Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Izalla]

I'm honestly a bit disappointed at the lack of leaks I've seen using the Hearthstone Tavern. It's a known asset that would play well with so many concepts, yet it has just been ignored thus far.

Guys I just had it leaked to me by my uncle at Blizzard that the Hearthstone Tavern is being added in the near future! I can't tell you anything else though because it would compromise his identity.

Come back to this post when it is added and marvel at my connections!

[AngerFork]

Guys I just had it leaked to me by my uncle at Blizzard that the Hearthstone Tavern is being added in the near future! I can't tell you anything else though because it would compromise his identity.

Come back to this post when it is added and marvel at my connections!

Finally, a real leak has come to us! Hooray!!

[cone of cold]

You must not play healers if you think that's how healing specs are. By that logic, all DPS specs play the same because you target something and damage it.

Almost all DPS specs do play the same. All casters play the same and all melee dps play the same. It's essentially always the same thing. Make sure buffs are up on you, like Slice and Dice, at all times, make sure dots are on the enemy at all times, like Moonfire, Incinerate, Rip, Rupture. Then use big attacks with big cooldowns on cooldown, try to line them up with other cooldowns, then use your filler ability to build up a resource and then dump it with your spender ability. Tons of classes have resource systems with different names and differently colored bars, that all essentially work the same way. Maelstrom Power, Fury, Rage, Insanity. Even Combo Points and Holy Power. Doesn't matter if an ability generates 1 out of 5 combo points or 20 out of 100 Rage. You build up a resource and then spend it. The difference is in the visual to trick you into believing you are doing something different. The only difference is Energy and Focus regenerating on their own, but even that doesn't lead to any other playstyle. You still have your builders and spenders. You have an attack to build up Combo Points and then you dump them with other attacks.

Everything unique from classes has been stripped away over the years. The differences are minor. Maybe your class has one dot, maybe your class has three. Maybe you have a buff, maybe you don't. But they all feel the same to play. Spam attack to build up resource, dump resource, and hit buttons when they light up. Play whack-a-mole every now and then.

[Wangming]

Guys I just had it leaked to me by my uncle at Blizzard that the Hearthstone Tavern is being added in the near future! I can't tell you anything else though because it would compromise his identity.

Come back to this post when it is added and marvel at my connections!

Ahh the true leak. Blizzard must be in panic mode.

[Marlamin]

Ahh the true leak. Blizzard must be in panic mode.

Definitely a "break in case of emergency" type situation we have here.

[Wangming]

Almost all DPS specs do play the same. All casters play the same and all melee dps play the same. It's essentially always the same thing. Make sure buffs are up on you, like Slice and Dice, at all times, make sure dots are on the enemy at all times, like Moonfire, Incinerate, Rip, Rupture. Then use big attacks with big cooldowns on cooldown, try to line them up with other cooldowns, then use your filler ability to build up a resource and then dump it with your spender ability. Tons of classes have resource systems with different names and differently colored bars, that all essentially work the same way. Maelstrom Power, Fury, Rage, Insanity. Even combo points and holy power. Doesn't matter if an ability generates 1 out of 5 combo points or 20 out of 100 Rage. You build up a resource and then spend it. The difference is in the visual to trick you into believing you are doing something different.

Everything unique from classes has been stripped away over the years. The differences are minor. Maybe your class has one dot, maybe your class has three. Maybe you have a buff, maybe you don't. But they all feel the same to play. Spam attack to build up resource, dump resource, and hit buttons when they light up. Play whack-a-mole every now and then.

That is something I fealt and hated for so long. There is so little difference in how the classes play.

[Lady Atia]

Hmm... I'm kinda worried about going into the future because it writes Blizzard into a corner with things that "have to happen in the future". We saw this with Son of the Wolf; everyone's now speculating about Old Anduin and it's making things confusing.

I would only be okay with time-traveling into the future if they clarify that it's only one possible timeline and not what's definitely going to happen. A bit like Visions of N'Zoth I guess.

Anduin is in the Maw with Sylvanas now, and time works differently there. It's totally possible that Andy will be old once we get him, Sylvanas, Nathanos and Tyrande's Owl back.

[Izalla]

Almost all DPS specs do play the same. All casters play the same and all melee dps play the same. It's essentially always the same thing. Make sure buffs are up on you, like Slice and Dice, at all times, make sure dots are on the enemy at all times, like Moonfire, Incinerate, Rip, Rupture. Then use big attacks with big cooldowns on cooldown, try to line them up with other cooldowns, then use your filler ability to build up a resource and then dump it with your spender ability. Tons of classes have resource systems with different names and differently colored bars, that all essentially work the same way. Maelstrom Power, Fury, Rage, Insanity. Even combo points and holy power. Doesn't matter if an ability generates 1 out of 5 combo points or 20 out of 100 Rage. You build up a resource and then spend it. The difference is in the visual to trick you into believing you are doing something different.

Everything unique from classes has been stripped away over the years. The differences are minor. Maybe your class has one dot, maybe your class has three. Maybe you have a buff, maybe you don't. But they all feel the same to play. Spam attack to build up resource, dump resource, and hit buttons when they light up. Play whack-a-mole every now and then.

