Midnight 12.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[Chickat]

Ok so Thrall is on the BlizzCon poster.

When was the last time we saw him? Well... quite recently, during the Orcs heritage quests. And what was he doing? He wanted to reintroduce long-lost orc traditions to Azeroth by inviting all orc clans to a celebration.

They are determined to settle on Azeroth and start a new life while restoring their traditions.

During these quests, Aggra asks us to honor the spirit of a thunder lizard. This one asks us to do something curious... to collect a seed from the bottom of the submerged cliffs in order to plant it in his corpse so that it can take root and grow a forest in Durotar again.

So this portends changes in the old world. Thrall represents, it would seem, the long-awaited world revamp.

Some say he's on the poster for no particular reason. Know that in marketing, nothing is left to chance. We do not put an element on a poster at random. There are always reasons behind it, especially when the poster depicts BlizzCon announcements.

As someone before me said, at BlizzCon expansion announcements, there's always a hint on the posters (Legion - Illidan, BfA - Jaina, SL - Sylvanas/Bolvar).

Others will say that it announces an elementary extension, not excluding the world revamp. This is also possible, but the revamp shouldn't be expansion-themed, otherwise it will age badly and end up being obsolete (like Cataclysm).

We will see in 4 months what will be the frame, but I hope with all my heart that it is indeed a world revamp (and especially that it is done correctly). After all, it's just speculation...

Regardless of what the expansion is I think it's a very safe bet that thrall or Orcs at large will play a large role.

So 3 possible expansions I can think of.

1. Elemental expansion. Maybe revamp too.
2. Revamp expansion.
3. Light invasion. Maghar survivors and horde vs alliance and army of light.


I do think 3 would involve the alliance as antagonists for the horde at first but eventually they would join the side of the maghar and horde.

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We do not know yet. IMO Nozdormu will finally turn into Murozond. At this point after so much foreshadowing, it would be very dissapointing if he stays as Nozdormu.

They need to either have him turn now or make it clear he will never turn.

I'm fine with either of the reasoning makes some logical sense but they have to decide now.

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I wonder who will replace him as Aspect if this happens, Chromie? Anachronos?

If they were going to replace him with anyone but Chromiw they would have already been hyping another bronze up.

I think he probably doesn't turn and is saved at the loss of Chromie.

Or if he does turn ana will die or turn too and Chromie will be aspect.

[Reive]

I hope it's not an "elements" expansion. I'm already tired of them. They had/have a lot of relevance already this expansion

[Scyth]

I sincerely hope next xpac is not an Orc heavy expansion tbh. I am still burnt out from so many xpacs of Orcs and I just don't find them interesting at all anymore.

I don't mind Orcs being involved to some extent, like Thrall for example, just don't make them the main focus again.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

I sincerely hope next xpac is not an Orc heavy expansion tbh. I am still burnt out from so many xpacs of Orcs and I just don't find them interesting at all anymore.

I don't mind Orcs being involved to some extent, like Thrall for example, just don't make them the main focus again.

....Orcs have hardly been super relevant along with Humans. What game are you even playing

[Foolicious]

Personally I think we are looking at 1 more major patch and 4 more minor patches.

10.1.7- mid september
10.2- late November
10.2.5- Early February
10.2.7- Early April
10.2.9- Early June all 3 raids in one patch with a small amount of new world content
11.0 prepatch- early November.
11.0 expansion- late November
11.0 raid launch- Somewhere around December 9th.

I hope we will see the major patches a bit sooner so they don't release the raid a week before christmas again.

[AOL Instant Messenger]

I sincerely hope next xpac is not an Orc heavy expansion tbh. I am still burnt out from so many xpacs of Orcs and I just don't find them interesting at all anymore.

I don't mind Orcs being involved to some extent, like Thrall for example, just don't make them the main focus again.

Last I recall, orcs haven't been obtrusively relevant since Warlords of Draenor; Saurfang was a prominent character in BfA, but shared the spotlight with a number of night elf and forsaken characters. With Shadowlands and Dragonflight not being exceptionally orc-heavy, I'd say more orcs is plenty fine.

Personally, I'd like to see the more malevolent Mag'har contrasted with the more peaceful orcs of Durotar. It'd be a nice way to resolve that schizophrenic characterization and allow the Horde to have the best of both worlds, orcwise.

