Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[TheramoreIsTheBomb]

found this on 4chan

The background WoW is on is just Yogg Saron's room mixed with the frozen throne with the sharpen effect.

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I see.

Don't let this distract you from the fact that there was never a Windrunner Reunion in a cinematic medium though.

fun fact, the 3 still havent been in the same room in the game

[Zankai27]

Playing FFXIV makes me want Blizzard to do a serious re-examination of the major players on Azeroth. Obviously they didn't set out to tell the deepest, most-character driven stories, and it's not like they *can't* tell a good if not deep story (Velen's sigh at the end of Legion is my favorite story moment in the entire series) but seriously, I feel absolutely nothing for the major players in Shadowlands and they behave like complete idiots. Meanwhile the Scions in 14 are like my best friends I would kill for.

Bottom line, I want better characterization for Thrall, Jaina, Baine et al or better characters at the forefront.

[Vakir]

SWTOR is another good example of an MMO having a good story, in my opinion.
But to be fair it also does play like a singleplayer RPG with a MMO background. (For story/scenario content at least)

SWTOR still has limitations and weaknesses through its MMO status, though. It still requires a lot of content built for its two-faction system that has to be similar enough to accommodate for its setting and the parity.

Case and point, at launch, rather than having a proper Jedi vs. Sith story from get-go, a lot of bullshit is introduced to justify a shared antagonist in the form of Malgus, despite that Malgus' plan isn't really justifiably heinous enough for the Sith PC to really give a shit about wanting to depose him and, frankly, dude has a point. A lot of group content have to be just irrelevant enough to the bigger picture as a B-story (like the Rakata) to have the player participate without having a lot of meat on them. Later content especially is pretty much similar across the board, like the Fallen Empire/Eternal Throne content.

Not shitting on SWTOR, just saying, there's always one issue or the other.

Really, a lot of WoW's weaknesses are due in part to its genre moreso than quality dropoff, although judging by SC2 and D3, some of that is obviously present as well.

[Catastrophy349]

How excited is everyone? We are just 2 days away from 9.2 and THAT much closer to a 10.0 reveal!

[TheramoreIsTheBomb]

(Velen's sigh at the end of Legion is my favorite story moment in the entire series)

Bottom line, I want better characterization for Thrall, Jaina, Baine et al or better characters at the forefront.

yes like HOLY SHIT. That detail was AMAZING. Like you just know he's thinking after thousands of years it's finally over... then it looms over with the newest threat. LEGION was the TRUE ending of 'arc 1' not Shittylands.

[Shadochi]

What if Awakening(s) is the name of the next expansion, but it isn't just Azeroth awakening but instead also the players and various NPCs awakening from a state they got put by Nzoth/Nyalotha, technically we don't know if we ever truly "woke up" after leaving the "sleeping city". Tbh something like this could explain the single digit IQ of some characters from Azeroth (Bolvar who was absent from BfA could be influenced through Saronite).

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Playing FFXIV makes me want Blizzard to do a serious re-examination of the major players on Azeroth. Obviously they didn't set out to tell the deepest, most-character driven stories, and it's not like they *can't* tell a good if not deep story (Velen's sigh at the end of Legion is my favorite story moment in the entire series) but seriously, I feel absolutely nothing for the major players in Shadowlands and they behave like complete idiots. Meanwhile the Scions in 14 are like my best friends I would kill for.

Bottom line, I want better characterization for Thrall, Jaina, Baine et al or better characters at the forefront.

I feel they could also benefit from a single player game series to develop characters further, or develop new one, so the players can feel more connected to them.

[Vakir]

yes like HOLY SHIT. That detail was AMAZING. Like you just know he's thinking after thousands of years it's finally over... then it looms over with the newest threat. LEGION was the TRUE ending of 'arc 1' not Shittylands.

Legion had its gameplay systems issues, but it was also the last time it felt like Blizzard truly went "all out" and had their heart in it. Some of it was fanservice based, sure, but some of it was also "wow, neat idea" concepts that iterated on existing systems (M+) or were things nobody thought of (Artifact Weapons on paper) in the first place.

Suramar remains the best in-game storytelling they have ever done in terms of experimentation with soft "sandbox" elements and merging of mechanics and story. Nothing even resembled it in terms of BFA and SL and that just tells me they threw up their hands.

It was the last time it felt like they were making a game they wanted to make as fans of video games, even if it had plenty of warts.

[draugril]

Fan service is not a sin. Particularly when contrasted with a narrative that seems to be designed to infuriate those same long-term fans.

[MyWholeLifeIsThunder]

We knew the Afrasiabi era was going to be rough when the first thing he gave us as head writer was "Brown Eyes Sylvanas"

Lmao that's grey.

Mind you, I hate that they were drawn with black pupils, but at least her eyes have been described as grey or blue-grey for a couple times in books now.

