Dev Watercooler – Flying in Draenor
by Its_Immanis - 9 years ago show comments
The ability to fly will be added sometime during patch 6.2!
A hot topic of debate since it was revealed in a prior interview that flight would potentially not be added to Draenor or future expansions, Blizzard has announced that they are changing their stance on the subject. In patch 6.2 a new Meta-achievement will be added entitled “Draenor Pathfinder”. This achievement will require adventurers to complete a set of tasks which take place all across Draenor. Once the achievement is earned, it will unlock flight in Draenor for all characters level 90 and above.
Check out the full post from lead developer Ion Hazzikostas below for more information on what it will take for your characters to learn to fly high above Draenor.
We appreciate the spirited discussion on the topic of flying. The subject has brought out passionate viewpoints and sparked insightful conversations on our official forums and blogs, on community sites, and in chat channels. Your feedback has been a valuable part of the ongoing conversations within Blizzard as well, and today, we’d like to share some updated plans for how we’ll handle flight going forward.
The Thrill of Discovery
At the heart of the initial plan to restrict flight in Draenor (even after players reach level 100) lies the design goal of providing the best moment-to-moment gameplay possible in the outdoor world. From navigating the lava flows of the Molten Front in Patch 4.2, to breaching the Thunder King’s stronghold in Patch 5.2, to reaching the heights of the Ordon Sanctuary on Timeless Isle in Patch 5.4, to uncovering secrets deep within Gorgrond’s jungles on Draenor, World of Warcraft is full of memorable moments that are only possible when players explore the world by ground. And as we’ve continued to develop content over the years, we’ve focused more and more on providing players with these kinds of experiences.
However, while we firmly believe that keeping your feet on the ground is a key part of discovery in WoW, we also recognize that breaking free from those restrictions can be fun and rewarding as well, especially for those who’ve already fully experienced the game’s world content. With that in mind, we’re planning some changes in the near future that will allow players to enjoy their hard-earned flying mounts in Draenor—in a way that doesn’t compromise the excitement of ground-based exploration.
Mastering the Outdoor World
In an upcoming Public Test Realm build, we will be introducing a new meta-achievement called Draenor Pathfinder. You’ll earn this achievement in Patch 6.2 by mastering the outdoor environment of Draenor—exploring Draenor’s zones, collecting 100 treasures in Draenor, completing the Draenor Loremaster and Securing Draenor achievements, and raising the three new Tanaan Jungle reputations to Revered. Initially, this achievement will award a rylak mount: the Soaring Skyterror, one of the native beasts that roam Draenor’s skies. Players will remain ground-bound on Draenor until a small follow-up patch (6.2.x), when all players who have earned Draenor Pathfinder on at least one character will unlock the ability to fly in Draenor on all their level 90+ characters.
We believe this strikes the right balance between ensuring ground-based content lives up to its full potential, while providing players who’ve already fully experienced Draenor’s outdoor world extra freedom to “break the rules.” This also provides a general blueprint going forward for content to come. Players will explore new and undiscovered lands from the ground, and then once they’ve fully mastered those environments—a notion that continues to evolve with each new expansion—they can take to the skies and experience the world from a new vantage point.
Thank you for your heartfelt feedback. We’ll see you in (and soon, above) Tanaan Jungle.
Since flight is being returned as the reward for earning a Meta-achievement, based on the information we are given in the blog post here are the list of achievements which will probably be a part of the Meta and are worth working on or having completed so you can fly at the earliest opportunity:
Explore Draenor (ignore that the zone names all say Frostfire Ridge, they do link to the zone achievements correctly)
Grand Treasure Hunter (This achievement is for 200 treasures but there is not currently an achievement for finding 100, so this achievement can be used to track how many you have found)
Securing Draenor (Each of these quests only need to be completed once to earn credit toward the achievement)
It’s anticipated that the three factions referred to which require a Revered reputation will be the new additions for patch 6.2:
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Saberstalkers
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Order of the Awakened
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Hand of the Prophet
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Vol’jin’s Headhunters
To help earn these reputations more quickly it is worth noting that the Level 3 Garrison Trading Post increases your reputation gains in Draenor by 20%, so it may be worth building one if you do not have it already.
