World of Warcraft: Dragonflight - WoW Learns to Fly Again

November 25, 2022

World of Warcraft: Dragonflight - WoW Learns to Fly Again

After the narrative nightmare that was Shadowlands, World of Warcraft needed a win. Dragonflight launches on November 28th with a simple pitch: "What if we just made WoW about dragons and fun again?" Turns out, that's exactly what players wanted.

Back to Azeroth (Thank God)

No cosmic afterlife nonsense. No systems within systems within systems. Just dragons, floating islands, and the fantasy adventure that made us fall in love with WoW in the first place. The Dragon Isles feel like coming home after a really weird vacation.

The Dragon Isles: Four Zones of Actual Color

Remember when WoW zones had colors other than grey and purple? Dragonflight remembers:

The Waking Shores (60-62): Red dragons, lava, and your introduction to not hating WoW anymore
Ohn'ahran Plains (62-65): Green rolling hills with centaurs who aren't trying to kill you (mostly)
The Azure Span (65-68): Snowy forests that actually look pretty instead of depressing
Thaldraszus (68-70): The bronze dragonflight's home and location of Valdrakken, the new capital that isn't a circle of depression

Plus The Forbidden Reach as the Dracthyr starting zone, because new races need their own tutorial island.

Dracthyr Evokers: The Scalie's Dream

The new race/class combo is exactly what it sounds like: playable dragon people who can only be casters. Here's the deal:

Mail-wearing casters with two DPS specs and one healing spec (Augmentation support spec comes later)
Dragon form and humanoid form - Yes, you can be a dragon. No, you can't be a dragon warrior.
Empowered abilities - Hold the button longer for bigger boom. It's like Elden Ring met WoW.
Start at level 58 because nobody wants to level through Burning Crusade again

Are they furry bait? Absolutely. Are they fun to play? Also absolutely.

Dragonriding: Flying That Doesn't Suck

Here's the revolution: flying from day one that's actually engaging. No more AFK auto-flying across the map while you make a sandwich.

Momentum-based flight - Dive to go fast, climb to go high, actually think about where you're going
Customizable dragon mounts - Four different drakes you can dress up like it's Barbie Horse Adventures
Skill progression - Your dragons get better at flying as you play
Racing mini-games - Because Mario Kart in WoW somehow works

The best part? It's available immediately. No grinding to Pathfinding Part 2 Electric Boogaloo.

What Else Is New?

Level cap to 70 - A reasonable 10-level increase
Talent tree overhaul - Actual choices instead of "pick your mandatory abilities"
Profession rework - Crafting matters again with work orders and specializations
No borrowed power - Your character's power is... your character's power. Revolutionary!

The Community Exhales

After two years of Shadowlands, the reaction to Dragonflight has been relief:

"It feels like WoW again"
"I can actually explain the story to someone"
"Flying is fun? In MY World of Warcraft?"
"The zones don't make me want to quit gaming"

The main complaints? Some think it's too simple after Shadowlands' 47 different progression systems. Those people are wrong.

Should You Return to Azeroth?

If you quit during Shadowlands: This is your re-entry point. It's WoW comfort food.

If you're new: Solid starting point. The story makes sense without a PhD in Warcraft lore.

If you never left: You already bought it, but at least you're rewarded with an expansion that respects your time.

If you hate dragons: Why are you like this?

Dragonflight isn't revolutionary. It's World of Warcraft remembering what made it good: exploration, fantasy, and not treating fun like a four-letter word. Sometimes that's enough.

Welcome back to Azeroth. We missed the place.