Kinda surprised theyāre going with a Blizzcon and not just adding it to the run of Microsofts regular showings.
Though I guess Blizzard has a few of its own big titles to play with anyhow so it would be good to still have them separate.
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Iām sure things from Blizzard will still be shown at Microsoft events. Granted, when it comes to Xbox specific presentations, it may be games that are both on Xbox and PC, though there is a chance of seeing some PC only titles like WoW there.
Blizzcon in of itself has been of some importance to Blizzard games, especially when they do big announcements there, so I can see how Microsoft would be interested in keeping them running. It could also be a source of revenue from attendees and any merch being sold there in addition to being big marketing news.
Iāll be curious to see how an in-person Blizzcon is handled. And as I said, I still hope weād get some WoW related announcements sprinkled throughout the year as opposed to radio silence in keeping everything for Blizzcon. Moreso if news in general will be getting tight lipped, for better or worse.
While being able to go there will be unlikely for me anytime soon, itāll be fun to cover it still. I assume WoW related news will be general Dragonflight patches. I donāt expect anything like new races until possibly for preorders for the expansion after Dragonflight. And this year will possibly still be the launch of Dragonflight itself, so I donāt really expect much in the way of big news outside of that.
Blizzcon in general sounds like it could be a fun time again, though a lot does depend on the announcements and such. Iāll be sure to cover it and any potential announcements from Microsoft Showcases in the future for both my megathreads.
Playable Saurok for the Horde please! 
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Allegedly, Dragonflight Alpha may be beginning in a few days:
To be honest, it is a bit worrying to see the expansion still planned to come out by the end of the year. Yes, development would have started some time before it was officially announced, but I am hoping there is enough time to work on it without much need for crunch time.
Still, it is good to be excited for an expansion again. Once NDAās get lifted, Iāll be sure to share Dracthyr info here since I look at other reptilian/dragon races for playable Saurok ideas. If anything, I am hoping weād be able to make our Dracthyr characters before the expansion launches, which I feel like it very likely.
Still hoping we see other reptilian races on that character creation screen someday of course! 
Playable Saurok for the Horde please!
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Its extremely worrying that theyāre on such a fast timetable.
Honestly expecting this to be the most rushed feeling of the last few expansionsā¦ only saving grace I see is that their features while big ones, arenāt many. So hopefully theyāll have time to devote to it and the effect will be big enough to feel like a lot of feature changes.
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Blizzard has shown off a bit more on Dracthyr on the official WoW website. It includes scale colors, horns, some of the dragonkin āarmorā looks, and a short video showing off the body sizes. Website is here:
I have to admit, they do look a bit better having armor of some kind on. Granted, it is disappointing that they only have specialized armor on their dragonkin form on a few slots you can change in the barber shop, from my understanding. Iāll comment more on some thoughts Iāve had in general on that in a future post.
As for everything else, I do like a lot of the scale colors. Right now, I was thinking of choosing the scale color in the bottom right corner for my DPS Dracthyr and the scale color in the top right corner for my healer Dracthyr. Will consider it more once I get to actually create my Dracthyr.
I do like a lot of the designs of the Dracthyr, though as I said before, it doesnāt really satisfy the yearning for a playable Lizardman race. Dragons are very much different from Lizards, similar in ways how something like Night and Blood Elves are completely different in many ways. Itāll be another post Iāll make in order to try to explain it better, without complaints about Dracthyr being playable of course.
Iām still excited for Dracthyr, though as I said, I really hope Blizzard will still consider Saurok, Sethrak, and even Tortollans as potential playable races in the future as opposed to considering Dracthyr as the definitive āreptilianā race and not ever consider adding in any more. All four races would have their differences from each other and would still add in some much needed variety to that character creation screen.
Iāll keep an eye out on more Dracthyr news as we get closer to Dragonflightās release. I assume weāll be able to get more previews as NDAās lift and the Dragonflight beta has been available for a bit. Really excited to make some new characters in the near future!
Playable Saurok for the Horde please!
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Why would I want to play as Spockās father?
