9.X Patches & 10.0 Speculation Thread

[Sondrelk]

How would you guys feel if dracthyr form remained armorless and without a male / female form, but we had more than one visage option that could freely be swapped somehow.

So like humans, tauren, nelves, gnomes, belves, trolls, etc. All with crazy draconic features.

Would that even it out? I think it's be a good compromise for this lack of armor issue.

Would be a terrible decision, as it would essentially make Dracthyr humanoids whicturn into dragons, rather than full on dragons with a humanoid form for convenience.

Being a dragon is the big selling point. If they remove that then making it its own race is kinda pointless when they could just make it a class that gets extra customization options like DK or DH.

[Chickat]

That's actually a good point. A Jed'hin class would be something similar for Draenei that is Draenei-only because it is something only Draenei are able to do, with the tail, hooves and crests all being used in wrestling.

However I again disagree with the idea that they can't be other classes in the future because there is no lore locking them into NOT branching out into other classes. Until there is lore for that, it's not impossible. Same as how Draenei are every class but not (only) Jed'hin wrestlers.

I do agree it makes no sense for drakthyr to be other classes ATM.


They could easily use narrative to change that. Maybe a certain group of drakthyr lost their connection to the aspects. They are still dragons. But they don't have aspect power. Idk what would make them loss their power but it's a possibility.

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Speaking of lore I am excited to see the novel for this expansion. Hopefully it’s Golden again, loved the Sylvanas book.

I hope it centers around nozdormu. A timey wimey book could be fun.

[Nyel]

No matter what they add they will be people who will hate it and scream about it.

That's definitely true. But Blizzard chose the lazy way yet again. I think that's what upsets people.

[Chickat]

Letting people attack with the visage form would be nonsense and would defeat the purpose of making such ridiculous class/race combo in the first place, is like wanting to attack as a feral druid in your normal form.

This take proves blizzard can't make everyone happy. I'm not 100% disagreeing with you either btw.

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To seek more power. Necromancers and Warlocks are typically arcane mages who do the same thing.

Not close to being comparable to going from a Dragon down to a common Rogue.

Blizzard could narratively make a reason for a drakthyr to be another class, but if they don't I agree with you. I'd rather they just add dragonkin.

[Skildar]

I doesn't even need those crazy draconic shenanigans

Give the base core races as visage and we are set

This way "any race" can be the class.

I understand that they want some visual identity for the race even in humanoid form and I'm all for it. Maybe in a later expansion we could have gnome drakthyr but for now I'd rather have them stick to their original plan for the humanoid form.

[Sondrelk]

I understand that they want some visual identity for the race even in humanoid form and I'm all for it. Maybe in a later expansion we could have gnome drakthyr but for now I'd rather have them stick to their original plan for the humanoid form.

The issue is that by focusing more on the humanoid forms we have now we are losing out on the actual focus on being dragons.

Dracthyr are dragons, not humans or elves who turn into them. This isn't a DH that play an elf who turns into a demon.

Ideally the humanoid form should have just been a cosmetic racial that let you change into any race. Possibly only one at a time swappable from your Dracthyr hub if being able to change that forms cosmetics is so important.

Really just focus on the dragon and making it appealing to stay in that form, instead of letting it languish and just become an obligation players have to deal with for combat.

[Nymrohd]

I hope it centers around nozdormu. A timey wimey book could be fun.

The Thrall timewalking book was pretty poor imo.

[Syegfryed]

I understand that they want some visual identity for the race even in humanoid form and I'm all for it. Maybe in a later expansion we could have gnome drakthyr but for now I'd rather have them stick to their original plan for the humanoid form.

Or, they could allow any basic visage now, and later add the customizations, this way people can play the race/class at launch, Cause, im not buying the game if i can't have other visages (or play with the race as another class)

There is no point in having a visual difference in the first place, cause its a form to blend with mortals, like dragons, this is direct the opposite of the idea

[Nymrohd]

Or, they could allow any basic visage now, and later add the customizations, this way people can play the race/class at launch, Cause, im not buying the game if i can't have other visages (or play with the race as another class)

There is no point in having a visual difference in the first place, cause its a form to blend with mortals, like dragons, this is direct the opposite of the idea

Are they meant to blend in? The dragons' developed their humanoid shapes to blend in because their tasks required that. The Dracthyr though are pretty much soldiers. They are not infilitrators or ambassadors. We don't even know if they go through a Visage ceremony like dragons do or if the forms are constrained to Neltharion's aesthetics.

[Syegfryed]

The issue is that by focusing more on the humanoid forms we have now we are losing out on the actual focus on being dragons.

Dracthyr are dragons, not humans or elves who turn into them. This isn't a DH that play an elf who turns into a demon..

I mean, that is the problem isn't? it is a DH-like that play an elf that turns into a demon, but they found good to sell as a race as well...

Regardless, i agree 100% with you, and the rest of the post, i want the race to be worgen level, functional.

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Are they meant to blend in? The dragons' developed their humanoid shapes to blend in because their tasks required that. The Dracthyr though are pretty much soldiers.

Then why you want a humanoid form in the first place? to look cool? if its to look cool you can look like you want, and that include a basic form without shenanigans.

They are not infilitrators or ambassadors. We don't even know if they go through a Visage ceremony like dragons do or if the forms are constrained to Neltharion's aesthetics.

Danuser said they do go trough the visage ceremony, the name of the thing is visage after all.

And It can't be neltharion aesthetics as high/blood elves didn't existed yet.

[Super Dickmann]

The Thrall timewalking book was pretty poor imo.

