Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Nyel]

If Blizzard needed ~ 10 months to just create a content patch with a simple raid tier and no entirely new zone, it would be a major lol and a new low overall. I'd understand that if 9.2 wasn't late already, but having to wait 10 months (or even more) for a lame raid tier would be hilarious. It couldn't get worse if were honest.

[Sondrelk]

If Blizzard needed ~ 10 months to just create a content patch with a simple raid tier and no entirely new zone, it would be a major lol and a new low overall. I'd understand that if 9.2 wasn't late already, but having to wait 10 months (or even more) for a lame raid tier would be hilarious. It couldn't get worse if were honest.

Depends. The raid might be really detailed, the tier sets might be really varied, the external systems might be especially polished. And of course most of the developers might have been moved to 10.0 already, leaving the remainder to make a patch with as few assets as possible.
Afterall, it's not like the quest designers have much to do with enviroment design, or the armor set team having much to do with raid design.

But yeah, it would be pretty shitty if 9.2 is low-effort, especially if we have no idea how ambitious 10.0 is. As is something low effort will just make the claims that WoW is in maintenance mode more fevered.

[Azxza]

A yikes ending for a yikes shit expansion sounds very fitting actually.

Well lucky for you, 9.2 is not the end of Shadowlands. There will be a 9.3 after.

[therumblings]

Well lucky for you, 9.2 is not the end of Shadowlands. There will be a 9.3 after.

No chance at this point. 9.2 is likely going to be up on the PTR before this year ends, it will need several months of testing, likely resulting in a March release. Going by the massive droughts between Shadowlands patches, a 9.3 would release in late 2022 early 2023, making 10.0 release in 2024, which would be insane and make them miss out on a 2022/2023 expansion window.

[EbaumsTipster]

9.2 will be allowed to be smaller if 10.0 is revealed to be a huge world revamp or something similar. Most people have checked out on Shadowlands already.

That being said I have a feeling 9.2 is Life zones split up like Argus with the jailer raid being in its own dimension zone like Antorus/Antoran Waste. Pure nature, life and maybe elements will be a change up from 80% of the SL zones and we seem to be getting some hints with the sun and moon phoenixes, the sun cat and the upcoming sprite darter pet + Elune outfit bundle. Moon zone, sun done and then Zereth Mortis would also fit the Argus 2 idea of three distinct zones.

If 9.2 is the last patch, which is likely, it will probably be Argus sized.

[Varodoc]

If Blizzard needed ~ 10 months to just create a content patch with a simple raid tier and no entirely new zone, it would be a major lol and a new low overall. I'd understand that if 9.2 wasn't late already, but having to wait 10 months (or even more) for a lame raid tier would be hilarious. It couldn't get worse if were honest.

The new main zone was already introduced in Korthia.

If (and this is a big if, because a new patch zone has already bee introduced in 9.1) any new zone will ever be released in 9.2, it will be some sandbox-ish and non-mandatory zone like Mechagon.

No expansion has ever introduced more than one main zone. Not a single one, and you can easily distinguish what are the main zones (Quel'Danas, Argus, Nazjatar, Korthia...) and what are the fun side zones (Mechagon, Timeless Isle...).

Some expansions didn't even introduce any new patch zone. WotLK didn't introduce a new zone, WoD """"introduced"""" a zone that should have been there at launch if Blizzard hadn't considered WoD to be a filler expansion in anticipation for Legion.

[EbaumsTipster]

The new main zone was already introduced in Korthia.

If any new zone will ever be released in 9.2, it will be some sandbox-ish and non-mandatory like Mechagon.

No expansion has ever introduced more than one main zone. Not a single one, and you can easily distinguish what are the main zones (Quel'Danas, Nazjatar, Argus, Korthia...) and what are the fun side zones (Mechagon, Timeless Isle...).

Korthia is not a main zone, it has the mechagon activities, lots of rare spawns in a condensed way like mechagon and is small like mechagon with gimmicky ways to get around like mechagon. It also reuses assets the same way Mechagon used Kul Tiran island stuff for the overworld area.

[Nyel]

Depends. The raid might be really detailed, the tier sets might be really varied, the external systems might be especially polished. And of course most of the developers might have been moved to 10.0 already, leaving the remainder to make a patch with as few assets as possible.
Afterall, it's not like the quest designers have much to do with enviroment design, or the armor set team having much to do with raid design.

