Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Slybak]

So I'm more in curiosity than panic mode.

Same. Like I said, the timing is unusual but nothing that raises big red flags.

We will see if Alpha is more advanced than usual. Key thing will be talents, I think no matter what they will release zone per build anyway to focus all feedback on single thing.

The talent revamp for DF is the kind of thing that would ordinarily require lots of testing, but on the other hand the kind of revamp they're doing isn't adding dozens of new abilities for each class, which I think some people expect (and which is not really reasonable).

I think the thing that frustrated a lot of people with SL testing is that they wanted fairly substantial changes to big systems and that's not something that Beta is for. Beta is for fixing bugs and ideally getting at a good starting point for numbers balancing and that's pretty much it. That was hard for some of the Covenant systems because of both the exclusivity inherent in the system they designed and that it was layering on a substantial amount of new stuff, whereas the talents aren't exclusive to the same degree and the new trees are being populated with existing stuff. And so testing is probably going to prioritize fixing new player-discovered ability combinations that are game-breaking.

[Lady Atia]

No other interview mentions the Prepatch + Uldaman thing.

I'm quite sure they talked in a video interview about it somewhere. Anyways, we will see who is right once pre-patch hits =)

Besides, the dragonflight sites mentions the new dungeon wing and there is literally no way they do a new dungeon wing aswell as an upscale of the old dungeon with classic mechanics, kekW.

[Cheezits]

I feel like the acquisition announcement is their official response to the criticisms about the preorders going out.

"Here's why it's 2022..."

[micwini]

I feel like the acquisition announcement is their official response to the criticisms about the preorders going out.

"Here's why it's 2022..."

It's kind of weird tho. "We just hired 100 new people and they all instantly know how the codebase works and can immediately start working on Dragonflight!". In the long term it will bring more content, but on the short term, all of those new employees need to be worked in and that would slow down progress a bit for a couple of months, so they don't really gain much short term.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

I feel like the acquisition announcement is their official response to the criticisms about the preorders going out.

"Here's why it's 2022..."

I mean it could, but thats a maybe to me personally.

[Cheezits]

It's kind of weird tho. "We just hired 100 new people and they all instantly know how the codebase works and can immediately start working on Dragonflight!". In the long term it will bring more content, but on the short term, all of those new employees need to be worked in and that would slow down progress a bit for a couple of months, so they don't really gain much short term.

The main reason it's out 2022 is because the development timeline is likely the same as ever, it was just revealed in Spring 2022 instead of November 2021. This just feels like an official response: note that no devs have commented or been allowed to comment on the worries about rushed development.

[Lahis]

I feel like the acquisition announcement is their official response to the criticisms about the preorders going out.

"Here's why it's 2022..."

Those guys will be up to speed for 10.3 at the earliest. They can't save 10.0

[Makorus]

Those guys will be up to speed for 10.3 at the earliest. They can't save 10.0

Up to speed... on what?

[Makabreska]

Those guys will be up to speed for 10.3 at the earliest. They can't save 10.0

So like, it will take 1.5y+ for them?

[Lorgar Aurelian]

Up to speed... on what?

The way wow is coded, the tools they use to make art, ect. Different games/studios work with different programs and methods and Old things like wow don’t tend to work on the same basis as other products so it takes adjustment time.

[tumbleweed010]

Those guys will be up to speed for 10.3 at the earliest. They can't save 10.0

Rmap up time for professional software engineers isn't 12+ months, let alone 9, regardless of how massive a system is.

10.1 & 10.2 aren't also simultaneously in actual development right now, so their impact would likely be seen in some parts of 10.1 ot 10.2 at the latest.

And 10.0 doesn't need saving when there's so few things that need actual, rigorous testing.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

It will show in time, personally I feel like MMO teams can't be small anyways, massive project regardless of how long its around but I digress. 10.0 doesn't need saving IMO based on what we know of it.

[Cheezits]

It will show in time, personally I feel like MMO teams can't be small anyways, massive project regardless of how long its around but I digress. 10.0 doesn't need saving IMO based on what we know of it.

Well, it's not going to include any radical new gamemodes for people. Nothing short of Housing or an insanely good story(???) is going to excite people who don't care about PvP/Raids/Arenas.

So there's no 'saving' it, people will either like it or not.

[Makorus]

The way wow is coded, the tools they use to make art, ect. Different games/studios work with different programs and methods and Old things like wow don’t tend to work on the same basis as other products so it takes adjustment time.

They've been working there since May.

It'll take them 3 months tops to be on top of things. Considering how high the turnover for software developers is, nothing would ever get done if it took people 1.5 years to learn an enviromnent LMAO.

[Cheezits]

So apparently the "mystery stables" on the PTR now have a dismounting effect when you get near them, similar to how important story NPCs in hubs work.

Maybe it will be tied to prepatch or the DF intro? Though I thought it was going to be at the new docks.

[Slybak]

Rmap up time for professional software engineers isn't 12+ months, let alone 9, regardless of how massive a system is.

And regardless of the ramp up time for getting the hires from Proletariat familiar with WoW's code, the problems with the game almost all exist at the design, scheduling, and management level.

[therumblings]

I'm holding out hope for a datamineable build today and alpha starting next week. I'm mostly eager to see some substantial details about the Evoker.

[Lady Atia]

I'm holding out hope for a datamineable build today and alpha starting next week. I'm mostly eager to see some substantial details about the Evoker.

I'm more interested in the dragonriding customizations and other new mounts, aswell as the new shiny models for npc's. Wouldn't mind if Alphas invite start later, but atleast some initial datamining would be good. But well, if not today than I think we will get it next week anyways.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

They've been working there since May.

It'll take them 3 months tops to be on top of things. Considering how high the turnover for software developers is, nothing would ever get done if it took people 1.5 years to learn an enviromnent LMAO.

Oh ya I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they are fully accustomed by now I was just pointing out what they would need to adjust to now agreeing with the silly claim that they won’t contribute till post launch.

[Throren]

Honestly I just like seeing new assets, new .wmo's and .m2 object models, creature and weapon models etc.