Interview with Chilton and Ion with details [Classes/Artifacts/DHs]

[Greebo]

Yeah, yeah, I got lazy with Ion's last name. Sue me.

http://www.icy-veins.com/forums/topic/1 ... zzikostas/

[Greebo]

Demon Hunters

As it stands, Demon Hunters are slated to wear Leather armor. The developers used to feel that having too many classes on one armor type could cause problems, but as the game has moved towards Personal Loot, that has become less of an issue.
An all-new weapon type, Glaives, will be the only weapon type that Demon Hunters can use. They are a weapon 'pair' that comes together and fills both hand slots. Having only one available weapon type for the class will not be an issue in Legion, as you mostly focus on your Artifact throughout this expansion. In the future, Demon Hunters might eventually dual wield the 'standard' agility weapon types.
Demon Hunter starting level has not been set, but a starting level between 95-100 is currently being debated (as it is a Hero Class). It's "hard to imagine a Level 1 Demon Hunter running around Elwynn Forest."

Artifacts

You obtain your Artifact early on in the Legion experience. This is the weapon you will use throughout the expansion. You will not get weapon drops in Legion. Something that wasn't mentioned during the reveal is that each Artifact has a number of Relic slots, which will determine its raw item stats (DPS, ilvl, etc.) and modifiers to the traits you've chosen, so the Artifact's stats will still improve as you defeat bosses.
It will be very important to see how the story plays out regarding Artifacts that come from characters like Tirion. No spoilers!
Existing Legendary weapons (and items) are unchanged. Artifacts will be presented differently. There will not be any Legendary weapons in Legion.

Update: Artifacts can still be transmogrified into other items! Other items cannot be transmogrified into Artifacts.

Story Line

This is the main universe Illidan. There is no 'alternate universe' Azeroth going on. Gul'dan was banished through the Twisting Nether into our world, into our time today. The scene where Gul'dan discovered and awoke Illidan is part of the Demon Hunter experience and why the Legion is at this place - they came specifically for Illidan. "Maiev was out at the pub." tongue.png
The only time you spend inside the Emerald Nightmare is in the raid zone. Its influence will be felt outside, but only the raid takes place inside the Nightmare. The Emerald Dream/Nightmare might be expanded on further in the future.
The Mists of Pandaria story saw the Horde expelled from Dalaran, but with Khadgar as the leader of the Kirin Tor, he has worked with the Horde and feels responsible for Gul'dan, and wants help from both sides.
Asked if Wrathion will be back, as he foretold the coming of the Legion? "We'll see."
Karazhan's brief appearance in the cinematic teaser was important. Karazhan is an 'important place'.
Dalaran is more or less lifted from Wrath of the Lich King, and will be a neutral capital city for both factions. For game play purposes, it will still also be in Northrend - it won't be 'moved' the way it was for Wrath. Some things will have changed.
Regarding the new Violet Hold and other Dalaran changes, the devs noted that Dalaran has some ancient purposes that weren't fully understood, and it is affected by being brought this close to the Tomb of Sargeras.

Game Play (Classes)

Classes will evolve in a number of ways in Legion. The development team is looking closely at the core fantasy for each class. Talent changes and class changes are being made - stay tuned. The PvP talent system also gives the developers room to take PvP-type talents out of the current talent trees. PvP talents will not function in PvE environments.
As an example of class changes, the Survival Hunter 'spear' Artifact was brought up. In Legion, Survival Hunters will be a melee spec that utilizes a pet. To differentiate specializations, the developers will try to de-homogenize the classes. Further to this, Beast Mastery Hunters will fight at range with a pet, while Marksmanship Hunters will fight at range with NO PET.
Demonology Warlocks will be masters of summoning and controlling demons. Metamorphosis sort-of came to dominate the class, but the devs are refocusing the spec on demons. Affliction will continue to be about 'decay', and Destruction about 'bursts of fel fire'.
No stat squish is planned for Legion. Health numbers are 'fairly high', but that is because health was intentionally increased to manage the feel and flow of healing. DPS is still 'easily an expansion away' from the numbers players were seeing in Siege of Orgrimmar.
Professions are getting a lot of new stuff. The professions team for Legion is the largest that Blizzard has ever had for WoW, and they clearly heard the feedback that professions were underutilized in Warlords and overlapped with the Garrisons too much.
Realm firsts are not coming back. There was value in some (Ion mentioned things like the first player to beat Brawler's Guild, Mythic guild firsts, etc.), but the general philosophy is to allow players to take their time and enjoy the content at their own pace. Plenty of third parties actively track 'first to 100', etc.

Update: Other Warlock specializations will not be losing access to demon pets. All three Warlock specs will still utilize demons.

