Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Varx]

Blizzard: "we're hoping to have races be as little as possible of a limiting factor as to which class you can play."

Also Blizzard: "the dracthyr can only be evokers and evokers can only be dracthyr"

Joking aside, now I know that dracthyr will have more classes sometime after launch or in 11.0

And visage form needs to be open to more races and usable in combat to simulate more races being able to be evokers.

[Arafal]

I'm surprised nobody actually asked them about visage form expansion in any interview, at least as far as i know.

[Nightshade711]

I'm surprised nobody actually asked them about visage form expansion in any interview, at least as far as i know.

I honestly can almost guarantee that it’s only because of technical issues, and having the races be different between genders is the closest they could’ve gotten.

[Futhark]

Did I hear Holinka right? Did he say the Dracthyr are a prismatic flight? This fits their spell animations (that start as all the colors before settling on one) and thematically separates then from the chromatic flight.

Edit: I did mishear. They use "essence" as a resource for "prismatic magic"

[Ilir]

Did I hear Holinka right? Did he say the Dracthyr are a prismatic flight? This fits their spell animations (that start as all the colors before settling on one) and thematically separates then from the chromatic flight.

tbh that's the first thing i thought about when i saw them.

[rhorle]

Did I hear Holinka right? Did he say the Dracthyr are a prismatic flight? This fits their spell animations (that start as all the colors before settling on one) and thematically separates then from the chromatic flight. Edit: I did mishear. They use "essence" as a resource for "prismatic magic"

Essentially that is what they are. A "prismatic" dragonkin that is a combination of all the aspect flights. Their magic is "prismatic" that will show all the different colors as you cast to change to only one or something.

[Ersula]

Essentially that is what they are. A "prismatic" dragonkin that is a combination of all the aspect flights. Their magic is "prismatic" that will show all the different colors as you cast to change to only one or something.

5 dragonflight genes = chromatic
5 dragonflight genes + human seasoning = prismatic

Basically what they told us from the beginning.

[bruxx]

If Dracthyr’s racial mount is themselves, I wonder if they’re going to give them standard flight.

God, I hope so.

[Syegfryed]

Yes, because the Aspects want to explore and learn about the current state of the land, not have a bunch of meatheads try to murder or enslave everything that moves and then turn around and stab them in the back at the first opportunity "for glory".

Oh yeah, let me guess, those horde races don't have books and are illiterate, lets keep pushing this stereotype, im sure its healthy for the game.

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Great highlights from Holinka interview

Chosen identity is the racial that allows them to switch into their visage form.

Chose your identity, but it have to be the identity of a blood elf male and a human female.

The team wants to move towards a world where the race of a character is not an inhibitor to what class you can play.

Also the team just made up a race that can only be one class

Dracthyr are their own racial mount.

And what is supposed to mean? run in all fours like worgen? "fly" low like a dragonhawk in a no-flying area?

This will be extremely ridiculous if you don't actually fly in open world, like using a proper mount/druid flight form.

[Lilithvia]

I know I'm late on this, but some of the new combat noises sound like Blizzard was desperately trying to reference minecraft villager noises.

[boyzma]

Oh yeah, let me guess, those horde races don't have books and are illiterate, lets keep pushing this stereotype, im sure its healthy for the game.

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Great highlights from Holinka interview



Chose your identity, but it have to be the identity of a blood elf male and a human female.



Also the team just made up a race that can only be one class



And what is supposed to mean? run in all fours like worgen? "fly" low like a dragonhawk in a no-flying area?

This will be extremely ridiculous if you don't actually fly in open world, like using a proper mount/druid flight form.

How about your dragon form?? Does that work for you? Btw...don't you get tired of constantly bashing the game? Certainly gets tiring reading all your whining.

[Nyel]

Mildly interesting, Ion was talking about doing something along the lines of master loot (but not master loot) and didn't "want to promise that any of that work can get done in the next few months". Might be reading a bit too much into that, but that's interesting wording if that implies it won't be ready for 10.0 in a few months.

Not sure what the widely accepted American definition of "few" is but in my definition that feels like it at least does imply 10.0 pre-patch this year, seeing few wouldn't be "in 8 months" .

I think is overly optimistic. There are several issues with a 2022 release:

1. Clashing with WotLK Classic in Q4

2. No pre-orders up after announcement

3. Testing hasn't begun yet

4. A lot of announced concepts still seem to be very "work in progress" (which was the case with Shadowlands as well during the announcement)

We have 7 months left for a release this year. No idea how this could work in the slightest. Is it completely out of question? No. I just find it highly unlikely based on their track record in the last 2 years.

