2022 is looking very likely and realistic. They have a surprising amount of content available for testing this early into the alpha and there are many things already done (zones, dungeons, etc.).
The last three expansions launched with more new content though. SL had covenants, the maw, torghast and a ton of systems. BFA had two more dungeons, warfronts, expeditions and the azerite stuff. Legion also had two more dungeons, demon hunters, order halls and artifacts, legendaries and mythic plus. Sure, a lot of that could have been better but at least it was there.So far what we are getting in dragonflight is evokers, dragon riding, professions and not much else. Not even getting a mission table anymore. Now I don't mind a bare bones expansion if they get the basics right but honestly there's not a lot going on here.
Same problem as with each software development - select what you want: optimize cost improve quality speed up developmentYou can pick two of three...
This alpha looks way more ready than any prev alpha testing we had before , i'm positive they can make it , u gotta remmember tho , there is no legendaries no conduit no soulbindes no covenant class abilities no torghast class abilities no torghast no covenant specific events , that means way less time spent on desining and balancing afterwards is needed
I will not be surprised or disappointed if they push it back those talent trees alone with a lot of feed back need some more work..and reintegration. if beta can tighten up all the other stuff then sure..I can see the timeline met..would love to hear the sound track..I appreciate the fact there not spoiling everything..it's still all quite a mystery..which is excellent...
Just the lack of any announced end game content outside of raids/m+ should really have people worried. At this stage even WOD had more max level content in play. The way its set up now, you're going to get to the end and raid log once more. On the flip side though, even if they do end up adding something unannounced in the alpha/beta, near guarantee its going to be brutally underdeveloped and changed so much during the testing, that the whatever the system will be at launch will be a mess.Just because they cut Shadowlands short, doesn't mean that time automatically made Dragonflight development and progress ahead of schedule by reassigning people. They just threw more resources at it, sped up the timeline, and hoped whatever pops out isn't a complete shell of what they had imagined this expac to be originally.
"rush" LOLOLOL SL FAILED BECAUSE it took way to freaking long that they scrapped content