Midnight 12.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[Teriz]

But, that's kind of the problem. Because 'elemental expansion' is.... We already know what that is.

Well we don't, because Blizzard could push the concept in directions we currently can't anticipate.

We've already dealt with the Elemental Lords in Cata and Legion, there isn't much of a storyline to continue there. They're all generally passive at this point and the various Issues they had are dealt with. What storyline is there left to deal with?

I'd imagine that the storyline will reveal itself more in a few weeks when BlizzCon happens, because we don't know how Dragonflight is going to resolve itself.

Worgen and goblins don't have anything to do with an elemental expansion, they were forced out by techtonic behavior and dealing with that (Which, frankly, would only happen in the event of Kezan ending up a city, Gilneas is probably doomed because there's no reason to add an Alliance only city Kezup near Lordaren). Frankly "Its a world revamp and the elements are causing issues AGAIN" is going to feel like such a retread of Cata that its going to be dunked on. Plus, well, Cata wasn't a popular expansion. Sure there's less popular, but its still generally regarded as the 'this is where things went bad'

Yeah like I said, Kezan and Gilneas are likely to be resolved already by the time 11.0 begins. Again, it's a resolution of the events that began in Cataclysm. Kezan itself lends itself to Undermine that can be used as a jumping off point, or as the location for the core of the expansion. Considering that this is beginning to look like an expansion based on elements, Undermine is looking to be more of a neutral hub for both factions to enter deeper areas of the planet.

I believe that the expansion being underground would avoid making the expansion feel like a retread of Cataclysm.

[Harbour]

Narrative principles have never been relevant when it came to Blizz writing.

Because they never failed to let the steam breath out. Set ups for the story and story itself never had too many expansions in between.
MoP set up Old Gods stuff for BFA, and there were two expansions in between.
TBC and WoD set up Legion stuff for Legion, and it happened next expansion (or 4 expansions since TBC).
Shadowlands stuff was built up since BFA and happened next expansion.
Light is bad was kickstarted in Legion, then continued in Mag'har questline and Scarlet Crusade messages in BFA, then echoed in Revendreth in SL. In DF it was more about Tyr, not the Light itself, and more about the Void, so its another 4 expansions of the build up.
I doubt they will spend 5th expansion in a row building up Light and Void.

[ZyntosAran]

https://twitter.com/Qwik/status/1707736816164778090

Cata classic or Cata 2.0 confirmed. /s

[hipolnalrt]

https://twitter.com/Qwik/status/1707736816164778090

Cata classic or Cata 2.0 confirmed. /s

He liked the comment saying that Cataclysm classic looks dope.

[pacotaco]

Pretty sure at the time we didn’t know that the Drust were related to the realm of Death. We assumed they were related to the Dream as some of the Drust had founded the Thirnspeakers which were Kul Tiran Druids. Though I may be wrong and misremembering if it was confirmed they were Death related at the time.

The Bwonsamdi storyline was pretty much small fry. Certainly not enough for it to be considered the secondary theme of an expansion. It was a HvA expansion with the Old Gods as the secondary theme.

If I remember correctly, the Thornspeakers were originally Drust. But while most of the Drust turned to Death for power, a small section of them turned to Life and become the first Thornspeakers.

[Harbour]

I deciphered Blizzcon map

[KurtMash]

https://twitter.com/Qwik/status/1707736816164778090

Cata classic or Cata 2.0 confirmed. /s

Or maybe some sort of Armageddon Expansion. In order to lure the Titans, Iridikron redirects An'shuul on a collision path with Azeroth and we gotta give it Bruce Willis treatment. Every weekly reset, the comet on the night sky gets bigger and bigger, Majora's Mask style until in the final patch we land on the void-corrupted surface of An'shuul, with the final raid revolving around making it explode before it crashes into Azeroth :O Now we be fighting celestial bodies

[Nebron]

I deciphered Blizzcon map

Great job mate.

[Murlocos]

When it comes to analyzing setups and payoffs, I think we should all remember that SL was supposed to be the payoff of BfA being framed as one big setup, and we can see how that turned out. Amirdrassil is the payoff of a plot that started over five years ago and ran across three expansions that demanded continual screentime and focus.

Do you think it will feel like it was worth all that effort in the end? Is there going to be a sense of genuine weight and gravitas at the end of this road, or is it going to be brushed aside quickly? It's a question to keep in mind when deliberating over another lingering plot thread that you've been assured will all be worth it by the end.

[vintage79]

Void vs Light
Elemental Lords
Awakening
Reborn

Classic+
Cataclysm+ or -
Ogres, gnolls, murlocks or high elves

we go back or start again, as Garrosh once said "times change"

[Teriz]

When it comes to analyzing setups and payoffs, I think we should all remember that SL was supposed to be the payoff of BfA being framed as one big setup, and we can see how that turned out. Amirdrassil is the payoff of a plot that started over five years ago and ran across three expansions that demanded continual screentime and focus.