[ImTheMizAwesome]

Im biased, but i want some bigger orcs spotlight so we get once again some screaming to battle, being very metal and badass and after orc heritage questline we might see new/old characters getting more spotlight, it would be awesome seeing Rexxar and leoroxx with misha kicking some ass together.

Don't know how to properly say that, but i miss "badass" feeling of WoW, and i don't speak only about orcs but all characters could use some of that again.

[Jekyll]

If we get a world revamp, I want my Grimtotem Raid with Magatha as the final boss to come true. It can just be the Grimtotem trying to crash Baine's wedding, and one of the raid bosses is a corrupted cake.

PLS, BLIZZ, LET'S KILL OFF MAGATHA!

[AOL Instant Messenger]

If we get a world revamp, I want my Grimtotem Raid with Magatha as the final boss to come true. It can just be the Grimtotem trying to crash Baine's wedding, and one of the raid bosses is a corrupted cake.

PLS, BLIZZ, LET'S KILL OFF MAGATHA!

Would be interesting. We're in desperate need of recurring villains, however, so I am reluctant to support killing off any of them just yet.

Hate the idea of it being a wedding, also. Feels too much like a continuation of Dragonflight's tone. If we're going to permanently kill off Magatha, I'd prefer it come as a major story beat with a serious tone given that she's effectively the main antagonist for the entire tauren race in absence of any major centaur or quilboar characters.

[Mojo03]

....Orcs have hardly been super relevant along with Humans. What game are you even playing

They had large parts in BC, Cata, MoP, and especially WOD.

That 4 year period of MoP and WOD was like orcs in the spotlight through the whole expansions, while Cata just before had Thrall front and center the whole time.

Honestly, what are you even talking about

[Pyrophax]

I sincerely hope next xpac is not an Orc heavy expansion tbh. I am still burnt out from so many xpacs of Orcs and I just don't find them interesting at all anymore.

I don't mind Orcs being involved to some extent, like Thrall for example, just don't make them the main focus again.

Like one, yes?

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They had large parts in BC, Cata, MoP, and especially WOD.

That 4 year period of MoP and WOD was like orcs in the spotlight through the whole expansions, while Cata just before had Thrall front and center the whole time.

Honestly, what are you even talking about

What? In MoP orcs was in last raid and thats all. WoD yes, but draenei had big presence too. And orges, and arrakoa.
Cata? what? where? Aside total human dominance, there is no where near close. And BC was all about Illidan and BE, not about some minor orcs that you kill in questing.

[Mojo03]

Like one, yes?

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What? In MoP orcs was in last raid and thats all. WoD yes, but draenei had big presence too. And orges, and arrakoa.
Cata? what? where? Aside total human dominance, there is no where near close. And BC was all about Illidan and BE, not about some minor orcs that you kill in questing.

HUH

BC - 2 entire zones, 3 dungeons
Cata - 1 zone, 1 dungeon, and thrall front and center
MoP - Main plot was garrosh and horde, culminating in an orc raid
WoD - Do I really need to say it

[Scyth]

Last I recall, orcs haven't been obtrusively relevant since Warlords of Draenor; Saurfang was a prominent character in BfA, but shared the spotlight with a number of night elf and forsaken characters. With Shadowlands and Dragonflight not being exceptionally orc-heavy, I'd say more orcs is plenty fine.

Personally, I'd like to see the more malevolent Mag'har contrasted with the more peaceful orcs of Durotar. It'd be a nice way to resolve that schizophrenic characterization and allow the Horde to have the best of both worlds, orcwise.

Too many of the cinematics we got in BfA featured Saurfang, which wasn't to my liking.
Again, though, just my opinion. Odd as it may be I'm just not a fan of most Orcs in WoW lol

Getting off-topic so won't keep this up.

I'm looking forward to next week's patch and hoping we get some ingame cinematics. I guess it's confirmed we will be getting one from the mega dungeon?
Would love to get one that involves the Dream/Tree but too early perhaps.

