Blizzard has released 2 new blog posts, one for The Waking Shores zone and one with an explanation of the basics of Dragonriding.
Dragonriding and You: Ascending to New Heights of Skill
A skilled Dragonrider is a force to be reckoned with, capable of catching up to any foe, ambushing enemies from above, and soaring above the Dragon Isles with impressive speed. Becoming a Dragonrider and learning the basics will be simple, but mastering this new skill takes practice. Once you figure out its intricacies, you’ll never see the Dragon Isles the same way again.
Dragonriding Basics
Through your travels on the Dragon Isles, you’ll begin training to become a Dragonrider. Dragonriding can only be used with Dragon Isles Drakes—customizable mounts with unique abilities. Throughout your leveling experience, you’ll earn four different Dragon Isles Drakes. In the hands of a skilled rider, these imposing winged terrors are capable of masterful maneuvers.
Each drake features unlockable appearances that can be selected and adjusted to make your new drake mount uniquely your own. You’ll receive new looks for your drakes through Drakewatcher Manuscripts, obtained from quest rewards, exploration, completing achievements, and various other means. Find the nearest Rostrum of Transformation in any Dragon Isles zone to make changes to your drake’s appearance.
Vigorous Riding
The first thing you’ll notice upon summoning a Dragon Isles Drake is that your primary action bar has been replaced with your Dragonriding skills, as well as a new resource: Vigor. Vigor is spent by using Dragonriding abilities and recharges automatically over time while grounded (mounted or on foot) or in the sky, while Dragonriding at high speeds.
Gaining Speed
Once you’re ready for takeoff, mount up and find a high rise. When you jump from it, your drake will unfurl its wings and begin to glide forward, slowly losing altitude. Point your dragon’s front towards the ground, and it will gain speed rapidly. Point it upwards, and it will slow down and gain altitude.
Managing your hang time depends entirely on your ability to gain speed by descending and maximizing your altitude while ascending without losing too much momentum. Vigor skills like Skyward Ascent will help you gain altitude, while others like Surge Forward will give you a quick speed boost to keep you going. Remember that your drake’s Vigor recharges when you’re speeding up; use that to your advantage as you build momentum.
Dragonriding Progression
Dragonriding features its own progression track, unlocked when you obtain your first Dragon Isles Drake. Through this progression track, you can unlock more abilities, increase your drake’s Vigor, and more. Dragon Glyphs, symbols of power scattered all over the skies of Dragon Isles, can be collected to advance your progress track and gain access to perks. Some Dragon Glyphs will be relatively simple to procure, while others will require a bit of exploration and clever use of your Dragonriding abilities to acquire. We hope you’ll find the journey and the sights along the way as compelling as hunting all the Dragon Glyphs.
Race to the Top
Once you’ve obtained your drakes and mastered their abilities, there’s one more way in which skilled Dragonriders can stand out: Dragonriding Races! All over the Dragon Isles, you will find various Dragonriding race locations that will challenge you to complete a set course within a limited timeframe. Clearing checkpoints extends your allotted time, and once you finish a course, you’ll be rated on your performance. Your personal best times will be recorded, and whenever you repeat a course, your time will be compared against your personal best. Challenge other Dragonriders to the ultimate test of skill and speed—only the fastest rider will prevail.
The Journey is Just Beginning
There’s more coming to Dragonflight as we progress through testing, including future updates to Dragonriding. We hope you’ve enjoyed this early preview and invite you to check https://worldofwarcraft.com/news for all the latest World of Warcraft previews and information. We’ll see you in the Dragon Isles!
Dragonflight Zone Preview: The Waking Shores
The Waking Shores is the starting zone for Dragonflight and the most untamed area of the Dragon Isles.
The dragonflights left their homeland and the Waking Shores remained dormant for ten thousand years. Now, with Azeroth’s world-soul revitalized, the awesome primal might of the Shores stirs anew, rousing the dragons’ ancient allies and age-old enemies from their long millennia of slumber.
Heroes of the Alliance and Horde are invited by Alexstrasza to aid the red dragonflight in this vibrant and menacing land.
This land is stirring with the reawakening of elemental energies. Long ago, the elements were present in their most primal, unfettered form; however, the resurgence of magic in the Dragon Isles has caused that energy to reawaken.
Geysers and hot springs are commonplace, and powerful streams and rivers carve grottoes into the colorful rocks and sediment. Waterways feed into the land’s heart and the Life Pools of the red dragonflight.
While millennia ago this area was populated with dragon architecture like the rest of the Broodlands, most of those structures have long since fallen into decay and become overgrown.
Volcanic areas are alive with molten earth and fire. As the elevation rises, the land becomes harsher. In these imposing mountains, Neltharus, the Obsidian Citadel was built by the black dragonflight so that the Earth-Warder could defend the Broodlands. Abandoned long ago, the imposing fortress has now been claimed by the djaradin.
Inhabitants of the Waking Shores
Elemental magic manifests everywhere, with earth, air, water, and fire taking physical form. New types of elemental beings are rising, as well as animalistic creatures infused with this magic. Here are some that you will happen upon in your travels:
The Waking Shores are just the beginning of your adventures throughout the Dragon Isles. Help your allies push back against enemies, new and old, who are bent on controlling this ancient place of elemental power.
We look forward to sharing more details as development continues on Dragonflight. Visit the Dragonflight site to pre-order. Check WorldofWarcraft.com/news for updates and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
See you in the Dragon Isles!