9.0 General Discussion

[Kereberus]

Just woke up Ion from bed. Before he called the cops he said Alpha this week.

[Queen of Hamsters]

I don't expect anything this week, yet I keep checking for any news... Like, send halp?

At least the second week of April is edging ever closer.

[Merryck]

the only thing keeping me sane is the awareness every second brings me closer to the shadowlands..

[Beerplz]

I don't expect anything this week, yet I keep checking for any news... Like, send halp?

At least the second week of April is edging ever closer.

Rumors have it , its either this week or next for sure so i'm hoping for that

[Arcinatoss]

Rumors have it , its either this week or next for sure so i'm hoping for that

not to be that guy but these "rumors" have been going on for a month now. it's been "alpha for sure next week" for atleast 3 weeks.

[razorpax]

We don't need more classes . Blizzard already has a hard time to balance the current ones and their specs

balance will never be perfect

all we can ask for is a difference of no more than like 7% between classes outside of the outliers like the zul fight

new classes and class reworks are amazingly fun also theres a pattern
expansion 1 no new class
expansion 2 new class
expansion 3 no new class
expansion 4 new class
expansion 5 no new class
expansion 6 new class
expansion 7 no new class
expansion 8....very unlikely but its a pattern

personally if they do add a new class it will be either the dark ranger or very possibly....the night warrior like warden

[TS26]

not to be that guy but these "rumors" have been going on for a month now. it's been "alpha for sure next week" for atleast 3 weeks.

my sources are 10000% correct.

Alpha IS next week..

or the week after..

or the week after..etc

[nanoneo]

kek Legion Alpha started 23rd November 2015 and release was in August 2016.

https://twitter.com/bajheerawow/stat...290813441?s=21

[Eurhetemec]

Not really. A class is one of if not the selling factor of an expansion. To not have it ready is the worst thing you can do, every available resource prior to Blizzcon should go into making the new class at least presentable. Doesn't mean we need animations and a fully developed class, but the concept and some nice art pieces should be there. This would have been ready if a class was planned right before Blizzcon because that's basically the stuff you start with during creation process.

There are really only three options:

1. A new class was never planned and isn't to come.

2. A new class wasn't planned but due to bad pre-order numbers for Shadowlands (and the outrage of no new class announced) they decided to do come up with a class from scratch.

3. Corona has a way bigger influence on their business as expected.

Yup. There's basically zero chance there's a new class unless pre-orders or corona-delays are actually a big factor AAAAAAAND they either:

A) Had a new class planned long ago but scrapped it and are now un-scrapping it.

or

B) Had a new class planned for next expansion, and are pulling it forwards into this one.

I don't think there's any chance they'd be making one totally from scratch. But god knows how many abandoned class ideas they have on the Blizzard servers. We know it's at least one, probably much higher.

Personally I am very skeptical that there will be a new class. SL seems to have a big focus on customization, what with the new racial customizations, the covenants giving tons and tons of cosmetic stuff, and so on, so if anything class-related emerged, I'd expect it to be class-customization. I very much doubt a "Dark Ranger" class would ever appear (they're just too close to Hunters, conceptually, much closer than Demon Hunter and Warlock, for example), but a Dark Hunter customization for Hunters, just changing the colour/appearance (maaaaaybe also damage type) of some abilities? I'd be unsurprised to see that.

Re: the whole Calia cutscene. It's interesting that people read that as being specifically a Dark Ranger thing, makes sense I guess given the people being handed over were, technically "Dark Rangers", but they weren't really - they were a bunch of undead Night and High (I presume - could be Blood or even Void I guess) elves that had been raised by Sylvanas at Darkshore, and were "rangers" solely because they were archers before they died. More importantly, they were being handed over because they Lilian Voss thought Calia Menethil could help them more than she could.

Thus I interpreted that whole thing as foreshadowing a potential Allied Race or elaborate customization for Alliance. I note Jaina's brother was also handed over to Calia and has the same white-glowing eyes as her. I think it's more likely we'll see something in this expansion or next where via a questline we unlock either an actual Allied Race that can choose to be Human, NE, or BE/VE/HE (whatever) based (presumably as a "body type" option, with the same racials regardless of what is picked), or we just get a fancy customization option added to humans, NE, and VE (and BE?) that makes them look like some kind of "light undead". I think that's more likely than anything Dark Ranger-related.

[TaliaKirana]

I'm anxious for the datamining to start so we can start getting a look at the new customization options.

[Valysar]

I'm anxious for the datamining to start so we can start getting a look at the new customization options.

Only. One. Thing.

Duck !

Please

[Queen of Hamsters]

Rumors have it , its either this week or next for sure so i'm hoping for that

Towelliee says next week, but considering it has been postponed 3 times already, I am cautious in my expectations.

[Arcinatoss]

I'm anxious for the datamining to start so we can start getting a look at the new customization options.

I really wanna see the Revendreth covenant cosmetics, hope we get some sick ass vampire wings or something, that'd be enough to make them my covenant from that alone lol.

[Hitei]

I'm anxious for the datamining to start so we can start getting a look at the new customization options.

It's hard to guess what they'll do for some races.

