Cory Stockton breaks down the process of making an instance
by Mike Schramm 
Nov 26th 2009 at 2:00PM
A few interesting things -- they "block out" the instances first, create lower-res versions of them to play around in and create the mechanics for the fights. They also do some boss testing outside of the environments -- Razorscale, specifically, says Stockton, was actually tested down in the Stranglethorn Arena. Finally, once the encounter team works out the basics of the encounters, the art and item teams move in, and create art and loot, sometimes with the two of them collaborating (the art team will make a cool item for a boss, and then the item team, with the help of Greg "Ghostcrawler" Street, will give the item stats and balance). Interesting just how collaborative the whole process is -- even the Ironbound Proto-drake mount came from the team seeing Razorscale and wanting to put him in mount form. It's nice and all hearing Blizzard remember the Fry's launch, but it's nicer getting an inside look at their process.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, How-tos, Virtual selves, Blizzard, Instances, Raiding
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Babaloo Nov 26th 2009 2:04PM
Call me picky, but Razorscale is female.
epsilon343 Nov 26th 2009 2:14PM
That's what I was thinking. I know when I we were doing Razorscale I just happened to call her a him most of the time but it's interesting to see the designers doing that.
Haden Nov 26th 2009 2:44PM
ya every time i do Onyxia that say "ok pull him" ITS a LADY call it a she. Then kill it, skin it, and turn in its head for a cool trinket
Ascudgamin Nov 26th 2009 2:56PM
You can tell that Razorscale is a female very simply... Look at the Achievements for her, such as A Quick Shave (25 player)
http://www.wowwiki.com/A_Quick_Shave_%2825_player%29
It says Her
Muse Nov 26th 2009 3:01PM
So I keep telling my raid leader. On both Razorscale AND Onyxia.
RogueJedi86 Nov 26th 2009 5:57PM
Next thing you know, they'll start calling Chromie/Chronormu a girl too, that'd just be insane!
Prudelas Nov 26th 2009 6:22PM
As in "She won't stay grounded for long!".
sylectris Nov 26th 2009 9:32PM
yeah, sorry i am not meaning to amplify my nerdiness but that is what initially caught my eye in the article...
beware, hell hath no fury like a female dragon's scorn.
zlickrick Nov 26th 2009 2:05PM
And here I was thinking that they created life sized models of everything.
Moppentoff Nov 26th 2009 2:56PM
Skimming past this, all I saw was "Cory Stockton breaks down". I suppose designing instances like Occulus or Maraudon can do that to you.
Josin Nov 27th 2009 9:04AM
If you think designing them is bad, try playing them!
Shionia Nov 26th 2009 3:01PM
I thought Razorscale = Thorim's mount Veranus the Broodmother.
csarcops Nov 26th 2009 11:16PM
@Shionia: Yep, you're right. Razorscale is what Veranus became after Loken (I think?) captured her and corrupted her and what have you.
Bikhai Nov 26th 2009 3:02PM
Razorscale is STV...now that would be a sight. I guess they're taking this collaboration to the next level (at least as far as instances are concerned) with the IC trio, if what I've heard about them putting an Icecrown theme to the gear is true. Looking forward to it. :)
ToyChristopher Nov 26th 2009 3:02PM
Did you mean to put this up during blizzcon?
Vogie Nov 28th 2009 10:19AM
I kinda wish there was a random world boss that would spawn every so often like that. Yeah, we still have the emerald dragons, but I'd love to see an instance with a random boss from somewhere. Throw it in the caverns of time, and it'd be like the Paletress Memory fight, but without Paletress, and all the original abilities, just scaled upward to a max-level fight.
For drops, it would give a single lesser emblem (currently EoConquest) to all participants and drop a Bind on Equip-account version of it's original loot to pass on to alts. Either that or they could just have a select number of bosses and have them drop an 80-fied version of their cool loot... I'd love to have an Tanking Ravager from SM Armory on my DK.