As the denizens of Azeroth wrap up their time in the realm of death, sights are firmly set on what the horizon brings. And that appears to be DRAGONS.
Newly announced, the ninth expansion for World of Warcraft is titled DRAGONFLIGHT. And it’s absolutely brimming with the scaly buggers.
When in doubt, just wing it
With the needle bouncing between surprised and confused, I can safely say I am amazed that the big ticket item for this expansion is that players get to play as DRAGON PEOPLE. Possibly a rather dramatic item that has long been kept behind glass, the shattering of it reveals that we can now stretch our wings as something called a ‘Dracthyr‘ — a humanoid dragon that comes in five distinct flavours and can masquerade as a sensationally spiffy human!
The Dracthyr also come packing a unique class option – the ‘Evoker’. This ally has the option to roll as a healer or a ranged damage dealer, with a variety of dragon themed moves for flavour. What makes this particularly neat is that World of Warcraft has offered very little in the way of ranged damage classes with it’s so-far released expansions, usually pumping out close up melee folks.
Oddly enough, this is one of the friendlier dragons
Don’t just take my word for it, there is a wealth of new stuff being announced:
- DISCOVER THE DRAGON ISLES—Journey to the new level cap of 70 and explore the primordial wonder and ancient secrets of the Dragon Isles across four new zones: the roiling Waking Shores; the vast Ohn’ahran Plains; the stark Azure Span; and ancient, majestic Thaldraszus.
- NEW RACE/CLASS COMBO— Menace your foes (or empower your allies) as a Dracthyr Evoker, WoW’s first ever race/class combo. Design both humanoid and draconic forms, pick between the Alliance and Horde, and venture forth as a healer (Preservation specialization) or ranged damage-dealer (Devastation specialization) that harnesses the collective might of all dragonkind.
- SOAR THROUGH THE SKIES—Dragonriding, an all-new method of aerial movement, allows you to take to the skies atop a Dragon Isles Drake, which you will befriend in each of the four new zones as you level up. Customize your drakes as you progress, collecting more appearance options and unlocking new abilities that will enable them to fly farther and faster.
- NEW TALENT SYSTEM—With this complete overhaul, you’ll be able to make creative and flavorful talent choices at every level without compromising your effectiveness.
- NEW PROFESSION SYSTEM UPDATES—Crafters rejoice! We’re introducing player-driven work orders, new profession equipment, and an all-new specialization system, and more to help you become the artisan renowned through the realm.
- NEW HUD/UI—Get ready for a fully updated and customizable Heads Up Display (HUD) User Interface (UI) that’s been created with contemporary displays in mind, designed to be effective, attractive, and accessible.
This looks like a heavy metal album cover
Call me boring, but the idea of getting a proper UI overhaul in World of Warcraft tickles me greatly. Some killer user interfaces have cropped up in other titles, and the bar has been pushed ever higher. The thought of not having to utilise half a dozen mods to make my WoW experience smoother is delightful. And adding some actual incentive to crafting? Sure, I can dig that.
While the announcement has done a lot to intrigue me, I am absolutely hungry to hear more about the dragon-y future of Warcraft.
High fantasy is back on the menu boys! Are you a dragon enthusiast? Let us know in the comments or on social media.
