Midnight 12.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[Nymrohd]

I feel like Azshara's obsession with ruling Azeroth will take priority over the cosmos or all of reality. She's petty like that.

Though if there is any Azeroth villain to become a reality-destroying threat it would be her over anyone else.

I think the moment Azshara realized there is a goal larger than Azeroth, it became her goal. She would not settle for anything less than everything.

[Enrif]

Oh, maybe that elf who was the Horde rep in Dragonflight? I forget her name. I do think they'll pick an actual lore character instead of whatsherface from DF, hence Zekhan.

Zekhan might be possible, yet i see him more as a ambasador like character that would try to work it otu between the Amani and Elves, not so much a delver.

[Cheezits]

I think the moment Azshara realized there is a goal larger than Azeroth, it became her goal. She would not settle for anything less than everything.

It's in character, but I really want her to attack Kalimdor and for the Nelves (and Horde) to have to push her back. There may be some way for her to do that while also gunning for cosmic domination but I'm not sure how.

[Nymrohd]

It's in character, but I really want her to attack Kalimdor and for the Nelves (and Horde) to have to push her back. There may be some way for her to do that while also gunning for cosmic domination but I'm not sure how.

I could see Azshara attacking something entirely as a distraction.

[Khaza-R]

I am assuming Ashara is once again transformed by whatever she is serving now. I wonder what her and her followers are going to look like.

[Cheezits]

I am assuming Ashara is once again transformed by whatever she is serving now. I wonder what her and her followers are going to look like.

I can see it being some kind of halfway between her Naga form and her Elf form, in line with how Nerubian Ascendancy makes them humanoid through void.

Makes her easier to animate, more conventionally attractive but also keeps the cool tentacle menace.

Come to think of it, I wonder if the Ascended Nerubians are basically a hint towards the dreaded "Naga With Legs". It's the first time we've seen the Void turn a monstrous race more humanoid.

[AOL Instant Messenger]

Imagine how lackluster they'd be in cinematics, where emotions are very important to convey an epic feeling.

Surely, there are no other games that Blizzard has made that have cinematics featuring nearly-faceless humanoids.

[milkmustache]

Zekhan might be possible, yet i see him more as a ambasador like character that would try to work it otu between the Amani and Elves, not so much a delver.

Has there been any hint that Zekhan would be a character at all in the Saga, or is this just speculation? I may have missed something

[AOL Instant Messenger]

But, it's literally just bandages. They have no facial expressions - saving the team a whole lot of work.

Ethereals might be "easier" (if the key criterion for a race that isn't lazy is an expressive and customizable face) to make than cave night elves or the hideous Antz rejects, but they're a less fundamentally terrible idea. Laziness is only bad when the easy option is inferior; if something is both easier and has a better outcome, that just means there's no tradeoff to doing it instead.

[Cheezits]

Has there been any hint that Zekhan would be a character at all in the Saga, or is this just speculation? I may have missed something

Just speculation due to there definitely being troll involvement in Midnight. Was trying to think of a known Elf/Troll/Forsaken character that fit the bill for Delve companion: fits the area but not part of the MSQ cast.

[Enrif]

Has there been any hint that Zekhan would be a character at all in the Saga, or is this just speculation? I may have missed something

Just spit balling ideas for a new delve companion for midnight. No Zekhan hints.

[milkmustache]

Just speculation due to there definitely being troll involvement in Midnight. Was trying to think of a known Elf/Troll/Forsaken character that fit the bill for Delve companion: fits the area but not part of the MSQ cast.

Salandria (Lady Liadrin's daughter) was a good call. I'm not sure who the Farstrider you referred to earlier was (unless you meant Halduron), but a troll/forsaken is an interesting idea. Lillian would have fit the bill perfectly in the past, but she's a leader of the Forsaken so she may be preoccupied. Zekhan could be fun, I think trolls could use more involvement in the plot.

