When will the Dragon Enclave Expansion Launch?

[Spell]

=) can't wait!

[Zapix]

Does this mean ALL elite zones, including current elite zones will not be available to play?

Hopefully old elites will be available still.

[epicrrr]

Hopefully this wednesday! I am excited

[Samhayne]

Does this mean ALL elite zones, including current elite zones will not be available to play?

That is correct, no elite zones will be accessable. The button on the map to access elites will be replaced with a button that says coming soon.

We know that people will be bummed by the elites not being there. We totally understand the desire to slam straight to that content and chase the best that the expansion has to offer. We felt that putting some breathing room between leveling up to 40 (or 41) and the elites was a good thing for the game.

Edit: I also wanted to mention the Gladiator Arena. It won't be changed at the launch of the expansion or with the elite upgrade. We plan to change the Gladiator arena sometime after the elite zones have been farmed and people are looking for "the new hotness."

Holding the elite zone content also allows us to really hammer all the bugs out of the normal version of the bosses. For those who recall, we had some pretty nasty bugs with the elite version of Shuyal bosses when the Realm of Shadows expansion launched. While we were able to patch those issues pretty quickly, the damage was done. Quills for everyone! This is something we're doing to help ensure an awesome elite zone experience. It's only 2 weekends; we think it'll be ok.

[Midievalmodel]

That is correct, no elite zones will be accessable. The button on the map to access elites will be replaced with a button that says coming soon.

We know that people will be bummed by the elites not being there. We totally understand the desire to slam straight to that content and chase the best that the expansion has to offer. We felt that putting some breathing room between leveling up to 40 (or 41) and the elites was a good thing for the game.

Holding the elite zone content also allows us to really hammer all the bugs out of the normal version of the bosses. For those who recall, we had some pretty nasty bugs with the elite version of Shuyal bosses when the Realm of Shadows expansion launched. While we were able to patch those issues pretty quickly, the damage was done. Quills for everyone! This is something we're doing to help ensure an awesome elite zone experience. It's only 2 weekends; we think it'll be ok.

My main concern with this is the fact you guys coupled the singe contest with this delay in elite map release. The singe contest will drive many to level up fairly fast. As we have seen in the past people are able to level to lvl 41 cap in a couple of hours to one day. This may leave players bored of the game. Imagine playing regular maps for a couple of weeks. Sounds stagnant to me. In addition, the delay in elite maps will also make players who previously intended on leveling quickly by buying XP elixirs to decide not to because its not worth spending all that platinum just for a contest. This might hurt platinum sales a bit.

But after writing this I realized the decision to not release elite maps is because you guys seem to not have had enough time to work on the elite map content for the release this week. Hence you guys are shutting down all elites. So really that is the deciding factor making this post fairly fruitless.

[Hiosahaf]

My main concern with this is the fact you guys coupled the singe contest with this delay in elite map release. The singe contest will drive many to level up fairly fast. As we have seen in the past people are able to level to lvl 41 cap in a couple of hours to one day. This may leave players bored of the game. Imagine playing regular maps for a couple of weeks. Sounds stagnant to me. In addition, the delay in elite maps will also make players who previously intended on leveling quickly by buying XP elixirs to decide not to because its not worth spending all that platinum just for a contest. This might hurt platinum sales a bit.

But after writing this I realized the decision to not release elite maps is because you guys seem to not have had enough time to work on the elite map content for the release this week. Hence you guys are shutting down all elites. So really that is the deciding factor making this post fairly fruitless.

What I'd like to add on to this post in a better fashion is that that the time just after the expansion is a fabulous time for the farmers to earn their money. by the time elites will be launched, many would have capped and that would increase the competition. The bugs need to be squashed, yeah, so why not take your time and release everything at once? (Gonna get so much of hate for posting this from other people )

[FluffNStuff]

This is great ... assuming you are not adding the shards to lock crates until the elite maps are open. I am guessing that is not the case.

[Killerheels]

So this means that the best pink gear for 40-41 will be those coming from crates right? Im sorry but I feel like this would be a huge disservice to regular elite farmers. That would mean more weeks of farming crates or merching instead of being able to grind elites for gear like we want to. The great singe rescue event is the only incentive to level up fast now, and it's a game of gamble in which we only have one chance. Unlike farming elites in which hard work should account for something I do hope old elite maps will be available as soon as the expansion launches too. We already waited patiently when it was postponed, please dont make us wait for elites again


Sent from under the sheets.

