Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Catastrophy349]

I have a feeling that the next few weeks leading up to announcement, announcement day, and after will be very good for WoW

[Revamp Man]

But what is the point if needing more levels to begin with? All it really does is dilute power gains on each level, and the only real benefit is that players can close their eyes and pretend like their level actually matters at endgame.

The current levelling works as well as one could expect.
1-10 for tutorial. 10-50 for acclimatizing the player. And 50-60 for easing players into current endgame.
Add 10 more levels and all you are really doing is either adding 10 levels to the middle section, which is pointless. Or making SL required levelling after the 10-50 stretch, which is even worse.

It helps players feel stronger
Leveling was a problem when you had to slog through certain areas which is why they merged some then did chromie time
10-50 isn’t fun or engaging so there’s no reason to expect 10-60 to be different except maybe the extra levels will let them experience more than the leveling campaign because let’s face it some levels can be ignored when you gain one in a dungeon

New players will have to level through shadowlands which is already exp rich in just the main story

Compared to constant resets which requires them to keep scaling back and can screw with gearing.

The level cap going over 100 was the issue along with 400k dps but if they can keep the power jumps minimal then we can get 4 expansions without more garbage squishes

[Marlamin]

Didn't they do this leading up to SL as well? And it ended up being nothing.

Pretty much. The map itself isn't insignificant, but the fact it was "updated" pretty much is. Format updates, changes to files the map uses or some dev randomly opening it could all trigger updates. It's just another thing that got blown out of proportion by Reddit.

[Archmage Xaxxas]

Where are the World Revamp people at?

Patiently awaiting the 20th Anniversary and 10th Expansion for that!

[huth]

Pretty much. The map itself isn't insignificant, but the fact it was "updated" pretty much is. Format updates, changes to files the map uses or some dev randomly opening it could all trigger updates. It's just another thing that got blown out of proportion by Reddit.

Imagine if it turns out they just put some random thing that gets used for some sort of regular tests and gets updated all the time in the map and then forgot about it...

[AOL Instant Messenger]

yah just like Uthers Tomb in EK was completely redesigned for its usage in SL.

That sounds rather distinct—a personal project updating an already-extant small subzone in the open world is pretty different from an entirely internal build of a wholly redesigned zone.

[Hitei]

That sounds rather distinct—a personal project updating an already-extant small subzone in the open world is pretty different from an entirely internal build of a wholly redesigned zone.

I mean, they are different, but that difference is actually counter to the point you are making. Significantly, significantly more work went into the revamp of Uther's tomb than went into the Galakrond map.

The first one involves a whole bunch of newly modeled structures, individually placed assets with care and thought put into their locations, placed lighting and spell effects, terrain tool repainting ground textures etc. The second was someone deleting a bunch of assets and then very roughly filling in some holes with one snow terrain tool.

[micwini]

Where are the World Revamp people at?

im right here dude. Been believing since after WoD

[Nightshade711]

That sounds rather distinct—a personal project updating an already-extant small subzone in the open world is pretty different from an entirely internal build of a wholly redesigned zone.

I mean, they are different, but that difference is actually counter to the point you are making. Significantly, significantly more work went into the revamp of Uther's tomb than went into the Galakrond map.

The first one involves a whole bunch of newly modeled structures, individually placed assets with care and thought put into their locations, placed lighting and spell effects, terrain tool repainting ground textures etc. The second was someone deleting a bunch of assets and then very roughly filling in some holes with one snow terrain tool.

The map itself wasn't even changed.
Go back to any of the map versions from 8.2 onward and there's no actual change.

Galakrond's skeleton, wyrmrest, and the dragonshrines are missing from each version of the map on that link.

[AOL Instant Messenger]

I mean, they are different, but that difference is actually counter to the point you are making. Significantly, significantly more work went into the revamp of Uther's tomb than went into the Galakrond map.

The first one involves a whole bunch of newly modeled structures, individually placed assets with care and thought put into their locations, placed lighting and spell effects, terrain tool repainting ground textures etc. The second was someone deleting a bunch of assets and then very roughly filling in some holes with one snow terrain tool.

Doesn't that also rule it out as a personal project? Why would someone make such minuscule changes for seemingly no reason to Dragonblight?

The map itself wasn't even changed.
Go back to any of the map versions from 8.2 onward and there's no actual change.

Galakrond's skeleton, wyrmrest, and the dragonshrines are missing from each version of the map on that link.

I see. So, it's irrelevant, then?

If that's the case I presume whatever it was intended for was simply cut.

Where are the World Revamp people at?

I am holding out hope, though I'm not sure how plausible it is. I'm thinking an expansion limited to Lordaeron and possibly Quel'Thalas seems most likely, since I don't know if Blizzard has the time nor resources to do a full world revamp of adequate quality unless they've been working on it for a very long time now.

[Nightshade711]

Doesn't that also rule it out as a personal project? Why would someone make such minuscule changes for seemingly no reason to Dragonblight?

- - - Updated - - -



I see. So, it's irrelevant, then?

If that's the case I presume whatever it was intended for was simply cut.

I personally think that everything being missing is just how the map/terrain files look in their base form but I might be wrong.
Especially since everything is pretty much missing from the map on that link except the terrain itself.

There still could've been an internal update to the map but idk how to check that, if we're even able to. I'd expect it to at least have some things to bring us closer to what dragonblight is supposed to look like with the top of wyrmrest blown off etc.

