BfA Patch Speculation thread (8.3 and later).

[Queen of Hamsters]

My bet on next expansion will be "WoW 2"-sort of deal. Legion and BfA were made to set up a clean board for the franchise, leading to a soft reboot for the franchise, with a timeskip of a few years (around 10). "New" continents are Kalimdor and Eastern Kingdom (not revamps, actually new continents in game files) and you'll be able to level entirely on them (but you can travel to other continents or to old versions of Kalimdor and EK if you so wish).

THe longer patch cycle, the Warfront zone remakes, Uther's Tomb remake, the destruction of capital cities (and there will be others, I think) and other stuff are to allow Blizzard enough time and reuse enough resources for the titanic task of remaking Kalimdor and EK.

The new continents will feel fresh. Familiar but different. Some zones will be completely different from what we know today.

I'd rather they just revamped EK and Kalimdor and brought them into 2019. Entirely new versions of the 2 seems overly complicated.
We already experienced a WoW 2.0 of sorts with Legion. It set the bar for the game never before seen, not even during MoP which we know had a change in design philosophies. Then WoD came with its intention of never giving us more than 6.2 and set them back quite badly in goodwill.

Then again, another revamp of EK and Kalimdor couldn't be done as they did the Cata revamp. They still reused just about all the art assets from each zone for the revamp, meaning those zones still have vanilla models and textures on trees and ground clutter. With a new revamp, they'd also need to 100% visually update every mob, every critter, every piece of foliage, ground textures, make use of new light, fog etc.

So when thinking that far, it doesn't seem too far fetched with a total revamp whilst saving Cata EK/Kalimdor as "timewalking"-type leveling content.

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8.3 is definitely coming. Idk whats with those anti-8.3 incel crusaders.

They seem to believe that WoD was cut short, and hope that since they're not enjoying BFA, noone is. Ergo Blizzard should "cut their losses" and focus on 9.0.

But that's not what happened, we had an interview linked in this very thread where one of the leads coming back to WoW during WoD was concerned to learn that they didn't plan for more content beyond Tanaan. It was a hack job of an expansion all the way through, minimum effort.

Legion had 3 major patches, BfA will have 3 major patches, and bringing out .5 patches also gives them more time to work on 9.0 than if they'd just cut and run like the crowd of naysay crusaders suggest.

[DeicideUH]

Then again, another revamp of EK and Kalimdor couldn't be done as they did the Cata revamp. They still reused just about all the art assets from each zone for the revamp, meaning those zones still have vanilla models and textures on trees and ground clutter. With a new revamp, they'd also need to 100% visually update every mob, every critter, every piece of foliage, ground textures, make use of new light, fog etc.

Copying/pasting the old continents into new files and then working on them would allow Blizzard to really go wild, changing terrain to fit new needs, moving boundaries for zones and so on. They could even finally glue Quel'thalas and Myst Isles into the proper continents without messing with TBC content.

Think of all the assets Blizzard has created since MoP. We now can have entirely high resolution human, orc, draenei, night elf and forsaken towns. Almost every mob from old continents already has high-res models, with only some exceptions (like forest trolls, gnolls and centaurs), which could be introduced in 9.0.

Look how Arathi and Darkshore got revamped. Take a look at Uther's Tomb (which was revamped for apparently no reason).

Sky's the limit.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Basically the only thing we can say is if there's two loading screens they're doing split continents again.

[Revamp Man]

I did mentioned the Dragon Soul with my speculation about it aside.

The events in BfA right now coincide with the general theme for "End Time" as a dungeon and base on how WoW described it to be in their official page.

It says that you have to face an echo of the major leaders in the future in a dead world. And the only way for them to retrieve the Dragon Soul which would stop Deathwing and preventing them " from traveling back to the past" was Murozond or Nozdormu's transfigured self in future to come.

Why does the Dragon Soul always has been involved in 3 major events: WoE and Azshara Summoning Sargeras leading to the Sundering. Deathwing and his madness along with the Shattering, and the retrieval of Dragon Soul in the preventive measure of the Hour of Twilight. The third, now I am inswrting my speculation that HoE=Dragon Soul, to be the hour of the third death, Azeroth's and a term was coined for that but I completely forgot.

"takes adventurers into one of the many possible futures of Azeroth, revealing what will transpire if Deathwing is not stopped: the Hour of Twilight."
But what if we disn't really killed Deathwing during his madness inside the Maelstrom but only delayed his supposed death to coincide with the Hour of Twilight in which is the exact time of his death?


