Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Vasoka]

Shadowlands is an utter narrative mess which retcons some of the most beloved lore of Warcraft and basically waters down both the Scourge and the Legion to a joke. You have to be on some ultra hard copium and have some really strong mental gymnastics work to even dare call anything that Danuser produced out of his backside during BfA / SL even mildly engaging, let alone "good".

[Palapop]

You´ve got to be kidding right now.

Probably, everyone agrees that this has the best looking art and gear WoW might have ever seen.

lol what?

Don't mix ART and graphic technologies here (eg comparing Elwynn 2004 to Elysian hold 2020)

Some zones and sceneries are pretty, yes (Elysian hold, some of views in Ardenweald....) But that's it. Just pretty.

Def far, far above "the best wow has ever been". lol

Did you ever visit Crystalsong Forest? Nexus? Vash'jr? Arathi Highlands? Tiragarde? Stormsong? Vol'dun (even tho I hate deserts)? Storm Peaks?

If something "looks uglier" because it has less pixels, it doesn't mean it's actually uglier. Imagine all these zones with todays technologies.

Yes- SL is boring and bland.

[Ersula]

What exactly is more complicated?

The only retcon that's a bit iffy is the Dreadlord one, but that was kind of expected and rumored anyway.

Other than that, nothings more "complicated". Yes, Frostmourne was not "created" by Kil'jaeden, but actually the Jailer, who wanted to get a foothold on Azeroth. Hardly any more complicated. Makes more sense than it being created by Kil'jaeden anyway, especially with the writers acting like the Scourge and Legion are completely separate entities and, in fact, enemies since after WC3.

That's not even mentioning the fact that the origin of Frostmourne got retconned before: In WC3, Tichondrus says that the Lich King made Frostmourne, while in the Arthas Novel, it turns out, it was actually the Dreadlords.

Aside from that, what retcons are there in Shadowlands, actually? The only other thing I can think of is that Kelthuzad didn't actually care about Arthas, but that is farfetched and insignificant enough that I am not even gonna bring that up as a retcon.

I feel like retcons like Orc Warlocks or the whole Draenei debacle are worse than any of the "retcons" from Shadowlands.

Literally all that. That's very complicated. But in actuality the two most popular expansions are: Large man in tower. Large man bad. Get to tower. Kill Man. Feel good.

None of this prattling soul splitting shit.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

lol what?

Don't mix ART and graphic technologies here (eg comparing Elwynn 2004 to Elysian hold 2020)

Some zones and sceneries are pretty, yes (Elysian hold, some of views in Ardenweald....) But that's it. Just pretty.

Def far, far above "the best wow has ever been". lol

Did you ever visit Crystalsong Forest? Nexus? Vash'jr? Arathi Highlands? Tiragarde? Stormsong? Vol'dun (even tho I hate deserts)? Storm Peaks?

If something "looks uglier" because it has less pixels, it doesn't mean it's actually uglier. Imagine all these zones with todays technologies.

Yes- SL is boring and bland.

Less pixels does mean less beauty no two ways about it. While I'd prefer Northrend to SL if the graphic power could take it on but I still think visually SL is good but not without its weaknesses (Maldraxxus and well the Maw but some like the dark depressing appeal).

[TheFirstOnes]

lol what?

Don't mix ART and graphic technologies here (eg comparing Elwynn 2004 to Elysian hold 2020)

Some zones and sceneries are pretty, yes (Elysian hold, some of views in Ardenweald....) But that's it. Just pretty.

Def far, far above "the best wow has ever been". lol

Did you ever visit Crystalsong Forest? Nexus? Vash'jr? Arathi Highlands? Tiragarde? Stormsong? Vol'dun (even tho I hate deserts)? Storm Peaks?

If something "looks uglier" because it has less pixels, it doesn't mean it's actually uglier. Imagine all these zones with todays technologies.

Yes- SL is boring and bland.

Art style and graphics go hand in hand, you know that yeah? Eversong LOOKS great yeah, but there is a clear fuckin reason it's not as popular as Suramar, Highmountain, or most other better developed zones...

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Less pixels does mean less beauty no two ways about it. While I'd prefer Northrend to SL if the graphic power could take it on but I still think visually SL is good but not without its weaknesses (Maldraxxus and well the Maw but some like the dark depressing appeal).

Really hope they update Ulduar.

[Khaza-R]

I personally don't think the expansion will be The Dragon Isles at all. I think people got it correct with Legion but ever since then the guesses have been way off.

I think we will get something that is not as expected. Maybe a Xalatath/Ethereal expansion out in space.

