Potential Patch 5.5 *Speculation*

[Steve the Sloth]

Ok so if you haven't heard by now, Blizz stated that they'll be releasing a final PvP season to hold people off. Take it how you will but I personally believe that they're falling behind schedule which makes a late Summer release hopeful. The new PvP season is all fine and dandy but I'm curious if they have a back up plan for PvE players as well?

Patch 5.5 would be the hopeful filler with a proper xpac ending raid (i.e. Sunwell-esque) unless they want another DS/ICC to happen which, in my opinion, wouldn't be very good for the community and/or subs.

The only viable end boss that I see at this point would be Wrathion so I ask: if they do implement 5.5, where in the world would the raid take place if not a whole new instance (which I doubt considering the resource requirements) and aside from Wrathion, who could you see as some filler bosses? (Unless they decide to make it a solo boss instance)

Speculate away!

In an attempt to get this thread back on the true topic, I am in no way stating that there will be a raid or large feature in a potential patch 5.5. I simple wanted to welcome speculation as to how they would go about another raid if there just so happened to be one and the content within it. Stop quoting Tom Chilton, we're very much aware of what he said.

[shamantime]

Didn't they say they will release another PvP Season if they think they need to? That is not a definite yes.

[Sal the Shieldhog]

If they make a 5.5 raid, that'll push back WoD even further and make a late-summer release nigh-impossible. It's far more likely that there isn't going to be a 5.5 at all and all we're getting is a new PvP season. If we do get new content, it probably won't be anything more than some small story elements, which we're getting in the pre-patch anyways.

[Raugnaut]

I believe that 5.5 will contain the "unannounced feature" that GC hinted at before he left (He said that the unannounced feature he hinted at earlier this expansion in an interview was actually 2 features- one scrapped, and the other not yet implemented).

So, yea. 5.5 will contain, me thinks, the DotAlehouse BG, next PvP season, possibly some scenarios, Orgrimmar update to reflect SoO (Korkron removed mostly, warlock trainers replaced, ect), and this "unannounced feature". (Timewalker dungeons?).

It MAY also have an update to Gilneas for the alliance.

In addition, we will probably see another store mount/pet datamined, or implemented. Blizz seems to be having one every 4 months so far.

[Xiphan]

Didn't they say they will release another PvP Season if they think they need to? That is not a definite yes.

Yeah that was their stance, but Holinka confirmed plans for another season on twitter a couple hours ago.
https://twitter.com/holinka/status/420640430888198144

[DarkTZeratul]

Sunwell wasn't a filler raid by any stretch. If you want to know what a filler raid looks like, take a look at Ruby Sanctum: one room, one boss, no new artwork.

That said, making a new raid because they're falling behind on Warlords of Draenor would be a terrible idea anyway, because it would mean taking resources away from Warlords of Draenor to do so, thus pushing it back even further.

Conversely, a new PvP season requires considerably less development, especially since they've already got it set up and ready to go just in case.

[Raugnaut]

Also, as for 5.5 itself, I believe that it was mostly complete BEFORE 5.4 released, possibly shortly after.

Think about it. When content hits the PTR, it mostly needs balancing/tuning/bug fixing. It does NOT need more "development" in terms of models/lands/raids ect. So when 5.4 hit the PTR, the team that does dungeons/raids/scenarios/BGs moved to 5.5, and the numbers/tuning team worked on 5.4 on the PTR. After the development team finished 5.5, they moved to WoD for developing WoD raids/dungeons/scenarios/ect.

[shamantime]

Yeah that was their stance, but Holinka confirmed plans for another season on twitter a couple hours ago.
https://twitter.com/holinka/status/420640430888198144

Ah ok, ty for telling me!

[Dendin]

Patch 5.5 would be the hopeful filler with a proper xpac ending raid (i.e. Sunwell-esque) unless they want another DS/ICC to happen which, in my opinion, wouldn't be very good for the community and/or subs.

What's improper about SoO as an expansion ending raid? Seems pretty proper to me.

[Traveler Voltin]

i thought blizzard said there was no 5.5 patch.

[iamthedevil]

i thought blizzard said there was no 5.5 patch.

Blizzard says... and doesn't say, a lot of things.

[Andeus]

Oh come on peeps, read the mmo-c front page before going to the forums
This was addressed by the devs during Blizzcon a couple of months ago:

http://www.mmo-champion.com/content/...-Developer-Q-A

Another MoP patch would delay WoD, so Patch 5.5 isn't going to happen. The entire team is working on WoD right now, so any more MoP content would slow down development.

/thread

[Ielenia]

Patch 5.5 would be the hopeful filler with a proper xpac ending raid (i.e. Sunwell-esque) unless they want another DS/ICC to happen which, in my opinion, wouldn't be very good for the community and/or subs.

They've already instated that they are NOT releasing a 'patch 5.5' with any kind of 'ending raid' like it was for Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King. They said that if, and only if, they release a new patch, it will be only bug fixes that cannot be done through hotfixes. All their development team is focused on creating Warlords of Draenor.

