Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[huth]

If the shadowlands is so unknowable why did they make it a tiny dot on the Titan's grand cosmology chart?

You just answered your own question there.

Also, most of what you say there isn't actually supported - there's no indication the Eternal Ones care about World Souls, nor that the First Ones told the Titans anything at all. Nor does Draenor have a World Soul, so the Titans weren't interrupted doing anything. Aggramar just came across it and animated some mountains on a lark. As far as we know, the Elemental Plane (singular) is unique to Azeroth, too.

You seem to be going off D&D and then try to fit the WarCraft cosmos into your preconceived similarity.

[Khaza-R]

Most mysteries are interesting solely because they are mysteries. Especially when they exist for world-building purposes rather than narrative.

There's a reason we don't know what happened to the Entwives or the Dwemer.

Couldn't agree more with this.

WoW paradoxically felt its biggest in Vanilla when nothing was fleshed out. Trying to dive into WoW's afterlife is the ultimate sin of keeping things a mystery. I am glad Ion recently said they were moving away from this.

[GR8GODZILLAGOD]

Even if they were just forced, this still means they are doing a bad job at utlizing their cast of characters. Though I will admit they never stood a chance, suddenly starting to tell a good story was never going to happen, especially not with the piss poor story quest design wow has, and the audience they've cultivated over the years.

I'd accept just a "fine", mediocre story at this point.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Couldn't agree more with this.

WoW paradoxically felt its biggest in Vanilla when nothing was fleshed out. Trying to dive into WoW's afterlife is the ultimate sin of keeping things a mystery. I am glad Ion recently said they were moving away from this.

Wow was smaller back then compared to now. So no there isn't a reason those things aren't known. Its worldbuilding. Like most of what Warcraft was in vanilla is Horde and Alliance


Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor. Oh and Northrend but wasn't fleshed out. Over time it became bigger so no, this obession with mystery is just silly and borders on nostalgia chasing.

[Ersula]

You seem to be going off D&D and then try to fit the WarCraft cosmos into your preconceived similarity.

You don't think Warcraft is extensively inspired by Dungeons & Dragons? Do you think Warcraft Moon Goddess Elune might have been inspired by D&D Moon Goddess Selune? The D&D stuff isn't even the theorycrafting, that's the stuff directly stated in Chronicles. The separating of the Emerald Dream & creation of the Elemental Planes is synonymous with The Sundering (the Toril one, not the Azeroth one)

there's no indication the Eternal Ones care about World Souls

The Winter Queen directly states the point of Ardenweald is to cycle energy back into the natural world of Azeroth & the other planets. And as far as we know only World Souls have life on them. That says to me they're pretty invested in nurturing Azeroth's World Soul.

Nor does Draenor have a World Soul, so the Titans weren't interrupted doing anything

Uh, yes they were? Did you miss the whole story of Eonar & Aggrimar cultivating Gorgrond & starting to build structures? Draenor is just younger than Azeroth & they were interrupted building up Draenor's protection when Sargeras started to attack Azeroth. That's not theory, that's right there in game lore.

[huth]

You don't think Warcraft is extensively inspired by Dungeons & Dragons? Do you think Warcraft Moon Goddess Elune might have been inspired by D&D Moon Goddess Selune? The D&D stuff isn't even the theorycrafting, that's the stuff directly stated in Chronicles. The separating of the Emerald Dream & creation of the Elemental Planes is synonymous with The Sundering (the Toril one, not the Azeroth one)

Yes, i think it's inspired. Not copied wholesale.

The Winter Queen directly states the point of Ardenweald is to cycle energy back into the natural world of Azeroth & the other planets. And as far as we know only World Souls have life on them. That says to me they're pretty invested in nurturing Azeroth's World Soul.

We know at least one planet that has life and no World Soul. Draenor. We also know from the backstory that World Souls are actually exceedingly rare - outside of Argus and Azeroth, the only other one we know of was cleft in twain by Sargeras due to Void corruption.

Uh, yes they were? Did you miss the whole story of Eonar & Aggrimar cultivating Gorgrond & starting to build structures? Draenor is just younger than Azeroth & they were interrupted building up Draenor's protection when Sargeras started to attack Azeroth. That's not theory, that's right there in game lore.

Draenor does/did not have a World Soul. You're working of incorrect premises.

[Khaza-R]

Wow was smaller back then compared to now. So no there isn't a reason those things aren't known. Its worldbuilding. Like most of what Warcraft was in vanilla is Horde and Alliance


Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor. Oh and Northrend but wasn't fleshed out. Over time it became bigger so no, this obession with mystery is just silly and borders on nostalgia chasing.

You're missing the point.

WoW felt big back then because it seemed there was more ahead of it than behind it. Entire areas left to explore that were still uncharted. People try to argue these cosmic storylines expand the scope of WoW and make it bigger. That may yet be the case but it doesn't help the perception of most players. Nothing about this "cosmos" is even moderately fleshed out so far. There's virtually nothing to speculate on. So the world feels like its shrinking rather than expanding.

[united]

players will need an expansion to level in that actually takes place on Azeroth, but isn’t Endgame yet. Hence revamp 10-60 and new zones like Dragon Isles for endgame leveling.

I really hope this is what they do, and I hope it's what they're working on right now.