EDIT: B-Plot Draenei, Artificer Romuul?

Speaking of the Desolate Council, I wonder if we'll get any sort of interaction between Calia and the Arathi. I understand that what was happening within the Priory in Hallowfall was not necessarily a standard amongst Arathi, but the dead reanimated with the Light is a distinct choice to use twice. There's a lot of backburner plot threads that the Arathi very seamlessly slide into and essentially have the ability to answer. I'm a massive fan of the worldbuilding being done with the Arathi and I really, really hope that Blizzard doesn't miss on any of the potentials that they've laid out for themselves.

[Enrif]

Just speculation due to there definitely being troll involvement in Midnight. Was trying to think of a known Elf/Troll/Forsaken character that fit the bill for Delve companion: fits the area but not part of the MSQ cast.

Forsaken? ... hmm, How about Meryl Felstorm, Alonsus Faol, Calia Menethil or Derek Proudmoore? Though, i feel these forsaken only work if it would include the northern eastern kingdoms, which i don't think will be part of midnight.

Hmm, how about a undead elf? a Dark Ranger like Velonara or Death Knight Koltira?

[Cheezits]

Forsaken? ... hmm, How about Meryl Felstorm, Alonsus Faol, Calia Menethil or Derek Proudmoore? Though, i feel these forsaken only work if it would include the northern eastern kingdoms, which i don't think will be part of midnight.

This debate has happened often on here but I do not think there is enough in Quel'thalas itself to stretch out four-five zones at launch. Thalassian (Eversong), Scourge (Ghostlands) and Troll (Zul'aman) is just three themes even if you add void stuff among them, and I would think they would add some of Northeron/Stratholme to Ghostlands so that it's not just Dark Eversong again.

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Salandria (Lady Liadrin's daughter) was a good call. I'm not sure who the Farstrider you referred to earlier was (unless you meant Halduron), but a troll/forsaken is an interesting idea. Lillian would have fit the bill perfectly in the past, but she's a leader of the Forsaken so she may be preoccupied. Zekhan could be fun, I think trolls could use more involvement in the plot.

Having it be Voss would be a good tactic to get her out of the way if they wanted to focus more on Calia (needs to happen at some point) but it would also do Voss a disservice as a character not to be in the MSQ. I do like Enrif's idea of Velonara- she fits the Sylvanas-sized hole in the expansion, lets us have a female companion and is Thalassian to fit the overall theme. But she also deserves more story.

It would be a big ol' crapshoot but maybe it's gonna be that Night Elf Dark Ranger. Or Faerin?

[Enrif]

This debate has happened often on here but I do not think there is enough in Quel'thalas itself to stretch out four-five zones at launch. Eversong, Scourge and Troll is just three themes even if you add void stuff among them, and I would think they would add some of Northeron/Stratholme to Ghostlands so that it's not just Dark Eversong again.

I don't want to revive that discussion. I just go and assume Quel'thalas only until blizzard says anything to the contrary.

[milkmustache]

I don't want to revive that discussion. I just go and assume Quel'thalas only until blizzard says anything to the contrary.

That's a fair statement, but Quel'thalas is really the only thing that we know about Midnight. We were given a basic logline for it.

For a reminder, from Blizzcon 2023:

In this chapter, you will be returning— ready?— to the old world. To the fabled lands of Quel’Thalas. There, the forces of the Void have invaded Azeroth, intent on snuffing out the light of the Sunwell, and plunging the world into darkness and fear. You will not only help reunify the scattered elven tribes of Azeroth, but you will make your stand with the forces of the light and banish the shadow forever.

So our general knowledge of Midnight (aside from the housing feature) is limited to this. We can speculate about any zones that we want, but we're pretty much in the complete dark. I think the question of returning to Lordaeron affiliated zones is a valid question worth discussing because of this being our first full revamp expansion.

