BfA Patch Speculation thread (8.3 and later).

[Elias01]

No. I would say 8.2.5 as last patch. Blizzcon expansion annoucement with beta releasing January and expansion realease in late summer.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

8.3.5 stands out to me as the biggest "uhh no." Blizzcon is 100% going to be a full blowout on 9.0, expansion Blizzcons always are. 8.3.5 they'll shuffle into January or February.

8.2.5 PTR would have to be late July. Honestly I'm starting to lean off 8.2.5 in August entirely, feels more probable for early September at this point.

[huth]

No. I would say 8.2.5 as last patch. Blizzcon expansion annoucement with beta releasing January and expansion realease in late summer.

We already know 8.3 is coming, so that's a no.

[DeicideUH]

What do you guys think, does this sound plausible? I’ll briefly explain why Blizzard may have chosen each date as we go:

8.0.1 Release: August 13, 2018<----------BFA Begins = Big issues detected
8.1.0 PTR: September 21, 2018<----------1 month later = Address biggest ones
8.1.0 Release: December 11, 2018<-----3 months later = Added content fixes, but took the time needed
8.1.5 PTR: January 8th, 2019<-------------1 month later = Continue to show players that you still plan to release content steadily, even with the issues surrounding BFA, with fixes along the way.
8.1.5 Release: March 12th, 2019<-------2 months later = Prepare 8.2.0 info
8.2.0 PTR: April 16th, 2019<---------------1 month later = Do what you can with what you have
8.2.0 Release: June 25th, 2019<---------2 months later = Huge content to last until patch 8.3.0?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8.2.5 PTR: July 2019<------------------------1 month later = Give more evergreen content to look forward to
8.2.5 Release: September 2019<-------2 months later = but at the same steady pace
8.3.0 PTR: October 2019<-----------------1 month later = Give more content/fixes to look forward to
8.3.0 Recap / Minor 8.3.5 Info / Epic 9.0 trailer at Blizzcon: November 2019 = BIG Reveals to look forward to
8.3.0 Release: December 2019<------2 months later = Content before the holiday break
8.3.5 PTR: January 2020<----------------1 month later = stick with the pattern
8.3.5 Release: March 2020<------------2 months later = End BFA on a good note? (Blizzard hoping)
9.0.0 Beta: April 2020<-------------------Start beta sooner than Legion did (A.K.A the same date as BFA beta)
9.0.0 Release: September 2020-------but take a month longer than what the BFA beta took if needed. (It may be a good idea in Blizzard’s eyes?)

I think more on the lines of:

8.2.5: PTR late July/Early August; Release late September/Early October
8.3.0: Will be talked about in Blizzcon. Huge connection to next expansion. PTR soon after Blizzcon. Release on January 2020 (after holidays)
8.3.5: PTR late February 2020. Release April 2020. Will have the BfA epilogue, link to 9.0 and preorder content for 9.0.
9.0: Alpha/Beta May 2020; Prepatch October 2020; Release November 2020.

[MrExcelion]

I think they'll push 8.2.5 PTR out after Classic launch is settled (September), so they're 100% focused on that, and a shorter PTR cycle. Not a whole lot to test in that patch anyway and it'll just spoil the story early for nothing. Might be even worse of a patch than 8.1.5. It's that or they push it out 3 weeks before classic like the above poster said. Classic is definitely kind of in the way for what the timeframe should be.
@MoanaLisa can update the title of the thread to 8.2.5 and later on Tuesday

8.3 will probably be December, raid open in january they can't wait any longer than December to push out Ny'alotha

I personally hope they stretch out AEP longer though so that last tier is shorter, but they won't have a huge gap b/w Ny'alotha and n'zoth's raid and the start of season 3. everything has to be tied into this seasonal approach instead of doing 3 meaty tiers across 24 months

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

I think they'll push 8.2.5 PTR out after Classic launch is settled (September), so they're 100% focused on that, and a shorter PTR cycle. Not a whole lot to test in that patch anyway and it'll just spoil the story early for nothing. Might be even worse of a patch than 8.1.5. It's that or they push it out 3 weeks before classic like the above poster said. Classic is definitely kind of in the way for what the timeframe should be.
@MoanaLisa can update the title of the thread to 8.2.5 and later on Tuesday

8.3 will probably be December, raid open in january they can't wait any longer than December to push out Ny'alotha

I personally hope they stretch out AEP longer though so that last tier is shorter, but they won't have a huge gap b/w Ny'alotha and n'zoth's raid and the start of season 3. everything has to be tied into this seasonal approach instead of doing 3 meaty tiers across 24 months

I honestly don't think Blizz is going to be able to resist trying to compete with themselves. That's why I said 8.2.5 releases in August originally. Seeing the raid schedule I'm leaning off that now, since I don't think we get 8.2.5 PTR until LFR is fully out. PTR is probably gonna drop around the time name reservations start for Classic, so Blizz can try and bait people into retail with a shiny new update tease.

