Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[huth]

I figured that was the point with "Allied races", that they were essentially subraces/reskins, thus generally easier to create and so could give us a larger number of them.

It was basically Blizzard's take on subraces. The Allied Race model gave them a bit more freedom on what to do with them, like opposite faction.

[Greyfang]

It was basically Blizzard's take on subraces. The Allied Race model gave them a bit more freedom on what to do with them, like opposite faction.

I do wish however that the system was more streamlined. As it is, we have things like Lighforged or HM that are considered Allied Races and things like Wildhammer/High Elves that are more customization options. When in truth, there's not really a lot of difference between HM and Wildhammer compared to their main races. I'm all for more customization options, but as it stands, the system feels a bit sloppy.

[Futhark]

Wildhammer dwarves could in theory be Druids, which is an interesting option not currently available.
Also the heritage armor, and most likely amazing Gryphon AR mount.

Gryphonriding racial. Uses Dragonriding mechanics.

Stop. These are the best ideas that will never happen and it hurts me.

[Lady Atia]

I don't know. He hasn't been saying that in a long time so I guess not.
Asmongold may ask about aditional services and mounts being on the store, and voice his criticism that increasing microtransactions on a game you already pay a sub for + the price of expacs, is a heavy burden on players. Which is a sentiment I agree with and do hope Blizzard could commit to limit in any way.
Which is what the "/spit" emote was meant to be protesting.
It's not something I've personally ever done though, I think it's childish. Though I have to say that I don't share the degree to which some people take offense to it. It's an emote the game provides. Most interactions I have on WoW people say and do way worst things than that, unfortunately.
I'm for Blizzard being more strict on rude and harassing behavior in game, which seems like it's something they are going to be doing looking at last night's build "social contract".

I don't have any issue with microtransactions, I actually like them. That said, I would prefer something like the upcoming Diablo Immortal system - base game free to play with a cool seasonal battlepass that you pay for. The only people that hate on the store are the ones that want to brag with their "rewards".

[Hugnomo]

I don't have any issue with microtransactions, I actually like them. I would even prefer something like the upcoming Diablo Immortal system - base game free to play with a cool seasonal battlepass that you pay for. The only people that hate on the store are the ones that want to brag with their "rewards".

Well it's a valid position for you to have.
Many in the community feel differently. I certainly, very strongly feel differently myself.
Don't really accept the negative connotation that it's about "bragging". I don't even have anything to brag about in the game, I don't really do hard content. But for a lot of people, undermining the games rewards with ways for you to pay for them, or other similarly good/cool rewards, removes an incentive from engaging with the content at all. If you learn to play well and invest in your character, getting a reward for it feels gratifying. It's effort and payoff.
Especially in a game that's already incredibly expensive, taking into account years of subscriptions and box costs, it's plain corporate greed. Even if you just want to get these mounts with no effort, they should be available inside the established monetization of the game, instead of asking for additional revenue. Available to all with a paying subscription, instead of luxury items for those who can pay for them with real money.
I'd prefer for them to be rewards for content, but just handing them out to players is still better than further exploiting a heavily monetized game. To me.
Blizzard makes billions of dollars. Have been caught paying no taxes. Pay huge bonus packages to CEOs and shareholders. Predatory, increasing monetization of the game is just a cog in the machine of corporate greed. *Personaly* I could never defend it nor will I ever support it.
Has nothing to do with some toxic strawman show off. At least to me.

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Wildhammer dwarves could in theory be Druids, which is an interesting option not currently available.
Also the heritage armor, and most likely amazing Gryphon AR mount.

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Can we expect either of them to ask whether transmog restrictions will be loosened? Not really sure there are any other questions I really have beyond when to expect 9.2.5 or Alpha.

Hum I'm not sure. It's possible! I don't see it being a huge priority for either of them. Maybe I could see MrGM asking that. Asmongold does transmog competitions on his stream so maybe he'd ask that. But I'm really not sure.

[Raetary]

The only people that hate on the store are the ones that want to brag with their "rewards".

Ah yes, there can't possibly be any valid reason for hating on the store.
Absolutely none.

It's all just people wanting bragging rights.

[wowrefugee]

I personally find the store fine if its not something that clearly fits in with the expansion else where. Warlords was exceptionally bad about this.

Then they got wise and started adding what should be expansion mounts *prior* to the expansion, so that it wasn't as obvious.

I also don't think store items should be better than in-game items. The new transmog and mount animations, for example.

[Nymrohd]

I personally find the store fine if its not something that clearly fits in with the expansion else where. Warlords was exceptionally bad about this.

Then they got wise and started adding what should be expansion mounts *prior* to the expansion, so that it wasn't as obvious.

I also don't think store items should be better than in-game items. The new transmog and mount animations, for example.

Yeah only time I really hated the store was WoD. The most impressive mount models found in the game related to the WoD story were all in the shop.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Not a fan of the store but I have been given a decent argument that gives me pause and no it wasn't a player

[rhorle]

Ah yes, there can't possibly be any valid reason for hating on the store.
Absolutely none. It's all just people wanting bragging rights.

While bragging doesn't really have anything to do with it I will agree that there are no valid reasons to hate on the store. It hasn't shown a drop in quality offered in game. It hasn't been overly used. It is just an occasional mount or pet. With rarely a toy or transmog. They even give some away as a "loyalty bonus" for staying subscribed to the game.

It is entirely optional.

[wowrefugee]

. It hasn't shown a drop in quality offered in game.

What do you call it when they clearly are capable of making more advanced armor designs (latest transmog in store) but don't put that same effort into the ingame sets?

