Midnight 12.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[ImTheMizAwesome]

Nothing wrong with f2p as long as people still have to pay for Expansions plus maybe finally a battlepass for WoW!

And yeah, a HOTS revival would be huuuge.

I mean we already have battlepass with Trading post and i much prefer that over what D4 or OW has.

Call me a doomer but i see many bad things happening to the monetization of systems in the game if WoW will go f2p, even with paid expansions.

[Teriz]

Don't like that idea tbh, having zones split up like that rarely is a good idea or works out well (see Cata/SL)

I don’t think people minded it as much when it was Kul’Tiras and Zandalar. Those zones were separated, yet people enjoyed them because Kul’Tiras and Zandalar were interesting places despite only being 3.5 zones each.

In addition you can have a central hub connecting the areas like the tram in Stormwind, Undermine tunnels, or maybe use the dwarven mole machines.

[Nightshade711]

I don’t think people minded it as much when it was Kul’Tiras and Zandalar. Those zones were separated, yet people enjoyed them because Kul’Tiras and Zandalar were interesting places despite only being 3.5 zones each.

Because KT/Zandalar were basically their own continents.
Unlike what you’re saying.

In addition you can have a central hub connecting the areas like the tram in Stormwind, Undermine tunnels, or maybe use the dwarven mole machines.

So just like SL where we had a central hub (Oribos) connecting areas using a tram/tunneling (flight path) system.
That worked so well the first time.

[Kiria]

I don’t think people minded it as much when it was Kul’Tiras and Zandalar. Those zones were separated, yet people enjoyed them because Kul’Tiras and Zandalar were interesting places despite only being 3.5 zones each.

In addition you can have a central hub connecting the areas like the tram in Stormwind, Undermine tunnels, or maybe use the dwarven mole machines.

You just have a massive bias for Underground sh*t, I really hope Underground doesnt happen as it will be the end of WoW for me after so many years.

[lanerios]

I think hots with all heroes unlocked will be coming to gamepass, they will announce a soft reboot of W3 reforged and it will land on gamepass too, d2r and d3 will land on gamepass, i would be very surprised if WoW would end up right away on gamepass too, but i hope it won't at least go f2p if they ever go that way..

If they do that HOTS thing? I'd absolutely love it! I still play it a lot with my wife (against bots) and having more choice? always good!

[ImTheMizAwesome]

If they do that HOTS thing? I'd absolutely love it! I still play it a lot with my wife (against bots) and having more choice? always good!

I think that's what they did with League of legends and valorant, with gamepass people unlocked heroes and agents in both games, but i don't play these so im not 100% sure if i remember correctly.

[Teriz]

Because KT/Zandalar were basically their own continents.
Unlike what you’re saying.

They were actually half continents, about three zones apiece. You can do the exact same thing with underground areas.

So just like SL where we had a central hub (Oribos) connecting areas using a tram/tunneling (flight path) system.
That worked so well the first time.

Only because the zones in SL weren’t as large as KT and Zandalar. Make a few underground zones that large, and we’re in good shape.

- - - Updated - - -

You just have a massive bias for Underground sh*t, I really hope Underground doesnt happen as it will be the end of WoW for me after so many years.

It’s something different, and clearly part of the lore. It should be attempted if only for the sake of thematic diversity.

[Jaggler]

They were actually half continents, about three zones apiece. You can do the exact same thing with underground areas.




Only because the zones in SL weren’t as large as KT and Zandalar. Make a few underground zones that large, and we’re in good shape.

- - - Updated - - -



It’s something different, and clearly part of the lore. It should be attempted if only for the sake of thematic diversity.

What you are proposing is basically zones with the size of a third or a quarter of a continent connected by a central hub. Which is exactly what SL was.

[Nightshade711]

They were actually half continents, about three zones apiece. You can do the exact same thing with underground areas.

Which is why I said basically separate continents.

Only because the zones in SL weren’t as large as KT and Zandalar. Make a few underground zones that large, and we’re in good shape.

People still won’t like several disconnected zones.
Chances are we’re going west of Kalimdor & having the standard large continents. At most we might have one or two underground zones.
I think the main city will be like Ironforge being built into Khaz Algar.

- - - Updated - - -

What you are proposing is basically zones with the size of a third or a quarter of a continent connected by a central hub. Which is exactly what SL was.

No it’s different because it’s underground!

[Teriz]

What you are proposing is basically zones with the size of a third or a quarter of a continent connected by a central hub. Which is exactly what SL was.

No, half the size of continents, like Kul’Tiras and Zandalar.

[Sondrelk]

It’s something different, and clearly part of the lore. It should be attempted if only for the sake of thematic diversity.

Same could be said for fully underwater zones like Vashj'ir, or even weird compromise zones like Nazjatar, but that doesn't make it a good idea to base an entire expansion around them.

Make one or two really good underground areas, and have the rest be more standard stuff to not make players burn out.

[Jaggler]

No, half the size of continents, like Kul’Tiras and Zandalar.

