Battle for Azeroth Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Smokinya]

Regarding "before the storm" Blizz likes using the word Storm in place of war and conflict.

True but it could also be a double meaning. Conflict with Naga and between the Alliance and Horde as well as a storm out at sea.

[Darkhallows]

Honestly it's pretty much confirmed that it is Naga related. The text is cyan blue for the title which is indicative of water or the sea. What is waiting for us also indicates an Azeroth based expansion, the title also has a little relation to the next expansion but not enough for the average Joe to speculate about. Its a safe assumption.

Yes, I know. I have absolutely no doubt that the next expansion will heavily feature Naga, or be a sea-based expansion. I'm even hoping for both of those things. My objection was the suggestion that we'd be "attacked by Naga right off the bat" and there's no time for a timeskip.

There was a decent timeskip between WoD and Legion. Why did Gul'dan wait around? There will most likely be time for anything they want to set up to be set up.

[Smokinya]

Check this out

https://wow.gamepedia.com/Ogrezonia

It's played off as a joke ingame but I have a feeling, because it's so ridiculous, that it's actually a thing that exists in WoW canon.



I think by what they mean as "unlock new hairstyles/appearances" is that maybe you unlock these subraces by getting to 110 or doing enough quests in their affiliated zones. I can't think of any other reason a hairstyle would be worth unlocking.

I think that would be a pretty cool way of doing things for the Highmountain Tauren. Allows them the freedom to not muck with the lore too much.

That's pretty interesting seeing it mentioned in game. I'd argue that confirms that its a real place at the very least.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

There we go, finally got the signature.

Wait Ogrezonia? Why is this relevant suddenly?

[Vynestra]

oh just saw the "before the storm" christie golden novel thats coming out may 2018 - hype!

[EbaumsTipster]

Someone already mentioned that Baine was cut out of the Highmountain questing in beta, as well as a few named NPCs he had conversations with. I think that if they really are Horde specific they might include those conversations in the last patch similar to how Silgryn and Liadrin have their "Horde-bait" conversation in 7.3.

Maybe Alleria and... whoever the Lightforged boss is will have a conversation option after Antorus. Does anyone know who exactly the leader of the LF will be?

[Smokinya]

Yes, I know. I have absolutely no doubt that the next expansion will heavily feature Naga, or be a sea-based expansion. I'm even hoping for both of those things. My objection was the suggestion that we'd be "attacked by Naga right off the bat" and there's no time for a timeskip.

There was a decent timeskip between WoD and Legion. Why did Gul'dan wait around? There will most likely be time for anything they want to set up to be set up.

Ooooohh, I see what you mean now, sorry. I agree that a time skip is pretty likely. It would also provide for an interesting couple of prepatches where we can see the conflict between the Alliance and Horde brewing and maybe we also do some coastline investigation to see what's going on.

[Darkhallows]

Someone already mentioned that Baine was cut out of the Highmountain questing in beta, as well as a few named NPCs he had conversations with. I think that if they really are Horde specific they might include those conversations in the last patch similar to how Silgryn and Liadrin have their "Horde-bait" conversation in 7.3.

Maybe. Again, it's hard to say what should or could have been done before. If they want to, they can just have a conversation pre-8.0 between Mayla and Baine. Anyone remember the quiet buildup with Aponi and Archmage Evenshade for Tauren Paladins/Priests and Nelf Mages pre-Cataclysm? This reminds me very much of that.

[Smokinya]

Someone already mentioned that Baine was cut out of the Highmountain questing in beta, as well as a few named NPCs he had conversations with. I think that if they really are Horde specific they might include those conversations in the last patch similar to how Silgryn and Liadrin have their "Horde-bait" conversation in 7.3.

Maybe Alleria and... whoever the Lightforged boss is will have a conversation option after Antorus. Does anyone know who exactly the leader of the LF will be?

Thats' really interesting. I was always confused as to why Baine wouldn't want to come and chat with some more long-lost Tauren brothers and sisters. Seems like something he'd do.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Thats' really interesting. I was always confused as to why Baine wouldn't want to come and chat with some more long-lost Tauren brothers and sisters. Seems like something he'd do.

Seems a lot of the Alliance and Horde related moments were just not there, made it feel both factions weren't active like at all.

[EbaumsTipster]

Maybe. Again, it's hard to say what should or could have been done before. If they want to, they can just have a conversation pre-8.0 between Mayla and Baine. Anyone remember the quiet buildup with Aponi and Archmage Evenshade for Tauren Paladins/Priests and Nelf Mages pre-Cataclysm? This reminds me very much of that.

Yeah, and it makes a lot of sense they'd be worried that Alliance players would get pissed off if it looked like Baine was recruiting while everyone helps the Highmountain out. I can see the NPCs he talked with becoming the Horde leader for them, or maybe Warbrave Oros, as he seems like a kind of character that would interact really well with Orcs.

Note that it's SILGRYN that Liadrin talks with, not Thalryssa or Valtrois or one of the major Nightborne both sides help. He was a pivotal character but not one of the biggest ones, so it makes sense that he'd lead instead of a more controversial choice.

[Smokinya]

Seems a lot of the Alliance and Horde related moments were just not there, made it feel both factions weren't active like at all.

