Midnight 12.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[Teriz]

I really hope we don't get underground zones. I really don't understand the obsession some people seem to have with them. "Oh you liked being inside caves and such? Here, you'll be stuck in them for a whole expansion!"

In Cata, and with Zaralek it's ok because there is enough of a difference between the zones. You can go to coastal areas, you can go to snow areas, you can go underground. With a whole Deepholme style expansion? "Here are caves, and look! some more caves. What's around the corner you ask? CAVES!"

I have faith that the imaginative and talented Blizzard art team can create interesting and varied underground environments.

[Wangming]

We went through a whole ARC spanning several expansions, not even Orcs had this much development and story. Once the elves settle in, Blizz needs to stop focusing on the Night Elves for a while because it's becoming exhausting trying to both process and keep this story going. As Tyrande said it herself, "I am so tired, Malfurion."

While I agree, all those developments were pretty much kicks in the ball for the Nelfs. I would gladly take one where they are allowed to be badass.

[Xilurm]

Yeah, I'd rather have 0 development for the Night Elves than have garbage development that screws their lore and race at every possible moment.

[Fahrad Wagner]

Bobby Kotick leaves ABK on January First!

https://x.com/jasonschreier/status/1...jgkgWvRvHdAuNA

Good riddance, we won't miss you Gallywix.

[huth]

Good riddance, we won't miss you Gallywix.

Oh come on, that's unfair.

Gallywix wasn't that bad

[Woggmer]

I just watched some hots cinematics and it looks similar in graphics style, maybe it's some scrapped cinematic like you said or something new.

Still. I could see the potential behind another Warcraft map in HotS where the mercenary camps are murlocs, gnolls.. and what not.

Though that is of course if Blizz had any plans for HotS... but that's not for discussion here. All I'll say is... I hope they do something with it instead of letting it gather dust. (They don't even need to make a Esports thing for it, just let it grow and foster an esport community over time like what League did.)

[pacotaco]

First time seeing it as well. My bet are HS, HotS or Warcraft Rumble. The style of murlocs, Grommas and animation gives off those vibes. Maybe HotS revival with Grommash new hero?

HS always tends to be 2D animated. Arc is more toylike, but could be. HotS is the one with the closest artstyle.

[Jekyll]

I don't recall ever seeing it previously and can't find it now. That's unusual.

I feel that is from Rumble

[Nymrohd]

While I agree, all those developments were pretty much kicks in the ball for the Nelfs. I would gladly take one where they are allowed to be badass.

If we ever get a revamp, I would assume they will get lore there.

[Ersula]

There's really no reason to assume this other leak isn't AI.....except it's so very clearly Havi, Odyn's mortal disguise. It's so bizarrely accurate for a cinematic version of an old npc:





My current theory is the throughline between this expansion & the next is That the Harbinger doesn't directly hurt the planet, instead turns the Keepers & Titans into mortals, ala the Time of Troubles

[KyleEverett]

Beyond bearded guys, I don't see the full similarities. The ears are different, the markings are different, the mustache is different. It just looks too derivative.

[Nymrohd]

Eh, that thing has something that might be an ear and then a random horn over it. Which is something AI just loves to do in fantasy, giving everyone horns.

I could give DALL-E a few prompts and try to get Havi out and something tells me I'd get better than this.

[Xilurm]

You're getting a new tree...

Somewhere where we didn't want to.

[Dragon ANX]

There's really no reason to assume this other leak isn't AI.....except it's so very clearly Havi, Odyn's mortal disguise. It's so bizarrely accurate for a cinematic version of an old npc:





My current theory is the throughline between this expansion & the next is That the Harbinger doesn't directly hurt the planet, instead turns the Keepers & Titans into mortals, ala the Time of Troubles

Nice catch, lul i would never remember about "havi"... you got my attention now.

[Paula Deen]

We went through a whole ARC spanning several expansions, not even Orcs had this much development and story. Once the elves settle in, Blizz needs to stop focusing on the Night Elves for a while because it's becoming exhausting trying to both process and keep this story going. As Tyrande said it herself, "I am so tired, Malfurion."

Less is more as some say.

