Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[EbaumsTipster]

Ion interview really feels like 10.0 being a big reboot with revamp and crossfaction is happening. Note that he mentions he wants to go back to small scale stuff... so, EK and Kalimdor.

[Ersula]

He can’t outright say 9.3 is happening because it would instantly spoil 9.2 and reveal that we don’t take down the jailer in that patch.

9.2 Anduin
9.3 is Jailer

They aren't delaying their 2 year expansion rotation for a 9.3: We've already established this. 9.2 is already set to come out about the same time of year 8.3 did. They're not going to release 3 major patches in 1 year & dropping an expansion in 2022 is their top priority.

[EbaumsTipster]

I didn't think they'd actually do it, but at this point World Revamp is all but confirmed.

Maybe the story spoiler is that Zovaal actually reoriginates the world? So they can't say the world is remade without spoiling it?

If we go back to Azeroth but it's "not really OUR Azeroth".... would be a big story beat, and pretty sad too. Big Homestuck vibes there.

[Varodoc]

you forgot the /s

Come now, this thread has been wanking the idea of a World revamp for years, don't tell me now that everyone here is against it?

[therumblings]

Come now, this thread has been wanking the idea of a World revamp for years, don't tell me now that everyone here is against it?

Shhhhhhhh! If we start saying we don't want it, maybe they will finally do it?

[Cosmic Janitor]

GamesBeat: "You talked about 9.2 a bit, but beyond that, should we expect a 2.5 or a .3 for this expansion cycle? Or will it be 9.2 and then looking toward the next thing?"

Hazzikostas: "We’ll be talking a bit more about the conclusion to Shadowlands in more detail in the future. Yes, 9.2 is coming, you’ll be hearing about that more soon. We do have more planned after that. But it’s hard to say too much more without almost spoiling some of the story that’s going to come. We’ll have a lot of details on that soon, but we want to be able to explain it in the full context of what 9.2 is going to be."

Ugh, that part has me kinda worried. Especially the part about explaining "what" 9.2 is.

[Ersula]

[SIZE=4]I didn't think they'd actually do it, but at this point World Revamp is all but confirmed.

Definitely something like that: We should expect that after they told us the Jailer is looking for a magic button that can remake reality. And don't say 9.3: They're obviously talking about the expansion, they were talking about how they start working on the next expansion the moment the previous expansion is released.

[KOUNTERPARTS]

At this point, your characters are heroes and there is no way that they can go back to being anonymous adventurers, but the team also wants to go back to simple core fantasy and not so much more escalating cosmic adventures.

This could be an opportunity to implement a time skip for when we return to Azeroth... if they have decided that time moves so differently to explain it that way.


For example, you could say 30 or 50 (hell, even 100 years would be decently believable) years have passed and us the "heroes" have become legends/myths that generations of people have passed down. Specifically, our generation to the next generation.


Then all of a sudden we the heroes and the faction leaders who are also apart of those legends/myths/stories re-appear in an unfamiliar Azeroth that moved on while we were away.


I know a lot of people are dead set against a time skip, but I'm just pointing out it could be a vehicle to help return us the "simple core fantasy" and help deal with the power creep that has been happening for the past 3 expansions with us, the adventurers heroes.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Parsed through the Ion interview a bit, some snap thoughts.

- 9.2 is the final patch is basically now confirmed with Ion saying we'll hear about the "Conclusion of Shadowlands."

- Game is moving toward "Accessbility" which hopefully means no more artificial engagement borrowed powers.

- "simple core fantasy" makes me hopeful for 10.0 not being Lifelands.

- "Mindful of bloat" makes me worried though. The game needs more bloat especially in the class design department. Even with the unprune core rotations are still too simplified for me.

[EbaumsTipster]

GamesBeat: "You talked about 9.2 a bit, but beyond that, should we expect a 2.5 or a .3 for this expansion cycle? Or will it be 9.2 and then looking toward the next thing?"

Hazzikostas: "We’ll be talking a bit more about the conclusion to Shadowlands in more detail in the future. Yes, 9.2 is coming, you’ll be hearing about that more soon. We do have more planned after that. But it’s hard to say too much more without almost spoiling some of the story that’s going to come. We’ll have a lot of details on that soon, but we want to be able to explain it in the full context of what 9.2 is going to be."

Ugh, that part has me kinda worried. Especially the part about explaining "what" 9.2 is.

That sounds a lot like 9.2 is the final patch. There will inevitably be some blowback to it so he's being cautious, but when the first thing Ion says is THE CONCLUSION...

