Follow-Up GamesCom Dev Talk 2015 + Interviews

We have been getting a steady flow of continuous information after the initial announcement at GamesCom from both the Q&A recap at the end of GamesCom and some fan-site interviews that have followed up the announcement and event. We have gathered all that information together and we are going to throw it down right here. As we get closer and closer to Blizzcon, I am sure we will continue to get more information, but with less frequency, and hopefully beta invites, so we can see the expansion for what it is.

I would throw out the spoilers note, but if you are here, you already know what you are getting yourself in to, so what is the point of trying to deter you!?

World of Warcraft: Legion

• Blizzard still wants to push for faster expansion releases.
• Focusing on new places and new characters, such as Mists of Pandaria, is not and was not a mistake. It was a welcome break from the monotony of a single bad guy, while focusing more on the adventure and the exploration of something new.
• Legion is currently set for a release date of 2016. To keep with pushing expansions faster, it would need to come out around Spring 2016, around the time of the Warcraft movie release.
• No current patch schedule set in place for Legion.
• The Legion cinematic is not complete yet.
• The Transmogrification overhaul that was mentioned in the Legion features, but not shown at GamesCom, should make the system easier to use. The idea is to be able to browse through what you have unlocked and what you could unlock for each slot, more like a dressing room than the current system.
• Looking into social improvements, the team is working on ideas on how to bring servers back together, different ways to connect with your friends, and how to match-make with friends better and easier. Only ideas currently.
• Blizzard strongly agrees that the game is better played with friends and is the most fun when you have made connections with other players in game or when you bring your real friends into the game.
• We will be getting a new character slot per realm, pushing us up to 12 character slots. No need to delete or transfer one of your toons to be able to play your new Demon Hunter!
• Warlords of Draenor had a good story, but it felt very disconnected from the game. The Garrison campaign missions simply were not enough to lock the story down to feel immersive. The team is going to work on integrating more of the storytelling into the game, especially for max level content.
• DRAGONCON - Warlords of Draenor was not a filler expansion. It built some things that are going to be used moving forward.
• DRAGONCON - The backpack might finally be getting updated. We'll see.

• World
• Dalaran is getting some modifications for this expansion. Changes to the center area, changes to the Underbelly, texture updates, etc.
• Garrisons are staying in Draenor, but you can go back and visit them whenever you like. When was the last time you checked up on your farm, by the way?
• The exact location of the Broken Isles is to be revealed at a later date.
• No decision made on how to handle Dalaran this time around due to Khadgar taking over the Kirin Tor.
• Split or return to Sanctuary areas.
• Only the raid itself will be taking place in the Emerald Dream, but this could be expanded upon in the future for those that want to dive deep.
• Karazhan is still an important place, as it was shown in the cinematic.
• Lots of lore involved here, so any involvement has to be on point before Blizzard will make any huge changes or features involving it.
• The current plan for flying in Legion is to follow the same model as Draenor, where you have to complete certain goals before you unlock the ability to fly.
• 12,000 years ago, there was a festering wound in the Broken Isles. The Pillars of Creation were used to help seal the wound. Then the Temple of Elune was built on top of it. The wound was reopened and an infinite number of demons are now coming through.
• People knew of the Broken Isles, but there was no reason to go there, so it was kept pretty quiet. With the opening of the Tomb of Sargeras, now there is tons of activity.
• Azeroth is the only world that the Burning Legion has failed to conquer (that we know of) after setting its sight on it.
• Illidan is very important to Gul'dan's plans, but weren't not entirely sure why. Doesn't help that Illidan is already mad at US for what happened back at the Black Temple. We'll just have to wait and see how he reacts..
• Gul'dan is not the big bad of this expansion, he is simply a pawn in the gears of the Burning Legion. He is one of the bosses of one of the raids to be released at launch, so we have a lot to look forward to from the Legion even after his demise.
• Pre-Expansion Invasion Event!
• The invasion will hit all of Azeroth, so we are going to see invasions in many different zones throughout the world.
• We are going to see new demons and engines of war that we have never encountered before.
• There will be some period of time over weeks that Azeroth is being invaded and the various factions will decide how they are going to deal with this problem.
• Players will have multiple demon invasions that they are going to have to deal with, all leading up to the launch of the expansion.
• The Broken Shore is going to be part of this launch event, which is where we end up on the Broken Isles.
• Sylvanas is back for Legion and is going to play a huge role this time around.
• Thrall is also returning and will continue to evolve throughout this expansion as well.
• DRAGONCON - The park in Stormwind is still a wreck.
• DRAGONCON - Much like Sylvanas and Thrall, Jaina has plans.

