Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[AOL Instant Messenger]

It is in contrast to their philosophy, but it's more about the player's experience isn't it? Lorewise you could very much be a renegate or someone living on the fringe of Mag'har society. Or as you said, it could be explained through voidwalkers (and connexion to the Shadowmoon Orcs? although that would be more Shadow Priests) and stuff. I'm just saying I'm not putting it past Blizzard to push something like this, afterall they made Tauren paladins work by explaining they were basically Sun druids

Reasonable enough. I was thinking the Shadowmoon, specifically, were the best option for that. Still don't see much of a reason for it—maybe if they had access to Necromancy instead of the usual Warlockery, though ...

[Khaza-R]

It's not about being pedantic.

Show 100 people on the street an image of an horse carriage, and I can guarantee that not a single person would call the entire thing "horses".

You just desperately want the leak to be real when at the end of the day, they are not adding a reindeer mount but a sleigh mount, therefore the leak is not real. That's not the only thing disproving the leak, but hey.

Its also just a PH for a test mount so at this point there's no evidence its tied to holiday event at all.

If I had to guess though, its probably going to be a flying caravan mount if anything.

[Kiivar86]

It's not about being pedantic.

Show 100 people on the street an image of an horse carriage, and I can guarantee that not a single person would call the entire thing "horses".

You just desperately want the leak to be real when at the end of the day, they are not adding a reindeer mount but a sleigh mount, therefore the leak is not real. That's not the only thing disproving the leak, but hey.

Thank you.

If you want to hope in it, go ahead. By all means. Hell, I'd love a sleigh mount, as it'd open up the possibility of similar things (I've long wanted a carriage thing like from Gilneas. Or hell, Meerah's caravan with Dolly and Dot. I'd adore that.

But I also recognize that saying "reindeer" does not equate "sleigh." They are related, sure, but if you tell me "Reindeer mount" my mind is going to go to me riding a reindeer. Especially since we have an item that turns your mount into a reindeer that you ride already. The fact that the "leaker" didn't say sleigh or indicate anything besides a reindeer is telling. And the other guesses are all either easy to guess at or already happening.

Like, hell, here, I got a leak for you. They're going to continue heritage armor at some point. Zounds!

[draugril]

Reasonable enough. I was thinking the Shadowmoon, specifically, were the best option for that. Still don't see much of a reason for it—maybe if they had access to Necromancy instead of the usual Warlockery, though ...

That's the crux of it, there: we already have Orc Warlocks. Mag'har Warlocks are unnecessary. What we should really be pushing for, as far as Warlocks and existing playable races, is Hightmountain Tauren. Get the remnants of the Feltotem on board. Give the race something unique that their "parent" race doesn't have!

[Teriz]

/snip

I agree with much of this. I would argue that Dwarves are also warriors. The Mountain King was a warrior hero, and the Warrior abilities Avatar, Thunderclap, and Avatar come directly from him. The same applies to Tauren. Warrior class ability Shockwave comes from the Tauren Chieftain.

Goblins have nothing like that. The Goblin hero was the Alchemist and the Tinker, full of tech abilities not suitable for any existing class. It also doesn't help that you have multiple Gnome and Goblin NPCs and leaders running around in mech suits and using cool high-tech stuff.

Now can you say mechagnomes, gnomes, and gobs have the same? Nearly every single significant lore gnome, gob, and MG is a tinker. This is partly why their pop numbers are low.

It's hilarious how some folks can't acknowledge that simple fact.

- - - Updated - - -

"Fun and lighthearted", just like the storylines of the Mogu previously enslaving the Pandaren, ruling with an iron fist, and those Slavers have recently started to come back. The sha, void corruptions of negative emotions, infecting people and forcing them to attack their own people against their own will. A brutal tyrant from across the seas coming to pillage their land (dramatically defacing one of the most sacred areas in the entire island). The Divine Bell incident, causing a literal race war against the Blood Elves in Dalaran, etc. etc. Very lighthearted. Just pure adventure. No political tension, no sir.

Yes, all of that was buried in a veneer of bright, beautiful vistas inhabited by tubby pandas drinking beer and telling you to chill and relax. Your post simply shows that we can have expansions with some light heartedness with some very dark undertones.

[Nightshade711]

You know, every single race has at least 1 or more classes that heavily align with that race's values, culture and lore that let's players emerse in such fantasies or be like certain lore figures

Human: mages, warriors, paladins, DKs

Dwarves: hunters, shamans

Nelves: druids, hunters, hell even mages(highborn), DH

Draenie: priests, paladins

Worgen: druids, warriors

KT humans: shaman, druids, priests, mages

Velvet: mages, warlocks, priests, hunters

LFD: paladins, priests

DID: sam as regular dwarves

Orcs: warriors, shamans, warlocks

Troll: hunter, shaman

Taurean: druids, shaman, hunters

Forsaken: death knights, rogues, hunters

Blood elves: hunter, mage, warlock

Pandaren: Monk

Maghar: warrior, shaman

Zanda: shaman, priest

NB: mages, warlocks

HMT: see taurean

Vulpera: rogues, hunters

Now obviously combos not included here are viable as well but there's just something about those that resonate well given the lore.of.each race and significant lore figures.

