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World of Warcraft's new expansion pack, Age of Dragons, was officially announced today. Compared to the last three expansion packs, in this "Age of Dragons", we have finally waited for a new race and a new class.
After the launch, we interviewed Ion, the game director of World of Warcraft, and asked him more about the new expansion pack.
World of Warcraft Game Director Ion
Key points:
10.0 Return to the origin of World of Warcraft, which has many traditional elements;
The Black Dragon Legion has a heavy role, and Deathwing creates a new race, the Dragon Hill;
The Magician is unique and doesn't overlap much with other professions before;
Dragon taming is very cool and can bring players a new flying experience;
The new version of the Talent Tree is cool and has a lot of innovation points.
Q: Players have a very heated discussion about this CG performance. Compared with the previous CG, this CG has more calm and less conflict, what are the deep-seated reasons for such a change?
Ion: Exploration and discovery are the main threads of this new release. Because Azeroth is healing himself, we will gradually discover new threats in the process of exploration, rather than directly facing the threats that will destroy the world as in the past.
The whole process is a bit similar to the style of the previous "Panda Man Mystery", which is also a relatively good change rhythm for us players, after all, we have just slowly stepped into a new world from the fatigue of "ShadowLand", and this new change is also a cure for ourselves.
"Age of dragons" CG
Q: In this new version, we not only see new races, new classes, but also find that the UI, talent tree, etc. have been redone. It feels like version 10.0 is a new beginning, but what does 10.0 mean for Blizzard?
Ion: On many levels, the Age of the Dragon is really a new beginning. We've just finished a very long storyline in Shadowland, and now we're back in Azeroth to start a new journey.
There is a key element in the "Age of Dragons", that is, "dragons", and while we think about how to design a new race, we need to consider what kind of profession to fit him. Therefore, we have decided on a new class such as Dragon Hill and his corresponding magician, and we are very happy that he can become the thirteenth class in World of Warcraft, and we hope that all players can reach him as soon as possible.
Q: After the launch, many players had a sense of anxiety about the new version that was different from the previous World of Warcraft art style, what do you think about this?
Ion: I'm actually interested in listening to the players' concerns and thoughts about that.
But the core of this new version is actually to return to the origin of World of Warcraft. If you really want to talk about it, the version of "Shadowland" should be different from the traditional tone of World of Warcraft.
In the new version, we can explore a lot of new content, but also find some more familiar elements. In this vast map, there are many Titan ruins, as well as walrus people that everyone likes. When you explore, you actually have a similar feeling, because many of the elements are traditional content of Azeroth.
For the painting style, in fact, our art style has been evolving and improving, so the new version may give people a very new feeling.
Q: In the previous version, Alex Stassa said: "The era of guardian dragons is over, and the age of mortals has arrived", so how to introduce the plot this time "The Return of the Age of Dragons"?
Ion: Actually, this is a very important part of our journey to the new version. As we explore the Dragon Islands, we will find many clues about the Dragon Islands and the origin of Azeroth.
It is for some reason in Azeroth that the return of the Dragon Guardians is necessary to be able to deal with these new threats. Of course, dragon guardians can't do it on their own, and we players have to help them a lot in the process.
Part of our journey is to complete a ritual to activate the abilities that the Dragon Guardian once possessed. As for this part of the specific content involving spoilers, I will not talk about it more, or hope that players will slowly explore it in the game.
Q: In the press conference, we saw a concept map of the Archaeopteryx, Galaklon, but we didn't introduce it too much. How will it appear in version 10.0?
Ion: The legacy of Galaklon is a central thread in our new version. It is well known that Galakron is long dead, and its remains are scattered over the keel wilderness, some of which are even larger than some cities.
With the fall of Gala Clone, the power of the Dragon Guardians began to rise. In this new version, we will also learn about some other dragon forces that we never knew about before. As we continue to explore the Dragon Islands, we will be able to learn more about some of the dragons' history and their origin stories. At the same time, we will also learn more about what kind of archaeopteryx Galakron was and why he clashed with other dragons. These are all things that can be discovered gradually throughout our story exploration.
Q: There was very little introduction to the Black Dragon Legion in the press conference, what kind of role will the Black Dragon Legion play in the real game?
Ion: Actually, the Black Dragon Legion will play a very important role in our new version. When we see the giant castle of the Black Dragon Legion in the first area of "Awakening Coast", there will be a lot of storylines in it, which occupies a very important role in our entire storyline.
