Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Gurahk]

I'm not sure how I feel about the writing so far, certain parts of it are cool like Sabellian, but I'm currently in the second zone and it's incredibly dull, and I'm usually a fan of tribalistic content.

[Eurhetemec]

Yeah, I mean he's kind of a douche as well, but my god has Wrathion some terrible writing (terrible in the sense of "making him look terribly arrogant and narcissistic").

I don't think that's unintended, so that's not "terrible" writing. Wrathion, as the expansion keeps mentioning, is pretty childish. He's not a narcissist in the sense that a proper adult would be (i.e. mentally ill and kind of dangerous to others), but rather he's "young, dumb, and full of cum", as it were. Certainly it's intended that he looks rather arrogant - but he also a strong streak of insecurity, which the writing also picks up, again, because he's very young.

So maybe we shouldn't call writing that accurate portrays a character "terrible"? Hmm? I mean that's kind of the whole problem with fan critiques of writing across TV/movies etc. (esp. MCU/SW etc.), where people call writing "terrible" or "bad" because they don't like what it portrays, not because it's not good. And conversely, absolutely fucking SHITE writing, which is clunky, leaden and dumb, gets praised (I'm looking really hard at the MCU right now, and yeah absolutely including stuff like Endgame) because it gives fans what they want to hear.

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I'm not sure how I feel about the writing so far, certain parts of it are cool like Sabellian, but I'm currently in the second zone and it's incredibly dull, and I'm usually a fan of tribalistic content.

The writing in general is good (for what it is, specific kind of MMO), and there's a ton more of it (esp. given you can often ask people questions etc.), but the Centaurs have a standoffish attitude that I think is always kind of a mistake when genre writers decide to portray it, because it's just kind of unengaging. It's more of a conceptual problem than a writing one, because I don't think anyone ever did it well. Just don't write entire cultures as standoffish lol.

[huth]

And that is why Sabellian works so well as a foil to him.

I just hope their rivalry keeps going. Maybe they can even share the Aspect power.

[MightyWarrior]

So far Dragonflight has exceeded all my expectations and I'm loving Dragonriding, levelling, questing, zones, music, not being a champion anymore. If endgame is great and patch content isn't so far apart, this will probably be in my top 3 expansions, or maybe the best one!

[Nyel]

I'm not sure how I feel about the writing so far, certain parts of it are cool like Sabellian, but I'm currently in the second zone and it's incredibly dull, and I'm usually a fan of tribalistic content.

I mean it's just a sequence of tropes. The entire expansion is build around it. Exciting? No, definitely not. Still way more entertaining than anything in Shadowlands imho. I think this is the level of storytelling we should get used to and for WoW it's okay. Decent, in parts. It just feels so grounded, that's why I care about what's going on. Never had that feeling in SL.

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I just hope their rivalry keeps going. Maybe they can even share the Aspect power.

Pretty sure one of them a) dies or b) becomes corrupted / a villain. They'd make an interesting pair for a double aspect though.

[Dracullus]

Kinda hoped we will get exploration toy day 1, it would require achiev from main anyway. I guess they update it with heirlooms, and for leveling speed it doesn't really matter with dragonriding.

[Sondrelk]

Kinda hoped we will get exploration toy day 1, it would require achiev from main anyway. I guess they update it with heirlooms, and for leveling speed it doesn't really matter with dragonriding.

What kind of exploration toy are you talking about?

[Jastall]

The Wrathion/Sabellian dynamic is the best writing surprise of the expansion, at least so far. They play off each other quite well and I sure hope it's not a device to have one be a villain (which considering Wrathion's popularity will almost certainly be Sabellian).

Dragonriding is pretty fun even if not flawless when it comes to having to reach heights or being stuck at no vigor waiting for recharges if you mess up. But the very fact that there's a learning curve that isn't overly punishing already makes it better than no clipping through the air. My other small complaint is not being able to dismount into an attack as easily as with regular flying. I like Charging at foes off the back of my mount as Warrior, for example. Harder with dragonriding.

[Sondrelk]

The Wrathion/Sabellian dynamic is the best writing surprise of the expansion, at least so far. They play off each other quite well and I sure hope it's not a device to have one be a villain (which considering Wrathion's popularity will almost certainly be Sabellian).