It is almost like Blizzard leaves little snippets of individual racial lore in...patches (HMMM) and they sprinkle it in pretty eveningly so all the different kinds of players could enjoy it...almost like....patches in a...themepark MMO? HMMMMMMMM

Totally unrelated but no one has seen anything, even a snippet, of Dwarves outside of Toddy Whiskers since the Dwarven Heritage Questline in BFA, even Magni stopped appearing after 8.3. Seems like maybe they are overdue...

I really hope we don't get underground zones. I really don't understand the obsession some people seem to have with them. "Oh you liked being inside caves and such? Here, you'll be stuck in them for a whole expansion!"

In Cata, and with Zaralek it's ok because there is enough of a difference between the zones. You can go to coastal areas, you can go to snow areas, you can go underground. With a whole Deepholme style expansion? "Here are caves, and look! some more caves. What's around the corner you ask? CAVES!"

Honestly Zaralek was such an underwhelming underground space I was kind of disappointed. In general the whole zone is very quiet. It does not at all feel like a patch zone. Compare it to Zereth Mortis, Nazjatar, or even the 8.3 zones and its staggeringly different. When I think underground zones I think of ESO's iteration of Blackreach is great. Baldur's Gate 3's version of the Underdark is too. Legion's various Suramar underground areas including the Arcway Dungeon that had a seperate partially open outdoor area and Highmountain's multiple massive underground spaces. Even Classic has it with Blackrock Mountain. That is what I want when I think of underground areas. Deepholm is an interesting case because it is earth themed only. It isn't really fitting into a narrative space for an underground area as much as an Earth Elemental themed space. I think Zaralek was either rushed or they decided midway through development to hold Fyrakk over for the next patch.

Is this one from Hearthstone? havent' seen it before.

This is def not something for Cinematic presentation. This is like one of those new machinima style trailers like they do for Mythic Tournaments or Classic Patches

[ImTheMizAwesome]

To me it looks more like some summon from Final fantasy than WoW.

I don't really like the amount of fake AI stuff we are already getting and closer to the release i feel like there will be like 10 fake AI pictures per day.

[Ersula]

Beyond bearded guys, I don't see the full similarities. The ears are different, the markings are different, the mustache is different. It just looks too derivative.

We don't see his ears. Those horns look like part of a headdress. And the markings are exactly the same.

I could give DALL-E a few prompts and try to get Havi out and something tells me I'd get better than this.

But that's what I mean. There are too many human creative liberties taken for it to be AI. If ai asked you to make a cinematic version of a random npc there is very little photographic representation of it'd look more like those "80s dark fantasy versions"

[Paula Deen]

To me it looks more like some summon from Final fantasy than WoW.

I don't really like the amount of fake AI stuff we are already getting and closer to the release i feel like there will be like 10 fake AI pictures per day.

I mean shit... I am absolutely from a morals standpoint very much against the use of AI for pretty much anything but I am so pumped that all these sweaty nerds keep PUMPING them full of WoW style art. It will be so much easier for people like GoldenYak who I can't seem to correctly mention in posts, to make worthy expansion concepts.

[ImTheMizAwesome]

I mean shit... I am absolutely from a morals standpoint very much against the use of AI for pretty much anything but I am so pumped that all these sweaty nerds keep PUMPING them full of WoW style art. It will be so much easier for people like GoldenYak who I can't seem to correctly mention in posts, to make worthy expansion concepts.

Oh i was thinking more about these new accounts making them look like a new leak, i have no problem with the post that contains all the DALL-E content etc.

I just think that like 1-2 weeks from release, there will be muuuch more of that here.

[Paula Deen]

Oh i was thinking more about these new accounts making them look like a new leak, i have no problem with the post that contains all the DALL-E content etc.

I just think that like 1-2 weeks from release, there will be muuuch more of that here.

It will only get worse. To quote myself;

So some of my friends and I we have this thing. Its a little theory. We call it "As we get closer to launch".

Its a theory we proposed that as we get closer to a major announcement or release, especially for World of Warcraft, MMOChampion, the Official Forums, Reddit, and WOWHead experience what I would like to call a dumbening where the quality of the posts, the replies to the posts, and the thread titles just get so outlandishly off the wall insane, sometimes even stupid, that you have to attribute the posts existence to the excitement surrounding the imminent announcement or release.

Why have I described this in this thread today? You may choose your own reasons.