Let's just say Alleria is more relevant, important and interwoven in Void Elf culture than Sylvanas is in Blood Elf culture.
It's a beautiful Thursday morning, ripe for a PTR to be deployed!
Late on this, but maybe one of the reasons they were allowed to do LFD customization is because Yrel's Lightbound (who look like LFDs) are coming back in 10.0?
The most likely outcome is that we get more Allied Race customization because it was a feature that was supposed to come sometime this expansion sooner or later. If not now then most likely 9.2.5. Much of the work had likely already been done for them, so the devs either fasttracked it, or was supposed to release it regardless. This is afterall just up the alley of usual Minor patches, just a bit more stuff that is usually reserved for the final patch or two of the expansion.
The world revamp dream will never die!
Agreed. The customizations are definitely something that might have been part of the original scope of the patch. The backtracking stuff, not so much.
I had really hoped they give us at least little bit of story though, the blue post didn't mention anything in that regard. I guess it could come later, but I fear the lame cliffhanger will stand until next year. :/
- - - Updated - - -
Some little stuff to make the year long draught less awful is hardly exceptional or out of the question.
You are welcome, Metzen. I hope you won't fuck up my underground expansion idea.
There wasn't one for BfA so I fail to see why you should expect one if 9.2 is the final patch like I expect it is. Legion was a different time, the team was hot off the heels of a very successful expansion compared to the previous one. We are in a very very failed one at the moment.
The backtracking stuff always shows up towards the end of the expansion, had we known for sure whether we will get 2 more major patches then we could determine whether this is actually something out of the ordinary or not.
If SL has 2 more patches then all the backtracking is really early compared to the usual, if the expansion ends with the next major patch however then this is pretty much exactly what we would have usually gotten.
As for story I imagine there will be something. Though I assume it will likely just be a single quest or two in Oribos where Sylvanas says something, maybe a cinematic if we are lucky.
- - - Updated - - -
Yes and no, I suppose. There was a patch 8.3.7, but it only contained background system changes to prepare for SL.
Regardless I am more incliend to believe that was the exeption that proves the rule instead of a new precedent.
The world revamp dream will never die!
The perception of the expansion has nothing to do with a .5 patch being made or not. Considering Shadowlands is shaping up to be a shorter expansion, I see no reason why they wouldn't want to squeeze out a 9.2.5 maybe with allied races, heritage armor, or more customizations.
I'll contest and say that if they were playing a gambit on getting people back for SL, it will not be with a .x.5 patch but a full on .x patch, aka 9.2. 9.1.5 is necessary insofar as to build goodwill again after the broken trust between devs and players. They will likely be wanting to hedge most of their bets with 9.2, and then focus on 10.0.
Another thought exercise: If they have a decent amount of stuff ready at some point for a 9.2.5, why release this as part of a maligned expansion rather than part of a fresh and pristine future one? It makes more sense to include it as part of the 10.X package at that point. And if 9.2 is a huge failure and doesn't bring people and goodwill back, how much will a 9.2.5 really do?
Idk. I think a 9.2.5 is needed. Whether or not there is a 9.3, there will be a long time between 9.2 and whatever comes next. I think a 9.2.5. is needed to bridge the gap. They really can't tolerate another super long draught and .5 patches can add good stuff without it taking a lot of resources for them. As always: We just have to wait and see.
Because the end of expansion drought is long and boring, so if Blizzard has extra content they can slap on to keep interest up during the slowest part of an expansion then why shouldnt they? Say for instance it is a transmog change that players want, it's not like players will hate it just because it was part of SL instead of the new expansion.
The content added will be in the next expansion regardless, so why wait on the off chance it will boost sales by a tiny bit when instead they can keep numbers stable, and also still have it as a selling point for returning players later.
The world revamp dream will never die!