Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Cosmic Janitor]

Them holding the last questline back could make sense. If they release it 4 weeks after the raid anyway I could see them avoiding major spoilers. Not to mention I think the resolution of Slyvanas' plotline will be a major controversy anyway, which will cost them customers no matter how it turns out. They've written themselves into a corner and getting out of it will never be satisfying to anyone. Hence spoiling it now might prevent many from even bothering to check out the patch.

[Kiivar86]

I agree on the whole "Shadowlands doesn't feel alien enough" feeling. Only Bastion really feels like an afterlife-like area. Ardenweald is beautiful but if I knew nothing I'd have assumed it just a more magical section of Ashenvale.

Speaking of, Ardenwead, for a place that's supposed to reflect Autumn and Winter, doesn't feel like much of either to me. I still love the zone the most of the four, but it really could do with some more "chilly" feeling to it.

[Sondrelk]

Why though? Has this happened before? I'm not sure. Some hidden Mythic phases of final bosses I guess have been kept a secret, but something like an entire story campaign?

Maybe the PTR isn't just there yet and we're not looking for a release in June. I guess we'll get the release date tomorrow. If they're announcing 9.2 as well... that's what I question.

Pretty much the entire plotline of 9.2.5 was hidden to avoid spoilers.

It doesn't happen often or even consistently but it seems like Blizzard are capable of hiding twists.

I do also find it interesting in that both this and the previous hidden questline would in that case be heavily about the fate of Sylvanas.

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Them holding the last questline back could make sense. If they release it 4 weeks after the raid anyway I could see them avoiding major spoilers. Not to mention I think the resolution of Slyvanas' plotline will be a major controversy anyway, which will cost them customers no matter how it turns out. They've written themselves into a corner and getting out of it will never be satisfying to anyone. Hence spoiling it now might prevent many from even bothering to check out the patch.

Thinking about it this is pretty much the exact same case as with 9.2.5 where Sylvanas fled the Horde. It was controversial because players still wanted to believe she was right for some reason and it has major impact on the rest of the expansion, in that case leading to the faction war being entirely dropped in favor of N'zoth as the final boss.

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I agree on the whole "Shadowlands doesn't feel alien enough" feeling. Only Bastion really feels like an afterlife-like area. Ardenweald is beautiful but if I knew nothing I'd have assumed it just a more magical section of Ashenvale.

Speaking of, Ardenwead, for a place that's supposed to reflect Autumn and Winter, doesn't feel like much of either to me. I still love the zone the most of the four, but it really could do with some more "chilly" feeling to it.

I don't know how they could realistically make it more alien without completely losing the tiny bit of grounding the zones would need for constant traversing.

Also you are completely right on the Ardwnweald criticism. It really does just look like a blue forest. It really should have looked more autumnal or even winter like. Not to the level where you would imagine it being cold necessarily, but enough so that you feel like you are in constant autumn and winter as opposed to spring and summer in the Emerald Dream.

[Cosmic Janitor]

Btw, is the encrypted video for the Sylvanas "kill" in the game already? Or is there only the model thingy? The holdup could also be that they haven't finished the video yet. In SL beta it felt like production these also stalled for the longest time. I could see this being the case now as well.

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Also you are completely right on the Ardwnweald criticism. It really does just look like a blue forest. It really should have looked more autumnal or even winter like. Not to the level where you would imagine it being cold necessarily, but enough so that you feel like you are in constant autumn and winter as opposed to spring and summer in the Emerald Dream.

Absolutely, for someone called the winter queen that reigns over the second half of the circle of (wild god) life this feels nothing like it. They kinda lost themselves in the fae magic-nature theme.

[Nyel]

Pretty much the entire plotline of 9.2.5 was hidden to avoid spoilers.

It doesn't happen often or even consistently but it seems like Blizzard are capable of hiding twists.

I do also find it interesting in that both this and the previous hidden questline would in that case be heavily about the fate of Sylvanas.

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Thinking about it this is pretty much the exact same case as with 9.2.5 where Sylvanas fled the Horde. It was controversial because players still wanted to believe she was right for some reason and it has major impact on the rest of the expansion, in that case leading to the faction war being entirely dropped in favor of N'zoth as the final boss.

Was it hidden though? I thought we knew about Saurfangs death before the patch was released and that was pretty much the entire "secret" thing about that patch?

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Absolutely, for someone called the winter queen that reigns over the second half of the circle of (wild god) life this feels nothing like it. They kinda lost themselves in the fae magic-nature theme.

I mean forest is entirely possible, just make it a... frozen forest? Like with giant ice blocks where every tree and plant is frozen or whatever. They could have done a lot of things yet they gave us blue Teldrassil.

[Kokolums]

They shoudl either go all out an create a whole new planet for the next expansion or just go back to azeroth and keep is small. SL was just way to alien and conceptual imho.

Blizz can't create interesting characters anymore. And most of the interesting characters from the past they turn into villains and / or have been killed off already. Kel'Thuzad should have been in the main villain of SL, not stone cold. KT actually has an interesting backstory and it would be interesting to see where it leads. But Stone Cold climbing chains to stunner the Arbiter is boring.

[Sondrelk]

Was it hidden though? I thought we knew about Saurfangs death before the patch was released and that was pretty much the entire "secret" thing about that patch?

