wow Crendor Interview with Ion Hazzikostas

[Staff 1,488]

Crendor had the chance to talk to Ion Hazzikostas about the Dragonflight expansion and here are the main highlights of the interview.

Main Highlights

• Dragonflight has been in development well before Shadowlands and the 2022 release date isn't rushed.
  • In June, we covered a leak that speculated about the expansion releasing in November 2022.
• Alpha/Beta testing will be shorter compared to the Shadowlands.
• Dragonriding is limited to the Dragon Isles, but the team would like to expand upon it should it become popular by somehow implementing/applying it to old content (zones/mounts).
• The goal for Dragonflight is to release smaller more frequent patches.
• They might update Archaeology in one of the Dragonflight patches.

You can watch the whole interview below.

[Prophet001 598]

I like this guy.

 

Good guy <3

[Migol 433]

Quote

Alpha/Beta testing will be shorter compared to the Shadowlands.

...that's a bit ominous.

Quote

The goal for Dragonflight is to release smaller more frequent patches.

And that needs context.    Smaller more frequent patches with what content?   

[Meurik 33]

37 minutes ago, Migol said:

...that's a bit ominous.

Not at all. There are fewer systems that need testing before launch (such as no more borrowed power), and they've already stated there will be more focused testing periods.

[Migol 433]

15 minutes ago, Meurik said:

Not at all. There are fewer systems that need testing before launch (such as no more borrowed power), and they've already stated there will be more focused testing periods.

Sure, in place systems and coding will work (probably).   But I'm talking about balance issues, bad talents, dps levels being too far apart between classes, etc.    Blizzard, even in beta, is a bit slow to change things.    One of the biggest outcries in recent betas was how rushed they were and how important feedback regarding balance (later proven to be true) was basically ignored in that rush.

[Meurik 33]

I honestly don't get this obsession with people thinking "an expansion is rushed"

For close to 20 years, Blizzard have released an expansion on a 2 year cycle. At the end of 2022, it's been 2 years since Shadowlands released. We're due for another expansion. Now, whether they can deliver a better expansion than Shadowlands remains to be seen. But the same 2 year cycle existed for better expansions like Legion or Mists of Pandaria.

They failed with Shadowlands. There's no denying that. But I'm saying, I don't believe it's because things were "rushed" when they released precisely as scheduled.

[Arcling 898]

4 hours ago, Meurik said:

I honestly don't get this obsession with people thinking "an expansion is rushed"

What's different is that there isn't much time for beta, looks like its testing period will be shorter than usual. People are concerned about bugs and imbalance (although Evokers do look like they will be imbalanced anyway).

[Brightamethyst 104]

6 hours ago, Migol said:

Smaller more frequent patches with what content?   

They might be trying to move closer to how FFXIV does patches. Where rather than 2-3 massive patches per expansion they have half a dozen smaller ones. Less new content per patch but it also means people aren't looking at the exact same content for 6, 8, 10 months straight.