Midnight 12.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[Viridiel]

I like the Hearthstone wild god designs, but they're distinctly un-Warcraftlike to me, to the point of some of them being completely unrecognisable as the character they're supposed to be (Malorne, Aessina). They really do just let the Hearthstone team do whatever they want, don't they?

I expect Hearthstone to continue to occupy a similar space to the RPG: a source of ideas, designs, and names, but ultimately non-canonical. I do think Amitus will enter the canon in some form, but I think it'll be similar to the tortollans where it'll only be her character design and themes that come across, not her lore.

[Joshuaj]

I like the Hearthstone wild god designs, but they're distinctly un-Warcraftlike to me, to the point of some of them being completely unrecognisable as the character they're supposed to be (Malorne, Aessina). They really do just let the Hearthstone team do whatever they want, don't they?

I expect Hearthstone to continue to occupy a similar space to the RPG: a source of ideas, designs, and names, but ultimately non-canonical. I do think Amitus will enter the canon in some form, but I think it'll be similar to the tortollans where it'll only be her character design and themes that come across, not her lore.

How is it un-warcraft like? This is perfect in terms of WoW's High Fantasy designs.

[Ersula]

How is it un-warcraft like? This is perfect in terms of WoW's High Fantasy designs.

I think they're taking exception with them not being 1 to 1 recreation of their wow models.... which of course they wouldn't be. Wild Gods are significant characters but not significant to have their own unique models & have been depicted with generic models this entire time. Malorne is literally just a generic deer thank god the hearthstone artists showed a little creativity.

[Joshuaj]

I think they're taking exception with them not being 1 to 1 recreation of their wow models.... which of course they wouldn't be. Wild Gods are significant characters but not significant to have their own unique models & have been depicted with generic models this entire time. Malorne is literally just a generic deer thank god the hearthstone artists showed a little creativity.

Considering I put them on the same tier as the Keepers, the Covenant leading bodies, the Naaru, and the Old Gods, they should very much have unique models, and I'm glad Hearthstone's finally realizing this.

[Viridiel]

I think they're taking exception with them not being 1 to 1 recreation of their wow models.... which of course they wouldn't be. Wild Gods are significant characters but not significant to have their own unique models & have been depicted with generic models this entire time. Malorne is literally just a generic deer thank god the hearthstone artists showed a little creativity.

Yeah, that's definitely exactly what I said.

No, I just don't think the designs look like anything else in Warcraft. Admittedly the actual card art is far more Warcraftlike than the concept art, for example the concept art for Malorne has a strange cat face but the final card art actually has Malorne's face. But Aessina and Ashamane look more like League of Legends characters to me. Maybe the final card art will take us back down to Azeroth.

[Super Dickmann]

The only good Agamaggan and Aessina designs are the HS ones. For being among the higher tier of relevant wild gods, Agamaggan has been stuck with the generic pig model for years one end. Now what he's got to do with warlocks God only knows.

[Golden Yak]

I've long thought Agamaggan could use an upgrade. I made up this design for him. Basically a giant quillboar with thorny growths.



I do like the HS design though.

[Nymrohd]

How is Hearthstone Agamaggan different from the Greater Boar model used from WoD onward? Did they just release a new version?

[Khaza-R]

How is Hearthstone Agamaggan different from the Greater Boar model used from WoD onward? Did they just release a new version?

They're talking about the wild god concepts from the hearthstone reveal trailer.

But the hs devs literally said they re-designed the wild gods with the intention of connecting more to their corresponding class. So while cool, its not something you're ever going to see in WoW anyway.

[Joshuaj]

Yeah, that's definitely exactly what I said.

No, I just don't think the designs look like anything else in Warcraft. Admittedly the actual card art is far more Warcraftlike than the concept art, for example the concept art for Malorne has a strange cat face but the final card art actually has Malorne's face. But Aessina and Ashamane look more like League of Legends characters to me. Maybe the final card art will take us back down to Azeroth.

What do you mean? The Old Gods, Titan Keepers, Naaru, and Covenant leaders are literally right there. If anything, the Wild Gods look like actual Life counterparts to them, as they should.

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They're talking about the wild god concepts from the hearthstone reveal trailer.

But the hs devs literally said they re-designed the wild gods with the intention of connecting more to their corresponding class. So while cool, its not something you're ever going to see in WoW anyway.

They should incorporate these designs to WoW. They look perfect.

[Cheezits]

The Wild Gods having normal animal forms has always smelled like budget constraints to me and not actual lore. See: Zandalar loa having interesting forms (at least the non-Akunda and Krag'wa ones) and then Cenarius looking like he does since forever.

There are a LOT of wild gods so Blizz just has to cheap out.

[Joshuaj]

The Wild Gods having normal animal forms has always smelled like budget constraints to me and not actual lore. See: Zandalar loa having interesting forms (at least the non-Akunda and Krag'wa ones) and then Cenarius looking like he does forever.

I think, in-universe, it should work both ways. On Azeroth, they're somewhat enchanted normal animals or so, but in the Dream? Basically their Hearthstone appearance.

