Blizzcon Dev Interview
PlayersCut had the chance to speak with Chris Metzen at Blizzcon.
The Emerald Dream and Warcraft 4
- The Emerald Dream is a nice idea and the team has talked about making it into an expansion many times. Building an entire expansion worth of zones around a green lush forest theme would get very boring, so the Emerald Dream would be better used as raid, dungeon, or a subzone, not an entire expansion.
- For the foreseeable future, the content in World of Warcraft is where the team's primary focus will be. Warcraft 4 isn't planned right now, as Starcraft 2 is where the RTS focus is.
Warcraft Movie
- The Warcraft movie is still doing casting.
- The Orc's corruption by the Burning Legion is a root theme of the movie story.
World of Warcraft Heroes and Villains
- The first few WoW expansions burned through the Warcraft villains pretty fast, which is why the team introduced characters like Garrosh. There are a number of characters they have started to insert into the storyline with the hopes that they will be made into compelling characters or great villains in the future.
- Wrathion and Anduin are characters to watch going forward. Anduin gets slightly older with every model update and Metzen would like to see him become king one day.
- Yrel is a new character in Warlords of Draenor, starting as a naive priestess in old Draenor. When the conflict kicks into gear she will need to become a hero over the course of the story, a new major Alliance heroine, and take a leadership role among the Alliance.
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
We will be connecting the realms listed below on Monday, November 25 during a scheduled maintenance beginning at 6 a.m. PST through approximately 11:00 a.m. PST. Once maintenance is finished, these realm connections will be complete.
- Azshara and Azgalor
- Arygos and Llane
- Cairne and Perenolde
- Nathrezim and Anub'arak/Chromaggus/Garithos/Smolderthorn
- Winterhoof and Kilrogg
- Zangarmarsh and Hellscream
We will be connecting the realms listed below on Monday, December 2 during a scheduled maintenance beginning at 6 a.m. PST through approximately 11:00 a.m. PST. Once maintenance is finished, these realm connections will be complete.
- Coilfang and Dark Iron
- Fenris and Dragonblight
- Icecrown and Malygos
- Spirestone and Drak'Tharon/Firetree/Malorne/Rivendare
- Ysondre and Magtheridon
Future Connections
We do not have a date for the following realm connections, but will update this blog post when we do.
Next Batch
- Andorhal and Ursin
- Crushridge and Anub'arak/Chromaggus/Garithos/Nathrezim/Smolderthorn
- Darrowmere and Windrunner
- Quel'dorei and Sen'jin
- Velen and Eonar
Plans for these connections may change at any time, but we’ll provide additional updates on specific dates for future connections here as we can. Please note that as a part of the connection process realm times may change to match each other.
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
The connections below should be completed shortly:
- Uldum and Shen’dralar/Zul’jin
- Boulderfist and Chromaggus/Shattered Halls
- Rajaxx and Anetheron
- Agamaggan and Emeriss/Hakkar/Crushridge
- Terrodar and Dethecus/Mug’thol/Theradras
- Alexstrasza and Nethersturm
As part of our ongoing Connected Realms implementation, we will be connecting additional realms as listed below. We don’t have a specific date yet on when these connections will occur, but we’ll provide another update once we do.
- Executus and Burning Steppes/Kor’gall
- The Venture Co and Sporeggar/Scarshield Legion
- Arathi and Temple Noir/Naxxramas
- Daggerspine and Boulderfist/Chromaggus/Shattered Halls
- Area 52 and Un’Goro
- Thunderhorn and Wildhammer
Blue Posts
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
Raid Finder
I am probably in the minority but just wanted to say anyway.
I really don't think you are. We can see by the numbers that it's a popular feature. As is the way with most things, if you're fine with something you're unlikely to make a thread about it—so thank you for going to the trouble.
Having said that, people do have valid issues with game features from time to time, and we make sure to pass on that feedback to the developers so they can decide whether to make any adjustments, and hopefully improve the game experience for everyone. We've made a number of tweaks to LFR since it was introduced based on your feedback, so also a big thanks to those who have highlighted other aspects.
Basically, we really appreciate good or bad feedback about LFR or any other game features, as long as it's constructive! (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Blue Tweets
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
Warlords of Draenor Flying
small no-fly zones are ok, the whole continent is way to punishing. Especially without lore reason.
I don't feel the need to justify good gameplay with lore. Why can Four Winds virmen defeat Onyxia? Good gameplay. (Source)
Believable lore and setting, must be internally consistent, is very important to a RPG.
We agree, but gameplay is more important, at least at Blizzard. Other studios design with different values. (Source)
So basically not having flying has nothing to do with immersion or exploration or interaction it's just timesink
That's almost exactly the opposite of what we said, but I know you like to argue. (Source)
it is when we are forced us to fight mobs not needed wasting my now-slim play-time ...please reconsider
But that sounds like you're arguing for a dungeon with 3 bosses in the first room.... (Source)
nope cus dungeons have a path and story ...trash has to do with dungeon and since Cata they hint next boss mechanics
Yet players still complain constantly about trash because it delays them from getting to the good stuff. (Source)
I don't want leveling to be easier/quicker. I want repeated content to have less travel/downtime.
We don't think flying makes questing quicker. We think it makes it trivial. There is a difference. (Source)
You guys always talk about player "choice" yet you enforce this issue of no flying. Double standards :|
Actually, we champion interesting decisions. Deciding whether to fly or not is not interesting, b/c flying is always better. (Source)
You will take away whole playstyles. "Fly around and herb + chatting in guild" is not who I want to gamequit.
Those will still exist. Just not at day one on the new continent. (Source)
"This thing I openly admit is not fun or compelling is valuable" is, you understand, a hard sell?
Game design, like much of art, isn't about having an intense experience 100% of the time. (Source)
You need a background upon which the epic stuff can stand against. Travel, easy fights, repairs are all part of the experience. (Source)
In the near term you might not miss them if they were gone, but in the long term, the game might feel like it had less depth. (Source)
Lorewise, what's the reason we can't fly then suddenly, we can... then we can't again?
There isn't a good one. It's not a lore-based decision. (Source)
if thats true then why do you nerf quest xp, RAF, heirlooms etc to make the grind faster?
Because otherwise hitting max level would only take more and more time the longer the game had been out. (Source)
It does NOT mean that we think leveling in a new continent is lame and shouldn't be part of the game. (Source)
why can't you just give mobs a close range dismount ability? So we can still fly high, but not low to skip mobs?
Ultimately, you are still deciding when you want to face danger in the outdoor world. That's not quite the same thing. (Source)
Also, If WoW's an escape from the drudgery of the real world, how are boring commutes until 6.1 making the game more fun?
Is clearing trash a ton of fun? Some things are in the game to provide pacing and cadence. You can't be at 11 all the time. (Source)
That could easily be fixed by adding some "anti-air units" around some quest areas, where it could work anyways.
That either means quest flying is possible but super risky or it's realistically not possible. Either way not much of a difference (Source)
What was wrong with the Wrath model of grounded leveling for main, BoA tome for alts?
If leveling is supposed to be trivial for alts, why not just make them all jump to max level? (Source)
A question: Will the PvP-Zone be a "No-Fly-Zone" even after 6.1 when we get our flying-ability back?
Almost certainly. (Source)
Misc
Are we getting cinematic WOD trailer?
Of course. No ETA. (Source)
Any news on the *clean-up of karazan* stuff being related to pre-expac event ?
Like much of what is data-mined, I would wait for an official announcement before freaking out (pro or con). (Source)
Dark Legacy Comics #416
DLC #416 has been released!
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