With Dragonflight, World of Warcraft is making significant adjustments to the professions. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus was able to check out some changes in the alpha and found that crafting can now be really dangerous.
During the Dragonflight alpha, I self-exploded. Without warning, without intention, and right in Stormwind. Why? Because I just wasn’t careful enough while experimenting with the professions.
Part of the ongoing alpha includes the revamped professions in Dragonflight. In my test, two were available to try out: Blacksmithing and Alchemy. And it’s with the latter that there is a new and pretty cool gimmick.
As in previous iterations of the profession, new recipes are discovered through research. To do this, I need to experiment as an alchemist – it starts with a relatively easy recipe. Unlike before, however, it doesn’t just have a cooldown of 20 hours now.
Instead, I can experiment as long as I want until I mess up. This means: I explode into the air, my health points drop immediately to 1, and I get a debuff suggesting that maybe I should first stay away from the Erlenmeyer flasks and test tubes. Here’s my experience with it:
I don’t know if it’s random how long I can research or limited by a specific number of discoveries per day. But I know that the idea is pretty cool, even though the explosion triggers the cooldown.
In general, Dragonflight changes a lot about the professions. After my 7 hours with the new Evoker class, I spent over 3 hours with the professions looking at what’s available. I’m just not fully convinced yet.
You can find all the information about the Dracthyr Evoker in our special and in the video some gameplay from the alpha for the new class:
New professions are pretty cool, but I am skeptical
Dragonflight is revamping all professions and wants to make them important again. It should be worthwhile to become the best blacksmith, tailor, or alchemist on the server. There are also new “ranks” for many recipes, through which crafted items can simply become stronger.
Depending on how much “experience” you have when crafting items, the probability of a better effect or more stats increases. The items themselves remain the same, only their rank increases through a new system that indicates their quality:
There are even new secondary stats and additional materials that are solely intended for crafting. For example, a probability can be added to achieve a higher quality, to craft multiple items simultaneously, or to increase the experience gained.
Professions are even intended to serve as a substitute for players who do not want to raid. In an interview with GameStar, Game Director Ion Hazzikostas spoke in detail about professions and the new secondary stats.
According to current information, 5 items at mythic raid level should be wearable. Whether this is a real alternative remains to be seen. It was at least discussed that certain materials could only come from the raid.
What is certain is that professions will be more fun again, as the explosion shows, and continue to provide important items such as potions or the new vials that will replace flasks after 18 years. Whether they can develop into a true alternative remains to be seen.
So far, however, there hasn’t been enough to test to draw a real conclusion here. Only 2 professions were available to me, and not even in full. Let’s see how it goes from here.
By the way, a little explosion doesn’t stop me from continuing to research. If anything, it’s because I have to. After all, I learn new recipes this way, and there are some pretty crazy new ideas that I would love to craft as an alchemist:
WoW: Dragonflight brings absurd potions that only work when you are dead
