Midnight 12.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[Cheezits]

Is that too soon though? That would be combining both of Dragonflight's patches with some slight aesthetic changes.

The entire expansion is similar to Zaralek and Everbloom is a very different aesthetic to the Dream, the one holdover is the roots (and both are world trees)

Unchecked primal life vs ordered fairy/pretty life.

[justwatching]

From playing around on Alpha with the hero talents Feral,Ret and Mage are eating good. Makes it really hard to choose a main.

[Marlamin]

Any indication of a new alpha build this week yet?
Alpha realms coming down for maintenance?

They had maintenance on the internal/private alpha last Friday, and a new build for that on Monday. Given their (so far) weekly cadence, we'll probably see that build sometime this week.

[Valysar]

One Dark Heart cinematic is up.

[Cheezits]

Does Khadgar have future sight?

[Super Dickmann]

Upping the odds for Khadgar actually being dead based on this. He actually did his get-together with Alleria. I did like their interaction.

[Alanar]

I thought the conversation was a little awkward, intentional or not.

[Eurhetemec]

It also brings the question, if they do make a Rootlands zone or something of the sorts, how do they make it feel different from the Emerald Dream aside from the obvious Titan/Dragon thematics?

I don't mean this in an insulting way, but this seems like kind of a thoughtless question, because Blizzard has done precisely this kind of thing, relatively successfully, expansion after expansion. It's actually pretty rare to see an expansion that doesn't have a new zone that isn't arguably, on paper "really similar to a zone in the previous expansion". Like Shadowlands had Ardenweald, which on paper, was virtually identical to the Emerald Dream, as a big botanical/tree-centric druids-and-friends dominated zone. But I don't think that anyone, when they actually played Emerald Dream thought "OMG JUST LIKE ARDENWEALD!!!".

I know people love to irrationally hate on Blizzard and doubt their abilities at everything (not saying you are, but it is a thing), but if there's one thing they're good at it, it's doing zones which have similar on-paper concepts, and actually making them feel extremely different. People often raise this "But won't it be the same as zone X?!" and I'm sure I have, even, but I can't think of any cases where it was a real problem (interested if others can - I might be forgetting something - the closest I can think of is when stuff has names which are too similar, like the various "Black Rock X" dungeons/raids, which for some reason I can never remember the right names for, despite having played since open beta lol).

[Raetary]

Damn, that's actually a cutscene.
You can see the player walk with Alleria in the first 2 seconds.

[Khaza-R]

Not sure why, but the characterization felt so much less stiff and more organic than the other cutscenes in DF.

Does Khadgar have future sight?

Possibly. Somewhat eluded to in his mysterious Shadowlands appearance and dialogue with Jaina.

[Alanar]

From playing around on Alpha with the hero talents Feral,Ret and Mage are eating good. Makes it really hard to choose a main.

I hear so much good things about ret its crazy.

Aoe templar verdict, loads of hammers. Seems fun.

Now the big question for me is pvp related. Which is about defense and self healing. The things I have seen are just spec rotational things.

[SilverLion]

I don't mean this in an insulting way, but this seems like kind of a thoughtless question, because Blizzard has done precisely this kind of thing, relatively successfully, expansion after expansion. It's actually pretty rare to see an expansion that doesn't have a new zone that isn't arguably, on paper "really similar to a zone in the previous expansion". Like Shadowlands had Ardenweald, which on paper, was virtually identical to the Emerald Dream, as a big botanical/tree-centric druids-and-friends dominated zone. But I don't think that anyone, when they actually played Emerald Dream thought "OMG JUST LIKE ARDENWEALD!!!".

I know people love to irrationally hate on Blizzard and doubt their abilities at everything (not saying you are, but it is a thing), but if there's one thing they're good at it, it's doing zones which have similar on-paper concepts, and actually making them feel extremely different. People often raise this "But won't it be the same as zone X?!" and I'm sure I have, even, but I can't think of any cases where it was a real problem (interested if others can - I might be forgetting something - the closest I can think of is when stuff has names which are too similar, like the various "Black Rock X" dungeons/raids, which for some reason I can never remember the right names for, despite having played since open beta lol).

It's probably their best trait. "So Darth Vader is cool...Let's make him a badass zombie Necromancer!"

NGL the new way of filming the cutscenes is selling me on the expansion alone. As much as I love FF14, the static way they use the camera in most of the game and the predictable model animations make me wish they'd start copying Blizzard here. There's so much dynamism in Khadgar and Alleria's face. You can also hear the Void distortion in Alleria's voice too.

[Eurhetemec]

Not sure why, but the characterization felt so much less stiff and more organic than the other cutscenes in DF.

Yeah combination of good voice-direction (replete with sighs and other minor vocalizations) and much better-than-usual seeming animation - I dunno if they changed tech or got new people in or just took a new approach, I think makes it feel a lot more... human? I feel like tech is involved because Khadar's face looks to be rigged slightly differently. I mean, they managed to convey the regret on Khadgar's face when he said the wrong thing - and on Alleria's - and also handled the recovery well - that's way better than any face animation I've seen in an MMORPG. Also credit to the voice-director and voice-actors for nailing absolutely every part of every line.

[Mekkle]

man those in game cutscenes are getting better and better

[Eurhetemec]

It's probably their best trait. "So Darth Vader is cool...Let's make him a badass zombie Necromancer!"

NGL the new way of filming the cutscenes is selling me on the expansion alone. As much as I love FF14, the static way they use the camera in most of the game and the predictable model animations make me wish they'd start copying Blizzard here. There's so much dynamism in Khadgar and Alleria's face. You can also hear the Void distortion in Alleria's voice too.

Yeah genuinely shocked re: cutscenes, they've gone right past FFXIV without stopping, when arguably they were way behind.

[Cheezits]

I was hoping we would get a reveal of Umbric's new model, but not today.

[Murlocos]

Not sure why, but the characterization felt so much less stiff and more organic than the other cutscenes in DF.

They're talking at a relatively normal tempo in complete sentences and not trying to drag out every line as long as possible to make it seem more grandiose to the point it seems like the characters are struggling to finish any of their thoughts.

[Foolicious]

Why does khadgar look so strange? I don't know what it is, but his head looks like the one of a toddler.

Other than that great cinematic. Love that it feels like an actual conversation and not some cringy copy paste stuff from avenger movies.

[Nymrohd]

Upping the odds for Khadgar actually being dead based on this. He actually did his get-together with Alleria. I did like their interaction.

I still hope for a proper death scene for Dadgar. I think he is probably the most universally enjoyed character in the roster, he deserves a proper sendoff.

[Xilurm]

I don't like that Alleria is keeping her distance from her family. Their relationship should be vastly more mature than that.