Dragonflight Group Interview with Ion Hazzikostas - Design Goals & Lessons Learned, Player Housing, Dracthyr

Live Posted 2022/04/21 at 6:35 PM by Squishei

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Dragonflight Expansion Reveal

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Key Takeaways

Blizzard has learned that barriers that try to dissuade activity essentially just become annoying hurdles that players have to overcome in 2022 that players just overcome. This has influenced the design of Dragonflight as players now play video games differently in 2022.

Talent Trees will include Covenant abilities and even Shadowlands Legendaries. What will show up there will be influenced from the community as we continue to Alpha.

They're looking to convert Solo Shuffle into a Rated Solo Queue with rating and rewards.

It may be possible for Dracthyr to become other classes in the future, but that's not where the story is starting in Dragonflight.

Player Housing is discussed a lot, and there's interest in it. They're excited about it and hope to deliver it at some point but it's not part of Dragonflight.

Design Goals & Lessons LearnedYou mentioned previously how players have changed the way they play games, how has this directly affected Dragonflight and alt-catch up in Dragonflight?What ended up being known as “borrowed power” tended to be additional endgame leveling mechanics. If you’re moving away from that, what do you have planned for endgame this time around?How much of the success of WoW Classic has influenced Dragonflight?The progression of some story elements was locked behind Renown in Shadowlands. Has this idea been abandoned?Strong socialization requires a bit of friction, and that’s clear win in Classic. How do you take those learnings and bring them to modern WoW, without losing the player that only has an hour a night?Talent Tree ReworkHow much will players be able to fill out the talent tree? Will it be eventually be full like Artifacts?Is the goal of the new Talent Trees to bring back abilities that have been removed in the past?When do you get a Talent Point for a specific tree?Has the team started thinking about ways to repurpose Covenant abilities?LevelingHow will Dragonflight handle Chromie Time?Are there any plans for when there are inevitably too many levels once again?PvPAre there any new PvP features in Dragonflight?Dracthyr EvokerIt was mentioned that Dracthyr's Bronze magic could have a Hastening Effect. What does this mean?Many players have commented that there has been a stale healer Meta for multiple raid tiers until this tier. With the addition of Evoker, what steps are you planning to take to ensure that all healers are unique and are valued in groups and high end content?Will the Dracthyr be able to use black magic?Will Empower spells make it to other classes?Will the Dracthyr be able to become other classes in the future?ProfessionsAre the profession changes robust enough to be a complete alternative to the normal PvP/PvE content?How are the Gathering Professions impacted by all the changes including the new Quality system?Player HousingPlayer housing is something that many players in the community have asked for. Has there been any consideration of this?Which old, fan-favorite systems do you see coming back? As an example, there’s the Garrisons.Dragon RidingAre the Dragon mounts just used as a mode of transportation or do they have gameplay attached to them?AccessibilityIn addition to the UI updates, are there any other accessibility updates?Mythic+Has there been any further thought to Mythic+ queueing?Old Raid ContentWill people be able to solo Mythic raids in Dragonflight?CommunityWhat are some examples of the Community Council's influence on Dragonflight?TransmogAny changes to the Transmog system?Statue BoyWhat is the name of the Statue boy?

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Comment by iYeetmeisterTalk about adding Greys and Whites to the transmog list but they won't add in the effects of the legendary capes back.
I will forever fight for getting the Xuen effect from the MoP legendary cape on transmog!Comment by roadkillpikachuPlayer housing would make WoW at least twice as good for meComment by Redemption86My dudes, I'm so sick of the excuses regarding player housing, the other day they said it would literally cost a raid tier and that's a price I'm willing to pay.

Player housing is a long term feature where things can be added over the years, FFXIV still adds items with almost every patch and it's working for them, a raid tier is relevant for one tier in an expansion and then it's forgotten, surely long term benefits outweigh short term for the game? At this point I'm convinced it's never coming they have been using this type of excuse for years now.Comment by EphinHappy to see gear being a big focus this expansion. Hopefully gear becomes iconic and satisfying to obtain, rather then just being handed out like candy and hoping for the best stats.Comment by TyrionlamperougeThe player housing would be a great selling point for the expansion. They can afford having a team doing it, they manage millions of dollars..... I hoped that they reconsider small things like Dracthyr 3 tank spec or solo rated bgs.Comment by NevcairielMy dudes, I'm so sick of the excuses regarding player housing, the other day they said it would literally cost a raid tier and that's a price I'm willing to pay.Comment by LesbianWitchAcadHonestly, the thing I find myself most excited by from this entire interview is the comment about adding White and Grey quality items to the Transmog System. As someone who has "Farmer" in every single one of my characters' names (already reserved Dragonfarmer for my Dracthyr), I'm absolutely overjoyed by the prospect of having more access to the humbler clothing options.Comment by felinaeMy dudes, I'm so sick of the excuses regarding player housing, the other day they said it would literally cost a raid tier and that's a price I'm willing to pay.