[Sondrelk]

I honestly don't think Blizz is going to be able to resist trying to compete with themselves. That's why I said 8.2.5 releases in August originally. Seeing the raid schedule I'm leaning off that now, since I don't think we get 8.2.5 PTR until LFR is fully out. PTR is probably gonna drop around the time name reservations start for Classic, so Blizz can try and bait people into retail with a shiny new update tease.

I would rather imagine Blizz will release PTR a good few weeks before classic is released so theycan catch the clasdic dropoffs on the rebound. 2 weeks after classic i will say. That should be long enough for people to realize many prefer a faster pace, and the classuc fanboys might hit a tiny burnout and need somethibg else, even if only to complain.

- - - Updated - - -

If not that early, a month after classic. Most middling players shoumd have hit max level by then, maybe even tried some max level content.

[Nathanyel]

Edit: Sorry @Sondrelk, I either misread your post or quoted the wrong post (I blame mobile scrolling)

Anyway:

While they didn't quite keep their promise that the PTR would be up almost permanently, it wasn't off for over 3 weeks or so in BfA (iirc) so having it down for over 2 months until after Classic is just madness.
Also, the PTR alone doesn't draw people that only play Classic, but an actual patch release can.

The PTR will be back in late July if not earlier, with 8.2.5 going live 3-4 weeks after Classic.

[Alixie]

Yes it’s your own fault if you use macros to cut down on buttons, it’s also your own fault if you only do your dps rotation rather because you don’t care to help out in group content or your not trusted enough by your group to get the role. If you find your self ignoring the majority of your ability’s it’s on you not the game.

Such a hostile reply, and a lot of projection. Since you're the type of player to click everything instead of using macros and keybinds, sure, then the class can look complicated to you. But for the rest of us, watered down rotations that are either builder/spender, or glorified combo points, bring down the entire quality of the game.

[eduwneso]

Thanks Eduwneso! I'm finally done with the whole moving in thing haha!

I can't wait for that sinkhole cinematic!

It's gonna be gloriouuuuuus. Also I've genuinely enjoyed Ion's video. Blizzardmade mistakes, and he seems aware of those mistakes and genuinely conscious and sorry that they f*cked up. Looking forward to what's next.

Especially if next patch has dragons, and next expansion brings me a revamp. Wheeeeee all aboard the revamp-hype train even though that train is gonna crash once again cause it won't happen...

GZ on the moving!

I also can't wait for that cinematic, but I want to experience In-game and since I'm from EU I'll have to wait until tomorrow, a shame.

I loved the video Ion made, I've always kinda liked him so this was amazing for me.

Now now, While I know that train will have hardships we don't know yet! I think whatever 9.0 brings story-wise, we will love it!

[MiiiMiii]

I still don't understand this Essence system.
Ok so you get some generic spells to choose from on your neck. 1 AoE, 1 DoT, 1 single target spell...
Then they are all shared in your role. So if you play a Elemental Shaman you get the same Essences as a Rogue? No difference?
It will also be removed next expansion.
What is so cool about this system?
It looks like it's just like having a "choose an active trinket without the stats"

I want to be excited about it, is it more than I think?

[Drekmar]

I still don't understand this Essence system.
Ok so you get some generic spells to choose from on your neck. 1 AoE, 1 DoT, 1 single target spell...
Then they are all shared in your role. So if you play a Elemental Shaman you get the same Essences as a Rogue? No difference?
It will also be removed next expansion.
What is so cool about this system?
It looks like it's just like having a "choose an active trinket without the stats"

I want to be excited about it, is it more than I think?

You get 1 Major and 3 Minor abilities. Depending on which you use it might change the way you play. (DK's can have mini-AotD which combines with Magus traits and so forth.)