But yeah, it would be pretty shitty if 9.2 is low-effort, especially if we have no idea how ambitious 10.0 is. As is something low effort will just make the claims that WoW is in maintenance mode more fevered.

The last time we got a final content patch without a new zone was 4.3 and Dragonsoul. I think everybody knows how badly that patch was received (granted, the raid itself was horrible).

I do not think that even the best tier sets and mechanics ever could redeem a simple raid-patch as the climax of any expansion. It's just not enough effort, especially when we consider MoP or Legion (heck, even WoD) in that regard.

By the way, did they lose any words on tier sets after the Ion interview back from March? I wouldn't bee too sure that they're giving us tier sets in 9.2 unless they've given us a more recent update on this topic.

I still would say a very ambitious 10.0 would redeem a shitty 9.2 to an extent, but we need to know about 10.0 ASAP then.

- - - Updated - - -

9.2 will be allowed to be smaller if 10.0 is revealed to be a huge world revamp or something similar. Most people have checked out on Shadowlands already.

That being said I have a feeling 9.2 is Life zones split up like Argus with the jailer raid being in its own dimension zone like Antorus/Antoran Waste. Pure nature, life and maybe elements will be a change up from 80% of the SL zones and we seem to be getting some hints with the sun and moon phoenixes, the sun cat and the upcoming sprite darter pet + Elune outfit bundle. Moon zone, sun done and then Zereth Mortis would also fit the Argus 2 idea of three distinct zones.

If 9.2 is the last patch, which is likely, it will probably be Argus sized.

This is hella optimistic. That's a lot of effort and Blizzard wasn't capable of anything like that in the last 12 months.

[EbaumsTipster]

We have yet to find out if the “99% complete” design launch and patch of SL (cov stories done, Maw almost finished, small additional area reusing assets and a few new monsters) means that they immediately put the artists on 10.0 (meaning that SL is, what many have predicted, a filler expansion to give devs more time to program world revamp and faction coop like BFA ended on), or they were all put on 9.2.

[Dracullus]

No chance at this point. 9.2 is likely going to be up on the PTR before this year ends, it will need several months of testing, likely resulting in a March release. Going by the massive droughts between Shadowlands patches, a 9.3 would release in late 2022 early 2023, making 10.0 release in 2024, which would be insane and make them miss out on a 2022/2023 expansion window.

Love when someone put "for sure it will happen" or "not chance at all" and then put some nonsense dates based on nothing. This is why I can't wait for 9.2 info, this will finally cut this discussion one way or another.

We have yet to find out if the “99% complete” design launch and patch of SL (cov stories done, Maw almost finished, small additional area reusing assets and a few new monsters) means that they immediately put the artists on 10.0 (meaning that SL is, what many have predicted, a filler expansion to give devs more time to program world revamp and faction coop like BFA ended on), or they were all put on 9.2.

This stuff happen on same time. You think art team works months on Argus, Nazjatar or Korthia and then spend same amount of time to create whole new continent?

[therumblings]

Love when someone put "for sure it will happen" or "not chance at all" and then put some nonsense dates based on nothing. This is why I can't wait for 9.2 info, this will finally cut this discussion one way or another.

The only thing that is going to stop the conversation is a 9.2 PTR build getting datamined and discovering whether or not Zovaal is the final boss of the raid.

[EbaumsTipster]

This is hella optimistic. That's a lot of effort and Blizzard wasn't capable of anything like that in the last 12 months.

9.1 has barely any new art assets and 9.1.5 has even less. Unless the artists spent the last year jerking off (which despite hurr blizz badddd is is not possible for a company) we should be seeing a years worth of art appear in the game. Because Sanctum wasn’t it.

Given the constantly changing human buildings in the files they may have just put everyone on 10.0 world revamp work because they knew this expansion was “done” for a lot of players the second they beat Sylvanas.

[Azxza]

No chance at this point. 9.2 is likely going to be up on the PTR before this year ends, it will need several months of testing, likely resulting in a March release. Going by the massive droughts between Shadowlands patches, a 9.3 would release in late 2022 early 2023, making 10.0 release in 2024, which would be insane and make them miss out on a 2022/2023 expansion window.

February~March 2022 for 9.2

Fall 2022 for 9.2.5

Spring 2023 for 9.3

Summer 2023 for 9.3.5

Oct/Nov 2023 for 10.0

10.0 is nowhere near ready for release. They could barely get 1 content patch out in the entirety of 2021. This is the real reason they canceled Blizzconline. They have nothing to show.

