BfA Patch Speculation thread (8.3 and later).

[Queen of Hamsters]

Are people even doing Ulduar and Black Temple timewalking? Sure, some will want BT for the glaive transmog, but other than that.
Is there any point in adding more timewalking raids?

They wouldn't spend the resources if they didn't see player engagement.

I have yet to set foot in a single timewalking raid myself though, just don't see the point as I ran those places over and over and over and over and over and over and over for transmog.

[AngerFork]

I don't claim that there are not ways to work around the issues i raised, the mage tower is up after all. I just want to point out how this is not some trifling amount of work that Blizzard can knowck out quickly solely based on fan requests. It requires way more planning and thought than i think you realize.

I'm not saying that there isn't a lot of work and a lot of planning, but I also know that a good game designer can tie these things together when needed. Heritage Armor plays well with Heritage Weapons, meaning they work well as something to do at the same time. Planning the resource/setup for how it would almost certainly tie in with the other pieces set to come in 8.2.5 (or 8.3), it would almost certainly not happen in a vacuum or simply due to fan requests.

For a weapon transmog reward to be fair, it would have to have at least a single weapon for use by your class.
I am a hunter, so i would require at least 2 weapons, a ranged weapon and a polearm. A warrior would need a shield a 2H weapon and a 1H weapon.
If you want them to all be race themed then it is an absolutely massive amount of effort you are handwaving, and if you want maybe only 1 or 2 weapons from each race to dover all teh weapon bases, then you have to consider if you want the ultimate reward for your ultimate achievement to be a Gnome themed rifle for your Nelf, or a Belf themed polearm for your orc.
Whether you get all weapons from doing it on a single character is irrelevant, either you get weapons from each race that fits each class, which is an astronomical amount of work, or you get a sizeable amount of mismatched weapons, most of which oyu cannot use on your character, and others which don't fit the character you are playing.

Again, you seem to be going into the spec-based thing rather than just race based. You mention needing a single weapon for use by your class, then you proceed to force 2 onto Hunters specifically. You seem to be trying to forcing specific weapon types like Polearms, which realistically is not a necessity. Survival Hunters can also use 2H Axes, 2H Swords, and Staves. It's also worth noting that Heritage Armor doesn't have type-based requirements...my Dark Iron set can be used on a Warrior or a Warlock. Why then would I specifically need a Polearm rather than a cosmetic 2H weapon for that Hunter, should one be available?

It's also worth noting just how much was done for the Legion Mage Tower weapon-wise, a lot of which has been IMO overlooked. Legion set up not only a weapon look for the Mage Tower, but three extra color variants for each one. This was done for each spec...which when multiplied out gives us 144 different looks specifically derived for the Legion Mage Tower. Plus, each had to be designed in a fashion largely similar to the original weapon with some having to cover both Main & Off Hands, not to mention the particle effects that many had added in, the animations that several designs used, and the Druid forms added for each of the Feral/Guardian weapon appearances. A race-based setup with a 1H weapon, a 2H weapon, a Bow/Gun, and/or a Shield/Off-Hand wouldn't need nearly the same amount of work, especially when many have already been set up as per discussed datamining.

I'm not saying it's nothing...3D models are often a lot of work to be sure, such an endeavor puts a lot of work onto the Art Department. But almost any new content Blizz would add in 8.2.5 would also be a lot of work (provided it isn't a SELFIE camera). Given the amount of replayability and continued subs Blizz would see from people trying to get those weapons on each race (which was already shown with the Legion Mage Towers), it would likely be an overall profitable exercise for them to pursue.

Not that it's going to come for sure by any stretch, but I don't feel it's quite as impossible of an item to arrive in 8.2.5 as it might seem.

[Taeldorian]

The oompth disappears when you hit 50 HoA since a lot of the World Quests offer Azerite which become pointless once you're capped. Again concordance was bad because even progressing you couldn't really feel it unless you procced it, that and pacing of its leveling was worse in Legion then Azerite ever was.

Yes the oomph disappears when you reach your end goal. That’s a good thing. You spent 8 months trying to hit 50, world quests that entire time had more than enough “oomph”. Making AP a never ending grind just so world quests can feel a tiny bit better is garbage no offense. Give people end goals and they’ll be more inclined to reach them, apathy will set in when you create a never ending grind. We hit 50 and get to relax for a few months until the next grind begins, similar to how BiS raid gear worked in MoP/WoD/Wrath. That’s perfectly fine and doesn’t need to become some never ending grind just to make world quests more appealing, that already happens during the grind.

