Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Elflover99]

I'm thinking fake on this if for no other reason than the Slimesaber is a bizarre choice for a racial mount here. Nothing we've seen about Darkfallen or the like screams out to me that they'd want to ride a slimy cat from Maldraxxus.

It's confirmed fake, it was made by the infamous Red Shirt Guy, but he said on twitter that it doubles as his actual predictions.

I think the slime saber doesn't have to do with them. We have two encrypted mounts with serpent noises that are likely their racial mounts, though I don't know what they would be. He just chose the slime saber because it is also encrypted on the PTR... though I think that's because it is supposed to be a surprise, not because it is tied to the Tirisfal/Darkfallen stuff.

[Kiria]

ANOTHER Bloodelf recolor? No thanks. We really don't need more elves. There are so many unexplored races that would be far more interesting. Furbolgs, Jinyu, Ogres, Naga, Ethereals, Mantid, Sethrak are far more interesting than red eyed elves.
If anything, they should be skin options unlocked via a questline like the night warrior.

To be honest, you'll find the general casual playerbase are just not as interested in bestial races, look how unpopular worgen pandas and others are compared to elves and humans, People want to play a race they can identify with or are well known fantasy tropes.

Blizz has to weigh the risks and its easier and more sensible for them to cater to the casual masses rather than the hardcore minorities.

[Elflover99]

ANOTHER Bloodelf recolor? No thanks. We really don't need more elves. There are so many unexplored races that would be far more interesting. Furbolgs, Jinyu, Ogres, Naga, Ethereals, Mantid, Sethrak are far more interesting than red eyed elves.
If anything, they should be skin options unlocked via a questline like the night warrior.

Those races should be implemented as actual new races with a starting zone. Most of the ARs are tweaked subraces and nothing will change that, Vulpera, Zandalari and Kul Tirans are outliers and are only as unique as they are for race change money.

Vulpera is the only one that isn't a subrace in lore as well.

[FuujCraft]

To be honest, you'll find the general casual playerbase are just not as interested in bestial races, look how unpopular worgen pandas and others are compared to elves and humans, People want to play a race they can identify with or are well known fantasy tropes.

Blizz has to weigh the risks and its easier and more sensible for them to cater to the casual masses rather than the hardcore minorities.

You might be right on that, but that doesn't mean every future race has to be an elf. That just makes the game stagnant an boring.

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Those races should be implemented as actual new races with a starting zone. Most of the ARs are tweaked subraces and nothing will change that, Vulpera, Zandalari and Kul Tirans are outliers and are only as unique as they are for race change money.

Vulpera is the only one that isn't a subrace in lore as well.

That's true, however, there are more interesting choices for sub races than another elf race. Mok'nathal, Giblins, Furbolgs (could work as a pandaren sub race)

[Elflover99]

You might be right on that, but that doesn't mean every future race has to be an elf. That just makes the game stagnant an boring.

This is the last big faction of elves that would be playable and the last time they would be really relevant. I don't see why them being added in before actual new races would mean its all elves from here on out.

[Kiria]

You might be right on that, but that doesn't mean every future race has to be an elf. That just makes the game stagnant an boring.

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That's true, however, there are more interesting choices for sub races than another elf race. Mok'nathal, Giblins, Furbolgs (could work as a pandaren sub race)

Oh no I agree, but RN to bring people back and garner interest it might be, then they'll start with the more risky races/classes.

Blizz really need a big win after 2021 and Shadowlands.

[Sharby]

Why bother making races that no one is going to play when you can make what the actual in game playerbase wants?

Theyre finally shifting away from designing for the turbonerds and more towards the general playerbase. At least with things like allocating resources for content design.

Hell even high end content they're designing for people that want to do it not the midcore takes 10 months to clear Normal but whines about things being too easy players anymore.

I mean you say this but they went ahead and made KT's and Mechagnomes anyways. I think Blizzard has enough money and dev-power to be able to put in what they desire rather than what's the "smartest" choice.

Also, I haven't really heard any buzz about Darkfallen, while I saw demand for High Elves even off of this site multiple times. So I doubt they are really super popular.

[FuujCraft]

This is the last big faction of elves that would be playable and the last time they would be really relevant. I don't see why them being added in before actual new races would mean its all elves from here on out.

For now. In a light expansion people would start asking for Lightforged Elves. In an Aquatic Expansion people would start asking for Mermaid Elves. There really is no end to that imo.

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Oh no I agree, but RN to bring people back and garner interest it might be, then they'll start with the more risky races/classes.

Blizz really need a big win after 2021 and Shadowlands.

I don't think people would return for Darkfallen. There is a Sylvanas fatigue anyway at the moment.

[Elflover99]

I mean you say this but they went ahead and made KT's and Mechagnomes anyways. I think Blizzard has enough money and dev-power to be able to put in what they desire rather than what's the "smartest" choice.

Also, I haven't really heard any buzz about Darkfallen, while I saw demand for High Elves even off of this site multiple times. So I doubt they are really super popular.

Because people refer to them as Dark Rangers and San'layn. Both of these things have been requested since they were introduced.

As for the Kul Tirans/Mechagnomes thing, Blizz felt the need to include them because there was literally no other option. They could've pivoted to Sethrak based on initial feedback but they were already developing Mechagnomes and couldn't just scrap them and do something else. Kul Tirans weren't even planned and they had mentioned there may be times when "one faction doesn't get a race"... they clearly expected Alliance to just be ok with not getting a race from Kul Tiras.

Basically they screwed themselves over by having to make a Kul Tiran race late, and that tanked any dev time for additional races.

[AngerFork]

It's confirmed fake, it was made by the infamous Red Shirt Guy, but he said on twitter that it doubles as his actual predictions.

