Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Chickat]

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?

If Towelliee actually knows anything, the reveal is closer than March. I honestly don't believe he knows anything.

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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.

Not gonna happen. I, pretty sure most people at blizzard are off until a few days after New Years. They have like 2 weeks off.

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Agree with you 90%. Because, tbh, I REALLY liked BFA zones (especially all of Kul Tiras + Naz'jatar)

They had true "warcraft vibe" in it. Too bad we had 84239749273 systems that have ruined the expansion.

So a zones art is bad unless it's traditional Warcraft. Got it. You might as well move on from WoW. Lots of Cosmic expansions coming your way.

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Zones, dungeons, raids are always high points of any expansion. If I had to pick expac with worst zones, I think that would be MoP - Jade Forest is great, Valley pretty relaxing, but rest is as best mediocre (compared to other zones in WoW of course).

Oh hell naw. Pandaria is peak WoW for me.

Just goes to show that the quality of zones hasn't gone downhill. People just like different themes and styles, which is fine.

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So the one thing I learned from the last two pages is that people love to claim that certain zones don't feel like WoW zones, but can't describe why, and usually, the zones they don't like are part of expansions they don't like.

Interesting.

Yep. I dont think zone quality has gone downhill at all. The only thing I would change is scale. Make them slightly larger again with some empty space like WoD. Gorgrond or Frostfire Ridge are good examples.

[Nyel]

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

Revendreth is incredibly well done and by far the best zone of Shadowlands overall - with flying. Without flying the zone is a giant mess. I agree that BfA had pretty much very middle-of-the-road zones, only with very few outliers (Zuldazar for example). Nothing tops Suramar though.

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I love the horde side of BFA. "Inca/Aztec" design + dinosaurs is fantastic, especially architecture/weapons/armor.

Totally agree. Kul'Tiras doesn't even come close to the aesthetics of Zandalar.

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If 10.0 is 2022 expansion (I doubt), still smartest move would be to reveal it right after world first. It must happen before Alpha, and there is no chance Alpha would start before last major patch is launched and hotfixed.

For Shadowlands they started Alpha roughly 3 months after the launch of 8.3 (April 2020) - I don't think they have 3 months buffer this time as that would mean Alpha only starts mid 2022.

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Imagine if we got all non raid content from 9.1 3 or 4 months sooner.

Do you think this would've helped Shadowlands? I think doubling down on the Maw was the issue here (that it came late as well). But who after 9.0 just wanted to revisit the Maw in 9.1 ... again?

[shise]

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.

Sorry but you are wrong here.

We never saw areas with art, graphics or technlology like in Bastion or Ardenweald. The psky particles in Bastion are literally something new in wow and it covers all arts perfectly.

Equipment sets: The complexity of the architecture behind those equipment sets is at its highest level yet.

You talk from your taste/emotion.
I talk from a professional perspective lol. I happen to live out of something pretty similar to game designing. The differences are HUGE from the WoW of not long ago.

Now, the art has always been good in WoW... honestly, the best of nearly any other game out there (that migh be opinion/emotion) But as a fact now, they always managed something pretty hard to achieve: minimal beauty. Crystalsong Forest, as you mention, is one of the best examples of this. I´d also point TBC out, for example Nagrand.

In art you need to count on graphical technology, colors, textures and music. It all goes together and you can not take one out.

[Dracullus]

For Shadowlands they started Alpha roughly 3 months after the launch of 8.3 (April 2020) - I don't think they have 3 months buffer this time as that would mean Alpha only starts mid 2022.

That has nothing to do with reveal. In the past Blizzcon date forced reveal, not some hidden cooldown before Alpha.

If anything that is strong argument against 2022 launch since 9.2 isnt going anywhere. But during Legion they were able to launch Alpha pretty fast after 7.3.5, also 9.2 looks pretty complete since first build.

[Luck4]

That’s literally ALL i’m seeing in this thread and almost any other WOW thread: hate. I was excited to enter this thread to read all of the theories and speculation. Its sad…

It's sad indeed, but the WoW game design problems, including lore, for the last two expansions and now the lack of content, make it harder to be positive. Also, the late/delayed announcement and most likely release for 10.0, make those on the verge of quitting even more anxious since they don't know if it's worth the wait.

