Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Makabreska]

Cata was new landmasses AND revamped old ones, why would a supposed Cata 2 be any different?

Welllll, they did say that Cata revamp took huge toll on their overall xpac development, and right now they have problems pushing standard patches sooooo...

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We know we’re going back to Azeroth as per interviews, as apparently the hate for the SL theme was loud enough for Ion and Danuser to address it. Lifelands is something that will play into the future, especially now that we know Elunes voice, but it could be as simple as her working with the Green and Red flights on the Dragon Isles as both are associated with the power of Life.

Oh and Voljin is turning into a wild god.

I don't think the current displeasure made them change story directions. WoW story was planned for years in advance, so we may just have an intended conclusion and something different next xpac.

[EbaumsTipster]

I don't know I don't think people want Azeroth but with a coat of Cosmos or Azeroth but its set in Azeroth on a 6 zone Island north of Eastern Kingdoms.

I think they played with fire telling us that we were going back to Azeroth and now they could execute on an idea that no one wants.

They genuinely should've just stayed quiet and now when it is revealed that we are heading for chaos expansion akin to BFA where we have 3+ themes (in addition to it being even more cosmic) in the same expansion and the entire expansion is bipolar with what it wants to be it will further erode interest from anyone but the most extreme lore theorists and even they will probably only stay because it is so whack that it becomes interesting.

Ion specifically mentions low tier fantasy and the Goldshire inn. Don’t think it’s going to be covered in Void.

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Welllll, they did say that Cata revamp took huge toll on their overall xpac development, and right now they have problems pushing standard patches sooooo...

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I don't think the current displeasure made them change story directions. WoW story was planned for years in advance, so we may just have an intended conclusion and something different next xpac.

To address the first point, they have been revamping models for multiple expansions since WoD to counteract the development problem of a revamp. Also SL is a shorter expansion and they SAID it was planned that way, possibly to give devs more breathing room for a big expansion.

For the second point I never said they changed story direction, a calm one was likely always going to follow SL. But Ion and Damny actually addressing the complaints instead of ignoring them is a sign.

[Hitei]

Don't be silly. There's a plethora of content to be made with dreams.

There is content to be made with literally anything. But what I said was not "they can't possibly come up with content for it" it was that, like Argus, and Ny'alotha, and Nazjatar, they decided to make it a zone and raid tier instead.

[Foreign Exchange Ztudent]

Ion specifically mentions low tier fantasy and the Goldshire inn. Don’t think it’s going to be covered in Void.

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To address the first point, they have been revamping models for multiple expansions since WoD to counteract the development problem of a revamp. Also SL is a shorter expansion and they SAID it was planned that way, possibly to give devs more breathing room for a big expansion.

For the second point I never said they changed story direction, a calm one was likely always going to follow SL. But Ion and Damny actually addressing the complaints instead of ignoring them is a sign.

I mean if it is Azeroth Revamp then yeah I trust that, but I don't think it is due to the dev scheduling and the fact this expansion needs to ship by Q4 2022.

Again if you believe in the 10.0 has been in development since BFA theory then yeah sure it makes logical sense that they are going for the Azeroth expansion.

But what do they then do in the Azeroth expansion? Establish OCs for story purposes akin to Classic or do they just go straight back to a BFA Scenario.

I genuinely think Turalyon going genocide mode will literally erode the entire interest in the expansion immediately.

[Raetary]

Cata was new landmasses AND revamped old ones, why would a supposed Cata 2 be any different?

Because the addition of the several new landmasses instead of utilizing the actually revamped zones was one of catas biggest, if not the biggest, failings.

So you'd think Blizzard would've probably learnt not to do that.

If the emerald dream is part of the lifelands, why would Ysera go to the Shadowlands? Don't people tied closely with the different forces of reality go to their realm?

Her connection to the dream is exactly the reason she ended up in Ardenweald.
Ard is the place every life spirit/entity/god ends up in and waits for rebirth.