[Lady Atia]

The Wild Gods having normal animal forms has always smelled like budget constraints to me and not actual lore. See: Zandalar loa having interesting forms (at least the non-Akunda and Krag'wa ones) and then Cenarius looking like he does since forever.

There are a LOT of wild gods so Blizz just has to cheap out.

This. They would have to change up the nightmare-aligned ones for sure (unless the void brings it back), but the dream-aligned ones fit pretty well into the game.

Also, each class having their own wild god buddy would have been a great feature for the Amirdrassil patch, not gonna lie. Kinda sad they scared away from any kind of borrowed power after Shadowlands/BFA, seeing how much fun Hearthstone have with basically the same concept. (since the problem with borrowed power was the infinite grind that just got erased at the end of an expansion, not some cool unique class/covenant specific flavours ...)

[Joshuaj]

This. They would have to change up the nightmare-aligned ones for sure (unless the void brings it back), but the dream-aligned ones fit pretty well into the game.

Also, each class having their own wild god buddy would have been a great feature for the Amirdrassil patch, not gonna lie. Kinda sad they scared away from any kind of borrowed power after Shadowlands/BFA, seeing how much fun Hearthstone have with basically the same concept. (since the problem with borrowed power was the infinite grind that just got erased at the end of an expansion, not some cool unique class/covenant specific flavours ...)

The Nightmare aligned ones fit perfectly as well ngl. They just aren't in the game cause the Nightmare got jumped by a 28 year old Human Paladin and his band is goofy goobers.

[milkmustache]

If 11.2 ends up being the Rootlands, I really hope we start to see a new side to nature magics opposed to 10.2's. I found The Emerald Dream to be pretty disappointing. It certainly had a lot of life and growth, but it fully lacked the feeling of things being wild, which I think has been a problem with Life/Nature magics as of late. These new Hearthstone approaches seem to be addressing that in a good way, but Hearthstone doens't always translate over to WoW (see Gadgetzan).

I truly hope for the Rootlands to be a hostile, wild place. Thorny hollows, suffocating vines, noxious fungi, so forth. If this place is so secret and hidden, I think it's about time they start making it hidden for real. tangible reasons instead of the same "well, it was hidden with magic for so long.. until it wasn't" approach that they've been using for a while now.

[Lady Atia]

The Nightmare aligned ones fit perfectly as well ngl. They just aren't in the game cause the Nightmare got jumped by a 28 year old Human Paladin and his band is goofy goobers.

Yeah but well, so far it seems like we dealth with the Nightmare, but maybe Midnight brings back some new void corruption for the Wild Gods again?

What I meant was that you can't really use the nightmare-aligned designs for their normal forms since Legion showed that the Nightmare corrupted things actually looked quite different.

[Cheezits]

Pretty cool that they finally added Chen's proper outfit to the game, albeit in a paid bundle and with goofy extra stuff you have to take off.

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Also the slime rivers in Undermine remind me so much of the slime canal in Undercity that I wonder if that is what that kind of particle was made for.

[milkmustache]

Also the slime rivers in Undermine remind me so much of the slime canal in Undercity that I wonder if that is what that kind of particle was made for.

Huh. Good point. I don't think I would've associated the Goblins with slime as much prior to this, although it fits.

But you're right; the name of the game seems to be updating models, gobs, etc that can be used in multiple places. This fits for Undercity.

[Limayria]

If 11.2 ends up being the Rootlands, I really hope we start to see a new side to nature magics opposed to 10.2's. I found The Emerald Dream to be pretty disappointing. It certainly had a lot of life and growth, but it fully lacked the feeling of things being wild, which I think has been a problem with Life/Nature magics as of late. These new Hearthstone approaches seem to be addressing that in a good way, but Hearthstone doens't always translate over to WoW (see Gadgetzan).

I truly hope for the Rootlands to be a hostile, wild place. Thorny hollows, suffocating vines, noxious fungi, so forth. If this place is so secret and hidden, I think it's about time they start making it hidden for real. tangible reasons instead of the same "well, it was hidden with magic for so long.. until it wasn't" approach that they've been using for a while now.

They gotta get the avowed team to talk to the wow team about how to make nature feel cool tbh that game has beautiful and intimidating nature magic in it

[Joshuaj]

If 11.2 ends up being the Rootlands, I really hope we start to see a new side to nature magics opposed to 10.2's. I found The Emerald Dream to be pretty disappointing. It certainly had a lot of life and growth, but it fully lacked the feeling of things being wild, which I think has been a problem with Life/Nature magics as of late. These new Hearthstone approaches seem to be addressing that in a good way, but Hearthstone doens't always translate over to WoW (see Gadgetzan).

I truly hope for the Rootlands to be a hostile, wild place. Thorny hollows, suffocating vines, noxious fungi, so forth. If this place is so secret and hidden, I think it's about time they start making it hidden for real. tangible reasons instead of the same "well, it was hidden with magic for so long.. until it wasn't" approach that they've been using for a while now.

That's the point tho, no? The Emerald Dream we saw was heavily ordered by Eonar and Freya. It was restrained from being wild.