Dragonriding is pretty fun even if not flawless when it comes to having to reach heights or being stuck at no vigor waiting for recharges if you mess up. But the very fact that there's a learning curve that isn't overly punishing already makes it better than no clipping through the air. My other small complaint is not being able to dismount into an attack as easily as with regular flying. I like Charging at foes off the back of my mount as Warrior, for example. Harder with dragonriding.

I think my biggest issue with Dragonriding so far is that even with the larger zones, the increased mobility and speed from dragonriding makes them feel small regardless. I think Blizzard could comfortably double or triple the size of the zones in order to make it dragonriding appropriate.

[Lahis]

Eh we know that they could have intelligence, the aspects were proto-dragons once with some level of intelligence, after all.

Yeah but even they weren't debating politics like the Primalists are right now.

[Dracullus]

What kind of exploration toy are you talking about?

Same we have for other continents since 9.1.5 in heirloom vendor. You click it on alt, map+flight paths get explored.

[Super Dickmann]

The Wrathion/Sabellian dynamic is the best writing surprise of the expansion, at least so far. They play off each other quite well and I sure hope it's not a device to have one be a villain (which considering Wrathion's popularity will almost certainly be Sabellian).

Man's got a stock model, no amount of entertaining characterization will save him from dropping [The Baron's Band of Embuggerance] in a patch or two.

I've not had much time to play thus far, like @Nyel but I genuinely can't tell how Wrathion is meant to come across. Take that bit right after he makes a plunge to protect Alex from Raz and then asks her for military aid 5 mins later and leaves in a huff when she hesitates right after being mauled. Are we meant to see him as impulsive, but well-meaning, since he did risk it? Are we meant to see him as a short-sighted dumbass, since he wants the symbol of the office while he has no people and so he would only be able to hold the position with her help, what with not knowing Sabellian's saved the flight in the interim time? Blizzard and subtlety in framing don't come together but while it's guaranteed he'll be the new leader, how much we're meant to like him as the expansion starts out I can't figure.

Past that, dragonriding is better than I expected and the actual questing and lore gives me Cataclysm main quest vibes, down to the tone of the levity quests being similar to the Hyjal infiltration or Uldum, for good or bad, except with far more gay couples bonding over dissecting murlocs. The Primalists are a better antagonist than the Twilight's Hammer and Raz better than Cata Deathwing, but that's not exactly a major feat.

[Nymrohd]

I've not had much time to play thus far, like @Nyel but I genuinely can't tell how Wrathion is meant to come across. Take that bit right after he makes a plunge to protect Alex from Raz and then asks her for military aid 5 mins later and leaves in a huff when she hesitates right after being mauled. Are we meant to see him as impulsive, but well-meaning, since he did risk it? Are we meant to see him as a short-sighted dumbass, since he wants the symbol of the office while he has no people and so he would only be able to hold the position with her help, what with not knowing Sabellian's saved the flight in the interim time? Blizzard and subtlety in framing don't come together but while it's guaranteed he'll be the new leader, how much we're meant to like him as the expansion starts out I can't figure.

I think we are meant to see him as a guy in his late teens? Which is all of the above?

[Makabreska]

Wrathion is a teen that was supposed to take over top spot in his Flight. Of course his ego is sky high. There will be defo a humbling arc this expansion.

[Nymrohd]

Largely enjoying Dragonflight. Why is all this crap in my bag not currencies though . . .

[Nyel]

Largely enjoying Dragonflight. Why is all this crap in my bag not currencies though . . .

And why is that bag so small when you get bombarded with reagents, it's insane honestly. And hard to keep track which non-grey item is useful / used for what / can be sold. It's a giant mess for me right now and I have no idea what I should keep, so I keep everything.

[Valysar]

Yeah, reagant bags should have been 50. Quests cap 50... etc

[Cheezits]

The sheep herding quest at the traveling Centaur pack is one of the worst dailies I've ever done. Otherwise the quests are great.

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Also there is a bug/possibly a teaser? of the Night Elf story.

https://twitter.com/portergauge/stat...fF6TfkZ90IeUBQ

[Nyel]

Sindragosa is a 10/10. Her model looks great and I'd even say she would be such a great aspect, a shame she's long gone.

[Super Dickmann]

I think we are meant to see him as a guy in his late teens? Which is all of the above?

When Blizzard have an ambiguous portrayal it's usually by mistake. Framing tends to be as black and white as it gets.

Mind, I say that, that one orc in the Life Pools does Sadfang's character arc better in two quests than he does over 30 minutes of excruciating multi-million cinematics and an entire expansion.