• Artifact Weapons
• Weapons will not be looted in Legion.
• Earning the Artifact has a class and spec  specific quest, but it isn't anywhere near the level of scale and difficult that Warlocks had for the green fire quest.
• The item bonus system (Warforged, sockets, tertiary states) worked out well, so it could be extended to have even more bonuses.
• Artifacts have not been finalized yet, so there is still a lot on the table..
• Your Artifact weapon will start as an Epic and then there will be some way for it become Legendary over time.
• Your Artifact will simply start as a Legendary.
• Your Artifact will not have any quality, could just be its own thing.
• The goal for players to have an item that they are working on powering up and it can become a Legendary, rewarding players who do all of the expansion's content, similar to the cloak of Mists and the ring of Warlords.
• There will be no catch-up mechanics on Artifact weapons for your alts.
• The team doesn't want it to be too painful to change specs, so there could be catch-up mechanics for your off-spec Artifact weapons.
• It won't be twice (or triple?) the work to maintain your main and off-spec Artifacts, but you are going to have to collect an extra set of Relics for your other Artifacts.
• How we obtain Artifact weapons currently held by lore characters will be revealed at a later date.
• You will be leveling your Artifact weapon throughout the entire expansion and you will be able to unlock every trait that your Artifact weapon has on it, while taking a different path than others.
• The Artifact weapons have Relic slots, which will determine the raw stats of the weapon and modifiers to the traits you've chosen. This means that as you defeat more bosses and clear more content, your Artifact will gain higher stats.
• Relics will be items you can socket in to your Artifact. Rewarded from completing major quest lines, defeating dungeons, and completing raids.
• Artifacts can be transmogged into other weapons, but other weapons cannot be transmogged into your Artifact. Though why you'd want to transmog your Artifact is beyond me..
• There are weapons out there cooler than Benediction and Anathema for Priest Artifacts.
• Separating Artifacts by spec will help focus the spec. Currently all specs of Death Knight can use two-handers or dual-wield. With the Artifact for Frost being two runeblades, they can focus Frost on dual-wielding and Unholy on using two-hand weapons.
• All Druid forms connected with the Artifact weapons will be receiving an update. No specific mention of the Moonkin form as part of that particular list.
• Currently Revealed Artifact Weapons!
• Blood Death Knights - Maw of the Damned. For eons, the demon known as Gorelix the Fleshripper used this massive axe to steal the life force of his enemies and replenish his own. The Maw will bleed dry anything it touches--eating it all it knows.
  
• Frost Death Knights - Icebringer and Soulreaper. Return to Icecrown Citadel, to the Frozen Throne, to collect the shattered remains of Frostmourne. With these shards, forge two new runeblades.
  
• Unholy Death Knights - Soulrend. Not confirmed for Unholy Death Knights, but seeing as how the other two specs already have theirs, it's a pretty done deal.
  
• Feral Druids - Fangs of the First Nightsaber. Changes the physical form of the Druidic cat form, instead of the hidden weapon beneath.
  
• Survival Hunters - The Eagle Spear. Highmountain Tauren lore background--you defeat the beast that defeated the weapon's last owner.
  
• Marksmanship Hunters - Thas'dorah, Legacy of the Windrunners. Legend has it that this elven family heirloom, once wielded by an infamous Ranger-General--can turn a mediocre archer into a master marksman..and make a master truly peerless.
  
• Frost Mages - Ebonchill, Greatstaff of Alodi. The staff of the first Guardian of Tirisfal exudes unnatural iciness, allowing its wielder to keep a cold, sharp, and collected mind even in the face of overwhelming odds.
  
• Fire Mages - Felo'melorn. The favored weapon of choice of Kael'thas. Lost upon the assault of Icecrown Citadel, you will retrieve this fiery blade.
  
• Mistweaver Monks - Sheilun, Staff of the Mists. This legendary staff was used by the last emperor of Pandaria to shroud his homeland in mist, and it resonates with his everlasting legacy of wisdom and perseverance.
  
  
• Retribution Paladins - Ashbringer. It is said that this sword, forged by Magni Bronzebeard, bestows the glory of the Light upon its wielder, empowering them to render their enemies into ash.
  
  
• Enhancement Shaman - Doomhammer. Thrall has lost hope, so you must wield his legendary hammer to overcome the forces of the Legion.
  
• Aluneth - A staff that looks to fit very nicely in the hands of a Shadow Priest or one of the Warlock order.
  
  
• "Fang" - A simple dagger, probably will land in the hands of one of the Rogue specs; Assassination or Subtlety.
  
