Let’s try this again, shall we? You said:
And you absolutely can datamine before things are released on PTR. Which is what at least two people have told you now.
Pointing out your misinformation isn’t trolling, sir. Have fun with the ignore button. It just means I can point out your fallacies and drama without you desperately trying to attempt to act correct. 
Whoever wrote the article probably just worded that wrong. We haven’t had to purchase flying flying since MoP.
But the PTR is essentially a public release. So y’all are just shouting past each other.
What it’s not is a normative release. Just because something is on the PTR does not mean it’s released to production.
Many times things are bundled in to the data set that can be data mined, but are not actually “in the game”. It’s just data that potentially can be used later, or potentially removed, or just left stagnant. (This is probably what you are referring to as “datamined before release to PTR”.) Better said, datamined before enabled to PTR. We can’t get data that is not released. Whether it’s enabled is a separate issue.
What we have at this juncture is no evidence on the PTR of a “SL Flying Skill” (however achieved). If/When they do create an SL Flying Skill to be purchased, unless it’s encrypted (which they’ve done in the past, but not necessarily for content like this), then that skill will manifest somehow in the data set.
Until then, everything is conjecture.
I think the thing with datamining is that they are digging into the code that HAS been released, (otherwise they wouldn’t have access to it) to find bits of it that have not yet been activated to be publicly VISIBLE.
This was never the conversation I was having.
He was trying to belittle someone he has on ignore for claiming that you can datamine before PTR, which says is impossible.
I never said that PTR is set in stone. I was correcting his misinformation while he tried to be smug about someone.
Yes. Code that’s been there since alpha. Code that changes and code that isn’t released on PTR yet can absolutely be datamined. HB claimed you can’t datamined before PTR.
I think perhaps the confusion is coming from the concept of what constitutes “released”.
If the code is in a place where it can be accessed by people other than the ones who wrote it, such as the PTR, then it can be datamined by those who know how to do that.
Teeeechnically it isn’t “released” in the way that players on the PTR would be able to see, but it IS “released” in a way that the dataminers can delve into.
Sounds like a matter of perception.
Anyhoo, that’s as far as my thinking will take me so I’ll see myself out now.
This the absolute worst take I’ve seen in a long time.
I would rather make a toon on your server, buy a wow token, and give you the gold you need to buy flying instead of doing pathfinder.
You can datamine data that does not exist in the PTR download (or the retail download, for that matter).
If we need to clarify, you can consider data in the PTR download to be “exposed”, while if artifacts are actually accessible via in game mechanics, then it’s “released”.
But, simply put, data not in the download (or in the download and encrypted) can not be datamined.
But now imagine having to do this 150+ times (Ok, I only have 20 or so characters in SL content, but still). I would like to see The Great Compromise, where both options are available. Pathfinder to unlock for the entire account, AND a purchase option per character as they reach max level. That way, I can go work on an account-wide unlock, and those who want it immediately can have it as well.
There’s no confusion. He specifically stated:
And I specifically corrected him.
I should have been more clear in my original post, but the concern I had was doing pathfinder AND paying for it on top of that. While flying will not be locked behind a pathfinder achievement it is locked behind renown which in a sense is a type of pathfinder. I just don’t want to have to grind out renown on every character and pay for flying on top of it.
Oh, my bad then!
The renown grind isn’t anywhere as bad or time gated as pathfinder, but I see what you mean.
Not your bad. This feedback gives me insight on how I should write and clarify any future posts I make.
I am really, really hoping that is the case.
But I would think they would have issued a correction by now.
The lack of one has me thinking we have to unlock the ability to buy flight.
Double dipping on flight is just messed up if that’s the case.
But again, hoping it was an error.
I am taking a wait and see approach.
But I am ready to roll if necessary. Autobots roll out.
There is no grind because they removed it.
Earning rep in all those factions at a tiny amount of rep per quest is something a lot of people found so grindy they gave up and left the game. Pathfinder was one of the most counterproductive systems ever added to the game. Lots of people skipped one or more expansions because of it, players who never would have considered unsubscribing without that incentive.
That “normal play” claim is also ridiculous. There is no one style of gameplay that is normal, and the overwhelming majority of players who deviate in the slightest being abnormal? In any case, most posters who make the “normal” claim stopped grinding that content the instant they got flight, so it wasn’t remotely normal for them.
I get that your standards are really low. Others would legitimately agree that Pathfinder was not fun and was bad for the game, because it resulted in a net loss of subscribers and an increase in toxicity in the playerbase, as you have shown. But keep trying to tell other people to think. I’m sure they’ll become obedient drones for you in the next life.
The purchase better be account wide. If it is per character I think the developers are really trying to 1 up themselves for the worst ideas put into this game.
I would rather purchase flying as we used to be able to do.
I have limited play time and pathfinder is never something I can achieve.
I am finally able to fly in Legion, but BfA is still out. 
Won’t be able to fly there until the next expac. Which really makes playing in that zone at this point in time yucky. lol I can see completing the content and exploring all the zones prior to being able to get flying, but once you have done that and once it’s a “previous” expac. Come on…
I really love flying, not just the ability to actually get where I need to go quickly. But just flying around, it’s so much fun. /sigh
The thing is before you completed pathfinder and it automatically opened up flying for all toons in the expansions zones for a person . The latest Blue thread on the topic says upon completing the requirements players get a consumable that allows their toons to purchase the SL riding skill not that one a person uses it all of their toons high enough to go to they can fly.
Before all you needed was expert riding to fly the thing from Blizz says the shadowlands riding skill. Is that expert or is it a special one like cold weather for Wrath or the one for MoP.
Thing is they haven’t announce what the currency is or how much and if it is just expert flying then why say it allows players to purchase SL flying skill . Most have that by the time they hit 50 anyways.