BfA Patch Speculation thread (8.3 and later).

[Blayze]

I have adjusted my expectations and am expecting the PTR to go up on Thursday. They don't usually post the development notes and then wait till the following week to throw up the PTR.

Maybe the surprise was disappointment all along.

[benting]

Maybe the surprise was disappointment all along.

The adventure was the disappointments we had along the way.

[Throren]

Well...RIP PTR this week

[Marlamin]

Well...RIP PTR this week

Still 2 days to go!

[oathy]

Just wondering if the storyline is going to be so shocking when Datamined
Wait till late friday and allow the weekend to take the heat.

[Shampro]

I stopped expecting any sort of REAL ''plot twist'' in BFA. It's been the most predicatable shit so far, and not in a good way.

Even Eternal Palace was pretty so-so, not even going to mention the War campaign.

[DeicideUH]

Well...RIP PTR this week

It is coming this week. Probably tomorrow.

But I'm bummed. I was expecting something August 1st to begin with and tried to not get too anxious about it until then.
With that unexpected monday announcement, Blizzard left me anxious anyway for three days.

[Pigglix]

Dont the PTR usually come up on thursdays/fridays or am i messing stuff up?

[Bindanda]

I thought they normally came on a Thursday as well

[DeicideUH]

Dont the PTR usually come up on thursdays/fridays or am i messing stuff up?

Lately, they've indeed come out on thursdays, which is why I was expecting to see 8.2.5 in August 1st.

But it wasn't always like this, and Blizz can change it any moment.

[Nyel]

Just wondering if the storyline is going to be so shocking when Datamined
Wait till late friday and allow the weekend to take the heat.

Shocking? The only shocking story thing in BfA is how bad the story is. Not even the burning of Teldrassil has been shocking.

What shocking thing could happen? Sylvanas dies? She’ll attack Thunder Bluff or Stormwind? It’s all pretty pointless. Shocking would be something like Sylvanas kills Anduin or Jaina but that’s never going to happen.

[Sarethion]

What shocking thing could happen?

Sylvanas goes hippie and starts preaching universal peace and love

Seriously though - the main reason why Teldrassil wasn't that shocking was because Blizzard told us way ahead of time that it will happen, we just didn't know how or on whose orders. If I remember right, most people considered Sylvanas as a possible candidate for the "who" part, so when the burning actually happened, it wasn't really shocking as we already knew that it would happened and that Sylvanas might be responsible.

That said, if Blizzard only told us that the Horde will attack the Night Elves and we found out what happens in-game, that would definetely be shocking, i.e. it wasn't that the event itself was unurprising - it's just Blizzard spoiling their actually surprising plot points, while leaving those that are fairly predictable as the "big secret".

[Hitei]

Shocking? The only shocking story thing in BfA is how bad the story is. Not even the burning of Teldrassil has been shocking.

What shocking thing could happen? Sylvanas dies? She’ll attack Thunder Bluff or Stormwind? It’s all pretty pointless. Shocking would be something like Sylvanas kills Anduin or Jaina but that’s never going to happen.

Not really any particular reason it couldn't. Jaina in particular is in a fair amount of danger because her plot has come full circle. She's found peace with Theramore, peace with what happened to her father, peace with her country, mother and brother. Peace with Arthas, Varian, etc; and a resolution with the Horde. In other words she risks not having any more relevancy outside of this expansion. With Kul Tiras no longer front stage (and plenty of secondary people like Taelia or Cyrus to hang around as diplomats of Kul Tiras to the Alliance), Theramore gone, and Dalaran under secure leadership of a new council and Khadgar, there isn't anything for her to do or be involved in. That is a perfect storm for being killed off.

Whether more interesting things happen largely depends on Blizzard. It would be neat to see Forsaken assassins start taking shots at Horde players who sided with Saurfang.

[Pheraz]

Lately, they've indeed come out on thursdays, which is why I was expecting to see 8.2.5 in August 1st.

But it wasn't always like this, and Blizz can change it any moment.

I hope so... Want to know some of the new war campaign.

((( saw your posts and within your armory... It looks like I'm not the only elf nerd around )))

[Sarethion]

Not really any particular reason it couldn't.

I believe that if Blizzard wanted to kill off Jaina, she would have died in the raid.

Besides, while her "war" plot is in fact done, she was present in Nazjatar where she formed some sort of understanding with Lor'themar and saw N'zoth being released. She also helped liberate Baine from Sylvanas dungeon. That's 2 storylines she could be a part of.

Or in the worst case scenario she can just stay a Kul'tiran racial leader - most of them don't really do anything interesting anyway

[Hitei]

I believe that if Blizzard wanted to kill off Jaina, she would have died in the raid.

Besides, while her "war" plot is in fact done, she was present in Nazjatar where she formed some sort of understanding with Lor'themar and saw N'zoth being released. She also helped liberate Baine from Sylvanas dungeon. That's 2 storylines she could be a part of.

Or in the worst case scenario she can just stay a Kul'tiran racial leader - most of them don't really do anything interesting anyway

She needed to resolve her issues with the Horde. She wasn't going to die to random Horde players without settling things with Thrall. That isn't two storylines "she could be a part of" that's two storylines she already was a part of. Hence my point, her story is now nearly over and she could easily be killed off soon.

[Sarethion]

That isn't two storylines "she could be a part of" that's two storylines she already was a part of.

These storylines are still going, though, so since Jaina was already involved in them, I could totally see her being a part of them going forward.

Then there's also Derek and what Sylvanas did to him, which kinda does make the war story relevant for Jaina too as she might want to get revenge on Sylvanas for abusing her brother.

Don't get me wrong - most of Jaina's stories are done, sure, but there are a few more that she could still be involved in. Not that I'm really happy about it, because - to be fair - as an Alliance player I'm getting kinda tired of seeing Jaina almost everywhere in this expansion.

[Chickat]

8.2.5 tomorrow or we riot.

[Hitei]

These storylines are still going, though, so since Jaina was already involved in them, I could totally see her being a part of them going forward.

???? Going foward where? The Lor'themar thing is over. It was a temporary ceasefire to defeat Azshara and Azshara is defeated. She isn't going to go move in with the Blood Elves. The Baine storyline is exactly what we are talking about, her fighting Sylvanas and potentially dying.

[Nathanyel]

I believe that if Blizzard wanted to kill off Jaina, she would have died in the raid.

This is also why I don't think the Faction War will survive this expansion.
If they wanted a "guess we'll ve doing this forever", what better way than to have Horde kill their previously staunchest supporter on the Alliance side, to establish that lasting hatred.
Killing Rastakhan, while tragic, doesn't escalate the H:A conflict per se, it's just an Alliance win.