This is where Iām at both for Dracthyr to Saurok and Dracthyr to Sethrak.
Its nice and I wont be unhappy with Dracthyr as Dracthyr. But theyāre not the Saruok or the Sethrak I want.
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I feel the same. None of those races are really a substitute with each other, nor should they be treated as such or as a ācompromiseā for not adding the others as playable races. Especially since Dracthyr have quite a number of limitations that Iām not entirely fond of.
Speaking of, seeing the type of āarmorā the dragonkin form wears got me thinking some on if more classes do open up to them. Classes like Warriors might feel a bit off without the ability to transmog the dragonkin form with the various types of plate armor in the game. Sure, the humanoid form would wear them, but from my understanding, you switch to dragonkin form when in combat, so itād feel really lacking in a way. Even if you could fight in the humanoid form, it doesnāt feel quite right for those more interested in the dragonkin form more. Another thing is if there were specialized types of armor for the different armor types for the Dragonkin form like Evokers get, it still leaves a lot to be desired from the player perspective, in my opinion.
Still excited to see Dracthyr, of course. It just doesnāt fulfill my desire for a playable Lizardman race like Saurok would. Thus continues my march of support in hoping to see them on the Horde side of that character creation screen someday!
Playable Saurok for the Horde please!
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Wowhead posted a couple of articles on the two Evoker specs, including several short videos of each specās abilities in-game.
Please note that anything is subject to change when Dragonflight officially releases.
Devastation (DPS) spec:
Preservation (Healer) spec:
Itās good to see the Dracthyr in action finally, even if it is at a distance. Iāll be sure to share more info and look at them in more detail in the future when NDAās lift to see if anything can be applied to playable Saurok.
Playable Saurok for the Horde please!
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Theyāre looking pretty good all things considered.
Still want Saurok and Sethrak though.
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I want them both as well. There is so much that each race can offer that can compliment each other:
Dracthyr for Dragon related fantasy. 
Saurok for Lizardmen fantasy.
Sethrak for a unique spin on Snake People fantasy.
Iām hoping weāll see all three on that character creation screen. Each has the potential to be something awesome with their own cultures and themes that would be great to see as playable races. 
Also, a lot of information is popping up thanks to the Dragonflight Alpha going live. Iām looking at various customization options in videos and screenshots for Dracthyr and should have a post tomorrow going over it and seeing what stuff could be applied to playable Saurok. Quite a number of things can from what I noticed, which is a benefit of playable Dracthyr. My excitement for Dragonflight grows as I see more stuff, which is very refreshing!
Playable Saurok for the Horde, please!
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Customization options for Dracthyr are being shared now, so I thought Iād share them and note some things that could be applied to Saurok if they ever become a playable race.
Please note this is from Dragonflight alpha, so things can always change or new things can be added.
Dragonkin customization:
Visage (humanoid) customization:
If you want to see pictures instead of videos, Wowhead has some articles showing most of the customization options of both forms:
Some customization options of interest include the following:
Scale colors
The first is the obvious in that we see all sorts of neat scale colors. Now when it comes to Saurok, Iād expect scale colors and patterns more similar to both NPC Saurok colors and also ones based on RL reptiles, but at least with Dracthyr, it gives artists some experience with designing scale colors.
Snouts/Mouths
Dracthyr have multiple snouts and mouth options, which is something I could see with Saurok as well.
Horns and Spikes
Saurok do have some types of horns, but it wouldnāt be as prominent as with Dracthyr. However, there are spike options for Dracthyr on different parts of their body, which could also be a Saurok feature. Dracthyr also can have horns on their snouts, which is something I could see Saurok having as well.
Tail customization
Dracthyr have some features you can customize for their tails. They seem like options that would also fit well on Saurok
Body sizes
Dracthyr have a body size option which is fairly interesting. I could see this applied to other races, but for Saurok, I could see either them either having a thin build or a thick and burly build as well.
