BfA Patch Speculation thread (8.3 and later).

[Nyel]

On the discussion of WoW 2: did direct successors in the MMORPG-genre ever surpass their predecessors?

EverQuest > EverQuest 2 (?)
Guild Wars > Guild Wars 2

Sure SWTOR was more successful than SWG and FFXIV than FFXI but they weren't direct successors.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

While I agree with you, the truth is that Blizzard is not beyond just flat out lying these days, especially when it comes to details such as who will be endboss of the next patch.

There's nothing to indicate Ion lied about the endboss of BFA. Literally nothing other then cynicism coming from the butt. Not to mention as said above, no wonder Blizzard doesn't want to talk. Like during WoD we pretty much knew from the get go there wasn't anymore stuff coming after 6.2 when they talked about it.


I was disappointed and confused why that happened but they did it, we still knew though.

[bewbew]

While I agree with you, the truth is that Blizzard is not beyond just flat out lying these days, especially when it comes to details such as who will be endboss of the next patch.

It's not only about them "lying".

Except for WoD, which had completly cancelled raids (At least Shattrath that we know of; could have been more), no other expansion had only 3 raid tiers.

In addition to that, every expansion had a very clear final raid tier, with no ambiguity of it being it's last boss or not. The only one that could have been argued otherwise is BC with Black Temple not being the final tier; but then, it was dropped so early that it was obvious it was not the final tier (just like Eternal Palace right now).

Wrath had Icecrown. Cata had Dragon Soul. MoP had Siege of Orgrimmar. WoD had Hellfire Citadel. Legion had Antorus. What is the common trend here? They finish up the storylines of their respective expansions and it's villains.

Eternal Palace doesn't conclude anything.

[Blayze]

They already said we'd see the boss for the final raid in the eternal palace cinematic, so this isn't so much an unpopular opinion as a silly one that doesn't take into account what's been known for a while.

I will laugh myself hoarse if they say "you saw Azshara in that cinematic, didn't you?"

[Rae888]

Hmmm, so we got an official post advertising the new RAF program. Makes me think 8.2.5 isn't too far from going live.

[Seasz]

Except it literally says it's coming in a few months

[Sarethion]

They won't ever do 5 levels again because it's not simply "let's go up only 5 more lvls" it's more "we have to put 10 lvls worth of exp req into 5 lvls". That's how they designed it in cata-mop and it's why they said it felt bad.

Well, we'll see - I'll bet on +5 levels due to the reasons I've provided earlier and if there's a squish, we'll see who was right

Also, going by your logic - if there is a squish, you're assuming that they will cut the overall time needed to hit max level? Like, if we get squished from 120 to 60, the time needed to go to 120 will be about 50% of what it takes now?

Because if having 5 levels that are 10 levels worth of experience was bad, I imagine having 60 levels that are 120 levels worth of experience would be far worse, i.e. if they want to avoid that, they would have to considerably speed up the leveling process.

Somehow, I doubt they'll do that, but then again... I'm usually a pessimist.

[Dracullus]

Except it literally says it's coming in a few months

It may be misspell or RAF won't come same day as 8.2.5. I bet first one, these blue posts usually explain content that is right around the corner. My prediction for patch is 24th September, announced next week.

[Rae888]

Except it literally says it's coming in a few months

Highly doubt it's going to be a few months before 8.2.5 hits. This is basically an advertisement, I don't see why they'd post it so far before the product is available... especially since this may have the side effect of causing some people to delay resubscribing until it's live.

[Sarethion]

Well, to me the fact that they've begun to advertise patch features via blog posts indicates that the patch is getting close to being released. Though, it is a bit fishy that RAF will launch in a "few months". Perhaps they want to line it up with 8.3 or something.

I wouldn't be surprised if 8.2.5 launches next week or the week after.

[Atticon]

Well, to me the fact that they've begun to advertise patch features via blog posts indicates that the patch is getting close to being released. Though, it is a bit fishy that RAF will launch in a "few months". Perhaps they want to line it up with 8.3 or something.

I wouldn't be surprised if 8.2.5 launches next week or the week after.

That soon would surprise me given the lack of new builds we've seen recently, and we're still missing stuff like the Calia Menethil content, unless the model is all they're putting in the files and we're not seeing any of that until 8.3.

[Marlamin]

PTRs just went down. Round two?

[spleen1015]

On the discussion of WoW 2: did direct successors in the MMORPG-genre ever surpass their predecessors?

EverQuest > EverQuest 2 (?)
Guild Wars > Guild Wars 2

Sure SWTOR was more successful than SWG and FFXIV than FFXI but they weren't direct successors.

I never played Guild Wars, but I believe Guild Wars 2 was more successful. I think this is an apples & oranges comparison though since Guild Wars doesn't require a subscription.

[Marlamin]

PTRs just went down. Round two?

Came back up with 8.2.5.31769, looks like another build is on the way. Hopefully this one is getting released.

[Dracullus]

Came back up with 8.2.5.31769, looks like another build is on the way. Hopefully this one is getting released.

Very likely. I think everything they announced was added already.

[Nyel]

Why would RFA launch with 8.2.5 though? Major patches are selling points, not those small .x.5 patches.

[Rae888]

Why would RFA launch with 8.2.5 though? Major patches are selling points, not those small .x.5 patches.

I suppose they want it in place before all the blizzcon hype/announcements.

[TheFirstOnes]

The Shadowlands leak automatically gets debunked once you realize that the final boss of BFA is probably N'zoth. And knowing Blizzard's writing, they'd of course waste the chance to bring back the Black Empire as well as the Shadowlands and put them directly together in 1 expansion.

And to think, I was actually starting to like the name "World of Warcraft: Shadow".

[Dracullus]

More than I read into that blue post, more strange it seems.

Recruit a friends coming in next few months? Even most pessimistic people expect October for 8.2.5, with this wording it would land in November/December. With known size of 8.2.5 it makes 0 sense.

"Players new to WoW and veteran players who have not purchased game time on their account in the past two years can be enlisted in this program." What the hell? First, why screw people that just want to pay for alt account? What about people that unsubscribed year ago? And what about all these people that sub for month for Classic and maybe look for incentive for further playing? Fuck 'em?

Where are old RAF rewards? When old system was going for hiatus, they never said it's last chance to get these mounts/pets.

I really hope it's just bad post made by temp. Otherwise Blizzard really screw up this one.

[Hitei]

More than I read into that blue post, more strange it seems.

Recruit a friends coming in next few months? Even most pessimistic people expect October for 8.2.5, with this wording it would land in November/December. With known size of 8.2.5 it makes 0 sense.

"Players new to WoW and veteran players who have not purchased game time on their account in the past two years can be enlisted in this program." What the hell? First, why screw people that just want to pay for alt account? What about people that unsubscribed year ago? And what about all these people that sub for month for Classic and maybe look for incentive for further playing? Fuck 'em?

Where are old RAF rewards? When old system was going for hiatus, they never said it's last chance to get these mounts/pets.

I really hope it's just bad post made by temp. Otherwise Blizzard really screw up this one.

1) There's no reason RAF launch needs to be with 8.2.5.
2) You can still just make a new battle.net account and pay for it.
3) People who unsubscribed a year ago, or are playing Classic right now aren't being recruited. The point of the program is old former players and brand new players

A final tier of 4-5 months, that's shorter than both previous tiers this expansion? Come on.

There's no reason it needs to be that short. I was pointing out that the minimal spacing is there if, for some inexplicable reason, Blizzard decides it absolute 100% has to release 9.0 in august, instead of whenever they fucking want.