Blizzard Entertainment’s online game “World of Warcraft” is releasing the “Dragon Rise” expansion this year, and has entered beta testing. Senior game designers Jake Miller and Graham Berger accepted an interview with Taiwanese media and talked about the half-man of the dragon and the dragon’s cavalry technology design concept.
The story of “World of Warcraft: The Rise of the Dragons” tells that the dragons of Azeroth have a great influence on the world, not only using powerful forces to guide the mortal race and influencing important events, but also occasionally profit from themselves . As the holy homeland of the dragons awakens, they will call upon the heroes of the Alliance and the Horde to step forward to help them face the looming threats and mysteries that are about to emerge.
Linked to the half dragon
Q: The half dragon man wears mail armor. I think dragon scales should be very strong, they can block magic and look strong from the outside. Why is there no tank design class?
A: When designing a new race, we will see what elements it is suitable for. After looking at the characteristics of the half dragon, we mainly want to emphasize the magical characteristics of the five dragons. Also, although “World of Warcraft” has added several occupations, they are basically melee and tanks. We’ve never added any new occupations with long-range DPS output and healing abilities, so this time it’s really full of freshness.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRhPOOKMOMI
Q: When designing the half dragon, did you think about designing this race from Blackwing Lair or other characters that appeared in the early days? Or do you directly use the appearance of characters who have appeared in the past?
A: We want to point out how the dragon came out. We thought about what it would be like if he had two legs. In combat, spells from the dragon system come to mind, such as Onyxia’s deep breath. ( Deep breath). We also wanted to bring something fresh, but with the spirit and vibe of a World of Warcraft dragon, and then add some new features.
Q: The current half dragon man’s ability can see the shadow of red, blue, green, and bronze dragons. There is no black dragon. Why is it designed this way? But it actually looks like a black dragon, so will this part have a chance to appear in the future?
A: For the half dragon man, we are pleased that the appearance offers players a lot of customization options, that the black dragon shape is present, and that there are many options that can be customized.
Let’s talk about skills again. We want to emphasize the magical abilities of dragons, so it is very important which spells the five dragons can use. We want to emphasize the skills that can be used. For black dragons, such as deep breath and obsidian tablets, black dragons can use them. Skills, we found in development that we should focus on the skills of some dragons. Black dragons are actually less selected. Of course, as the game evolves in the future, if players want to, we’re not ruling out the addition of more Black Dragon abilities.
Q: The Half-Dragon Man action animation in the Alpha version still reminds players that this is the skin-changing version of the Demon Hunter / Charming Demon. Are there any adjustments to be more “dragon” type actions on the official scoreboard?
A: We have designed a brand new model for half dragons. We hope their movements can be quite realistic and explosive. Therefore, although we emphasize spells, when they cast spells or abilities, we hope that their whole body can be quite dynamic. Hopefully this part is different from other caster classes.
In addition, the whole series of actions in the air are newly developed animations and effects. Hopefully this will make players feel very powerful actions when using them. We are quite happy with these actions at the moment.
Q: The Alpha version of the Half Dragon has added many options for creating the horn, but the dragons that players have encountered on Azeroth in the past are more powerful and powerful. In comparison, the Half Dragon is much weaker and looks like a lizard man. Would you consider adding new ones? Body type options?
A: We decided early on that we would have a lot of customization options, so the art team provided a lot of options right from the start, and Alpha test players said they needed more options, such as horn options and the stairs, which were added later. , we have now also added a fourth body type, which looks more robust.
However, as previously mentioned, they are still fast moving caster professions, so under this premise, the body size will be slightly different from the dragons players have previously recognized.
Q: Can you share the “new race” reflection process? When will existing races, such as goblins, be considered, and when will new races, such as half dragons, be created this time around? Have the long-awaited naga, fisherman and walrus been considered by the players or is there a chance to become a controllable breed in the future?
A: Joining a new race or class depends on the kind of world we want to create and the type of story we want to tell. When we get to the Dragon Islands this time around, we will inevitably encounter a lot of dragons, so in addition to riding the flying dragons, we thought it would be better if players could be part of the dragons too.
Dragons may not have that many racial abilities, but the existing occupations are not suitable for using dragon magic, so we thought about adding a new occupation and finally thought about combining the two, becoming the current half dragon and half dragon. -drago The dragon people call the dragon masters.
As for the other allied races, we need to see if the level of the story is suitable, so for this story we will focus on the half dragons, obviously we do not rule out any possibility in the future.
ride the dragon
Q: Since the Dragon Islands are a new area that you have never touched in the past, did the art team refer to the design impression of the past “Dragon Race” when designing the concept for these areas? Can you give specific examples?
A: Every time we enter a new area, it is a challenge for the art team. We hope it reveals a layer of veil for players. The Half Dragon Islands are not only the hometown of flying dragons, but also a place that players have never seen before. In the past world, the map this time actually has a relatively large step difference, which is in line with the dragon family environment, and also creates the conditions for players to use the flying dragon riding technique.
Q: Compared to mounts, riding the dragon has more abilities, will this make players less willing to use mounts?
A: Dragon Riding has a lot of new abilities. If players like to have a lot of new actions, we can provide more customized actions, so our design will be successful. Of course, we will also listen to the opinions of the players. , adapted according to the player’s preference.
Q: Players can unlock and collect mounts with special appearances after reaching the Team Dungeon achievement. Will the new expansion pack still be a mount after having a flying dragon mount? (If it’s still a mount, will this incentive be reduced due to the flying dragon mount?)
A: It is true that many players, myself included, love to collect these mounts. We’ve announced some new ground mounts, so players still have some. In addition to dropping the mounts in this dungeon, we have also provided some new dragon shape flying mounts for you to create.For rewards, such as beards, horns, etc., there is also a very rare reward that can completely change the dragon’s appearance.
Q: The different functions of the flying dragon mounts will make players jealous who collect various flying mounts. Thinking of adding new features to flying mounts?
A: When we designed Flying Dragon Riding, we started with knowledge of the Dragon Islands, so these skills are also at the center of our emphasis. During the first week of Alpha, players responded that they liked Flying Dragon Riding, aiming for how to move in the air. , the player’s reaction affects the direction of our design, so later on, the player’s reaction will be an important part.
World of Warcraft Dragons Rise is scheduled to launch in 2022.
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