Midnight 12.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[micwini]

He almost got it right.

1. WoW.
2. TBC.

2.1. WoD.

2.2. Legion

3. WotLK.

3.1. BfA.

3.2. SL.

4. Cata.

4.1. Dragonflight.

4.2. Expansion 10.

5. MoP.

5.1. Expansion 11.

5.2. Expansion 12

Regarding the Xbox merger!

Luckily I have stocks in both (not that many though). But I'm happy to see it finally pass all these hurdles.

Dreaming of the day when Blizzard launches a console version of WoW so I can finally ditch my bulky gaming PC.

How the F is BFA related to WotLK?

[Nymrohd]

Definitely curious what this will mean for the future of WoW. I could absolutely see there being a push somewhere before or at 12.0 to put WoW onto XBox consoles, similar to how so many other MMOs are now on console. Possible as well that Microsoft adds it to GamePass, hoping to get more eyes on it and more subscribers to each.

Personally my view remains that every department in ATVI will want to get the best possible numbers and their most impressive projects rdy as the acquisition happens so when MS starts looking, they keep them. By them I mean upper management and project managers, imo the devs themselves are safe from the merger itself.

It should not affect 11.0. I am not even sure it will affect WoW at all, ESO never went to Game Pass. At most we are getting rid of Kottick

[Aeluron Lightsong]

I do not think we should speculate expansion based on that mount via 6 month subscription.

[Makabreska]

I do not think we should speculate expansion based on that mount via 6 month subscription.

Like that's gonna stop them. Wrath of Azsharas Burning Crusade in Battle for Shadowlands has already been confirmed!

[Kiivar86]

He almost got it right.

1. WoW.
2. TBC.

2.1. WoD.

2.2. Legion

3. WotLK.

3.1. BfA.

3.2. SL.

4. Cata.

4.1. Dragonflight.

4.2. Expansion 10.

5. MoP.

5.1. Expansion 11.

5.2. Expansion 12

Regarding the Xbox merger!

Luckily I have stocks in both (not that many though). But I'm happy to see it finally pass all these hurdles.

Dreaming of the day when Blizzard launches a console version of WoW so I can finally ditch my bulky gaming PC.

Still a bit of a stretch, but we've been over how I don't agree with the whole theme thing so I won't repeat myself.

As for the xbox merger, I'm not happy with it myself. For one, Microsoft getting bigger just isn't good. Two, they've not really shown themselves to be the best handlers of the companies under their control (as they are, from what I've read, relatively hands-off to an almost absurd degree). They also abuse the whole contract employee system, as I understand it.

And finally, a very close friend of mine works for Blizzard. She used to work for Microsoft. She was one of those contract employees and got let go. She's got nothing good to say about Microsoft. And now she'll be back under. I am very worried for her.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Still a bit of a stretch, but we've been over how I don't agree with the whole theme thing so I won't repeat myself.

As for the xbox merger, I'm not happy with it myself. For one, Microsoft getting bigger just isn't good. Two, they've not really shown themselves to be the best handlers of the companies under their control (as they are, from what I've read, relatively hands-off to an almost absurd degree). They also abuse the whole contract employee system, as I understand it.

And finally, a very close friend of mine works for Blizzard. She used to work for Microsoft. She was one of those contract employees and got let go. She's got nothing good to say about Microsoft. And now she'll be back under. I am very worried for her.

Being hands off is far better then super controlling

[Kiivar86]

Being hands off is far better then super controlling

Not really, not when it allows issues to fester. Because being "hands off" would basically mean "let Blizzard continue to be a shitshow".

Note I'm talking about issues like with employees, sexual harassment and other such issues.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Not really, not when it allows issues to fester. Because being "hands off" would basically mean "let Blizzard continue to be a shitshow".

Note I'm talking about issues like with employees, sexual harassment and other such issues.

Yes really, Kotick knew about the sexual harassment issues(That you worry about) and did nothing. He also loved to interfere with the company itself in many ways. Blizzard being a shitshow is often at Kotick's feet not Microsoft. I'm not happy for MS, I'm happy for Blizzard in this instance.

[Kiivar86]

Yes really, Kotick knew about the sexual harassment issues(That you worry about) and did nothing. He also loved to interfere with the company itself in many ways. Blizzard being a shitshow is often at Kotick's feet not Microsoft.

