Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Vakir]

Blizzard stated plainly that customization was a big part of this race/class. They're not going to limit the dragon form's appearance to one body type and give them different heads.

They very well might. They talk up customization every time there's a feature where some amount of it exists. The entire presentation is very heavily curated PR. Blizzard being lazy and disappointing with a core feature happens all the damn time.

[Teriz]

They very well might. They talk up customization every time there's a feature where some amount of it exists. The entire presentation is very heavily curated PR. Blizzard being lazy and disappointing with a core feature happens all the damn time.

While that's a good point, Blizzard has a history of upgrading racial appearances from Alpha to release. Worgen during Cata's alpha/beta period being a prime example.

[Shadochi]

Are we finally going to find out who is going to try to kill chromie? Or do we still need to wait for like level 112/113 for that?

[Vakir]

While that's a good point, Blizzard has a history of upgrading racial appearances from Alpha to release. Worgen during Cata's alpha/beta period being a prime example.

There's a difference between making modifications for one concept on a totally new rig and having a delineation of multiple body types on a partially recycled one. The company we're talking about was also very different and far more ambitious a good decade plus ago.

I'm not shitting on anyone's birthday cake, I like the redesign ideas and want it to be good, but nobody should assume anything, everyone should be vigilant and uncompromising in feedback, and nobody should take high expectations as a granted or settle for low ones.

[JDBlou]

Are we finally going to find out who is going to try to kill chromie? Or do we still need to wait for like level 112/113 for that?

You'll find that out in 15.0. See you back here in 12 years for that speculation thread.

[Chickat]

I think there's no chance to new classes to be added for this new race.

at most, there's like 1% chance that they will be able to wear armor in dragon form or we get additional body type/model tweaked to at least have a difference.



We have female and tauren pandas with boobs, don't try logic here.

I think it would be fine even if all they could wear is legs, chest, and belts. Preferably also gloves and shoulders, but they have to at least let us wear SOMETHING.

[Teriz]

There's a difference between making modifications for one concept on a totally new rig and having a delineation of multiple body types on a partially recycled one. The company we're talking about was also very different and far more ambitious a good decade plus ago.

It's on the Incubus rig actually, and that rig is new since both were built for it.

And while there's difference in the two situations, Blizzard never said the Worgen's initial appearance was a problem, the community did, which prompted Blizzard to fix it. In this case, we have Blizzard themselves saying that their GOAL is to offer a lot of customizations for this new race/class, and you have the community already offering very simply fixes to their original design. Blizzard has never stated that the Drakthyr's appearance is done and no new alterations are being made.

Don't forget, we're still in alpha.

I'm not shitting on anyone's birthday cake, I like the redesign ideas and want it to be good, but nobody should assume anything, everyone should be vigilant and uncompromising in feedback, and nobody should take high expectations as a granted or settle for low ones.

Where did I say people shouldn't be vigilant? Where did I say anyone should stop making Blizzard aware that they want more appearance options for the Drakthyr? I'm simply confident that changes will be made because both Blizzard and the fanbase are on the case.

[Chickat]

I've mentioned in another thread. But I'm very confused why Danuser wrote this new short story explaining the importance and ceremony of dragons choosing a mortal humanoid form to not even use that in the expansion with a playable dragon race.

I'm hoping that this is the plan and they're just saving some more details about all this to drip feed us over the coming months, but knowing how they like to contradict their own lore. They won't have the Dragonflights return to the dragon Isles and explain this ceremony to the dracthyr and write it that they undertake this ceremony to relate more to the returning dragonflight and the faction they're choosing.

It really does boggle the mind, and it's really a shame because the new race + class. (mainly class) is uninteresting to me and I've been supportive of an aspect based race and class for a very long time. This has just missed the mark for me.

Everything else from the expac however, looks good, can't wait to see more.

To be fair the Drakthyr are locked in time. They probably only know about trolls, elves, and tauren. Speaking of wich they wouldn't know about belves, so it makes no sense for them to look like blood elves or humans at all.


I changed my mind. If they can already look like a race that didn't even exist in their time they should be able to be any race.

[Vakir]

It's on the Incubus rig actually, and that rig is new since both were built for it.

That's what I mean. Citation needed on the latter with them both being built for it, though. I don't care if the artist said she worked on it for "years."

I think you're being a bit of a negative nancy here. Don't forget, we're still in alpha.

That's what they said to me about Covenants. I fully intend to support the community at large being a cynical piece of work until they prove otherwise. I refuse to be Guy Pearce in fucking Memento.

Where did I say people shouldn't be vigilant? Where did I say anyone should stop making Blizzard aware that they want more appearance options for the Drakthyr?

You didn't have to, because you saaaaaid...

They will. They're all going to be options for the race.

That's a pretty strict statement with no room for ambiguity or doubt. It's also extremely silly and naive. I think what you meant was "It sure would be nice if we got these."

Even when you get a variation of what you want, you are insufferable.

[Sondrelk]

To be fair the Drakthyr are locked in time. They probably only know about trolls, elves, and tauren. Speaking of wich they wouldn't know about belves, so it makes no sense for them to look like blood elves or humans at all.


I changed my mind. If they can already look like a race that didn't even exist in their time they should be able to be any race.

I am going to guess their backstory is dragon infused human/vrykul. They just happen to use the Belf and Human model because it's more "fair" than choosing either full Belf or full Human.

[Local Ardenweald Faerie]

To be fair the Drakthyr are locked in time. They probably only know about trolls, elves, and tauren. Speaking of wich they wouldn't know about belves, so it makes no sense for them to look like blood elves or humans at all.