At the same time, we can also discover and understand how Nesario fell into the deathwing. It is worth mentioning that the new Dragon Hill race was created by Nesario.
In addition, Rashio is also a central character in the new version, and we have a lot of stories to play around it. At the same time, we will also encounter some other Black Dragon characters.
In CG, when the beacon is lit, it doesn't just summon the Guardian Dragon, it's actually a call to all dragons. So throughout the new version of the story, the existence of these dragons can be seen.
Next: About the new race Dragon Hill & New Class Summoner
About the new race Dragon Hill & New Class Summoner
Q: The model of the new race Dragon Hill looks very complex, what are the challenges of designing such content? What are the unexpected difficulties that require additional adjustments?
Ion: When we identified a new design direction at the beginning, everything became a form of teamwork. Artists, animators, and modelers work together to complete the entire design.
Because the new race is a winged race, we also have to take into account its whole combat feel. For example, if he has the ability to fly for a short time, how should the camera be arranged during the flight so that the player will not feel chaotic, and the experience of charging to cast spells.
Q: The new class "Magician" has two specializations of output and healing, what are the unique features of the Magician compared to the previous specializations with similar positioning?
Ion: I think the main difference he has is that the power he uses, including the type of magic, is different from other classes. For example, the fire method uses fire magic, but for the summoner, it uses the dragon spell power of the dragon guardian.
In terms of skill performance, for example, he can use the power of the Bronze Dragon to manipulate time, reverse time to cancel damage during healing, or slow down damage through time spells. We can also use the power of the Green Dragon Guardian to put enemies to sleep, which is equivalent to a regimental control skill.
At the same time, all Dragon Hills can use the dragon wing's abilities to fan the wind to repel enemies. These more practical skills can greatly improve the ability of our team.
Q: In the demo of the new class, Dragon Hill's skill release method is through mouth spray to attack, is there any other attack method? What is its class-specific weapon?
Ion: The first is the type of weapon, and we're still thinking about which weapons are similar and are very suitable for the magician. At least for now, weapons from traditional spell casting classes can be used by magicians.
The second is the attack mode part, a major feature of the summoner is that he can summon the power of the dragon guardian to fight.
In addition, there is a more unique skill, which is that he can charge when casting spells, and the longer he charges, the more powerful it is. At the same time, it can also cast spells in the air, such as choosing a line, or attacking or controlling enemies in an area.
The Sorcerer is not only able to use the magic power of one Dragon Guardian, but can combine the abilities of multiple Dragon Legions to fight.
About the new feature "Dragon Taming"
Q: This time there is a new feature "Dragon Taming", can you tell us more about this?
Ion: At the beginning of the new version, some of our old flying mounts, including flying abilities, were not available. But in the first week we can fly through the dragon train.
The Dragon Archipelago in the new version is actually home to this winged creature, so we hope to allow players to fly through and explore the entire world in a three-dimensional, multi-dimensional way.
In the first week we can meet our dragon partners, and as the connection with the dragon partners deepens, our dragon driving abilities will gradually increase, such as being able to fly longer and fly faster, as well as the ability to unlock proportional dive, tumbling, etc.
Q: Dragon Taming looks like an extension of the previous Flying Mount system, what else can players get out of it besides collecting new looks?
Ion: I think the most important thing about "Dragon Taming" is that you can feel the accumulation of its flight posture and the whole experience of the laws of physics during the flight.
Whether you're in the process of handing over a mission, or when fighting some rare enemy, this flight is a whole new experience.
Q: Dragon Hill's charge casting, wing fanning, and dragon taming swooping and soaring all mention the sayings of "conforming to intuition" and "conforming to the laws of realistic physics", is this a new design concept, and will it be more reflected in the design of some other battles and actions in the future?
Ion: Of course, we've been thinking about reinforcing this sense of intuition and fit in our combat experience. We wanted to maximize the immersion of the entire combat experience on the premise that the World of Warcraft engine could handle it.
We're also very excited to see that our "Dragon Tamer" has the potential to make the overall flight experience look even more different, and we'll apply this philosophy to other aspects of our game. For example, a spell such as Charge is currently only a magician in the Age of Dragons, but as time goes on, we may also use it elsewhere.
Q: Each version will have exclusive featured content, such as the previous artifact, so will "Dragon Taming" be the exclusive feature content of this version? For example, in the next version or without the Dragon Islands, it will not be used?