Given what they said about after 9.2, we pretty much know its going to be on Azeroth. Although that doesn't mean Dragon Isles.

It also doesn't exclude the Void or Xal'atath being central to the plot. Just that it will likely play out more like a Legion expansion where it possibly culminates in a different world / plane.

“Don’t assume it’s just going to be one thing. There’s storylines building up for the next great book in the Warcraft saga. Some of that groundwork is laid here, but there’s a lot more back on Azeroth we need to get back to, and delve into some storylines and characters there.”

[Palapop]

Less pixels does mean less beauty no two ways about it. While I'd prefer Northrend to SL if the graphic power could take it on but I still think visually SL is good but not without its weaknesses (Maldraxxus and well the Maw but some like the dark depressing appeal).

It does not.

If you want to see which 1 is more beautiful, simply make them in same standards.

It's simply impossible to compare 2 zones just like that.

If you wish to do so- then compare CONCEPT art. But not the final product.

Art style and graphics go hand in hand, you know that yeah? Eversong LOOKS great yeah, but there is a clear fuckin reason it's not as popular as Suramar, Highmountain, or most other better developed zones...

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Really hope they update Ulduar.

Wouldn't call it the same way tbh.

It would be stupid to expect Eversong to look like Suramar (graphic vise). Either re-do both zones in todays standards and then compare/vote.

[TheFirstOnes]

It does not.

If you want to see which 1 is more beautiful, simply make them in same standards.

It's simply impossible to compare 2 zones just like that.

If you wish to do so- then compare CONCEPT art. But not the final product.





Wouldn't call it the same way tbh.

It would be stupid to expect Eversong to look like Suramar (graphic vise). Either re-do both zones in todays standards and then compare/vote.

Today’s standards?

Then just update Eversong.

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Also, it is the same if you’re tryna say that BOTH areas need a damn update

[Chickat]

Yep, you'd be surprised. Well, not here but more than a few people in communities outside this place still definitely hope for a world revamp.

There's just no way lol. COVID and all the other stuff annihilated their productivity. They are definitely behind and something huge like a world revamp is way beyond them now.

I don't think it is, I just hope it is one. I can want something without believing it will come true.

That said, if they aren't working on something huge idk WTF they have been doing the last couple years. They are either working on a huge project, or aren't putting much effort into the game anymore.

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Either N'Zoth or a Void Dragon (ala Vexiona) can serve as the box villain, not too differently from Deathwing in Cataclysm:



Which does make for a badass cover.

The story can revolve around a reborn N'Zoth (either reborn via the Blade of the Black Empire or we straight up never killed him in the alternate dimension associated to visions called "Ny'alotha"), who is threatening the Dragon Isles, trying to create an army of Void-twisted dragons, or looking for the next Plot McGuffin button, or something like that. It really doesn't matter.

I would also like to remind the gentlemen and gentlewomen here that the Dragon Isles were mentioned in BfA by Wrathion's agent and that Wrathion was "looking for it", and it was never revealed "what" he was "looking for" in the "Dragon Isles", or why he was so interested in those isles in the first place:


If Wrathion was looking for the Dragon Isles, why not N'Zoth? And could they both be looking for the same thing, what is that thing, and for what purpose?

Easiest expansion to set up, the build-up is there.

And I will gladly welcome the inevitable Ren'dorei screentime that comes with more Void-related storylines

Honestly if the box has a dragon it should be Galakrod.

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YES! YES! I remember how everyone was LOVING WoD between it launched and 6.2 drought! These amazing dailies, Ashran, awesome reps with simple design of mob grinding (and simple rewards like 50 reskins of boars and wolves), dungeons that were left in dirt after 3 weeks as they should be and king of good design - Garrison! Also, how I miss my Arms Warrior with 2 buttons, what a time to be alive. Only problem was we didn't have MORE of these!

Jesus Christ people, shit you wrote is so ridicolous that only sarcasm mode 24/7 let you cope with this. Soon we will need WoD Classic to show people that no, it wasn't great design xD.

WoD with at least 1 more patch zone and raid along with MoP like outdoor world content would have been the best expansion imo. Class design, themes, leveling, dungeons, raids, pvp all top tier. The content was the problem. Best of WoD and MoP mixed would have been amazing.

[Palapop]

Today’s standards?

Then just update Eversong.

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Also, it is the same if you’re tryna say that BOTH areas need a damn update

Imagine if we had devs working on NEW stuff and updating zones rather than removing old text lines, jokes and replacing already existing content with bowl of fruit?

