Blizzcon 2017 - Steve Burke Interview - World of Warcraft

[Stoy]

Blizzcon 2017 - Steve Burke Interview - World of Warcraft

We were able to sit down with Steve Burke, Senior Game Designer on World of Warcraft, for a quick interview! Here is a recap:

Classic Servers
Q: When did you decide that there was enough support to go ahead with classic WoW servers?
A: Internally it has always been a huge discussion. Obviously there is a lot of external desire as well. It's just a monumental task and so it's a matter of setting it up right.

Q: Will classic servers and the current game be bundled together? Are they using the same client and under your normal subscription?
A: These are fantastic questions that haven't been answered internally yet. Development is still super early and a lot of work needs to be done.

Q: Vanilla had a lot of mechanics/issues that might not be fun anymore. Are there any specific issues or mechanics you are looking at addressing in classic servers?
A: Team wants to keep the experience as close to Vanilla as possible, but it is also too early to answer.

Q: What thoughts/considerations have been taken into account for patching of the classic servers? Vanilla forever or slow expansion relaunches?
A: Another great question that has yet to be decided!


Battle for Azeroth
Q: Will the Heart of Azeroth be spec agnostic or will we have to put Azerite into all of our different specs much like the different artifact weapons in Legion?
A: The Heart of Azeroth is what unlocks the different abilities on three pieces of armor and so it is all tied to the neck piece which is used on all specs.

Q: Are spec specific legendaries continuing in Battle for Azeroth?
A: The Legion legendary system is being retired in a very epic way, but not something to be revealed yet. Team learned a lot from the system and liked a lot of aspects of it, however, they are not ready to reveal the future of acquiring legendaries.

Q: Will the current races in WoW receive unique Heritage Armor similar to the new Allied Races?
A: As of right now Heritage Armor is only for the Allied Races. The armor is also only wearable by the Allied Race it is designed for.

Q: How are rewards going to be done for Warfronts?
A: Safe to say Azerite will play a role in rewards, but the rest is still being ironed out.

Q: Will the new AI take place in dungeons as well?
A: Right now the AI is being focused in Islands and Warfronts.

Q: Are class specific buffs such as Mark of the Wild and Power Word: Fortitude returning?
A: As of right now these buffs are back in the playtest. Team always looks at classes and how to make them more flavorful and the class buffs fit that niche.

Q: Will max level content be added to the old word?
A: Team wants to focus max level content into the new continents. The great thing about this expansion is each faction has three leveling zones and then another three open up when max level is reached.

Q: So would a Horde 110 character just starting to level on Zandalar a few weeks into the expansion run into max level Alliance and vice versa?
A: Yes. The whole world is open to your character upon reaching max level.

Q: Will there be other options to unlock Allied Races?
A: Each Allied race has some prerequisite quest content required to unlock them. Also, Allied Races are allowed to be boosted to 110 once unlocked, but only physically leveling them from 20-120 gives you the Heritage Armor.

Q: Allied Races are set to start at level 20 when created. Where will they be placed in the world upon being created? Will they be in their respective zones?
A: The current plan is for the Allied Races to start in their faction's main hub when created.

Q: Will there be any new class/race combinations?
A: Nothing to announce on that, but not ruling it out. Team doesn't want every race able to be any class.

Q: Can you tell us about some of the racials for the other Allied Races?
A: They will all have unique racials but some aren't ready to be discussed yet.

Q: Any tinkering to be done to current racials?
A: Team isn't ruling it out, but nothing to discuss.

Q: Will the mission table/follower system carry forward into Battle for Azeroth?
A: The team likes the follower system and would like to move forward with it, but nothing to announce as of now.

Q: How will flying work in Battle for Azeroth?
A: Team like flying being something that takes time to unlock. They want to see that you completed the content before you can fly above it.

Q: Can you tell us a bit more about the stat squish?
A: There is definitely another stat squish happening. Team wants numbers to be reasonable and work hard to make sure old content doesn't become hard to solo with the squish.

Q: Are you continuing with professions in Battle for Azeroth similar to how they were in Legion?
A: Can't say for sure, but team definitely wants there to be content for professions, but maybe not quite as many quests.

Q: Any changes to professions other than the typical new recipes and 100 skill points?
A: Definitely all that but also trying to tie some of the professions into the Heart of Azeroth system. No specifics yet.

Q: Will the team address faction imbalance on realms?
A: The new WPVP system will solve a lot of these issues as sharding technology will place you into shards with others who have opted into WPVP.

[Puxycat]

Q&A about classic WOW
many Qs zero As

[Tomana]

Q: Will max level content be added to the old word?
A: Team wants to focus max level content into the new continents.