I changed my mind. If they can already look like a race that didn't even exist in their time they should be able to be any race.

They would know about the Pandaren, too, given they have a empire that spans like, a good chunk of southern Kalimdor. They would know about the Vrykuls and their situation with the Curse of Flesh.

Really, it's no excuse.

[Chickat]

Your mistake is assuming that people play alts for that sort of thing.

When I play my priest, my paladin, warrior and what not, I don't play it because i enjoyed the time gated rep farming sort of scheme blizzard has going on so much, that i now feel like doing it all over again on 5 other chars.

Also, for some players, that's precisely what they want: the simplicity of reaching max level and just starting the gear grind, in whatever level of content they do it in.

I just don't think its a good idea to 100% remove the grind. Do you really think that a paladin should unlock every transmog from the rep? Im sure you do, but I don't. Idk, maybe I'm being narrow minded, but if all alts were for is raiding and mythic+ then I don't want alts. I enjoy world content, and if you remove the rep grind on alts you essentially remove the world too.


Although, I just had an idea. What if they double the rep length to make it last longer which is fair IMO, make it account wide, and then considerably add on to the Paragon box system. Transfer most of the cosmetics to Paragon boxes and make theprogress towards those account wide. If they do that then my main and my alts can continue doing world content for cosmetics and share the same progression bar. For players like yourself, once the grind is done all the player power is unlocked for every character, but there are still plenty of cosmetics to grind.

Thoughts?

[huth]

In every expansion there was a "best" path for talents, even in classic. For me the main part of this is the ability to have and freely switch between loadouts. There is really not a lot they could do for the best path. But this might add more utility to chose from

The whole loadout system sounds to me like they're deliberately building around the fact that, for high-end content, there will be a "best" path, but they also want people to give a way to experiment and do whatever for when they're not playing progress.

They even have options to export and import builds from other people.

[Chickat]

They would know about the Pandaren, too, given they have a empire that spans like, a good chunk of southern Kalimdor. They would know about the Vrykuls and their situation with the Curse of Flesh.

Really, it's no excuse.

Yeah, I thought it made sense until I realized they wouldn't know about humans or blood elves, so it makes 0 sense for them to turn into those races. If we are already letting them turn into races they don't know about we might as well be able to turn into any race.

[Shadochi]

The whole loadout system sounds to me like they're deliberately building around the fact that, for high-end content, there will be a "best" path, but they also want people to give a way to experiment and do whatever for when they're not playing progress.

They even have options to export and import builds from other people.

Exactly, there is no way to go around the whole "best path" thing, but loadouts will actually incentivize more and easier switching for different types of content

[Sondrelk]

The whole loadout system sounds to me like they're deliberately building around the fact that, for high-end content, there will be a "best" path, but they also want people to give a way to experiment and do whatever for when they're not playing progress.

They even have options to export and import builds from other people.

I think this is the best outcome honestly. Getting away from the minmax mentality is probably impossible without deliberately going out of your way to kill that crowd, at least this way you can have wackier builds that change stuff.

That being said, I do think that the minmax mentality only really applies at the very highest end of content, and at the lower end of casual content. Extremely casual players won't care, and high level casual players know that they will likely not be able to make full use of minmax builds regardless, so in the end it might actually genuinely lead to more diversity in rading.

[Teriz]

That's what I mean. Citation needed on the latter with them both being built for it, though. I don't care if the artist said she worked on it for "years."

That would be the citation. If the artist of both said she worked on both, why are we doubting her?

That's a pretty strict statement with no room for ambiguity or doubt. It's also extremely silly and naive. I think what you meant was "It sure would be nice if we got these."

What's silly and naive is looking at a racial model in alpha and believing there's going to be no changes to it by release several months from now.

Even when you get a variation of what you want, you are insufferable.

I'm simply being optimistic because I have faith in the developers, and the evidence supports the reality that they're not done with the new race/class' appearance.

[Shadochi]

Yeah, I thought it made sense until I realized they wouldn't know about humans or blood elves, so it makes 0 sense for them to turn into those races. If we are already letting them turn into races they don't know about we might as well be able to turn into any race.

Due to bronze dragons they would know about all races, even possibly those that don't exist

[Sondrelk]

Exactly, there is no way to go around the whole "best path" thing, but loadouts will actually incentivize more and easier switching for different types of content

I honestly think it's more important that the new talent trees allow for more out there builds. Sure you are never going to get massive DPS running a 100% mastery build for MM for instance, but you might have some fun sniping enemies from out of their maximum range.

[Chickat]

I hope there is some casual content to do in Dragonflight for gear progression. Looks like dailies, World Quests, Reputations have been removed; no mention of them. Doesn't seem to be any outdoor power increase to grind and no mention of cosmetics or other fun activities to do besides Dragonriding. Really hoping something gets added or this'll be a short lived expansion for me as I only do outdoor content. Shadowlands has been great with tons of cosmetics to farm and I've been very busy and having fun. Hoping this was just a big reveal and they'll tell us the little stuff later. I enjoy doing Callings and daily type quests each day and love farming a resource, even if it is just for cosmetics.

They don't mention end game content in expansion announcements... They never do unless its a significant new system.

Also they did mention reps in interviews. Said they would have a reknown bar similar to covenants, but that you could progress them all at the same time, and they talked about having more dynamic world content. Relax.

I don't understand the though process? They didn't show anything new for fishing. Do you think they removed fishing? They cant show everything in a 60 min presentation.