. The 4 hours thing was more of a band-aid fix.

Sure I agree it's a bullshit timegate of 3 months, but they just don't want people to farm at 630million% for 3.5 month.

Even then, if 7.3.5 lasts longer then 6 months, maxing a weapon to 101 is certainly possible for the most hardcore.

[Meggle]

Screwww that @ prestige unlocks, that garbage is so grindy and crappy. Not cool...would prefer account wide.

[Ilnezhara]

Why does the crucible need RNG at all, though? This is just silly.

Because everyone thinks the best part of this expansion was the RNG!!!

[Collected]

He did say something about Warlocks transmogging their Demo' skin onto a dagger in the next expansion. To me, that hints that no, they are not carrying it forward.

True I agree but he may also have said that because he can't really talk about 8.0 yet. My point really is I would have thought by now they'd have a solid "You'll be able to do <this>" answer to the question rather than "Err we're still thinking about it" type answer. Personally I don't see what's so bad about the current weapon system that would make them want to abandon it all and revert in 8.0 to normal weapons.

[flan1337]

Ion said to watch out for Gamescom, that he will be there.

[TriHard]

So, with the removal of the restrictions, does this mean that I can unlock all the tints in the balance of power tier without doing that insane long chain? (except for the BoP tint itself that is, talking about the three others in that row)
So if I want one of those skins I can just do the 8 world bosses, right?

Or was this something else?

Previously you had to unlock the first one of that particular row to unlock the other three.

[Dracullus]

So, with the removal of the restrictions, does this mean that I can unlock all the tints in the balance of power tier without doing that insane long chain? (except for the BoP tint itself that is, talking about the three others in that row)
So if I want one of those skins I can just do the 8 world bosses, right?

Or was this something else?

Insane long? 9 dungeons and 1-3 clears of two entry raids is insane?