Dragonflight 10.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[Teriz]

I don’t understand why any of that matters in terms of what the character is given to be more formidable ?

Using that logic the same would apply for the majority of villains we fought so far.

Deathwing? Powered by N’Zoth

A building-tall dragon empowered by the titans BEFORE N'Zoth ever got a hold of him. In the Cataclysm cinematic, there's no N'Zoth power there, that's all Deathwing doing the damage.

Arthas? Powered by claiming Frostmourne and merging with Ner’zhul who was in tandem buffed up by The Jailer and Kil’jaeden.

Yes, becoming the Lich King, who led an army of undead.

Garrosh? Powered by by Y’Shaarj.

Sylvanas? The Jailer.

Perhaps the most relevant examples. Both leaders of the Horde, so they could use the Horde's resources to further their goals (Faction conflict).That gave them an established force to be reckoned with, a motivation (beat the Alliance), and gave some connection to the player. In the case of Nightsquall, we're just pulling a fleet out of thin air, and what is Nightsquall's purpose? From the tales, it just seems like he wants to be rich. Pirates aren't known to want to conquer the world, they prefer to control sea lanes and raid people.

Azshara? N’Zoth.

One of the most powerful mages to have ever lived, and a queen of an Elven empire. Corrupted by N'Zoth and turned into an undersea monster. Again, you're looking at an innately powerful character.

Kil’jaeden? Sargeras.

Same situation as Azshara.

The list goes on and I can just continue?

There is evidence in game that Nightsquall is amassing the largest fleet the world has ever seen. There is evidence in game that he is seeking out power and magical artifacts for his own purpose. He has just as much presence and information in game as your Ultron styled threat. Of which, wouldn’t he fit your pre-conceived notion of being granted power to make him more interesting and powerful based off who created him?

I’m confused by your point.

The point is that nothing in the tale of Nightsquall indicates that he's looking to conquer the world, or that he is even an evil character. What it says is that he's found some type of treasure and is recruiting other pirates to help him get it. It isn't a situation like The War where you have a clearly malevolent force doing something nefarious behind the scenes. Here it just seems like some greedy pirates looking to join this guy for a big payday.

Now, could Blizzard be making Nightsquall the major villain of the next expansion? Sure, anything is possible. However, something really seems missing from the concept.

Maybe it's motivation? Why is Nightsquall coming for the factions, or why do the factions need to stop Nightsquall?

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Can't wait for the cries of "Pirates in WoW? You're just copying Pirates of the Caribbean/Our Flag Means Death!"

I'm simply not convinced supernaturally powered pirates would be viewed as a viable threat. I've never seen media where pirates triggered an apocalypse. I have seen media where dragons, demons, kaiju, zombies, and robots have triggered the apocalypse though. That might be where the disconnect is coming from.

[Cheezits]

Now that I think about it, Avaloren would make sense as a titan themed final patch if they want to drop the reveal of what Azeroth really is without any Titan meddling/infusion. It lines up with what the Primalists want and can extend the story past the Dream.

It might be a little similar to Sepulcher though, in both tone and aesthetics (though Sepulcher was likely intentionally Titan/Ordery as seem to have some kind of connection)

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Tbh I think it was planned from the start since there were earth evoker abilities shown off on the VFX artist’s art station.

It’s probably a big reason why they redid the Evoker starting zone and completely cut the “pre-stasis” portion that was originally planned. (To give story reason as to why Evokers suddenly couldn’t augment others)

This brings up a good point, how will new Evokers do augmentation in the starting zone? can they only do the spec at 70?

[Teriz]

This brings up a good point, how will new Evokers do augmentation in the starting zone? can they only do the spec at 70?

Its given to you when you first select your specializations at the end of the starting zone, just like the other two.

[Berkilak]

New class in 11.0 is certainly possible. After all, we didnt get one 2 expansions in a row for the first time in BFA and SL.

If nothing else, Dragonflight has taught us that anything is possible and that "patterns" are solely our inventions rather than any kind of internal guiding principles.