Yeah which is a damn shame considering that was the epicentre of the invasion and this is the third invasion of the Burning Legion. You'd think all hands would be on deck.

[Steampunkette]

Seems a lot of the Alliance and Horde related moments were just not there, made it feel both factions weren't active like at all.

And what few there were felt like one-off side-stories that either got wrapped up (Val'Sharah) or were left hanging (Sylvanas's Bargain)

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

So I decided to read up on Locus-Walker since I didn't do all the Seat quests yet (just the main one) and.... someone explain to me why anyone thinks there's an army of Void Elves out there?

I always figured he and Alleria seemed more like teasing a class than teasing a race, and hearing all the work that went into Alleria and how she's the only person Locus-Walker taught, and how it basically took the two being imprisoned together, her proving herself to him, AND her "unique destiny" to get him to do so....

By all intents and purposes there should be no way enough High Elves could learn the Void in the span of the Argus Campaign to justify this. Unless Blizz does some ass pull about "time working differently in the Void."

Also why would the Highmountain turn their back on half the heroes who helped them?

Really the only two proposed sub-races with an obvious reason to exist are Lightforged and Nightborne.

[EbaumsTipster]

Yeah which is a damn shame considering that was the epicentre of the invasion and this is the third invasion of the Burning Legion. You'd think all hands would be on deck.

Seems like a "unity" theme was present to take out something as huge as the Legion, with faction pride stuff returning in the next one. Just look at the Blizzcon mounts, and apparently there being faction themed mounts in the collector edition (a horse and a raptor).

Similar to how MOP had faction wars, then WOD had unity. Except this time it's in reverse as they realized people enjoyed the Sylvanas versus Genn stuff.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Yeah which is a damn shame considering that was the epicentre of the invasion and this is the third invasion of the Burning Legion. You'd think all hands would be on deck.

I'd quip about how they were all fighting in Stormheim, but even THAT felt underwhelming.

If Blizz does an Azeroth revamp I bet the justifcation for so little faction presence in the Broken Isles is the Legion was still invading full-force outside of there.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Seems like a "unity" theme was present to take out something as huge as the Legion, with faction pride stuff returning in the next one. Just look at the Blizzcon mounts, and apparently there being faction themed mounts in the collector edition (a horse and a raptor).

Similar to how MOP had faction wars, then WOD had unity. Except this time it's in reverse as they realized people enjoyed the Sylvanas versus Genn stuff.

They could of had unity without sacrificing some good character moments.

[Marsc92]

So dudes that are lean as hell and ripped look like women? I bet you look like Jabba the misogynist irl.

Half your posts invoke leftism and identity politics. Could you just leave that stuff off this forum?

[Darkhallows]

Part of what I don't understand about a lot of objection to the apparent subrace options is that there's a fair amount of evidence for them, even if we didn't have the datamining.

Void Elves: Alleria's adventure has to mean something. It was the focal point of the entire third act of Mac'Aree, and even got a cutscene to reveal her new powers. AFAIK, it has minimal impact in Antorus, so it has to be a setup for the next big thing. If Turalyon and Alleria go back to the Alliance, having them leading Light and Void forces makes a lot of thematic sense. Alleria's whole thing with the void is that its a power we can tap into if used properly, and I think she can sell that to other High Elves fairly easily. Especially considering who she is. And bringing datamining into it, the Void Elf items are interesting, and assets I don't think we should ignore.

Lightforged: This one seems easy. At the very least, the Lightforged have an entirely seperate set of customization options from normal Draenei. Ion also stated they'd hoped to create a new ecology of Draenei with them, so adding them just as customization options for existing Draenei seems unlikely. Adding to that, they are technically an entirely separate culture of Draenei who have never been to Azeroth, yet after Legion will have nowhere to go but there. Makes sense to me they'd come into the fold.

Nightborne: First of all, Liadrin has had way better PR with the Nightborne from 7.1 onward. And now, in 7.3, she and Silgryn are pretty buddy-buddy. The striking thing to me is that Silgryn was already with her in Horde territory when they were heading to Azuremyst. Why is Silgryn even there except to have this conversation with her? Seems like too much of a setup, and will be disappointing if no payoff.

Highmountain Tauren: Well, to be honest, this doesn't really have anything for it except that they're Tauren. However, it's also the easiest to believe IMO, and any in-game setup they want to do can easily be done prior to 8.0.

Edit: Of course, I do understand having a healthy amount of skepticism, but to lump something like this in with all the fake leaks is a little bit disingenuous. Yes, we don't know the actual purpose of the datamined files, but I'll be in the camp of people who sticks with the in-game evidence for this one. Granted, we don't know a lot of details and can't be sure where any of this is really going, but that's part of the fun of speculation.

[Chickat]

Just to lend credence to this post, one of the BlizzCon panels pertains to the The Women of Warcraft.

Sounds like MoP tbh. We hop around the continent with I assume lighter themes than Legion, and then face an old god juiced faction leader in a sense. Sign me up, but I kinda think it would be a bit weird if he were the end boss. Maybe they build him up good in questing. Ill be pissed if Azshara is a mid tier boss and random human is final boss.