[Enrif]

On further thought, and seeing that Brann is now able to tank, heal and dps, any follower for Midnight should be able to convincingly be able to do the same. So i would throw out a few ideas like the dark rangers or kolitra.

If we go by known classes it should be someone that is either a paladin, druid or monk or a class that could have either tank or heal realistically added while having the other, like shaman or evoker. Or a tease of one of the survey classes like artificer, tinker, or bard.

And i think this throws out all of the forsaken characters we know of, and in that context, a character like Salandria or Arathor are more likely, though i don't think either of these.

[Cheezits]

That's a fair statement, but Quel'thalas is really the only thing that we know about Midnight. We were given a basic logline for it.

For a reminder, from Blizzcon 2023:

In this chapter, you will be returning— ready?— to the old world. To the fabled lands of Quel’Thalas. There, the forces of the Void have invaded Azeroth, intent on snuffing out the light of the Sunwell, and plunging the world into darkness and fear. You will not only help reunify the scattered elven tribes of Azeroth, but you will make your stand with the forces of the light and banish the shadow forever.

Huh, I forgot they confirmed the Sunwell is intact at the start of the expansion, which to me implies it won't be a void-corrupted Quel'thalas. Also interesting that they say scattered elven tribes of Azeroth when it makes more sense for it to be the 3-4 Thalassian factions specifically (Quel'dorei, Sin'dorei, Ren'dorei, Dark Rangers), but we'll see. Dark Rangers would at least make it 2 Alliance 2 Horde.

[milkmustache]

Huh, I forgot they confirmed the Sunwell is intact at the start of the expansion, which to me implies it won't be a void-corrupted Quel'thalas. Also interesting that they say scattered elven tribes of Azeroth when it makes more sense for it to be the 3-4 Thalassian factions specifically (Quel'dorei, Sin'dorei, Ren'dorei, Dark Rangers), but we'll see.

Yeah, finding the exact quote was good for me because I realized how off base my ideas have gotten from the literal knowledge we have been given, even if minimal.

The Void has already invaded at this point and are set for the Sunwell. I can't imagine we'll be getting purple and blue cosmic shattered Eversong, so I wonder how they approach this.

EDIT: The marriage of Lor'themar and Thalryssa will be a pretty poignant detail as well. I expect to see a lot of Shal'dorei involved here as well.

[username993720]

You'll never guess one of the more popular fan picks for races: Naga.

Females have four arms and some a set of snakey hair.

Also one of the most popular race requests is literally just Giant Human so arguing about what should and shouldn't be playable these days is silly.

Vikings. You're talking about literal vikings. How would that not be epic?

but ethereals have no bodies. they are energy

Then, maybe, those that we recruit retained theirs.

The more you mess with the design of Ethereals the closer you get into running into an issue of "that's not what they looked like we don't want that" that has been seen with previous races (Nightborne, Velf, Mechagnomes, Dracthyr).

We're already seeing it to an extent with the new models having very tight wrappings instead of spread out and floating like the OG models (a sacrifice I think that was made with playability in mind, otherwise why change it?)

Maybe if they were actual undead mummies...
It's not like they weren't people before Dimensius' destruction.

But why though.

Somethings are appealing because they're alien and different. Its like the whole, 2-legged Naga suggestion. Like they could do that but then its also takes away what made them unique the in first place.

You're right.
The whole premise of a Naga is being a serpent.
It just feels like they could have been much more. Even Brokers have more style than them.

Surely, there are no other games that Blizzard has made that have cinematics featuring nearly-faceless humanoids.

Yes, as monsters. Not as the protagonists.

Ethereals might be "easier" (if the key criterion for a race that isn't lazy is an expressive and customizable face) to make than cave night elves or the hideous Antz rejects, but they're a less fundamentally terrible idea. Laziness is only bad when the easy option is inferior; if something is both easier and has a better outcome, that just means there's no tradeoff to doing it instead.

They could do them without the wrappings, as blobs of energy, selling wrappings for 10$ on the store.