Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Foreign Exchange Ztudent]

Hitting Q4 2022, small concept with a contained story that is executable seems the only likely opportunity. If Bobby Kotick has to have his Q4 2022 return to success story that is his only hope as he leaves 4 Dead Quarters in his wake until then.

Again I think World Revamp is just hard to believe is happening with the estimated Q4 2022 release date in mind.

[Osmeric]

The dream.

My dream scenario is Blizzard realizing their most valuable asset is their game engine, and them deciding to license it to other game companies.

[Lahis]

My dream scenario is Blizzard realizing their most valuable asset is their game engine, and them deciding to license it to other game companies.

Blizzard has zero good engines anyone else would want to use.

[draugril]

Blizzard has zero good engines anyone else would want to use.

This is true. It is also true that the engines that other MMOs do use are not nearly as responsive and “snappy” as WoW. The fastest turtle still comes in first when only turtles enter the race.

[Lahis]

This is true. It is also true that the engines that other MMOs do use are not nearly as responsive and “snappy” as WoW. The fastest turtle still comes in first.

WoW is responsive but terribly optimized. The performance it delivers on modern machines is unacceptable for anything new. WoW only gets away with it because it is 20 years old game.

[Relapses]

The objective of the player wouldn't be to become a god-like hero, but to help their people grow while keeping peace between factions. The game would feature new ways of playing : combat (as in now), building, diplomacy, ...

The dream.

So your dream is that WoW becomes another game.

Can you, like, just play that other game instead?

[ExiHext]

Blizzconline was basically nothing but a bunch of videos.

I'm sorry that english is not my first language, perhaps I expressed myself in the wrong way. I think Blizzard will (around february or march) release videos (not all at the same day) regarding their ips. Overwatch 2, Diablo 4, WoW and what have you. I am not entirely sure but I think Blizzconline 2021 was A LOT more than that including deep dives and different contests (e.g cosplay).
I hope I have made myself a littlebit clearer now.

[Osmeric]

Blizzard has zero good engines anyone else would want to use.

Their game is very responsive; is this not a function of their software infrastructure?

[crusadernero]

Yeah smart move would be to release the patch anywhere but February.

We all know January is too soon, so that only leaves March.

Why? According to people on this forum most content in wow is done in a couple of hours, then its unsub and wait 6+ months again.

[Lahis]

Their game is very responsive; is this not a function of their software infrastructure?

But you can't make new game on WoW's engine in 2022. The performance it gives is dogshit compared to its output.

[Foreign Exchange Ztudent]

Honestly they should release 9.2 as quickly as possible and get it out of the system and start the engine for the crash into the train station that everyone clings to for Q4 2022 as quickly as possible.

I definitely hope it's released by the end of February. This time period has been genuinely so boring to me. I want some thrill and excitement through the next insanity from these Game Devs and C Suits.

[draugril]

So your dream is that WoW becomes another game.

Can you, like, just play that other game instead?

Some people historically enjoy the franchise setting but don't enjoy the narrower and narrower focus that WoW has on the loot treadmill and settings that are increasingly disconnected from those that drew them to the franchise in the first place.

Are their desires entirely invalid to you? Why?

Most people just do play other games instead. Even begrudgingly when they historically prefer WoW. That's a problem. WoW should target a wider audience - at the very least, the same width that they used to historically.

[Osmeric]

But you can't make new game on WoW's engine in 2022. The performance it gives is dogshit compared to its output.

I disagree. It's a common mistake in games to think it's always a good idea to trade fluidity and responsiveness for more detailed and realistic graphics.

[Ersula]

I do realize the amount of work that would take.

Hence the "The dream".

Kalimdor & the Eastern Kingdoms are smaller than Zandalar & Kul Tiras considering how dense they are.

- - - Updated - - -

Shadowlands is the new WoD. 9.2 could be the best patch in gaming history but people will not play it because the first half of Shadowlands was shit according to them. No ones gonna risk $15 just to be disappointed again because they expect something unrealistic. Content creators are gonna be shitting on the game regardless because that's where the money lies.