I think the slime saber doesn't have to do with them. We have two encrypted mounts with serpent noises that are likely their racial mounts, though I don't know what they would be. He just chose the slime saber because it is also encrypted on the PTR... though I think that's because it is supposed to be a surprise, not because it is tied to the Tirisfal/Darkfallen stuff.

Ah, good to know. He definitely has a good leaker voice & I kind of like his idea in a general sense.

My guess is the Slime Saber will be used for some sort of season 4 reward and/or be a hidden mount in 9.2.5. The serpent noise mounts sound kind of cool, might be an interesting fit if we do get something like Darkfallen.

[Elflover99]

Ah, good to know. He definitely has a good leaker voice & I kind of like his idea in a general sense.

My guess is the Slime Saber will be used for some sort of season 4 reward and/or be a hidden mount in 9.2.5. The serpent noise mounts sound kind of cool, might be an interesting fit if we do get something like Darkfallen.

The snakes make me think of the N'zoth eels, so it could be some kind of OC Maw creature that resembles them. The mount that fits the Belf Darkfallen is definitely a skeleton horse, but that wouldn't fit the Nelves, so an OC creature from Shadowlands could be a compromise. I think there is already a snake monster in the Maw? (that has a bad older model but thats the precedent)

Alternatively the sounds are placeholders.

[Kiivar86]

Fanservice and memes. Don't forget the memes. We have multiple iconic Alucards. And all of Trinity Blood for Darkfallen priests.

I'm kinda shocked someone remembers Trinity Blood, I feel like that kinda faded away (partly due to the author's death, as I recall).

Not gonna lie, the more you guys talk about this Darkfallen AR idea, the more I warm to it.

[Wangming]

For now. In a light expansion people would start asking for Lightforged Elves. In an Aquatic Expansion people would start asking for Mermaid Elves. There really is no end to that imo.

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I don't think people would return for Darkfallen. There is a Sylvanas fatigue anyway at the moment.

I hate Sylvanas and I haven't had a recurring subscription since the Siege of Orgirmmar. But I would fucking come back for Darkfallen.
You know, some of us don't care much for dragons, but really like vampires. I'm that kinda guy. Besides as much as they like to do silly memey zones and stories, somehow dark gothic is what they are truly good at. Like the first two Diablos. Like Gilneas, like Duskwood. Like Drustvar and Revendreth.

[Triceron]

I don't believe any of the 'leaks', but I'll say I'd be all for playable Darkfallen.

[Wangming]

I'm kinda shocked someone remembers Trinity Blood, I feel like that kinda faded away (partly due to the author's death, as I recall).

Not gonna lie, the more you guys talk about this Darkfallen AR idea, the more I warm to it.

Trinity Blood was awesome, I loved it. The anime ending was weird, but that muuuusic. Opening theme from Buck-Tick just like Shiki had. I tell you, Atsushi Sakurai is a real life vampire.

[Elflover99]

Also good to note that reusing racials, aesthetics and mounts for two ARs saves time and money and thus makes it very possible for a Blizzard thing.

It would be bizarre to unlock a class at the end of the expansion, but not races.

[Wangming]

Also good to note that reusing racials, aesthetics and mounts for two ARs saves time and money and thus makes it very possible for a Blizzard thing.

Yep. ARs are very cost effective. Hence why BfA could have 8 of them. Now if they do one neutral AR, that would save a lot of time and resources for a decent world revamp.

[Elflover99]

Yep. ARs are very cost effective. Hence why BfA could have 8 of them. Now if they do one neutral AR, that would save a lot of time and resources for a decent world revamp.

I think it'll have to be two ARs to separate the two races within, but yeah they will reuse racials/armor/mounts and maybe voicelines? Maybe not though.

If it was a neutral race it would just be the belves as they could be both helf/belf. But Delaryn's existence means they added the Nelves as an "Alliance Option". A race with two completely different model options for the men and women would be a dangerous precedent.

[Sharby]

Because people refer to them as Dark Rangers and San'layn. Both of these things have been requested since they were introduced.

As for the Kul Tirans/Mechagnomes thing, Blizz felt the need to include them because there was literally no other option. They could've pivoted to Sethrak based on initial feedback but they were already developing Mechagnomes and couldn't just scrap them and do something else. Kul Tirans weren't even planned and they had mentioned there may be times when "one faction doesn't get a race"... they clearly expected Alliance to just be ok with not getting a race from Kul Tiras.

Basically they screwed themselves over by having to make a Kul Tiran race late, and that tanked any dev time for additional races.

Aren't Dark Ranges a class? Also what about San'layn warrants an allied race? They're all literally dead elves that use a blood elf model. If we were discussing a brand new race there would be more to talk about as they would get work from the ground up. But considering AR's are mostly a different take on existing models, literally what would Darkfallen add to the roster as an AR that they wouldn't as optional features? If we didn't already get Velf/Nightborne then it would work a lot more. But we did so it doesn't.



Why would they get unique models/voicelines over Elf DK's who would have similar features?


I can see how they derserve to be included to players, I cannot see how being an AR and not a customization feature is the way to go.


Blizzard can do whatever they want at the end of the day, so I don't want to go on record saying it is impossible. I just think it would be a very poor choice.

[Wangming]

I think it'll have to be two ARs to separate the two races within, but yeah they will reuse racials/armor/mounts and maybe voicelines? Maybe not though.

If it was a neutral race it would just be the belves as they could be both helf/belf. But Delaryn's existence means they added the Nelves as an "Alliance Option". A race with two completely different model options for the men and women would be a dangerous precedent.

Well we shall see in less than three weeks how they implement them.

Also I unironically love how we all quickly switched from: "It's totally going to be Dragon isles" to "Darkfallen, fuck yeah"