Description from community site
One of an infinite number of potential outcomes, this timeway depicts the desolate future of Azeroth should its defenders fail to stop Deathwing. In this bleak future, Nozdormu has identified an anomaly that bars access to both the past and the Dragon Soul: a powerful creature from out of time, living alone amid time-twisted echoes of the past.

In order for Nozdormu to provide you the ability to travel back in time to a point before the Dragon Soul was hidden by Malfurion Stormrage from anyone who’d seek its power, you must first go to a distant and desolate future to discover the anomaly blocking the past. You'll find yourself in a very different Dragonblight, stripped of its snowy landscape, with little more than ruins of the once-great dragonshrines. Wyrmrest Temple itself stands only as a reminder of Deathwing's madness—what's left of his scorched remains is impaled atop the structure.

Before you confront the creature disrupting Nozdormu's access to the past, you'll first be called to fight any two of the following four ostensibly familiar leaders, chosen at random each time you play through End Time.

These long-dead heroes are mere echoes of their former glory, further warped by the corruptive force of time. Their presence here is a great mystery, even to Nozdormu. Once these shades have been laid to rest, the maniacal figure blocking Nozdormu's vision will be revealed at the End Time. None of the Dragon Aspects could have predicted what entity would have such power to interrupt the sight of the Timeless One… the ability to create a new and infinite dragonflight. Only by destroying a mysterious dragon known as Murozond will you give Azeroth's protectors the opportunity to avoid the potential outcome to which your eyes bear witness.

I mean there's a reason the anniversary mount is deathwing

[Nathanyel]

Why ask for source when you are just going to spin it like it doesn't matter.

Well my actual question was about Highmountain, as someone claimed it was canon that both factions helped in both Suramar and Highmountain, and then they answered "duh, because it isn't stated otherwise".

Either way, it should be obvious that Horde made a bigger impression on the Highmountain and the Nightborne than the Alliance did, whatever the ratio of involvement, or whatever you could do ingame, as that merely opened up content to all players. I was just trying to quell another cry of "but I did something for them, too!"

[Sondrelk]

Basically the only thing we can say is if there's two loading screens they're doing split continents again.

Either that or they might just be updating the Ek/Kalimdor maps.
It is starting to veer on distracting how only a few of those depicted on those screens are still leading their people. Especially once Sylvanas gets ousted, the remaining ones will be Mekkatorque (presumably), Baine, Velen, Muradin and Genn

[Doffen]

Well my actual question was about Highmountain, as someone claimed it was canon that both factions helped in both Suramar and Highmountain, and then they answered "duh, because it isn't stated otherwise".

Either way, it should be obvious that Horde made a bigger impression on the Highmountain and the Nightborne than the Alliance did, whatever the ratio of involvement, or whatever you could do ingame, as that merely opened up content to all players. I was just trying to quell another cry of "but I did something for them, too!"

Didn't really see you asked for Highmountain spesifically, so if I am going out of what you discussed, my bad. But yeah, nothing I've seen that confirms one thing or another in Highmountain.

Also Thalryssa's reasoning for joining the Horde have nothing to do with how much the factions did for them, but what she felt about the Alliance after the whole thing was done. It could mean one thing or another, but she confirming that both factions helped her in Suramar is now canon until stated otherwise.

[vertigo12]

I mean there's a reason the anniversary mount is deathwing

That too same thing as what they did with Onyxia back in WotLK. Thanks for pointing that out.

[Makabreska]

Well my actual question was about Highmountain, as someone claimed it was canon that both factions helped in both Suramar and Highmountain, and then they answered "duh, because it isn't stated otherwise".

Either way, it should be obvious that Horde made a bigger impression on the Highmountain and the Nightborne than the Alliance did, whatever the ratio of involvement, or whatever you could do in-game, as that merely opened up content to all players. I was just trying to quell another cry of "but I did something for them, too!"

I wouldn't really be looking for logical explanation of allied race faction join, because it seems Blizz didn't care for it. Check Void Elves. One day normal Blood Elves, another day a members of Alliance, happily killing their brethren. Blizz wanted to give us allied races, the lore explanation wasn't simply that important.

[Eurhetemec]

I wouldn't really be looking at logical explanation of allied race faction join, because it seems Blizz didn't care for it. Check Void Elves. One day normal Blood Elves, another day a members of alliance, happily killing their brethren. Blizz wanted to give us allied races, the lore explanation wasn't simply that important.

