Midnight 12.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[Ferlion]

From a level design perspective this is terrible. It looks interesting to the eye because shapes are perfect, but gameplay wise... Well, we already know Oribos.

Ok, so..

There's a series of books called the World of Tiers.

It's essentially about super advanced beings creating worlds and races however they see fit, and one of them made a circular world that went up. Each tier was based on a different biome and technology level, if my memory serves. I was like 11 when I last read the series.

I'd love a WoW expansion based on something like that. Zones being vertical, stacked on top of each other, and you had to climb or fly up or down to traverse. It sounds silly, and I don't think it would work overly well with Blizzards engine, but I think it would be fun.

[Chickat]

The game is overdue for a tropical beach zone. That and savannahs haven't been around for a while.

The last one was what Krasarang Wilds? Even then its more jungle than anything.

[Nyel]

From a level design perspective this is terrible. It looks interesting to the eye because shapes are perfect, but gameplay wise... Well, we already know Oribos.

There are zero things that make this gameplay-wise or from a level design perspective terrible.

[KurtMash]

It shouldn’t be, it’s so obviously fake due to so much we know and based on what other posters here have presented.

I’m glad a fair few are starting to come around but there are still those who are just blindly hung up on the idea.

I didn't mean Avaloren from the leak, just Avaloren as a mysterious continent on the other side of the globe. I think "one big continent" would help with the island fatigue (how many mysterious islands can there be?) and it would be fun to see how a new expansion plays out on a continent which is not completely seperate from the rest of the world, but it is an integral part of it. Cata did it and I think this aspect of Cata worked well, the only problem was that the zones were all over the place. And it would be easier to have expansions flow from one to the next one, with storylines carrying over.

On the other side, I could see this idea of "one continent" being boring for people. It's easier to be hyped about "new continent!" than "a few more zones on the same continent!". It could feel like a glorified big patch instead of a new expansion.

[Wangming]

From a level design perspective this is terrible. It looks interesting to the eye because shapes are perfect, but gameplay wise... Well, we already know Oribos.

Like I said, Pokemon. Grass type, ice type, Ground typer, Rock type. If you got all the gym badges you can go to Victory Road in the middle. Also don't worry about the climate. It makes sense, honest.

[pacotaco]

Here's the examples from the Pandaria trailer by the way.

Man, Kun'lai in the announcement trailer looked so interesting and visceral, look at all this greatness. Such a shining example of Quality footage. They would never get away with so many re-used assets nowadays, a true Landmark in a beautiful l--.. where's the wall? Huh, isn't there supposed to be a ruin there? Oh wait, where's ---




Note, all the Landmarks here, they showcased the Valley so amazingly. Look at the centre of Pandaren crop trade, Halfhill a--... well, uh.. just assume the tree isn't in the way. And ignore the untextured building on the right.

Edit: Kun'lai is so funny too, because later down the line they actually have a good landmark shot of the Monastery, but the footage sets a precedent that you'd still be able to see the assets if they were there, even with the old draw distance and the whole monastery portion of the mountain's just missing.

I took some screenshots so they can compare. This is how they look in release:

[Wangming]

Here's the examples from the Pandaria trailer by the way.

Man, Kun'lai in the announcement trailer looked so interesting and visceral, look at all this greatness. Such a shining example of Quality footage. They would never get away with so many re-used assets nowadays, a true Landmark in a beautiful l--.. where's the wall? Huh, isn't there supposed to be a ruin there? Oh wait, where's ---




Note, all the Landmarks here, they showcased the Valley so amazingly. Look at the centre of Pandaren crop trade, Halfhill a--... well, uh.. just assume the tree isn't in the way. And ignore the untextured building on the right.

Edit: Kun'lai is so funny too, because later down the line they actually have a good landmark shot of the Monastery, but the footage sets a precedent that you'd still be able to see the assets if they were there, even with the old draw distance and the whole monastery portion of the mountain's just missing.

Nice bait. Care to show us the picture of what is shown with the New Continent: Pandaria sign?

[KyleEverett]

Guessing it's because the author first made the website leak, and only had limited access to zones at the time. Perhaps they used Gorgrond in the background for the Agg'ora, or Nagrand.

Then they took the time to develop four rough "scenes", basically little pocket zones with a few cool assets in them, including the races they duct taped together. It's a leak that grew over time, put simply.

