Midnight 12.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[Vakir]

If there was any political reason for them to change their position on Ethereals, they wouldn't have doubled or even tripled down on the accents and aesthetics of them over the last six or so years, including the Brokers as a cousin now turned literal alt skin.

At the end of the day we are talking about speculation about a video game. Its about fun, nothing serious...

This is true, he hasn't gone full culture warrior or anything. It is harmless.

I'm just saying it's generally not something where there's going to be a ton of cohesion or weight to those theories. He doesn't have any more or less authority than anyone else. Even with a trilogy, Blizzard probably is playing loose for feedback.

[Khaza-R]

Yes, because of the mainstream mentality there...

There's definitely racism against Arabs in America but you're overstating how mainstream it is. Regardless, this is like a fringe conspriracy theory.

If they were so sensitive to showcasing Ethereals as Arab-coded they could of just as easily not bothered with K'aresh at all. Especially since it has nothing to do with Khaz Algar in first place.

[Cheezits]

Y'know, with the art team taking a break, there better not be just three QT zones and a naga hole.

[Raetary]

Seradane (I think) is a world tree that Fandral Staghelm planted to stop the spread of saronite. It's a tiny world tree, but it still is one of them.

Seradane is a Great Tree, not a World Tree.
From Fandrals 6 branches, only Andrassil was grown to be a World Tree.

Aside from existing to cover Old God goo, the Dream Portals are about the only interesting thing about them.

Like, don't get me wrong, it's a good rallying ground for the Night Elves if more than just QT is involved (literally just gotta hop in through the portal in the Ohn'aran Plains and out the Hinterlands), but i don't think it's remotely important enough on its own to matter.

[Dvalin]

Y'know, with the art team taking a break, there better not be just three QT zones and a naga hole.

The art team taking a break? From what? What's this for weird take/insinuation?

[Marlamin]

The art team taking a break? From what? What's this for weird take/insinuation?

It is a cheap jab at the amount of asset reuse in this patch. For what its worth, I don't think there's anything wrong with asset reuse as long as it is fitting, and all of it in 11.2 is. Also, that said, the Ethereal kit is pretty awesome and definitely not a cheap out.

Also, I know for a fact they are not taking a break nor are they taking it easier than previous expansions.

[Joshuaj]

Except...it does not.
Me being upset bc he "doesnt look as i wanted him to" is not the same thing as me pointing out that they gave him an extremely basic design. The former wasnt the case. I didnt want him to look any specific way. I was waiting to see what they would come up with, and after seeing it, said it turned out to be lame.

Those are two very different things. One is stemming from having an already set, specific expectation that is not met, and the other is simply looking at the design they made and judging it for what it is, without previous expectations.

That is very much connected lmao. Anything to try and get a jab at me, right?

[Sondrelk]

Seradane is a Great Tree, not a World Tree.
From Fandrals 6 branches, only Andrassil was grown to be a World Tree.

Aside from existing to cover Old God goo, the Dream Portals are about the only interesting thing about them.

Like, don't get me wrong, it's a good rallying ground for the Night Elves if more than just QT is involved (literally just gotta hop in through the portal in the Ohn'aran Plains and out the Hinterlands), but i don't think it's remotely important enough on its own to matter.

That sounds like needless semantics. The trees with the portals are supposed to be saplings or some such from a world tree. So I don't see why they wouldn't count as the same kind of tree at least.

[Cheezits]

It is a cheap jab at the amount of asset reuse in this patch. For what its worth, I don't think there's anything wrong with asset reuse as long as it is fitting, and all of it in 11.2 is. Also, that said, the Ethereal kit is pretty awesome and definitely not a cheap out.

Also, I know for a fact they are not taking a break nor are they taking it easier than previous expansions.

While I wasn't as miffed by it yesterday, the amount of reuses are actually bigger than I thought. For one, the AOTC mount being N'zoth AOTC mount with armor is ridiculous.

I know the team is working hard but I don't particularly like the art direction of this patch, and I wish they had a little more time to cook on this.

[Dvalin]

While I wasn't as miffed by it yesterday, the amount of reuses are actually bigger than I thought. For one, the AOTC mount being N'zoth AOTC mount with armor is ridiculous.

I know the team is working hard but I don't particularly like the art direction of this patch, and I wish they had a little more time to cook on this.

Art is more than just mobs.

And there are still quite a few new mobs.

