Midnight 12.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[Ersula]

That makes sense. It is interesting, though. The timing for 10.2 lines up more with 8.3, which was on PTR during BlizzCon and released after. Although, 10.2 is about a month further along, I acknowledge. 8.3 didn't release until the following January and 10.2 will likely release in November. I think we will at least have 10.2 minor patches. But I'm still not sold on 10.3 being a thing yet. I do think any remaining story content we see will be self-contained Dragon Isles stuff, otherwise the next expansion announcement would somewhat spoil it.

Yes, but the big difference here is BFA started mid August, but Dragonflight started late November. So in that sense, BFA would be exactly one raid tier ahead. And 8.3 testing didn't start till October, while 10.2 was up for testing a month earlier & Dragonflight patch testing windows have been smaller.

[Wangming]

The last thing this game needs is the player as a key figure in the lore.

Would you rather just tag along while others do the important stuff for you?

[Ersula]

Would you rather just tag along while others do the important stuff for you?

I think we can all agree we like it when we're present in major events, but pretending your personal character is this major mythical hero given a non-descript title like "The Mawwalker" or "Hero of Light" is cringe. Let the game acknowledge that there are many heroes in this world.

[Leowyld]

Would you rather just tag along while others do the important stuff for you?

It's one thing I like about FFXIV - don't worry I like WoW more, overall - you feel like a character in a story. And not just a convenient tool/soldier for the real characters of a story to use. But that is a matter of personal preference. Some people don't like that sort of thing, I guess. I'll even go further and say I like how Guild Wars 2 gives your character an actual voice and personality. I understand the merits of the silent protagonist philosophy, but it's sometimes refreshing to see an alternative.

[Dracullus]

Yeah, it being under the same key as the pre-order stuff only means it will decrypt at the same time (but it could show up in-game later on or at the same time), it doesn't mean you necessarily need to pre-order it to be actually available.

I think it will be achievement for some new content unlocked by pre-order - like AR for BfA or small quest for transmog from SL pre-order mount. Either special races for Algarian Stormrider mount (or all gryphon mounts) or just reward for completing any existing race with gryphon.

[Makorus]

I think we can all agree we like it when we're present in major events, but pretending your personal character is this major mythical hero given a non-descript title like "The Mawwalker" or "Hero of Light" is cringe. Let the game acknowledge that there are many heroes in this world.

Nothing is worse than playing second fiddle to characters that do absolutely nothing but get all the praise. It makes no sense whatsoever to be "just a nameless soldier!" at this point, and is probably the most immersion breaking thing in the game.

GW2 was like that: we were the sidekick to a character for most of the base game and it was ass. It has become better when the game acknowleged that yeah, you are a big deal.

[Grimbold21]

Would you rather just tag along while others do the important stuff for you?

I prefer the player to be a passing mention.

[Wangming]

Nothing is worse than playing second fiddle to characters that do absolutely nothing but get all the praise. It makes no sense whatsoever to be "just a nameless soldier!" at this point, and is probably the most immersion breaking thing in the game.

GW2 was like that: we were the sidekick to a character for most of the base game and it was ass. It has become better when the game acknowleged that yeah, you are a big deal.

This is what I like about SWTOR. Especially the class specific leveling experience. You really do actually feel like the main character. Plus it is something your class would do? Imagine being a Rogue and being forced to lead the Army of the Light or something retarded like that.

[ImTheMizAwesome]

I like being the hero and being mentioned in the game, it would be even better to tell off to some characters that you have to follow like a puppy for some questlines, so they atleast aknowledge that.

[Makorus]

This is what I like about SWTOR. Especially the class specific leveling experience. You really do actually feel like the main character. Plus it is something your class would do? Imagine being a Rogue and being forced to lead the Army of the Light or something retarded like that.

Yeah, that's the issue with WoW, I think. A lot of storylines are very, very faction or class-specific to a point where as a specific race/class/faction I would have to wonder why I even help?

GW2 always has a big ulterior motive even in terms of small stories. I don't necessarily participate in the Charr civil war, I do it because they allied themselves to an Elder Dragon. Is it an amazing plot device? Of course not. But at least it gives a reason for every single class or race to participate.

Not everything in WoW is an offender in that regard, but every single Tyrande questline as a Horde makes you go: Why am I even helping?

[Wangming]

Yeah, that's the issue with WoW, I think. A lot of storylines are very, very faction or class-specific to a point where as a specific race/class/faction I would have to wonder why I even help?

