Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Teriz]

I am not even gonna engage your fetishized class ravings. Just don't star flipping shit tomorrow pls if we don't get any.

If there's no new class in 10.0, I'll simply be disappointed and hold off pre-ordering the next expansion.

I doubt I'm alone in that. Customizations and new covenants aren't going to carry an expansion, just like it didn't in Shadowlands and BFA.

If they can't devote enough resources to a new class, they sure as hell can't devote enough resources to make good quality expansion. So yeah, I'll pass. Don't need another bfa/sl

Exactly... it would be sheer laziness and greed, pure and simple.

[Makabreska]

It doesn't make or break anything, but it's a permanent addition to the game, and a new(ish) way to play it. It's gameplay effect is much deeper than any expansion-specific system. So it's understandably something that people can get excited about. If Dragonsworn or whatever is announced, it doesn't matter if Dragonflight is shit, the next expansion could be good, and you could still play a Dragonsworn and enjoy that.

Sure, but we have people here who claim that not implementing any in 10.0 kills the game.

[Raxacorico]

I am not even gonna engage your fetishized class ravings. Just don't star flipping shit tomorrow pls if we don't get any.

If they can't devote enough resources to a new class, they sure as hell can't devote enough resources to make good quality expansion. So yeah, I'll pass. Don't need another bfa/sl

[Lady Atia]

People acting like a class makes or breaks expansion (well, one guy acting has a specific and known class fetish). Would a new class save SL with all issues it had?

Yes, because a class is a box feature that stays forever. Shadowlands' features are a one and done thing, and that feels just bad because you start the expansion knowing that you will have "systems" that will be abandoned as soon as 10.0 prepatch hits. That's why having new races, classes or stuff like pet battles is a huge win - it's evergreen stuff that stays forever and will be supported forever. Not like covenants which are glorified reputations with bad implementation (at the start).

[keygy]

"fix the classes before adding others" that's one of the most meme arguments that we have in the wow from the beginning, having a new class is not gonna do that your class is worst, people need to start to think a little;

Is like the argument of "blizzard need to get less mount in the shop and fix the game" like you are stupid? the people working at blizzard have different sections and works for differents things in the game, the people that create mounts for the shop, is not the same people that balance the classes, and the people that make new classes is not the same that design zones like korthia or zereth mortis.

This is one of the things that happen each expansion and is really sad, that people dont know how works this after so many years, World of warcraft have a lot of devs that are distribuited in multiples sections, we need to stop using stupid arguments like the class thing.

[Syegfryed]

If we dont get a new class, what are they doing all these months? What's the big feature that gets you to buy the Expansion then?

TBC had Blood Elves & Draenei.

WotLK had DK's and the Story around Lich King luring a lot of people in.

Cata had Goblins & Worgen.

MoP had Pandaren & Monks.

WoD had nothing.

Legion had Demon Hunters & Illidan as a big posterboy to get you back.

BfA had pretty much nothing imo, Allied Races are a failure with its low customizations and no effort rig stealing.

Shadowlands is the pinnacle of nothing however.

So what will 10.0 offer, feature wise, thats the major selling point? 4 new zones and a Raid?

Wod had the update models, and shadowlands was the ''big'' customization revamp that was supposed to be something they would implement the entire expansion, but alas.

I don't think blizz will get away with trying to sell the same shit like "more race customization", so it will either be a class or class skin

[AngerFork]

If we dont get a new class, what are they doing all these months? What's the big feature that gets you to buy the Expansion then?

TBC had Blood Elves & Draenei.

WotLK had DK's and the Story around Lich King luring a lot of people in.

Cata had Goblins & Worgen.

MoP had Pandaren & Monks.

WoD had nothing.

Legion had Demon Hunters & Illidan as a big posterboy to get you back.

BfA had pretty much nothing imo, Allied Races are a failure with its low customizations and no effort rig stealing.

Shadowlands is the pinnacle of nothing however.

So what will 10.0 offer, feature wise, thats the major selling point? 4 new zones and a Raid?

I'd argue this isn't quite a fair way to describe a few of these expansions. WoD updated every race model in the game, an extremely necessary task even if it wasn't something new to unbox. I'd hardly call Allied Races a failure given how many people play some form of Allied Race today: https://wowanalytica.com/statistics/region/us Shadowlands had "customizations" which might've been nice had they not just seemingly quit on some races partway through. Still though, I agree that they need a box feature that brings real excitement & the feeling of opening up something new to play with, not just an enhancement to something we already have.

There's literally no excuse beyond greed and sheer laziness to not add a new class at this point. The team is larger, and they're still taking in tons of money. If smaller companies can pump out new classes, Blizzard can too.

What's funny about that to me is that greed would honestly favor adding in a new class rather than not. It's a box feature much like races are, something that will generate excitement & get people interested in trying out the new thing. I'd argue they'll almost certainly see more pre-orders with a new class as part of the feature set than without.

[horizon nowhere]

Uh-oh new class deniers

[Das Thora]

we might not even get a class, I really hope we do though

I could 100% see us not getting a race since
A) We have an EverQuest amount already.
B) Shadowlands added a bunch of customizations.

Meanwhile a class or specs or class skins are all very needed.