[ExiHext]

How about your dragon form?? Does that work for you? Btw...don't you get tired of constantly bashing the game? Certainly gets tiring reading all your whining.

That's why you don't read or reply to it. That orc favoritism and obvious elf hatred really is ridiculous and worth a therapy.

Oh, pretty races are more popular than ugly ones? How dare Blizz make more elves instead of half ogres or another bland orc (me orc, me smash!!). Really makes you wonder.

[Nymrohd]

4. A lot of announced concepts still seem to be very "work in progress" (which was the case with Shadowlands as well during the announcement)

Any examples? Talents sound nearly done, they just want feedback and are thinking of how to best release them. Dragonriding we saw in the preview and it seems to work just fine. They clearly have the tech for soulbound crafting working. No other systems other than these. It's a lot of UI work but from what we've heard the UI designers have been working on this for a long time now. The world itself is probably fairly far along, heck even in expacs that took their sweet time on beta, the world was almost done when the alpha went live.
Personally I also expect 2023 just early Q1 at this point. Alpha in early June, 6 months of testing.

[Lahis]

The rule is healing a void-embedded creature with holy magic causes pain, not casting holy spells. Ergo, why they can be priests. There are undead Paladins in the reanimated sect of the Scarlet crusade the devs have apparently forgotten about.

They can be priests because Shadow Priest is thwbonly class in thw game focused on holy magic. Holy and Disc specs are available for gameplay reasons, but using Light would actually burn Void Elves up.

The opposite is true for Lightforged.

[Dracullus]

Any examples? Talents sound nearly done, they just want feedback and are thinking of how to best release them. Dragonriding we saw in the preview and it seems to work just fine. They clearly have the tech for soulbound crafting working. No other systems other than these. It's a lot of UI work but from what we've heard the UI designers have been working on this for a long time now. The world itself is probably fairly far along, heck even in expacs that took their sweet time on beta, the world was almost done when the alpha went live.
Personally I also expect 2023 just early Q1 at this point. Alpha in early June, 6 months of testing.

We simply don't know how far along they really are before they show us Alpha. I don't get why people always assume they show us everything during reveals. Clearly on reveal day they were restricted by hour timeframe, not lack of stuff to talk about.

Q1 2023 is obvious because it fits usual timeframe and there is season 4. Some people claim that s4 will last like 2 months, but that's just pure nonsense. Not only it would be pointless to even bother in first place (s3 from March to November would be even shorter than Antorus anyway - and Antorus didn't come with major patch), but also screw people that want play around with this season and achieve something. Reminds me of people wanting 10.0 reveal ASAP in February, because "no one cares about 9.2".

[Lahis]

Mildly interesting, Ion was talking about doing something along the lines of master loot (but not master loot) and didn't "want to promise that any of that work can get done in the next few months". Might be reading a bit too much into that, but that's interesting wording if that implies it won't be ready for 10.0 in a few months.

Not sure what the widely accepted American definition of "few" is but in my definition that feels like it at least does imply 10.0 pre-patch this year, seeing few wouldn't be "in 8 months" .

There is still the whole 8 month Season 4 that needs to happen so there is no time to fit 10.0 into this year.

- - - Updated - - -

I wouldn't be surprised if they went the Worgen route and added some sort of "token mount", like a recolor of some other Dragon Isles mount, to serve that purpose. Worgen were released with the Running Wild racial and no racial mount, with Blizzard adding the Mountain Horse and Swift Mountain Horse mounts to a Gilneas vendor 3 patches after release to throw a bone to us mount collectors. The same might not apply here since Dracthyr can be both Alliance and Horde - unlike with Worgen, their addition doesn't create an imbalance of mounts available to Alliance collectors vs. Horde collectors; both sides would just not get any new mount.

That being said, even as a mount collector, I'd be willing to forego the addition of a new racial mount if it means we get full flying with the Dracthyr's wings.

Just like you said, only reason Worgen got the Horde mount was to fix the imbalance Worgen and Goblin caused to the number of Alliance and Horee mounts (important for the Collect X mounts achievements). Dracthyr beign neatral means there is no need to add mounts to them.

- - - Updated - - -

Ah yes, the horde does not have a organizations that know how to deal with deadly beasts or dragons, let alone the thunderlord clan, who are the best hunters and the dragonmaw clan with all their extensive knowledge about dragons.

Sure a bunch of scholars will be better suit for an exploring mission in a dragon infested isle.

We are there to explore the isles, not to kill and enslave all dragons.