I know it's a "0.5" patch but the fact that 9.1.5 took so long to release and basically nothing changed other than the removal of existing content, they're gonna have to do something soon.

[EbaumsTipster]

I really hope this is what they do, and I hope it's what they're working on right now.

I know it's a "0.5" patch but the fact that 9.1.5 took so long to release and basically nothing changed other than the removal of existing content, they're gonna have to do something soon.

9.1 also didn’t have too much in the way of new assets, borrowing a lot from 9.0. They have all their artists working on SOMETHING and all we’ve seen in the files is minor changes to a human house.

SL’s rapid story makes me feel like it was designed as filler between BFA and the non-Sylvanas things BFA set up: namely faction coop and the dragons.

[Vasoka]

https://i.4cdn.org/vg/1635981729625.png

It begins.

This would be p kino if it wasn't obviously fake with the "Awakenings" bullshit.

At least leak season seems to be kicking off.

[EbaumsTipster]

https://i.4cdn.org/vg/1635981729625.png

It begins.

This would be p kino if it wasn't obviously fake with the "Awakenings" bullshit.

At least leak season seems to be kicking off.

Had me until Awakenings. Damn it.

Though I would admit, flying houses would be a very clever way to both do housing and introduce tinkers. And seems like a tie in to the flying dragon isles idea...

[Val the Moofia Boss]

It begins.

This would be p kino if it wasn't obviously fake with the "Awakenings" bullshit.

At least leak season seems to be kicking off.

Doubt. Blizzconline 2022 has been cancelled. Very doubtful that 9.2 will come out in Spring 2022. Also doubt player controlled airships will work within the WoW engine.

[Lazarel]

So Awakening again...

Was this "new variant" debunked yet?
All i can notice is the contradictory features compared with past awakenings leaks

[Vasoka]

I literally don't understand why are spergs so obsessed with this "Awakenings" BS? They shilled it pre-BFA, they shilled it pre-SL, they shill it now.

[EbaumsTipster]

Doubt. Blizzconline 2022 has been cancelled. Very doubtful that 9.2 will come out in Spring 2022. Also doubt player controlled airships will work within the WoW engine.

I think in this case the airships would actually be player houses.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

I literally don't understand why are spergs so obsessed with this "Awakenings" BS? They shilled it pre-BFA, they shilled it pre-SL, they shill it now.

Same reason why people kept advocating for an underground expansion (until material for that storyline was thrown away in 8.3): because it's the most appealing direction for the game left. People would rather get a timeskip and see a completely redone Azeroth rather than get an expansion about fighting evil angels and purple tentacles.

[Vasoka]

Same reason why people kept advocating for an underground expansion (until material for that storyline was thrown away in 8.3): because it's the most appealing direction for the game left. People would rather get a timeskip and see a completely redone Azeroth rather than get an expansion about fighting evil angels and purple tentacles.

Yes, but at the very least change it's name rather than repeating the exact same xpac name the next year after the previous prediction fails. You know, to make it at least a little bit believable?

[Sondrelk]

I literally don't understand why are spergs so obsessed with this "Awakenings" BS? They shilled it pre-BFA, they shilled it pre-SL, they shill it now.

It's a name that could be construed to mean many different things, and is generally easier to make use of rather than coming up with more traditional WoW names like "Flight of the Aspects", or "Flow of Eternity", or similarly weird names that seem easier to debunk.

Shadowlands also kinda changed the game by making a commonly used leak title the actual name. Whether this was a coincidence, on purpose, or even if someone was actually leaking it early is hard to tell. But Shadowlands is a really shitty WoW title, it is literally just the place the expansion takes place. So other titles that are similarly vague are now valid options.

- - - Updated - - -

https://i.4cdn.org/vg/1635981729625.png

It begins.

This would be p kino if it wasn't obviously fake with the "Awakenings" bullshit.

At least leak season seems to be kicking off.

I have to admit, that is some decent work on the shop. If it wasnt for the absolutely terrible choice of acting like WoW: Awakenings is actually happening I would definitely have been intrigued by the possibility at least.
The concept of a customizable airship is a neat idea, though how in the world it would work in practice is beyond me. I guess it would be similar to the Zerekriss in Maldraxxus where its just a floating prop that flies in circles.
If I were the leaker I would have probably said 9.2 would release Early 2022 instead of Spring though. Technically the same if we assume a March release, but also far more vague.

9/10 for effort, 6/10 for believability.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

The concept of a customizable airship is a neat idea, though how in the world it would work in practice is beyond me. I guess it would be similar to the Zerekriss in Maldraxxus where its just a floating prop that flies in circles.

I guess WoW could go fullblown GW1 and use phasing so that you only see other people who are in your party while out in the world. Thus, you don't have 50 different airships colliding or clipping through each other out in the world.

[Sondrelk]

I guess WoW could go fullblown GW1 and use phasing so that you only see other people who are in your party while out in the world. Thus, you don't have 50 different airships colliding or clipping through each other out in the world.

Or just what the Garrison did, where it's occupying the same exact spot. If the Zerekriss can be in the same spot for every player on the server at least then I don't see why it couldnt be the same for an airship.
More likely though is something like the Vindicaar, where it is a regular prop that simply exists in several places at the same time, and the player just teleports between them. I did always wonder why Blizzard never made a boat in BfA with the same basic idea behind it, but I would take an airship if that is a possible idea.