[Sondrelk]

Doesn't that also rule it out as a personal project? Why would someone make such minuscule changes for seemingly no reason to Dragonblight?



I see. So, it's irrelevant, then?

If that's the case I presume whatever it was intended for was simply cut.



I am holding out hope, though I'm not sure how plausible it is. I'm thinking an expansion limited to Lordaeron and possibly Quel'Thalas seems most likely, since I don't know if Blizzard has the time nor resources to do a full world revamp of adequate quality unless they've been working on it for a very long time now.

The most plausible explanation for the Galakrond map is that it was made for a potentially scrapped quest way back. Got shelved. And now gives off notices whenever a developer opens the file or whatever else.

As for the potential reason for the changes the most plausible explanation is that it was meant to be a flashback to the aspects defeating Galakrond, since all that would realistically need is a version of Dragonblight where nothing really exists to put some proto-drakes into.

[AOL Instant Messenger]

The most plausible explanation for the Galakrond map is that it was made for a potentially scrapped quest way back. Got shelved. And now gives off notices whenever a developer opens the file or whatever else.

As for the potential reason for the changes the most plausible explanation is that it was meant to be a flashback to the aspects defeating Galakrond, since all that would realistically need is a version of Dragonblight where nothing really exists to put some proto-drakes into.

I was always thinking it would be a flashback quest, either for a cinematic or – possibly more likely, given the scale of it – something akin to the Huln quests in Stormheim. I wonder why it would be scrapped though, and what it could've been used for that would necessitate it being made in 8.2. Perhaps it was for a previous incarnation of the Ysera storyline for 9.0 that would've involved a flashback quest?

[Varodoc]

Why are people here not discussing the possibility of a Lordaeron subcontinent revamp?

Turalyon stated that he wants to reclaim former holdings of the Alliance like Stromgarde. Supposedly the Forsaken are rebuilding their bases around the blighted Lordaeron Capital. Alleria Windrunner stated that she is certain that Quel'Thalas will stand with the Alliance once again. Magister Umbric also shares this hope. It is in fact a distinctive trait of the Ren'dorei, that they seek to bring their former kin back into the Alliance. This is their goal. There are also pamphlets written by Scarlet sympathizers who attempt to sow discord and dissent within the Alliance ranks. The Scarlets have also identified Genn Greymane as a potential pawn, and coincidentally Ion cited the name Genn Greymane as a potential candidate for some Alliance drama.

Will the leaders of the Alliance, so Turalyon, Alleria, Genn Greymane, and the House of Nobles, trust Anduin Wrynn after he has been possessed and manipulated by Satan?

A revamp of Lordaeron subcontinent is all but confirmed at this point.

[Hitei]

Why are people here not discussing the possibility of a Lordaeron subcontinent revamp?

Turalyon stated that he wants to reclaim former holdings of the Alliance like Stromgarde. Supposedly the Forsaken are rebuilding their bases around the blighted Lordaeron Capital. Alleria Windrunner stated that she is certain that Quel'Thalas will stand with the Alliance once again. Magister Umbric also shares this hope. It is in fact a distinctive trait of the Ren'dorei, that they seek to bring their former kin back into the Alliance. This is their goal. There are also pamphlets written by Scarlet sympathizers who attempt to sow discord and dissent within the Alliance ranks. The Scarlets have also identified Genn Greymane as a potential pawn, and coincidentally Ion cited the name Genn Greymane as a potential candidate for some Alliance drama.

A revamp of Lordaeron subcontinent is all but confirmed at this point.

Because it's extremely unlikely that they'd update one section of one continent as an entire expansion. Particularly the one section, on the entire map, that has almost zero zone diversity in the modern storyline, where the plaguelands are very far along in recovering, making it like six zones of lightly hilly, sparsely wooded meadows, and then Quel'thalas.

You being absolutely obsessed with a specific handful of characters =/= an expansion being "all but confirmed"

[GR8GODZILLAGOD]

"All but confirmed"
Fucking lol.

[Vakir]

Also, people are discussing a Lordaeron revamp, just indirectly - like the last 3-4 "leaks" have been northern Eastern Kingdoms revamps. Just because it doesn't primarily focus on your overly specific interests doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

[huth]

Doesn't that also rule it out as a personal project? Why would someone make such minuscule changes for seemingly no reason to Dragonblight?

Probably to test something. Then just nobody bothered deleting the test map. Overall, it's unlikely to be relevant and in fact, unlikely to ever have been.

[Varodoc]

"All but confirmed"
Fucking lol.

Shadowlands had less set-up than Lordaeron (and Quel'Thalas, because it can be considered part of the "Lordaeron subcontinent, i.e. the geographical landmass, NOT the ruined kingdom) does now.

On top of those quotes from in-game characters, the Eastern Kingdoms novel reinforced the fact that the Forsaken are rebuilding in Lordaeron and the Ren'dorei seek to bring Quel'Thalas back into the Alliance.

We also know from old maps that the Dragon Isles are located north of Lordaeron's shoreline.

[KOUNTERPARTS]

Blood Elves are not going to the Alliance. Their capital isn't either.


There is a reason why Blizzard regulated the Void Elves starting area to a place off Azeroth in a literal dark corner of the universe where nobody bothers them and they do not bother anybody else. The symbolism is quite telling.