World of Warcraft: Dragonflightis a return to the familiar, to Azeroth – a welcome change when compared to the cosmic scale ofShadowlands. Though plenty of old mechanics are slated to make a comeback such as talent trees, thenextWorld of Warcraftexpansionbrings with it some new additions as well. From Dracthyr Evokers, to Dragon Riding,Dragonflightpromises plenty of flavor on top of a baselineWorld of Warcraftexperience – but there is one pillar of gameplay that the developers aren’t quite keen to tackle just yet.
Housing inWorld of Warcrafthas always been one of those things that the community would daydream about, and some form of player housing was indeed a part of the game’s early alpha. The closest to players having a personal space to seclude themselves into came with the introduction ofgarrisons inWarlords of Draenor. It started out as a customizable base of operations in any of the expansion’s zones, but over the course of the development process, Blizzard was forced to cut zone options entirely. Ultimately, people wanted player housing, and the garrisons – as they were – could not scratch that itch.
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In an interview with TechPulse, Production Director Patrick Dawson went on to clarify that Blizzard had no intention of doing player housing inDragonflight, but that it was a feature the developers would often talk about during brainstorming sessions, concluding that it would take a lot of effort and resources, and that Blizzard would want to do it in a way that meets player expectations.
Thecommunity inWorld of Warcraftunderstands that housing is a feature that won’t show up any time soon, and given the controversial design philosophy on borrowed power that has defined the past few expansions, players ultimately hope that Blizzard will establish a balanced baseline again before adding on new systems to the game.
World of Warcraft’sbiggest rivalin the genre comes in the form of Square Enix’sFinal Fantasy 14, andEndwalkerhas recently added new housing to the game in an effort to accommodate an ever-increasing number of players flocking to the game. With Dragon Riding emulating the advanced flying mechanics ofGuild Wars 2, one should expect that Blizzard Entertainment will take a look at the housing systems inFinal Fantasy 14andThe Elder Scrolls Onlinewhen the time comes to create their own take on the formula.
World of Warcraftis available now on PC.
MORE:What World of Warcraft Developers Learned from Shadowlands to Create Dragonflight
