Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Luck4]

While I agree, that an argument can be made about Shadowlands being abandoned earlier, I think it's fair to assume that correlates to working from home.

I mean, we're one week from July, and the expansion is supposed to come out before 31th of December, but since I think Blizzard doesn't wanna do a release on holidays, it's also fair to assume that any release after the 15th of December would be a disaster.

So, let's say the expansion will release on the 20th of December, just to get the full six months time-frame, we still didn't get:

• Preview of most Talent Trees, Professions Rework, Dragon Riding;
• Datamining;
• Alpha;
• Beta;
• Even the "pre" expansion book is slated to release in 2023;

It's hard to not be concerned about it.


I'm sad about all this because I think if Dragonflight fails as well, it'll be endgame. Shadowlands was terrible in every aspect IMO, even the general MMO feeling that WoW had for nearly 20 years was lost.

Everyone seems to be playing this game for just a couple of weeks every patch for cheap lore and then quit, there's no more population-critical mass to sustain the MMO acronym.

What happens if Dragonflight fails?

I'm deeply concerned...

[infinitemeridian]

I'm skeptical they will make that 2022 deadline, expecting this to be delayed. We'll see just how far along things are once the Alpha drops (hopefully it's more than previous expacs).

[Eurhetemec]

Shadowlands was terrible in every aspect IMO, even the general MMO feeling that WoW had for nearly 20 years was lost.

Oh look it's the thing everyone says about a different expansion that just happens to coincide with when they, personally, started feeling like WoW was less of an MMO.

There isn't a single post-WotLK expansion someone hasn't said this about. Shit I said it about Cataclysm.

So, in short, it's nonsense. As is your ass-pull, evidence-free theory re: "critical mass" of population. Your "cheap lore" comment really just is the icing on a truly awful cake.

[infinitemeridian]

Oh look it's the thing everyone says about a different expansion that just happens to coincide with when they, personally, started feeling like WoW was less of an MMO.

There isn't a single post-WotLK expansion someone hasn't said this about. Shit I said it about Cataclysm.

So, in short, it's nonsense. As is your ass-pull, evidence-free theory re: "critical mass" of population. Your "cheap lore" comment really just is the icing on a truly awful cake.

It's not a gameplay thing. SL's aesthetic, story, tone, lore, etc. just doesn't feel like WoW. It's easily the worst thing about the expansion (apart from lack of content).

[Ersula]

No it's going to get release come hell or high water. People begged for expansions with no systems or anything to do at end game that's required and this is what that is. It doesn't need to be delayed because it doesn't have any content.

This is pretty much it. By the most conservative estimate the covenant abilities took at least 20% of Shadowlands testing just to balance 40+ combat abilities. And Torghast was at least 5%. They can knock off at least 6 weeks of testing based on that alone. That being said I'm so excited for the new crafting. FFXIV crafting is lit.

[huth]

It's hard to not be concerned about it.

Not at all. Unless you seriously overthink things and spend way to much time worrying about a video game that ultimately isn't going to change your life.

Or put another way, the problem isn't WoW, it's you.

[boyzma]

Not at all. Unless you seriously overthink things and spend way to much time worrying about a video game that ultimately isn't going to change your life.

Or put another way, the problem isn't WoW, it's you.

Exactly. So many debbie downer, nasty nellie, gloomy gus people here. If it's so bad without even being launched, do us all a favor and don't play. This forum is just a tiny spec of the playerbase but yet I bet it's the most negative of them all.

[Alexjimithing]

Literally every place for online discussion is shitting on how content bare the expansion is that it can launch within six months without having even started alpha testing. It's not just here.

I think there's a world of difference between expressing concern/curiosity at how much content it may have versus pretending like you definitively *know* and saying something like, "it doesn't have any content."

You're conflating your intentional pessimism with people wondering if it will be short on content at launch. Disingenuous at best.

[Gifdwarf]

It doesn't have any content.

