Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Edlarel]

snip

Except we are specifically told they AREN'T created by the First Ones and that they exist outside of what was ordered/created. They are the opposite of what the First Ones represent. Entropy vs. Reality. That much we do know. Our stopping them is preventative in nature or else we're saving the Shadowlands from the Jailer for no reason because it'll be dried up and destroyed anyway.

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Why would you not just do LFR if all you want is the story? I mean realistically though within two months tops everything but Mythic will be easy pugs. As for the ilvl pretty safe bet that 250 will be the baseline for pugging Normal.

TBF LFR is harder sometimes than heroic. You're not fighting the bosses in there, you're fighting the rest of the raid.

[Dragon ANX]

TBF LFR is harder sometimes than heroic. You're not fighting the bosses in there, you're fighting the rest of the raid.

This is so fucking true in some fights kkkkkk

[huth]

TBF LFR is harder sometimes than heroic. You're not fighting the bosses in there, you're fighting the rest of the raid.

Sometimes it feels like the boss is the only one trying to help you.

[Revamp Man]

Ye, maybe not? Or do you think that we are short a patch this expac because Blizz was trying to cook one bigger patch instead of two and it was not all because of certain outside and inside events going on? Maybe you want to throw WoD into that comparison as well?

According to some of the workers on Twitter they are still at least partially WFH

[Bsirk]

I read this on Wowhead. In the interview with Gamesbeat Ion had this to say.

GamesBeat: I know how much you probably love talking about something beyond the big patch that you’re promoting here, but without going into specifics, should players expect a longer than normal wait for the next content drop after this one? Normally we’d probably hear about the next expansion around the time of the last major patch, but there’s no BlizzCon. How long a wait are we in for, and how will players learn about what’s coming next?

Hazzikostas: Right now we’re definitely focused on getting Eternity’s End out into folks’ hands. We want everyone to see and experience the end of Shadowlands, and then we’ll have more exciting news following that. Stay tuned for news about when and where to learn more, but nothing specific to add right now.


I see that as it'll definitely be after the Jailer dies before we see anything about 10.0

[Super Dickmann]

Right but your contention here is that Ardenweald was intended to be a raid coming before Sanctum right? When what you are using as evidence is literally a single mention (that likely would have been removed if they had changed plans early on), and every other part of all four campaigns involves pushing further into the maw and Torghast, everything about Sylvanas and anduin involves Torghast, and even alpha assets point at the next raid after Nathria being maw-based...

If sigil content was cut and not just poorly paced like all expansions are (when have the good forces NOT "quickly reversed" into being offensive?) What was cut was probably some side content between 9.1 (SoD/Korthia) and 9.3 (Zereth Mortis) with a secondary threat and more elaborate sigil reforging.

I agree with your end conclusion that what was cut was the middle chapter and that that's when the individual Covenant storylines would've resolved rather than having their major losses and wins take place within a single patch. I'm not convinced though that it was always the plan for Sylvanas and Kel'thuzad to be part of the same raid or for Anduin to be part of the same raid as the Jailer. And as you yourself acknowledge, the sigils are, irrespective of whether they're a better plot point than the Ardenweald lock or not, a later element and Blizzard did move from one plot point to another. Shadowlands' is harder to track in terms of development and missed plotlines than WoD or even BFA because its major issue is the pacing of the plot rather than any omissions in the story.

We know some specific elements that were changed, like Denathrius' very final feeling fate in 9.1 complete with the Jailer dismissing what happened to him turning into him being rescued by the dreadlords in WC3. Other elements like that include the Primus and the Jailer's looks not being finalized very late, with the Primus's statues looking a lot more like the Runecarver whereas the Bald Man looked a lot more like the live version of the Primus. I suspect the lock to sigil transition is a similar gig and also happened fairly early into the process, definitely before 9.0 was out, since 9.0 does build solely towards the Maw like you point out. Some other elements beside the lock dialogue is the way that the Maw is a very indirect player in 9.0 with the whole focus in the Maldraxxus's story hinging on Kel'thuzad, an independent agent by then, finding a way to loosen the lock on the Maw to free one (1) of those Mawsworn giants and only the Kyrians who's whole gimmick is being able to cross the veil between realms operating freely and connecting the various proxy armies of the Bald Man. Yet by 9.1 there's suddenly Maw portals and invasions by standard troops even before the Ardenweald lock was broken. Kel'thuzad is very rushed in the process and Vyraz similarly is mostly waved off and is killed off-handedly in 9.1. Ardenweald and Maldraxxus had the most elements left over before 9.1 rolled around compared to Bastion and especially Revendreth and I suspect the middle patch would've focused on them.

@Sondrelk

The Devourers're probably the most genuinely alien element precisely because they've no explanation and don't speak. I don't think they were going to be explained at any point.

[Makabreska]

According to some of the workers on Twitter they are still at least partially WFH

Butbutbut according to some here, pandemic stopped affecting WoW development ages ago!

[Revamp Man]

Butbutbut according to some here, pandemic stopped affecting WoW development ages ago!

I mean it stopped effecting my job long ago so obviously it stopped effecting every company

[Harbour]

"Covid" excuse always bothered me. Its legit arguement up to certain point, but it seems that Covid somehow affected Blizzard way more than other game companies.
For Blizzard, the giant of gaming industry with billions, it certainly becomes the very bad excuse the more they and their defenders use it.
Covid obviously put more pressure on the company but that pressure can be negated with putting more money into it and more effective management.
Which certainly wasnt the case here. Covid isnt ultimately the reason why we have so much delays and 1 content patch per years.
Blizzard just went cheap and incompetent in management department.