This is a very silly position indeed. Factions in WoW "happily kill their brethren" constantly.

[huth]

Sylvanas or some specific facsimile made to be a Sylvanas stand-in would be my guess. Someone like Nathanos or something Sylvanas spawned.

As long as it isn't something Sylvanas and Nathanos spawned...

[Sondrelk]

As long as it isn't something Sylvanas and Nathanos spawned...

Let's be fair. It would be an awesome twist. I am just not sure it would mesh with anything else in story.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Let's be fair. It would be an awesome twist. I am just not sure it would mesh with anything else in story.

Nope, don't want that, nope nope nope. >.>

[Sondrelk]

Nope, don't want that, nope nope nope. >.>

Admit it, it could be really cool.
Turns out Sylvanas and Nathanos had a child that was taken and raised by the lich king or something. And we eventually learn about this character, and we get loads of good drama and rections from everyone involved when Sylvanas realizes that she had a kid that was taken from her.

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As i am writing this, i am starting to realize all the problems with this.

Would still be a cool twist though.
Certainly better than 8.3 being half Sylvanas revealing herself to be an old god puppet, and half N'zoth suddenly deciding he is going to enact his master plan: "Suddenly attack a location himself instead of using his agents all over the world"

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Admit it, it could be really cool.
Turns out Sylvanas and Nathanos had a child that was taken and raised by the lich king or something. And we eventually learn about this character, and we get loads of good drama and rections from everyone involved when Sylvanas realizes that she had a kid that was taken from her.

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As i am writing this, i am starting to realize all the problems with this.

Would still be a cool twist though.
Certainly better than 8.3 being half Sylvanas revealing herself to be an old god puppet, and half N'zoth suddenly deciding he is going to enact his master plan: "Suddenly attack a location himself instead of using his agents all over the world"

It would have to of been around the events of Warcraft III, cause......Undead can't really do the sexytime or have kids. I mean it would be out of nowhere(And probably unheard of at least this this thread anyways). Also N'zoth suddenly deciding to enact his plan is well fine. Life can be very random and spontaneous and N'zoth is the type to wait for the right moment.

[Sondrelk]

It would have to of been around the events of Warcraft III, cause......Undead can't really do the sexytime or have kids. I mean it would be out of nowhere(And probably unheard of at least this this thread anyways). Also N'zoth suddenly deciding to enact his plan is well fine. Life can be very random and spontaneous and N'zoth is the type to wait for the right moment.

With N'zoth, i don't mind if he enacts his plan immediately. I just don't want that plan to be to expose himself fully in a blatant showing of "FOOLISH MORTALS".
I would like ot hope that the Old god shown as cunning, and patient enough to plan his escape to take place of several millenia, would be patient enough to at least spend a few months making sure he has enough of a powerbase before flailing his arms around like a scared squid.

I also don't really think N'zoth is that fitting a final boss for BfA, i know that this is an old god expansion in disguise, but that disguise is still faction war, and i really don't feel N'zoth has been tied to the faction war well enough for him to carry the end of it alone, and i don't really think N'zoth, whose death spells the end of Old God occupation, should have to share space with the epic climactic end to the Faction war storyline. (Given that the faction is ending like we were told at the beginning of the expac)

[TaliaKirana]

I'm still in the camp of we're fighting N'zoth as the BfA final boss. I think Sylvanas is going to abdicate as Warchief and take off on a quest to try and find another means to be immortal (leading us on to our next expansion). Hence the comment she won't "Find herself in chains." She'll flee before that happens.

[Sondrelk]

I'm still in the camp of we're fighting N'zoth as the BfA final boss. I think Sylvanas is going to abdicate as Warchief and take off on a quest to try and find another means to be immortal (leading us on to our next expansion). Hence the comment she won't "Find herself in chains." She'll flee before that happens.

I won't argue that Sylvanas might not be the final boss. But i really don't think N'zoth being the final boss is as smooth a transition as people might think. Sure there is old god stuff in BfA, and many of hte underlying themes are about old gods, but the main story is still about Faction war, and N'zoth and faction war don't really flow well together unless you spend more time convincing us that faction war is happening because of old gods, or vice versa like MoP.

[Porcodio]

I know exactly what people will experience in classic

No you don't know a fuck about what other people will be experience.

Stop begin entitled

[Alga]

No you don't know a fuck about what other people will be experience.

Stop begin entitled

*some canned laughter for this chap* Just went back to the Classic Lair, ye?