Exclusive Developer Interview With Hammerdance - Runes, Raids, & Classic+

Posted 2024/07/30 at 3:08 PM by Serenal

HammerdanceRunes & Bind on Account Items

While the team has already taken steps to make some Runes more accessible (the Emerald Warden runes for example) they don't want to make Runes something you just buy from a vendor.

Certain Runes that are shared between classes, for example, the Dark Rider rune could certainly be adapted in future phases to ensure they are easier to pick up on alts.

Right now, data shows that not many players are running low-level dungeons. Runes requiring these could be adapted.

Currently the UI looks full. However, if a particular need arises, then additional runes could be added.

The Onyxia Bind on Account Necklace was implemented to try and ease the bottleneck in Stormwind City for the Alliance, rather than a sign of things to come. However, the team will consider making more things Bind on Account if deemed necessary.

Original Content

The World of Warcraft Classic Team is a small one, this has the benefit of allowing them to be 'scrappy' when needed and make changes rapidly.

The team has recently struck a new relationship with the Art Department. The new, extra boss in the Molten Core Raid "The Molten Core" is the first output of that relationship, but hopefully much more to come including some brand new loading screens.

The Demon Fall Canyon Dungeon was born by one Game Designer who wanted to take a Priest Quest in the Demon Fall area and they decided to make that into a Dungeon. The team is very happy with the Dungeon and the response it has gotten.

Upcoming Raids

The team is aware of a confusing Blue Post that implied Blackwings Lair was coming in a few weeks, however, it won't be that soon.

Raid Tiers will have time to breathe, definitely not 4-6 months long, but more than 4 weeks.

Over the next few weeks, they will check the data around the Molten Core difficulties to make decisions about future raids.

If resistance is an interesting mechanic to people, they might use it again.

Hammerdance asked about a new lock-out system, where you are locked per boss rather than raid, while technically possible, a change like this would impact Era and Hardcore.

The Future of Season of Discovery & Classic+

The PVP Community has been underserved, the World of Warcraft Classic team loves the PvP community and is sorry, but it has been a struggle so far to find the time and balance it with the needs of the game.

If you want to go for Atiesh, you can feel comfortable doing so. You won't be shuffled into retirement too quickly.

They don't yet know where Season of Discovery characters will end up, but it wouldn't be appropriate for them to go to Classic Era.

While no announcements will be made today, the community needs to reflect on what they are doing, and why they are doing it. Why are they updating so many items? Without saying anything, people can infer many things from what has been done. It's important to find out what works and what doesn't work.

In Season of Discovery, the team will continue to experiment, trying out ideas for a 'more permanent space one day'.

Comment by AethiThank you for putting the key points into a bullet point format! That was really helpful for someone like me who doesn't the time (nor attention span) to sit down and watch this video properly.Comment by IKLFax"We lost 95% of our player base BEFORE people even got to level 60, but that's OK because we're only experimenting". It's pointless to speak about SoD because the numbers speak for themselves. The Classic dev team has been making excuses for P2, P3 and now P4. Era is a third world market for gold sellers and these developers should be ashamed of themselves. Private server devs being paid in weed and vodka are developing better products then at Blizzard, clown world indeed.Comment by TheInnsanityThanks for the summary!

seems like the only noteworthy new information is between 4 weeks and 5 months until BWL, which makes sense. Runes becoming easier to get for new players would be cool as well.Comment by 2526346please add aoe looting to all versions of wowComment by vergara38Stratholme priest rune could definitely get some improvements, like any 3 echoes working, or at least bosses dont insta despawn, it's frustrating...Comment by IncineratedIf resistance is a raid defining mechanic again there will be riotsComment by gwok"We lost 95% of our player base BEFORE people even got to level 60, but that's OK because we're only experimenting". It's pointless to speak about SoD because the numbers speak for themselves. The Classic dev team has been making excuses for P2, P3 and now P4. Era is a third world market for gold sellers and these developers should be ashamed of themselves. Private server devs being paid in weed and vodka are developing better products than the DEI skeleton crew at Blizzard, clown world indeed.Comment by JonblazeDruids making hand of rag week 1 with an incredible fire cat model, new amazing rogue sword and we have to wait til bwl to make thunderfury, why? Let us buy elementium with embers or reals. Could even put elementium ore drops in mc. Would be really nice not to wait til bwl to make TF, especially since it didn’t get buffed or changed. Thank you!Comment by ZiaNitorithere were other people who got interviews, why not at least link them?Comment by ZiaNitoriIf resistance is a raid defining mechanic again there will be riotsComment by ZiaNitoriThanks for the summary!

seems like the only noteworthy new information is between 4 weeks and 5 months until BWL, which makes sense. Runes becoming easier to get for new players would be cool as well.Comment by TheInnsanityDruids making hand of rag week 1 with an incredible fire cat model, new amazing rogue sword and we have to wait til bwl to make thunderfury, why? Let us buy elementium with embers or reals. Could even put elementium ore drops in mc. Would be really nice not to wait til bwl to make TF, especially since it didn’t get buffed or changed. Thank you!Comment by PlusTechDruids making hand of rag week 1 with an incredible fire cat model, new amazing rogue sword and we have to wait til bwl to make thunderfury, why? Let us buy elementium with embers or reals. Could even put elementium ore drops in mc. Would be really nice not to wait til bwl to make TF, especially since it didn’t get buffed or changed. Thank you!Comment by PlusTechHammerdance asked about a new lock-out system, where you are locked per boss rather than raidComment by Xena2005SOD is a failure, a classic+ we never asked for, it's a retailed skinned version of vanilla wow, it has absolutely zero intent of bringing back that vanilla WoW feeling and if it had, they'd be too incompetent to pull it off. There's countless basement dwellers out there with videos or scuffed private servers with a much better idea and vision of how to design a fresh proper vanilla WoW but they're just individuals with no proper tools or big audience to pull off what would be needed. RIP WoW 2005-2011.Comment by LoKHorthere were other people who got interviews, why not at least link them?Comment by BranmundSOD is a failure, a classic+ we never asked for, it's a retailed skinned version of vanilla wow, it has absolutely zero intent of bringing back that vanilla WoW feeling and if it had, they'd be too incompetent to pull it off. There's countless basement dwellers out there with videos or scuffed private servers with a much better idea and vision of how to design a fresh proper vanilla WoW but they're just individuals with no proper tools or big audience to pull off what would be needed. RIP WoW 2005-2011.Comment by ezikeoNo more runes is a LComment by TahlepoqueSOD is a failure, a classic+ we never asked for, it's a retailed skinned version of vanilla wow, it has absolutely zero intent of bringing back that vanilla WoW feeling and if it had, they'd be too incompetent to pull it off. There's countless basement dwellers out there with videos or scuffed private servers with a much better idea and vision of how to design a fresh proper vanilla WoW but they're just individuals with no proper tools or big audience to pull off what would be needed. RIP WoW 2005-2011.Comment by 1818331sorry.. i haven't tried much..i played the mastery one now another try after years of that thing called era?... if both era and discovery have world buffs then why even bother with any of the two, pay to win trivial. I haven't played discovery though I have no courage to be the experiment again and there is no plan of what happens after.. games are for fun and friends not a never ending chase of virtual shinies