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I mean forest is entirely possible, just make it a... frozen forest? Like with giant ice blocks where every tree and plant is frozen or whatever. They could have done a lot of things yet they gave us blue Teldrassil.

From what I remember we only knew about Saurfangs death because his death animation was found. Not to mention his death was clearly telegraphed.

I do remember the questline was encrypted though.

[Wangming]

I mean forest is entirely possible, just make it a... frozen forest? Like with giant ice blocks where every tree and plant is frozen or whatever. They could have done a lot of things yet they gave us blue Teldrassil.

Drustvar would have made a much better domain for somebody called a winter queen. Or a zone that looks like Drustvar anyway.

[Black Rider]

What the hell is happening with 9.1 so long after the release.
Damn I thought after the Legion it was fixed.
The patch timing was normal.
Now this

[Sondrelk]

What the hell is happening with 9.1 so long after the release.
Damn I thought after the Legion it was fixed.
The patch timing was normal.
Now this

Something happened called a global pandemic changing society almost to the core fro the last year and a bit. You might have heard of it if you looked outside during that time.

And of course the California forest fire that happened last year.

[Makabreska]

They shoudl either go all out an create a whole new planet for the next expansion or just go back to azeroth and keep is small. SL was just way to alien and conceptual imho.

Another planet can also be a bit down to earth (ironic hm^^) by being more classic fanatsy with a bit of scifi.

If we venture into lifelands or shit like that... idk... i think at some point i will stop caring about wows story completly. SL is allready a stretch for me. ut i can get on board becuase of sylvannas. logical conclusion and all that.

A whole new planet is not doable, simply because we wouldn't be able to explore it all and the developer time and costs would be much greater. Sure, it could be be smaller size, but we already had that in form of Outlands and Draenor.

I personally like alien SL, simply because Legion and BfA zones were very down to earth (sure we had Argus, but that was mostly a black/green wasteland.

[TheFirstOnes]

What the hell is happening with 9.1 so long after the release.
Damn I thought after the Legion it was fixed.
The patch timing was normal.
Now this

COVID, and some other things.

Even then, 9.1 is like...2-3 months later than the usual patch. The patch itself is literally almost done. Like 1-2 weeks of polishing, and it should be good. Heard some tracks in Korthia aswell. So, that's a good sign.

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Like I said before, if the Pantheon of Life isn't part of 9.2...

I'll eat my shorts. THERE IS NO WAY 9.2 DOESN'T INVOLVE THEM IN A WAY SOMEHOW!

[Hellspawn]

Like I said before, if the Pantheon of Life isn't part of 9.2...

I'll eat my shorts. THERE IS NO WAY 9.2 DOESN'T INVOLVE THEM IN A WAY SOMEHOW!

The video does not really change anything about what we already know.

Life involvement is possible I guess but I don't think the chance for that is that high. For me, the Tyrande/Elune Ark is its own thing and it may be closed off with some minor stuff or was the night elf heritage quest chain.

[Varodoc]

Am I the only one who doesn't have a clue about what the "zomg Pantheon of Life!!!!" is and frankly couldn't care any less?

[TheFirstOnes]

The video does not really change anything about what we already know.

Life involvement is possible I guess but I don't think the chance for that is that high. For me, the Tyrande/Elune Ark is its own thing and it may be closed off with some minor stuff or was the night elf heritage quest chain.

Why would it be its own thing? Tyrande is a major part in SL, the Eternal Ones aren't gonna be enough to stop Zovaal in 9.1, and lots of things have been implied/built up regarding Life's involvement in this shit.

And the Dreadlord plot isn't dealt with either. We still need to stop that Dreadlord in the Planes of Life, as well as deal with the shit with Denathrius and co.

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Am I the only one who doesn't have a clue about what the "Pantheon of Life" is and frankly couldn't care any less?

It's something that is theorized HEAVILY by the Brokers regarding Ardenweald's functions, and serves as part of the main official previews on the Amazon page for the Grimoire.

Not to mention this is released around the time of 9.1's release, so...idk bud.



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Also, do you care about anything this expac? Seems more like you're just waiting for the Void Lords tbh.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Also, do you care about anything this expac? Seems more like you're just waiting for the Void Lords tbh.

Thats his....fetish at this point.

[Nightmare Queen]

If we're going to the 'Lifelands', do you think we'll meet more Loa? More specifically, the 'Life' version of Bwonsamdi?

[Sondrelk]

If we're going to the 'Lifelands', do you think we'll meet more Loa? More specifically, the 'Life' version of Bwonsamdi?

I don't really see why there would be a life verion of Bwonssamdi. There might be one for Mueh'zala, but Bwonsamdi is an ascended troll priest, not a wild god like what Mueh'zala seems to be.
And that is of course without getting into why there would be a life analogue to death anyways for Loa. Bwonsamdi is about Death AND Life, not solely death. There are not death analogues of the wild gods and loa we already know.

[TheFirstOnes]

If we're going to the 'Lifelands', do you think we'll meet more Loa? More specifically, the 'Life' version of Bwonsamdi?

No. Cause we met them already. The Wild Gods.

[Revamp Man]

Well no 2 week announcement

Hello July expansion