[Makorus]

It's sad indeed, but the WoW game design problems, including lore, for the last two expansions and now the lack of content, make it harder to be positive. Also, the late/delayed announcement and most likely release for 10.0, make those on the verge of quitting even more anxious since they don't know if it's worth the wait.

Just quit. Just unsubscribe.

If you don't enjoy the game, unsubscribe. As soon as content comes out again, you can subscribe again.

I honestly don't understand people acting like they are forced to play a game they don't enjoy: They don't. You think 9.1 sucks? Stop playing. You think 9.2 will suck? Don't subscribe 2 weeks before it gets released just to feel like you are forced to play it.

The WoW community is the worst at acting like they are being held hostage.

[Chickat]

Revendreth is incredibly well done and by far the best zone of Shadowlands overall - with flying. Without flying the zone is a giant mess. I agree that BfA had pretty much very middle-of-the-road zones, only with very few outliers (Zuldazar for example). Nothing tops Suramar though.

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Totally agree. Kul'Tiras doesn't even come close to the aesthetics of Zandalar.

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For Shadowlands they started Alpha roughly 3 months after the launch of 8.3 (April 2020) - I don't think they have 3 months buffer this time as that would mean Alpha only starts mid 2022.

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Do you think this would've helped Shadowlands? I think doubling down on the Maw was the issue here (that it came late as well). But who after 9.0 just wanted to revisit the Maw in 9.1 ... again?

Well, it would have given casuals a lot more to do. Despite the flaws of 9.1, its world content is far superior to anything most expansions launch with. It is more fun than just World Quests.

Also, they either have to start Alpha within a few weeks after 9.2 launches, or the expansion is being pushed back to 2023. Not much wiggle room.

May is like the absolute latest they could start Alpha and get the expansion out in 2022. And that's if it's a bog-standard expansion like the last few. If it's a revamp, Alpha needs to start in March.

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That has nothing to do with reveal. In the past Blizzcon date forced reveal, not some hidden cooldown before Alpha.

If anything that is strong argument against 2022 launch since 9.2 isnt going anywhere. But during Legion they were able to launch Alpha pretty fast after 7.3.5, also 9.2 looks pretty complete since first build.

Yeah, 9.3 does look pretty far along. They probably finished the main art part of the zone in early fall, and have been full speed ahead on 10.0.

It's possible the patch could launch in early or mid-February tbh. Hopefully, it's like a Feb 15 or 22nd patch release. 10.0 announcement in late Feb, early March. Alpha late March.

[huth]

Uhm, that's what I said...no blizzcon(line), just some videos.

Blizzconline was basically nothing but a bunch of videos.

[Lahis]

Edit: It may look like I'm shitting on it but only cause Shadowlands is ending sooner then I thought it would but thats all right(Ok maybe a little bit not ok).

Well it only ends sooner in terms of amount 9f patches and content we got. Timewise it'll be longest expansion ever.

[Makorus]

Well it only ends sooner in terms of amount 9f patches and content we got. Timewise it'll be longest expansion ever.

What are you even saying lmao.

10.0 needs to come out in early March 2023 for Shadowlands to be considered the longest expansion ever.

[Dracullus]

Well it only ends sooner in terms of amount 9f patches and content we got. Timewise it'll be longest expansion ever.

If 10.0 is just new continent, it would be strange to release it after 2022. If it's full revamp and de facto 4th era for WoW, they can take all time they want and release it even in second half of 2023 for me.

[Lahis]

What are you even saying lmao.

10.0 needs to come out in early March 2023 for Shadowlands to be considered the longest expansion ever.

Well since 9.2 is coming out in ~March 2022, and current Blizz devs are slowest they have ever been, March 2023 or later is not just possibility, but the most likely outcome.

[crusadernero]

Just quit. Just unsubscribe.

If you don't enjoy the game, unsubscribe. As soon as content comes out again, you can subscribe again.

