Horrific Visions - A sign of things to come?

[Newname1234567890]

Just a quick thought:

We often see things in X.3 that seem to foreshadow mechanics and stuff in the following expansion eg like the the Netherlight Crucible being sort of similar to Azerite armour.

Anyway the Horrific Visions show a alternative version of a location, namely Stormwind and Orgrimmar, but under the control of Nzoth. Since most signs point to a death expasion being next I was thinking we might see a similar idea used for the Shadowlands. Rather then enter Nzoth vision of Stormwind we enter the Shadowlands version of an area. This could be used as a new island like system in 9.0.

It's a thought.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

You know what, excursions into the Shadowlands would make a very nice way of working Shadowlands in without having to make it a "new continent."

[------------------------]

To be fair, I liked MoP alot. My friends think it was the best expansion for classes, and maybe even the best expansion thus far.

you got some bold friends

[Kokolums]

No one is gonna play horrific visions. People didn't play scenarios, people didn't enjoy withered training, people didn't flock to rifts in d3. Its another bust.

[Soon-TM]

No one is gonna play horrific visions. People didn't play scenarios, people didn't enjoy withered training, people didn't flock to rifts in d3. Its another bust.

Well, people will have to play them to build their "insanity resistance" up, at the very least. Even more if they drop something nice from time to time.

[Kokolums]

Well, people will have to play them to build their "insanity resistance" up, at the very least. Even more if they drop something nice from time to time.

blizzard used to force everyone to do garrison mission table stuff too. that severely backfired.

[Soon-TM]

That severely backfired.

It did indeed. But that hasn't prevented Blizzard from doing the same with essences now, especially the rep-gated ones. I'm sick of that fish bowl, and don't want to step a foot in Mechagon either. But if I want my Priest to be barely decent in raids/high M+, I'm forced to do it.

[Gaidax]

No one is gonna play horrific visions.

Of course people will. You could argue whether people will like or not, but they will absolutely play it because it's mandatory for progress.

My bet is that it will be a mixed bag - some will love it some will hate it, most will be "whatever" and you will have a shitton of forum whine regardless, as usual.

[Itori]

No, horiffic visions is a play on lovecraftian madness, its like in the alliance zone where everyone was being driven to madness and the world around warps in their eyes, its the same for us in the coming content. What we see isnt real but just us losing our minds and trying to regain our sanity.

This whole expansion has been a horror themed expansion based on witches, posession, lovecraftian mythos, and aztec mythology. If anything the next expansion will be either focused on the zealous light or the void coming for our world.

[Holdodlig]

You're right. Most of the Legion's .3 features were only a pocket version of the Island Exploration / Azerite traits. I really believe that the neck talent tree / spells that was added in 8.2 and pursued with 8.3 and the horrific vision will be major features of the next expansion.

I can easily foresee a new PvE mode with something like 3 or 4 places to farm, mixed with the Island Exploration's procedural generation every week so you can come back in your "vision" (or maybe it will called dungeon crawl or something like that) with more preparation, eventually beat the shit up and come back with higher difficulty.

As for the neck talents, I can easily see Blizzard add neutral spells which will be designed to allow new build. We could see shit like having a new fire melee attack for example, which could make a melee fire mage build or even something that allow every class to get a minion (and for classes who already have a pet, they'd have a new command bar for this new one).

[ercarp]

you got some bold friends

"Best" is subjective when it comes to expansions. I think Legion was the best expansion and I've played since late Vanilla. Titanforging was silly, but the gameplay and classes were fun enough to make it more acceptable than it is in BFA. I didn't even mind the legendary grind.

[Daronokk]

Well, people will have to play them to build their "insanity resistance" up, at the very least. Even more if they drop something nice from time to time.

People will only play it if it rewards something nice, like mounts, pets, transmogs, etc.

If it's just insanity resistance then what's the point? If there is no further reward then you might as well ignore it completely.

