Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Minoradditions]

I also haven't seen it mentioned that 4 specs and 5 skins reflects BFA's ARs: an expansion with an explosion of a core feature, but altered in a way that allows for more of them.

I think this would be the plan as it would likely attract more fanservice points than solely a 3-5 spec Dragon class and MAYBE some class skins.

[Raetary]

How would a bard attack people?

Soundwaves are a thing.
Magic is also a thing.

Now combine said magic with said soundwaves.
Voila!

[Zharikov]

DH's don't use the wings when they double jump, what do you mean?

Gliding would need to be taken care of somehow but not the simple act of double jumping. Hell they could even remove gliding if it was required.

Vengeance Demon Form (and any time you're transmorphed into a lot of other forms) doesn't even use the wings while gliding, they just have the parachute fall animation while glowing green.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Soundwaves are a thing.
Magic is also a thing.

Now combine said magic with said soundwaves.

People also like to forget that Bards use weapons, too.

Heck let's dig up 14's Bard which uses Bows and their Singing is a secondary mechanic.

[Zharikov]

Soundwaves are a thing.
Magic is also a thing.

Now combine said magic with said soundwaves.
Voila!

I don't think they're doing bard, but Lost Ark's bard shows a simple enough way to have bards attack. And with Zereth Morthis creation energy being language and song based, they have an easy in to do it lore wise as well.

[draugril]

I also haven't seen it mentioned that 4 specs and 5 skins reflects BFA's ARs: an expansion with an explosion of a core feature, but altered in a way that allows for more of them.

I think this would be the plan as it would likely attract more fanservice points than solely a 3-5 spec Dragon class and MAYBE some class skins.

My issue with the "microclass" concept is that it would require so many odd structural considerations. It would be like adding a "Support" role to the game, in addition to the trinity. So much stuff is just baked in that we don't ever consider. A one-spec class would throw a wrench into a ton of the assumed design philosophy.

[Chickat]

If they do go for a revamp, it will come later, but I assume it's out of the equation because I don't think they'd leave "unrevamped" zones in between



They're taking one big nap.

Oh god, what did you do to them?

[ercarp]

Neat concept. I like that you went with the serpentine shape.

I would of swapped Bronze and Blue / Red and Black. Icy mountains the feed into a lush forest and then grasslands it plausible. Black could also be mountainous but volcanic and extend into the wastes that become a desert.

Black and Bronze being next to each other does sound visually appealing. Good call.

Not sure why Acherys is there? Feels like you added it just because it's what Legion did.

Also, as much as I like Dalaran i really don't want another expansion where it's an expansion hub. Maybe have everyone be in Loreth'aran instead.

Dalaran and Acherus were there just to pay homage to the "leak" that's seemingly captivated this thread. Since the leak mentions Order Halls returning, Acherus would have to be there too.

Out of curiosity, why did you opt for this specific map design? My initial thought looking at this is that they would perhaps line up in a similar fashion to how we see the dragonshrines aligned in Dragonblight, but this is a pretty cool design as well.

Basically, I just thought it looked cool and I wanted all the zones to be connected with Uldorus in the middle. That's all.

I don't actually remember/know what you're referring to with the "dragonshrines aligned in Dragonblight' as I haven't been there in ages.

[sandini]

I’m hoping that the zones in next expansion are designed around flying. (Including making the zones much more expansive and not so packed kind of like how ZM is in a sense.)
If they don’t give us direct flying from the start something similar to how Mechagon did flying would be great too.

There are some things they could do, like a Air Drop mechanic in a Zone, maybe tinkered by Gnomes.
Or a launching pad, where you get catapulted in a choosen direction and a glider gets activated for 1 minute.
Even the hooks used in Stormheim were nice.
In think that these in conjuncture with the Flight Master´s whistle should already ease traveling a lot.

[Minoradditions]

Dalaran and Acherus were there just to pay homage to the "leak" that's seemingly captivated this thread. Since the leak mentions Order Halls returning, Acherus would have to be there too.

Acherus and the three Life/Spirit order halls (Druid/Shaman/Monk) are actually completely missing from the leak, which is one interesting point about it.