You think the people who left the game because they think it's shit are gonna come back when there are alternatives like Elden Ring coming out at the same time? Don't delude yourself lmao

I've heard these really pretentious arguments about "the game isn't bad: it's just that the PERCEPTION of the game is that it's bad" and I got to tell you that is the epitome of copium.

You can't objectively measure the game's fun & it just isn't. If the perception is that it's not fun, it's not fun. A parse & rating obsessed community & the total lack of innovation has driven people away. To FFXIV which is a lot more fun right now.

Also Elden Ring is coming out at least 6 months before the next wow expansion.

[draugril]

You can't objectively measure the game's fun & it just isn't. If the perception is that it's not fun, it's not fun. A parse & rating obsessed community & the total lack of innovation has driven people away. To FFXIV which is a lot more fun right now.

Right there.

Goodhart's law, summed up, is the principle that any metric that becomes a target is no longer a good metric. Metrics like "time spent in X activity" might be a good indicator of how fun a feature is, but once you begin to design the content to increase time spent it ceases to indicate how fun that content is (and as a video game, that is the primary measure of success which is not quantifiable) - merely how influenced your players are to engage with it, which certainly isn't inherently tied to "fun." God knows how many things I've done that I don't find fun because they're prerequisites to content that I do find fun.

It doesn't matter how technically flawless your entertainment product is if people aren't having fun with it. And this problem is exacerbated when people who express their discontent are simply dismissed. "This game isn't for you," should never be the response given to feedback. People love this game and franchise. Just because their desires do not align with the current iteration of the game does not mean that those desires are invalid.

[Yarathir]

Is Anduin being gay even up for debate? He's gay as fuck. How can anyone take one look at his character and think for a moment that there is even a sliver of heterosexuality there? The homoerotic sexual tension between Anduin and Wrathion is the only good thing about WoW lore, don't take that away from me you straight freaks.

Sounds kind of homophobic.

[Makabreska]

Shadowlands is the new WoD. 9.2 could be the best patch in gaming history but people will not play it because the first half of Shadowlands was shit according to them. No ones gonna risk $15 just to be disappointed again because they expect something unrealistic. Content creators are gonna be shitting on the game regardless because that's where the money lies.

You think the people who left the game because they think it's shit are gonna come back when there are alternatives like Elden Ring coming out at the same time? Don't delude yourself lmao

Except that they will. People are so eager to throw money at lofty promises in gaming industry. No Mans Sky, Star Citizen, pre-order now etc. It just keeps happening. SL sales numbers after BfA should be an indicator of that.

[Yarathir]

You know what? This happens ALL THE TIME. People are so eager to throw money at lofty promises. No Mans Sky, Star Citizen etc. It just keep happening.

Contrary to popular perception in certain circles, gamers are usually gullible and "want to believe something will be good" to a fault. Just look at pre-order culture. Time and time again, a new Fallout, a new Watch Dogs release will burn the guy who pre-ordered it as soon as they were able to, and yet they will jump to pre-order the next game, usually from the same studio that has churned out 5 duds previously and hasn't made a good game in at least over a decade.

No Man's Sky is by far the exception here.

[ExiHext]

You know what? This happens ALL THE TIME. People are so eager to throw money at lofty promises in gaming industry. No Mans Sky, Star Citizen etc. It just keep happening. SL sales numbers after BfA should be an indicator of that.

I will never forget the "Blizzard tricked me into a subscription" threads in the german official forums after 9.1 launched, because people didn't inform themselves and took the 6-month-sub for the mount.^^

[draugril]

You know what? This happens ALL THE TIME. People are so eager to throw money at lofty promises in gaming industry. No Mans Sky, Star Citizen etc. It just keep happening. SL sales numbers after BfA should be an indicator of that.

Yep. I'm one of them. Where WoW is concerned, my sheer apathy has thus far prevented me from updating my credit card information after a number change, though. I'm not a frugal person, but nothing in WoW currently has piqued my curiousity.