[Cheezits]

If nothing else, Dragonflight has taught us that anything is possible and that "patterns" are solely our inventions rather than any kind of internal guiding principles.

It was a valid pattern for preSL WoW, but people forgot just how many times the devs have said "BFA/SL made us rethink literally everything about the game"

This is said in the recent Korean interview as well.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

It was a valid pattern for preSL WoW, but people forgot just how many times the devs have said "BFA/SL made us rethink literally everything about the game"

This is said in the recent Korean interview as well.

Sure but we already have a lot of classes.

[Teriz]

Sure but we already have a lot of classes.

No technology class though. Which is a mainstay in MMOs

I do believe after the technology class is introduced, we're more than likely done with new classes, because by that point every theme will be filled.

[Nathanyel]

You can find it here.

Ah, Staats, that's why I wasn't aware of this. I'd even take the validity of that South Seas mention with a grain of salt, might be accurate, might've been just one idea among many floated around until they settled on Outland, although he likely told the truth about the server load.

[Teriz]

Tinker doesn't sound all that interesting imo.

Bard class for life.

Augmentation Evoker is either WoW's answer for a Bard class, or is going to lead to the Bard getting implemented in the future.

We'll see.

[Teriz]

What's good about fantasy is that everything is possible and there is no limit. I mean, all the classes that we got already existed in the lore until today with evokers that are totally new and that no one would have guessed.

I did. Albeit I thought we'd get quadrupedal instead of bipedal dragons.

They could give us tinkers, necromancers, void cultists, night warriors, or any other class never seen before. Also, with the same source of magic, we can create entirely different classes:

- Light: Paladin/Priest
- Fel: Warlock/DH
- Elements: Shaman/Mage

And many others. The only limit is the imagination.

Now at what stage will they stop coming out of classes? When there will be 20, 30...?

Yeah, I don't see that happening. I truly think we're heading to the end of new classes. The design space will continue to constrict, and class distinctiveness will begin to evaporate. Most of the things you listed can be inserted into existing classes.

[Nathanyel]

Augmentation Evoker is either WoW's answer for a Bard class, or is going to lead to the Bard getting implemented in the future.

One issue I see with Bards as just that class: would they use an entirely new 'weapon' type, an instrument? After DHs I'd be really against that. Or would the instrument just be customization, technically a doodad like Outlaw's Pistol, only showing for certain skills, while regular combat uses regular weapon types?

Also, it's not a new idea, but what if "Bard" (fighting musician) and "Tinker" (uses lasers and deploys turrets) were two specs of the same class? Mostly linked by the tangential use of ranged weapons, as the game definitely needs more users of these items.
Bundled together because they are concepts where there are difficulties finding distinct specs, but the ideas are interesting, and a one-spec class would be shit.

[Nymrohd]

One issue I see with Bards as just that class: would they use an entirely new 'weapon' type, an instrument? After DHs I'd be really against that. Or would the instrument just be customization, technically a doodad like Outlaw's Pistol, only showing for certain skills, while regular combat uses regular weapon types?

Also, it's not a new idea, but what if "Bard" (fighting musician) and "Tinker" (uses lasers and deploys turrets) were two specs of the same class? Mostly linked by the tangential use of ranged weapons, as the game definitely needs more users of these items.
Bundled together because they are concepts where there are difficulties finding distinct specs, but the ideas are interesting, and a one-spec class would be shit.

I really don't see why not just add Bard as a support spec for rogue.

[Teriz]

One issue I see with Bards as just that class: would they use an entirely new 'weapon' type, an instrument? After DHs I'd be really against that. Or would the instrument just be customization, technically a doodad like Outlaw's Pistol, only showing for certain skills, while regular combat uses regular weapon types?

You simply have swords, maces, and axes also be guitars;



Then you can use these instruments just like standard weapons;

Also, it's not a new idea, but what if "Bard" (fighting musician) and "Tinker" (uses lasers and deploys turrets) were two specs of the same class? Mostly linked by the tangential use of ranged weapons, as the game definitely needs more users of these items.
Bundled together because they are concepts where there are difficulties finding distinct specs, but the ideas are interesting, and a one-spec class would be shit.

