Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Ersula]

My chief issue is that Bard is associated as heavily with the Support role as Priest is with the Healer role. You can bastardize the class and make it something else, but you lose the core gameplay identity of the class in the process. As WoW does not have a support role, I don't want to see the Bard class contorted into a mockery of what it could be.

FFXIV doesn't have a Support role either & Bard & Dancer, especially Dancer are really popular there. I think the culture of WoW needs an anti-parse class: Dancers do decent DPS but are never on top of the DPS meters, but are still greatly desired in groups. Wow could use a class like that.

[SniperCT]

My chief issue is that Bard is associated as heavily with the Support role as Priest is with the Healer role. You can bastardize the class and make it something else, but you lose the core gameplay identity of the class in the process. As WoW does not have a support role, I don't want to see the Bard class contorted into a mockery of what it could be.

Maybe, but Lotro's minstrel is a healer that also has a pretty good DPS spec. A fun one too.

As for weapons, well


And I personally really like this one

[AOL Instant Messenger]

I really don't see Bards happening anytime soon, either. They simply seem out-of-place in Warcraft lore. It's too alien to the setting and would seem too awkward next to other classes.

[Kiivar86]

It all seems superfluous. Again, why not just use Rogues? Wardens as Demon Hunters is impossible for me to buy simply because it contradicts everything we know about them. Fan of Knives, their most characteristic ability, is a Rogue ability. I really simply cannot see any reason to make Demon Hunters into Wardens, much less to simultaneously extend Wardens into the highly-distinct concept of Spellbreakers while they're at it.

You won't get much argument from me, I'm not a fan of Wardens being shackled to DHs, as I don't like how they play much and I'd love to play a Warden.

Just putting forward some ideas.

[AOL Instant Messenger]

Maybe, but Lotro's minstrel is a healer that also has a pretty good DPS spec. A fun one too.

As for weapons, well


And I personally really like this one

I'm highly doubtful we'd get Guitar Hero as a mainstay in the canon lore of a High Fantasy setting. There's two dubiously canon meme bands to that effect, but nothing in actual, established canon to suggest that this would be a thing.

[Makabreska]

I really don't see Bards happening anytime soon, either. They simply seem out-of-place in Warcraft lore. It's too alien to the setting and would seem too awkward next to other classes.

TBH they are more at home for me than tinkers, even with all the tech we had in game since Warcraft 2. Bards simply universally fit classic fantasy setting.

[draugril]

Bards are not established really, therefore they do not have core role in WoW. Blizz can make them into w/e with their songs. Dmg and support spells. Pals got crapton of support, but can still smite shit.

I'm still salty about Shamans being gutted of the support role, and what wasn't removed being diluted across all the classes. Paladins, at WoW's inception, were also a support class primarily. They, too, were gutted, but they survived the transition a lot better. Shaman hasn't had a niche since.

And yes, as I said, they absolutely could bastardize the class by forcing it to fit in WoW's infrastructure. But like Bard in FFXIV, I would rather not have it at all than get a butchered version. Implement a class that can be fully realized instead.

[AOL Instant Messenger]

TBH they are more at home for me than tinkers, even with all the tech we has in game since Warcraft 2. Bards simply universally fit classic fantasy setting.

But they're alien to the setting in particular. Tinkers have been established in the setting for some time but there have been very few canonical Bards. Of those Bards, most are entirely tertiary to any setting we find them in and only exist in vague and referential roles. There is no basis for a Bard class aside from a few tertiary NPCs. We have plenty of iconic Tinkers. There's also the complete lack of relevancy they have to the lore in general.

[Chickat]

If I remember correctly, it had him stomping her only for her to reverse it with some bullshit later in the fight. Which would have been so much better.

Yeah, a moment where she bargains with the jailer for more power.

[Bsirk]

Hoping we get some new world content in 9.2.5 or Shadowlands season 4. Zereth Mortis, while an amazing zone, is pretty much already spent in terms of world content. I was thinking they might be setting up for some holding back the scourge type WQ/Dailies in Northrend/Eastern Kingdoms with the dialogue from Bolvar/Darion.

Could you imagine that we start getting WQ/Dailies popping up all over Azeroth that end up culminating into a huge battle/assault that Alliance and Horde both join to save the area. I think that would be fun. Toss in some transmogs and I'm sold!