[Shadochi]

Wonder if we DF will have anywhere close to the number of mounts usable by every faction/class/race that SL had. I'm guessing no since Dragonriding is playing a big part in the expac, but they said regular mounts will still be in as DragonRiding is a limited system to Dragon Isles and regular mount flight will be available later.

[Syegfryed]

See that's the sad part. At least the explorer's league has representation from multiple Alliance races (well the fact that it came from Hearthstone helped). Reliquary is just Blood Elves and maybe some Nightborne (they had some Nightborne join in BfA).

God forbid other races joined that, they are barely illiterate, poor things, no books in their capitals

The Reliquary is the only archeological organization in the Horde and they needed counterpart for Explorer's League.

I would assume an exploration organization, or, an organization know to deal with deadly beasts, would be more suitable to run the initial "exploring" of the dragon isles, at first, and not an archeological organization, but hey, its just me, maybe my priorities would be different.

Which is pretty funny since archeology will be a profession that they will not address in the expansion.

My point exactly. Wildhammer dwarves are included in the dwarf customization.

Right, and yet, people want different flavours of elves as new races, instead of customization like others.

[Hugnomo]

Wonder if we DF will have anywhere close to the number of mounts usable by every faction/class/race that SL had. I'm guessing no since Dragonriding is playing a big part in the expac, but they said regular mounts will still be in as DragonRiding is a limited system to Dragon Isles and regular mount flight will be available later.

Ion has responded that if there's creatures with 4 legs, it's probably going to be a mount. But it'd be understandable if it's slightly less, considering the amount of customizations they're making for the dragon companion.

[Shadochi]

What do you call it when they clearly are capable of making more advanced armor designs (latest transmog in store) but don't put that same effort into the ingame sets?

I'd argue its partially in the amount of time it takes to create them. Ingame you need more quantity, be it one per class or per armor spec. Also you need it to match the theme at least. But I do agree completely that it shouldn't be exclusive to the cash shop. IMO they could've done much better for example the covenant transmogs from 9.1 which were only theme limited than what we got.

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Ion has responded that if there's creatures with 4 legs, it's probably going to be a mount. But it'd be understandable if it's slightly less, considering the ammount of customizations they're making for the dragon companion.

Yeah, IMO it'll probably have a similar amount to regular expansions.

SL was a bit of an anomaly since it also had a bunch of mounts tied to covenants, and all the recolors of them from different sources, bunch of rare mounts and such, and all are now available to everyone no restrictions.

[Prenderghast]

It was a joke answer because the host loves Tuskarr and it's basically a meme that he fights for their inclusion as race. That said, I'm quite sure they are aware that people want more allied races and 9.2.5 hints at Darkfallen so we may get them as patch content which honestly, makes sense. Allowing you to unlock a new race during content draughts will do wonders to keep people interested. I just hope they think about increasing/lifting the character limit if they keep introducing new races down the line!

Agreed. Ion's Tuskarr answer didn't strike me as the "hard no" that a lot of others are hearing. It also didn't necessarily feel like he's dancing around the issue in the same way Danuser did with the Tirisfal/Dark Ranger question, so I don't feel like Tuskarr are borderline-confirmed in the same way Darkfallen are. Ion just seemed to be giving a humorous answer to a lighthearted question from Tali, whose pro-Tuskarr views are well known.

I could easily see them adding Darkfallen in 9.2.5, Dracthyr in prepatch (that one's confirmed, I guess), and Tuskarr in 10.1 after we do some quests for them in the Azure Span. That'd actually be a nice array of races; between the three, there are options for people who want something darker, something more colorful and "fantasy", something with a warmer personality and a tribal vibe. Also, it's a long shot, but if they ever gave us those those new Gnoll models to play as, I'd unironically main one instantly.

[Syegfryed]

It wouldn't be weird - it has more narrative potential than "Brann Bronzebeard learns more about Titans" or whatever. Having the Dragonmaw Clan interact with Alexstrasza (who did already say that she loves all life, Orcs included) would be very interesting, potentially making room for an actual legitimate redemption arc.

See, those things pass way beyond blizzard head, which amazes me how much potential they lost.

Back in MOP there was one amazing short story about a dragonmaw orc, named Koak, who fall from those airhips in one of the faction battles in pandaren, and by luck he saved one egg of Crimson cloud serpent, and end up being helped by the pandarens who train then.

He have all his backstory about hearing stories about his clan riding mighty dragons and spreading havoc, but he only heard then, he was one of the children who born in the enslavement camps, and had to grow to overcome that.

There is this beautiful story about him growing from the old ways of the dragonmaw, treating the drakes as beats and objects, and taming with fear, to look at then as partners, friends and even love, taming his own cloud serpent, and saying he would stand against Garrosh and maybe show a different way to the dragonmaw.

And its entirely ignored since then, i would give my right arm to see Koak leading the dragonmaw into the dragon isles and making peace with Alextrasza, to help dragons, isntead of hunting and kiling then.

But hey, selfish of me, pretty sure Danuser have some rly cool whacky story like shadownlands backing already.

[huth]

Agreed. Ion's Tuskarr answer didn't strike me as the "hard no" that a lot of others are hearing.

Sounded more like a "not commenting on that" to me. Maybe there's something to them that becomes clearer once we get the actual story, or maybe he just didn't want to tie it down yet.

[Sondrelk]

Ion has responded that if there's creatures with 4 legs, it's probably going to be a mount. But it'd be understandable if it's slightly less, considering the amount of customizations they're making for the dragon companion.

Centaur mount?

[Hugnomo]

Centaur mount?

Gotta have the Ion clip ready then for those who want that haha. But yeah, he said something to that effect. Though he may have worded it like "if it has 4 legs it's probably going to be a mount", with the word probably doing some heavy lifting ^^'' I'm not sure, I don't quite remember it! It was in one of his interviews he's been doing.