Do you think it will feel like it was worth all that effort in the end? Is there going to be a sense of genuine weight and gravitas at the end of this road, or is it going to be brushed aside quickly? It's a question to keep in mind when deliberating over another lingering plot thread that you've been assured will all be worth it by the end.

I'm willing to bet that the sword in Silithus will be dealt with in 11.0. I also wouldn't be surprised if Azerite and its effects on machines plays a large role in 11.0 as well.

[Ersula]

I'm willing to bet that the sword in Silithus will be dealt with in 11.0. I also wouldn't be surprised if Azerite and its effects on machines plays a large role in 11.0 as well.

Things people have been saying in every speculation thread since Legion(TM)

Well we don't, because Blizzard could push the concept in directions we currently can't anticipate.

If they couldn't do a whole expansion about the Old Gods I doubt that. I thought you understood this when ALL DRAGONFLIGHT RAIDS HAVE BEEN ELEMENTAL THEMED. Even they have to be tired of designing elemental crap by now.

The BlizzCon collections often had stuff thematically related to the next expansion

One time. The collection goodie bag had stuff thematically related to the next expansion exactly one time, faction airship mounts for the BFA announcement. It's just a Blizzard Elemental.

[Teriz]

Things people have been saying in every speculation thread since Legion(TM)

Well if the end goal is restoration of the planet, 11.0 would be a good opportunity to do it.

If they couldn't do a whole expansion about the Old Gods I doubt that. I thought you understood this when ALL DRAGONFLIGHT RAIDS HAVE BEEN ELEMENTAL THEMED. Even they have to be tired of designing elemental crap by now.

Aberrus was elemental themed? Only the Algamation Chamber bosses were elementals. Everything else was weird Neltharion experiments. Aberrus struck me more as black dragon/mad science-themed raid.

One time. The collection goodie bag had stuff thematically related to the next expansion exactly one time, faction airship mounts for the BFA announcement. It's just a Blizzard Elemental.

Alongside Thrall in the key art, and Elemental being the predicted theme of the next expansion by the Chinese predictor with a perfect track record. What's the next shoe to drop?

[Xilurm]

I'm willing to bet that the sword in Silithus will be dealt with in 11.0. I also wouldn't be surprised if Azerite and its effects on machines plays a large role in 11.0 as well.

What is there to be dealt with?

[Teriz]

What is there to be dealt with?

A giant sword sticking out of the side of the planet.

[Sondrelk]

I like all the wild theories we're all coming up with (some that are /s of course), and meanwhile in the real world it'll probably just be another dumb continent we stumble upon, where a disgruntled Xal'atath has opened up a portal to the Void.

I think we are in the second phase of leak speculation at this point.

First phase is everyone agrees on a reasonable location and/or theme for the next expansion. For this leak cycle backside of Azeroth or World Revamp.
Second phase is people get derailed by something. Looking way too deeply into a supposed hint. In this case goblins and the AI void leak.
Third phase is when Blizzcon is imminent, and we start getting the actual leaks. At that point it becomes a game of trying to justify the correct leaks into your preferred early leak.

At the end we usually get the obvious theme and location everyone agreed on initially.

[Xilurm]

A giant sword sticking out of the side of the planet.

Yeah and? The corruption is gone.

What about the massive hole that's in the middle of the ocean? That wasn't dealt with.

Why can't the sword be just another massive landmark that can last for thousands of years to come, just like anything else. Like imagine if the game was set during the War of the Ancients and during one of the expansions the Well of Eternity was created. I bet people would be asking the devs to do something about it. Or imagine if the game was set during the end of the Black Empire. I bet people would be asking if the devs forgot about all them Old Gods that were just imprisoned beneath the land but are clearly still alive.

The sword can be just any massive landmark that will be the stuff legends in a few thousands years. I don't see any reason to deal with it.

[Nightshade711]

Things people have been saying in every speculation thread since Legion(TM)

Hey if people say it enough EVENTUALLY it’ll happen and they can say they predicted it and were 100% right and they’re super geniuses.

[Sondrelk]

Hey if people say it enough EVENTUALLY it’ll happen and they can say they predicted it and were 100% right and they’re super geniuses.

My justified smugness when we eventually get a World Revamp will be a sight to behold!

[ImTheMizAwesome]

I think this sky-captain coat armor set that doesn't have anything else datamined than just the name is interesting.

We already have datamined trading post sets with textures and stuff that probably will rolled out within next few months or tied to some promotion, but this one added to 10.2 still doesn't have anything to show.