wow Game Director Ion Hazzikostas About the Future of WoW & More (A Venture Beat Interview)

[Staff 1,410]

Venture Beat had the chance to talk to Game Director Ion Hazzikostas about Patch 9.1.5 and beyond, what's currently happening at Blizzard, and more.

Interview Highlights

• In the first part of the interview, Ion talks about the removed references, mixed reactions to all the changes, and how Blizzard attempts to build an inclusive world.
• It looks like cross-realm raiding is on the table.
• We will soon hear about Patch 9.2 and the conclusion to the Shadowlands story.
• Ion confirmed there's something planned after Patch 9.2, but "it’s hard to say too much more without almost spoiling some of the story that’s going to come".
• A lot of what goes into 9.1.5 isn't a one-off, but a reflection of them "changing a lot of the underlying philosophies that motivated their approach to designing WoW", said Ion.
• Beyond Legion Timewalking, the team is looking into making old content relevant again. There's a tremendous amount of content that needs to be manually re-touched and updated.
• More Timewalking raids are coming to the future.
• They want Timewalking to expand to old expansions to make them relevant again, like having players visit Pandaria.

Make sure to read the full interview.

Source: Venture Beat

[Arcling 887]

Very typical responses. Once more telling people that they should listen better. It was the same with BfA. Few years too late for that. Cross-faction raiding should have already been implemented, however it should be a full integration with interaction barriers removed, shared guilds etc. Something like mercenary mode won't change much and will ensure that one faction will keep dying and bleeding players.

Also, are there really no better pictures of him other than that one being constantly reused, where he looks like someone who gave up on life?

Edited November 1, 2021 by Arcling

[Raffinaddi 18]

So he only acknowledges that conduit energy is the thing he should've listen to from the start? lul

[Prophet001 552]

Sweet 😄

 

[Prophet001 552]

11 minutes ago, Raffinaddi said:

So he only acknowledges that conduit energy is the thing he should've listen to from the start? lul

Conduit energy and covenants and the attempt to have RPG elements in WoW is a good thing imo.

There are already swap at will systems like trinkets and gear and PVP talents and regular talents and etc etc...

WoW should always have RPG elements in it in my opinion. That will always mean making a choice about something that is impactful to your character in the game.

[BobTheHuman 72]

1 hour ago, Staff said:

In the first part of the interview, Ion talks about the removed references, mixed reactions to all the changes, and how Blizzard attempts to build an inclusive world.

Which of all  the removed/changed stuff was in the way of inclusivity for 16 years? None actually. Unfortunate lawsuite triggered an irrational censorship campaign in WoW, simple as that. While you try to improve the Blizzard work enviorment keep your games out of it, because I don't think it's a good idea telling players that you plan to turn WoW into unexciting shi't hole.

[Raffinaddi 18]

Just now, Prophet001 said:

Conduit energy and covenants and the attempt to have RPG elements in WoW is a good thing imo.

There are already swap at will systems like trinkets and gear and PVP talents and regular talents and etc etc...

WoW should always have RPG elements in it in my opinion. That will always mean making a choice about something that is impactful to your character in the game.

I was thinking much bigger tbh.

And I agree, but there're so many issues (mainly design philosophy and handling critique) that's being pointed out that he doesn't even acknowledge.

[Pregrowth 46]

Im sorry but this guy has to go, he's f*ckin delusional

[Damianff 2]

Ion, for the love of WoW, please just quit

[Nayrusa 50]

Quote

• We will soon hear about Patch 9.2 and the conclusion to the Shadowlands story.

so we wont get a 9.3 and 9.2 will be the last raid tier for sl?

or they tryin to pull the same stuff like they did with bfa and the war camp but would not make much sense come to think about it

[Arcling 887]

2 hours ago, Prophet001 said:

WoW should always have RPG elements in it in my opinion. That will always mean making a choice about something that is impactful to your character in the game.

Depends what you consider as RPG elements. There is no role playing in choosing a different ability bonus. It doesn't bring anything to the story. Such choices also don't work well in online games, where typical solution is to open a guide with best option, plus there are usually some randoms telling "lol your choice sucks". Covenants would work fine as purely cosmetic choice and for their story.

[Calysia 220]

I think it was a decent interview...he seemed more forthcoming than usual. It was nice that he acknowledged the team being in a rut and that they need to move away from the "old" way of doing things. Also nice to see cross-faction raiding being considered.

[Swarf 101]

It's a good vibe blizz is putting out lately.  It's at least an improvement for sure.  They're trying.

[ArchmageDisconnected 0]

Wow is the best ever. However if I was the game director I would be implementing some GUILD WARS 2 items into WoW the best way they can without taking GW2 patents. That is basically what WoW is- grab the quests, go do them, come back, hand in, go do more. Implement the story line into WoW. Look into Meta events... GW2 is an amazing story and game that I wish was entangled with WoW more

[Dalkongp1 0]

Mr ion. I want sylvanas death. What the hell of beasterd woman? Please. Sylvanas die please. I hate her.

When show new heritage armor set for dranei,orc,troll,undead,human,night elf,pandaren.

 

When show new class and new race after shadowlands?