Well, yeah? Microsoft doesn't own them yet. I'm saying that it will continue to be an issue because Microsoft is no better. There have been numerous reports from studios under their control that they tend to be hands off to the point of absurdity and let issues arise and boil over, harassment to happen.

Hell, a trans employee at Bethesda just posted about their experiences and how they were forced to resign due to retaliation against them.

I'm saying that this whole Microsoft getting ABK thing is not a good thing, it won't cure what ails them.

[Foreign Exchange Ztudent]

I do not think we should speculate expansion based on that mount via 6 month subscription.

I don't see why we should limit speculation.

[Kiivar86]

I respect your opinion, but I legitimately don't see why it's a stretch. If I had the time and energy for it right now, I could paint a crappy picture in Photoshop where I place the expansions side by side next to each other. Then I'd place different recurring elements (main characters, locations, themes, prevalent magic forces, etc) on each of them. Once I had done that, it would become crystal clear that, for example, WoD is literally TBC 2, and the prelude to Legion. Like, there's so much evidence for it, it feels slightly silly even to have to put it into words.

Khadgar, the Legion, Outland/Draenor/Argus, the orcs and the dranei, etc. Hello? Which three expansions do all of these feature heavily in?

Re: Xbox

I have to disagree here as well, I'm afraid. What you gotta remember is that Microsoft isn't fighting Sony or Nintendo. They're ramping up to fight the mega giant gaming corporations in Asia currently seizing control of the industry.

As for your friend, when was she let go and in which "department" did she work in? From what I can tell, things have gotten a lot better at Microsoft over the past few years. Sure, like all mega corporations they still need to let thousands of people go sometimes. That truly sucks. But that's something they all do, Amazon, Apple, Google, etc.

I know you're enthusiastic for your side but to me I just see people seeing a pattern where there isn't much of one. People like to see patterns in things, its why people see stuff like Jesus in burnt toast or faces in clouds. Are there some repeated rhythms? Sure, I'll agree there. But its also people trying to look back and force things into a pattern. Its like with Nostradamus prophecies. Yeah you can totally see where X Y and Z line up now, but only because you're trying hard to look for it.

Hell, people going "next expansion is an elemental one" meanwhile I'm looking at the expansion we have now and it is practically an elemental one in all but name! Yeah Dragons are involved, sure, but its practically 45% elemental, 55% dragon. This is an elemental expansion!

If it turns out the next expansion is centered on elementals, sure, go ahead and point at me and laugh (note though, I'm saying centered. If it ends up Naga-themed? That's not elemental). But expect me to do much the same, is all I'll say.

You can try to convince me otherwise, I won't stop you, but I'm pretty set in how I feel. I admire your tenacity in your beliefs, but I don't think either of us will budge, heh.

Xbox: It doesn't make me feel much better to have an American company do the acquiring rather than Asian, if I'm honest. I'd rather neither happens, so I'm not going to dance happy that Microsoft is doing it.

I'll admit it was a fairly long time ago, well over a decade, so I realize things could well have changed, but given various reports over the years, and how they still do the contract stuff, plus Microsoft at large laying off well over 10,000 employees despite record profits...I know others do it too. But I don't know anyone working for Amazon (well, actually, I did. Me, heh. Fuck them too, and that's from personal experience!), Apple, etc. I do at Blizzard.

So I'm just very, very concerned. My friend finally landed on her feet and got in good at Blizzard, managed to avoid the nasty shit that's been happening, and has been secure. And now that's looking very iffy.

So I'm sorry here too but fuck Microsoft and I'm not happy for it at all. Though I wouldn't be if like, Comcast bought them either, for what its worth (as I recall, they were rumored).

[Villager720]

Now that Microsoft has no more obstacles to buy ABK, does this mean that Bobby Kotick will finally leave?

Seems to me they said if the purchase went through, Kotick would be "fired" in big quotation marks. It's still planned, reassure me?

He certainly won't be "the boss" - but I'd wager he's written himself in as some sort of "advisor" to keep getting a paycheck, at least for a few years.

[Nightmare Queen]

The fish really has a Pandarian vibe.

Maybe Avaloren will have a subrace of Pandaren living on it?

[Kiivar86]

But your analogy doesn't really work. It's more like as if I showed you The Two Towers and Return of the King, and I claimed they were sequels to The Fellowship of the Ring, to which you then respond: "I'm sorry, but I'm just not seeing it. People tend to find patterns where there are none [etc]".

