Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Magemaster]

did anyone post this chinese news site article?

Translation:

After being acquired by Microsoft for nearly $70 billion, Activision Blizzard ushered in a new opportunity for development. The game development is not bad. Several IPs that Blizzard had shelved before are expected to restart, and there will also be some existing games. New developments, Blizzard President Mike Ybarra said a few days ago that he will announce more news about World of Warcraft, Overwatch and Diablo.

He did not specifically mention what is new in these three major games. Overwatch and Diablo should be related to Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4. Warcraft should be the new 10.0 expansion pack. According to the previous rhythm, it should be announced at the Carnival in February. For next year's expansion.

World of Warcraft will soon enter the last major version of the 9.0 expansion, and it is time for the official announcement of the 10.0 expansion. The relevant content has been leaked on the Internet before, and the 10.0 version will usher in the largest change in the history of Warcraft.

This is not to say that the content of the 10.0 expansion pack is huge, but that Blizzard will change the gameplay of Warcraft over the past 17 years. Since the current player scale is not enough to support Blizzard's huge investment in developing new content, the 10.0 version will be changed to season mode, update The frequency is faster, but the content is not as large each time, and the seasons cost money to buy, otherwise you can only play the old mode content.

It is reported that the content of the first season of version 10.0 will be related to the five-colored dragon, and the theme is related to the eternal dragon disrupting the timeline, which will allow Blizzard to recycle the past content of Warcraft.

can't post links on this account for whatever reason but you can google search the sentences and find it. doesnt really list a source and also promotes an event that hasnt been announced yet for february so we'd see if its fake this month

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Well there's no Blizzcon in February so it's already wrong there.

[draugril]

did anyone post this chinese news site article?

Translation:


can't post links on this account for whatever reason but you can google search the sentences and find it. doesnt really list a source and also promotes an event that hasnt been announced yet for february so we'd see if its fake this month

They seem to be reporting on Chinese "leaks." Leaks which, much like ours, are biased. In the Chinese market, games are much more seasonal and piecemeal. Thus, their "leaks" would certainly tend to lean that way.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

did anyone post this chinese news site article?

Translation:

the theme is related to the eternal dragon disrupting the timeline

Didn't we already beat Murozond?

[Nyel]

No idea if you are joking, but it would honestly be one of the coolest twist in videogame history

I'm totally serious. Give me something unexpected.

[Soulwind]

Didn't we already beat Murozond?

Well, we ended his life, but his past self is still leading the Infinite Dragonflight, and will until he reaches that point. So he could be a villain in an expansion, as long as he's still alive at the end.

[bruxx]

did anyone post this chinese news site article?

Translation:


can't post links on this account for whatever reason but you can google search the sentences and find it. doesnt really list a source and also promotes an event that hasnt been announced yet for february so we'd see if its fake this month

While I could see this working in china, no way in hell they would expect to keep their customers in the west with such a business model... right?

[train901]

2023 sorry sorry it is

[Kiivar86]

did anyone post this chinese news site article?

Translation:


can't post links on this account for whatever reason but you can google search the sentences and find it. doesnt really list a source and also promotes an event that hasnt been announced yet for february so we'd see if its fake this month

This seems to be doing little more than parroting one of the early "leaks".

edit: This one, specifically

[Aeluron Lightsong]

While I could see this working in china, no way in hell they would expect to keep their customers in the west with such a business model... right?

Its suspect until 10.0 actually is announced.

[Sondrelk]

While I could see this working in china, no way in hell they would expect to keep their customers in the west with such a business model... right?

Depends.

Expansions are not really the best choice for an MMO to begin with, especially if you want to keep everything relevant.
Making content seasonal might also be easier to develop for. An expansion does have an expected amount of stuff in it, and there is nothing that says it has to be within the context of an expansion, and honestly it is probably more harmful in the long run.

You might run into a case where an expansion theme isn't working out, or conversely one that needs more time spent in it. With the expansion system this all essentially get out on a timer leading up to the next major release.
A seasonal pass could in many ways be thought of as variable length expansions in this context.
Exploring Feralas and defeating Botani are not meaty enough to warrant an entire expansion, but if we had a more seasonal approach then it could absolutely be a mini-expansion between more impactful pieces of content.

[Nyel]

Wouldn't be the first baby world soul that we kill...