Except when the Agg'orand leak first came out people scoured the hell out of Gorgrond, nothing like it was found.

[caliphax]

Morning, are people still getting upset at stuff that they've come up with in their heads or have we moved on from that?

[Santandame]

I didn't mean Avaloren from the leak, just Avaloren as a mysterious continent on the other side of the globe. I think "one big continent" would help with the island fatigue (how many mysterious islands can there be?) and it would be fun to see how a new expansion plays out on a continent which is not completely seperate from the rest of the world, but it is an integral part of it. Cata did it and I think this aspect of Cata worked well, the only problem was that the zones were all over the place. And it would be easier to have expansions flow from one to the next one, with storylines carrying over.

On the other side, I could see this idea of "one continent" being boring for people. It's easier to be hyped about "new continent!" than "a few more zones on the same continent!". It could feel like a glorified big patch instead of a new expansion.

Oh there’s no doubt in my mind that Avaloren is the next landmass we visit. It just won’t be in those leaked screenshots.

- - - Updated - - -

Like I said, Pokemon. Grass type, ice type, Ground typer, Rock type. If you got all the gym badges you can go to Victory Road in the middle. Also don't worry about the climate. It makes sense, honest.

Yeah, during a time where Blizzard are trying to make less theme park, more cohesive style zones; I just can’t see them releasing an island that has a frozen wilderness, a jungle, a desert and an enchanted forest.

[ImTheMizAwesome]

I think there's one thing we can all agree on that won't be in next expansion - no new BG's.

[KyleEverett]

Oh there’s no doubt in my mind that Avaloren is the next landmass we visit. It just won’t be in those leaked screenshots.

- - - Updated - - -



Yeah, during a time where Blizzard are trying to make less theme park, more cohesive style zones; I just can’t see them releasing an island that has a frozen wilderness, a jungle, a desert and an enchanted forest.

You realize this is an expansion that has Enchanted Gardens, Volcanic Citadels, and Jungles in one zone, another goes from forests, to ice, to lava IN ICE. Let's ignore the mountain zone that has a large chunk dedicated to time sand. The only one that gets close to "cohesive" is Ohn'aran Plains.

[Ferlion]

I actually feel kind of stupid for overlooking this, it's a great point. Definitely an oversight on the leaker's end who was too blinded by the idea of including eye-catching content to actually think about what would make sense for the site.

Really knocks the screenshot leak down a few notches too. Since we can (pretty clearly) see the supposed "Agg'ora" in one of the images, it's starting to make me realize the screenshot leak is probably fake too... super interesting.

I'm fairly confident in saying it's a fake leak based off all the great investigations done by the fine WoW fiends

[micwini]

We need @Scaleface take on this leak.

[Lahis]

New way to travel between islands...by surfboard.

AP grind returns and is solely awarded from the surfing mini game trick scores.

[Ansi]

Is Avaloren in this map? Or are we truly looking at an entirely new continent?

[Lahis]

You realize this is an expansion that has Enchanted Gardens, Volcanic Citadels, and Jungles in one zone, another goes from forests, to ice, to lava IN ICE. Let's ignore the mountain zone that has a large chunk dedicated to time sand. The only one that gets close to "cohesive" is Ohn'aran Plains.

And dragon Isles are rather north. Yet the northernmost zone is the most tropical, and the southernmost zone has has the deciduous forest and snow and permafrost. And then the high mountains little bot north from the ice have no snow or ice anywhere.


Yeah the geography of Dragon Isles make no sense, and I doubt they would care about it much more in Avaloren.

[Wangming]

AP grind returns and is solely awarded from the surfing mini game trick scores.

You gather Archipelago Points. or Aloha Points.

- - - Updated - - -

Is Avaloren in this map? Or are we truly looking at an entirely new continent?

- map - ]

The idea is that Avaloren was never part of ancient Kalimdor. It is a completely new landmass with unique flora fauna and culture that....oh wait.

[Lahis]

Is Avaloren in this map? Or are we truly looking at an entirely new continent?

That map has modern Kalimdor, EK, Pandaria and Northrend at its edges. Most of the lands between those edges were destroyed in the sundering, leaving some islands th we have today behind.

Dragon Isles nor anything else beyond the Ancient Kalimdor has not been portrayed in the Chronicle maps.

[KurtMash]

Is Avaloren in this map? Or are we truly looking at an entirely new continent?

Entirely new continent that Titans don't want to talk about.