[Pyrophax]

HUH

BC - 2 entire zones, 3 dungeons
Cata - 1 zone, 1 dungeon, and thrall front and center
MoP - Main plot was garrosh and horde, culminating in an orc raid
WoD - Do I really need to say it

HUH 2.0
BC have like 16 dungeons and only 3 was about orcs. 2 zones - which ones? Hellfire and shadowmoon? Really?
And what zone in Cata you count? Twilight? Its pretty balanced with dwarves, i say. Thrall - agree, he was in 1 zone, was 1 quest chain, and final raid. Thats all? Where is your Tyrande fatigue, if you that selective?
MoP was about pandaren and mad Garrosh in 1.5 patches. Lei shen? Mantids? Yaungols? Sha? Nope, orcsorcsorcsorcsorcsorcs yes?
Its like complaining that in MoP 4/5zones was about pandaren. Its logical that Outland (orc homeworld) in BC (mostly about demons, blood elves and Illidan with his demons) have some orc presence, no? WoD fitts too. But we have also arrakoa in Arak, we have ogres in Talador and Nagrand. Whole draenei zones Talador and Shadowmoon. But you forgot it. And yes, mass killing enemy orcs have 0 value to Durotar orc place in story or characters representation.

And now where is yout troll fatigue, there is always some troll stuff in every expansion (apart DF, but it is not over yet). Where is your human fatigue? or NE and BE?

[Nymrohd]

Many of the major stories of TBC were orc centric. Hellfire Citadel, Nagrand with the Oshu'gun questline ending with Thrall and Garrosh, Shadowmoon Valley and the Cipher of Damnation.

The Cataclysm revamp also gave orcs new and extensive storylines. They got a much more powerful presence in Ashenvale, Stonetalon and Twilight Highlands. Thrall was front and center throughout the expansion; heck even the Firelands patch that was entirely about night elves still featured Thrall in the trailer for some reason instead of Malfurion and/or Hamuul who were the central characters of the storyline. That said, I think Thrall fatigue is entirely separate from Horde fatigue.

MoP had 5.1, 5.3 and 5.4 be all about Garrosh and the Horde with multiple orc characters.

WoD had 4 zones that were mostly about Orcs with a significant orc presence in Shadowmoon Valley.

I will add, as I said earlier that fatigue about Thrall is very different from orc presence fatigue. Thrall's story was often about Thrall himself and not about the orcs (in contrast with Garrosh whose story was deeply tied to his people). I'd say this is often the case with Anduin as well; he has multiple storylines that are very much about him and not the humans of Stormwind.

It also doesn't help that structures that are Horde and Alliance instead of a specific race use Orc and Human architecture instead of Blizzard coming with a more blended style that uses elements from multiple races. Sometimes Horde structures will use a Forsaken tower but that's it.

[Dracullus]

Jesus Christ and I thought we can finally have one rep truly account wide with Loam Niffen. Turns out, when you hit 20, you can buy Barter Boulders for resources on alts, but every single reward is still in Barter Bricks until you grind Renown 12 on every.single.alt.

It's getting really frustrating, especially when account wide reps were one of selling points of this expac. I don't get what's stoping them from going full in.

[Mojo03]

HUH 2.0
BC have like 16 dungeons and only 3 was about orcs. 2 zones - which ones? Hellfire and shadowmoon? Really?
And what zone in Cata you count? Twilight? Its pretty balanced with dwarves, i say. Thrall - agree, he was in 1 zone, was 1 quest chain, and final raid. Thats all? Where is your Tyrande fatigue, if you that selective?
MoP was about pandaren and mad Garrosh in 1.5 patches. Lei shen? Mantids? Yaungols? Sha? Nope, orcsorcsorcsorcsorcsorcs yes?
Its like complaining that in MoP 4/5zones was about pandaren. Its logical that Outland (orc homeworld) in BC (mostly about demons, blood elves and Illidan with his demons) have some orc presence, no? WoD fitts too. But we have also arrakoa in Arak, we have ogres in Talador and Nagrand. Whole draenei zones Talador and Shadowmoon. But you forgot it. And yes, mass killing enemy orcs have 0 value to Durotar orc place in story or characters representation.

And now where is yout troll fatigue, there is always some troll stuff in every expansion (apart DF, but it is not over yet). Where is your human fatigue? or NE and BE?

First off, I'm genuinely not even sure the point you're trying to make.

So maybe you could elaborate the point you're trying to make.

