Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Revamp Man]

Blizz assured us they are going back to smaller but more frequent content patches, and I really hope it is true. Legion patch model was very decent, and so was MoP (although there was bigger emphasis on a non instance or Scenario content there). I am even fine with 8 bosses first raid, since perfect raid size for me is 8-10 d00dz.

Anything over 10 is waaayyy too many for a raid outside of the final one
Wanna do 13?? Split it into two

[Nymrohd]

Anything over 10 is waaayyy too many for a raid outside of the final one
Wanna do 13?? Split it into two

Honestly feel that it's always better to have a couple of raids with 5-8 bosses instead of 10-13. Most times for them to make a 10-13 boss raid they need to create bosses that are filler thematically and lorewise.

[Makabreska]

Honestly feel that it's always better to have a couple of raids with 5-8 bosses instead of 10-13. Most times for them to make a 10-13 boss raid they need to create bosses that are filler thematically and lorewise.

Didn't like it back in the Cata days. Jumping between first tier raids wasn't very fun, and Throne of the Four Winds may be my least favourite raid (although the other places were really good). I just prefer a single raid of 8-10 bosses. Despite all it's other flaws, first three BfA raids were really excellent (with BoD being in my top 3). But when Nyalotha arrived, you could see some filler bosses there.

[Sondrelk]

Didn't like it back n the Cata days. Jumping between first tier raids wasn't very fun, and Throne of the Four Winds may be my least favourite raid (although the other raids were really good). I just prefer a single raid of 8-10 bosses. Despite all it's other flaws, first three BfA raids were really excellent (with BoD being in my top 3). But when Nyalotha arrived, you could see some filler bosses there.

I could see it being a thing if it was double the raids with half the length, released at double the pace. So instead of one 10 boss raid every major patch, we have one 5 boss raid every major AND minor patch.
Would almost definitely be a nightmare to create assets for unless Blizzard decided to reuse a lot, but I think it could in theory work. Though it would definitely require being more lenient on the difficulty curve, or at the very least making sure AotC and CE lasts two raid tiers instead of one.

[Makabreska]

I could see it being a thing if it was double the raids with half the length, released at double the pace. So instead of one 10 boss raid every major patch, we have one 5 boss raid every major AND minor patch.
Would almost definitely be a nightmare to create assets for unless Blizzard decided to reuse a lot, but I think it could in theory work. Though it would definitely require being more lenient on the difficulty curve, or at the very least making sure AotC and CE lasts two raid tiers instead of one.

Not sure if that would work. Yes, more assets to create, but it would also mean players would have double the instances of gearing up during the expac (and much more tier sets to create, both visuals and set bonuses). That could easily create exhaustion and would be too much of a dev burden.

[Sondrelk]

Not sure if that would work. Yes, more assets to create, but it would also mean players would have double the instances of gearing up during the expac (and much more tier sets to create, both visuals and set bonuses). That could easily create exhaustion.

You would likely have to make it so NM gear in raid 2 is equivalent to HC gear in raid 1, rather than the current version of NM in raid 2 being equivalent to Mythic in raid 1.
I do agree though, the amount of gear progression would likely be very annoying, though I imagine it might be somewhat balanced out by having less bosses to gear from, and also not really having enough time to actually gear fully in eleven weeks or whatever.
The biggest roadblock though is, I would imagine the difficulty. You would need to make bosses much more simplistic, likely only having "final" bosses every two or three raids at most. It would also likely create issues with burnout for many raids, though this should ideally be solved by easier raids making progression much shorter.

Though again, the critical issue is the difficulty, and I am not sure this is an issue that realistically could be solved.

[Lady Atia]

You would likely have to make it so NM gear in raid 2 is equivalent to HC gear in raid 1, rather than the current version of NM in raid 2 being equivalent to Mythic in raid 1.
I do agree though, the amount of gear progression would likely be very annoying, though I imagine it might be somewhat balanced out by having less bosses to gear from, and also not really having enough time to actually gear fully in eleven weeks or whatever.
The biggest roadblock though is, I would imagine the difficulty. You would need to make bosses much more simplistic, likely only having "final" bosses every two or three raids at most. It would also likely create issues with burnout for many raids, though this should ideally be solved by easier raids making progression much shorter.

Though again, the critical issue is the difficulty, and I am not sure this is an issue that realistically could be solved.

Why? Everyone agreed that having 3+ endbosses this tier was bad (Halondrus, Anduin and Jailer, and you could argue that Rygalon/Lords were pre-nerf also in that tier). Having only one every 3-5 months would be far superiour.

[Cosmicpreds]

Much simpler. Because they still follow the rules, and one of the rules is "don't enter Zereth Mortis under any circumstances". The very rule because of which they imprisoned Zovaal in the first place.

I also mentioned that. They literally aren't allowed to go there. Would make sense for the Lords to not enter the very workshop of which they were made.

[Catastrophy349]

https://www.wowhead.com/blue-tracker...meskip-1301042

Steve Danuser response to the Timeskip. Go crazy talking about it!!

[Shrouded]

https://www.wowhead.com/blue-tracker...meskip-1301042

Steve Danuser response to the Timeskip. Go crazy talking about it!!

I don't hate the idea, but I really dislike the notion of fast-forwarding through the forgiveness of the Horde's atrocities during the Fourth War to a point where it's water under the bridge. That sort of healing SHOULD take place in game, and it shouldn't be glossed over the way it apparently will be. The catharsis just isn't there and it feels cheap.

