Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[EbaumsTipster]

There are updated human buildings in 9.1's files

Hopefully they are going to update them because honestly, what the hell are they waiting for?

They probably don’t want to do a procedurally updated world and are waiting for more buildings to be finished before doing a revamp in one big patch. The only reason we are seeing these updates to the human houses is because they were in the files beforehand and are getting updated over time: we have no idea if they are also working on dwarf houses or forsaken houses as they would be hidden to us.

[Foreign Exchange Ztudent]

Random expansion set in cosmos with no background prior.

Hmm, sounds awfully familiar.

[TheFirstOnes]

Random expansion set in cosmos with no background prior.

Hmm, sounds awfully familiar.

The Shadowlands had a prior background tf???

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This guy gets it.

Except he doesn’t, cause he doesn’t understand why people don’t want cosmic expansions around each realm to begin with. Sure, it’d be cool to explore them, but not every place has a war going on.

[Foreign Exchange Ztudent]

The Shadowlands had a prior background tf???

Even if that was the case which it is not. It's still a terrible idea.

Also why I am not surprised that you don't know the "addition of lore" timeline at all.

[draugril]

The Shadowlands had a prior background tf???

One throwaway quest that doesn't even align with the Shadowlands as implemented and it being featured in some tertiary reading material that Blizzard rendered swathes of non-canon almost immediately after it was published. Hardly a "known" setting.

It still qualifies as an asspull.

No one that follows the game casually had any idea about the setting prior to its announcement.

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Except he doesn’t, cause he doesn’t understand why people don’t want cosmic expansions around each realm to begin with. Sure, it’d be cool to explore them, but not every place has a war going on.

That's the thing - you don't need a war going on to appreciate a setting. We don't need every expansion to be WarCraft: Endgame. The original release of the game, and largely TBC as well, was so immersive because the world was larger than a single narrative. It doesn't matter how cosmic the threat is - the setting is still so much less grandiose because it is confined by a singular narrative.

The stakes were low, but everything felt more personal.

[Makabreska]

That's the thing - you don't need a war going on to appreciate a setting. We don't need every expansion to be WarCraft: Endgame. The original release of the game, and largely TBC as well, was so immersive because the world was larger than a single narrative. It doesn't matter how cosmic the threat is - the setting is still so much less grandiose because it is confined by a singular narrative.

The stakes were low, but everything felt more personal.

Oof, "Vanilla did it better strikes back". We didn't have a focused story, because Blizz was new to the genre and wasn't even sure if the game will succeed. They just threw w/e story lines left from Warcraft they had into the pot. They even said it themselves, devs were inexperienced enough that they released Black Temple way to soon (while also wasting Illidan, turning him into a villain randomly) and were forced to cook up Sunwell as a final chapter. Now they just plan way ahead and intersect main story lines. But I would appreciate MoP-like xpac with low stakes, or some kind of a soft reset.

[EbaumsTipster]

Pretty sure Shadowlands IS the soft reset. They are tying up Arthas, Mal'ganis, Kel'thuzad and Sylvanas: maybe the last plot threads from classic and WC3 that haven't been dealt with outside of the Azshara vs Tyrande confrontation that has been hyped up for 15+ years (and got pushed back in BFA, hence why Tyrande wasn't used there and why she got a permanent power boost here). Also Baine vs Magatha will probably finally happen.

Almost everything from here on out is going to be new stories if Arthas/Sylvanas are gone after this expansion. Xalatath, Yrel, Lothraxion(?), the eyes of green person/Life traitor mentioned by the Dreadlords... all new villains. WC3 is essentially complete after this with the final fate of Arthas's/Sylvanases/Ner'zhul's/Kel'thuzad's master influencer.

Azshara exists as the last legacy villain, Turalyon and Alleria may be villain/antagonist batted too.

[Nightmare Queen]

Helya and Mueh'zala are still out there too

[Aeluron Lightsong]

BC was well it involved A LOT of Burning Legion stuff. Their shadow was on Outland. Even the last encounter or rather raid tier had Kil'Jaeden at the end, it was specific that Kael'thas went with the demons. That vagueness is what I think people claim to want. Also I find it disengenuous using endgame cause NOTHING in Warcraft has come close to a endgame situation.


The closest we got was recently when Sargeras stabbed Azeroth(Silithus) and that damage is still there today. If an endgame scenario happened it would be Zovaal is successfull in his Remaking reality/cosmos where we are all mindless drones. At worst we are getting close to an endgame scenario but truthfully we aren't there yet. I don't mind going back to a more chill Azeroth scenario as that seems likely(With twists because Blizzard never entirely goes what we think will happen).

Still a sucker returning to Outland for...cosmic reasons but that idea is dying or has been in hospice for awhile.

[EbaumsTipster]

Helya and Mueh'zala are still out there too

Helya got sealed back into Helheim and Mueh'zala is trapped. They are villains they can use again for sure but for all intents and purposes they are "beaten".