[Lady Atia]

Yes, because a class is a box feature that stays forever. Shadowlands' features are a one and done thing, and that feels just bad because you start the expansion knowing that you will have "systems" that will be abandoned as soon as 10.0 prepatch hits. That's why having new races, classes or stuff like pet battles is a huge win - it's evergreen stuff that stays forever and will be supported forever. Not like covenants which are glorified reputations with bad implementation (at the start).

Oh and also, that's why Legion's borrowed power was the best iteration of that system - because when they announced it no one knew that they would abandon artifact weapons going forward so you could get all hyped by it. When Shadowlands got announced we already knew that both Torghast and Covenants will be an one and done thing, which again, just feels bad to begin with.

[Vakir]

Short of a major overhaul of almost all classes, the presence of a new class doesn't preclude improvement in systems for the others. It's just fitting it into the very same framework. The "less is more" approach for something like SL or even BFA has worked the opposite way by just conveying a lack of effort and making them feel very filler-y.

Class design was far better in the two most recent expansions we got new ones than in the most recent ones we didn't.

Even a major overhaul of literally any aspect - talents, for example - is going to be contentious and many people would argue against it regardless. Some are happy with the basic bitch versions of classes that get light Borrowed Power seasoning. So it's not a definite on improving things any more than if there's a lack of a new class to mess with. Most of the present systems people argue against are still going to exist to avoid bloating things out in the long run and the reward structures people are frustrated with are on a totally separate track of design from a new class.

[Teriz]

What's funny about that to me is that greed would honestly favor adding in a new class rather than not. It's a box feature much like races are, something that will generate excitement & get people interested in trying out the new thing. I'd argue they'll almost certainly see more pre-orders with a new class as part of the feature set than without.

True, but I think the math for that route is doing less work to try to get as much money as possible.

[Hitei]

Better, but I'm going to need some details on the "whelp" thing. For legal reasons.

Dragon-years. It's fine.

[KayRule]

Maybe they'll add a Pit Lord class. Since the classes HAVE to originate from WC3, Pit Lord neutral hero would be really good.

[Buliwyf the Omen]

Wod had the update models, and shadowlands was the ''big'' customization revamp that was supposed to be something they would implement the entire expansion, but alas.

I don't think blizz will get away with trying to sell the same shit like "more race customization", so it will either be a class or class skin

You're right, I forgot completly about WoD adding the model revamps.

Although I dont really see how that can be explained as a major feature to be honest...

"Hooray, your human doesnt look like he's from 2004 anymore, enjoy, thats all you get!"

That just comes naturally with graphical updates over the years in my opinion.

I dont know, if we get nothing there to stay and stick tomorrow, it just screams Maintenance Mode for me. 3 Expansions in a row without any noteworthy features screams red flags.

[Teriz]

Maybe they'll add a Pit Lord class. Since the classes HAVE to originate from WC3, Pit Lord neutral hero would be really good.

Pit Lord's WC3 abilities are completely absorbed by the Warlock and Warrior classes. In fact, Warlocks could have Pit Lords as pets in Legion.

Oh what if they add Mountain King, from WC3. I know Warrior has Avatar, but like Metamorphasis on Warlocks it's not as cool as it was in WC3. Mountain King with proper Avatar would be really good.

Pretty much every MK ability is in the Warrior class. Thunderclap is a pretty core ability in that class as well.

[KayRule]

Oh what if they add Mountain King, from WC3. I know Warrior has Avatar, but like Metamorphasis on Warlocks it's not as cool as it was in WC3. Mountain King with proper Avatar would be really good.

[Das Thora]

Oh what if they add Mountain King, from WC3. I know Warrior has Avatar, but like Metamorphasis on Warlocks it's not as cool as it was in WC3. Mountain King with proper Avatar would be really good.

Mountain Monarch*

[Soulwind]

I could 100% see us not getting a race since
A) We have an EverQuest amount already.
B) Shadowlands added a bunch of customizations.

Meanwhile a class or specs or class skins are all very needed.

See, that's why I think class skins are the better choice. They're easier to make, as they're just visual assets and effects, with zero gameplay impact. No balancing issues. They're a permanent system that can be expanded upon, as new skins could be released in patches and expansions, tied to questlines, achievements or, not to give them any ideas, the cash shop.

The only downsides are that a certain fantasy being added through a class skin means that a proper class won't ever get made for that fantasy. Which in some cases was unlikely to happen anyway. And that they don't provide a reason to play the game on their own, as you don't have to level a new character. But if they're tied to questlines or achievements, the requirement would cover that, and doing something unique once is more appealing than going through the same content once again with a slightly different toolset.

[AngerFork]

True, but I think the math for that route is doing less work to try to get as much money as possible.

For sure, though that less work only would translate into greed if Blizz is trying to "right size" the dev team. If Blizz is doing that, WoW has much bigger issues than missing classes.

Maybe they'll add a Pit Lord class. Since the classes HAVE to originate from WC3, Pit Lord neutral hero would be really good.

I've been saying it for a bit now, but I suspect that any new class we get will specifically not be from WC3 if for no other reason than they keep talking about how defeating the janitor closed that chapter. Whether it actually did, I think they'll want to show that they are doing something new with the game & not rehashing the past.

Not saying this is the right way, just the way I personally see it going.