[Dracullus]

Blizz assured us they are going back to smaller but more frequent content patches, and I really hope it is true. Legion patch model was very decent, and so was MoP (although there was bigger emphasis on a non instance or Scenario content there). I am even fine with 8 bosses first raid, since perfect raid size for me is 8-10 d00dz.

I would be more than fine with 4 raids x 8 bosses instead of 10-10-11 in SL. 8 dungeons and 8 bosses should become standard, of course assuming every season will be ~22 weeks like Nighthold, Tomb of Sargeras or Sepulcher.

I know some people like them, but I think mini raids are complete waste of time - although 2 smaller raids instead 1 big one would be great idea from time to time.

[Alanar]

https://www.wowhead.com/blue-tracker...meskip-1301042

Steve Danuser response to the Timeskip. Go crazy talking about it!!

That whole for your own interpetations is starting to become a little annoying imo. Lets just write our own story jeez.

[Revamp Man]

Honestly feel that it's always better to have a couple of raids with 5-8 bosses instead of 10-13. Most times for them to make a 10-13 boss raid they need to create bosses that are filler thematically and lorewise.

Plus skips

[Khaza-R]

That whole for your own interpetations is starting to become a little annoying imo. Lets just write our own story jeez.

Wasn't he just referring to the PC though? That seems to be a shift that started in the beginning of SL and will probably continue. They seem to want to give you much more control on coming up with your own characters backstory.

[Revamp Man]

Eh 3 year time skip makes the lack of world changes ok

[Alanar]

Wasn't he just referring to the PC though? That seems to be a shift that started in the beginning of SL and will probably continue. They seem to want to give you much more control on coming up with your own characters backstory.

Yes, sorry I meant PC. I do prefer giving it a proper name or a canon thing to go with it. Players were always free to do so and create their own backstories in these times, but I feel this time it's different, because 3 year is a lot, but to just imagine what happened there is a bit off to me. I guess the pre patch and what not would address some things in that timeskip and I hope not everything will be all for your own interpretation.

I mean.. a lot could have happened while we were away.. the scourge in northrend is rising and fighting for control according to bolvar(appearntly not important as we are going to an island below it, but w/e), what about the horde and alliance on Azeroth? got stuff rebuild or fixed by labors in the meantime? I think many players would have liked something there and it would have made sense. It's cool that he talks about Gilneas as it's nothing, while some people here were still speculating highly about it. Made me chuckle. It's good to know it won't happen offcamera and I am glad for all Worgen fans. I am a horde player, but boy they do deserve to get Gilneas back. Beautiful city as well.

[Dracullus]

It's strange for me that this kind of mini skip doesn't happen every expansion. Imagine new world war starting and ending every year for 9 years.

[Alanar]

It's strange for me that this kind of mini skip doesn't happen every expansion. Imagine new world war starting and ending every year for 9 years.

It kinda did tho.. just hasn't been said like this before.


For your player characters, it has always been left to your own interpretation how much time had passed when they log in after the arrival of a major update or new expansion. Dragonflight is no exception. You are free to imagine what your characters have been doing in that time of respite as you look forward to the arrival of the Dragonflight pre-patch.

[Xilurm]

It kinda did tho.. just hasn't been said like this before.


For your player characters, it has always been left to your own interpretation how much time had passed when they log in after the arrival of a major update or new expansion. Dragonflight is no exception. You are free to imagine what your characters have been doing in that time of respite as you look forward to the arrival of the Dragonflight pre-patch.

That just means its up to your own interpretation whether or not your character has been active. It doesn't mean people get to decide if 3 years have passed since the end of Shadowlands, that's set in stone.

[Khaza-R]

Yes, sorry I meant PC, but idk how to feel about this. I prefer giving it a proper name or a canon thing to go with it. Players were always free to do so and create their own backstories. This time it's different I guess, because 3 year is a lot, but to just imagine what happened there is a bit off to me. It's a shame. I guess pre patch and what not would address some things in that timeskip I hope and not be all for your own interpretation.

Going off rails, but for example playing dress up as an undead darkfallen, while being a paladin or a druid is totally fine with blizz and honestly I hate it. It feels lazy and to made up honestly. I hope this doesn't become the standard and leave a proper explanation behind just for players to make their own.. or in other words for your own interpretation, so when you as player say: well this is my character and he is this and that, it's canon apparently. I mean.. this is in a world where every eye color and ear shape has a meaning and is linked to either a famous character, state of( undead, light infused we/e. Not gonna qq over the dr costumization, but they could've atleast name it different so it makes more sense froma lore standpoint.

I don't disagree with your points at all. I think there's merits to both takes.

Its nice to have more freedoms in a system where player characters are more user defined. Sand trolls are a good example of this. They had zero defined explanation how they were a player character and it was up to the player to define (if they even wanted) how they were apart of the Horde.

By contrast though, an MMO is inheritently a shared space. If you apply too much freedom everything just goes wild. Your lovely crafted =, lore-friendly Priestess of the Moon for example, has to share a space with a mechagnome who thinks he's Mobile Suit Gundam Wing. There's a certain point where adding too much freedom nullifies the choices of other players. I can understand some of the appreciation for more defined roles.