Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Aradur]

I hope it's not this
https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads...t-Dragonflight

Way to big scope and change of direction for one AddOn. Name is surely just a coincidence

[Super Dickmann]

I trust less that any of it influences their ability to manage the game because I consider them functionally unrelated. The problems in SL that have been fixed were absolutely deliberate choices. You can see it in the face of the people defending these bad decisions in interviews with little to no rhetoric to support them. It is purely a calculated "engagement" based decision.

I guess if I had to sum it up a certain way, I'd say that if they're going to fuck me, at least give me something nice to distract me while they do. Preferably, though, yes, don't do it at all.

Personally my expectation is Dragonflights as the 9.1.5 version of Covenants and to follow SL's footsteps in not having an unlimited grind. With all the talk of deterministic gearing and the Vault changes I also expect that if there's leggos at all it'd be akin to end of SL grind mechanisms included where you'd be able to grind it. Past that, you'll have cosmetic, either class skins if they're putting some effort in or extra character customization options and a formalized version of 9.2.5's evergreen raids/dungeons put into M+. They won't be reinventing the wheel.

It is a fucking hideous logo though, worse than Empire of Dragons.

[Sondrelk]

I hope it's not this
https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads...t-Dragonflight

How convenient it was leaked a couple of hours after the name was basically confirmed. I guess the leaker looked at his strict contract and decided everyone basically knew everything already once the name came out.

[ro9ue]

How convenient it was leaked a couple of hours after the name was basically confirmed. I guess the leaker looked at his strict contract and decided everyone basically knew everything already once the name came out.

Dude that was posted almost 2 months ago lol.

[Vakir]

Personally my expectation is Dragonflights as the 9.1.5 version of Covenants and to follow SL's footsteps in not having an unlimited grind. With all the talk of deterministic gearing and the Vault changes I also expect that if there's leggos at all it'd be akin to end of SL grind mechanisms included where you'd be able to grind it. Past that, you'll have cosmetic, either class skins if they're putting some effort in or extra character customization options and a formalized version of 9.2.5's evergreen raids/dungeons put into M+. They won't be reinventing the wheel.

It is a fucking hideous logo though, worse than Empire of Dragons.

Fair assessment. And I'd be just about fine with most of it if they don't introduce some new extraneous fly in the soup. It would still not be anywhere near as impressive as something like a Cata-level revamp, Mists, or Legion, the latter two introducing much but also having better systems but...whatever, I guess the dreams of that are just not sustainable by a game this big with a company that has a future this uncertain. At least right now.

The logo is pretty awful, but I also could see it being poorly represented by resolution even post-upscale. It's definitely a huge departure in terms of shape, though.

[Sondrelk]

Personally my expectation is Dragonflights as the 9.1.5 version of Covenants and to follow SL's footsteps in not having an unlimited grind. With all the talk of deterministic gearing and the Vault changes I also expect that if there's leggos at all it'd be akin to end of SL grind mechanisms included where you'd be able to grind it. Past that, you'll have cosmetic, either class skins if they're putting some effort in or extra character customization options and a formalized version of 9.2.5's evergreen raids/dungeons put into M+. They won't be reinventing the wheel.

It is a fucking hideous logo though, worse than Empire of Dragons.

A covenant variant where the abilities are only used in the open world would be interesting. Would allow them to be essentially purely cosmetic as basically noone cares about balance in the open world.

I only wonder whether there would be much of a point otherwise though. The biggest draw of covenants was that each one had a very distinct theme that gave fitting rewards. And while Dragonflights are not just recolors it's still difficult to figure a way to differentiate the rewards beyond just being colour coded.

[Chickat]

omg every time i open up a texture file I get spooked

It almost looks like dead waterlogged body.

[Kiivar86]

How convenient it was leaked a couple of hours after the name was basically confirmed. I guess the leaker looked at his strict contract and decided everyone basically knew everything already once the name came out.

2022-02-08, 02:11 AM

Current date and time for me (eastern): 2022-04-03, 03:11 am

Where you living, man?

Not saying it makes it right but it was posted two months ago.

No one saw me post it at 2002 at first I hope

[Holdodlig]

I hope it's not this
https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads...t-Dragonflight

There's no way it's this one. I was at first baited by the expansion name but this "one spec classes" is just impossible to make. Imagine having to design 4 class sets just for 1 spec (which means 6 color variation for LFR, normal, heroic, mythic, conquest and elite and different variation for mythic and elite), having to balance this stuff for PvP (blizzard hates tank in PvP so dragonknight would just be a no no), class colors, identity.