[Nyel]

The only thing that is going to stop the conversation is a 9.2 PTR build getting datamined and discovering whether or not Zovaal is the final boss of the raid.

Not necessarily. Could be another Antorus situation. But eventually you are right, Zovaal needs to be dealt with and if that's the case in 9.2 there's no reason for 9.3. By the way (not related to you), I find waving away scheduling / dates pretty silly. They're mostly the stuff that determines WoW expansion cycles.

- - - Updated - - -

February~March 2022 for 9.2

Fall 20022 for 9.2.5

Spring 2023 for 9.3

Summer 2023 for 9.3.5

Oct/Nov 2023 for 10.0

10.0 is nowhere near ready for release. They could barely get 1 content patch out in the entirety of 2021. This is the real reason they canceled Blizzconline. They have nothing to show.

lol who the hell wants to play this lame ass expansion for another two years.

- - - Updated - - -

9.1 has barely any new art assets and 9.1.5 has even less. Unless the artists spent the last year jerking off (which despite hurr blizz badddd is is not possible for a company) we should be seeing a years worth of art appear in the game. Because Sanctum wasn’t it.

Given the constantly changing human buildings in the files they may have just put everyone on 10.0 world revamp work because they knew this expansion was “done” for a lot of players the second they beat Sylvanas.

Yeah, I mean I would not expect so much for 9.2 alone. It's still just a final patch and it very well could be another 8.3. It could be more than that, it's just very hard to tell right now. Financial results are coming and I'm very curious what they're telling.

[EbaumsTipster]

February~March 2022 for 9.2

Fall 20022 for 9.2.5

Spring 2023 for 9.3

Summer 2023 for 9.3.5

Oct/Nov 2023 for 10.0

10.0 is nowhere near ready for release. They could barely get 1 content patch out in the entirety of 2021. This is the real reason they canceled Blizzconline. They have nothing to show.

Very funny of you to think this expansion is getting three patches when the main villain to 99% of players, Sylvanas, is dealt with in the second tier. There is no Azshara or KJ this time to be a second big boss: only Zovaal is left.

[Dracullus]

The only thing that is going to stop the conversation is a 9.2 PTR build getting datamined and discovering whether or not Zovaal is the final boss of the raid.

Last boss is always revealed if there is patch reveal before PTR.

Very funny of you to think this expansion is getting three patches when the main villain to 99% of players, Sylvanas, is dealt with in the second tier. There is no Azshara or KJ this time to be a second big boss: only Zovaal is left.

Ekhem, Anduin?

[therumblings]

February~March 2022 for 9.2

Fall 2022 for 9.2.5

Spring 2023 for 9.3

Summer 2023 for 9.3.5

Oct/Nov 2023 for 10.0

10.0 is nowhere near ready for release. They could barely get 1 content patch out in the entirety of 2021. This is the real reason they canceled Blizzconline. They have nothing to show.

They would be missing out on 1-2 expansion sales by doing this, and judging from the current state of the game, it looks like SL is already abandoned and 9.2 is the end.

[EbaumsTipster]

Ekhem, Anduin?

Would be a case for Anduin as a boss if Evil Anduin was a character, but he’s a Zovaal weapon who needs to be puppeted. He’s way more likely to be the boss before Zovaal like Kj was for Sylvy... or he might even be the thing players fight instead of Zovaal, like Argus was for Sargeras.

[Sondrelk]

By the way, did they lose any words on tier sets after the Ion interview back from March? I wouldn't bee too sure that they're giving us tier sets in 9.2 unless they've given us a more recent update on this topic.

I have to imagine Blizzard is adding tier sets in 9.2. The armor set designers have had nothing else to work on outside the 5 different covenant themed sets in 9.1.



As for the potential content in 9.2 I don't think we are getting no zone at all, just that the enviroment and zone designers might have been mostly moved to 10.0, leaving us with a smaller zone like Korthia, or a reused zone like 8.3.

[LordKharon]

Dindnt Blizz say WoW dev team was the biggest they ever had for Shadowlands? What the hell are they doing all the time? And no, Covid & Blizz scandals are not good excuses anymore. There should be a LOT more content. Even if its "just" story/quests/dungeons/new dailies/etc... enough space for that in the old Shadowlands zones. I simply cannot comprehend how the situation can be so bad over there. The only explanation i have is that they basically switched to developing the next expansion fulltime at the beginning of this year already and try to finish Shadowlands with the least work possible. Next 6 month of announcments will hopefully explain this gigantic mess...