Just like every pre-borrowed power expansion had no content.

[Ersula]

Literally every place for online discussion is shitting on how content bare the expansion is that it can launch within six months without having even started alpha testing. It's not just here.

The similarity of Dragonflight to WotLK should be more apparent to everyone. They might as well said "You want WotLK so bad we'll emulate WotLK" Wrath didn't have any newfangled game modes & it was the last time there were crafted BIS items. Plus if you told me they've been planning an old world revamp since BFA but because of covid they decided to through this filler expansion together to buy themselves two more years to work on that.

But I wouldn't say it's pessimism: I'm looking forward to Dragonflight, mainly because it can't possibly have less content than Shadowlands

[rhorle]

But I wouldn't say it's pessimism: I'm looking forward to Dragonflight, mainly because it can't possibly have less content than Shadowlands

It is entirely pessimism. You just called the expansion filler and you don't even know any of the details about it. It is also strange for you to think it will have more content then Shadowlands when WotLK had less or any "newfangled game modes". So is Dragonflight not actually like Wrath?

[Melorandor]

What do y'all think the pre-patch event is going to be?

[Makorus]

People keep saying "Oh, Shadowlands didn't have content! Dragonflight doesn't have content".

But what do you guys actually want out of an expansion? I can't wrap my head around those arguments.

- - - Updated - - -

What do y'all think the pre-patch event is going to be?

Well, surely it will have something to do with those weird constructions quests that were added. Dunno what the event that kicks it off is gonna be.

My hope is that there will be Dracthyr in Season 4, and Dracthyr arriving in Azeroth is what is gonna get us to look for the Dragon Isles, but that's hopium

[Lahis]

My hope is that there will be Dracthyr in Season 4, and Dracthyr arriving in Azeroth is what is gonna get us to look for the Dragon Isles, but that's hopium

Man I must have missed the new class and race they tested in 9.2.5 PTR.

[Melorandor]

Agreed, Shadowlands felt very alien compared to past expansion in regards to the Warcraft feel. Even Mists of Pandaria felt more Warcraft than Shadowlands.

Literally every place for online discussion is shitting on how content bare the expansion is that it can launch within six months without having even started alpha testing. It's not just here.

People keep saying "Oh, Shadowlands didn't have content! Dragonflight doesn't have content".

But what do you guys actually want out of an expansion? I can't wrap my head around those arguments.

- - - Updated - - -



Well, surely it will have something to do with those weird constructions quests that were added. Dunno what the event that kicks it off is gonna be.

My hope is that there will be Dracthyr in Season 4, and Dracthyr arriving in Azeroth is what is gonna get us to look for the Dragon Isles, but that's hopium

I don't get the point of Onnesa and the new stable stuff and how it will relate to the pre-patch event.

[Alexjimithing]

Pre-patch for my money will be the isles unveil themselves and we're preparing for the trip over/expedition.

[Teriz]

It's amazing how many posters here work behind the scenes at Blizzard and no exactly where they are in terms of Dragonflight's development.

[Makorus]

Man I must have missed the new class and race they tested in 9.2.5 PTR.

Noooooooo there is no way Blizzard can test internally, Blizzards TOTALLY needs player feedback noooooooo!!!!

Blizzard must have realized player feedback is essentially worthless. 99% of the people with Alpha/Beta access and 99% of the people on the PTR don't actually test anything, but just use it as early access.

[Makabreska]

Noooooooo there is no way Blizzard can test internally, Blizzards TOTALLY needs player feedback noooooooo!!!!

Blizzard must have realized player feedback is essentially worthless.

How did they even test those 3 last bosses in Sepulcher man? How does it work???

[Makorus]

How did they even test those 3 last bosses in Sepulcher man? How does it work???

Weird how the most changed and imbalanced bosses were the ones that were available for public testing as well.

But people are right, there is no way Blizzard can release any content without the REAL developers (players) testing the content beforehand