Now can you say mechagnomes, gnomes, and gobs have the same? Nearly every single significant lore gnome, gob, and MG is a tinker. This is partly why their pop numbers are low.

Not a single player for those races can truly play as what those races embody, mechanical inginuity.

Tinkers are the last archetype wow needs to feel complete when it comes to playable classes. No other class can fill in that void.

Agreed.
They have the main ideas of the specs already built up via the island teams too.

Still hoping we eventually do get an xpac where they’d fit into the theme.

[Valysar]

And what WoW expansion didn't have borrowed power? Tier sets and legendaries are also borrowed power. Everything that increases power but is irrelevant by the max level of next expansion is borrowed power.

Then why the favorite xpac of all time is Wotlk ? (iirc) It has almost no borrowed powers ? (Btw Tier sets are not borrowed powers for me, since they've been present since years), only 2 TRUE legendaries not available to everyone, there was no artifact powers, azerite powers, covenants, tons of anima, essences, conduits, plethora of "legendaries" that became common gears, etc etc.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

On that we agree, I was just arguing the terminology for that mount. For me the strongest point against that leak is the whole heritage weapons linked to a vendor: we know that's wrong, and I don't believe someone leaking the next expansion would have missed the development of specific questlines around those heritage weapons. So yeah, EoA is very likely to be false.

Most leaks have one absolute poison pill that shows it as fake at this point. I'm pretty sure we're for once gonna go into a reveal with no leaks, either from leakers or from Blizz themselves.

[Fahrad Wagner]

Most leaks have one absolute poison pill that shows it as fake at this point. I'm pretty sure we're for once gonna go into a reveal with no leaks, either from leakers or from Blizz themselves.

I think we'll have a leak a few days before the reveal, as we do usually Remember Wrath of the Bolvar and that promo art that leaked? The posts on the previous threads were glorious haha

[Sondrelk]

I think we'll have a leak a few days before the reveal, as we do usually Remember Wrath of the Bolvar and that promo art that leaked? The posts on the previous threads were glorious haha

We might get some press kit or website leaks, but I very much doubt we are getting an actual "proper" leak.

[Fahrad Wagner]

We might get some press kit or website leaks, but I very much doubt we are getting an actual "proper" leak.

Who knows! Every leak season brings its surprises!

[Sondrelk]

Who knows! Every leak season brings its surprises!

That is true. Maybe the announcement is prerecorded and gets accidentally released on YouTube or something. That would certainly add some spice to the hype train, everyone sitting here waiting for an announcement that they basically already know.

[KainneAbsolute]

Isn't set abilities borrowed power?

[Sondrelk]

Isn't set abilities borrowed power?

It is, but it's part old expansions that are considered good, so they get a pass.

Borrowed power is just another buzzword that gets thrown around without much thought out into what exactly it means.
What players are more specifically angry about from Legion onward is external power gains unique to a specific expansion, usually with a progression system separate from the strictly gear based progression that is the standard for most RPGs.

[Catastrophy349]

That is true. Maybe the announcement is prerecorded and gets accidentally released on YouTube or something. That would certainly add some spice to the hype train, everyone sitting here waiting for an announcement that they basically already know.

This brings up a GREAT topic for speculation: How do we think the 10.0 expansion reveal will happen? YouTube pre-recorded video like 9.2 announcement? A LIVE reveal? Twitter/Blue Post? Etc.

[Sondrelk]

This brings up a GREAT topic for speculation: How do we think the 10.0 expansion reveal will happen? YouTube pre-recorded video like 9.2 announcement? A LIVE reveal? Twitter/Blue Post? Etc.

From the sound of the pre-announcement it very much seemed like it would pretty much just be a larger format version of the patch reveal livestream we usually get.
Essentially all the Blizzcon stuff (or Blizzconline rather) about WoW specifically, then trimming down all the useless fluff stuff like developer Q&As and design deep dives, focusing just on the actual announcement and feature presentations.

Then later if Blizzard wants more hype and engagement they can give us whatever design deep dives, Q&As and whatever else sprinkled throughout the post expansion drought.

[Catastrophy349]

I would LOVE to see a LIVE reveal (think Blizzconline style) or similarly to how Ion would announce a brand new patch on video for 8.2 or 8.3 in BFA. Then, I would like to read several interviews from game developers on said expansion for more details. All in all, I want a beefy cinematic and features trailer, minimum, then if time/possible, I would love to see a deep-dive of the features/art for whatever is coming.

[Revamp Man]

Yeah and they started 9.1.5, so that's not a hard thing to guess at.

which ones were added?

[Grimbold21]

I was thinking about the whole "underground" expansion, and I reckon that, thematically, it would make sense to finally had the shaman tank spec.

[rainhard]

I am hopeful they will "accidentally" give a hint to the new xpac through a 9.2.5 build, like the kultiran robes or something.