I forgot to mention Denathrius who can be used to keep the Dreadlords as villains post Sargeras AND Zovaal, which would be funny and really suiting for them. Mal'ganis will probably die as a raid boss cus MEMBER WC3 and it's the Arthas patch but Denny should live on.

[username993720]

Except he doesn’t, cause he doesn’t understand why people don’t want cosmic expansions around each realm to begin with. Sure, it’d be cool to explore them, but not every place has a war going on.

Why do you think Blizzard asks what we want?

[Cosmic Janitor]

Helya got sealed back into Helheim and Mueh'zala is trapped. They are villains they can use again for sure but for all intents and purposes they are "beaten".

I forgot to mention Denathrius who can be used to keep the Dreadlords as villains post Sargeras AND Zovaal, which would be funny and really suiting for them. Mal'ganis will probably die as a raid boss cus MEMBER WC3 and it's the Arthas patch but Denny should live on.

Agreed on all 3. The first two are out of the story and most likely won't be returning in SL. As for the Nathrezum, either they were going to use them as filler or as a reoccuring team rocket type villain down the line. Some has to take over the burning legion tbh, even though I would prefer if they actually build up the real forces of chaos/fel for that, instead of using denathrius for that.

[Raetary]

The Shadowlands had a prior background tf???

One paragraph of text in chronicle 1 that barely describes the place is not an established background.

[Sondrelk]

One paragraph of text in chronicle 1 that barely describes the place is not an established background.

It has been consistently mentioned as the afterlife in the WoW universe, and it has been a place that could be visited at least since the DK intro scenario back in WotLK.

It's dumb to visit, and I wish we never make the same mistake of spending a full expansion in a cosmic realm, or otherwise somewhere other than Azeroth, but the Shadowlands have been mentioned several times.

[draugril]

Oof, "Vanilla did it better strikes back". We didn't have a focused story, because Blizz was new to the genre and wasn't even sure if the game will succeed. They just threw w/e story lines left from Warcraft they had into the pot. They even said it themselves, devs were inexperienced enough that they released Black Temple way to soon (while also wasting Illidan, turning him into a villain randomly) and were forced to cook up Sunwell as a final chapter. Now they just plan way ahead and intersect main story lines. But I would appreciate MoP-like xpac with low stakes, or some kind of a soft reset.

Even MoP didn't have the balls to just make Garrosh a bad guy. They had to get the Old Gods involved. Make him corrupted. Escalate the stakes while making them dramatically impotent.

Additionally, more to the point... if they can't tell a single story well, they might as well swing for the fences and tell dozens of them. The odds are better that everyone will find something that resonates with them.

[Makabreska]

Even MoP didn't have the balls to just make Garrosh a bad guy. They had to get the Old Gods involved. Make him corrupted. Escalate the stakes while making them dramatically impotent.

Ummmm, what? Garrosh is definitely a bad guy in his own rights and was a cunt way before Old Gods. In Dormazain cut scene he states he would easily repeat all he has done.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Ummmm, what? Garrosh is definitely a bad guy in his own rights and was a cunt way before Old Gods. In Dormazain cut scene he states he would easily repeat all he has done.

Yeah he was a bad guy in Mist.

"PAINT THIS CONTINENT RED" is a very defining statement.

[draugril]

Ummmm, what? Garrosh is definitely a bad guy in his own rights and was a cunt way before Old Gods. In Dormazain cut scene he states he would easily repeat all he has done.

He was an excellent villain. Then they kneecapped him with an Old God's influence. Made his crowning moment void of any dramatic value. They can renege on that decision all they want, but throwing him to the Old Gods instead of allowing his villainy to be purely his completely undercut the narrative.

[Kiivar86]

Venture Beat had an interview with Ion about the current game, a bit about the future, and "soul searching".

I browsed through it and, content wise at least, there's nothing much beyond "we're working on stuff." He indicates there's more beyond 9.2 but won't say what so that leaves whether or not they plan a 9.3 up in the air.

Also indicates 9.2 news soon.

[Makabreska]

He was an excellent villain. Then they kneecapped him with an Old God's influence. Made his crowning moment void of any dramatic value. They can renege on that decision all they want, but throwing him to the Old Gods instead of allowing his villainy to be purely his completely undercut the narrative.

Ye, ok. But he was still a bad guy, and Old Gods had nothing to do with it. After being freed from their influence he, out of petty revenge, jumped to another world and started a full scale invasion on Azeroth. Blizz didn't feign a thing here.

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Venture Beat had an interview with Ion about the current game, a bit about the future, and "soul searching".

I browsed through it and, content wise at least, there's nothing much beyond "we're working on stuff." He indicates there's more beyond 9.2 but won't say what so that leaves whether or not they plan a 9.3 up in the air.

Also indicates 9.2 news soon.

Isn't this his first time speaking after the scandal?