Midnight 12.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[Makorus]

If you had asked me before release, I would have 100% agreed with Rootlands coming.

Now, I am not so sure. 11.2 pretty much has to be something Ethereal or else the outrage will be massive, seeing how they teased it at the end of Undermine, and nothing is worse than something cool getting replaced by something subjectively worse (I would wager a lot of people would rather have an Ethereal Planet over Emerald Dream 2.0).

At the same time, I don't see an 11.3 happening, and I also don't see how Rootlands would serve as an transition patch to Midnight.

The only thing I can see is 11.2 being two zones, which might work?

Honestly, Haranir have to be the biggest cut content blunder in a while.

[Pyrophax]

If you had asked me before release, I would have 100% agreed with Rootlands coming.

Now, I am not so sure. 11.2 pretty much has to be something Ethereal or else the outrage will be massive, seeing how they teased it at the end of Undermine, and nothing is worse than something cool getting replaced by something subjectively worse (I would wager a lot of people would rather have an Ethereal Planet over Emerald Dream 2.0).

At the same time, I don't see an 11.3 happening, and I also don't see how Rootlands would serve as an transition patch to Midnight.

The only thing I can see is 11.2 being two zones, which might work?

Honestly, Haranir have to be the biggest cut content blunder in a while.

I think Ethereal will be primal antagonists for 11.2, while Rootlands will be zone for it. As ED was for Firelands raid 2.0 aka Amirdrassil.
With last boss (Xal or not) on Ka'resh debris with finale about opening huge portal to Azeroth. And while we killed the boss - its our loss for letting portal open. Then we go for Midnight prequest to Quel'Thalas.

[Al Gorefiend]

If you had asked me before release, I would have 100% agreed with Rootlands coming.

Now, I am not so sure. 11.2 pretty much has to be something Ethereal or else the outrage will be massive, seeing how they teased it at the end of Undermine, and nothing is worse than something cool getting replaced by something subjectively worse (I would wager a lot of people would rather have an Ethereal Planet over Emerald Dream 2.0).

At the same time, I don't see an 11.3 happening, and I also don't see how Rootlands would serve as an transition patch to Midnight.

The only thing I can see is 11.2 being two zones, which might work?

Honestly, Haranir have to be the biggest cut content blunder in a while.

Or ethereals are the set up for main antagonist in Midnight. Who else would it be? It's content set in faction controlled territory. As much as we all wish we had void corrupt elves to decimate the population of

[Enrif]

If you had asked me before release, I would have 100% agreed with Rootlands coming.

Now, I am not so sure. 11.2 pretty much has to be something Ethereal or else the outrage will be massive, seeing how they teased it at the end of Undermine, and nothing is worse than something cool getting replaced by something subjectively worse (I would wager a lot of people would rather have an Ethereal Planet over Emerald Dream 2.0).

At the same time, I don't see an 11.3 happening, and I also don't see how Rootlands would serve as an transition patch to Midnight.

The only thing I can see is 11.2 being two zones, which might work?

Honestly, Haranir have to be the biggest cut content blunder in a while.

Rootlands can still end up as 11.1.7 mini zone, like siren island

[Cheezits]

I think it's now 70/30 on Karesh vs Rootlands, Rootlands can easily be shuffled to later in WoW or even TLT at the earliest if the Roots are underneath Sholozar Basin or Un'goro.

Casuals will just be going ????? if it's the next zone based on what is set up in Undermine.

[Hitei]

I think it's now 70/30 on Karesh vs Rootlands, Rootlands can easily be shuffled to later in WoW or even TLT at the earliest if the Roots are underneath Sholozar Basin or Un'goro.

Casuals will just be going ????? if it's the next zone based on what is set up in Undermine.

"Casuals" do not care. Casuals do not even know what K'aresh or the hypothetical Rootlands are. They just look at whatever gets announced.

