Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Edward Wu]

I just realized that if 9.1 comes out in July, the 9.0 content would have been around for 230+ days, possibly nearing 250.

Holy fucking shit. No first patch has ever had a life cycle this long. Not even close.

[Nyel]

I just realized that if 9.1 comes out in July, the 9.0 content would have been around for 230+ days, possibly nearing 250.

Holy fucking shit. No first patch has ever had a life cycle this long. Not even close.

I said it once and I’ll say it again, they’re pushing TBC so hard because it’s the only thing that can redeem the sub numbers. Without TBC, this year would have been a financial disaster for Blizzard. At this points it’s impossible to save Shadowlands. Until the next expansion it will exist, but it will continuously bleed a massive amount of sub numbers, not even the greatest content patch in WoW‘s history could save this after a 7 month release drought.

[Nathanyel]

Of course it did change the theme. Shadow Priests were not as Old God and Void themed before it. They were more of a general shadow caster.
Survival Hunters were just 'magical Hunters', until they were grounded more as a guerilla fighter in Legion.

So you provide examples of how existing specs were given more identity. That's not an argument why a lore class with 3 defining abilities should be its own playable class in WoW.

[username993720]

So you provide examples of how existing specs were given more identity. That's not an argument why a lore class with 3 defining abilities should be its own playable class in WoW.

No.
The whole argument was that Outlaw can portray the Blademaster. Which, is wrong.

[huth]

No.
The whole argument was that Outlaw can portray the Blademaster. Which, is wrong.

No, that wasn't the argument, but it explains why you kept arguing past it.

The argument was that Samurai and Pirate do not dictate any particular gameplay.

Although the claim isn't wrong, either. Blademaster isn't clearly enough defined to say that Outlaw couldn't portray it if they could use two-handed weapons.

[username993720]

No, that wasn't the argument, but it explains why you kept arguing past it.

The argument was that Samurai and Pirate do not dictate any particular gameplay.

Although the claim isn't wrong, either. Blademaster isn't clearly enough defined to say that Outlaw couldn't portray it if they could use two-handed weapons.

Then, every spec can portray every niche if it holds the right weapon.

[huth]

Then, every spec can portray every niche if it holds the right weapon.

The world isn't black and white. That's just a vision problem you personally have.

[Sondrelk]

Not long now until the promised day when the 9.1 PTR begins.


Honestly, at this point I don't so much look forward ot it as I need it for continued engagement with the game.

Just hope the Covenant storyline looks interesting. I stand by Necrolord being the best covenant, and hopefully it keeps delivering, as well as the other ones at least being something close in quality, the Night Fae one especially being intriguing as we can get a feel for what the story will continue being in the absence of a direct antagonist.

[Dracullus]

Who knows, could be even tomorrow, 8.3 PTR drop on Monday, maybe we will get some video too. Anyone know when precisely this FFXIV patch launch on EU/US (closer to Monday 8PM CEST or Tuesday)?

[Varodoc]

I was naive to think this expansion would have 3 patches, a mistake that won't be repeated. It becomes more and more obvious now that Shadowlands will end at 9.2, but what I was right about is how similar this expansion felt to WoD storywise:

- Filler alternate dimension no one could care about even if they tried;
- Generic one-dimensional villain;
- Another generic one-dimensional villain, formerly Warchief.

Honestly I've been saying since the beginning that this expansion is just filler until 10.0, which will be the major cosmic Light and Void expansion. Just as WoD was filler in anticipation for Legion, the climactic conclusion of the ancient Burning Crusade.

"But wait! We still don't know who the Jailer is or wants!", like Blizzard cares. Jailer wouldn't be the first one-dimensional villain with no depth or complexity whatsoever.

[therumblings]

I was naive to think this expansion would have 3 patches, a mistake that won't be repeated. It becomes more and more obvious now that Shadowlands will end at 9.2, but what I was right about is how similar this expansion felt to WoD storywise:

- Filler alternate dimension no one could care about even if they tried;
- Generic one-dimensional villain;
- Another generic one-dimensional villain, formerly Warchief.

Honestly I've been saying since the beginning that this expansion is just filler until 10.0, which will be the major cosmic Light and Void expansion. Just as WoD was filler in anticipation for Legion, the climactic conclusion of the ancient Burning Crusade.

"But wait! We still don't know who the Jailer is or wants!", like Blizzard cares. Jailer wouldn't be the first one-dimensional villain with no depth or complexity whatsoever.

Shadowlands feels like the opposite of filler, considering this place has been talked about since vanilla. I feel like I am the only one who is bored out of my mind when thinking about a "Light vs Void" expansion.

[Varodoc]

Shadowlands feels like the opposite of filler, considering this place has been talked about since vanilla. I feel like I am the only one who is bored out of my mind when thinking about a "Light vs Void" expansion.