These expansions are almost entirely about Death, and follow a clear storyline from Point A to Point B which ultimately leads to us "defeating" Death:

- WotLK
- BfA
- Shadowlands


These expansions are almost entirely about the Burning Legion, and follow a clear storyline from Point A to Point B which ultimately leads to us "defeating" Disorder (Fel magic):

- TBC
- WoD
- Legion

So far, these expansions are almost entirely about the Void, Elementals and Dragons, and follow a clear storyline from Point A to Point B which ultimately will probably lead to us "defeating" Shadow (Void):

- Cataclysm
- Dragonflight
- 11.0

Hypothetically, these expansions are almost entirely about having a good and hearty adventure in a strange new land, and focus more on having a good time than fighting otherwordly threats:

- Mists of Pandaria
- 12.0 'Avaloren'
- 13.0?

Heh again you're persuasive Worldshaper, I'll give you that. I hope it is clear that I'm not angry or anything, too. I do appreciate this!

Even if I'm being hardheaded and not agreeing, heh.

Well, if it turns out I'm wrong, I'll eat my crow. And honestly, if Avaloren ends up an expansion on its own, I won't have much room to complain (for now, anyway) since that's my big want for an expansion (which, admittedly, is mostly my own headcanon on what a possible Avalon analog could be like). I've said it before but I'm tired of concepts I'm excited for ending up as just patch zones.

(Which means I'd also be happy with a naga expansion too, for what its worth)

[Khaza-R]

.

These expansions are almost entirely about Death, and follow a clear storyline from Point A to Point B which ultimately leads to us "defeating" Death:

- WotLK
- BfA
- Shadowlands

Sure BfA is expansion about Death if you ignore like 75% of the story that revolves around Old God minions and N'zoth

By that logic Vanilla -> MoP -> BfA were the dinosaur expansions. Since they clearly led us from point A to point B and reaching dinoland.

[Murlocos]

Ion at least, and perhaps other developers but I'm not certain, have referred to Dragonflight being intended to be evocative of MoP more than Cataclysm. The only expansions I would really link together are BfA and SL, because the lynchpin of BfA's A-plot just straight up leaves and tells you to buy the next expansion to see what happens next, and then the B-plot got a rushed end patch. I guess you could group BfA with MoP with the idea of "faction war A-plot, Old Gods B-plot", only that MoP neatly combined the two together at the end while they're clumsily separated in BfA. SL went on to try forcing so many connections to previous stories that it ended up highlighting just how out of place it felt.

I just can't buy into any idea of some master planned theming when we know just how rushed or slapped together stories can be, how many creative heads have come and gone over the years, how much feedback impacts the story. Maybe somebody at Blizzard at some point had an idea of how the plot could go several years in advance at one point or another, but it never survives to see the final game in any recognizable form.

[Darkarath]

So... It seems that Nozdormu is gone. Long live Murozond!

And expect Fyrakk as the 10.2 final boss.

I like how things are going

[Raetary]

BfA had the faction war and the Old God stuff. Drust. Sylvanas' soul harvest.

The "Soul harvest" was a recontextualization for the plot they were going for in SL.

Sylvanas intended to invade and capture the Teldrassil, only destroying it as a last ditch effort to break alliance morale after Saurfang failed to kill Malf and Delaryn broke her confidence.


This whole expansion pattern just doesn't work, Blizzard has never been this consistent.
They change their narrative direction on a whim, especially in the recent expansions.

[Cheezits]

I can't tell if Noz was saved or wasn't saved. Maybe Iridikron is implying we created a doomed timeline (ie: if we saved Noz, this timeline will destroy itself/we have to hop to a new one? Revamp??)

Looks like the Harbinger is Xal'atath.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F0x68YWW...name=4096x4096

[Murlocos]

Could you provide us with a source for Ion's comments?

Got you.
https://www.gamerbraves.com/world-of...poral-prisons/

Without trying to fish for exact story spoilers, I asked about what Ion hopes people would take away from the expansion’s story. It’s a journey to a new land where you will meet the locals and do the good ol’ problem solving along the way. Ion likens it to Mists of Pandaria in ‘vibes’, though of course, with dragons instead of pandarens. “Some of our other expansions have been clearly set up as ‘There is this villain that’s going to destroy the world and we need to stop them’. This isn’t one of those.”