9.0 General Discussion

[ExiHext]

Tuesday... I can feel it in me rumblings.

Take a snickers.

[Dracullus]

Maybe it won't affect Alpha launch, but now I won't exclude 2021 release for Shadowlands.

[Georg Von Vitzthum]

Yeah they can totally do that. Retcons are weird and messy but I think if done correctly they can lead to better stories. A lot of weird stuff can be written and if you have to hold it truth it can be hard. Obviously someone will always be affected negatively but I think it's usually worth it. I doubt slyvanas will be redeemed because of how horrible she is made to be in bfa, I more see it that she will be a character looking past us horde and alliance players and more at the bigger players of the universe, or something in particular. My thoughts come from how the void whispers to alleria to stop slyvanas and how bwonsamdi saids she's tipping the balance. Could just be hope but I'm willing to see hold out for a good payoff with slyvanas spite bfa.

i don't have a big problems with retcons when they are done right or to fix holes in the narrative, my problem is when they change just to create another new crappy story, because they can't create something new

[goldentforce]

i don't have a big problems with retcons when they are done right or to fix holes in the narrative, my problem is when they change just to create another new crappy story, because they can't create something new

There's so many questions like why she acts the way she does in cats and mop that obviously never could of been planned for this. When they start messing with how a character acts and their motivations they needed to be very clear and transparent because it just leads to confusion and confliction which has to be explained and now everyone is drawn out of the story again. Really hope they learned about how to portray a character from this experience.

[matrix123mko]

I doubt they have a final plan, especially considering so many characters have been pulled back out when the plot feels convenient. I think slyvanas will be used to orchestrate a fight with either a greater force (maybe someone above the jailor) or another cosmic force (my guess is void cause a lot of side plots have been void and not the others).

She can either enslave Jailer to defeat the Void or die with his new master to open a way for the Void to be defeated by us.

[Marlamin]

- - - Updated - - -
@Marlamin do you think them working from home will delay the alpha or even the release of Shadowlands? You probably know more about this kind of stuff than most of us.

I am personally much more productive working from home, but I have no idea how it impacts team-heavy companies like Blizz. This is 100% uncharted territory for Blizzard. We'll have to see if it ends up delaying anything.

[Dracullus]

To be honest, if virus spread will be bad enough to affect release date, we will have much bigger problems than delay of WoW expansion.

[huth]

I am personally much more productive working from home, but I have no idea how it impacts team-heavy companies like Blizz. This is 100% uncharted territory for Blizzard. We'll have to see if it ends up delaying anything.

I imagine it's going to affect the creative side of things more negatively than the technical aspects.

Though given the situation, staying in office may have an overall more negative impact.

[Sondrelk]

I was just thinking that. I'm betting Jan or Feb now.

Much of it depends on how long the Covid-19 virus is going to keep being a problem. It could keep shutting down areas for many months as it keeps cycling through the population, it could mutate and create an even stricter lockdown, or it could blow over and be done in less than a month. Difficult to say at this point in time.

What i am surprised about though is that Blizzard, as well as otehr game companies, have not tried to capitalize on the quarantines. There is a massive amount of people stuck at home while at the same time not being ill at all, and for these people entertainment is the key. And for at-home social games the video games have the home-field advantage. MMOs especially are the kind of thing that has the potential to absolutely explode in popularity right now if the PR guys plays their cards right.

[gcsmith]

Much of it depends on how long the Covid-19 virus is going to keep being a problem. It could keep shutting down areas for many months as it keeps cycling through the population, it could mutate and create an even stricter lockdown, or it could blow over and be done in less than a month. Difficult to say at this point in time.

What i am surprised about though is that Blizzard, as well as otehr game companies, have not tried to capitalize on the quarantines. There is a massive amount of people stuck at home while at the same time not being ill at all, and for these people entertainment is the key. And for at-home social games the video games have the home-field advantage. MMOs especially are the kind of thing that has the potential to absolutely explode in popularity right now if the PR guys plays their cards right.

Also, you can use this time to test, test, test. Though that could have the adverse effect of burning out on shadowlands before it's ever launced.

[Sondrelk]

Also, you can use this time to test, test, test. Though that could have the adverse effect of burning out on shadowlands before it's ever launced.

It could absolutely do that, though that is more a problem of giving too many players access, or opening too many features at once.


Just to make that prediction and see how it pans out, i can for instance imagine that Minecraft is going to have a massive surge in popularity. When people are sick, or at least homebound because of sickness they tend to turn to nostalgia in whatever shape. And Minecraft is nostalgic to many, and with the massive 1.16 update Minecraft is getting in the next few weeks it might have hit upon the goldmine honestly.