Trolls are easy, give them a bunch of other tribe options, tattoos/warpaint, etc. Dwarves are similar, Wildhammer was the obvious choice, we might see Frostborn or Earthen as well? Humans are just general expanded options (undead too)

But what are they going to do for like, Draenei? Man'ari skintones now that the legion has fallen? Would be hype as all hell if they finally let us have access to Broken. Guessing there won't be a ton for Goblins/Worgen/Draenei, probably just expanded base options.

Gnome's only real place to expand was Mechagnomes, and they exist as an AR now, and it's not like there are other "tribes" of gnomes or they typically use warpaint, etc. (Assuming desert gnomes are too much of a joke to be made into actual options).

Guessing Pandaren, if they get options, will be expanded faces/hair/etc, and nothing crazy.

Ah man. The more I think about this, the more I can already see the huge shitstorm brewing when Horde have fel orcs, Taunka/Yaungol, lightforged undead, a bunch of troll tribes, warpaint and tattoos across the board, maybe even high elf options for Belves--and Alliance get human racial options, Wildhammer dwarves, and everyone else is just expanded base options.

Horse mounts/allied races all over again, you heard it here first.

[Veldoranz]

Towelliee says next week, but considering it has been postponed 3 times already, I am cautious in my expectations.

If I had a dollar for everytime ToWeLlIeE said alpha was nEXt wEek I would have a fistful of fucking cash.

[FlubberPuddy]

I'm anxious for the datamining to start so we can start getting a look at the new customization options.

Yup. Definitely want to see how far they go and what their limits are with it. Hopefully each race is getting a breadth of options after saying Blood Elves are getting like 40.

- - - Updated - - -

I really wanna see the Revendreth covenant cosmetics, hope we get some sick ass vampire wings or something, that'd be enough to make them my covenant from that alone lol.

Hell yeah! Reven are the ones I'm most looking out for as well, despite going Kyrian.

Honestly the covenants feel like they'll have a lot of flavorful things to work towards which is nice.

[ExiHext]

Ah man. The more I think about this, the more I can already see the huge shitstorm brewing when Horde have fel orcs, Taunka/Yaungol, lightforged undead, a bunch of troll tribes, warpaint and tattoos across the board, maybe even high elf options for Belves--and Alliance get human racial options, Wildhammer dwarves, and everyone else is just expanded base options.

Horse mounts/allied races all over again, you heard it here first.

Wouldn't expect too much out of customization options. Don't think options like Taunka/Yaungol or Broken will be a thing. Perhaps some more face and eye colour options, more beards, new hairstyles, tattoos and skin colours but that's about it.

[Sondrelk]

We are so close to an Alpha now, i can feel it in my bones.

Well either that or my body is starting to go into withdrawal.

[FlubberPuddy]

It's hard to guess what they'll do for some races.

Trolls are easy, give them a bunch of other tribe options, tattoos/warpaint, etc. Dwarves are similar, Wildhammer was the obvious choice, we might see Frostborn or Earthen as well? Humans are just general expanded options (undead too)

But what are they going to do for like, Draenei? Man'ari skintones now that the legion has fallen? Would be hype as all hell if they finally let us have access to Broken. Guessing there won't be a ton for Goblins/Worgen/Draenei, probably just expanded base options.

Gnome's only real place to expand was Mechagnomes, and they exist as an AR now, and it's not like there are other "tribes" of gnomes or they typically use warpaint, etc. (Assuming desert gnomes are too much of a joke to be made into actual options).

Guessing Pandaren, if they get options, will be expanded faces/hair/etc, and nothing crazy.

Ah man. The more I think about this, the more I can already see the huge shitstorm brewing when Horde have fel orcs, Taunka/Yaungol, lightforged undead, a bunch of troll tribes, warpaint and tattoos across the board, maybe even high elf options for Belves--and Alliance get human racial options, Wildhammer dwarves, and everyone else is just expanded base options.

Horse mounts/allied races all over again, you heard it here first.

One of the known customizations for Draenei are different tail sizes.... But yeah if other races don't get as varied options there will most likely be a lot of complaints.

This is the perfect opportunity to get things like Man'ari tones. As far as I'm concerned lore is thrown out the window (it already doesn't make sense a Wildhammer Dwarf is going to have mountain dwarf racials, or that Sand Trolls will have a starting zone meant for jungle trolls, and Dark Troll option existing pretty much kills lore defenses).

So this could be a good opportunity to continue to break open racial palettes as they've shown with Humans/Dwarves/Trolls/Undead.

Gnomes could get a few skins akin to Leper looks maybe if people are into that or even more zany hairstyles.

But yeah I'm very curious what sorts of increased customizations are going to come Alliance side. Horde side it's very easy to go " let's just add more colors of the rainbow for each race!" as they're 'non-human-esque'.

[Sondrelk]

Wouldn't expect too much out of customization options. Don't think options like Taunka/Yaungol or Broken will be a thing. Perhaps some more face and eye colour options, more beards, new hairstyles, tattoos and skin colours but that's about it.

It's more that previous experience implies that Horde will get loads of requested stuff, like warpaint or red skin orcs and the like, while Alliance might get only a tiny amount of stuff, like the changes to Human facial option and Wildhammer dwarves and nothing else, maybe some new hairstyle for Nelves and things like that, but nothing that has truly been requested, like allowing Nelves to look like Tyrande in the concept art, or giving Velves a lighter skin tone so they look more like High elves. Not to mention allowing Worgen to have other fur colors than just gray.