[Shadochi]

The anima 226 catchup gear is great and cheap, wish something like this becomes the standard for future patches. Have it be a currency from previous patches that is easily farmable or just passively accumulates while doing other stuff

[Makabreska]

"Covid" excuse always bothered me. Its legit arguement up to certain point, but it seems that Covid somehow affected Blizzard way more than other game companies.
For Blizzard, the giant of gaming industry with billions, it certainly becomes the very bad excuse the more they and their defenders use it.
Covid obviously put more pressure on the company but that pressure can be negated with putting more money into it and more effective management.
Which certainly wasnt the case here. Covid isnt ultimately the reason why we have so much delays and 1 content patch per years.
Blizzard just went cheap and incompetent in management department.

Games like God of War Ragnarok were delayed from 2021 to 2022. It simply affected everyone, regardless of resources. And we all know how Bobby likes to spend these billions company makes.

[shoc]

"Covid" excuse always bothered me. Its legit arguement up to certain point, but it seems that Covid somehow affected Blizzard way more than other game companies.
For Blizzard, the giant of gaming industry with billions, it certainly becomes the very bad excuse the more they and their defenders use it.
Covid obviously put more pressure on the company but that pressure can be negated with putting more money into it and more effective management.
Which certainly wasnt the case here. Covid isnt ultimately the reason why we have so much delays and 1 content patch per years.
Blizzard just went cheap and incompetent in management department.

How are game developers supposed to get any work done without oppressive middle managers breathing down their necks! Think of the shareholders

[Kiivar86]

According to some of the workers on Twitter they are still at least partially WFH

Yup. Close friend at Blizzard (not on Warcraft team), they said still WFH, hearing noises about maybe June I think?

[Makabreska]

Yup. Close friend at Blizzard (not on Warcraft team), they said still WFH, hearing noises about maybe June I think?

Is this a low key leak?

[Kiivar86]

Is this a low key leak?

HAH no. For one I wouldn't risk my friend's job there that way. Two, they have zero knowledge of what goes on with the Warcraft team. And three, I haven't even asked them about that sort of thing anyway.

Nah, just giving some cofirmation that they're still chiefly working from home, or at least my friend and their team is.

[shoc]

HAH no. For one I wouldn't risk my friend's job there that way. Two, they have zero knowledge of what goes on with the Warcraft team. And three, I haven't even asked them about that sort of thing anyway.

Nah, just giving some cofirmation that they're still chiefly working from home, or at least my friend and their team is.

My dad is bobby kotick I can also confirm

[Ersula]

Butbutbut according to some here, pandemic stopped affecting WoW development ages ago!

Okay then they went back to WFH because of Omnicron, because Blizzard did announce back in April that WFH was over because everyone was vaccinated.

Still, I can see transitioning to WFH to bring development to a standstill: But by now it should be natural to game development. The idea WFH is somehow less productive is anti-worker corporate bs

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"Covid" excuse always bothered me. Its legit arguement up to certain point, but it seems that Covid somehow affected Blizzard way more than other game companies.

"More than other game companies?" Covid delayed almost all games released over the last 2 years, universally. Even Nintendo was delaying games. Covid IS the reason we had a unambiguous decline in content. Just like every other company: It might just seem like more because WoW is sub based, not just static releases.

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My dad is bobby kotick I can also confirm

my dad is also bobby kotick i can also confirm. Bobby is working from home, forever, from now on.

[Nyel]

I see that as it'll definitely be after the Jailer dies before we see anything about 10.0

Who doubted that? People high on copium were expecting 10.0 news before or right around 9.2, but it was never going to happen. Let 9.2 breathe and then several weeks later announce 10.0.

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Butbutbut according to some here, pandemic stopped affecting WoW development ages ago!

Work from home shouldn't affect anyone whose job is 100% capable of being done on a computer. Especially not after 2 years. Companies adapted - granted, some way better than others. It's still a redundant excuse to bring up for anything and everything that's going wrong.

[Khaza-R]

I read this on Wowhead. In the interview with Gamesbeat Ion had this to say.

GamesBeat: I know how much you probably love talking about something beyond the big patch that you’re promoting here, but without going into specifics, should players expect a longer than normal wait for the next content drop after this one? Normally we’d probably hear about the next expansion around the time of the last major patch, but there’s no BlizzCon. How long a wait are we in for, and how will players learn about what’s coming next?

Hazzikostas: Right now we’re definitely focused on getting Eternity’s End out into folks’ hands. We want everyone to see and experience the end of Shadowlands, and then we’ll have more exciting news following that. Stay tuned for news about when and where to learn more, but nothing specific to add right now.


I see that as it'll definitely be after the Jailer dies before we see anything about 10.0

Interesting. The where/when makes me think it will definitely be a livestream announcement.

Also like how he completely didn't acknowledge the question about how long 9.2 would be

[Catastrophy349]

Who doubted that? People high on copium were expecting 10.0 news before or right around 9.2, but it was never going to happen. Let 9.2 breathe and then several weeks later announce 10.0.

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Work from home shouldn't affect anyone whose job is 100% capable of being done on a computer. Especially not after 2 years. Companies adapted - granted, some way better than others. It's still a redundant excuse to bring up for anything and everything that's going wrong.

"Any 10.0 news today, you think?" will continue until actual 10.0 news comes out.