Midnight 12.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[Cheezits]

Dar'khan is pretty much single-handedly responsible for handing the whole of Quel'Thalas to Arthas and the Scourge when he betrayed his own people and handed the proverbial (and literal) keys to the kingdom to Arthas when he helped take down the Ban'dinoriel. That does make him a pretty important character in terms of the overarching story of Warcraft, especially where the High and Blood Elves are concerned.

Also a great neutrally evil character for both sides of Thalassians to beat, as he betrayed ALL of them. I can't think of a better zone/expansion? villain for Helves/Belves/Velves to team up for.

Also the fact that he worked directly with Arthas means by extension he may have connection to Kel, and by extension Zovaal and Denny, therefore continuing that plot.

[Eldryth]

With all the Dar'khan talk, don't forget that the last time he was relevant, it was to reveal that he was also heavily involved with the Void. He was the first to find Telogrus, and the Void Elves were following his studies until Alleria saved them.

So he does fit in with Midnight's premise pretty well. Maybe we'll see him actively serving the Void now, by controlling the Scourge remnants for them?

[Cheezits]

With all the Dar'khan talk, don't forget that the last time he was relevant, it was to reveal that he was also heavily involved with the Void. He was the first to find Telogrus, and the Void Elves were following his studies until Alleria saved them.

So he does fit in with Midnight's premise pretty well. Maybe we'll see him actively serving the Void now, by controlling the Scourge remnants for them?

...I actually forgot the Void loredrop entirely. Wow, he's locked in.

[Relapses]

Another narrative lead?

- - - Updated - - -

Also, Danuser yeeted himself.

Something tells me with Metzen returning and the fact we learned he left from a tweet months after he'd already left, methinks it wasn't a rosy departure. I was obviously making a joke about it anyway.

[Joshuaj]

Something tells me with Metzen returning and the fact we learned he left from a tweet months after he'd already left, methinks it wasn't a rosy departure. I was obviously making a joke about it anyway.

He literally said he helped in planning the next couple years of WoW. I imagine he helped Metzen in mapping out the Worldsoul Saga before leaving. Heck, he left right around Blizzcon.

[Limayria]

Is that the case though? Rogues and Mages don't really with Dal gone (you could argue for Coldaara, but I don't know how the Blues would feel about mages just taking over one of their central holdings and setting up shop--also never going to compare to Dalaran.) Warlocks, DH, and Monks don't really? The Druid/Grizzly Hills is okay I guess, in the sense that you could just use the portal and Dreamway to link to some instanced version of the ED again.

You could slot Hunters, Warriors and Shamans into anywhere in any expansion because they're so general. (but whatever place you put Shamans is not gonna be as cool as the Maelstrom and Thorim and Co are not as grand and warrior-focused as Odyn and the Valarjar). Paladin and Priests I guess you could put into the Scarlet area, but that likewise feels like a massive thematic step down compared to Neverlight and the sanctum under Light's Hope.

I feel like the only two classes actually suited to Northrend order halls are DKs, because it doesn't get more DK than ICC, and Evokers, because Wyrmrest.

From a more game design view, I think Blizzard might consider it a failed experiment though. Even during Legion they struggled to build 12 distinct storylines and 12 distinct class locations, with some of the classes really drawing the short straws (ditto artifacts), and this time they'd have 13 classes (14 if we get a new class in Midnight or TLT), have lost some of the best locations and already used many others. Also are they really gonna invest in instanced class-based Order Halls the expansion after housing is introduced? I imagine they'd want to put that time and effort into building new housing locations and options and building a new hub city since Dalaran can't be our hub anymore (I imagine they'll probably repurpose Ulduar or ICC?).

Make order halls into actual order halls rather than class halls, inspired by covenants and open to multiple or all classes giving us the chance to draw some major factions into the story + invent some new ones

And don't make the PC the leader this time so you can use this as a chance to actually send a decent number of new characters who are more expac agnostic to the story like the legion halls should have been

And make them solely cosmetic/story line choices

[Lorgar Aurelian]

He literally said he helped in planning the next couple years of WoW. I imagine he helped Metzen in mapping out the Worldsoul Saga before leaving. Heck, he left right around Blizzcon.

I mean even with the expan that was already in development with TWW metzen came in and repurposed what they already had done.

We have no way of knowing if the following expans which would likely just be plans on paper would have been thrown out or shifted away from there purpose like TWW.

[Relapses]

He literally said he helped in planning the next couple years of WoW. I imagine he helped Metzen in mapping out the Worldsoul Saga before leaving. Heck, he left right around Blizzcon.

Seems like that would've been the perfect time for him to get on stage and hand off the torch, right? Seems a bit strange that his departure was so inconspicuous after being such a pivotal figure in the direction WoW was going for three expansions. That's just my read on it. /shrug

[Nightshade711]

??? And where was this "heavily" implied?

If I remember correctly I think in WC3 one of the dreadlords in the campaign (varimathras?) says something along the lines that they serve Death above all

[AOL Instant Messenger]

I don't get the hype about Dar'khan. He is a small traitor with little about him that makes him interesting. without the manga, there wouldn't even be much to characterize him. He's on the level of Speaker Eirich in TWW. A dungeon endboss at best.