To me, it seems that you're saying, because they weren't the SOLE and only focus and there were other things going on in those expansions, that, that doesn't count as them being relevant to those expansions?

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Many of the major stories of TBC were orc centric. Hellfire Citadel, Nagrand with the Oshu'gun questline ending with Thrall and Garrosh, Shadowmoon Valley and the Cipher of Damnation.

The Cataclysm revamp also gave orcs new and extensive storylines. They got a much more powerful presence in Ashenvale, Stonetalon and Twilight Highlands. Thrall was front and center throughout the expansion; heck even the Firelands patch that was entirely about night elves still featured Thrall in the trailer for some reason instead of Malfurion and/or Hamuul who were the central characters of the storyline. That said, I think Thrall fatigue is entirely separate from Horde fatigue.

MoP had 5.1, 5.3 and 5.4 be all about Garrosh and the Horde with multiple orc characters.

WoD had 4 zones that were mostly about Orcs with a significant orc presence in Shadowmoon Valley.

Yup, exactly

[Santandame]

For a world revamp expansion, if the idea is to keep the zones & stories evergreen with the races overall primary zones having a cohesive villain for the narrative then I’d like to see something like this:

Alliance:

- Humans - Dark Riders of Karazhan/New Defias

- Dwarves - Rogue political faction of various Dwarf clans who oppose Dagran becoming King / Djaradin and Ragnaros Dark Iron fanatics banding together along with Fyrakk.

- Gnomes - see above but also remnants of King Mechagon’s forces

- Draenei - Over zealous Light fanatics who splinter off from main Draenei society after reformed Eredar/Manari are welcomed back into Draenei society

- Worgen - Ivar Bloodfangs pack begin to seek dominance over the Gilneans / Scourge remnants / Scarlets.

- Night Elves - A mish mash of Naga, Night Elf extremists who still want revenge against the Horde and the Primalists.

Horde:

Orcs - tensions with the Mag’har as well forces from Draenor that have moved over such as the Breakers, Botani and Saberon.

Tauren - Wratheye uniting the Gnoll clans, centaurs and quillboar. Effectively creating the mongrel horde and teaching them to harness decay magic. Also, Grimtotem tensions.

Trolls - similar to Orcs but could have Blood Trolls begin to invade an expanded Echo Isles and the coast of eastern Kalimdor.

Undead - Sylvanas loyalists, extremist Night Elves, Scarlets.

Blood Elves - Shadowguard Ethereals begin to invade Quel’Thalas seeking to corrupt the Sunwell. They also corrupt a group of Amani Trolls with avoid; whilst some Amani trolls defect and work together with the Blood Elves to beat back to the Void incursion.

I have nothing for the allied races, Dracthyr and Pandaren. Perhaps some racial questioned that send them back to their homelands every now and then for a campaign but no revamp to their areas as not really needed.

Overarching villains for the expansion in terms of filling out max level zones, raids and mega dungeons:

Nightsquall’s fleet invading zones such as Stranglethorn, Tanaris and coastline hubs such as Ratchet.

The Scarlets having a stranglehold on Lordaeron.

Night Elf extremists making their home in the Ruins of Darnassus.

[Lahis]

Thankfully this will never happen, because Blizzard stated that Infinite Dragonflight plotline is resolved in upcoming megadungeon.

Warcraft is a happy story, Warcraft is a cheerful story, Nozdormu was never going to succumb to his fate. He was always going to be saved eventually.

Infinite plotline is resolved by turning Nozdormu into Murozond. After that we know where, when and how he dies because we have already done it.

[Pyrophax]

First off, I'm genuinely not even sure the point you're trying to make.

So maybe you could elaborate the point you're trying to make.

To me, it seems that you're saying, because they weren't the SOLE and only focus and there were other things going on in those expansions, that, that doesn't count as them being relevant to those expansions?

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Yup, exactly

I am trying to say that if once a while we have orcs in game - there should not be some prejustise about that. We have major presence of humans, NE and BE in every expansion, but there is 0 human/NE/BE fatigue, only orc one.
Yes, I agree that in some places presence of orcs was too much (WoD) but call it so many xpacs about orcs is wrong. I wish there will be more orc content, but not about killing evil orcs, but akin heritage armor quest chain.