Miscellaneous

Garrisons are staying in Draenor. If you want to go back and visit them, you can! They were always designed as something that you would leave in Draenor. The developers may revisit the system with something bigger, better, and different in the future.
Order Halls are very different - they are a shared multiplayer space. They just happen to be the place you'll go to send your Champions on missions. They don't duplicate the functionality of cities (no AH, no bank) - think Acherus for Death Knights.
A release date is not set yet. The full cinematic is being actively worked on, but it isn't quite complete yet.
For new players who feel intimidated by the size and scope of the game, the developers feel that the character boost helps get people to playing with their friends faster.

[Yrzuli]

Yeah, yeah, I got lazy with Ion's last name. Sue me.

To be fair, Ion's got an obnoxious last name.

[Greebo]

Dalaran <snip>For game play purposes, it will still also be in Northrend - it won't be 'moved' the way it was for Wrath.
<snip>it is affected by being brought this close to the Tomb of Sargeras.

Lolwut?

[Greebo]

Good to see a nod towards the level boost, but they might not add another one. Since you need to have WoD to buy :L

-- I just realized I am going to have to hunt down and kill everyone who abbreviates it as Leej. --

anyway, you'll have to have someone close to play in the new expansion.

professions were underutilized in Warlords and overlapped with the Garrisons too much.

I like how they ended up, tbh. I am not looking forward to needing to grind gold to buy raiding mats.

PvP talents will not function in PvE environments.

World PvP is going to be *dramatically* different. I expect CC to be dramatically reduced. Fuck you rogues, you're going to burn for all those stun-locks.

[Syreenna]

Order Halls are very different - they are a shared multiplayer space. They just happen to be the place you'll go to send your Champions on missions. They don't duplicate the functionality of cities (no AH, no bank) - think Acherus for Death Knights.

I'm still trying to figure out the class place stuff.

Dalaran is going to be home base. But we have to go far away to wherever our class place is to do missions? I got annoyed every time I had to just run down the hill from my garrison to the shipyard mission table before they put one in the town hall. I guess maybe there will be other things to do at the class place? Or just hearth in, missions, hearth out? I don't get it.

Update: Artifacts can still be transmogrified into other items!

YAY!!!

In Legion, Survival Hunters will be a melee spec that utilizes a pet.

Yay, because we need yet more melee!

[Canaie]

Soooo two more melee classes??

[Yrzuli]

You obtain your Artifact early on in the Legion experience. This is the weapon you will use throughout the expansion. You will not get weapon drops in Legion. Something that wasn't mentioned during the reveal is that each Artifact has a number of Relic slots, which will determine its raw item stats (DPS, ilvl, etc.) and modifiers to the traits you've chosen, so the Artifact's stats will still improve as you defeat bosses.

This. Right here. Perfect.

How many times have we looked through loot tables and sighed, seeing that some people would be getting their weapons on boss 1 or 2, whereas others have to wait until almost the end of the raid? The idea that your weapon will scale with your personal experience (don't mean XP, but what you do), is such a great idea.

Karazhan's brief appearance in the cinematic teaser was important. Karazhan is an 'important place'.

Squeee! I don't know why, but I seriously love Kara.

As an example of class changes, the Survival Hunter 'spear' Artifact was brought up. In Legion, Survival Hunters will be a melee spec that utilizes a pet. To differentiate specializations, the developers will try to de-homogenize the classes. Further to this, Beast Mastery Hunters will fight at range with a pet, while Marksmanship Hunters will fight at range with NO PET.

As a former, vanilla survival hunter who /loved/ getting in melee (hello, Wing Clip): WHOA. I love how they're giving hunters more /flavor/ between specs.

Professions are getting a lot of new stuff. The professions team for Legion is the largest that Blizzard has ever had for WoW, and they clearly heard the feedback that professions were underutilized in Warlords and overlapped with the Garrisons too much.

Good. Professions are absolutely stupid right now. I actually /miss/ the leveling grind of professions, because it felt like you were actually /doing/ something.

[Canaie]

I'm not holding my breath for a Kara 2 raid.

[Greebo]

You love Kara because it is the second best raid of all time, that's why. It's still the only raid that feels like you are really a bunch of adventurers exploring a D&D dungeon.

[Yrzuli]

You love Kara because it is the second best raid of all time, that's why. It's still the only raid that feels like you are really a bunch of adventurers exploring a D&D dungeon.

Second best? Dare I ask what you consider the best then?

[Canaie]

Pretty sure he means Ulduar, and I would agree.

[Greebo]

You love Kara because it is the second best raid of all time, that's why. It's still the only raid that feels like you are really a bunch of adventurers exploring a D&D dungeon.

Second best? Dare I ask what you consider the best then?

Pretty sure he means Ulduar, and I would agree.

Canai is correct. I'd go into details but that would be derailing and ratholing.

[Sunderpalm]

De-homogenize the classes. Thank you.