[Marlamin]

While I wasn't as miffed by it yesterday, the amount of reuses are actually bigger than I thought. For one, the AOTC mount being N'zoth AOTC mount with armor is ridiculous.

I know the team is working hard but I don't particularly like the art direction of this patch, and I wish they had a little more time to cook on this.

Yeah, that's a fair example I think of where reuse can be a bit disappointing. I'm personally not annoyed by that one specifically and there are a lot of creature models in this patch that they will get a lot of mileage out of going forward.

[Cheezits]

Yeah, that's a fair example I think of where reuse can be a bit disappointing. I'm personally not annoyed by that one specifically and there are a lot of creature models in this patch that they will get a lot of mileage out of going forward.

Yeah, the HD uprezzes are, as usual, fantastic. But I'm also a little disappointed by the Kareshi wildlife being rather plain (another horse/goat thing?) and also not a lot of it. And then the vicious mounts aren't even faction colored?

Just some weird art choices. I would be very relieved if part of these choices is because we are getting more Ethereal stuff in Midnight.

Also zero complaints with the ethereal armors and weapons.

[Marlamin]

Yeah, the HD uprezzes are, as usual, fantastic. But I'm also a little disappointed by the Kareshi wildlife being rather plain (another horse/goat thing?) and also not a lot of it. And then the vicious mounts aren't even faction colored?

Just some weird art choices. I would be very relieved if part of these choices is because we are getting more Ethereal stuff in Midnight.

They put a lot of effort into the Ethereal kit, so I wouldn't be surprised if we see it a bunch more going forward. Blizzard hasn't done a lot of one-off kit design in recent expansions, so chances are we will.

[Xeladriel]

the xalatath lore is so bad...

[Foreign Exchange Ztudent]

I'm not upset about asset reuse if it means to put time elsewhere, I don't know if that is the case with this though.

I am more keen to just be nice considering they told us what happened with this expansion and honestly it is plausible that all hands are on deck for Midnight and The Last Titan.

I'm a bit sad there doesn't seem to be any tie-in to ethereals (Consortium, Stormspire, Eco-Domes, Nagrand/Mana Tomb outpost) beyond Salhadaar returning as a penultimate boss for his boss in the raid. But, oh well they went with the Brokers are modified Ethereals who operate in the Shadowlands, Land Between and Ethereals are the Dark Beyond version so its fine.

[Enteroctopus Magnificus]

But I'm also a little disappointed by the Kareshi wildlife being rather plain (another horse/goat thing?) and also not a lot of it.

I sighed when I saw these deer variants. They suffer the same fate as cats and bears, which are recycled ad infinitum with different skins. The team in charge of the bestiary in WoW has never been very inspired, but here for an alien world that has nothing to do with Azeroth it's disappointing.

Only in Outland have I seen a few monsters that made me say “ok this is an alien world”, but not in Argus and even less here in K'aresh. I was expecting bacteriophage-like creatures or something really out of the ordinary. But no, K'aresh also has insects, birds and deer. For a change...

[Lorgar Aurelian]

the xalatath lore is so bad...

It’s just more of the same evil manipulator manipulates people no? Kinda to be expected.

[rainhard]

On a more serious note, regarding the Midnight zones, I think many people have forgotten that there is an icy zone mentioned in Chronicles. It's pretty important because it explains why they settled in Amani territory and not elsewhere.

I'm sure it will be present in the southern Ghostlands, as a natural geographical barrier separating Quel'thalas from Lordaeron.

Could you expand on that icy zone? is it supposed to be between the plaguelands and ghostlands where the void skybox is from WoD? Then perhaps it might end up as a crystalised void(like they mentioned now in K'aresh) / frost deadwind pass like area.

[Vakir]

Just some weird art choices. I would be very relieved if part of these choices is because we are getting more Ethereal stuff in Midnight.

Getting the Tanaan HD demon updates -> Legion launch vibe where that was exactly the case.

Main way to not get purple fatigue.

[Enteroctopus Magnificus]

Could you expand on that icy zone? is it supposed to be between the plaguelands and ghostlands where the void skybox is from WoD? Then perhaps it might end up as a crystalised void(like they mentioned now in K'aresh) / frost deadwind pass like area.

From memory, we don't know much, apart from the fact that the elves had to cross the zone and that they suffered many losses due to the cold before arriving at what would later become Quel'thalas. So to me, it's supposed to be logically south of the Ghostlands more or less there's the tower you mentioned, yes.