Ion: "Dragon Taming" is indeed featured in our version, and it has a natural connection to the Dragon Islands. But unlike some of the featured systems of previous versions, it doesn't matter whether our character is strong or weak. It's just that on the Dragon Islands, we can summon a companion who belongs to the Dragon Islands, making it more fun for us to explore and play. As for being able to take it elsewhere in the future, these are also in our plans, and we will also look at the future development.
Another thing, regarding our design concept, after this change, we hope to give players more permanent skills and upgrades, such as new talent systems and redone professional systems.
Every time I enter a new version, it is a journey of exploration, not to make the player worry about whether I am going to lose some of my original abilities in the new version.
Therefore, after such a change, the "Age of Dragons" version is the best time for both new and returning players to join World of Warcraft.
Next: On the issue of career balance
On the issue of career balance
Q: Will there be a new PVP gameplay in version 10.0, how will the addition of new classes affect the class balance, and how do you balance it?
Ion: In terms of PVP, we have an adjustment in the new version of Shadowlands - it can be a single row.
Another change is the adjustment to the PVP equipment level. Previously we needed to increase the item level with honor points, but now it has changed to the highest PVP item level as long as he gets the equipment. The subsequent improvement is only the level of the PVE item in the PVP equipment, so that it can avoid feeling inferior when comparing the players who enter the PVP equipment later to carry out PVP activities, which can make everyone in the same running line.
Of course, we will also consider the question of professional balance, because every time a new profession is added, he will definitely have an impact on the entire environment (whether it is the composition of the group or the composition of the rice team). So when we designed a new class race, our starting point was to make it very interesting and in line with this sense of fantasy. Professions like Magician are very cool.
When we really implement it, we will definitely consider the issue of career balance, and under the premise of ensuring that the magician is fun and powerful, we will not let him cover up the characteristics of other professions. In other words, making the player feel that the addition of a magician can make the team feel very good, but at the same time, the shaman or the warlock feels that I must re-train a magician, otherwise there will be no place for me in this team. So our idea is a bit like the previous "Demon Hunter", it is a very popular class, but slowly it can also be integrated into some other classes, gradually becoming a very balanced option.
Q: There have been previous cases where skills from old occupations have been transferred to new ones. Will there be a similar situation with the emergence of this new profession?
Ion: I can make a promise here that the Dragon's Breath technique of fire will definitely not be stolen.
Another point that we are very concerned about is that the new profession must have a unique point that is different from other professions. We were thrilled that the Sorcerer brought a completely new ability, which was a completely different type of spell than other classes.
Regarding the example of the demon transforming into a demon hunter, historically speaking, this skill is indeed a signature skill belonging to the demon hunter, so if the demon hunter appears, this signature skill must be given to the demon hunter.
As for the magician, he is very special in itself, there will be no special overlap with other classes, and when we really start the A test and the B test, we will also collect more feedback from players, and if they feel that due to the appearance of the magician, the coolness of other classes has been reduced, we will also adjust.
Q: Those old classes in 10.0, will they gain new skills when they level up?
Ion: Of course, we're going to have new capabilities. Because we will increase our talents from level 60 to level 70, we will also see some old skills return, including some previous covenant skills, or some legendary equipment.
In addition, since we have a new talent system to redo, we can see a lot of new abilities given to players in the new version. And as the player grows, it will belong to the player permanently, and I am most excited to see the player permanently gain some improvement in ability.
Q: Regarding the return of the Talent Tree, what are the unique innovations of the new Version of the Talent Tree compared to the previous Talent Tree?
Ion: We've retained the abilities, features, and flexibility of being able to customize the selections of the Career Talent Tree from 15 years ago. We've also added the ability to quickly change and adjust to different scenarios (rice, tuanben, PVP) that was only available in recent versions.
In addition, one of the biggest changes is that we will have two separate talent trees, one for the profession and one for a certain specialty. During our upgrade process, the talent points we get will be determined on which side to add. For example, we will get a mage talent point at level 37 and a frost talent point at level 38. Why? Because we learned before, for example, that we upgrade one level and get a talent point, allowing the player to choose whether to increase the damage of the Ice Arrow or increase the flash skill, the average player must be added to the Ice Arrow in order to increase the DPS, right? So we are now thinking about making a change in the player's choice, so that he can make a choice in the case of multiple choices, so that the player's choice will be diverse, which is our biggest change.