[Foreign Exchange Ztudent]

To be honest if they do Dragonflight Covenant System but without the Power implication. I'd be down for that if it is a Dragon Isles expansion. Could lead to some cool themed Dragonflight sets too. But, yeah IDK what's going to happen. Besides, the Campaign System probably won't change so having so many campaigns unavailable without alt play will probably be fun again. (Heavy sarcasm)

Maybe they look at the Hearthstone Team and do something like that but in WoW, I don't know. I just don't see them doing anything on Eastern Kingdoms or Kalimdor due to the resource problem and the other issues currently without there being severe paralell development occurring since BFA.

Also again this product HAS to ship before 2022 ends which just means conspiracy theory level of thinking for a Azeroth based expansion involving EK and Kalimdor.

[username993720]

There is content to be made with literally anything. But what I said was not "they can't possibly come up with content for it" it was that, like Argus, and Ny'alotha, and Nazjatar, they decided to make it a zone and raid tier instead.

They didn't decide anything because it hasn't fully appeared in-game. You just saw bits and pieces of it. Its about as much as you've seen of the Shadowlands before the current expansion.

[hllfrmththrsd]

I really liked that leak where it says that Bfa+SL+next expansion is all about the world soul and we will finally finish this storyline in Dragon Isles or whatever the name of the next expansion. It makes sense how they love trio expansions with the same theme (MoP, WoD, Legion = bringing back Gul'Dan to deal with Burning Legion).
I would say Tinker, World Revamp and Housing is not happening. Dragons, maybe a dragon race, a dragon class, new Dragon Isles continent - yes.

[Hitei]

They didn't decide anything because it hasn't fully appeared in-game. You just saw bits and pieces of it. Its about as much as you've seen of the Shadowlands before the current expansion.

What raid tier took place in the Shadowlands? You aren't being genuine. You can't compare a couple quests with screen effects, to literally going into the Emerald Dream and fighting and defeating its primary threat. That isn't "bits and pieces".

[username993720]

What raid tier took place in the Shadowlands? You aren't being genuine. You can't compare a couple quests with screen effects, to literally going into the Emerald Dream and fighting and defeating its primary threat. That isn't "bits and pieces".

The Nightmare is but one aspect of the entire realm. It's like saying the Helya dungeon accounted for the Shadowlands since she appears there as an ally of the Jailer.

[Skildar]

I don't follow the request I often see here. So you are looking forward to an expac happening in the Emerald Dream which was stated many times to be the blueprint of Warcrafr reality and yet piss on Zereth Mortis before even experiencing it...

[Hitei]

The Nightmare is but one aspect of the entire realm. It's like saying the Helya dungeon accounted for the Shadowlands since she appears there as an ally of the Jailer.

Again, you are just being completely dishonest, and I don't know why, since obviously you're not gonna fool me with it, and I really doubt you actually believe what you are typing.

Helya is a secondary lieutenant of the Jailer. Helheim is her pocket realm that isn't even part of the Shadowlands.
The Emerald Nightmare instance takes place 100% in the dream. It involves, objectively, going across the Dream's world to different regions to fight the various Nightmare bosses. It cultminates in you going into the literal heart of the Dream, its primordial source and origin, the Rift of Aln to kill the primary antagonist of the Emerald Dream, Xavius, the NIGHTMARE LORD.

How could you possibly think that is anything like Helya? I don't think you do. You realize this is an absolutely absurd comparison, you just really wish they hadn't taken care of the Dream in Legion. If we had instead had a raid where you just go to Val'sharah, and just fight Renferal, then maybe you would have a point. But that isn't what happened.

What you are claiming is that, if we had a raid in Legion that had us go to the Shadowlands, use portals to fight the Jailer's forces in Bastion, Castle Nathria, the Heart of the Forest, and the arena in Maldraxxus, and then in the end we teleported to Oribos and fought and killed the Jailer, it would be reasonable to say "Shadowlands has never really fully appeared in-game, we've just seen bits and pieces".