There's no need for speculation, because they'll be no new raid. Although you can speculate whatever you want to pass the time while you do Siege of Orgrimmar for the 13801938th time.

[Caerule]

For fel's sake, there isn't going to be a 5.5. This was made clear at Blizzcon. Anything they'd do for 5.5 would delay the expansion, so they've said they decided against doing one. Don't get people's hopes up again. We're not getting anything but a 6.0.

Blizzard keeps telling people "...it would be fun" or "...we would love to" lately. It keeps people's hopes up, but it means "...it isn't going to happen".

[Frozenbeef]

How long do pvp seasons last? No way in hell I'm coming back just for a new season...want to know how long i have to play other games 5.5 or pre wod patch is the only thing getting my sub back

[Steve the Sloth]

What's improper about SoO as an expansion ending raid? Seems pretty proper to me.

Considering we've fought to get to the point where we kill Garrosh and he's just "arrested", I was personally bummed. The legendary quest line set up Wrathion so well to lose his sh!t and become a boss to at least offer some sense of closure in regards to his plans for Titan creations, etc.

It could really go either way, we could kill Wrathion (not likely) or Blizz is going to keep him in their back pocket to pull out as a segway to the post-WoD xpac or as a figure in the actual post-WoD xpac.

And as a friendly reminder to people reading, I put the word speculation in the title for a reason.

- - - Updated - - -

How long do pvp seasons last? No way in hell I'm coming back just for a new season...want to know how long i have to play other games 5.5 or pre wod patch is the only thing getting my sub back

21-28ish weeks (give or take a couple)

- - - Updated - - -

Oh come on peeps, read the mmo-c front page before going to the forums
This was addressed by the devs during Blizzcon a couple of months ago:

http://www.mmo-champion.com/content/...-Developer-Q-A




/thread

Yea because Blizz is always spot on with their scheduling right?

They also said that they expected to have WoD released faster than their usual timeline. Considering the current PvP season still has 4 weeks (minimum) left plus the additional PvP season coming, possibly lasting anywhere from 21-28 weeks, we're looking at August as the optimistic release month. This would almost put SoO at the one year mark, and I coulda swore they said they didn't want another DS/ICC to happen...

[brothernads]

Just watch this, starting at 29:00:

J. Allen Brack - "If you're concerned about delaying Warlords of Draenor, the thing that you can do to absolutely guarantee we delay Warlords of Draenor is to put another patch in. There's nothing that's going to delay Warlords of Draenor more than us doing a 5.5 or some kind of big patch like that."

Tom Chilton - "At this point in the project, everyone on the team is working on Warlords of Draenor and so any content that we want to do is taking people away from working on Warlords of Draenor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QkNTC22qAs

[Sinndra]

They also said that they expected to have WoD released faster than their usual timeline. Considering the current PvP season still has 4 weeks (minimum) left plus the additional PvP season coming, possibly lasting anywhere from 21-28 weeks, we're looking at August as the optimistic release month. This would almost put SoO at the one year mark, and I coulda swore they said they didn't want another DS/ICC to happen...

YOU the person that does not work for blizzard is assuming that blizzard must stick to this timeline perfectly. just because the pvp seasons lasted some coincidental duration doesnt mean they will stay strictly on those timelines. the seasons lasted those durations generally due to a patch development duration. since its been confirmed there will be no more MoP patches.. the season doesnt have to adhere to or wait for any patch development. and can essentially last as short or as long as they want it to.

yes its likely to be a 20 week season, but it doesnt have to be, and could be 18. there is no law or rule that states a season must last 21-28 weeks, as far as i know.

[Paula Deen]

Ok for everyone in this thread. At Blizzcon the question asked was "Will new content BE DEVELOPED for MoP" the answer given was a "No, we don't want more Dev Time on Pandaria" If this isn't obvious enough where I am going with this..... they already had the content done before Blizzcon, which is why they answered no.... it was already done, and it will more than likely be a 5.3 esque patch with not much content.


Although knowing Blizzard it would not surprise me if they just put it in the new season to get a few people to stay subbed and not even bother with PvE Content.

[Andeus]

Yea because Blizz is always spot on with their scheduling right?

They also said that they expected to have WoD released faster than their usual timeline. Considering the current PvP season still has 4 weeks (minimum) left plus the additional PvP season coming, possibly lasting anywhere from 21-28 weeks, we're looking at August as the optimistic release month. This would almost put SoO at the one year mark, and I coulda swore they said they didn't want another DS/ICC to happen...

Now you're being silly. Getting a new patch isn't something you can pull one day out of a schedule change. In order to get it done with MoP's patch timeline they would have to start work on it before the previous patch was released. Since there is no chance of a new patch being developed until mid-november there is no chance it would be ready before March/April. That would push WoD to end of 2014/early 2015 which would be...well, crap. Not to mention 2 new arena seasons instead of just one, to keep PVP players occupied.
And all that besides the fact that they already denied it.

We're better off without 5.5. Just deal with it.