[Nathanyel]

Given the amount of replayability and continued subs Blizz would see from people trying to get those weapons on each race (which was already shown with the Legion Mage Towers), it would likely be an overall profitable exercise for them to pursue.

In that case though, it cannot be time-limited. People would feel forced to level a char of each race - could be they even want to level a new one even if they already have that race, because class/spec X is deemed to be the easiest, so in the end they'd have e.g. 21 Prot Paladins they'll never touch again.
It would be better to make these optional.

No, I don't really see time-limited challenge content to reward race-based rewards, unless you only have to do it once per faction (a bit low) or split the factions into 2-3 subgroups (feels weird)

A new challenge system would likely again, like the Mage Tower, be based on role, one for tanks, one for healers, 3-5 for damage dealers (including Disc - imho the most fun variant of Tugar) and could maybe reward spec-limited sets themed to the encounter, with either (up to) 4 versions per armor type, or maybe 2 variants split across them, e.g. Cloth/Leather and Mail/Plate for Healers, and Tanks of course only have 2 armor types anyway.

[Sondrelk]

I'm not saying that there isn't a lot of work and a lot of planning, but I also know that a good game designer can tie these things together when needed. Heritage Armor plays well with Heritage Weapons, meaning they work well as something to do at the same time. Planning the resource/setup for how it would almost certainly tie in with the other pieces set to come in 8.2.5 (or 8.3), it would almost certainly not happen in a vacuum or simply due to fan requests.


Again, you seem to be going into the spec-based thing rather than just race based. You mention needing a single weapon for use by your class, then you proceed to force 2 onto Hunters specifically. You seem to be trying to forcing specific weapon types like Polearms, which realistically is not a necessity. Survival Hunters can also use 2H Axes, 2H Swords, and Staves. It's also worth noting that Heritage Armor doesn't have type-based requirements...my Dark Iron set can be used on a Warrior or a Warlock. Why then would I specifically need a Polearm rather than a cosmetic 2H weapon for that Hunter, should one be available?

It's also worth noting just how much was done for the Legion Mage Tower weapon-wise, a lot of which has been IMO overlooked. Legion set up not only a weapon look for the Mage Tower, but three extra color variants for each one. This was done for each spec...which when multiplied out gives us 144 different looks specifically derived for the Legion Mage Tower. Plus, each had to be designed in a fashion largely similar to the original weapon with some having to cover both Main & Off Hands, not to mention the particle effects that many had added in, the animations that several designs used, and the Druid forms added for each of the Feral/Guardian weapon appearances. A race-based setup with a 1H weapon, a 2H weapon, a Bow/Gun, and/or a Shield/Off-Hand wouldn't need nearly the same amount of work, especially when many have already been set up as per discussed datamining.

I'm not saying it's nothing...3D models are often a lot of work to be sure, such an endeavor puts a lot of work onto the Art Department. But almost any new content Blizz would add in 8.2.5 would also be a lot of work (provided it isn't a SELFIE camera). Given the amount of replayability and continued subs Blizz would see from people trying to get those weapons on each race (which was already shown with the Legion Mage Towers), it would likely be an overall profitable exercise for them to pursue.

Not that it's going to come for sure by any stretch, but I don't feel it's quite as impossible of an item to arrive in 8.2.5 as it might seem.

Let us now assume that not counting the artifact weapon recolors, the amount of race themed weapons needed to satisfy the absolute minimum amount of race-themed weapons so your spec can use at least one is close to the amount of Artifact weapons.
Did it occur to oyu that with the exception of the 3 rare drops from some of the bosses, we did not get any new weapon models in the entirety of Legion. It was all oart of the base Legion download.
You want an entire expansions worth of weapons to be dumped on us for a single event. Given a generous estimate of 10 weapons needed to satisfy all the classes you would need 210 unique weapons to be made for everyone to get just a single weapon they can use, which easily trumps the amount of Artifact weapons, and let me remind you, those meant we only got 3 boss themed weapons the entire expansion, and none from dungeons.


I don't think a new mage tower like challenge is a bad idea, i jsut want Blizz to take their time and make it so its good, and not just because people want it, which tends to lead to forum outcry when it becomes rushed.