I honestly don't understand people acting like they are forced to play a game they don't enjoy: They don't. You think 9.1 sucks? Stop playing. You think 9.2 will suck? Don't subscribe 2 weeks before it gets released just to feel like you are forced to play it.

The WoW community is the worst at acting like they are being held hostage.

1000% this. If people are unhappy with the game, UNSUB AND DONT PLAY. Never play wow if you think its shit, I dont get why ppl do that.

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Well since 9.2 is coming out in ~March 2022, and current Blizz devs are slowest they have ever been, March 2023 or later is not just possibility, but the most likely outcome.

Where does it say its coming out in march?

[Revamp Man]

Im a tad stupid when it comes to when ptr started but isn’t normal testing 10-12 weeks?

As for 10.0 we know that the announcement was likely planned for blizzconline and then replanned for whatever replacement they had set up to include live events that we haven’t heard about since.

If I had to venture a guess I would say 9.2 early February
10.0 announced in March
Then it gets tricky because they said 9.3 isn’t planned but it’s a possibility so that makes me think a ruby sanctum style patch if 10.0 is behind.
If there’s a 9.3 then alpha hits around June launching in February
No 9.3 means alpha in April with launch in November again which is awful

[Makabreska]

Where does it say its coming out in march?

Ye indeed. What makes people think patch will be in 3 months, given how fast they test bosses?

[Kiivar86]

Are they, days before Xmas Eve?

Pretty much, yes.

Have a friend that works at Blizzard and they said as much. I think my friend is still at work until the 24th but has said things have slowed down for the holidays.

Hot take, Legion had the worst zones in "new wow" time. Even so praised Suramar, while the city was nice it was brought down by how annoying it was to trawerse and how bland the "outside" part was.

Agreed. Suramar city wise was nice, though I hated navigating the more hostile areas. But the other zones were meh to me. Azsuna was a mishmash of things, Val'sharah wasn't much different from standard elven forest, Highmountain was an absolute pain to get around pre-flying, and Stormheim was ok. Broken Shore was eh, and parts of Argus was ok.

[Nyel]

Im a tad stupid when it comes to when ptr started but isn’t normal testing 10-12 weeks?

On average it's 11-12, but the last PTR that went over Christmas and New Year was 14 weeks (8.3).

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Ye indeed. What makes people think patch will be in 3 months, given how fast they test bosses?

1. Their very slow patch cycle during Shadowlands.
2. Their usual time they need to test content updates on the PTR.
3. The last holiday PTR lasted 14 weeks.

10-12 weeks for 9.2 testing is to be expected. 12 weeks would be the week from February 21-25.

[Sondrelk]

On average it's 11-12, but the last PTR that went over Christmas and New Year was 14 weeks (8.3).

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1. Their very slow patch cycle during Shadowlands.
2. Their usual time they need to test content updates on the PTR.
3. The last holiday PTR lasted 14 weeks.

10-12 weeks for 9.2 testing is to be expected. 12 weeks would be the week from February 21-25.

What indicated this one will be slower though? We have had one other major patch this expansion, and that one was far less polished when it showed up on the PTR.

The patch cycle gas to get back to what it's supposed to eventually, why not this patch?

[Nyel]

What indicated this one will be slower though? We have had one other major patch this expansion, and that one was far less polished when it showed up on the PTR.

The patch cycle gas to get back to what it's supposed to eventually, why not this patch?

Who said it will be slower? I just took 12 weeks for reference and that's end of February. Can it be faster? Sure. Can it be slower? As I said, the last holiday PTR took 14 weeks. So both are possible scenarios, that's why I took the middle ground of 12 weeks.

[Vasoka]

I'm willing to bet 9.2 comes out in February. With everything else. Lost Ark, Elden Ring, SWTOR new xpac. Blizzard will want to keep ppl in WoW and stem any activity bleed from people trying out the other games coming out. Not only that, but I bet it will come out early February, and then 10 / 20 days later we'll get a 10.0 reveal with release date November / December 2022. Just watch.