BfA Patch Speculation thread (8.3 and later).

[Raetary]

Also, @Nyel, we'll probably have to admit that 8.3 will likely happen. Because the transcript for the T&E's video on the front page includes this:

"By the end of 8.3 you will probably have 4 minor essences and possibly 2 major."

Although the real contention was always regarding whether 8.3 will be something fairly big (like 5.3 or 7.3) or fairly token (like whatever was that WotLK patch with the Ruby Sanctum), and all arguments in favor of 8.3 being perhaps closer to "token" stand.

Taliesen said that they expect everyone to have about 6 essences by the end of the first week.
Not by the end of patch 8.3

They mistyped the front page.

The System would be abnormal if you end up with just 6 essences after another year.

[Dracullus]

If you want (not direct) confirmation for 8.3 in T&E video, check 57:55. Don't need more, unless you think that either T&E or Ion lied, in that case I can't help you.

[Fahrad Wagner]

When do you guys think the PTR will be up this week? My hope is for Tuesday or Wednesday. Monday would be a nice surprise though!

[Raetary]

When do you guys think the PTR will be up this week? My hope is for Tuesday or Wednesday. Monday would be a nice surprise though!

I doubt they are gonna wait til thursday after that info-dump.

Tuesday it is!

[Nathanyel]

we won't know if that leak's right till we get the ptr next week.

there's too much information there that wasn't in the reveal, because it's story stuff.

imo, if they get the "drowning" affix right, then that means the leak is right.

Ultimately, you can't trust any leak, even if parts of it (that weren't obvious or well-known speculation) turned out to be right.

People always assume these leaks are first-hand, and not reused information. Maybe some parts are even real leaks via a friend of a friend of a friend etc. but padded with the current person's speculation, either just to insert their own assumptions or to protect the leaker, if a direct friend.

[rda]

Taliesen said that they expect everyone to have about 6 essences by the end of the first week.
Not by the end of patch 8.3

They mistyped the front page.

The System would be abnormal if you end up with just 6 essences after another year.

I guess they mistyped the front page indeed but I interpreted the item as:

"By the end of 8.3 you will probably have 4 minor essence slots and possibly 2 major."

...anyway, so it made sense to me.

Since you seemed to be saying that the typo might be elsewhere I went to check the video and I was able to find where they talk about both "expect players to have about 6 essences at the end or the first week" (this was somewhere around 6:00, I think) and "by the end of 8.3 we'll likely have 4 minor slots and maybe an extra major (so, 2 major)" (~17:00). So, my interpretation was correct.

Although this did sound like T&E theorizing about what might happen rather than anything said by Blizzard, even as a possibility. I didn't find out for sure because I stopped listening the moment the topic switched away from azerite to something else as (please forgive me, everyone, for saying this, but I cannot bear it) T&E's stupid exaggerated enthusiasm -- with him talking about "synergy" without showing anything like that in a limited pool of effing big cooldowns, and excitedly exclaiming (with joyful tears, no less) that the system is really, really good because apparently you can swap essences in and out and even between slots (wow, imagine that) -- was becoming unbearable.

Ah, well. Sum total: it was about slots, they meant 8.3 and this, together with other things (yes, thank for the 57:55, too) means we'll have 8.3.

(Going back to being not grumpy, have to stay away from T&E or I go grumpy real fast.)

---

PS: Who do we message to clarify the item on the front page? Let's try it inline:

@Stoy - suggested clarification for the front page - under "Taliesin and Evitel Patch 8.2 Information".

This: "By the end of 8.3 you will probably have 4 minor essences and possibly 2 major."
Should read as: "By the end of 8.3 you will probably have 4 minor essence slots and possibly 2 major."
Source: T&E's video, ~17:00

[Sarethion]

Taliesen said that they expect everyone to have about 6 essences by the end of the first week.

They've meant essence slots, not essences that you have unlocked.

[Alga]

Yeah, Tuesday would be best way. And it would sound kinda weird if we talk about a first week of PTR if opened on a Thursday or Friday.

[Raetary]

@rda @Sarethion

nvm, i missed this line on the front page

Blizzard expects people to have about 6 different essences unlocked by the end of the first week.

@rda is right, at min. 17 they talk about future essence slots past 8.2
I seem to have missed that when i was watching the vid and then mistook the last line on the front page, for the one above.

[Nize]

When do you guys think the PTR will be up this week? My hope is for Tuesday or Wednesday. Monday would be a nice surprise though!

I think Monday, but mostly because of what Taliesin said in his video in 58:00

"I have read, as all of you will on Monday..."

I believe he may be in the know of when it drops, and he slipped there. He did try to go back on this a few seconds later scrambling saying maybe Wednesday or Thursday.

[Sarethion]

I am pretty sure they meant the opposite. You will only be able to get 3 slots throughout 8.2 and they felt it unlikely you will have the third slot in time for the raid even if you grinded like mad.

Sorry, I've worded it poorly.

What I've meant was that you are going to get extra SLOTS by the end of 8.3 compared to 1+2 we will get in 8.2. As for the amount of essences that we'll get - no idea, but I can totally see us unlocking like 6 or so in the first week and a lot more as 8.2 goes on. And future patches will likely add more.

- - - Updated - - -

"I have read, as all of you will on Monday..."

Didn't he say something like "as all of you will on Monday or whenever the patch hits PTR next week"?

I don't think Taliesin is in the know - I think it's not a matter of Blizzard holding back the PTR to hit some specific date. I think they just have some minor prepr work to do and likely don't really know what day of the week they're going to finish it. Either that or they are ready, but simply didn't want to launch the PTR just before the weekend.