[EbaumsTipster]

I don't follow the request I often see here. So you are looking forward to an expac happening in the Emerald Dream which was stated many times to be the blueprint of Warcrafr reality and yet piss on Zereth Mortis before even experiencing it...

ED lore has changed many times over the years. Currently it is a Titan-created blueprint of Azeroth only, made with Lifelands power (inferred).

This makes it similar to ZM but less important.

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To be honest if they do Dragonflight Covenant System but without the Power implication. I'd be down for that if it is a Dragon Isles expansion. Could lead to some cool themed Dragonflight sets too. But, yeah IDK what's going to happen. Besides, the Campaign System probably won't change so having so many campaigns unavailable without alt play will probably be fun again. (Heavy sarcasm)

Maybe they look at the Hearthstone Team and do something like that but in WoW, I don't know. I just don't see them doing anything on Eastern Kingdoms or Kalimdor due to the resource problem and the other issues currently without there being severe paralell development occurring since BFA.

Also again this product HAS to ship before 2022 ends which just means conspiracy theory level of thinking for a Azeroth based expansion involving EK and Kalimdor.

Most of Shadowlands was complete when it shipped in 2021, why does "most of the team moved to big expansion" sound like a conspiracy to you?

Korthia is incredibly unique asset lite, Zereth Mortis is the only really big addition aside from the raids.

[Varodoc]

The next expansion is all but confirmed to be Dragon Isles.

As I said before my unfortunate () Christmas vacation, I expect N'Zoth to come back and threaten the Dragon aspects once more. The set-up is there, with the Void Dragon Vexiona in BfA who led a Cult of the Void and was the first of the Void Dragons seen in WoW. That she exists implies there might be other of her kind. The Infinite Dragons are also unaccounted for, they too served N'Zoth and helped him in the attempt to usher in the Hour of Twilight/the End Times.

If not N'Zoth (although I find it extremely, blatantly obvious that he will come back), the Void Lords themselves might make a power move, after the Janitor is out of the way, a power move that might for some reason involve the dragons (maybe they have a MacGuffin that the Void Lords seek).

And naturally what this means is that the more Void-oriented races, like the Ren'dorei of the Alliance, would receive the spotlight, in the fight against the Void...

Looks like this forum is still talking about the Emerald Dream, what a surprise. On the official forums way more people have figured out that the Dragon Isles are next, and I mean, the hints are pretty obvious.

[ExiHext]

Then why don't you just stay there and annoy the people over there with your constant voidelf fanaticism? I'm asking for a friend.

[username993720]

It cultminates in you going into the literal heart of the Dream, its primordial source and origin, the Rift of Aln to kill the primary antagonist of the Emerald Dream, Xavius, the NIGHTMARE LORD.

You really believe Xavius is the ultimate Emerald Dream antagonist? Come one... he's just a Satyr. Think bigger.

What you are claiming is that, if we had a raid in Legion that had us go to the Shadowlands, use portals to fight the Jailer's forces in Bastion, Castle Nathria, the Heart of the Forest, and the arena in Maldraxxus, and then in the end we teleported to Oribos and fought and killed the Jailer, it would be reasonable to say "Shadowlands has never really fully appeared in-game, we've just seen bits and pieces".

You can't squeeze all of that into a raid.

I'll give you another example. We've dealt with the Titans, right? We got to see them in the seat of the Pantheon when we faced Argus. They're all wrapped up and done, right? Well, Blizzard clearly stated that they intend to introduce a Titan Homeworld in the future.
So, are you literally going to ignore the fact that they introduced a Pantheon of life with the Grimoire of the Shadowlands and associated Elune with it?

I guess we already dealt with them in a raid

ED lore has changed many times over the years. Currently it is a Titan-created blueprint of Azeroth only, made with Lifelands power (inferred).

This makes it similar to ZM but less important.

The Life plane has its own Zereth Mortis, called Zereth Vitae.