• Icebreaker - This looks to be the sword and shield Artifact that comes from the scales of Neltharion, meaning it belongs to Protection Warriors.
  
  
• Beast Mastery Hunters - Unnamed Gun. Teased in a panel at GamesCom, it's the only other ranged weapon previewed, but it was not given a name during the reveal. We will get more information on this at a later date.
• Unnamed Hammer - There is what looks like a two-handed mace on one of the preview slides from GamesCom, but it could very well be a one-handed mace and end up in the hands of Holy Paladins or Holy/Discipline Priests.
  

• Order Halls
• No auction house or bank.
• You will spend less time in your Order Hall than you did in your Garrison. You will only go back to do quests, work on your Artifact, and interact with your class champions.
• You will spend a lot of your downtime in Dalaran.
• The Rogue Order Hall was mentioned as being in the sewers of Dalaran.
• DRAGONCON - The Dalaran sewer looks great, not like a sewer at all. It will have treasure chests!
• The Order Halls will probably still be sectioned off for different "factions" of classes. Silver Hand Paladins, Blood Knights, and Sunwalkers could all have their own sections specifically designed for them.
• The fantasy in Draenor was collecting followers to raise an army to fight against the Iron Horde. In Legion, you are the leader of your Order and are putting together a small force of elite Heroes.
• They are meant to complement and enhance your gameplay instead of competing with you.
• The Hunter's Class hall will be located in the peaks of High Mountain.

• Classes
• No stat squish planned for Legion.
• No decision has been made if there will be a new row of talents added to the current Talent system as the Artifact Weapon system will have plenty of decent choices to make in its place.
• DRAGONCON - No new major glyphs planned for any classes.
• DRAGONCON - Most specs are getting overhauled, some will also be getting renamed to go alongside with these changes.
• Death Knights:
• DRAGONCON - No changes to starting area for Death Knights, they will continue to start at level 55.
• Druids:
• DRAGONCON - Moonkin model update not planned. Lore came back in a post of the forums and stated that the model IS getting a high-res update. Miscommunication.
• Hunters:
• Survival Hunters will be a melee class with a pet going forward.
• Beast Mastery Hunters will fight at range and utilize a pet.
• Marksmanship Hunters will fight at range without a pet.
• Survival and Marksmanship have been way too similar in the past, this change to their core identity in Legion is to help differentiate the two specs.
• DRAGONCON - Survival Hunters will get a Harpoon ability that will let them throw a spear to pull enemies into their range.
• DRAGONCON - Still no Gnomes. Needs to make sense before they'll be added.
• Monks:
• The team has learned a lot of hard lessons from how Fistweaving works and we will get some new information in the future on how they plan to solve the problems with it further on down the development line.
• Priests: 
• Disciple Priests are going to be a more offensive healer after another rework pass on Atonement to make it more interactive.
• They will still have heals and Power Word: Shield, but they will sustain healing through damage. Closer to a 50/50 split on damage and healing.
• In the past, when Atonement was popular, you would just spam Smite and Holy Fire for the entire fight and use smart healing. This was not very interactive. This time, the idea is to throw out some single target healing spells that will activate a buff on those healed. As you deal damage, those with the buff with be granted healing, but you will have to maintain and reapply the buff.
• Holy Priests will still be all about healing.
• DRAGONCON - Shadow Priests will be getting a new resource called Insanity instead of Mana.
• Rogues:
• Subtlety Rogues are going to be more like ninjas.
• Combat Rogues are going to be more like swashbuckling pirates.
• Assassination Rogues are all about poisons and DoTs.
• Warlocks:
• Demonology Warlocks will be getting some major changes, focusing more on their demons. To be expected as the majority of their kit was built off of the Warcraft III Demon Hunter hero. With Demon Hunters now a class, they need a big rework.
• Demonology Warlocks is a "beast master" Warlock.
• Affliction Warlocks will focus on Curses and DoTs.
• Destruction Warlocks will focus on that burst damage.