Holy Jesus, these guys never learn. -_-

[Steelcryo]

That's a lot of none answers about BFA specifics. Just shows how early into development they actually are in terms of complete features or even completely planned out features. Hopefully this means the lack of information we got in Blizzcon about a lot of things means some interesting announcements in the coming months as specifics get worked out.

[belleteyn]

Okay, who the hell is monitoring these interviews? 90% of these questions were already asked in either the art panel Q&A or the general Q&A. Not to mention same thing happened in the last Q&A panel, more than half of the questions were already answered on other panels or were answered in "What's next" and "Warcraft's systems" panels.

[Masternewt]

So many super and great questions.

[WoolferRU]

So almost whole interview is just "No specifics yet."? Did Blizzard know at least something specific about BfA?

[Teri]

Hopefully this is just because they are under heavy NDA and not actually seemingly only just starting to develop stuff.

[Miatog]

Q: Will the team address faction imbalance on realms?
A: The new WPVP system will solve a lot of these issues as sharding technology will place you into shards with others who have opted into WPVP.

WHELP! I'm never flagging up again. Not that I flag up much as is, not a pvper, but knowing that flagging up will throw me into a balanced shard of others who are flagged...nope do not want. This is probably great news for people who want world pvp though.

[Edlarel]

That's a lot of none answers about BFA specifics. Just shows how early into development they actually are in terms of complete features or even completely planned out features. Hopefully this means the lack of information we got in Blizzcon about a lot of things means some interesting announcements in the coming months as specifics get worked out.

Tells me they're being cautious so the other end of the spectrum doesn't cry because something isn't there that they didn't promise.

[Sanguinerd]

I really don't get the Allied Races thing..

I don't want to play some alt, I don't want to level a completely new character once I'm max level just for some fancy armor I can't even use on any other characters. What exactly is in the incentive to even level one except the armor?

Sure once I've leveled one I could then race change my main but that will cost money.. it's a really stupid idea and the worst thing about BfA imo.

[Tokas]

not sure about this, not ready to talk about this, nothing to announce yet... anyone else have this impression that this expo was started like 5 days ago? wtf...

[Shekora]

Wow, I've never seen a more evasive Q&A in my life.
Kek

[Kaldriss]

i feel like some of these questions were worded in ways that made it clear that he already knew the answers such as him using the phrase spec agnostic which i dont think anyone has ever used until ion said it at blizzcon this year, and asking specifically about mark of the wild being back rather than just asking are any old spells coming back. i guess theres not really anything wrong with that as the q&as are mainly about giving the information to us but it still made it feel weird and scripted

[Deleted]

I really don't get the Allied Races thing..
Sure once I've leveled one I could then race change my main but that will cost money.. it's a really stupid idea and the worst thing about BfA imo.

We don't know wether that is possible at this point.
Even if it is; makes some money for blizz, so i don't see how it's stupid.

[Sanguinerd]

We don't know wether that is possible at this point.
Even if it is; makes some money for blizz, so i don't see how it's stupid.

Well it's not stupid for them, but pretty bad for us the players.

That makes it stupid ;p

[Mandible]

i want everyone involved in bringing classic servers back to get a cookie. thank you for this blessing



hnnnnng Nelf paladins

I´d rather say Troll paladins. Since the zandalari have paladins in throne of thunder.

[TranquilDream]

I really don't get the Allied Races thing..

I don't want to play some alt, I don't want to level a completely new character once I'm max level just for some fancy armor I can't even use on any other characters. What exactly is in the incentive to even level one except the armor?

Sure once I've leveled one I could then race change my main but that will cost money.. it's a really stupid idea and the worst thing about BfA imo.

Were you expecting to be able to swap races at the barber or something? There's no other way to play a different race than paying money, be it a boosted alt or paid race change; or leveling an alt naturally.

The incentive of leveling one is having a max level (insert race here) w/o paying money for a boost or race changing an alt. The (hopefully sweet looking armor) is just a bonus reward.

[Easo]

Most of the question have no answers, then again, we are quite far away still, but he is being evasive for sure.
P.S.
Heritage armor for all races are not planned yet? Why? They really need to make 6 sets only for now (and seems they have more or less done them already). A raid tier has double that. They should, slowly, make one for other races, its, after all, only cosmetic stuff.

[Sanguinerd]

Were you expecting to be able to swap races at the barber or something? There's no other way to play a different race than paying money, be it a boosted alt or paid race change; or leveling an alt naturally.

The incentive of leveling one is having a max level (insert race here) w/o paying money for a boost or race changing an alt. The (hopefully sweet looking armor) is just a bonus reward.

They could've atleast found a way for people to switch their mains to the new race, I wouldn't mind leveling my main up again as the new race while keeping everything I've collected and stuff.