[Ersula]

The Life plane has its own Zereth Mortis, called Zereth Vitae.

You can't assume that based solely on Mortis being translated as death & life translated to Vitae. Especially when the Devs explained Zereth Mortis made all the afterlives AND EVERYTHING ELSE. Zereth Mortis the origin point for everything, not just "death" related things.

The Winter Queen already explained the Emerald Dream is the life equivalent to the Shadowlands: it's in her earliest dialog.

Also I assume I don't have to poke holes in the claim that titans, who are birthed from individual planets, & nomadically travel from world-to-world would somehow share a "homeworld"

[Foreign Exchange Ztudent]

Most of Shadowlands was complete when it shipped in 2021, why does "most of the team moved to big expansion" sound like a conspiracy to you?

Korthia is incredibly unique asset lite, Zereth Mortis is the only really big addition aside from the raids.

I mean I would be so surprised that they managed to cook up a Azeroth EK and Kalimdor Revamp by doing that though. Like it's a WoD but with even less time and it led to a Broken Isles so I don't know.

[EbaumsTipster]

I mean I would be so surprised that they managed to cook up a Azeroth EK and Kalimdor Revamp by doing that though. Like it's a WoD but with even less time and it led to a Broken Isles so I don't know.

Well with the Nelf structures revamp in BFA (which aren’t used much at all in Darkshore but artists rehauled them in multiple colors anyway) and the Human structures in SL files this could have been a multi expansion behind the scenes kind of thing. There was actually a new graphic texture for Westfall that was discovered in BFA (made people think there might be a Warfront there) but may be about 10.0 instead.

Remember that there were a lot of warfronts conceptually so they may have worked on many assets we don’t see in the files: Mulgore/Barrens warfront, SMC, etc.

[Hitei]

You really believe Xavius is the ultimate Emerald Dream antagonist? Come one... he's just a Satyr. Think bigger.

I don't "believe" it. I am telling you an objective fact: the primary antagonist of the Emerald Dream is the Nightmare. The ultimate leader of the Nightmare's forces is Xavius, who is dead.

You can't squeeze all of that into a raid.

And yet the Emerald Nightmare raid did exactly that. Is that the problem here? That you haven't actually done that raid and don't know it takes place in the Emerald Dream, and that each section of it involves travelling to a different, crucially important region of the Dream and fighting the Nightmare's strongest forces there?

I'll give you another example. We've dealt with the Titans, right? We got to see them in the seat of the Pantheon when we faced Argus. They're all wrapped up and done, right? Well, Blizzard clearly stated that they intend to introduce a Titan Homeworld in the future.
So, are you literally going to ignore the fact that they introduced a Pantheon of life with the Grimoire of the Shadowlands and associated Elune with it?

I guess we already dealt with them in a raid .

Look if you're not even going to bother actually responding to arguments, I'm not going to bother to keep replying. Did we already go to the Titan Homeworld? Was there an entire raid instance that already took place in different parts of that Homeworld? Did we kill the Titans at the end of it? This whataboutism is just sad. The fact that you keep having to go "b-but there's the Lifelands and Pantheon of Life?" two things that aren't the Emerald Dream, should be a red flag for you indicating just how done the concept is. Because the reality is that you understand that the Dream is already dealt with so much that even you envision an "EmEralD dReAm" expansion as not being the Emerald Dream, but instead some other completely different, yet to exist place with completely different, yet to be defined powers and a completely different, currently non-existent threat that all have absolutely nothing to do with the Emerald Dream, beyond both being associated with "Life".

The fact that a theoretical "Lifelands" might exist doesn't change that the Emerald Dream has been dealt with, and in all likelihood, if such an expansion were to come out, the Emerald Dream's only role (if it had any at all, which is doubtful) would be as some sort of entryway or hub into the actual realm of Life. Like Icecrown in Shadowlands, the Maelstrom in Cataclysm, or Dalaran in Legion.