What's more interesting to me is that from what T&E and other community figures said, it would appear that 8.2 PTR is pretty far along in development, so maybe we're looking at a shorter PTR this time around?

[Nyel]

- - - Updated - - -

Also, @Nyel, we'll probably have to admit that 8.3 will likely happen. Because the transcript for the T&E's video on the front page includes this:

"By the end of 8.3 you will probably have 4 minor essences and possibly 2 major."

Although the real contention was always regarding whether 8.3 will be something fairly big (like 5.3 or 7.3) or fairly token (like whatever was that WotLK patch with the Ruby Sanctum), and all arguments in favor of 8.3 being perhaps closer to "token" stand.

Yeah, there will be 8.3 most likely. I was very much favouring some sort of WoD cut during BfA because this expansion - in my opinion - is just awful and irredeemable (which makes me incredibly sad because Azshara was always my most favored enemy to fight and Kul'Tiras my most favorite place to visit in WoW).

The question now indeed is the scope of 8.3 and I already pointed out why I find it highly unlikely that it will be somewhere near 7.3 or 8.2 alone due to timing (when we expect the next expansion again in summer and not in November 2020) and how slow Blizzard is at the moment. I mean it's not unlikely that 8.3 and maybe 8.3.5 will be quite shy of content and are just used as a transition to 9.0. We'll have to wait and see.

[huth]

we won't know if that leak's right till we get the ptr next week.

It's dead. At this point it's just known knowns and random guessing.

Drowning is a stupid idea anyway. Either it can only target DPS, or it's just going to randomly wipe the group. And even then it would result in random unavoidable deaths. That's not interesting gameplay.
It also collides with Blizzard's mention of the Season 3 affix being "single target focused".

[Fahrad Wagner]

Fingers crossed for tomorrow! GoT episode in the morning and then a PTR patch would make this Monday quite a good day!

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Imagine peace summit, where Saurfang and Baine are negotiating details of peace with Anduin, when suddenly Tyrande appears out of nowhere to shoot Saurfang as she's still mad since she spared his life before Teldrassil, but he arrows hits another target...Zappyboi and he dies. This will definitely justify the conflict for the Horde peacelovers.

Zappyboi puts himself in front of Saurfang.

That way everybody looks competent at least.

- - - Updated - - -

Fingers crossed for tomorrow! GoT episode in the morning and then a PTR patch would make this Monday quite a good day!

I'm expecting Wednesday personally.

[Fahrad Wagner]

Zappyboi puts himself in front of Saurfang.

That way everybody looks competent at least.

- - - Updated - - -



I'm expecting Wednesday personally.

Sounds more reasonable, but who knows?

[AngerFork]

The question now indeed is the scope of 8.3 and I already pointed out why I find it highly unlikely that it will be somewhere near 7.3 or 8.2 alone due to timing (when we expect the next expansion again in summer and not in November 2020) and how slow Blizzard is at the moment. I mean it's not unlikely that 8.3 and maybe 8.3.5 will be quite shy of content and are just used as a transition to 9.0. We'll have to wait and see.

I suspect it will be greatly cut back, not near the scope of 8.2. Blizz seems to give us one large solid patch per expansion with others not quite the same size (Firelands, Isle of Thunder, Argus are the three that immediately come to mind). Plus, given that 7.3.5 was largely a lead in to BfA, 8.3.5 likely will be more about leading us into 9.0 than much BfA related items.

My guess is we get a warfront, a fairly small zone expanding on the daily quest ideas shown in Nazjatar, and a 10-12 boss raid that closes out the war while leading us into something like the Black Empire or K'aresh for 9.0. Probably in November or December, with 8.3.5 somewhere around Feb/March to give us a pre-order bonus for the next expansion.

[Raetary]

Fingers crossed for tomorrow! GoT episode in the morning and then a PTR patch would make this Monday quite a good day!

Lets celebrate this week by rewriting the mottos from all the major Westerosi houses into PTR fashion.

I'll start:

Arryn - As High as Cutting Edge
Stark - PTR is coming
Lannister - Hear me use my Potion
Tully - Raid, Dungeon, PVP
Targaryen - Mana and Health
Tyrell - Growing Item lvl
Martell - Undamaged, Unused, AFK
Greyjoy - We do not wipe (quite ironic)
Baratheon - Ours is the Loot

[Aeluron Lightsong]

I suspect it will be greatly cut back, not near the scope of 8.2. Blizz seems to give us one large solid patch per expansion with others not quite the same size (Firelands, Isle of Thunder, Argus are the three that immediately come to mind). Plus, given that 7.3.5 was largely a lead in to BfA, 8.3.5 likely will be more about leading us into 9.0 than much BfA related items.

My guess is we get a warfront, a fairly small zone expanding on the daily quest ideas shown in Nazjatar, and a 10-12 boss raid that closes out the war while leading us into something like the Black Empire or K'aresh for 9.0. Probably in November or December, with 8.3.5 somewhere around Feb/March to give us a pre-order bonus for the next expansion.

There's no indication of 8.3 being small other then from ONE person who was already thinking there wouldn't be an 8.3

[Fahrad Wagner]

Lets celebrate this week by rewriting the mottos from all the major Westerosi houses into PTR fashion.

I'll start:

Arryn - As High as Cutting Edge
Stark - PTR is coming
Lannister - Hear me use my Potion
Tully - Raid, Dungeon, PVP
Targaryen - Mana and Health
Tyrell - Growing Item lvl
Martell - Undamaged, Unused, AFK
Greyjoy - We do not wipe (quite ironic)
Baratheon - Ours is the Loot

House Stark: Leaks are coming.

I just can't wait to seeeee all those new models from 8.2! And to see that water wall from upclose!