Dragonmaw and Thunderlord have the wrong kind of experience. And do those clans even exist in the modern Horde?

[Nymrohd]

We simply don't know how far along they really are before they show us Alpha. I don't get why people always assume they show us everything during reveals. Clearly on reveal day they were restricted by hour timeframe, not lack of stuff to talk about.

Q1 2023 is obvious because it fits usual timeframe and there is season 4. Some people claim that s4 will last like 2 months, but that's just pure nonsense. Not only it would be pointless to even bother in first place (s3 from March to November would be even shorter than Antorus anyway - and Antorus didn't come with major patch), but also screw people that want play around with this season and achieve something. Reminds me of people wanting 10.0 reveal ASAP in February, because "no one cares about 9.2".

Especially considering that the raids will rotate every week. If you want to get Mythic done with the affix on all three raids, you definitely need more than 3 non-consecutive weeks on them. Nah I expect S4 to launch earlier than expected but also be long.

[Hitei]

Oh yeah, let me guess, those horde races don't have books and are illiterate, lets keep pushing this stereotype, im sure its healthy for the game.

I appreciate the very, very poor attempt to pretend you give a shit about stereotypes via near concern trolling, but it doesn't really work when, lmao, a single post ago you literally mocked the fact that the Horde was sending scholars and not people good at killing animals and dragons to "deal with" this """"dragon-infested isle"""".

Like do you not realize how painfully transparent your posts are? You do the same shit with Dracthyr:

"Wow this Dracthyr are so stupid, they need to be changed to a more masculine and buff model! Blizzard is so dumb, they should have never added slender dinosaurs and added Drakonids instead. Lmao look at these dumb skinny geckos! They should have added real dragons!"
"I-i'm not saying they should be removed or changed, what I care about is players having options :^)"

Do you think anyone is falling for this gambit? You're not any more subtle about your obsession than any of the elf-spamming posters are.

Look, I get it. You're upset with Dragonflight.

The idea that any given storyline isn't about fellating the Orcish race and how great and powerful the older incarnations of the Horde are, and what winners Orcs and Tauren (but only Tauren who agree with Orcish values and killing the Alliance, no wimps like Baine who want peace between the factions!) makes you, in a completely non-memetic sense, seethe. But considering that Burning Crusade, Wrath, Cata, MoP, Warlords and BFA all featured major Orcish involvement, it's fine for Legion, Shadowlands and Dragonflight to not be about Orcs, and for the primary group of Horde NPCs in Dragonflight to not be an Orcish clan (lmao at the idea that somehow Blood Elves are the thing overused for the Horde and what's needed is more Orc clans).

Likewise, I get that it's very upsetting for you that an added race not directly appeal to you, personally, by being a swollen bara fighter, or at least capable of being a swollen bara fighter by turning into the aforementioned orcs and tauren. But since there are already two forms of Orc, two forms of Tauren, two forms of Draenei, Kul Tirans, two forms of Dwarves, and to a lesser extent, Zandalari and Worgen in the game to appeal to people who want to play a bulky, muscled character, there's no problem with a lithe race being added.

And you get that. You understand you have no leg to stand on for either of these, which is why you've been forced into these dishonest arguments, wherein you pretend that you're not after the game directly appealing to you alone, you just want there to be "options for everyone" or you just want to "move past stereotypes and focus on different groups". But those arguments don't work when they're 5% of your posts and the other 95% are you shitting on any "options for everyone" that aren't directly appealing to your fetish by ranting about how stupid they are and how bad Blizzard is for adding them; and demanding the storyline employ those exact "stereotypes" you supposedly want to move past and focus on the Horde race that's had more screen time than anything besides humans.

[rhorle]

They can be priests because Shadow Priest is thwbonly class in thw game focused on holy magic. Holy and Disc specs are available for gameplay reasons, but using Light would actually burn Void Elves up.

Do you have actual lore for that? Because wouldn't that mean that if light is used on a Void Elf they would burn up as well? That is how it functions for undead. The Light being used on them, or using the light themselves, causes the undead to feel like they are burning. I have never seen anything official stated that Void Elves and Light Forge would burn up if exposed to their opposite cosmic force.

It would be a pretty big weakness because it would take one shadow priest or one warlock with a void lord minion (those aren't demons but void creatures) to easily take out the entire race of Lightforged.

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There is still the whole 8 month Season 4 that needs to happen so there is no time to fit 10.0 into this year.

No where has it been stated that Season 4 will take 8 months. The quote everyone keeps referencing for that was just "in general" seasons last 6 to 8 months. Season 4 not introducing a new tier can easily be only a few months.