Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Makabreska]

The pandemic wasn't the only thing that screwed with SL. I think you're ignoring the thing that likely had much more impact, the firing and re-shuffling of numerous people in Blizzard due to all the harassment, as well as all the striking that was done.

Yes, and that too has passed. MS soon takes over, working environment is/will improve. So again, why only 3 raids in DF?

[Ersula]

Why do you think that, when we had a major global event called pandemic that screwed with SL? Did short WoD patch cycle carried on?

I think 3 10+ boss raid tiers per expansion is a good amount. But I wish tiers had a bit more to do than a random collectothon sandbox zone for each tier.

[Nymrohd]

So the new dragon mount is gorgeous but . . . did they keep the pine cone tail???

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I think 3 10+ boss raid tiers per expansion is a good amount. But I wish tiers had a bit more to do than a random collectothon sandbox zone for each tier.

Honestly I'd love it if we had more but smaller raids. Less filler bosses. It is a bit of a challenge since if BiS is very much split between the raids you may get people not showing up for one raid and then coming for the other but I prefer tiers with multiple raids

[Khaza-R]

So.. this supposed to be slow year for Blizzard? xD

Probably should of been, tbh.

Shorter TBCC cadence, OW2 with no solo mode, now a possibly rushed DF launch. Definitely feels like Activision is trying to push things through their pipeline before the sale is complete. I don't really care as much about the aforementioned titles but it does make be very nervous about the future of D4.

[Makorus]

So the new dragon mount is gorgeous but . . . did they keep the pine cone tail???

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Honestly I'd love it if we had more but smaller raids. Less filler bosses. It is a bit of a challenge since if BiS is very much split between the raids you may get people not showing up for one raid and then coming for the other but I prefer tiers with multiple raids

What's a filler boss?

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Yes its still looking like a pine cone tail, I just looked(Again).

[Nymrohd]

What's a filler boss?

I mean I am lore centric so I find that some bosses are just added to pad the count? They don't really help tell the story of the raid much. E.g. think Jadefire Masters in Dazar'alor.

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Yes its still looking like a pine cone tail, I just looked(Again).

I mean it's an HD pine cone but . . .
I guess the original model is so distinctive they wanted to stay true to it which I can respect. Still think its weird that they effectively have a club for a tail.

[Khaza-R]

People didn't like their club tails? I always thought it made them a bit more unique.

[Nymrohd]

People didn't like their club tails? I always thought it made them a bit more unique.

Well I won't say people. I'll say I did not like them. At least now they look more like pine cones instead of pineapples.

[Hitei]

Well I won't say people. I'll say I did not like them. At least now they look more like pine cones instead of pineapples.

People didn't like their club tails? I always thought it made them a bit more unique.

Pretty sure they're switching them to flight specific with the updates.




So it's probably just the green that does that now, which is also why it's more nature-y.

[Chickat]

I wonder if alpha is this week.

[Nymrohd]

I wonder if alpha is this week.

I'd now hope it's coming soon. If it's November, don't we want at least 5 months of Alpha/Beta?

[Dracullus]

I mean if it were a slow year, it would be followed by 2023 with D4

I mean people called me too optimistic when I said Diablo IV will be around Christmas 2023 just few months ago. Now we thinks about 6 months earlier date. Overwatch 2 and 10.0 were sure 2023 bets for many people, so much that anyone talking about 2022 release was straight up laughed at.

Now Diablo Immortal is making ton of money even before release on Asian market (which was always intended market to be honest), Overwatch is turned into live service that will for sure print money as well and on top of that there is WoW expansion, safest bet for good (financial) year.

Diablo IV is a even bigger deal than WoW expac (I remind Diablo III held fastest sold PC game title from 2012 to 2020), it will for sure be something similar to Overwatch in 2016, so it could carry 2023 on it's own. Maybe 2024 will be slower year, but again now there is possibility for 11.0 launching this year, maybe even Blizzard will push for release during 20th anniversary (let's officially start 11.0 revamp delus.. hype I mean). And they also work on this new survival game, it should release mid to late 20s.