I really liked the way paladin tank in Wrath weaved the abilities together on timers so it all flowed really well. Is anything still like this? I haven't played all the specs in Shadowlands and I don't remember anything being this way in recent years.

[Wangming]

Definitely a "break in case of emergency" type situation we have here.

What is in it? A gun? A bottle of chloroform? A suitcase filled with cash? Blackmail material? A phone with CIA agents on speed dial?

[Nymrohd]

That is something I fealt and hated for so long. There is so little difference in how the classes play.

Eh I don't think you can have that much variety in the base gameplay. You can in flavour elements (soulshards, poisons, quivers)

[Marlamin]

What is in it? A gun? A bottle of chloroform? A suitcase filled with cash? Blackmail material? A phone with CIA agents on speed dial?

Just a single micro SD card with the Hearthstone Tavern assets on it.

[cone of cold]

I really liked the way paladin tank in Wrath weaved the abilities together on timers so it all flowed really well. Is anything still like this? I haven't played all the specs in Shadowlands and I don't remember anything being this way in recent years.

I think I even faintly remember this. I don't think there is anything like this in the game.

[Wangming]

Eh I don't think you can have that much variety in the base gameplay. You can in flavour elements (soulshards, poisons, quivers)

In terms of specs, maybe not. But surely with base classes. FFXIV has 11 dps jobs and even with role actions shared over most of them they do have unique mechanics. It works less well with tanks though.

[Nymrohd]

I think I even faintly remember this. I don't think there is anything like this in the game.

Enhancement shaman is supposed to work like that. They rarely manage to tune it properly.

- - - Updated - - -

In terms of specs, maybe not. But surely with base classes. FFXIV has 11 dps jobs and even with role actions shared over most of them they do have unique mechanics. It works less well with tanks though.

As I said earlier, they should never have focused the game so much on specs. If specs had been secondary to classes instead of effectively multiple classes you can switch between, the game would have been much easier to design and they could have increased class flavor with ease.

[cone of cold]

Enhancement shaman is supposed to work like that. They rarely manage to tune it properly.

Enhancement shaman has never played like that.

[Wangming]

Enhancement shaman is supposed to work like that. They rarely manage to tune it properly.

- - - Updated - - -



As I said earlier, they should never have focused the game so much on specs. If specs had been secondary to classes instead of effectively multiple classes you can switch between, the game would have been much easier to design and they could have increased class flavor with ease.

True. There should be a class with a core fantasy and mechanics with specs as just some extra flavour at maximum. With this they developed themselves into a corner.

[Syegfryed]

Yeah, probably. But I think it's only fair if those targeted have been shitting on others purely for believing or hoping in something being the case. I've seen enough of that kind of toxic behavior over the years and it is pretty much why I no longer take any stances on leaks whatsoever (unless it says the Hearthstone Tavern is coming in which case it is definitely 100% real and true and not fake).

And lets be fair, this is what most people do, i still remember some people shitting over other saying demon hunter would never be playable

[Santandame]

Making my final point and prediction on this now, so there'll be no need for the classic "I told you so" post after the announcement.

The Vrykul and Odyn will have a very large focus in the next expansion. A dungeon and a raid at the very least. A presence in several zones, Ruby for sure, most likely Black and Blue, as well as the Titan facility predicted to be on the Dragon Isles. I could also see a huge Norse/Vrykul/Draconic city in the mountains as our Suramar style city/endgame area.

Main villains of the expansion will be Murozond, Odyn, some sort of Vrykul King and Chromatus. Xal'atath in a minor yet notable role, as a hook for the future. Azshara showing up om 50/50 on - I don't see her as a boss of a dungeon or raid regardless of if she shows up. She strikes me as more of a reoccurring character these days - an uneasy ally as she consolidates power for the future. Maybe she could be the hook into a pre-sundering Kalimdir expansion with Murozond being the final boss of Dragonflight.

Galakrond is giving me either world boss or penultimate boss of a raid vibe. I don't see him as the big bad at all.

Drakonid race, links to the Vrykul.

Dragonsworn class, mail armour with specs Spellblade(MDPS), Invoker/Evoker(RDPS), Chronomancer(Healer).

Loreth'Aran as our capital city in the Green zone.

Timewalking as a permanent and expanded feature.

The evolution of Mage Tower, Visions, Torghast as a Bronze Dragonflight/Timewalking style boss feature of classic WoW bosses with extra abilities.

Class Skins.

These are my final predictions.

[Deventh]

Anduin is in the Maw with Sylvanas now, and time works differently there. It's totally possible that Andy will be old once we get him, Sylvanas, Nathanos and Tyrande's Owl back.

Wasn’t time in Shadowlands slower? Meaning they won’t be older but we will.

[Leowyld]

Wasn’t time in Shadowlands slower? Meaning they won’t be older but we will.

When we went into the Maw after Anduin and company, just about a day later after they'd been taken, they claimed they felt they had been there for a very long time.

It's why the whole time skip for Azeroth theory a lot of people had never really made sense to me.