Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Ersula]

is it different encrypted files for each factions splash?

It seems like it, since there's two versions of it, while a third set of splash pages are *not* encrypted (the ones for when season 4 starts.)

Its either one for each faction, or a version for a character at 60 & a version for a character below 60. They've never had a faction specific version of the splash page before.

At this point its hard to imagine what 9.2.5 feature would be encrypted & secret like this, other than an allied race. They don't typically put "pre-order cosmetics" on a splash page.

[wowrefugee]

I really hope if it IS dark rangers for both, they don't just do undead night elves for alliance and undead blood elves for horde, make it unique, make it so either faction can make a few different flavors of undead, or light undead for alliance, darkfallen for horde.

I know I've seen a lot of unfavorable comments about light undead, but I personally think it'd be really cool. I finished Before the Storm recently and came away liking Calia Menethil. Lots of potential there, I think.

[Ersula]

It gets stranger the more you think about it: It's the patch 9.2.5 splash page...literally the first thing designed for people to see when they log into the new patch. But you encrypt things you want to save until later. So whatever it is, its simply something to remain secret until the day the patch goes live. Is that going to be the day the Pre-order begins?

Still its super murky to skip all external testing for several questchains.

[rhorle]

It gets stranger the more you think about it:

Not really. It is something they want to keep a secret. The splash pages usually have a small blurb which could give away story/lore details that they obviously want hidden. This isn't some deep mystery. They also don't have to skip testing if they use normal in-house or third party testing.

[Ersula]

Not really. It is something they want to keep a secret. The splash pages usually have a small blurb which could give away story/lore details that they obviously want hidden. This isn't some deep mystery. They also don't have to skip testing if they use normal in-house or third party testing.

But doesn't that sound like a contradiction to you? That's why its strange. The splash page is a literal in-game advertisement for the patch the moment it goes live. Encrypting an actual feature of a patch: They've never done this before. The closest thing they do is encrypt a raid cinematic when a raid is released & that's commonplace. If they encrypt an important questline its usually designed for weeks later & its definitely not listed on the patch splash page.

It pretty much confirms whatever it is its meant to hide a pre-order bonus. Either for the day 9.2.5 goes live, or they're actually just going to unencrypt it on the ptr the moment the pre-order goes live because they don't want people playing the ptr to expect some new feature is for everyone when its actually just for people who pre-order. Very unusual.

[rhorle]

But doesn't that sound like a contradiction to you? That's why its strange. The splash page is a literal in-game advertisement for the patch the moment it goes live. Encrypting an actual feature of a patch: They've never done this before. The closest thing they do is encrypt a raid cinematic when a raid is released & that's commonplace. If they encrypt an important questline its usually designed for weeks later & its definitely not listed on the patch splash page.

Or it is going live with the patch. Because nothing requires them to delay content by weeks. It doesn't confirm anything other then Blizzard wants to keep things a secret.

[Ersula]

Or it is going live with the patch. Because nothing requires them to delay content by weeks. It doesn't confirm anything other then Blizzard wants to keep things a secret.

I'm imagining of all these interviews they've been doing to promote Dragonflight & the interviewer asking "What sort of thing comes with the pre-order?" (They didn't, because Blizzard screens all the asked questions) and Ion replying "We can't tell you. Its a secret." A wild buisness plan. And it can't just be a questline because when they do that they simply don't put that questline in the splash page.

You can insist this is all perfectly typical from them but it's not. It's highly unusual.

[Makorus]

Maybe Blizzard finally realized that having all the hype happen on the PTR weeks or months before the actual patch comes out is utterly pointless?

You want the players eye on the game and all the headlines when there is actual content.

I mean, that's what happened with 9.2. "Oh, theres no hype for this".

Yeah, because all the hype is trickling in week over week and is gone by the time it was coming out.

[Ersula]

Maybe Blizzard finally realized that having all the hype happen on the PTR weeks or months before the actual patch comes out is utterly pointless?

But what's the difference? It clearly hasn't hurt. Anticipation is the best form of hype. The alternative is we're going to have a lot more of "I didn't log in for that because I literally had no way of knowing it was happening."

[rhorle]

And it can't just be a questline because when they do that they simply don't put that questline in the splash page.

They've put major quest lines on the splash page before. I'm not insisting anything is typical because this is the first time they are heavily encrypting things. However that still doesn't mean that the splash page is confirmed or has to be pre-order stuff.

[Lady Atia]

But what's the difference? It clearly hasn't hurt. Anticipation is the best form of hype. The alternative is we're going to have a lot more of "I didn't log in for that because I literally had no way of knowing it was happening."

You know that people who would only log in because they read about a new thing on wowhead will still do that, just as the same time as everyone else explores the new stuff? Yes, the news draught sucks right now, but it's still better than the old way in the end. The old "everything is dataminable on the PTR" stance was like you could play with your birthday presents you get in advance, just dumb.

[Nyel]

Very interested in the upcoming novel. The Sylvanas book left me completely cold, my interest for that wasn't existing, but a prequel novel for Dragonflight sounds great. And I enjoy all the novels about the dragons, they're usually very good.

[Nymrohd]

Very interested in the upcoming novel. The Sylvanas book left me completely cold, my interest for that wasn't existing, but a prequel novel for Dragonflight sounds great. And I enjoy all the novels about the dragons, they're usually very good.

I mean it at least explained what was happening a bit better.

[Lady Atia]

I mean it at least explained what was happening a bit better.

This. The Sylvanas novel was the best warcraft novel we ever got, we need more of that stuff. Shadows Rising was cool, but in the great scheme of things totally unnecessary. I guess that was because people complained that "important story shouldn't be in novels".

[Raetary]

What we need is an actually coherent story and more extensive storytelling in-game, not another 30 bucks novel to explain it all after the story is done.

[Nyel]

I mean it at least explained what was happening a bit better.

I guess you really have to care about Sylvanas and Shadowlands to be interested in that novel. For me neither was the case and I am super happy that Shadowlands can be treated as WoD and completely ignored for the greater WoW lore (as of now).

[Lady Atia]

What we need is an actually coherent story and more extensive storytelling in-game, not another 30 bucks novel to explain it all after the story is done.

True, they should have released the Sylvanas novel as the prequel for Shadowlands (of course minus the epilogue). All I'm saying is that I would rather get a Warcrimes/Sylvanas/Arthas/Illidan novel that actually matters instead of another Shadows Rising that was .... basically 15 bucks (because that's what the novels cost, not 30 lol) for nothing.

[Civciv]

I guess you really have to care about Sylvanas and Shadowlands to be interested in that novel. For me neither was the case and I am super happy that Shadowlands can be treated as WoD and completely ignored for the greater WoW lore (as of now).

If you aren't interested in Sylvanas, why did you buy a book that's dedicated to her story

[Raetary]

(because that's what the novels cost, not 30 lol).

The kindle version is 15, the actual book is 25.

[Nymrohd]

I guess you really have to care about Sylvanas and Shadowlands to be interested in that novel. For me neither was the case and I am super happy that Shadowlands can be treated as WoD and completely ignored for the greater WoW lore (as of now).

Oh I didn't buy it but from all the summaries it seems it actually gave some information on what the plan was. She still came off as a moron it just was a moron that made a lick of sense at least.