[Darkarath]

"Casuals" do not care. Casuals do not even know what K'aresh or the hypothetical Rootlands are. They just look at whatever gets announced.

What got announced at the end of 11.1? K'aresh.

For those that do not know what K'aresh is, at the very least they got the perception that we are going to a cool Void planet with cool Ethereals. Give us Rootlands instead, which at the moment do not exist in the game, because I think that they have not been mentioned once, and certainly most players would feel confused.

Most importantly, we currently do not have any reason to go to the Rootlands, while we have every reason to go to K'aresh, since the Dark Heart is the main focus of TWW.

I would also add TWW is by far the least hyped expansion of the WSS, so IMO it makes sense that they would add something cool like K'aresh as the final patch.

Midnight is the most hyped expansion since Legion. It does not need K'aresh. Give us any old zone revamped as a 12.2 and people would be equally excited.

[Nymrohd]

What got announced at the end of 11.1? K'aresh.

Casuals don't even know what K'aresh is. It was mentioned a few times back in TBC and then again at one point in the TWW intro. That's it.

[Hitei]

What got announced at the end of 11.1?

Nothing. The word you are looking for is "teased".

For those that do not know what K'aresh is, at the very least they got the perception that we are going to a cool Void planet with cool Ethereals. Give us Rootlands instead, which at the moment do not exist in the game, because I think that they have not been mentioned once, and certainly most players would feel confused.

I don't think anyone would be confused about a tease for a later expansion. Were players confused that Legion didn't happen immediately after MoP despite MoP's invasion tease? Were they confused that 10.2 wasn't a void invasion when 10.1.5 ended with Iridikron leaving through a void portal in a nearly identical scene? Were they confused when Wrathion teased looking for the Dragon Isles in BfA only for DF to be two expansions later?

What was already announced, that everyone knows is happening, is Midnight, the Void themed expansion. There's nothing confusing about getting a few second shot of a mysterious Void world right before a Void expansion.

Most importantly, we currently do not have any reason to go to the Rootlands, while we have every reason to go to K'aresh, since the Dark Heart is the main focus of TWW

We have every reason to go to look for a thing we haven't been trying to find on a completely different faraway planet we don't know it's on?

The main focus of the expansion is Xal'atath, not the heart. Xal'atah who has been actively going around encouraging people to use the Black Blood, the Black Blood that's primary plotline of the Roots. The Roots that are heavily implied to be connected to the Worldsoul that is the principle incitement for this entire expedition.

Midnight is the most hyped expansion since Legion. It does not need K'aresh. Give us any old zone revamped as a 12.2 and people would be equally excited.

I don't know why people are trying to retroactively shift this, but very few people give a shit about Quel'thalas. We have had almost a decade and a half of people talking about old world revamps and the Blood Elf zones have hardly been a footnote, typically relegated to "yeah they should finally add the Draenei and Blood Elf zones to the main map". You are kidding yourself if you think something like Quel'danas is "equally exciting" as a void-consumed alien planet. People have clamored for Lordaeron or Kalimdor. They have clamored for Northrend 2.0. Not Eversong.

It's like you have all completely forgotten (or just weren't around?) for Cata. Where people just found redoing zones to be lazy, or WoD where even completely remaking them wasn't particularly noteworthy. Some random old zone being updated is what 8.1 was. Who the hell cites 8.1 as a dazzling patch on par with a giant void planet.

[Foreign Exchange Ztudent]

I'd like for K'aresh to be erased from Midnight as the idea of just plopping K'aresh into Midnight has always meant a completely ridiculous product that schisms with everything that makes Midnight the most successful World of Warcraft expansion of all time.

Obviously, if they do make this decision it is what it is. I just think with how little playing field we have it'd be lame to repeat the "Hey, remember Legion. Look we did it again" unless they're even dumber and plop K'aresh in 12.1 as that'd be pure chaos.

Then again, the conceptual nature of Renilash does leave an opportunity for that regardless.

