Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Shadochi]

Is #TeamDragons finally gonna get their expansions? Which members are even left around

[Ersula]

Because dragons are a race and would work better as a worgen style race that has the dragon form as a mount

That's not at all what I described. I was suggesting a Dragon class, with dragon abilities, that picks its "race" to be it's humanoid guise. You're suggesting the "awesome power of dragons" to be delegated to the nigh-irrelevant status of "racial abilities"

[Teriz]

That's not at all what I described. I was suggesting a Dragon class, with dragon abilities, that picks its "race" to be it's humanoid guise. You're suggesting the "awesome power of dragons" to be delegated to the nigh-irrelevant status of "racial abilities"

Like this?

https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads...pt-2019-(long)

[Ersula]

It's Lifelands, "grounded" was a lie.

We already know the Emerald Dream is a mirror of Azeroth. Honestly an Emerald Dream expansion ticks all these boxes.

[Makabreska]

If it were just a dragon I'd say Dragon Isles. But it indicates Emerald, AKA Emerald Dream, AKA Life.

Combined with all the Elune stuff we've gotten through the shop lately.

It's Lifelands, "grounded" was a lie.

What else you are gonna call a lie based purely on speculations?

[Super Dickmann]

Dragons should not be a class for the same reason DHs were a mistake. They've very limited design space and aesthetic options and are bound to become increasingly contrived over time while not having a mechanical identity others don't cover. I bet you a decent amount of money that, if they're anything at all, they'll be the Covenant gimmick of this expansion, but with a switch implemented from launch so Blizzard can claim they learned from their mistakes.

As for levels, cut it down to level 50 and you future proof the idea. Increase the cap and you pigeonhole people into Shadowlands, rendering the SL level-changes pointless and doom yourself to having to do a level squish again eventually.

[Shadochi]

While that is an option I feel reverting levels to 50 again feels like a better option, mostly because it removes the strict requirement to justify another 10 levels of stuff, which is exactly the reason we had the squish to begin with, levels being meaningless as individual ones meant nothing for player power.

If the reason to go to level 70 is just to prevent complaints of losing levels then I think the complaints of Shadowlands being faster to level through after 10.0 releases would be about the same, so on a sense it's down to which option Blizzard wants to go for.

I think the main reason for having a bump in levels from expansion to expansion be 5 or 10 levels instead of 1 or 2, is so that the old gear gets gradually phased out and somewhere around the mid point of leveling everybody is on more similar terms (quest gear starts getting higher iLvL then high end gameplay from previous expac). If it was less levels then there would be more of an issue with either the leveling content being too easy for the geared people or too hard for the people that didn't do end game content in previous expansion, or not switching out all previous expac gear by max level (still happened to most people in SL with high Azerite Neck or Maxed out cloak), or a variety of different possibilites.

I hope they stick to future expansion to a similar model like in Shadowlands leveling, first time needs to be done in order to tell a cohesive story (but maybe have it closer to MoP or WoD zones and not locked like in SL where you can't go to next zone at all) and then you can tackle them in any order on alts. Something that BfA and Legion lacked a bit for me was that the leveling experience lacked a more connected story other than some references between the zones while leveling (WoD has done parts of this really good imo, even if majority of the lore wasn't that good, but there was a bigger story we were following while going through the zones).

Also having 5-10 levels per expansion lets you gauge how long you have left in the zone by looking at its level range which is useful for when leveling first time.

As for how they will handle the new level additions, I am a bit fine either way however I would much prefer if they shifted SL to the Chromie Time framework and make all previous expansion 1-60 and 10.0 60-70, or just squish down to 50, switch SL to Chromie Time and make 50-60 in new expansion in order to not get out of hand with numbers again

[Grimbold21]

Personally the most annoying thing about this possibly Dragon themed expansion is how Shamans wouldn't likely get a Earth-warder tank spec, you know, because black dragonflight.

[Raetary]

Wow is in need of a lizard-man race.
Since they didn't bother with Sethrak or Saurok, Dragons would be fill that spot nicely.

[Shadochi]

Dragons should not be a class for the same reason DHs were a mistake. They've very limited design space and aesthetic options and are bound to become increasingly contrived over time while not having a mechanical identity others don't cover. I bet you a decent amount of money that, if they're anything at all, they'll be the Covenant gimmick of this expansion, but with a switch implemented from launch so Blizzard can claim they learned from their mistakes.

As for levels, cut it down to level 50 and you future proof the idea. Increase the cap and you pigeonhole people into Shadowlands, rendering the SL level-changes pointless and doom yourself to having to do a level squish again eventually.

To be honest a dragon class based on aspects could bring in a new variety of playstyles since the aspect specializations have more potential for a class than a demon hunter which ended up being split into two.

However I too fear that this might end up being just an expansion Power system tied to the zones of the new expansion. If nothing else then there would at least be a plethora of new dragon mounts, and probably even a raise-your-own-dragon chain like the falcosaurs, 8.3 bug and other similar chains that give a pet, toy and mount.