I did speculate about an "exodus" (set of) expansion(s) a while back. Having to settle in a new world, with parallels to the draenei or the orcs, and creating a new canvas for them to work with. New ancient civilizations, buried threats and all that. Not to mention, brand new faction conflicts as the different races establish outposts and cities right next to each other, and frontiers could move every expansion.

Sounds like WoW 2 and nothing an expansion could handle, but very cool.

[uzira]

Oh yay, they introduce a 7th cosmic force because six hasn't been enough already. They're already preparing us for the masters behind the Void lords it seems, lol.

Exactly this haha

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Depends.

Expansions are not really the best choice for an MMO to begin with, especially if you want to keep everything relevant.
Making content seasonal might also be easier to develop for. An expansion does have an expected amount of stuff in it, and there is nothing that says it has to be within the context of an expansion, and honestly it is probably mare harmful in the long run.

You might run into a case where an expansion theme isn't workit out, or conversely one that needs more time psnet in it. With the expansion system this all essentially get out on a timer leading up to the next major release.
A seasonal pass could in many ways be thought of as variable length expansions in this context.
Exploring Feralas and defeating Botani are not meaty enough to warrant an entire expansion, but if we had a more seasonal approach then it could absolutely be a mini-expansion between more impactful pieces of content.

I think the problem is they admit that updates would be smaller. For a game as fundamentally, mechanically, gameplay...ey broken as WoW that just won't do. We know Blizz only does mechanical updates on espansions, so moving to seasonal gameplay shuts that pipeline off permanently.

[Soulwind]

Sounds like WoW 2 and nothing an expansion could handle, but very cool.

The idea was that the first expansion we would pretty much just get there and fight for control over a piece of land (First War, kinda), and over several other expansions, new continents, races and threats would be introduced. It would play with the idea that we're both invaders and refugees, and that the natives would very much have reason to want us out of their homeworld, but ultimately we're the protagonists and we'd make peace with the nicer ones, and slaughter the rest. Y'know, the usual.

[Sondrelk]

I think the problem is they admit that updates would be smaller. For a game as fundamentally, mechanically, gameplay...ey broken as WoW that just won't do. We know Blizz only does mechanical updates on espansions, so moving to seasonal gameplay shuts that pipeline off permanently.

Smaller would be a definite problem. But if we ignore that part then making patches instead of expansions would be more beneficial to the game.

I somehow doubt it's real though. Saying WoW will change its subscription model is a favourite of doomleakers, and I very much doubt Blizzard is willing to take such a big risk even if they knew for sure it would be better for the game.

[Kiivar86]

Smaller would be a definite problem. But if we ignore that part then making patches instead of expansions would be more beneficial to the game.

I somehow doubt it's real though. Saying WoW will change its subscription model is a favourite of doomleakers, and I very much doubt Blizzard is willing to take such a big risk even if they knew for sure it would be better for the game.

As it seems based on a "leak" a few months back (see my earlier post), yeah it reads as basically another person making up shit to sound dire (not that things aren't bad but they always go overboard about it).

[Aeluron Lightsong]

As it seems based on a "leak" a few months back (see my earlier post), yeah it reads as basically another person making up shit to sound dire (not that things aren't bad but they always go overboard about it).

Things are never as bad as people exaggerate them(Lawsuit not included)

[draugril]

Smaller would be a definite problem. But if we ignore that part then making patches instead of expansions would be more beneficial to the game.

I somehow doubt it's real though. Saying WoW will change its subscription model is a favourite of doomleakers, and I very much doubt Blizzard is willing to take such a big risk even if they knew for sure it would be better for the game.

Naw, there's no chance they willingly gamble with the expansion box cash-ins. That being said... I wouldn't mind seeing this type of content being added in addition to expansions. I'd gladly pay a few bucks to check in on the Dragonmaw Orcs or Jinyu or whatever and deal with their smaller stories. But WoW would really need to break away from the play-the-patch mentality to make that sustainable.

[Ersula]

Isn't Sargeras basically an angry Galactus, anyway? Killing Titan eggs before they can hatch like Galactus eats Celestial eggs?

Sort of. The Warlock Order Hall tells us he wanted to make Azeroth like him, not kill her. But clearly he wasn't aware of the Jailer's plan to suckle at her Anima.