[Ersula]

The one above the pond is clearly green and has roots coming down out of it, though

That's where Rootlands are gonna be, its basically set up for it

Unless the last patch isn't rootlands is the thing, we haven't gotten any guarentee that's coming besides a file name. Rootlands could just be a dungeon, or even just a delve.

[Darkarath]

Nothing. The word you are looking for is "teased".

Fair. Heavily teased then. Definitively more than the Rootlands, which currently do not exist.

Were players confused that Legion didn't happen immediately after MoP despite MoP's invasion tease?

Absolutely.

WoD is famous because it was leaked and no one believed such nonsense.

Were they confused that 10.2 wasn't a void invasion when 10.1.5 ended with Iridikron leaving through a void portal in a nearly identical scene?

IMO is not the same to show a full planet than a generic portal without any context. For example, we knew that the Jailer was going somewhere related to the First Ones in 9.1. In Iridikron's case we had no clue and we still had to deal with two Incarnates.

Were they confused when Wrathion teased looking for the Dragon Isles in BfA only for DF to be two expansions later?

This is just nonsense.

No one expected that BfA's last patch would take us to a place barely mentioned in a quest which starts from a dropable object from Islands Expeditions. Next you will tell me that 11.2 would be the Arathi Empire

The main focus of the expansion is Xal'atath, not the heart.

Which are one and the same. For Xal'athat the Dark Heart is everything. That has been painfully obvious from the beginning of the expansion.

If the Dark Heart is in K'aresh, Xal'athat will not wait a patch or two to go after it.

You are kidding yourself if you think something like Quel'danas is "equally exciting" as a void-consumed alien planet. People have clamored for Lordaeron or Kalimdor. They have clamored for Northrend 2.0. Not Eversong.

If you haven't noticed the hype for Midnight, I don't think that anything that I would tell you might make you see it. But come on man, pay some attention.

It's like you have all completely forgotten (or just weren't around?) for Cata. Where people just found redoing zones to be lazy, or WoD where even completely remaking them wasn't particularly noteworthy.

Cata's revamp was a huge success. Its problem was endgame, never the revamp. WoD? An amazing success... Which was not supported at all. But everybody loved WoD and Draenor at the beginning.

[Limayria]

Nothing. The word you are looking for is "teased".


I don't think anyone would be confused about a tease for a later expansion. Were players confused that Legion didn't happen immediately after MoP despite MoP's invasion tease? Were they confused that 10.2 wasn't a void invasion when 10.1.5 ended with Iridikron leaving through a void portal in a nearly identical scene? Were they confused when Wrathion teased looking for the Dragon Isles in BfA only for DF to be two expansions later?

What was already announced, that everyone knows is happening, is Midnight, the Void themed expansion. There's nothing confusing about getting a few second shot of a mysterious Void world right before a Void expansion.


We have every reason to go to look for a thing we haven't been trying to find on a completely different faraway planet we don't know it's on?

The main focus of the expansion is Xal'atath, not the heart. Xal'atah who has been actively going around encouraging people to use the Black Blood, the Black Blood that's primary plotline of the Roots. The Roots that are heavily implied to be connected to the Worldsoul that is the principle incitement for this entire expedition.


I don't know why people are trying to retroactively shift this, but very few people give a shit about Quel'thalas. We have had almost a decade and a half of people talking about old world revamps and the Blood Elf zones have hardly been a footnote, typically relegated to "yeah they should finally add the Draenei and Blood Elf zones to the main map". You are kidding yourself if you think something like Quel'danas is "equally exciting" as a void-consumed alien planet. People have clamored for Lordaeron or Kalimdor. They have clamored for Northrend 2.0. Not Eversong.

It's like you have all completely forgotten (or just weren't around?) for Cata. Where people just found redoing zones to be lazy, or WoD where even completely remaking them wasn't particularly noteworthy. Some random old zone being updated is what 8.1 was. Who the hell cites 8.1 as a dazzling patch on par with a giant void planet.