[Super Dickmann]

To be honest a dragon class based on aspects could bring in a new variety of playstyles since the aspect specializations have more potential for a class than a demon hunter which ended up being split into two.

However I too fear that this might end up being just an expansion Power system tied to the zones of the new expansion. If nothing else then there would at least be a plethora of new dragon mounts, and probably even a raise-your-own-dragon chain like the falcosaurs, 8.3 bug and other similar chains that give a pet, toy and mount.

Demon Hunter has the basic idea of "Be Illidan", who's skillset is at least a little concrete and DHs were a hero in WC3. Monks had kung fu movies for inspiration but dragons are very vague and most of the stuff hypothetical aspect-based specs could do are already in mages, shamans and druids. There's no hero character like Illidan to base the fantasy from either.

Entirely agree with the latter paragraph though. As said, Dragons aren't really my jam, but five colours of mount, five flights and a ready-made borrowed power system based on a familiar element both seem down Blizzard's alley.

[Makabreska]

Oh and btw., no matter what blizzard is going to promise, they will add new trash systems. They cannot get rid of one of their biggest mistakes. They will just find another label. "Renown" becomes "Dragonpower", "Anima" becomes "Dragon dust".. or anything like that. Do not believe their lies.

If Hazzikostas is going to tell you "we learned from the past" and "we will focus on player agency", he will lie by opening his mouth. He already did that in the past and managed to fool players the game would change to better. It never did, it never will, until the day Hazzkostas leaves Blizzard.

Ye ye, we heard that for years, first with Ghostcrawler and now with Ion. And lol @ the guy who thinks that changing him will change the game general design. Maximizing profits will still be a priority pal. And the guy that replaces him will be the next target of hate.

[Makabreska]

Since when does creating a horrible game maximize profits? Thats just a stupid argument. The reason blizzard creates shit games is not "maximizing profits" but simply incompetence. If they would want maximize profits they would create a fun game.

Or maybe these repetitive things and systems keep players logging in? Or do you think it is just incompetence with WoW having same stuff third expansion in a row? Check SL record sales.

Also "if EA would want to maximize profits, they would just make a good game, instead of packing them with microtransactions" type of logic. Simply good game does not make CEO's cream their pants anymore.

[Wharren]

Considering the Horde Council, Loa Voljin, Calia, the Scarlets and Regent Turalyon have nothing to do with Dragons, I’m willing to bet that a revamp is still in the cards (and backed by the list Marlamin made earlier) even if the theme of the expansion is Dragons. If they wanted to keep the status quo they would’ve made Rokhan Warchief and brought back Sylvanas at the end of SL.

Its still Cata 2, so a Revamp is still in line with the theme.

Also: BFA questing sets some things up in SL. Very little chance that SL questing sets up anything on Azeroth, so it makes no sense to force players to level in SL for 10.0, leading to a chance at the leveling experience being rehauled.

[Therougetitan]

Since when does creating a horrible game maximize profits? Thats just a stupid argument. The reason blizzard creates shit games is not "maximizing profits" but simply incompetence. If they would want maximize profits they would create a fun game.

A lawyer who has no idea what most of his players want is game director of WoW. The guy who is responsible for the Story is a former CRM who knows how to talk to customers but obviously turns the lore in WoW into a shitshow. Blizzards boss is a ex CFO who knows about accounting but not about game design. How do you think people like that could create a fun game for most of the players wow play?

The only thing Hazzkostas knows everything about is mythic raiding, numbers and competition laws.

You have a lot of salt in you based on your posting history. I recommend you quit wow. Play FF14 or Lost Ark or SWTOR next month. Maybe Elden Ring. Find another game. Another hobby. Ranting on an mmo forum in your spare time is not healthy.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Or maybe these repetitive things and systems keep players logging in? Or do you think it is just incompetence with WoW having same stuff third expansion in a row? Check SL record sales.

Also "if EA would want to maximize profits, they would just make a good game, instead of packing them with microtransactions" type of logic. Simply good game does not make CEO's cream their pants anymore.

I'm sure theres more passion involved in the wow project but...he can believe what he wants.

[Wharren]

Vulpera animations means it’s something resembling a Goblin, but with a tail.

Small Draknoid/Dragonman from Cata maybe?

[guro-tchai]

One of the models shares 34 animations (emotes, sitting, fishing) with the Vulpera male.

oh no
we're not getting proper old tall buff drakonids (tbh not what i wanted anyway)
we're getting scaly vulperas as a new race

[Wharren]

oh no
we're not getting proper old tall buff drakonids (tbh not what i wanted anyway)
we're getting scaly vulperas as a new race

It’s a pet, no way would it also be a playable race.

It could be a baby Draknoid which would not signal against their race.

[guro-tchai]

It’s a pet, no way would it also be a playable race.

It could be a baby Draknoid which would not signal against their race.

honestly i don't know how that works. i just thought that it's the same as 7.3.5 with four new allied races.
although a pet with vulpera skeleton seems weird to me