Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Evilfish]

Because the community is so shit. They won't talk to people unless they have something to say, which outside of 9.1.5 they don't.

After BFA its unlikely they will ever talk to the community like they used to ever again.

Well let's see how far that gets them.

By this point everyone figured out two things, that the developers treat players like shit that sends them money. And that being treated as such is not the standard. I don't much like using Final Fantasy as an example given I don't like that game, but I respect how the developers treated that game and it's player base and from what I can tell, their comeback has been really well received.

On the other hand Blizzard's current state is very similar to Bioware's. Where the corporate bullshit totally wrecked their good name. In fact right now I wouldn't even call Blizzard, still Blizzard but rather Activision.

Anyway, whatever Activision decides to do next will be the move that redeems or breaks them and if they continue to treat players like shit, I don't think redemption will be possible.

[OrangeJuice]

Ye, and then you come to the forum devoted to the thing you hate and you shit on it. Very healthy.

Venting is actually proven to be healthy but nice try. Its crazy all this hate you're throwing at me for just proving arguments wrong but you'll still defend Blizzard who has done WAY worse to people. I should be considered a holy saint compared to Blizzard, why aren't you defending me?

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Ye, and then you come to the forum devoted to the thing you hate and you shit on it. Very healthy.

Best thing to do is ignore.

[Makabreska]

Venting is actually proven to be healthy but nice try. Its crazy all this hate you're throwing at me for just proving arguments wrong but you'll still defend Blizzard who has done WAY worse to people. I should be considered a holy saint compared to Blizzard, why aren't you defending me?

Except I am not defending them. Classic binary way of thinking and playing the victim - if you don't shit on Blizz and instead see positive aspects of the game, you are a circle-jerking fanboy.

[Foreign Exchange Ztudent]

I mean extra communication at this point is not for the benefit of the community like it should've been but for PR purposes. They refuse to do so and instead continue the cold approach by introducing the Council that is going to be a hotbed for abuse and Kotaku articles.

Obviously people will just instantly throw up the "Death threat" joker card to basically state that there's no way we can solve the issue and so it is the same song and dance about said issue till the end of time.

[OrangeJuice]

Except I am not defending them. Classic binary way of thinking and playing the victim - if you don't shit on Blizz and see positive aspects of the game, you are a circle-jerking fanboy.

You are defending them. Its literally the definition right? I'm attacking Blizzard, you're attacking me. Thats defending. And I'm not playing a victim, I just asked a very fair and reasonable question, which of course you didn't answer.

[draugril]

I feel like Warfronts were a decent idea, but without a great way to follow through with them. Part of what works with RTS games is that you are doing so much in the entire area that you don't have to worry as much about long build/capture times. I feel like they might've been partially salvageable with more going on during those down times...which IMO is why Heroic Warfronts at least felt a bit better for a time. But even with that, they would have to put so much to do into Warfronts that by the end it wouldn't feel like an RTS anyhow, which means that you would essentially be turning that concept into a Frankenstein of itself.

Even if you made them work, the question is would it feel like World of Warcraft does or like something else. Warfronts, Torghast, Covenants...those don't feel like WoW to me even though they are part of the game now. I'd rather see the team focus on making a game that feels like World of Warcraft initially was rather than the weird side pieces that we've had recently. Dungeons, Raids, zones to explore...stuff that we all know & love rather than having to grind up anima to build up a sanctum while FOMO-watching world quests for my conduit so I can have the equipment needed just to do the raiding I came here to do in the first place. And when I hear something is going to be "innovative" & "ambitious", I'm hearing that the team is going to be spending a lot of time making something that may well not feel like WoW when it has been created. Hence why I want less ambitious for 10.0.

I see what you're saying. Raids and dungeons are the bread and butter. But they aren't exciting. They're a strong hook, but Blizzard needs to be casting more lines, so to speak. I have friends and family that had played for years without touching them. What did they do? God knows, not I. But the game had something that it has long since lost. I want features that draw in those lapsed players. Not out of obligation to slap on "Ambitious" and "Innovative" stickers on recycled or rehashed content for the marketing team, but features that are truly ambitious and innovative and supported. At the very least, shake up the formula that Legion established.

And again... they need to be willing to implement content that not all players will enjoy and support it thereafter, like they did for pet battles. They tried and failed to bring the Mage Tower concept forward because they messed with what made it special: it was a static challenge that wasn't tied into player power rewards. They tried to make a specific type of gameplay appeal to everyone and kneecapped themselves. Their inclination to make everything scale with the player and tie into the itemization system is such a huge crutch. Add systems that certain players like, carry that forward, and design more systems that appeal to other specific audiences.

Even if they play it safe with 10.0, fewer systems should be tied into player power. Because it turns everything into a mechanical obligation rather than immersive exploration when the mood takes you.

Edit: To add, I would argue that both BfA and SL took it extremely safe. They juggled a few things from Legion and repackaged them, but by and large, all they did was improve on everything that Legion did (sans story). Raids are better. Dungeons are better. The "borrowed systems" are better. Itemization is better. On paper. The game needs to to do more than that.

[Ersula]

The 5 new zones are the remaining 5 zereths

Considering that Zereth Mortis is only connected to the shadowlands, not the cosmic sphere of Death, why would anyone assume there are other Zereths? The oracle's words only tells us Mortis & Death are interchangeable words. Afterlives /= Death magic

[Varx]

Of course there are other zereths. Why would death be the only one? Why would each cosmic force have a fancy shmancy Latin name if only one is gonna get a zereth.

[Kiivar86]

While we don't know what Zereth means (in universe anyway, at least as far as I know), it isn't that far fetched to believe there are other "Zereths" given that we are suddenly told of five terms alongside Mortis. Honestly, if anything, it is pretty clear that is what they intend.

[Sentynel]

What if the next expansion has us go into the protolands.

The 5 new zones are the remaining 5 zereths

And within those realms we'll find out who made the First Ones.

[therumblings]

While we don't know what Zereth means (in universe anyway, at least as far as I know), it isn't that far fetched to believe there are other "Zereths" given that we are suddenly told of five terms alongside Mortis. Honestly, if anything, it is pretty clear that is what they intend.

Zereth means Keystone according to the Shadowlands Grimoire book.

[draugril]

While we don't know what Zereth means (in universe anyway, at least as far as I know), it isn't that far fetched to believe there are other "Zereths" given that we are suddenly told of five terms alongside Mortis. Honestly, if anything, it is pretty clear that is what they intend.

If this "Zereth" needs to be specified as "Mortis," odds are good that it is specified as such so it can be identified separately from other "Zereths."

[Aeluron Lightsong]

I guess the forum glitched out again.

[Kiivar86]

Zereth means Keystone according to the Shadowlands Grimoire book.

Oh that's right, I forgot that. Thanks!

So yeah, like draugril said, there's likely a Zereth for each of them. It is a fairly safe bet.

[Chickat]

I guess the forum glitched out again.

What happened?

[Foreign Exchange Ztudent]

Is this really happening or not?

[Raetary]

Is this really happening or not?

Uuh... What's happening where?

[Makabreska]

Uuh... What's happening where?

PTR, I guess?

[TheFirstOnes]

Y’all gotta calm tf down. Can happen any fuckin time this week. I assume tomorrow, but we still got loads of time if today