Dragonriding and You: Ascending to New Heights of Skill

[Buffbringer]

I'm not sure what you mean by "not doing the mechanics"? Do you mean it's slower if you don't use the skills available in DR? I could see it being slower if you're just gliding, but there's specifically a boost button that instantly makes you faster than normal flying

Yes, i mean doing the dragonriding mechanics. From what i've seen on videos, if you just... "glide" dragonriding is extremely slow, so the "base" speed (if you mount from the lowest point of the map, i mean) is slower than regular flying mounts. Or am i wrong?
Because it seems weird to me that, at least until you unlock enough perks, you have to go to a high altitude to be faster than what we are currently.

[Unholyground]

It is clearly going to be adapted to everywhere either during or after DF so soar stays a unique racial for the expansion, anyone who thinks otherwise is definately fooling themselves. They will ween everyone in and the skilled players will get to resources and stuff faster than the lazy flyers simple as that.

[Stickiler]

Yes, i mean doing the dragonriding mechanics. From what i've seen on videos, if you just... "glide" dragonriding is extremely slow, so the "base" speed (if you mount from the lowest point of the map, i mean) is slower than regular flying mounts. Or am i wrong?
Because it seems weird to me that, at least until you unlock enough perks, you have to go to a high altitude to be faster than what we are currently.

If I understand it correctly, when you unlock dragonriding you start with two basic abilities, one which boosts you upwards as a launch ability from the ground, and a second that zooms forwards and increases your speed. So you'll always be faster than normal flying, even over short distances, because of the boost ability.

[Buffbringer]

If I understand it correctly, when you unlock dragonriding you start with two basic abilities, one which boosts you upwards as a launch ability from the ground, and a second that zooms forwards and increases your speed. So you'll always be faster than normal flying, even over short distances, because of the boost ability.

I see. That makes sense, i hope it works like that and it feels like a proper upgrade from our current means of traversing the maps.

[GMZohar1]

How dare a feature have progression to it!!!! God you guys sometimes, it's wild....

Progression is fine, time gated progression is not. Thinking blizz can never do anything wrong, god you guys sometimes, it's wild.

[Tizdale]

Blizzard: no more borrower power guys we listen to you

Also blizzard : here is this dragon riding that is only usable in df and it’s required you power it up. Totally not borrower power.

It seems to state:
"Dragonriding can only be used with Dragon Isles Drakes" which would imply its linked to the mount types, not the area you use it.

[saixilein]

Blizzard: no more borrower power guys we listen to you

Also blizzard : here is this dragon riding that is only usable in df and it’s required you power it up. Totally not borrower power.

Yeah, skilling dragonriding gives you the same power as grinding for thorgast, getting a random bis leggy in legion, or bis azerit armos traits.

[MikeRagnos]

So we're basicly getting chained to 1 dragon for an entire expansion! Why does Blizz even bother adding new mounts in DF? This system completely kills the old system. Mounts basically become big cosmetic pets. Why couldn't they just increase current mounts speed in DF? You get current 310% speed at start and as you progress you're mount is getting faster.

[BB8]

There are four body types currently available, Proto-Dragon, Ptero-Dragon, Wyvern and Drake. See them here -> https://www.wowhead.com/news/dragonr...-dragon-326759

O thats so nice. The drake is amazing. I see multile chars incoming on my account
Thanx.

[Raetary]

This system completely kills the old system.

Yes, that's the point.

The old system was a badly designed feature that's detrimental to world design as a whole.
That's why Blizzard has such a rough relationship with it and why they wanted to get rid of it.

Dragonriding adds actual gameplay to flying, turning it into a content feature as well as solving the main issues that old flying was causing.

[MikeRagnos]

Dragonriding adds actual gameplay to flying, turning it into a content feature as well as solving the main issues that old flying was causing.

What is the the main issue with old flying? Making minigame from mobility tool is not a gameplay. If Blizzard wants to create gameplay they can focus on raids, dungeons, quests, profesions and so on. With that philosophy we'll probably have to learn how walk with the next expansion.

[Sk3tz0]

I'd rather they experiment and shake things up. Heaven forbid we try new things.

Id rather they made more than 4 zones and 8 dungeons and 1 raid per tier instead of investing in this.

[Raetary]

What is the the main issue with old flying?

It is detrimental to any and all outdoor environment designs as you can permanently hover over and avoid them.
It contains absolutely no engaging gameplay elements, it begins at *hold spacebar* and ends at *press Num lock*
And most important of all, it promotes not engaging with the game entirely for the reason above.

It's a badly designed feature that undermines the point of half the game, which is why Blizzard has had such beef with in the past to the point of wanting to remove it.

Making minigame from mobility tool is not a gameplay.

"Adding gameplay to a mobility tool is not gameplay"

If Blizzard wants to create gameplay they can focus on raids, dungeons, quests, profesions and so on.

You mean, like the dungeons the expansion adds, all the raids the expansion will add, the myriad of quests the expansion is already adding and the profession revamp we are getting?

Looks to me like that's well taken care of, so what's the issue?
Or is this another case of "waah, this particular bit of content doesn't interest me personally, there it doesn't count as content, waaah!"?

[Iain]

Flying has always been a minimum viable product* since TBC. It's clear Blizzard envisioned flying to be more than just adding a Z-dimension to mounting. Their trailer makes flying look way cooler than it was.



So after nearly two decades, they finally got around and made it a less mind-numbing affair. I hope Blizzard gets around to at least let this mechanism apply to all mounts, and yes, preferably I'd love it if old flying is removed altogether. Go get a flight master if you want to be taxied through the game.


*A minimum viable product is a prototype software feature that does the bare minimum to get the job done in order to see where to take it next or to can it altogether.

What is the the main issue with old flying? Making minigame from mobility tool is not a gameplay.

Old flying also is not gameplay. It's indeed a UX tool. With a single press of a button and a brief casting period you turn a world with obstacles into a dimensionless Google Earth. It's like toggling developer mode in-game. Everything that used to be gameplay to your feet has been reduced to irrelevance for your wings.

[Trumpcat]

It's ironic that the special editions for Dragonflight reward you with a mount which is obsolete at the launch of the expansion since it isn't part of the new Dragonriding feature. It could give instead a unique drake or customization for it.

After seeing dragon riding in alpha videos I'm looking forward to it more than I thought I would be. I love the speed and the emulated physics. I don't see myself using regular flying for anything but herb picking on Druid.

[Soikona]

I'd rather they experiment and shake things up. Heaven forbid we try new things.

They have tried something new every expansion. Since legion, the majority have fallen flat. At this point, it shows that the new team are incapable of capturing what is fun. So, something new, is understandably terrifying.

[Iain]

Zone scaling used to be an experiment but is now Chromie Time. Island Expeditions turned into Thorgast and Garrisons turned into Class Order Halls turned into Covenants.

World quest and Mythic Plus used to be experiments and are now the mainstay of the game's content. They're one hit wonders really. Both of which would have been considerable extensions on the lifespan of an expansion like Mists of Pandaria or Warlords of Draenor.

If Blizzard doesn't try these things out, then who will?

[Celement]

Just call it worse flying

[MikeRagnos]

WoW is an MMO, not a Flight Simulator. It's gameplay should be focused on achieving tasks - dungeons, reputation, raids etc., not learning how walk or run. Those are just mobility tools to achieve MMO tasks.

[ArenaDk]

They have tried something new every expansion. Since legion, the majority have fallen flat. At this point, it shows that the new team are incapable of capturing what is fun. So, something new, is understandably terrifying.

You rather have a expansion like woltk ? With nothing new, reused raids, reused models, reused models in reused raids ?