That would certainly be a novel idea..... Not sure fans of either concept would like that much.

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It is not WoW's answer for shit. It could be a good tie in for Bard tho.

TBF, we would need a hero character (outside of the ETC) for a Bard class to make sense. I don't think most players want an ETC style Bard, and I don't believe that Blizzard wants the standard lute toting Bard from D&D.

Like I said, we'll see, but if there IS a Bard class on the horizon I have a sinking suspicion that you can look to the current Hearthstone expansion for a preview of a future Bard class in WoW.

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Again, the only limit here is your imagination.

And design space. Have we truly learned nothing from what happened with Warlocks, Metamorphosis, and Demon Hunters?

[Teriz]

We literally have a Heavy Metal band and other Bards in universe outside of the Darkmoon Faire. I think we'll be fine.

I have no issue with it, but some Bard advocates really do, since they’re into the more traditional “Pied Piper” version.

[Ersula]

Does anyone else remember before 10.0 Teriz was THE adamant Bard denier, and has done a complete 180 now that Augementation Evokers were revealed?

[loras]

Did you lot catch this one yet?
My sister's girlfriend's ex's brother's aunt whispered me some stuff about presently cooking developing stuff.

It's all very "subject to change" but nerubians, dragons and old gods oh my.

Turns out the scythid are related to the nerubians somehow, zaralek is testing the waters for underground zones, dragon isles is connected to Northrend, Azjol Nerub reaches to it. And old god shenanigans.

A bit hazy on the rest, but i think that's just my memory fucking itself over as usual.
Might remember more (dunno if there is more mind you), might hear more.

Peace.

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Does anyone else remember before 10.0 Teriz was THE adamant Bard denier, and has done a complete 180 now that Augementation Evokers were revealed?

I have seen that guy have braindead back-and-forths for months at a time on 20+ pages. He's neither dumb nor insane but there's nonetheless quite some stuff that is differently wired even by my quite "neurodivergent" standards.

So i'd take his convictions not so much with a grain of salt as with an indefinite collection of asterixes****.

[Darkarath]

I think that Blizzard definitively has tons of ideas for new classes that could come in the future. The problem might be their implementation. I do not think that they would have problems finding new gameplay mechanics for those classes, but once a class is implemented is there forever. There are many systems in which Blizzard would have to take them into account, it would always give them a substantial amount of extra work.

Anyway, at some point I am sure that at least we would get another class, and for sure we would get new specs, probably in 11.0.

What I think they should do (and it seems that they will) is doubling down on customization. Warlocks pets is just the beginning. Skills customization is coming and hopefully class skins too. I honestly think that a good class skin system could bring more joy than new classes, especially taking into account that the talent system would probably get much crazier in the next expansion, allowing more ways to play our classes.

BTW, when Dracthyr are able to be other classes, do you believe that they would combat in their visage form all the time? There is no reason for them to switch forms unless they want to fly.

[Nightshade711]

Tinker doesn't sound all that interesting imo.

Bard class for life.

Tbh I think Bard should be a spec for Rogues.
I think the themes fit perfectly.

But I could be wrong, I thought Tinker was gonna be the next class added to the game because the island teams had enough for three specs and their abilities had typical “player only” attributes to them.
(Such as having level requirements, etc)

[Teriz]

Does anyone else remember before 10.0 Teriz was THE adamant Bard denier, and has done a complete 180 now that Augementation Evokers were revealed?

Where’s the 180? I still view the Bard class as unlikely due to the lack of a serious lore hero, and a viable expansion to introduce it into.

[Nightshade711]

It was a valid pattern for preSL WoW, but people forgot just how many times the devs have said "BFA/SL made us rethink literally everything about the game"

This is said in the recent Korean interview as well.

That’s actually a fair point.
Though I think the only way we’d see Tinkers (or any other new class) in 11.0 would be if they were already mostly finished.

Which could be the case for Tinkers if my theory of them being worked on but scrapped for BfA is true.