I'd hazard the reason people like him is (1) his manga design and (2) that he's any archetype of villain other than "stoic deep-voiced mastermind #7400". He also benefits from unusually consistent characterization by WoW standards, in this case as a slimy, often rapey power-hungry prick devoid of decent qualities. The other thing is that he's a relatively lore-important character (at least for the blood elves) that has the problem of completely mangled continuity, having died three different times in three different incompatible ways without explanation as to how he recovered, so addressing whatever the hell is going on with that would help to untangle some knots.

[Nymrohd]

People get tired of working on the same project forever. Metzen took his break and also worked on other projects. Heck I wonder how Ion has not gotten sick of WoW given how many years it has been so much of his life, even before Blizzard.

[Ersula]

If Midnight sees the return of Sylvanas (in any capacity) to help defend Quel'Thalas from the Void, I would like to see Lirath also appear in some capacity.

Definitely in a villainous role. Perhaps the Void using shadow necromancy to raise him. Given how much rent Lirath holds in Sylvanas' head, would be some interesting interactions if she's forced to fight against him... even if it's just a physical representation.

I think you just stumbled onto a possible battle bard class connection. Lirath wasn't a caster or a ranger.... he was a bard.

Actually why hasn't Xalatath recruited the scourge already? You'd think she'd have more necromancer minions.

People get tired of working on the same project forever. Metzen took his break and also worked on other projects. Heck I wonder how Ion has not gotten sick of WoW given how many years it has been so much of his life, even before Blizzard.

What would he do. He was a lawyer who was good at raiding. MMORPG Raiding is his only expertise. He can't really go work on Diablo or a AAA game.

[Thomir]

People get tired of working on the same project forever. Metzen took his break and also worked on other projects. Heck I wonder how Ion has not gotten sick of WoW given how many years it has been so much of his life, even before Blizzard.

With a name like ION, I suspect he's an artificial intelligence - possibly a titan construct.

[Nightshade711]

I typically don’t like Bellular’s videos - but he makes a lot of good points here.


Particularly with the stuff with the Ky’veza trinkets and the spawnable Ethereum void-reaper. (As he does point out a the Ethereum was using the void to get revenge on Dimensius)

[AOL Instant Messenger]

(As he does point out a the Ethereum was using the void to get revenge on Dimensius)

It occurs to me there's a deeply irritating possibility they're going to pull an Illidari with the Ethereum and cut the whole "he who fights monsters" angle altogether because "it's not the power it's how you use it" or w/e. If not that, they might at least settle for doing what they did with the Infinite Dragonflight. Either option annoys me greatly.

[Thomir]

D.R.I.V.E. would be improved significantly with destructible objects, like fences and lamp posts.

[Khaza-R]

It occurs to me there's a deeply irritating possibility they're going to pull an Illidari with the Ethereum and cut the whole "he who fights monsters" angle altogether because "it's not the power it's how you use it" or w/e. If not that, they might at least settle for doing what they did with the Infinite Dragonflight. Either option annoys me greatly.

I am hoping more the Ethereum is allied with a different Void Lord who is an enemy of Dimensius. Seems like their nature to be adversarial with one another. As Xal said, the truth of Void is that only the strongest survive. So I imagine there are other ones scheming on ways to consume eachother.

[AOL Instant Messenger]

I am hoping more the Ethereum is allied with a different Void Lord who is an enemy of Dimensius. Seems like their nature to be adversarial with one another. As Xal said, the truth of Void is that only the strongest survive. So I imagine there are other ones scheming on ways to consume eachother.

That would be consistent with what we've seen and would actually be an interesting idea to explore. I have little faith in Blizzard to keep the hamfisted and ill-advised attempts at subversion in their pants, but if they could resist the urge to continue insisting that actually the well of infinite madness is perfectly within the ability of mortals to harness then that would make sense.

That said, I think what'd be most fitting is for Salhadaar himself to have metamorphosed after dying into some kind of nascent Void Lord. It would be fairly consistent with the kind of individualist philosophy the Void has.

[Cheezits]

I don't think the playable Ethereals will be Ethereum/void, if they exist, due to the skins we've seen. Not even Phase-Shifter Azir is voidy, only his minions, and Kyveza.

But maybe that ties into the Midnight class, if it exists, being void related? So if Ethereals are playable they can be a Void ??? and that's how.

I would assume the Protectorate will be the playable Ethereals and Locus-Walker and/or Ameer from TBC will be their leader.

[milkmustache]

I don't think the playable Ethereals will be Ethereum/void, if they exist, due to the skins we've seen. Not even Phase-Shifter Azir is voidy, only his minions, and Kyveza.

But maybe that ties into the Midnight class, if it exists, being void related? So if Ethereals are playable they can be a Void ??? and that's how.

I would assume the Protectorate will be the playable Ethereals and Locus-Walker and/or Ameer from TBC will be their leader.

I think if they come, they'll be Protectorate. The Shadowguard has been the main void aligned force we've seen lately, but the Treacherous Transmitter trinket has a hidden feature that spawns an "Ethereum Void Reaper" that attempts to kill the holder of the trinket. This could very well just be flavor, but the Ethereum seems to be tied into this mix as well. The Protectorate views the Ethereum as an equal size threat to Dimensius, so if we're in need of some allies, they're bound to come.

I don't really forsee them doing a race that is dedicated to Void again, as the void elves sort of fill that gap. If we are to get playable Ethereal, we'll see the Protectorate coming to Azeroth to join our ranks.