This would be dumb as hell, especially when you add class cosmetic on the same expac.

[Sondrelk]

Dude that was posted almost 2 months ago lol.

Huh. So it was. My bad then.

Still can't see why it would be real. Fake leaks before SL managed to guess the name there as well.

[therumblings]

The image, however, was posted very close to the name leak.

[Vakir]

...I'm worried I ran Catastrophy off. It's also ass-o'-clock in the U.S., though.

[Sondrelk]

2022-02-08, 02:11 AM

Current date and time for me (eastern): 2022-04-03, 03:11 am

Where you living, man?

Not saying it makes it right but it was posted two months ago.

No one saw me post it at 2002 at first I hope

Yeah, my bad. Guess I have not woken up completely yet.

[therumblings]

According to reddit, the image was leaked first. I can't find any source on it, however that seems like a pretty huge deal.

[Super Dickmann]

A covenant variant where the abilities are only used in the open world would be interesting. Would allow them to be essentially purely cosmetic as basically noone cares about balance in the open world.

I only wonder whether there would be much of a point otherwise though. The biggest draw of covenants was that each one had a very distinct theme that gave fitting rewards. And while Dragonflights are not just recolors it's still difficult to figure a way to differentiate the rewards beyond just being colour coded.

That's the main issue of Dragonflights in general. Dragons aren't all that varied. One part of the leak I hope is true and that was the best part of Cataclysm as well in terms of presentation is that dragons were mostly a backdrop to the focus on Azeroth as is. So having the rep factions and cosmetic focus be on established groups would be the best option.

@Vakir

I think a revamp is out of the question on a world scale, but individual zone revamps akin to BFA are plausible. A Legion content cadence is repeatable for sure, given how much reuse there was, in part for 7.3, but especially for 7.2 but it's unlikely to have as much frontloaded material as Legion.

[Kiivar86]

Yeah, my bad. Guess I have not woken up completely yet.

All good, made me laugh at least, heh.

The more I think on it the more likely I feel we'll have art like that with Alexstrasza with the other flights. Probably a little short series too like the Warbringers/covenant leaders stuff for Shadowlands but with them. Matches up well.

[Sondrelk]

That's the main issue of Dragonflights in general. Dragons aren't all that varied. One part of the leak I hope is true and that was the best part of Cataclysm as well in terms of presentation is that dragons were mostly a backdrop to the focus on Azeroth as is. So having the rep factions and cosmetic focus be on established groups would be the best option.

@Vakir

I think a revamp is out of the question on a world scale, but individual zone revamps akin to BFA are plausible. A Legion content cadence is repeatable for sure, given how much reuse there was, in part for 7.3, but especially for 7.2 but it's unlikely to have as much frontloaded material as Legion.

Personally I figured it might be best to scale covenants down, and then link them more tightly to reputations instead. Maybe even just make them all available to everyone.

Maybe also scaling the rewards down from 4 themed sets each down to just one or two per might be better. 9.1 covenant sets instead of 9.0 basically.

[Zharikov]

According to reddit, the image was leaked first. I can't find any source on it, however that seems like a pretty huge deal.

https://www.reddit.com/r/wow/comment...lly_its_legit/

It was shortly before the post here, yeah.

[Chickat]

Indeed, I think that *something* has to be done with the Night Elven souls, regardless of what specifically.

I do think that basically being used as fuel for a new World Tree would be kinda sad...

BUT if re-emerged from that tree with new forms NOW that would be just aces.

Imagine a new world tree with thousands of soul pods hanging from it. They will eventually emerge in new bodies. Likely leading to a shadowlands allied race.

[Super Dickmann]

Personally I figured it might be best to scale covenants down, and then link them more tightly to reputations instead. Maybe even just make them all available to everyone.

Maybe also scaling the rewards down from 4 themed sets each down to just one or two per might be better. 9.1 covenant sets instead of 9.0 basically.

There's an alternate universe where nitrous oxide didn't leak into the Blizzard office or the one guy who dared suggest it wasn't immediately thrown into the company shark pit and someone realized that Covenants could've just been rep factions with questlines accessible at rep hurdles while leveling was used to familiarize with the Covenant abilities that later functioned like a swappable talent tier.