[TheramoreIsTheBomb]

Legion had its gameplay systems issues, but it was also the last time it felt like Blizzard truly went "all out" and had their heart in it. Some of it was fanservice based, sure, but some of it was also "wow, neat idea" concepts that iterated on existing systems (M+) or were things nobody thought of (Artifact Weapons on paper) in the first place.

Suramar remains the best in-game storytelling they have ever done in terms of experimentation with soft "sandbox" elements and merging of mechanics and story. Nothing even resembled it in terms of BFA and SL and that just tells me they threw up their hands.

It was the last time it felt like they were making a game they wanted to make as fans of video games, even if it had plenty of warts.

I agree with everything you said. Nothing is wrong. That is why Legion is my favorite expansion to date. Legion was an absolute love letter to the community after the ball that was dropped with WOD

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How excited is everyone? We are just 2 days away from 9.2 and THAT much closer to a 10.0 reveal!

Not playing 9.2 when it releases. Going to wait months to raid it.

[Catastrophy349]

My only true wish/wish-list for 10.0: for my eyes to glaze over while watching both the cinematic and features trailer reveal to the point where I am HYPE AF for the release up until launch.

[TheFirstOnes]

found this on 4chan

While it is most likely fake asf…

I kinda love that…

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I actually really kinda fuckin love that a whole lot fr holy shit

[Vakir]

Fan service is not a sin. Particularly when contrasted with a narrative that seems to be designed to infuriate those same long-term fans.

Yeah - people talk about Disney Star Wars or MOTU and whatnot with "oh, they hate their fans!" and I always roll my eyes at the hyperbole of most of it, but it definitely feels like Blizzard is just outright oblivious to how much contempt they throw most people regularly on that front. I'll take the fanservice anyway.

[ro9ue]

Waiting on that 10.0 announcement like

[TheramoreIsTheBomb]

what if it isnt even about dragons? like... there's no hints to dragons tbh. what if it turns out cosmic war involving dreadlords?

[Vakir]

what if it isnt even about dragons? like... there's no hints to dragons tbh. what if it turns out cosmic war involving dreadlords?

The Emerald Dragon datamined (likely CE) mount means it's going to be either dragons or at least something adjacent to green dragons.

The alternative is a wholesale world revamp with no unifying theme, but that's 1. unlikely, as even Cataclysm had Deathwing and the Twilight Hammer and 2. I doubt they'd pick an emerald dragon to represent that. If anything they'd take one of the OG collectors pets and more iconic mounts and give it an HD treatment or something.

We know the CE pet uses the...Vulpera rig, I think? Can't remember.

[TheramoreIsTheBomb]

The Emerald Dragon datamined (likely CE) mount means it's going to be either dragons or at least something adjacent to green dragons.

The alternative is a wholesale world revamp with no unifying theme, but that's 1. unlikely, as even Cataclysm had Deathwing and the Twilight Hammer and 2. I doubt they'd pick an emerald dragon to represent that. If anything they'd take one of the OG collectors pets and more iconic mounts and give it an HD treatment or something.

We know the CE pet uses the...Vulpera rig, I think? Can't remember.

aah you are right about the drake. i forgot.

[Nightshade711]

The Emerald Dragon datamined (likely CE) mount means it's going to be either dragons or at least something adjacent to green dragons.

The alternative is a wholesale world revamp with no unifying theme, but that's 1. unlikely, as even Cataclysm had Deathwing and the Twilight Hammer and 2. I doubt they'd pick an emerald dragon to represent that. If anything they'd take one of the OG collectors pets and more iconic mounts and give it an HD treatment or something.

We know the CE pet uses the...Vulpera rig, I think? Can't remember.

Yeah it uses the Vulpera rig.
I'm personally thinking it'll be a baby version of the drakonids, but it could be anything at this point.
Wouldn't be all too hard to swap ears out for horns and/or the fins on the side of their head, etc.

I forget what else was datamined, are we expecting another mog/enchant illusion?

[Archmage Xaxxas]

The Sprites/Spriggans in Ardenweald happen to use the male Vulpera animation.

If there was an Emerald Dream focus for the pre-order items, I could see them having a sort of little Grell/Emerald Dream Spriggan/Sprite character.
My first thought was also a form of baby Drakonid.

That one The Final Titan leak with the "Musky" the baby 'Musani' weasel-humanoid race pet was interesting, a convincing sounding idea at least.
Can envision that a little too well from Blizz.

There's been a pattern of matching CE Mount/Pets for some time until BfA, which returned in SL.

WoD had Dread Ravens, Legion had Felhunters, BfA had Tottle the baby Tortollon and Raptor/Horse (this would be where Musky is equivalent),
and Shadowlands had the Anima Wyrms.

[Vakir]

And in fairness to BFA, it would be more effort than they'd likely want to invest to match a factional expansion without making 4 rewards, so that may be why the combo breaker on matching.

Money's on widdle baby draconid.