[draugril]

Could you imagine that we start getting WQ/Dailies popping up all over Azeroth that end up culminating into a huge battle/assault that Alliance and Horde both join to save the area. I think that would be fun. Toss in some transmogs and I'm sold!

Moreover... I want world content that has a lose condition. Not enough people defend the zone? It's overrun for a day or two while WQs spawn there to clear it out.

[Vakir]

Notice how the devs said the second Hearthstone expansion for 2022 had to do with something specific to what was going on in World of Warcraft right now & now the Year of the Hydra video conspicuously lacks the visual teaser for the other two expansions that's become a staple of these videos? Nothing to see here.

I noticed the lack of teasers as well. But we did dragons so, so very recently. They also didn't say that about it being current-WoW related explicitly. But even then, wouldn't that mean Shadowlands more likely? That's a theme that's ripe that we haven't touched (imagine Covenant decks, MTG style) whereas Dragons are a thing basically every Core set and then some.

My ears perked at Hydra too as I pointed out but I feel like now people are getting ahead of themselves.

[Bsirk]

Moreover... I want world content that has a lose condition. Not enough people defend the zone? It's overrun for a day or two while WQs spawn there to clear it out.

I actually thought about that when I was typing it out, but you can almost hear the screams on the forums from people not able to fly into their flight path for a day.

[Yus atath]

Praying we’ll get new race/class combinations. I want my Night Elf Shaman T_T

[Sondrelk]

Moreover... I want world content that has a lose condition. Not enough people defend the zone? It's overrun for a day or two while WQs spawn there to clear it out.

As much as this is an interesting idea I think it will just end up the same as Nazjatar with the minibosses.they start out as complete stomps where failure is almost impossible. Then there is a brief moment where they work as intended. Then eventually it becomes something that noone does, and which eventually becomes close to impossible to do for anyone unfortunate enough to kiss out on the starting rush.

[AOL Instant Messenger]

I actually thought about that when I was typing it out, but you can almost hear the screams on the forums from people not able to fly into their flight path for a day.

Agreed. Unfortunately, the best ideas can become impediments to the daily grind.

[draugril]

I actually thought about that when I was typing it out, but you can almost hear the screams on the forums from people not able to fly into their flight path for a day.

Good! The world should feel like a world, not a video game lobby.

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Agreed. Unfortunately, the best ideas can become impediments to the daily grind.

Is the daily grind worthy of the pedestal it has been placed upon?

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As much as this is an interesting idea I think it will just end up the same as Nazjatar with the minibosses.they start out as complete stomps where failure is almost impossible. Then there is a brief moment where they work as intended. Then eventually it becomes something that noone does, and which eventually becomes close to impossible to do for anyone unfortunate enough to kiss out on the starting rush.

This is a fair point. But WoW does have a ton of adaptive scaling technology at their command these days...

[Bsirk]

As much as this is an interesting idea I think it will just end up the same as Nazjatar with the minibosses.they start out as complete stomps where failure is almost impossible. Then there is a brief moment where they work as intended. Then eventually it becomes something that noone does, and which eventually becomes close to impossible to do for anyone unfortunate enough to kiss out on the starting rush.

How about once you beat them back so far it opens up a warfront that everyone can join. Upon winning/losing the warfront it either takes back some of the land/progress or makes it more difficult? I want repercussions for losing. lol

[Wangming]

I really don't see Bards happening anytime soon, either. They simply seem out-of-place in Warcraft lore. It's too alien to the setting and would seem too awkward next to other classes.

Yeah let's keep the setting with space boars from a different timeline and space goats saved from demonic corruption by glowing chinese text grounded and don't introduce common fantasy classes to dilute it.

[Futhark]

My chief issue is that Bard is associated as heavily with the Support role as Priest is with the Healer role. You can bastardize the class and make it something else, but you lose the core gameplay identity of the class in the process. As WoW does not have a support role, I don't want to see the Bard class contorted into a mockery of what it could be.

I had this amazing vision where Bard was made a profession and you increase your skill by going to Inns. At the Inn is a place to play that is structured just like the sausage eating contest at BrewFest. People wait their turn, hop onto available stools, and mash buttons to play songs with other players. Maybe provide an +XP buff that stacks over time for all patrons listening like the summer maypole XP buff; +1 for each player in the band. Play in Inns or outdoor stages across Azeroth to increase your profession skill and gain Achievements and Titles.

It's more entertainment than dancing on mailboxes, right?

TLDR: bard profession not class