[eduwneso]

I think it's a problem with a lot of the internet in general.

People like to talk about "outrage culture" and stuff, but I don't think that's really the issue. The issue is more like a sort of "competitive complaining" or something. People feel like unless they massively dramatize things, unless things are "the worst ever", they're basically saying "it's fine". And this is a cycle, because when one person exaggerates, other people feel the need to exaggerate to make their issues seem more important (not talking about social/political stuff here - mostly just games issues). And then there's peer-pressure as well, where if a bunch of people are saying it's "The worst ever", and your instinct is actually "It's not great", rather than an exaggeration, then you may well just say "It's the worst ever!" to fit in.

Plus a lot of people want attention - you see this on reddit - a good example was /r/Freefolk when the sub-par last couple of episodes of GoT came out. They were sub-par. No-one is really arguing they weren't. But they weren't "hot garbage" or "trash" or "utter rubbish". They were just sub-par. However on /r/Freefolk, which is basically low-moderation, the whole board turned from a meme-y silly sort of place to one which was just a massive whinging competition for a few days.

Everyone who had a problem with GoT seemed to feel the need to start their own thread, and explain in their own, wildly, insanely dramatic way, why this was "TEH WURST!!!!!", basically for upvotes and attention. And it totally worst. Posts which made intelligent, reasonable criticisms, looked at why and how it went wrong, got a few hundred upvotes. Posts which were the internet equivalent of throwing yourself on the soft dramatically, sobbing in a totally theatrical way, and crying "WOE IS ME!" with your hand on your forehead, just ridiculous, laughable over-drama, got thousands of upvotes and vast engagement both from people saying "Oh u r so right!" and "Ur dumb".

I think we need a societal shift where people who dramatize weak-ass game-related shit start getting sneered at (and to be fair, twenty years ago, they were), but that ain't happening any time soon.

TLDR: The problem is that most game forum people seem to think unless they say "ITS THE WORST EVER!!!" everyone will read their post as "It's fine".

I love you, this is a perfect explanation to how I feel about all of this and it's all well explained and rational, not like other people #nohomo tho

[Fahrad Wagner]

GZ on the moving!

I also can't wait for that cinematic, but I want to experience In-game and since I'm from EU I'll have to wait until tomorrow, a shame.

I loved the video Ion made, I've always kinda liked him so this was amazing for me.

Now now, While I know that train will have hardships we don't know yet! I think whatever 9.0 brings story-wise, we will love it!

I'm not subscribed anymore, so I might just spoil myself and watch it as soon as it's available haha!

[Hellspawn]

I blame the fact she looks like she's wearing a Blood Elven hood.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

Such a hostile reply, and a lot of projection. Since you're the type of player to click everything instead of using macros and keybinds, sure, then the class can look complicated to you. But for the rest of us, watered down rotations that are either builder/spender, or glorified combo points, bring down the entire quality of the game.

If you only use 4 buttons your either not in a position to be useful in a raid because your group doesn’t trust you or your not helping your group out in Dungeons. A clicker could Proabbly get more use out of there ability’s Mabye you should try it? Or would actually being useful hurt your dps?

[Aeluron Lightsong]

I'm not subscribed anymore, so I might just spoil myself and watch it as soon as it's available haha!

Get your butt off the chair.

Such a hostile reply, and a lot of projection. Since you're the type of player to click everything instead of using macros and keybinds, sure, then the class can look complicated to you. But for the rest of us, watered down rotations that are either builder/spender, or glorified combo points, bring down the entire quality of the game.

You're assuming too and macros make it easier. You whining about builder spender/combo points is more or less a lot of classes. You pretty much simplified the game and well some people like the builder spender model, nothing wrong with that. I mean what you describe is a lot of what WoW has been for like...even before Wod came around.

[Fahrad Wagner]

Get your butt off the chair.

What am I supposed to understand?

[Adoxe]

Has there been a datamined list of the encrypted cinematics in the patch? I'm wondering if there's any more of them beyond the Nazjatar Intro and Eternal Palace ending that we should be on the lookout for.

[MoanaLisa]

@MoanaLisa can update the title of the thread to 8.2.5 and later on Tuesday

I'll take it up with admin. Changing the title of a thread with this many posts is not a trivial thing on the back-end database. I'll ask.