wow Patch 8.1: Battle of Dazar'alor Release Date?

[Starym 3,800]

 

It seems we may now know when the Battle for Dazar'alor will be releasing, as so far it's only been mentioned as coming in January. Redditor rocki12345 has noticed that part 4 of the 8.1 War Campaign starts on January 22nd, as marked on the PTR in-game calendar. Part 5 is set after the events of the raid so 4 should, in fact, be the raid itself. That's 6 weeks after patch 8.1 launches, with Mythic coming the week later, as usual.

So if we're to believe the PTR timing, it seems the War Campaign stages won't be just 1 week each from the start of the new patch, with rocki12345 also having dug up the rest of the steps, with the whole thing starting with the release of the patch itself:

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Also there is some "TIME-GATING" with the War Campaigns
 

Part 1 begins 11th December

Part 2 begins 18th December

Part 3 begins 8th January

Part 4 begins 22nd January and with it probably the Raid

Part 5 begins 29th January (the last Chapter of the 8.1 War Campaign) The Description says: Join the Horde's leadership as they meet after the Battle of Dazar'alor

In any case, we now possibly have the release date for Battle for Dazar'alor and, more importantly for some of us, the start date for the next World First progress race as well!

Source.

[Brutalis 165]

I wish they’d stop doing this awful time-gated questline stuff. It really takes any sense of drama out of the storyline. By the time I’m on the last quest I’ve completely forgotten about the suspense that’s been built up because the starting quests were weeks ago. Also means that it’s “one and done” - ie you get one new thing to do every week, that’s over in ten minutes. Funfunfun.

[Xaethron 36]

45 minutes ago, Brutalis said:

I wish they’d stop doing this awful time-gated questline stuff. It really takes any sense of drama out of the storyline. By the time I’m on the last quest I’ve completely forgotten about the suspense that’s been built up because the starting quests were weeks ago. Also means that it’s “one and done” - ie you get one new thing to do every week, that’s over in ten minutes. Funfunfun.

Then play it all the last week? There is literally no pressure to do it before raid opens.

Only issue i see there is spoilers.

[Badadada 184]

29 minutes ago, Brutalis said:

I wish they’d stop doing this awful time-gated questline stuff. It really takes any sense of drama out of the storyline. By the time I’m on the last quest I’ve completely forgotten about the suspense that’s been built up because the starting quests were weeks ago. Also means that it’s “one and done” - ie you get one new thing to do every week, that’s over in ten minutes. Funfunfun.

Every weekly questline starts with some introduction like "we caught an Alliance/Horde messenger connected to the last week's story" or "our spies inflitrated information about xyz". Would it make sense if our faction would do that ~5 times within an hour? As long as the stories are well seperated I'm ok with it - you don't have to remember the starting quest since the quest text, locations and NPC roleplay reminds you what happened earlier. In my experience the Horde War Campaign was a bit weaker in this then the Alliance, but in general both sides story is enjoyable in this episodic break-up.

[Starym 3,800]

24 minutes ago, Badadada said:

Every weekly questline starts with some introduction like "we caught an Alliance/Horde messenger connected to the last week's story" or "our spies inflitrated information about xyz". Would it make sense if our faction would do that ~5 times within an hour? As long as the stories are well seperated I'm ok with it - you don't have to remember the starting quest since the quest text, locations and NPC roleplay reminds you what happened earlier. In my experience the Horde War Campaign was a bit weaker in this then the Alliance, but in general both sides story is enjoyable in this episodic break-up.

That's true, but the only reason the quests are connected like that IS the weekly lockout of content.

[dsc 18]

I don't mind the "time-gating" as it pertains to storylines.  / quests

I think the sunwell opening and Surimar most of all was well done.  (that is what this expansion is really lacking and why I think it is "empty" lack of surimar)

although I'm years retired from hardcore raiding and realm firsts, heck I'm super casual, bosses shouldn't be gated.  Heck I think there should be  one raid mode...

[Jerry235 2]

they made it time gated becasue they wanted to turn 1-2 hours worth of content into a months worth of content. instead of making a questline time gated to make it take 4-5 weeks maybe they should just make the questline actually take 4-5 weeks to complete via dungeon/raid quests or other lockout based activities like the balance of power, or maybe since its the war campaign, make it be something like X world quests/rep in enemy territory and just have to do the quest chain once to unlock the raid or whatever comes along with finishing it. sad to see blizzard catering to casual players 

[PatrickHenry 293]

14 hours ago, Jerry235 said:

maybe they should just make the questline actually take 4-5 weeks to complete via dungeon/raid quests or other lockout based activities like the balance of power, or maybe since its the war campaign, make it be something like X world quests/rep in enemy territory and just have to do the quest chain once to unlock the raid or whatever comes along with finishing it. sad to see blizzard catering to casual players 

And for your idea there will be 100 others complaining how your idea is terrible and they want it done X way instead.