Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Almost certainly. Unless the next expansion is delayed a full year all the way to late Q2, Q3 2023 then this is Blizzard best and really only chance to announce the expansion in good time. Legion being announced at Gamescom is definitely the odd one out, and I doubt there really even is a fitting convention to announce 10.0 anyways.

Probably the following year we might get a "Hey heres 10.0, enjoy"

[Soon-TM]

Blizzard proves time and time again that they default to 'what the community whines loudest about' when it comes to high-level design decisions. Blizzard dug this grave by not telling MMO-C posters to get fucked every time someone makes a suggestion. When they crowdsource game design from armchair game designers online, this is what you get.

Ion himself was an "armchair game designer" , "whiney" (as you would put it) dude whose only merit until then was hosting a theorycrafting forum. Yet he was hired, for some reason.

[draugril]

Ion himself was an "armchair game designer" , "whiney" (as you would put it) dude whose only merit until then was hosting a theorycrafting forum. Yet he was hired, for some reason.

And the game is now precisely what you would envision as the brain-child of the GM of Elitist Jerks.

[plz delete account]

Today is monday, which means it's time to post the classic originally posted by either Fahrad or Shadochi in the BFA prepatch thread

[Sondrelk]

And the game is now precisely what you would envision as the brain-child of the GM of Elitist Jerks.

It is fascinating to consider how the game would have looked if it was headed by someone who saw open world content as the preeminent source of enjoyment.
Obviously should be said that the ship for open world content sailed in TBC, but still.
A version of WoW where raids were just bigger dungeon that gave better loot, and most of the meat of the game came from open world questlines, challenges or generally more focus on the actual world, as opposed to the version helmed by WotLK onwards, where raids are not just where the big story climaxes, but indeed something that the entire game revolves around.

[Nyel]

Will we see a new expansion announced at Blizzcon Online?

That's 4 months away, how could we know. It's very likely though. If they're not holding a one hour special livestream to announce it later this year, it's their only chance to do it at a "huge" event.

[huth]

It is fascinating to consider how the game would have looked if it was headed by someone who saw open world content as the preeminent source of enjoyment.
Obviously should be said that the ship for open world content sailed in TBC, but still.

Not sure what you mean. They very much have been trying to introduce more world content in the last few expansions.

I think you're giving raids far to much credit here.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

It is fascinating to consider how the game would have looked if it was headed by someone who saw open world content as the preeminent source of enjoyment.
Obviously should be said that the ship for open world content sailed in TBC, but still.
A version of WoW where raids were just bigger dungeon that gave better loot, and most of the meat of the game came from open world questlines, challenges or generally more focus on the actual world, as opposed to the version helmed by WotLK onwards, where raids are not just where the big story climaxes, but indeed something that the entire game revolves around.

The ship has not sailed on world content, thats dumb. Yeah the raid is where the big story end is at but that doesn't mean they can't make open world content better.

[Foreign Exchange Ztudent]

We will just have to wait and see. I personally still believe that we will see a livestream or a video preview of 9.2 with a hint that there's an expansion awaiting us at Blizzcon Online. But we'll see. There's a lot of worst case scenarios that could happen right now. But until we have 9.2 preview in front of us there's no need to panic.

[Sondrelk]

Not sure what you mean. They very much have been trying to introduce more world content in the last few expansions.

I think you're giving raids far to much credit here.

I mean the game started shifting away from the idea that the journey was more important than the destination in TBC, and in WotLK raids became the preeminent endgame content outside of PvP.

The game has definitely seen a return to open world content being important, but it will likely never completely change to a version where open world content is the endgame content, and raids are just a fun side thing if you want the ending to various open world stories.

In Vanilla raids could in theory be removed and all you would get is slightly less content and a few more unresolved plot threads. If you removed raids now meanwhile you all but destroy what the game is about.

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The ship has not sailed on world content, thats dumb. Yeah the raid is where the big story end is at but that doesn't mean they can't make open world content better.

What I mean is that open world content will likely never be more important than raids, which shouldnt be surprising since that was only ever the case in Vanilla.

[prunusek]

I think we will see 9.2 info preview around November 23rd (launch of FFXIV: Endwalker), on Blizzconline they will announce 10.0 and reveal launch date for 9.2.