[Logarithm 40]

With this, I would wager that the next expansion will be heavily focused on time travel/cavern of time. This will also allow them to heavily reuse Azeroth assets, which the team will want since they've been losing people left and right.  

[Prophet001 552]

14 hours ago, Arcling said:

Depends what you consider as RPG elements. There is no role playing in choosing a different ability bonus. It doesn't bring anything to the story. Such choices also don't work well in online games, where typical solution is to open a guide with best option, plus there are usually some randoms telling "lol your choice sucks". Covenants would work fine as purely cosmetic choice and for their story.

I disagree. Fundamentally, WoW is supposed to be a huge RPG. In an RPG you build a character the way you want it and that means choosing which powers, abilities, stats, etc that it has. Granted, it's not as strict of an RPG as a CRPG like Pillars of Eternity but it is supposed to be an RPG.

In lobby style MOBA games like League your character means nothing and is a throw away that you use for an hour then discard. You make a new one with every game.

That's not how WoW is supposed to work and I think moving in that direction is not good for the game.

 

[Arcling 887]

2 hours ago, Prophet001 said:

I disagree. Fundamentally, WoW is supposed to be a huge RPG. In an RPG you build a character the way you want it and that means choosing which powers, abilities, stats, etc that it has. Granted, it's not as strict of an RPG as a CRPG like Pillars of Eternity but it is supposed to be an RPG.

But RPG and CRPG are the same thing. CRPG means "computer" RPG, any RPG on a computer is well... CRPG. Besides, these aren't role playing mechanics. What role playing is there? Pick a good talent or the one that is objectively worse, because it does less damage. And unlike in a single player game, people might call you out if you are playing with something that is considered worse. Truly "peak" RPG experience.

2 hours ago, Prophet001 said:

That's not how WoW is supposed to work and I think moving in that direction is not good for the game.

When it was like that? There was always a respec. This philosophy doesn't work in an online game. As covenants demonstrated, overwhelming majority will make their choice based on what is considered the best for them.

[Prophet001 552]

7 minutes ago, Arcling said:

As covenants demonstrated, overwhelming majority will make their choice based on what is considered the best for them.

You seem to live in a world that forsakes everything for min/maxing. I don't know whether or not most people do the same but I don't think that it's healthy for the game.

The logical end of "people just pick the answer" is to never ask the question. That means no freedom in character design and no decisions that impact the *character* in any meaningful way. This is bland boring homogenized game design imo.

CRPG is equated with games like Pillars of Eternity, Baldur's Gate, Divinity Original Sin, etc. Games that really have Role Playing elements. WoW wants some of that and tries to incorporate it so our characters and the world mean more than just the next lobby queue.

I think that's a good thing but it comes with some sacrifices.

You seemingly don't like it or don't care or don't think it's a good thing. I don't really know which.

We disagree on the fundamental principles of the game.

[Arcling 887]

59 minutes ago, Prophet001 said:

You seem to live in a world that forsakes everything for min/maxing. I don't know whether or not most people do the same but I don't think that it's healthy for the game.

I don't. I actually picked the one that isn't considered the best, but most people just decide based on guides. The only way this design choice would work is to have good balance, but this is very unlikely. It's also not a good design when some talents are considered "noob traps".

 

59 minutes ago, Prophet001 said:

CRPG is equated with games like Pillars of Eternity, Baldur's Gate, Divinity Original Sin, etc. Games that really have Role Playing elements. WoW wants some of that and tries to incorporate it so our characters and the world mean more than just the next lobby queue.

CRPG isn't a separate genre. It's a term for any RPG that is a computer game. Non-CRPG would be a tabletop. As for role playing elements, people have very broad definitions of them. For many just having talents and equipment is enough to claim that game is an RPG, but I wouldn't call a shooter with these elements (for example) as RPG, because these are just mechanics, and they don't impact story or any decision making in regards to it. To me, role playing is more about different decisions and stories. In WoW you don't really make any decisions, story is linear, it's closer to Diablo in it's mechanics (and they reused a lot of ideas from Diablo). Even role players (afaik) don't pick their talents "in-character". Having wide choice of talents works well in single player, where balance doesn't matter that much, but it's different in online game. Covenants are problematic in this aspect, because switching them isn't convenient, a talent row of those abilities (regardless of chosen covenant) would be better instead.

Edited November 2, 2021 by Arcling

[Razekiel 11]

"We have something but we can't even give hints" translates to "We have not even started to think about it"

One new raid and a timegated 10 step questline is not content.

[Helvorn 57]

Well, Ion. No, just no.

Making old content relevant again wont save WoW or stop it from bleeding out refugees to FF14. Timewalking is and should be a nice sideline activity, nothing less, nothing more.

All you do is recycle. Recycle what was already there, because you have nothing new to show (hence no Blizzcon) To recycle is "playing safe" and wont need as much as work and money, like creating exciting, fresh and lasting new content. I understand that, as there are no ideas how to do this.

Of course, there will be 1-2 new Raids, 1-2 new Dungeons, 10 new daily quests and 20 new Mounts (some just recoloured version of shop mounts).

I wont sub again for this. These are just life support measures for another 3-4 weeks, while after that you return to pick your nose. I wont play Classic or BC again, as this is just another recycling.

Retail needs big changes, until then WoW will continue to slowly, but surely bleed to death.