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

This could be an opportunity to implement a time skip for when we return to Azeroth... if they have decided that time moves so differently to explain it. For example, you could say 30 or 50 years have passed and us the "heroes" have become legends/myths that generations of people have passed down from our generation to the next generation.


Then all of a sudden we the heroes and the faction leaders who are also apart of those legends/myths/stories re-appear in an unfamiliar Azeroth that moved on while we were away.

I think you vastly underestimate how long it takes for "heroes" to pass into "legends."

[therumblings]

I just don't wanna get my hopes up again, only to have them be crushed. I am expecting 10.0 to not be a world revamp, but if it is I will be pleasantly surprised and my entire MMO champion career will have been fulfilled and validated

[Varodoc]

At this point, your characters are heroes and there is no way that they can go back to being anonymous adventurers, but the team also wants to go back to simple core fantasy and not so much more escalating cosmic adventures.

It's confirmed at this point. 10.0 will be a World revamp like Cataclysm and spotlight will be given again to the small stories in Westfall, Duskwood, Redridge Mountains, etc.

Maybe with fewer pop culture references this time

[EbaumsTipster]

It's confirmed at this point. 10.0 will be a World revamp like Cataclysm and spotlight will be given again to the small stories in Westfall, Duskwood, Redridge Mountains, etc.

I wouldn't say confirmed. Dragon Isles could be a small scale thing, but the way he is talking about how Zovaal's actions DIRECTLY link to 10.0... I don't think it's Dragon Isles.

[Cosmic Janitor]

Ion interview really feels like 10.0 being a big reboot with revamp and crossfaction is happening. Note that he mentions he wants to go back to small scale stuff... so, EK and Kalimdor.

No, he said they know both sides of the argument and he did his very best to skirt the line between both sides to keep both of them hoping.

[Ersula]

Ion interview really feels like 10.0 being a big reboot with revamp and crossfaction is happening. Note that he mentions he wants to go back to small scale stuff... so, EK and Kalimdor.

Sounds like my pitch for a classic RPG themed expansion:

Current 10.0 Prediction

Light & Void plot but it won't be evident at the start of the expansion. And not Light vs. Void, but Light & Void team up to take over Azeroth, using Turalyon & Alleria as their avatars. But they sell the expansion as an old-school RPG set up:
*Classic Tabletop inspired content. Dragon Hordes, Kobold Caves, Etc.
*Modular make-your-own dungeon feature. Players make their own non-canon D&D inspired instances, like in EQ2 or Neverwinter. Under the guise of players sitting at a tabletop game within WoW, like the homage in Boralus.
*New Bard Class

Hey it would even be the perfect place to fit their Dragon Isles ideas.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

It's confirmed at this point. 10.0 will be a World revamp like Cataclysm and spotlight will be given again to the small stories in Westfall, Duskwood, Redridge Mountains, etc.

Maybe with fewer pop culture references this time

They won't spotlight "small regional conflicts" outside of the revamp itself.

Even if they go with a more grounded, Azeroth-set, core fantasy story they'll still have one overarching story for the 60-70 content. They won't do another Cataclysm.

[KOUNTERPARTS]

I think you vastly underestimate how long it takes for "heroes" to pass into "legends."

I'm aware of it, but I'm providing a simple outline on how to explain 1.) us be recognized by Azeroth if we return after a time skip and 2.) still feel like it's a different Azeroth we're coming back to.


It doesn't have to be "legends" on the scale of like how they explained Turalyon and Alleria being gone for so long. But enough of time to "tell the story of" these heroes/adventurers.


Perhaps I shouldn't have used the "legend" term.

[EbaumsTipster]

Sounds like my pitch for a classic RPG themed expansion:
.

I think your expansion is likely going to happen, but instead of Alleria as the main void character it will be Azshara or Xalatath.

Turalyon as an antagonist I'm 99% certain on (NOT A VILLAIN) and manipulated by Lothraxion. They pretty much set this up in the Revendreth book. But the Light v Void overall theme but smaller Azeroth story is what will happen.

[Sondrelk]

It's confirmed at this point. 10.0 will be a World revamp like Cataclysm and spotlight will be given again to the small stories in Westfall, Duskwood, Redridge Mountains, etc.

Maybe with fewer pop culture references this time

Are yo usaying you are not ready for the Tanaris questline where you help the Troll Downe Jr. build a mechsuit and go around wisecracking? Or the Wetlands questline where you help the young spunky Dwarf Reye defeat hundreds of Horde carriers?