GW2 always has a big ulterior motive even in terms of small stories. I don't necessarily participate in the Charr civil war, I do it because they allied themselves to an Elder Dragon. Is it an amazing plot device? Of course not. But at least it gives a reason for every single class or race to participate.

Not everything in WoW is an offender in that regard, but every single Tyrande questline as a Horde makes you go: Why am I even helping?

Also nowadays WoW tries to do more cutscenes and make things more cinematic. But the engine was not made with that in mind, and neither were character animations and facials. It just feels off.
Which is why I'm glad BfA had actual CGI cinematics for the real important parts.

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I like being the hero and being mentioned in the game, it would be even better to tell off to some characters that you have to follow like a puppy for some questlines, so they atleast aknowledge that.

In SWTOR you can even kill off a few characters if you don't like them. Now THAT is good.
On the flip side SWTOR absolutely fails as an MMO. But it is a really good RPG.

[Nightshade711]

Would you rather just tag along while others do the important stuff for you?

There are points where that’s okay.
Cinematics/moments like Varian’s last stand on the Broken Shore feel much more impactful than the cinematic/moments like us killing N’zoth for example.

Wow in recent history is just missing those badass/hero moments for characters other than our own.

[Hitei]

In SWTOR you can even kill off a few characters if you don't like them. Now THAT is good.
On the flip side SWTOR absolutely fails as an MMO. But it is a really good RPG.

But that's why it's not "good" at all.

[Makorus]

Also nowadays WoW tries to do more cutscenes and make things more cinematic. But the engine was not made with that in mind, and neither were character animations and facials. It just feels off.
Which is why I'm glad BfA had actual CGI cinematics for the real important parts.

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In SWTOR you can even kill off a few characters if you don't like them. Now THAT is good.
On the flip side SWTOR absolutely fails as an MMO. But it is a really good RPG.

I mean, the ingame cinematics have gotten better.



This one is really good. However, it falls to pieces whenever they start recycling stock animations. Even in the video above, the high-res Alexstrasza/Vyranoth model just stand out from everything else. Don't even mention player models.

[Auxis]

There are points where that’s okay.
Cinematics/moments like Varian’s last stand on the Broken Shore feel much more impactful than the cinematic/moments like us killing N’zoth for example.

Wow in recent history is just missing those badass/hero moments for characters other than our own.

The pre-rendered ones seem to perform well for quality of appearance and character development (Fyrakk/Vyranoth clash of ideals infront of that green dragon, Alex/Vyranoth cutscenes in Valdrakken, Ysera/Tyrande/Merithra ones, etc.). The lower quality ones feel off. The character expressions are a bit too cartoony, as they are using the super-expressive ones belonging to ingame models, compared to the custom movements in the pre-rendered. And having the PC shoe-horned in sometimes just makes it worse.

All of that is IMO.

[Makorus]

But that's why it's not "good" at all.

It's a bad MMO because it's a bad MMO, not because of the storytelling.

[huth]

Low RNG mounts would be alright if they were Pseudo RNG.

My partner has been camping Arachnoid Harvester for 3 years, killing it every day and still no mount.

It's not even a cool mount or anything either. There's no benefit to it being rare either.

But if it isn't cool, then why is there a need to get it more easily? You get basic mounts outright handed to you, so you don't need it to get a mount at all, it has no special abilities and it isn't some super-special design you really need.

If anything, you just argued that it's totally fine as is.

[Makorus]

But if it isn't cool, then why is there a need to get it more easily? You get basic mounts outright handed to you, so you don't need it to get a mount at all, it has no special abilities and it isn't some super-special design you really need.

If anything, you just argued that it's totally fine as is.

That's is an incredibly stupid argument.

They could put a shitty norma horse on the ingame store for $500, and I can guarantee you that the reception wouldn't be amazing.

[Ersula]

There are points where that’s okay.
Cinematics/moments like Varian’s last stand on the Broken Shore feel much more impactful than the cinematic/moments like us killing N’zoth for example.

Speaking of which this cutscene is a major step up for cinematic moments in WoW: Up until now a complicated animation like this would be pre-rendered, but this isn't pre-rendered & includes the player character. Which points to very cool scenes in the future.

[huth]

That's is an incredibly stupid argument.

They could put a shitty norma horse on the ingame store for $500, and I can guarantee you that the reception wouldn't be amazing.

No, of course not. But it would just not get bought very often, because the majority won't care enough for it to try get it. It's not an argument to lower the price, it's an argument to not get the mount.