Player housing is a long term feature where things can be added over the years, FFXIV still adds items with almost every patch and it's working for them, a raid tier is relevant for one tier in an expansion and then it's forgotten, surely long term benefits outweigh short term for the game? At this point I'm convinced it's never coming they have been using this type of excuse for years now.Comment by Ced42My dudes, I'm so sick of the excuses regarding player housing, the other day they said it would literally cost a raid tier and that's a price I'm willing to pay.

Player housing is a long term feature where things can be added over the years, FFXIV still adds items with almost every patch and it's working for them, a raid tier is relevant for one tier in an expansion and then it's forgotten, surely long term benefits outweigh short term for the game? At this point I'm convinced it's never coming they have been using this type of excuse for years now.Comment by ShadowlanderOur current plan is to rescale all of the existing expansions including Shadowlands from 10 to 60Comment by DhrallThis is fantastic. Both Ion and Holinka is displaying a real understanding of the problems we players experience. They even seem to know how to fix it.

I have high hopes for DF! Can’t wait to see if this is it - the first good expansion since Legion!Comment by voidoxThey’re only NOW hearing this, really? We’ve been saying it for YEARS! And what’s more it didn’t even need to be said, it’s obvious should have been their policy all along. But they didn’t listen back then nor did they care because they were solely concerned with boosting their engagement metrics and it’s not until sh*t hit the fan and players walked out in droves that they finally decided to listen.

I know how the corporate world works, especially in the US, but how can they keep these people on and give them increasingly more and higher positions when they’re clearly so incompetent.Comment by RufusuppityThat is their unique gift, they can channel the power of all the Dragonflights and this is who they are. Now as they emerge in Azeroth and integrate with the Alliance and Horde over time, could they learn to pick up an axe and be a great warrior, quite possibly, but that's not where their story is starting in Dragonflight.Comment by BlueMonk"We're really focusing on talents, UI, profession, our new class and Dragon Riding"

Theses are the only features of this expac if i understand correctly?Comment by Ant343Stony TonyComment by stevethepotatoThings like little race events, if you remember how back in Burning Crusade in Netherwing ledge there were series of races that you could go through as you were trying to earn a flying mount there, we can do the new 2022 version of that with this system and more.Comment by BlueMonkm+ solo queue is the way to go.

Could design the system like this:

You can't apply to a higher key of a dungeon if you didn't timed the key under for this dungeon.

The system starts with the beginning of the expansion and completing any m0 give you access to the m+ version of this dungeon.
It also gives you your own +2 key.

Completing any dungeon in time unlocks the possibility to queue for this dungeon at the next level and so on and so forth.
Like greater rift in diablo 3.

If you want to farm an item, honor or just help other players, you could filter your queueing to just apply to lets say +2s - +5s for these particulars dungeons or every dungeons.
If you are just interested in higher keys then just choose to queue from +15s - +20s.

If you +3 a m5 key then you can queue this dung at m8 level and so on.

Pretty solid system, give you motivation to time it and to time it under the best possible time.Comment by artharonixHonestly, just give M+ an automatic queue for 1-15. The argument "it's hard and requires communication" is simply nonsense. 9 out of 10 times noone talks, and if they do it's 1 sentence to tell someone not to stand in the fire or something. At this point they're not any more difficult than heroics used to be in say Cata. At least not until you reach the truly ridiculous level keys where people just get oneshot at random.

All you really need to do is add in some basic requirements (E.g. minimum iLvL and maybe some rules like "to do a 5+ you need to have +3 a 2+"). O and maybe limit the oneshots/annoying affix interactions, since they always manage to introduce some boss or trash packs that are super annoying during a specific week due to weird interactions between affixes and their basic abilities... But that has less to do with M+ being too difficult and more with certain M+ just not being all that well designed...Comment by Mariolo245As a tank main, it is so sad that Evoker cannot be one. I would may leave my main for be one of them.Comment by EliodenWardSo Dracthyr may get other classes? Please make this a thing Blizzard! The sooner the better.

I want as many of my characters as possible to be Dracthyr. As cool as the evoker looks, I love my tanks--especially warrior--and my mage, I want them to be dragons too! <3

Evoker tank spec would be sick--as it would be only the 2nd tank with a ranged dps option in the game--but if I can play other classes as a Dracthyr I'll be super happy.

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