[Dracullus]

Much of it depends on how long the Covid-19 virus is going to keep being a problem. It could keep shutting down areas for many months as it keeps cycling through the population, it could mutate and create an even stricter lockdown, or it could blow over and be done in less than a month. Difficult to say at this point in time.

What i am surprised about though is that Blizzard, as well as otehr game companies, have not tried to capitalize on the quarantines. There is a massive amount of people stuck at home while at the same time not being ill at all, and for these people entertainment is the key. And for at-home social games the video games have the home-field advantage. MMOs especially are the kind of thing that has the potential to absolutely explode in popularity right now if the PR guys plays their cards right.

Well, WoW sorta kinda does. Next week changes are almost like it is some kind of 8.3.2 patch. And I wouldn't be surprised if they do another 50% off for subs in near future.

[Sondrelk]

Well, WoW sorta kinda does. Next week changes are almost like it is some kind of 8.3.2 patch. And I wouldn't be surprised if they do another 50% off for subs in near future.

I can absolutely imagine that the alt-friendliness changes next week is in some way because of Covid-19, but that is a change that only ensures that players who are already playing, or only very recently unsubbed will return. Getting new players or people who have taken a much longer break will require some bigger news, and that kind of hype only really comes from entirely new stuff like Alpha. Especially now that we live in the era of livestreaming influencers on Twitch.

[Valysar]

I can absolutely imagine that the alt-friendliness changes next week is in some way because of Covid-19, but that is a change that only ensures that players who are already playing, or only very recently unsubbed will return.

Well, it's time to release a new store mount if more ppl are subbed then

[Tyze]

Am I the only one a bit irritated that they removed abilities and now give them back like it's a new feature for Shadowlands?
It's like taking away a candy and later giving it back and saying "look what I got you!!"

Just a dick move.. look I'm happy we get them back but we already had them, so no point in removing them..

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Am I the only one a bit irritated that they removed abilities and now give them back like it's a new feature for Shadowlands?
It's like taking away a candy and later giving it back and saying "look what I got you!!"

Just a dick move.. look I'm happy we get them back but we already had them, so no point in removing them..

......We got them back, its an improvement. Nitpicking

[Edward Wu]

Corruption is the #1 reason making me worried about Shadowlands. A lot of people have issues with it and a lot of people would rather just go back to Titanforging, and Ion in his only post-8.3 interview is quoted as saying he's happy with the system.

I'm pretty concerned about that.

[Paula Deen]

Corruption is the #1 reason making me worried about Shadowlands. A lot of people have issues with it and a lot of people would rather just go back to Titanforging, and Ion in his only post-8.3 interview is quoted as saying he's happy with the system.

I'm pretty concerned about that.

But it isn't even in Shadowlands?????

?????????????


?????????????

[Sondrelk]

Corruption is the #1 reason making me worried about Shadowlands. A lot of people have issues with it and a lot of people would rather just go back to Titanforging, and Ion in his only post-8.3 interview is quoted as saying he's happy with the system.

I'm pretty concerned about that.

I would imagine he is happy wiht it, it is a system with infinitely more potential and possibility of interesting gameplay than Titanforging by far.
With titanforging you either get, say, boots, that are titanforged, or you don't. If they are titanforged the only reason to not use them is if the stats are terrible.
With corruption you can get boots that can be corrupted. If they are corrupted then you can either use them, gain a sizeable power boost but with a drawback. Or cleanse them and just end up with regular boots that could still be good.

The difference between corruptions and Titanforging is one of choice. Even more so than usual with corruptions since the player can determine for themselves their appropriate level of corruption, with better players being rewarded for going higher.
The problem we have with them now are simply one of balancing. Some traits are simply better than other, and the problem of randomization. Both of which are not inherent to the idea of corruptions per se, and therefore can be weeded out.

There is also the fact that corruptions in their current form will not go into the start of a new expansion regardless. The version we have now is simply too powerful, but i could totally see a weaker version go into future expansions. Which should also help with the problem if power gain versus drawbacks, if instead of 30 corruptions giving you 10% extra damage, it might instead give something closer to 2-3%.

[gcsmith]

I can absolutely imagine that the alt-friendliness changes next week is in some way because of Covid-19, but that is a change that only ensures that players who are already playing, or only very recently unsubbed will return. Getting new players or people who have taken a much longer break will require some bigger news, and that kind of hype only really comes from entirely new stuff like Alpha. Especially now that we live in the era of livestreaming influencers on Twitch.

to be fair, if covid delays shadowlands, I can imagine them rolling out a small raid to tie us over, with all automatically corrupted gear and reusing every asset.