That is mostly what I noticed, though Iām sure I could come up with more as I look at it more or if things change for when Dragonflight releases. Despite sharing potential similarities, Saurok would be able to have their own unique features compared to Dracthyr. However, them sharing some customization options isnāt a bad thing. As I said, some things could be applied to Saurok from Dracthyr, as well as Saurok having their own spin on some features.
Lots of information is coming out with the Alpha having gone live. Iāll be making some more posts of Dracthyr features and anything else of interest that I note. Gotta admit, Iām pretty excited for this expansion!
Playable Saurok for the Horde please!
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So in this post by wowhead you can see a āwater dragonā which is obviously using the worgen model like the Saruok do.
Thought Iād post some of the pictures here cause I think its a good case to show how easy it would be to upscale (heh get itā¦ up-Scale?) the Saruok to be an amazing playable race.
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That is a very interesting find. Sure, theyāre not Saurok, but it is an upgraded model that could be used to make new models for Saurok, both as NPCās and as a playable race. They even have armor on some of the models:
Something interesting to keep in mind with this is that Gnolls are apparently getting new models in all zones, old and new, of the game from my understanding. Even Hogger has a new model:
So if we saw Saurok appear again in the future, they could potentially get a face lift in all NPC versions of them. Which would be very interesting to see happen if we saw new Saurok models in general, and possibly exciting!
Iām fine with Blizzard reusing the male Worgen assets for them, as a lot of animations and such fit just fine for Saurok. Iām assuming if we ever saw female Saurok in-game, they would utilize the female Worgen assets in some ways. I think it would be fitting, and new animations could always be applied to make both male and female Saurok feel like Saurok as opposed to a reskinned Worgen.
Will be interesting in several ways whenever we see Saurok in the future with new models!
Playable Saurok for the Horde please!
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I came across some exciting news that I donāt see discussed very much. According to MMO-Champion, who reported on an interview with Ion Hazzikostas, Blizzard is looking to increase the 50 character limit per account in some fashion.
In a summary of the interview, the following was under the Misc section:
āThe team is looking into raising the 50 character slot limit.ā
If true, itās really exciting news since a lot of us have been wanting an increase to the 50 character cap per account.
Nothing is really stated on how and when this would be applied. Iāve said before, in speaking for myself, that I would happily pay money to get more character slots for my account. Iām not wanting to manage multiple accounts and the costs associated with them, so being able to get more character slots would be welcomed.
Iām a bit of an altaholic and love all my characters I have. Iāve been getting dangerously close to the 50 character limit, with most of my free slots in reserve for is certain races become playable as well as other new races and/or classes. A lot of people are in that boat and it is a frustrating ordeal to have to delete characters or not make one of a new race or class.
Whenever we get news on it, Iāll be sure to report it in both my megathreads. At present, I have two slots reserved for potential Saurok characters, but maybe now Iāll be able to have my own personal Saurok army in the future should they become a playable Horde race!
Playable Saurok for the Horde please!
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I remember having one of the original dewback toys. Think you could move the tail right and the head would go left, and back and forth.
Had a little spring hinged square trap door up on the back so you could fit a figure down inside it like it was riding it, since the legs werenāt articulated in a way to ride otherwise.
I quite liked that lizard.
Really feel like the necromancer is way over due for this game 
Absolutely.
Been playing a lot of āV Risingā lately, and thereās a bunch of little things that remind me of WoW, so many little abilities and such thatād work great for Sanālayn. Sanālayn druids should be a definite class. Then again sounds like theyāre finally planning to open all classes to all racesā¦well except Dracthyr for some dumb reason.
Would quite like to see Saurok and Sethrak.
Saw some people saying theyād really like the new Drakonid model playable, it is a pretty good one.
More the merrier.
I keep saying we need a little dev team who is there just to add customizationsā¦allied races, character customizations, class skins, new classes etc. Players would enjoy it.
I did see it said theyāre looking into upping the character cap which is certainly good news.
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I still have mine from the Power of the Force line, along with the sand trooper it came with. It opens it mouth when you move the tail to do a chomp. Itās not as detailed as the one from Galaxyās Edge, but itās still a neat toy.