• New Class: Demon Hunters
  
• Blizzard was ready to push Demon Hunters out for Burning Crusade, but didn't think they were ready to add another class to the game at that time.
• Blizzard feels that the people that are really gunning to play Demon Hunters are the same people already playing melee classes, so this shouldn't overload the game with more melee.
• Working on distinguishing Demon Hunters from Rogues and Monks is the most important job for the team working on them.
• Rogues are about stealth and crowd control, while Demon Hunters are all about in-your-face mobility and bailing when trouble is high. Monks are somewhere in between, with some healing.
• Demon Hunters will start somewhere around level 95 to 100, no level currently set in stone. DRAGONCON - Demon Hunters will be starting at level 98.
• Glaives will be a new type of weapon that are unique to Demon Hunters. They are a pair that comes together and fill both slots. They currently have the ability to equip all other one-handed weapons as well.
• DRAGONCON - Glaives are unique to Demon Hunters, no one else will be able to equip this weapon type. This shouldn't effect the Warglaives of Azzinoth.
• The glaives equipped in the panel shots of the Demon Hunter reveal at Gamescom are the Artifact glaives that the class will be using throughout Legion.
• Originally going to be the 4th Mail class, but it didn't fit the identity of the class, so they were tuned for Leather.
• With Personal Loot in place, gearing as a Leather-wearing class should not be anymore difficult than it was before.
• Demon Hunters are already very agile, so their tanking mechanics are going to utilize a lot of Dodge and Parry in their style of tanking.
• Eye Beam is going to be a skillshot, as it is a frontal cone attack. Much like Cone of Cold or Dragon's Breath.
• For now, Demon Hunters are the only ones getting tattoos.
• Also a potential increase in available races to become Demon Hunters further down the line, but no current plans for this to happen during Legion.
• The Illidari look much like Illidan because, just as he had to sacrifice a lot to gain greater power, so did his Illidari Demon Hunters.
• DRAGONCON - Demon Hunters will have a short transform, with inner demon visuals.
• DRAGONCON - Double Jump is not going to be disabled in any locations. While not stated, this is probably subject to change.
• DRAGONCON - Illidan is ready to lead the Demon Hunters against the Burning Legion.

• Dungeons and Raids
• Dungeons
• The team is still working on a way to incentivize players to keep going back to dungeons throughout the course of an entire expansion. Once you started raiding, there was no reason to return to running dungeons, which was not good for the life of the expansion.
• Mists of Pandaria had a better model for dungeons, where you received a reward for doing one dungeon a day.
• Normal and Heroic Dungeons will continue to exist in Legion, but Mythic is on the fence for being released a launch. They like it enough to want to add it, but probably not right away.
• No guarantee that Challenge Modes will make it to Legion, but the team does like them and wants to make them more accessible.
• Raids
• Raids today are harder than they have ever been in the past.
• The raid design in Warlords worked out well, but they want to improve the personal loot system for Legion.
• Having certain fights favor melee or range is not a problem, as long as there isn't a huge gap between the two.
• "That's interesting" in response to a rumor about Sylvanas being a raid boss.

• Player-Vs-Player
• The Conquest system will be going away with Legion.
• The goal is to remove PvP gear. They do not want people to feel that they MUST HAVE PvP gear to be able to participate..
• There will still be ways to obtain great PvP gear, but it is not going to be easy.
• The power of PvP is not about the gear you can obtain, but the PvP talents that you've unlocked.
• Gear is going to have a much smaller impact on PvP, where the higher your item level is, the more diminishing returns you incur toward PvP damage. The best raider in the game is only going to have about a 7% advantage over a player that just hit level 110.
• With this in mind, all stats are going to be based on a template set up for your spec, so if a certain spec is under-tuned, Blizzard can simply adjust some knobs on that class to help with balancing issues. No more gear discrepancies.
• No set bonuses in PvP. No trinkets in PvP. No enchants in PvP.
• Players stack these to line them up for the most damage at a single moment. Outside of that single instance, players don't feel like they are dealing as much damage. Removing their usefulness in PvP will make sustained damage a larger part of PvP.
• Once a player reaches the max PvP level, they can prestige to reset their level, but unlock new cosmetic and fun rewards.
• At PvP level 10, a player will have unlocked an ability for every single row of the PvP talent system. As you gain more levels, you will unlock access to more abilities in each row.
• The CC break trinket is very important to PvP, so putting it into the talent system will offset the loss of trinkets. There will be other good options on that talent row to make sure it's not going to be MUST HAVE talent for every class.
• No decision made on how to work around the Human racial. Simply adding a different talent in that row while leaving the racial alone is one idea. The racial plus new CC related talents would be too good.
• Plans to have the Dalaran Underbelly be a free-for-all PvP zone where you bribe the guards to leave for awhile.

