BfA Patch Speculation thread (8.3 and later).

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Perhaps, but Blizz has not exactly put forth extra effort to remove weird things like this in the past. Anyone leveling a Horde Allied Race has seen the mass confusion regarding what Warchief you have when that while weird has not really been addressed in game. Mekkatorque at this point (until 8.2.5) is also still in the Alliance Embassy, not encased in ice or anything like that.

It may well just be some innocent clean up and/or just getting Sylvanas out of there, but the way things have changed with so many leaders now gone from the embassy alongside all the encryption given Blizz's previous history on cleaning issues like this up IMO seem to hint at something pretty major.

Yeah Blizz deciding to mess up the timeline and THEN take their hands off it and say "Whatever will be will be" is exactly why we're in this position of everyone feeling we needed a revamp in 8.0 already.

[Yarathir]

They already said there will be Alliance drama, which could come from Stormwind getting destroyed and/or Night Elves leaving the Alliance after they help free Orgrimmar.

I love how the only development players and Blizzard alike can conceive of for the Alliance is contrived infighting.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

I love how the only development players and Blizzard alike can conceive of for the Alliance is contrived infighting.

I feel like for players it runs deeper than just "development for the Alliance." It's folks looking for an excuse to blow up factions, looking for a way to make Sylvanas seem "not that bad," or just trying to justify that one leak that said there'd be said infighting.

[Shampro]

I love how the only development players and Blizzard alike can conceive of for the Alliance is contrived infighting.

Sounds like the Horde. Blizzard has never done that for the Alliance.

[MrExcelion]

Mekkatorque at this point (until 8.2.5) is also still in the Alliance Embassy, not encased in ice or anything like that.

It may well just be some innocent clean up and/or just getting Sylvanas out of there, but the way things have changed with so many leaders now gone from the embassy alongside all the encryption given Blizz's previous history on cleaning issues like this up IMO seem to hint at something pretty major.

Yeah, good point on Mekkatorque too. The Embassies did need cleaning up, especially as they will add at least one more race pair and you'll still see him there

Like Angerfork said though, I think Ji and Aysa should be together even if Pandaren seem like the most diplomatic and timeless pick (since they haven't been involved in anything lately unlike Mekka and Syl)

Even if it's a one-off zone or raid, I hope they add something related to Pandaren again, and uses their architecture and other environmental elements

[TaliaKirana]

All the heavy encryption going on, something big is probably going down in this patch. Since the .5 patches have been the ones that advanced the faction story the most, I'm thinking we will see it resolved in 8.2.5 so we can focus on N'zoth for 8.3.

[Yarathir]

I feel like for players it runs deeper than just "development for the Alliance." It's folks looking for an excuse to blow up factions, looking for a way to make Sylvanas seem "not that bad," or just trying to justify that one leak that said there'd be said infighting.

You're probably not too far off.

- - - Updated - - -

Sounds like the Horde. Blizzard has never done that for the Alliance.

To be honest, whenever these "what is the heart of the Horde" narratives come about, the Alliance tend to be background players, extras.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

You're probably not too far off.

We didn't really need it and I doubt it will be as bad as people put it(Lets see how much age this post gets). Having said that, Sylvanas will survive BFA IMO


That doesn't mean she'll win.

[Nagawithlegs]

People that want to permakill Sylvanas are shit out of luck (the Jaina fight where she escapes kind of sealed Sylvanases fate there, it'll be the same damn thing) but she'll 100% "lose" to the player character in one way or another.

[Yarathir]

We didn't really need it and I doubt it will be as bad as people put it(Lets see how much age this post gets). Having said that, Sylvanas will survive BFA IMO


That doesn't mean she'll win.

If she doesn't get chased out of the Horde which ends with her having to go into hiding to "live" another day at the very least, then this whole expansion will be one bad joke.

[Nagawithlegs]

If she doesn't get chased out of the Horde which ends with her having to go into hiding to "live" another day at the very least, then this whole expansion will be one bad joke.

Pretty sure she will get kicked out of the Horde in the Durotar Warfront, then we smack her around in the 8.3 raid in a boss fight, THEN she goes into hiding.

[Yarathir]

Pretty sure she will get kicked out of the Horde in the Durotar Warfront, then we smack her around in the 8.3 raid in a boss fight, THEN she goes into hiding.

Anything less than that would probably be too funny of a joke.

[Rae888]

I can't see any way it's NOT Alliance/Horde teamup vs Sylvanas.

That might be why it's not revealed by Blizzard: it would be a HUGE story beat as well as maybe a new mechanic (Alliance teaming up with Horde in PVE).

This is more or less my guess at the moment too. Some story/feature is happening in 8.2.5 that is going to heavily spoil a story/feature coming in 9.0, and the 8.2.5 part will be timegated to release after the blizzcon expansion announcement.

They could be even more ambitious and make the faction merge/cooperation/whatever start in 8.3.

[Nagawithlegs]

This is more or less my guess at the moment too. Some story/feature is happening in 8.2.5 that is going to heavily spoil a story/feature coming in 9.0, and the 8.2.5 part will be timegated to release after the blizzcon expansion announcement.

They could be even more ambitious and make the faction merge/cooperation/whatever start in 8.3.

I actually don't think they'll timegate the faction team-up event, but they ARE going to "timegate" the reveal of it for as long as possible, because they want to market BFA as a faction war expansion for as long as possible.

The second they show that Alliance and Horde are teaming up for the Durotar warfront that all goes out the window, so they are going to postpone the reveal for as long as possible. But there's no way they are going to be able to hide the Warfront and what you do during it until November.

[benting]

I actually don't think they'll timegate the faction team-up event, but they ARE going to "timegate" the reveal of it for as long as possible, because they want to market BFA as a faction war expansion for as long as possible.

The second they show that Alliance and Horde are teaming up for the Durotar warfront that all goes out the window, so they are going to postpone the reveal for as long as possible. But there's no way they are going to be able to hide the Warfront and what you do during it until November.

I still find it weird that something would be marketed as the exact opposite of what it is.

[Nagawithlegs]

I still find it weird that something would be marketed as the exact opposite of what it is.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Faction War shit was meant to drum up nostalgia and interest in Classic (or at least the Faction v Faction focus of Classic) at the expense of Retail fan happiness (with the stupid writing meant to keep Sylvanas and the War going at the expense of everything else).

Then, when Classic is out, they shift into the "Faction War will never happen again lol" phase because they are taking Retail in a very different direction and don't have to alienate "its WARcraft" fans (as they can just play Classic)

The timing of the supposed Alliance/Horde teamup (a month after Classic launches) is really suspicious.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

..Doubt it will be a big change. I can see us chatting with Horde John and vice versa.

[Nagawithlegs]

..Doubt it will be a big change. I can see us chatting with Horde John and vice versa.

Yeah, people that honestly think they are getting rid of Alliance and Horde are in for a disappointment. It's going to be grouping together and a removal of the language barrier at the most.

Though I can see Durotar warfront being both Horde and Alliance like the Broken Shore event.

[spleen1015]

Wrathion's journal says it all. This whole time we've thought the Battle for Azeroth was Horde versus Alliance when it's true meaning was the battle between the playera and the big bad in 8.3. Blizz being deceptive.

[huth]

Wrathion's journal says it all. This whole time we've thought the Battle for Azeroth was Horde versus Alliance when it's true meaning was the battle between the playera and the big bad in 8.3. Blizz being deceptive.

Maybe you did. Others realised that Battle for Azeroth can have more than one meaning well before it released.