[Fahrad Wagner]

Did I miss anything significant in the 10/15 last pages folks?

[Nathanyel]

Did I miss anything significant in the 10/15 last pages folks?

[Porcodio]

Eh I meant that after some people started maxing out AP, they let us sell the tokens for gold. There are a lot of people who have been sitting at 50 for over a month now and a lot of world content rewards (As well as islands) are in the AP. They should have figured out a way to give us gold instead. Heck give us war resources, extra rep, anything, just find some reward.

Ahh you mean that.

Well tecnically now the Coin gives gold always at 50.


I would have make the AP like a BOE token after 50 so you can give to alts or sell it for a fixed amount.

[Elias01]

In that case though, it cannot be time-limited. People would feel forced to level a char of each race - could be they even want to level a new one even if they already have that race, because class/spec X is deemed to be the easiest, so in the end they'd have e.g. 21 Prot Paladins they'll never touch again.
It would be better to make these optional.

No, I don't really see time-limited challenge content to reward race-based rewards, unless you only have to do it once per faction (a bit low) or split the factions into 2-3 subgroups (feels weird)

A new challenge system would likely again, like the Mage Tower, be based on role, one for tanks, one for healers, 3-5 for damage dealers (including Disc - imho the most fun variant of Tugar) and could maybe reward spec-limited sets themed to the encounter, with either (up to) 4 versions per armor type, or maybe 2 variants split across them, e.g. Cloth/Leather and Mail/Plate for Healers, and Tanks of course only have 2 armor types anyway.

If they would feel force to level up new char becouse they want it all thats kinda their problem. And it has to be time limited otherwise value of those items would be 0. Just like it happens to all other transmong from raids. If something is avaiable to anyone anytime it has no value.

[Verdugo]

If they would feel force to level up new char becouse they want it all thats kinda their problem. And it has to be time limited otherwise value of those items would be 0. Just like it happens to all other transmong from raids. If something is avaiable to anyone anytime it has no value.

What fucking value, you intend to sell it or what?

[FlubberPuddy]

Did I miss anything significant in the 10/15 last pages folks?

Nope. this thread's pretty dry right now, Blizzard's gotta start releasing 8.2 and then get 8.2.5 up on PTR!

[Nyel]

Nope. this thread's pretty dry right now, Blizzard's gotta start releasing 8.2 and then get 8.2.5 up on PTR!

Or better: early start of the leak season!

[Themerlin]

The rivers are drying up Blizzard!

The cattle need to drink.

[Sondrelk]

The rivers are drying up Blizzard!

The cattle need to drink.

Maybe that is Blizzard master plan, force the cattle to move to other pastures so they can remake the land into a giant apartment complex.
I mean, who knows, maybe WoW housing will actually work.

[ImTheMizAwesome]

First time i don't really feel anything when it comes to new bigger content patch, even tho there's many alright changes to the systems or updates to make the experience better, and im not fully on bfa naysayer or classic fanboy.

Whole atmosphere around retail wow is kinda dry for me now and i can't even convince my friend to play now, because he prefers to save money for classic and can't convince me to play classic either.

[Queen of Hamsters]

Nope. this thread's pretty dry right now, Blizzard's gotta start releasing 8.2 and then get 8.2.5 up on PTR!

It's so dry it puts the Atacama Desert to shame.
I'm hyped as ever, motivated as ever to play but at the same time there's this forced slog in news right now. Rather conflicting.

[Alga]

Today we are not out of the reach of another PTR build and some Blue Posts. All hopes are up.

But by the way, I was just thinking.. since Jaina is the main figure in Nazjatar, this means Derek is in safe distance to every Proudmooe? For me the sleeper agent-story looks not like it will happen.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Today we are not out of the reach of another PTR build and some Blue Posts. All hopes are up.

But by the way, I was just thinking.. since Jaina is the main figure in Nazjatar, this means Derek is in safe distance to every Proudmooe? For me the sleeper agent-story looks not like it will happen.

I wouldn't put that out just yet.

[Alga]

Okay, probably true, but a Sleeper Agent Derek is just pretty boring.. okay if he is just the tool to successful kill someone and then is shut down.

[vertigo12]

I wouldn't put that out just yet.

Perhaps the next chapter related to Derek will be discussed in 8.2.5

I got a feeling that a submarine from Mechagon and Goblins will saved the trapped Heroes in Eternal Palace.