Yeah, but you examples were more than two, and it's kinda unfeasable to expect more than one continent in terms of sizesoe if you spread it out over three or fours zones, you just get SL's structure again.

[Teriz]

Which is why I said basically separate continents.

Which can be replicated with Underground zones.

People still won’t like several disconnected zones.

Again, they enjoyed the disconnected zones of KT and Zandalar just fine.

Chances are we’re going west of Kalimdor & having the standard large continents. At most we might have one or two underground zones.
I think the main city will be like Ironforge being built into Khaz Algar.

Maybe, but like I said, I don’t think Blizzard is going to do the mysterious continent off the coast of an established continent back to back. They tend to go a different route.

In addition, all the dwarf stuff has me thinking that Khaz Algar is located beneath the Eastern Kingdoms. Perhaps north of Arathi Highlands.

[Santandame]

No, half the size of continents, like Kul’Tiras and Zandalar.

But your original point was Undermine beneath Kezan, Azjol Nerub beneath Northrend, Khaz Algar beneath the Eastern Kingdoms.

It’s very likely we only get 4/5 zones again this expansion. So that’s 3 zones already that are massive amounts of distance apart so how do you make that feel cohesive without doing another SL?

It’s nothing like KT/Zandalar. Because despite what you say, they were still their own continents despite being the smallest continents we’ve had. Each continent was cohesive with their zones.

So how do you propose zones as spread out as you’ve suggested, three of which are on three separate continents, are made to feel cohesive without making it similar to Oribos with the SL zones?

[Teriz]

Yeah, but you examples were more than two, and it's kinda unfeasable to expect more than one continent in terms of sizesoe if you spread it out over three or fours zones, you just get SL's structure again.

Nah, you do two major areas to start, like KT and Zandalar. Over the course of patches you add more zones, like they did with Zaralek, Nazjatar, Mechagon, and the upcoming Emerald Dream zone.

[Santandame]

Nah, you do two major areas to start, like KT and Zandalar. Over the course of patches you add more zones, like they did with Zaralek, Nazjatar, Mechagon, and the upcoming Emerald Dream zone.

Kul Tiras and Zandalar were not disconnected zones within their own continent. They were disconnected from each other, as in the two continents themselves.

What you are proposing based off your zone choices would be another Cataclysm or SL in terms of zone immersion.

[pacotaco]

OK I wonder how this will work. Maybe the game will go F2P with the trading post used to back up a battle pass that is separate to the game pass with Game Pass just giving you the base game?

No need. Game Pass working as current subscription but without the Tendies.

[Nymrohd]

But your original point was Undermine beneath Kezan, Azjol Nerub beneath Northrend, Khaz Algar beneath the Eastern Kingdoms.

It’s very likely we only get 4/5 zones again this expansion. So that’s 3 zones already that are massive amounts of distance apart so how do you make that feel cohesive without doing another SL?

It’s nothing like KT/Zandalar. Because despite what you say, they were still their own continents despite being the smallest continents we’ve had. Each continent was cohesive with their zones.

So how do you propose zones as spread out as you’ve suggested, three of which are on three separate continents, are made to feel cohesive without making it similar to Oribos with the SL zones?

I'll say again, Hollow World. You have 4-5 zones which have a vertical part going from the surface to the underground and then they all have a flat part inside the Hollow world and they all have connected parts within the Hollow World area.

- - - Updated - - -

No need. Game Pass working as current subscription but without the Tendies.

Every time someone calls them Tendies I wonder where humanity went wrong.

[Santandame]

I'll say again, Hollow World. You have 4-5 zones which have a vertical part going from the surface to the underground and then they all have a flat part inside the Hollow world and they all have connected parts within the Hollow World area.

- - - Updated - - -



Every time someone calls them Tendies I wonder where humanity went wrong.

I’m not really in the know with the Hollow Earth idea, just the aesthetic I’ve seen.

Would you be able to make this work in terms of several zones spread out geographically? I have no idea of the physics side of it.

I love the idea of an underground expansion, just not how Teriz is presenting it.

[Nymrohd]

I’m not really in the know with the Hollow Earth idea, just the aesthetic I’ve seen.

Would you be able to make this work in terms of several zones spread out geographically? I have no idea of the physics side of it.

That's where I stumble as well; the physics are the hard part because you effectively have to inverse gravity at some point (and then have a curved gravity plane).

How I'd imagine it is this:
You enter Azjol Nerub from Northrend, you get a largely vertical zone where the subzones are stacked vertically (possibly with little hidden areas in small side caverns) then at some point the zone bottoms up and there is a transition into the Hollow World part. Problem is how do you do gravity; is everything still falling towards the center? then the inside of the Hollow world cannot really be used.
At the same time, Kalimdor, Northrend, EK are all within less than a hemisphere. So instead of a Hollow world with a full sphere inside you could have a half sphere inside the planet, Light coming from the core in the middle and effectively just a very large zone on the ground with the World Soul in the middle and access to the other zones through breaks in the zone ceiling.

Wish I had access to autoCad, I could give you a proper schematic.