So next few years has much bigger potential than 2017-2021, of course Blizzard could fuck up everything, but if they use their cards smart it could carry them next few years, after that maybe potential investments from Microsoft will already bear fruits.

I'd now hope it's coming soon. If it's November, don't we want at least 5 months of Alpha/Beta?

If they want release raid this year, they have 4 months: July, August, September, October. I know, scary. From more positive side they don't have to figure out how to implement many stuff (member 15th iterations of Torghast or soulbinds?), everything but talents could be already set in stone. I mean, it's not like they will have to redesign renown style reputations for casual gameplay, we didn't have devs watercoolers about Venthyr party.

[The Stormbringer]

Yes, and that too has passed. MS soon takes over, working environment is/will improve. So again, why only 3 raids in DF?

Because they appear to be rushing things. A lot. The alpha hasn't even started, and the game is supposed to come out this year? That doesn't fill me with confidence that it's going to be a proper, 3-raid patch expansion.

[Makorus]

Because they appear to be rushing things. A lot. The alpha hasn't even started, and the game is supposed to come out this year? That doesn't fill me with confidence that it's going to be a proper, 3-raid patch expansion.

How does the Alpha test of the expansion being short have anything to do with post-launch content?

[Futhark]

[*]Hearthstone effect is simple, elegant and cool. Right up my alley.

This is the only thing that interested me; really playing into my love for Bronze Chronomancers. Maybe they will sell it stand-alone someday...

[Makabreska]

Because they appear to be rushing things. A lot. The alpha hasn't even started, and the game is supposed to come out this year? That doesn't fill me with confidence that it's going to be a proper, 3-raid patch expansion.

And we are back to square one. How do we know that SL being shorter wont be to DF benefit?

[Nymrohd]

I mean people called me too optimistic when I said Diablo IV will be around Christmas 2023 just few months ago. Now we thinks about 6 months earlier date. Overwatch 2 and 10.0 were sure 2023 bets for many people, so much that anyone talking about 2022 release was straight up laughed at.

Now Diablo Immortal is making ton of money even before release on Asian market (which was always intended market to be honest), Overwatch is turned into live service that will for sure print money as well and on top of that there is WoW expansion, safest bet for good (financial) year.

Diablo IV is a even bigger deal than WoW expac (I remind Diablo III held fastest sold PC game title from 2012 to 2020), it will for sure be something similar to Overwatch in 2016, so it could carry 2023 on it's own. Maybe 2024 will be slower year, but again now there is possibility for 11.0 launching this year, maybe even Blizzard will push for release during 20th anniversary (let's officially start 11.0 revamp delus.. hype I mean). And they also work on this new survival game, it should release mid to late 20s.

So next few years has much bigger potential than 2017-2021, of course Blizzard could fuck up everything, but if they use their cards smart it could carry them next few years, after that maybe potential investments from Microsoft will already bear fruits.



If they want release raid this year, they have 4 months: July, August, September, October. I know, scary. From more positive side they don't have to figure out how to implement many stuff (member 15th iterations of Torghast or soulbinds?), everything but talents could be already set in stone. I mean, it's not like they will have to redesign renown style reputations for casual gameplay, we didn't have devs watercoolers about Venthyr party.

Oh I think Diablo 4 can easily be the biggest game of the decade if they live up to the promises.

[Ilir]

Because they appear to be rushing things. A lot. The alpha hasn't even started, and the game is supposed to come out this year? That doesn't fill me with confidence that it's going to be a proper, 3-raid patch expansion.

What was shown in the trailer was way ahead of those past expansions tho.
Most zones were shown with mobs and npc in it. They already knew the story of each zones and shared it with us.

Also no borrowed power is gonna give them a lot of more time to do other stuff.

SL had to test conduit, soulbinds, legendaries, covenant skills and classes covenant skills for every spec in the game.
+ thorgy power.

That's a lot of time invested.

There is none of that in DF.

[Revamp Man]

Let's say alpha next week
Beta a month later
4 months of beta testing at most if they keep it up until the week before launch

That's assuming that alpha testing is mostly done via f&f