[Relapses]

Imagine if we had devs working on NEW stuff and updating zones rather than removing old text lines, jokes and replacing already existing content with bowl of fruit?

Imagine if they could do both.

Spoiler: They can. And they do.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Imagine if we had devs working on NEW stuff and updating zones rather than removing old text lines, jokes and replacing already existing content with bowl of fruit?

-_- Like really dude.... Updating old zones is a different task then removing old text lines and such. Some are super easy the rest takes a bit more time to do.

[Revamp Man]

Tend to happen when there is jack shit to do on main (also not 100% true, there was also legendary questline and people min-maxed garrison for free pieces of gear from current or even higher difiiculty you completed). That was good side effect of horrible and outdated design, not good design.

Of course system where extra stuff to do like in Legion (so people with 1 char has some content for character progress), but completely account-wide (so people with alts have their freedom) would be superior to both older and modern design. But it was Legion, right now in 9.1.5 we are pretty close to that, especially if new stuff from 9.2 will be either account-wide (flying, 2nd lego) or not relevant for progression.

Ignoring the rest of my post which explains how the legendary system in WoD wasn’t as invasive into your characters as it is today

9.1.5 is definitely an improvement…in ways that we got at launch or earlier in the past

Intro skip: started in WoD and we got it I think in a patch. Legion it was immediately available. BfA it was immediately available. SL it didn’t exist because “we want you to experience the content”

Campaign catch up: we had it in 8.1 including the equivalent of renown catch up.

Swappable covenants: they saw the feedback, they said it was wrong, they defended it for over a year…then said they agree and that the lock added to everyone’s experience.

Saying WoD systems were better than SL doesn’t mean they were amazing just that they weren’t shit. They were however about as complete at launch as they were at the end and you weren’t playing catch up outside of the 30 minutes of legendary quest for a ring that was just a proc of a stat and only really needed for farm

[AngerFork]

Imagine if we had devs working on NEW stuff and updating zones rather than removing old text lines, jokes and replacing already existing content with bowl of fruit?

Yeah, imagine if they were working on adding in new zones like Zereth Mortis...wait, they are working on that. Or updating an old zone to new standards like Arathi Highlands...wait, that happened too. They might even be able to spend time on new raids like Sepulcher of the First...wait, that's happening too?!?

It's almost as if doing a quick text grep & update doesn't take nearly as much time as updating a full zone with new textures, characters, & storylines.

[Edward Wu]

I'm reminded of Towelliee saying 10.0 will be "different" as in they are clearly revamping the game inside and out. Probably take his words with a grain of salt as always but yeah, could be a harbinger of complete systems and gameplay overhauls on the horizon.

I wonder when they will announce 10.0? It has to be next year, and I think it has to be in the 1st half of it. I'm thinking 9.2 comes out first and then they focus on 10.0 reveal season once 9.2's raid is out the door and the WFR is done with.

If they release 9.2 in February or something, they are competing with games like Elden Ring and Lost Ark. Could come out late March, and WFR wrapping up late April, which leaves 10.0 reveal for May?

[Varx]

What are the odds of 10.0 being announced this week, right before Christmas week and new years.

Maybe that's why there's no new build in the ptr this week.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

What are the odds of 10.0 being announced this week, right before Christmas week and new years.

Maybe that's why there's no new build in the ptr this week.

I believe the current build that was pushed recently is the last one for the year as they said.

[Zexaniro]

lol what?

Don't mix ART and graphic technologies here (eg comparing Elwynn 2004 to Elysian hold 2020)

Some zones and sceneries are pretty, yes (Elysian hold, some of views in Ardenweald....) But that's it. Just pretty.

Def far, far above "the best wow has ever been". lol

Did you ever visit Crystalsong Forest? Nexus? Vash'jr? Arathi Highlands? Tiragarde? Stormsong? Vol'dun (even tho I hate deserts)? Storm Peaks?

If something "looks uglier" because it has less pixels, it doesn't mean it's actually uglier. Imagine all these zones with todays technologies.

Yes- SL is boring and bland.

this. none of the zones in SL are excellent or come close to the best zones from previous expansions.
zone design has gone downhill since Legion, with none really standing out from BFA/SL. although the lacklustre BFA zones were slightly better and had more soul; in retrospect it was a sign of bad things to come

[Varx]

I believe the current build that was pushed recently is the last one for the year as they said.

Rights, that's why I'm asking if there's a chance 10.0 would be announced instead, as a way to end the year.

[TheFirstOnes]

Rights, that's why I'm asking if there's a chance 10.0 would be announced instead, as a way to end the year.

…no? They’re on break bro