- - - Updated - - -

Horrific visions give quality loot for casual players, are tied to a solid essence and completion of all hard modes gives the legendary form of that essence. They are also probably part of leveling up your cloak. EVERYONE will be doing horrific visions.

I won't. I don't give a f*ck about Azerite either. Why would I need boring essence or cloak? I really don't see the point.

[Foolicious]

No one is gonna play horrific visions. People didn't play scenarios, people didn't enjoy withered training, people didn't flock to rifts in d3. Its another bust.

I wish people would stop pretending they speak for every single player out there. There are a lot of people out there that enjoyed withered training and the chromie scenario. Rifts in diablo are to this day the only reason people still play the game.
Obviously people will play visions because at some point it will be required to find a raidgroup/do N'zoth on mythic, maybe on heroic.
Scenarios failed to be an enjoyable repeatable feature, but they are one of the most important features to be ever introduced.

[Sorrowseer]

Well, people will have to play them to build their "insanity resistance" up, at the very least. Even more if they drop something nice from time to time.

When is aw that I was pretty annoyed, I do not like isld expeditions and rarely do them even for the weekly, then the case of bing 'forced' (not acually forced) to do horrific visions to build up immunity to do more horrific visions sounds... horrific.

[Gibsonz]

I mentioned on the 9.0 thread that Horrific Visions is "something similar" to one leak that mentioned we will get a 3-man timed PVE dungeons (a la Rift) and way before we would see the 8.3 PTR info. I still believe this is a "test" for that mode on the next expansion.

[SirBeef]

blizzard used to force everyone to do garrison mission table stuff too. that severely backfired.

Only did what was necessary for leveling/pathfinding/access to content I wanted to play. You could easily say the same thing about leveling. Blizzard forces us to level to enjoy endgame content. If you sat at your garrison and did everything that was available to you every day that is on you not Blizzard. I barely used mine and spent most of my time, as little as it was, doing stuff outside of it.

[Shinrael]

Every one is gonna play horrific visions. People didn't play scenarios that much, but people did enjoy withered training and this is very much like it. Its another nice feature.

Oh mate, good thing I fixed it for you

OT: I was just thinking the same (8.3 feature being more broadly utilized in 9.0) but not about the Horrific Visions but about the Assaults on Vale and Uldum. I know it is partially the Island Expedition tech, but they have upgraded it with actual terrain changes (not just different NPCs). And I imagine that would be a wonderful thing to implement when they revamp Azeroth in 9.0. One day you have Barrens under attack by Centaur and they have their huts around. The other day it is the Overgrowth (similar to the botani, frenzied nature elements and stuff) and there are trees/vines bursting out of the ground everywhere. Drastic environment changes to keep it fresh always. These would be bonus objectives which first appear in select areas of a zone but if nobody stops them they spread to the entire zone maybe. They would be elites or atleast much more powerful than usual mobs so you'd need to either be very geared/skilled or have a group and would be content that is meant for experienced players who have been through the Barrens storyline a few times now and don't want to do the exact same story again but still want to enjoy its atmosphere and level efficiently.

[SirBeef]

It did indeed. But that hasn't prevented Blizzard from doing the same with essences now, especially the rep-gated ones. I'm sick of that fish bowl, and don't want to step a foot in Mechagon either. But if I want my Priest to be barely decent in raids/high M+, I'm forced to do it.

Just like how you were forced to farm for resistance gear to be able to progress on certain fights in Vanilla. It's not forcing, no one is making you do anything, If there was a cool weapon or trinket you wanted, you wouldn't be saying you were forced to do it. It only comes up when it involves content people do not want to do.

[Nevcairiel]

people didn't flock to rifts in d3.

Thats litereally anyone does in D3.

Also, I really liked withered training. Its a shame it had no long-term goals though.

[this is caranthir]

people didn't flock to rifts in d3.

Oh no, that just about the only real content people play.