Kyrian, Venthyr, Necrolords, Night Fae, Mawsworn, pretty much 95% of the stuff that is going on in this expansion certainly wasn't talked about since Classic, and I guarantee you that these people will stop being relevant as soon as 10.0 begins. Just like no one gave a shit about the Gorian Empire, Arakkoa, etc. once WoD ended and people went back to Azeroth... You know, the place that actually matters (not some random alternate dimension).

And they should rejoice, lest they end up like Yrel and the AU Draenei, we all know what happened to them when Blizzard decided they wanted to revisit the AU mess.

[therumblings]

Kyrian, Venthyr, Necrolords, Night Fae, Mawsworn, pretty much 95% of the stuff that is going on in this expansion certainly wasn't talked about since Classic, and I guarantee you that these people will stop being relevant as soon as 10.0 begins. Just like no one gave a shit about the Gorian Empire, Arakkoa, etc. once WoD ended and people went back to Azeroth...

That happens every expansion. Every expansion new races factions and even retcons are created, and hardly talked about next expansion.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

There's nothing to indicate 9.2 is the end, its just speculation.

[Sondrelk]

I wouldnt say this expansion feels like filler, especially when we have WoD which is the only expansion that truly felt like filler.

What I do feel from this expansion though is that it feels like a patch. Like if Argus from 7.3 was stretched out to be an entire expansion. It has the weight behind it storywise, and in theory you could easily glean all the content you want from it, but it feels kinda shallow.


I still stand by that a better version of this expansion would have been a Northrend revamp with the Shadowlands being visited eventually. Possibly as a zone in the initial endgame and later as patch zones. Similar to how the Maw is being presented now, with more content for it coming later.

[Varodoc]

That happens every expansion. Every expansion new races factions and even retcons are created, and hardly talked about next expansion.

Not really. By virtue of being on Azeroth, Northrend, the new Cataclysm zones, Pandaria were all featured extensively in future expansions. Plenty of Artifact quests took place in Northrend and the new Cataclysm zones, the final raid of Cataclysm took place in Northrend, Pandaria was obviously in the spotlight during the Black Empire Invasion, etc.

Draenor? Aside from a 2 min cameo in the Mag'har recruitment scenario, no one cares about it.
Outland? Aside from a 1 min cameo in BfA, no one cares about it.

And it will be the same thing for Shadowlands. I've been saying this since the beginning.

[Golden Yak]

Is there any chance Yogg-Saron, the 'God of Death', will get involved.

[therumblings]

Not really. By virtue of being on Azeroth, Northrend, the new Cataclysm zones, Pandaria were all featured extensively in future expansions. Plenty of Artifact quests took place in Northrend and the new Cataclysm zones, the final raid of Cataclysm took place in Northrend, Pandaria was obviously in the spotlight during the Black Empire Invasion, etc.

None of that is actually relevant. Outland was showcased in a major cinematic during BFA, which is on par with half of Dragon Soul taking place in Dragonblight. Draenor having an entire allied race questline is on par with having a few artifact questlines in Northrend.

99% of previous expansions are ignored and the only thing that sticks around is usually major characters of the cast, most of which weren't introduced in that expansion.

I don't see any connection here, 9.3 will be a thing, everyone said 8.3 wasn't gonna happen either.

[TheFirstOnes]

Is there any chance Yogg-Saron, the 'God of Death', will get involved.

No, because outside of likely stealing shit from the Shadowlands, he's an Old God. He's in the Void.

[Varodoc]

None of that is actually relevant. Outland was showcased in a major cinematic during BFA, which is on par with half of Dragon Soul taking place in Dragonblight. Draenor having an entire allied race questline is on par with having a few artifact questlines in Northrend.

99% of previous expansions are ignored and the only thing that sticks around is usually major characters of the cast, most of which weren't introduced in that expansion.

I don't see any connection here, 9.3 will be a thing, everyone said 8.3 wasn't gonna happen either.

Yeah, No. Getting featured for 1 min in a CGI cinematic isn't more important than literally being the setting for the final showdown of the expansion. And your argument about Draenor doesn't make sense. AU Draenor was more relevant because it was the setting of one questline... as opposed to several questlines? What?

Yes, people who thought 8.3 wasn't going to happen were foolish, the difference is that 8.1 came out 4 months after 8.0. 9.1? If we're being generous it will come out in June. 7 months after 9.0.

False equivalency, the two scenarios clearly aren't comparable. And I don't know why it's so unbelievable to think Shadowlands would have only 2 content patches, is this not what happened in WoD? There is clear precedent for it. Why are you so convinced that the situation in WoD can't be repeated?

But let's be optimistic and assume there will be a 9.3, where will 9.2 take place then? Hm? 9.1 is the big showdown with Sylvanas in the Maw, it would feel extremely anti-climactic to go from that to a random raid no one cares about in Ardenweald or Maldraxxus, don't you think? It would be a natural escalation that, after Sylvanas is dealt with, the Jailer himself, the man behind her, would be next. Not Bob the Evil One who is threatening Ardenweald.