• Professions
• The Professions team is currently the largest ever put together throughout the life of World of Warcraft. Feedback was taken in for how professions worked, or didn't work, for Warlords of Draenor.
• Lots of surprises will be in store for players in Legion. We are not going back to the same stuff.
• Every profession is going to be getting its own quest line.
• There will be some new system changes to professions as a whole to improve the UI, plus add new functionality.
• Decisions are being made on whether Blacksmiths or Jewelcrafters will be able to make items that modify the Artifacts.
• DRAGONCON - There will be a "single" system to upgrade profession-crafted items. The current item will be destroyed, giving you the reagent Obliterium, which will be needed for the upgrade.
• DRAGONCON - Professions will be getting some crafting items from dungeon loot. This should help with the irrelevancy of dungeons further in an expansion's life.
• DRAGONCON - Professions will not have daily cooldowns.
• DRAGONCON - Prospecting could be making a return. No announcement on whether it'll have a multi-use option or be the original one 5-stack at a time style.
• DRAGONCON - The limitation of 3 profession-crafted equips will be sticking around in Legion.

• Key Lore Figures
• Maiev Shadowsong: If the watchers are infamous among the night elves, Maiev Shadowsong is a legend. Famed for her uncanny ability to capture any enemy, Maiev tracked Illidan Stormrage, the Betrayer, all the way to the Black Temple in Outland. After his demise, she imprisoned his surviving followers, the Illidari, vowing never to allow the fel-touched demon hunters to roam free ever again.
  
• Xavius: Xavius once terrorized Azeroth with an affliction that almost obliterated the walls between reality and dream. His machinations ended in defeat, but he has been given another chance at vengeance. Now, Xavius leads the conquest of Val'sharah, where the tainted World Tree Shaladrassil spreads the Emerald Nightmare's corruption. With an army of vile satyrs at his command, Xavius will stop at nothing to vanquish all who oppose the Burning Legion.
  
• Andiun Wrynn: Heir to the throne of Stormwind, Andiun is wise beyond his years. Time and again, he has used diplomacy to end conflict, inspiring even his warrior father to lay down arms in pursuit of peace. But diplomacy has its limits, and some villains can't be reasoned with. As the Burning Legion threatens to annihilate Azeroth, Andiun will learn the true cost of peace...and whether he's willing to pay it.
  
• Tidemistress Athissa: Queen Azshara, former leader of the ancient night elves, rules the naga with supreme authority. Her servants are many, but few can match the fanatical devotion of Athissa. At her queen's command, she is poised to lead a massive naga army into Azsuna, a region rumored to hold a long-lost titan relic of power., Nothing will stand between Athissa and this prize--not the cursed night elf spirits who hand the land nor the Horde and Alliance forces that are gathering on the Broken Isles.
  
• Genn Greymane: In recent years, the grizzled ruler of Gilneas has suffered many hardships: his son and his nation fell to the Banshee Queen Sylvanas and her Forsaken, and he nearly lost his humanity to the worgen curse. Yet from these tragedies, Genn has found new strength and courage. He is determined to fight tooth and claw against any enemy that threatens the safety of the Alliance.
  
• Dargrul the Underking: For centuries, the tauren and drogbar tribes of Highmountain lived in peace. But soon after the Legion's arrival, a drogbar leader named Dargrul the Underking destroyed their unity and stole the Hammer of Khaz'gorath, a powerful artifact protected by the Highmountain Tauren. Using the terrible power of the Hammer, the Underkikng intends to take control of Highmountain.
  
• Khadgar: Though he was unable to stop Gul'dan from opening the Tomb of Sargeras, allowing the Legion to flood into Azeroth once more, Khadgar is determined to find the means to reseal the portal and foil the Legion's invasion. He knows that the combined forces of the greatest champions of Azeroth are necessary to succeed, even as dissenting voices speak against the coalition and risk ultimate destruction by the demons.
  
• Gul'dan: Gul'dan owes allegiance to no one save his Burning Legion masters. On Draenor, the power-hungry orc warlock nearly had his entire race enslaved to demons. Though his plans failed, Gul'dan survived. Under the Legion's command, he was banished to Azeroth to open a gateway for a monstrous invasion force unlike anything the Horde and the Alliance have ever faced.
  
• Sylvanas Windrunner: The Forsaken's ruthless leader is a formidable champion of her people. But with the Burning Legion's invasion, the stakes for the Dark Lady have never been higher. Should Sylvanas perish, her demise will be the beginning of her eternal damnation. All that stands between her and this doom are her Val'kyr, yet few of these spirit guardians remain. As her fate edges closer to the abyss, Sylvanas must decide how far she'll go to protect her people...and whether they're more precious to her than her soul.
  
• Illidan Stormrage: After the fall of the Black Temple, the corpse of the lord of Outland, Illidan Stormrage, disappeared. No one knows the true fate of Illidan's remains, but legend holds that Warden Maiev Shadowsong took his broken body to the Vault of the Wardens so that Illidan's dark, lingering soul could suffer the rest of his eternal sentence--along with his followers, the feared Illidari. Justice to be forever served...