Tbf there are multiple people I know who have only played classic who have decided to try retail in anticipation of the quelthalas content, and housing which also helps contribute to midnight being a really hyped up expansion


But I completely agree with you, it makes way more sense for us to find out that the heart on is k'aresh in 11.2 while dealing with ethereals on azeroth, and the root lands + the haranir are a massive dangling thread and the most coherent path forward

...

No one expected that BfA's last patch would take us to a place barely mentioned in a quest which starts from a dropable object from Islands Expeditions. Next you will tell me that 11.2 would be the Arathi Empire ...

Dragon isles was teased by the AoTC mount quest in BFA and island items, also the cata revamp was extremely contentious when it happened and lots of people never really experienced it due to already having alts over level 58, especially with how fast leveling eventually became, many people would simply do the starter zones and potentially questing through a small number of quest across several other zones between dungeon ques

[Joshuaj]

I'd like for K'aresh to be erased from Midnight as the idea of just plopping K'aresh into Midnight has always meant a completely ridiculous product that schisms with everything that makes Midnight the most successful World of Warcraft expansion of all time.

Obviously, if they do make this decision it is what it is. I just think with how little playing field we have it'd be lame to repeat the "Hey, remember Legion. Look we did it again" unless they're even dumber and plop K'aresh in 12.1 as that'd be pure chaos.

Then again, the conceptual nature of Renilash does leave an opportunity for that regardless.

Why would it be stupid for K'aresh to be the final patch of Midnight? The Argus parallels would be perfect lol

[Foreign Exchange Ztudent]

Why would it be stupid for K'aresh to be the final patch of Midnight? The Argus parallels would be perfect lol

I genuinely just don't want to see K'aresh in Midnight. I rather they have a concise product rather than jumping all over the place in a expansion where cohesion would actually be a good idea. We need more structured products at this point, this whole bounce here and there continuously makes the product less engaging to consume because its' always just jumping from A to C rather than A to B.

I'd rather a wholly different concept happen like the assumed Renilash than K'aresh being squeezed into one of the Two Major Patches for the Midnight expansion.

[Cheezits]

Why would it be stupid for K'aresh to be the final patch of Midnight? The Argus parallels would be perfect lol

It's a little too obvious. It works, but I would prefer it in TWW so the finale of Midnight is not a rehash and is instead somewhere unexpected.

We do not know that Karesh is a stronghold of the void so we don't know if that's where we would even go to put a stop to the invasion.

[Khaza-R]

Probably the biggest thing against roolands being 11.2 is that we haven't even had a name drop for this supposed zone.

Pretty much every modern end game zone has been hinted at in-game by now. So this would definitley be a first if it just pops out of nowhere.

[Cheezits]

Probably the biggest thing against roolands being 11.2 is that we haven't even had a name drop for this supposed zone.

Pretty much every modern end game zone has been hinted at in-game by now. So this would definitley be a first if it just pops out of nowhere.

Orweyna's friend mentions "the Cradle" in the cinematic where he leaves. That's all we know.

[Makorus]

Crazy how according to this thread, all zones could be grey blobs because casuals apparently don't give a shit about anything lmao.

I wonder why 7.3 is one of the most fondly remembered patches... hmm...

[Khaza-R]

Orweyna's friend mentions "the Cradle" in the cinematic where he leaves. That's all we know.

Sounds more like a raid tbh. But who knows, I guess that could be it.

- - - Updated - - -

Crazy how according to this thread, all zones could be grey blobs because casuals apparently don't give a shit about anything lmao.

I wonder why 7.3 is one of the most fondly remembered patches... hmm...

Personally I agree with you that people try to dismiss casual's interest too much but was Argus fondly remembered?

It certainly felt epic to go there and Antorus was fun. But I've never seen many people praising the zone design of Argus.