9.0 General Discussion

[Aeluron Lightsong]

I'm starting to believe the fact that it could release in 2021 now

If Virus wasn't a thing..... it would be unnecessarily cynical. Now....possible.

[therumblings]

We aren't getting another 4000 posts before alpha.

I have returned from the dead.

Meme magic is real!

[Dracullus]

i remember when people said the expansion will probably launch in july/august.


These were better times

Maybe for you. I hate that basically last 3 expacs (including Classic) launched around August. Imo every expac should release at least mid Fall.

Also I have more time to do my BfA goals (2x5 masks, curve, 12xM+15, dino and some $ left, at least 2-3 month break to reset for next expac).

[matrix123mko]

Hearthstone announcement tomorrow. Blizzard likes stacking announcements together.

[puddypounce]

Hearthstone announcement tomorrow. Blizzard likes stacking announcements together.

Alpha confirmed.

It's happening boys and girls.

[Sondrelk]

Honestly, I'm not one to shit on Blizzard, but I would've preferred this over the "Faction War, again" nonsense for BfA. It could've replaced it while preserving the expansion's main bits of going to Zandalar and Kul Tiras (to fight the Old God influences there) and of course also the Heart of Azeroth story, expanded by expeditions into Ahn'qiraj as you mention, perhaps as a Suramar equivalent or 8.1 zone, replacing the War Campaign.
Mechagon, Nazjatar being similar as 8.1/8.2 content.
For 8.3, I do like the reworked zones, but the Visions could've been incursions into Ny'alotha instead, using an adjacent zone to the raid area (remember the Molten Front, which was technically some kind of islands close to the Firelands zone?)

Sylvanas would either fuck off on her own or fuck up and thus be deposed, leading into the Shadowlands story.

I think the Visions showing you an alternate future is flavorful enough, the problem i have with the 8.3 areas now that i have played them a bit is that they have extremely little internal variance. Sure, there is the 3 different invasions, but the N'zoth invasions barely feel different even in the twi different zones, and in Vale the only discernible difference between a Mogu and Mantid assault, beyond the obvious of Mantid looking different is Mogu allowing you to go into the underground area for a change of scenery.

It really does start to feel grating after a while not really experiencing any difference in playstyle depending on the day. This is compunded by flying beign available, which means that the ground is absolutely packed with mobs to ensure you don't simply fly around picking up stuff without fighting anything.
Obviously the monotony of tasks is not something completely exclusive to 8.3, even Nazjatar is arguably the same thing each day just with a different skin. But at least the skin changed each day, and the enemies you fought could alternate between Beasts, Naga or Murlocs.

It is possible that the change that would fix this in 8.3 is simply making the dailies spread across the zone, though without testing this might even play up the problems.

[Chickat]

I have returned from the dead.

Meme magic is real!

I was wrong but this truly is the worst timeline.

[therumblings]

Page 3000 before Alpha!

[Chickat]

we just had an old god expansion can we take like a loooong break from those expansions? we have had 2 and 2 halves. already.

There is still the void Lord's and Xalatath. We will still get a heavy old God/ b our expansion some day. I'm placing my bets on 10.0 being Karesh.

[elbleuet]

Page 3000 before Alpha!

Burn that evil dwarf. He deceived us all along !!

[therumblings]

Burn that evil dwarf. He deceived us all along !!

There was no alpha all along...

[Trout]

just got a letter delivered via wizard owl from ion himself which states that he is doing all of the testing for shadowlands by himself and blizzard will just release it when its ready.

sorry to disappoint you guys but we will just have to wait till it comes out.

[Defend]

WoW Beta got a CDN Update along with most WoW stuff 20 minutes ago but it seems none of the dataminers are on and CDN things like last week are usually nothin.

[Blayze]

Well, the Hearthstone stuff apparently leaked: Ashes of Outland.

[Chickat]

I still love hearthstone but it's too expensive. I'd play if there was a sub option to get most cards or something

[Monster Hunter]

I'm sorry but this is a profoundly ignorant thing to say.

Most people do not have a good environment to WFH, nor appropriate equipment. Very often the business itself has issues too.

If you're an American in a suburb or whatever with good internet, a massive house with a home office, and good equipment, including multiple monitors, aaaaaand your business has a good enough VPN or similar, then you may be fine.

However, if you're under 45 and live in a city, it is unlikely that is the case.

I'm a WoW player so I have excellent Internet and a desk and an okay chair and a big monitor and good kb and mouse. I work for a multi billion dollar turnover law firm, one of the biggest in the world. We have excellent WFH preparedness by any standards, and allow employees to WFH easily.

Yet I am significantly less productive when WFH. This is not due to any normal distractions like kids, nor laziness. It is because one monitor is not enough to do my work, and because the VPN is not as fast as being in the office. The alternative to the VPN is Citrix which is worse and which doesn't have the software I need. On top of all that, my setup is good for playing 3-4 hours/day, but nowhere near as comfortable and RSI safe as my office setup.

And I'm lucky.

Many co-worker don't have anything like that. They're working directly on laptops or the like in many cases. Younger employees are particularly likely to be in housing where they don't and probably can't have a home office setup of any kind.

So it's completely ridiculous to claim that WFH does not lower productivity. I haven't even got into the people who have to deal with kids, SOs or relatives who don't "get" WFH, and so on. Even without that, unless you are specifically set up for WFH, which requires space and money, you will lose productivity.

Another issue is software and machines to run it. Everything I have can run from my work laptop. I guarantee that's not true for all Blizzard employees.

^ found the manager

[Nathanyel]

Come on, Polygon, there's still time to accidentally post your Shadowlands Alpha article prematurely as well!

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Never did like the narrative that Outland is slowly dying. I preferred it being the abberation that it is,. Its just whats left of Draenor and a lesson of..... well screwing with powers you don't understand. It slowly dying... feels like a lost opportunity.

[infinitemeridian]

Come on, Polygon, there's still time to accidentally post your Shadowlands Alpha article prematurely as well!

What's this now?

[Chickat]

Come on, Polygon, there's still time to accidentally post your Shadowlands Alpha article prematurely as well!

Insert palpatine do it meme.

- - - Updated - - -

4 now hours of my long shit. I can do it guys. Right?