[Lahis]

Soundwaves are a thing.
Magic is also a thing.

Now combine said magic with said soundwaves.
Voila!

Now imagine if they rolled Tinker and Bard into one class.

[Makabreska]

They're not going to commit to balancing a new class in perpetuity just so it can be "simple & new"

Then they defo wont commit to balancing 12 new specs.

[ercarp]

Edit: Did someone dead-ass ask how a Minstrel/Bard would attack people? They do it with music/sound/magic duh? Basic D&D function.

Bard: And now... For my final ability, I'm gonna play Wonderwall.

Mob: Please no! Anything but that!

[Santandame]

I'd say not all classes, but all armor types.

Dragon Knight for Plate
Tinker for Mail
Minstrel for Leather
Chronomancer for Cloth

It could easily work this way. With Mage / Warlock / Priest you can unlock Chronomancer. With Shaman and Hunter you unlock Tinker etc.

Dragon Knight I'll give you for the three plate classes. I can easily see a situation where one of those classes swears fealty to a Dragonflight and their already established abilities and powers sort of "ascend" and coalesce into new dragon themed abilities.

But what could ever possibly link a Shaman to a Tinker? A nomadic, spiritual disciple of the earth and elements having links to the complete opposite of everything it represents, that being a futuristic, technological scientist? It literally makes no sense. Even the WoW iteration of a Hunter is a push at linking to a Tinker.

Rogue and Monk as a Minstrel/Bard? Absolutely, both fit extremely well. A Druid? A stretch but it could work? Demon Hunter - absolutely not.

Chronomancer for Mage, fits like a glove. Warlock not as much but it's passable. Priest makes very little sense.

[Ersula]

You’d have to do exactly the same thing with 4th specs x12, while also considering how the existing base abilities intersect with them.

Besides that, 4th specs for every existing class is never a clean idea and half of them always feel remarkably forced, or thought up by people without any insight into how it would actually function.

Making 4 specs that are self-contained and only balanced around themselves without base abilities or additional specs should be quite a bit simpler than that, and individual themes (Dragons, Tinkers, Bards, Time) are simple to narrow down.

Here are the main theories of where they go in 10.0, other than a conventional new class:

Option 1.) New Specs for all classes
The big appeal for the Devs is there's no pressure to add them all at the same time. The existing classes are already complete so they would still feel done even if they have to wait several years for a new spec.

Option 2.) A set of Elective specs
Like covenants, but fun! It's a selection of class neutral specs you add onto your classes. You'd gain a few general skills, but for the most part your rotation is spec specific. Suppose Tinker is a tank spec: A priest tinker's tank stats & abilities come from its spec & unique mech armaments so it's free to continue using cloth armor.

Option 3.) Microclasses
Dumb. Bad. Final Fantasy has a lot of cool ideas but there are so many jobs many of them become totally irrelevant for huge periods of time.

[Kiivar86]

Soundwaves are a thing.
Magic is also a thing.

Now combine said magic with said soundwaves.
Voila!

Reminds me, I did notice how Dausegne uses a lot of sound-based terms while attacking.

Destructive Vibrato, Fragmenting Note, Dissonant chord, etc.

[ercarp]

Acherus and the three Life/Spirit order halls (Druid/Shaman/Monk) are actually completely missing from the leak, which is one interesting point about it.

To be fair, we can teleport to all of those. Even Acherus. Not that I really buy into the leak, but I don't think them not being mentioned means much.

[huth]

Soundwaves are a thing.
Magic is also a thing.

Now combine said magic with said soundwaves.
Voila!

Let's not forget that sufficiently loud sound will cause physical damage.

[ercarp]

Reminds me, I did notice how Dausegne uses a lot of sound-based terms while attacking.

Destructive Vibrato, Fragmenting Note, Dissonant chord, etc.

The three big mobs at the end of Spires of Ascension do this as well.

[Makabreska]

Let's not forget that sufficiently loud sound will cause physical damage.

As it already does. We had mobs and wars doing dmg and plethora of effects with shouts since Vanilla. Murmur in Shadow Labs was a creature that attacked with sound waves. People who say bards have no tools don't only lack imagination. They lack game knowledge.