I agree. While it being its own class would be great, Iād still be content just having it be a class skin for warlocks you can switch between. Seems like thatād be the most likely scenario, given how complicated adding new classes are in general.
As would I. I think itād be a great combination that contrasts each other very well. Granted, I lean more towards Sethrak being neutral to please more people, but I still strongly believe Saurok would be best as a Horde race.
Itād be nice, though I donāt know how the inner workings of Blizzard operates. I also donāt know how much impact Microsoft will have once Activision-Blizzard becomes theirs. I do think all those are important enough to have a team to do that regularly, though the opportunity cost of working on other things is unfortunately there. Such are the frustrations of businessā¦
Very much good news! Iāve been dangerously close to the character cap, with very few slots available for if we get new races and classes in the future. Iāll be curious to see what direction it goes, but it is good to see it being possible. Hopefully at worst, itād be slots we can buy in the shop, which I donāt mind paying money for, myself.
Playable Saurok for the Horde, please!
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In another recent interview with Ion Hazzikostas by Wowcrendor, there was a comment on allied races during Dragonflight and potentially for the future:
āNo allied races currently planned for Dragonflight, but they are still open to using the system when it makes sense in the future. For now the focus is on the Dracthyr.ā
Blizzard has commented before on not planning any allied races during Dragonflight. If anything, I could see more playable races as a potential preorder incentive for the next expansion. Granted, there wasnāt much in that regard for Dragonflight preorders unfortunately, but it could always happen in the future.
On the bright side, it does mean we could see more playable races in the future using the allied race system. While it was popular, the system had some valid criticism. However, it was something that opened the door for more types of playable races that may not have gotten a chance otherwise. I still expect there to be core races still, but I personally would be fine having to work towards unlocking certain races if it meant theyād be their own fully playable race.
With Saurok, I could see them being treated as either a core or allied race. A lot really depends on how a playable Saurok faction would be. Honestly, I see them as a race youād need to work towards them warming up to you at first and working together before theyād want to join the Horde. Such a story could lead into an expansion, making them more like a core race for an expansion feature also. It really depends on how playable Saurok would be introduced.
As for the āwhen it makes senseā part, I feel like Saurok could be introduced at almost any time. They definitely could be involved if Mogu as an antagonist appear again. Then again, weāve had some races that became playable that not much wouldāve changed if they were replaced with almost any other race, so who knows? Maybe weāll get lucky and have it make sense in the story in the near future!
Honestly, I did like working towards unlocking new races during BfA, which I know is a big criticism of the allied race system. Itās very understandable, especially in the future for new players when allied races should be unlocked for everyone when the story makes sense. On the other hand, it did get me playing and interested in WoW. Especially exciting was when we got to make our new characters. If we do see the allied race system utilized again, itāll be interesting to see what direction Blizzard goes with it in the future.
Honestly, if it meant Iād get playable Horde Saurok, Iād happily do almost anything needed to unlock them. That is just me, though.
Playable Saurok for the Horde please!
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Dracthyr racials have been posted on Wowhead:
Of particular interest is one racial that was previously discussed for Saurok, albeit it with a small difference:
Tail Swipe- Lash our with your tail, knocking enemies within 6 yds into the air. 1.5 min cooldown.
While it could be possible to have that racial for Saurok, where it knocks enemies down as opposed to in the air, Iād guess it would be less likely now. If Saurok happen to get any racials involving their tails, I imagine it would either be a tail whip (single target brief stun, based on RL reptiles doing it) or that tail āequipmentā idea Iāve mentioned before, where you could put something like an axe head or an orb on your tail for small buffs.
Lots of interesting stuff coming from Dracthyr that would be neat to see applied to Saurok with their own spin. Iāll continue to look at Dracthyr as more info comes out for Saurok idea inspiration!
Playable Saurok for the Horde please!
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I donāt think so.
Not having the same racials is a player made up issue. Blizzard doesnāt care.
Otherwise both DH and Dracthyr wouldnāt have glide.
Nothing stops blizzard from giving Saurok a tail swipe.
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