[Kakashis]

Well, I guess I'll never schedule my vacation for this game ever again! First the delay and now the announcement of delaying elites! It's good in that you won't have problems finding random parties in normal maps and will probably keep more average players interested in this game. Bad in that the hardcore farmers will probably make less gold with elite item drops as there will be a greater abundance! It actually puts less pressure on me to cap fast and will probably be better for my sleep health!

[Lovingly]

Sounds perfect to me y'all

[okahef]

tbh this sucks the whole point to level up fast is to b the first to farm elites and sell drops, now there is no incentive to level up fast and now no old elites? this game needs to cater to the diehard players, so I level up and then wait two weeks to play? not happy about this update but at least you have a date

[Jexetta]

So the only way to get level 41 Legendary gear will be to open crates? As there will be no new legendary gear dropping from elites I can only assume that would be the case.

[KingMartin]

Well, I hear only words of disappointment in our guild.

So, first you announce expansion 10 weeks ahead, thus ruining the market, already ruined by two events. (You probably know that people who enjoy elite need money for pots and pet feed).

And then you wait with opening new elites until 90% of the players are capped, eliminating advantage of those dedicated players who were prepared to work hard in the first 2-3 weeks.

We love this game and I can only hope you have prepared some new motivating things (and APs) because this sounds like capping fast (and hoping for Singe) and then waiting for Elites to open.

I really hope you have something special for us that you keep secret.

This is the first time that I express real disappointment, but I cannot hold it back. If you feel elites may have bugs, wait with the entire story. We waited 10 weeks , we can wait 2 more. (Just saying)

[falmear]

So the only way to get level 41 Legendary gear will be to open crates? As there will be no new legendary gear dropping from elites I can only assume that would be the case.

This is correct, the new maps will only drop level 40 gear from their chests. So the best weapons will only come from crates or bought as plat through the store. Not so sure about armor but the armor that drops from chests is always second tier.

[KingMartin]

This is correct, the new maps will only drop level 40 gear from their chests. So the best weapons will only come from crates or bought as plat through the store. Not so sure about armor but the armor that drops from chests is always second tier.

I wonder what is the motivation to spend RL money for better gear if the only thing to smash are normal level mobs. I assume fully crafted mythics/arcanes will be enough for killing normal bosses, that is, if STS keeps the promise and 36 mythics >= 41 legendaries.

So far it sounds pretty dis-motivating, but let's hope for the best

[xlovableaze]

So, how would we know what time would be the exact time expansion? Are you gonna confirm it tomorrow? Coz we dont know when we goin to work for lb. And we dont want to get surprise that will come up on our screen "update for expansion" that we didnt expect. Or i js didnt read carefully? Did u mention the time tho? Coz i think i saw was wednesday or thursday only

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[Samhayne]

The motivation stems entirely from our desire to ship the expansion in a timely fashion. Holding it for another 2 weeks to really shake out the bugs with the elite zones didn't seem good. It also didn't have the additional benefit of having players on live banging at the normal bosses. Regardless of how much testing we do internally, stuff always comes up once it goes wild with tens of thousands of players running it.

So, I very much get that some of our most hardcore players will be disappointed by the delay of the elites. I get it and hear you.

We will also have the return of the Leprechoblin with some unique (and time limited) St. Patrick's Day vanities who will be around and about from expansion launch through March 24th (March 17th is St. Patrick's Day).

[Samhayne]

So, how would we know what time would be the exact time expansion? Are you gonna confirm it tomorrow? Coz we dont know when we goin to work for lb. And we dont want to get surprise that will come up on our screen "update for expansion" that we didnt expect. Or i js didnt read carefully? Did u mention the time tho? Coz i think i saw was wednesday or thursday only

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We will do our best to keep you up to date via this thread.

[KingMartin]

The motivation stems entirely from our desire to ship the expansion in a timely fashion. Holding it for another 2 weeks to really shake out the bugs with the elite zones didn't seem good. It also didn't have the additional benefit of having players on live banging at the normal bosses. Regardless of how much testing we do internally, stuff always comes up once it goes wild with tens of thousands of players running it.

We of course understand - so please at least add some long-term PvE APs, OK? If we can have 10k kills and 10k flags, we could also have.... ;-)

[falmear]

I wonder what is the motivation to spend RL money for better gear if the only thing to smash are normal level mobs. I assume fully crafted mythics/arcanes will be enough for killing normal bosses, that is, if STS keeps the promise and 36 mythics >= 41 legendaries.

So far it sounds pretty dis-motivating, but let's hope for the best

Yeah I don't see any point in grinding and spending plat for luck elixirs on the normal maps because they drop junk for the most part. Except for some eggs but even then its been a long time since normal maps dropped any good eggs. The only thing worth farming will be crates. Basically we get 5 new maps but lose 25 maps.