It was a very dumb story you shouldn't think about too much, timetraveling alternate Blackmoore natch, but not offensively bad in as much as none of it short of Benedictus ever came up or mattered, and Benedictus's game appearance plays it off as a reveal.

The issue is that by focusing more on the humanoid forms we have now we are losing out on the actual focus on being dragons.

This is an important part. The human form is just a costume. Making the dragon form you'll be spending most of your time in less of an uncanny valley stick figure will do more for the race than trying to salvage the mess that is the scalies looking like high elves (who didn't exist) and humans (who were savages).

[Nymrohd]

Danuser said they do go trough the visage ceremony, the name of the thing is visage after all.

And It can't be neltharion aesthetics as high/blood elves didn't existed yet.

Eh elves don't exist in the real world yet we have a lot of people jerking off to them dancing on mailboxes. Something doesn't need to exist for it to be someone's aesthetic. Neltharion apparently likes his women curvy and his men athletic and of all colors.

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This is an important part. The human form is just a costume. Making the dragon form you'll be spending most of your time in less of an uncanny valley stick figure will do more for the race than trying to salvage the mess that is the scalies looking like high elves (who didn't exist) and humans (who were savages).

I also find it interesting how clearly eastern the design is; Western RPGs tend to depict anthropomorphic beasts as largely bestial but human shaped while Eastern RPGs make them humans with a few bestial features. Shows what the audience for this race is. What's next, catgirls?

[Super Dickmann]

I also find it interesting how clearly eastern the design is; Western RPGs tend to depict anthropomorphic beasts as largely bestial but human shaped while Eastern RPGs make them humans with a few bestial features. Shows what the audience for this race is. What's next, catgirls?

That plus the transparent asset reuse is why I really hate their design. One thing about WoW is that the races aren't generally just a dude with cat ears or a girl with a tail or what have you but are actually distinct beast people. While BFA's allied races were sometimes pretty lazy in their asset reuse, they weren't outright against the general visual philosophy of the game. And it's mostly because they're called a race in the first place when they're really just a class with special visual options like the DH.

[Vakir]

I also find it interesting how clearly eastern the design is; Western RPGs tend to depict anthropomorphic beasts as largely bestial but human shaped while Eastern RPGs make them humans with a few bestial features. Shows what the audience for this race is. What's next, catgirls?

They are, indeed, probably trying to curry interest from the Eastern audience to expand and possibly because China is China.

Some of it is also possibly artist appeal. There's a certain softness that seems to convey that they wanted them to be cuter or "pretty." Even their wave and animations convey this sense of naive wonder and they've described them in interviews as being more curious than anything else, befitting of having the "mortal scrappiness (ugh)." They're...not really meant to be ferocious like drakonids or whatever else, and I think that's a serious loss.

Dragons are boring lore-wise but they're still fucking cool visually as a playable idea by virtue of being dragons. Having them be lizard-men with almost Vulpera-like whimsy kinda robs it of that. But there's time to correct.

[Nymrohd]

They are, indeed, probably trying to curry interest from the Eastern audience to expand and possibly because China is China.

Some of it is also possibly artist appeal. There's a certain softness that seems to convey that they wanted them to be cuter or "pretty." Even their wave and animations convey this sense of naive wonder and they've described them in interviews as being more curious than anything else, befitting of having the "mortal scrappiness (ugh)." They're...not really meant to be ferocious like drakonids or whatever else, and I think that's a serious loss.

Dragons are boring lore-wise but they're still fucking cool visually as a playable idea by virtue of being dragons. Having them be lizard-men with almost Vulpera-like whimsy kinda robs it of that. But there's time to correct.

But they are presented as people meant to be soldiers.

[Super Dickmann]

But they are presented as people meant to be soldiers.

Yes, skilled in psychological warfare. Deathwing knew that his enemies wouldn't be able to recover from the mental damage of being defeated by one of these gangly abominations streaking by while throwing rainbow flames going "OwO wot's dis".

[Sondrelk]

Yes, skilled in psychological warfare. Deathwing knew that his enemies wouldn't be able to recover from the mental damage of being defeated by one of these gangly abominations streaking by while throwing rainbow flames going "OwO wot's dis".

"Is that a comically impractical claymore, or are you just happy to see me?"

[Nymrohd]

Yes, skilled in psychological warfare. Deathwing knew that his enemies wouldn't be able to recover from the mental damage of being defeated by one of these gangly abominations streaking by while throwing rainbow flames going "OwO wot's dis".

Imagine if the female Dracthyr does that "bounce with hands flaying to the side while smiling" thing when idle in her human form . . .
Also needs pigtails. And maybe a sailor scout heritage armor.

[Vakir]

But they are presented as people meant to be soldiers.

Yes, skilled in psychological warfare. Deathwing knew that his enemies wouldn't be able to recover from the mental damage of being defeated by one of these gangly abominations streaking by while throwing rainbow flames going "OwO wot's dis".

This is the only explanation, since again, they really are pushing this wide-eyed bullshit - that Neltharion sucked at experimentation as much as his son.

I'm trying to find the interview in question describing the Dracthyr as such but I'm struggling to - but I swear someone definitely talked about them being this very curious race LEARNING ABOUT MORTALS and the like and kind of set them up as not particularly threatening or the like. It feels like a conscious choice with them having such a soft edge to them.

[Nymrohd]

I'm trying to find the interview in question describing the Dracthyr as such but I'm struggling to - but I swear someone definitely talked about them being this very curious race LEARNING ABOUT MORTALS and the like and kind of set them up as not particularly threatening or the like. It feels like a conscious choice with them having such a soft edge to them.

Well a lot of them will be learning about mortals first hand in Goldshire and Silvermoon. Got to get some hands on experience.