[huth]

I mean the game started shifting away from the idea that the journey was more important than the destination in TBC, and in WotLK raids became the preeminent endgame content outside of PvP.

The game has definitely seen a return to open world content being important, but it will likely never completely change to a version where open world content is the endgame content, and raids are just a fun side thing if you want the ending to various open world stories.

In Vanilla raids could in theory be removed and all you would get is slightly less content and a few more unresolved plot threads. If you removed raids now meanwhile you all but destroy what the game is about.

I think you're unfairly limiting what you consider as world content, and still overvaluing raids. It's not like raids are unique ongoing encounter chains - endgame will always consist mainly of infinitely repeatable content out of sheer necessity. Removing raids in Vanilla would have actually have cut off the vast majority of endgame content there was. Now there's at least some other options.

What I mean is that open world content will likely never be more important than raids, which shouldnt be surprising since that was only ever the case in Vanilla.

That's entirely due to the players focussing on them, though.

[Postmasters]

And the game is now precisely what you would envision as the brain-child of the GM of Elitist Jerks.

I also figured it would be a raiders paradise then instead of this hell.

[Soon-TM]

Comparing netflix to a MMO, thats a new one.

Indeed, it's sad how Netflix provides you with more content than WoW while charging less.

[Paperfox]

SL is like watching a movie where you don't care for a single character in it - you really don't care if they succeed or fail.

[Sondrelk]

Indeed, it's sad how Netflix provides you with more content than WoW while charging less.

A library gives more content than both combined, and its totally free. So I guess we should abandon games and go back to reading the deluge of well written fantasy books that exist in the world.

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SL is like watching a movie where you don't care for a single character in it - you really don't care if they succeed or fail.

I do actually genuinely care to see what Uther and Arthas will end up as. But beyond that I couldnt agree more, I look at the issues plaguing the Kyrian, or the politics of the Venthyr society and I really couldnt give a rats ass what happens. Just give me cosmetics and mounts so I at least get something decent out of this expansion once its over.

[GR8GODZILLAGOD]

SL is like watching a movie where you don't care for a single character in it - you really don't care if they succeed or fail.

Some entertaining bits. That Elune cinematic was hilarious.

“I sent souls to you to help.”

“Elune, honey, those went straight to the Maw.”

*curb your enthusiasm music plays*

[Soon-TM]

A library gives more content than both combined, and its totally free. So I guess we should abandon games and go back to reading the deluge of well written fantasy books that exist in the world.

A sensible choice indeed - one I have already made, as a matter of fact.

[NikolaiShade]

Some entertaining bits. That Elune cinematic was hilarious.

“I sent souls to you to help.”

“Elune, honey, those went straight to the Maw.”

*curb your enthusiasm music plays*

That was really terrible, the acting was perfect, the animation too, the story was filled with holes. Right now Shadowlands feels like one of those filler episodes in a show, you should and would like to skip but you don't because you could miss some good part (or maybe because you want to see how far they can get...)

[Sondrelk]

That was really terrible, the acting was perfect, the animation too, the story was filled with holes. Right now Shadowlands feels like one of those filler episodes in a show, you should and would like to skip but you don't because you could miss some good part (or maybe because you want to see how far they can get...)

It's kind of amazing in a deeply idiotic way.
The buildup where you run around finding the Night Warriors isnt anything special, but form the moment you return to Ardenweald and start setting up the ritual the hype just builds so well. Then you get that amazing fight againts Tyrande (which honestly should have been at least a dungeon boss) with that amazing music, and the storytelling is just so damn good. THe nthat amazing cutscene plays, and it's all amazing until... it turns out that Elune just didnt get the memo that the Shadowlands was in actual trouble.

The reveal could have been that the souls of the Night elves were needed in Ardenweald, it could have been that Tyrande herself had to go to Ardenweald, and if the Night Elves did not die then she would have stayed. It could have been that Elune herself is being attacked already by Zovaal's minions, revealing that even the realms of life are under attack, and that her inability to stop Sylvanas was not on her.

That quest was really just knocking it out of the park, and then it completely blew it with that extremely unimpressive reveal.