Midnight 12.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[Hitei]

There was a notable hotfix on PTR yesterday that while not containing any actual data, did tie 3 encryption key IDs together as being related to each other and possibly releasing at the same time.

These keys:
7960: Contains 3 mounts and 11 spells (some of which with models/effects too, maybe a Hearthstone too?)
7961: Contains 2 battle pets
7962: Contains 2 transmog sets

Now this is very much speculation, but unless this is some trading post or store thing these very well could be the Midnight pre-order things.

I am quite confident that this is a raptor mount and pet, or at least something modified from the raptor base.

[Cheezits]

I am quite confident that this is a raptor mount and pet, or at least something modified from the raptor base.

That would be cool as we haven't had a new (regular) raptor in a long time. But what makes you say that?

[Limayria]

Not enough time to complete my novella and send it for Metzen, is it?

The one about Xal and Alleria?

[Enteroctopus Magnificus]

11 spells? Better start speculating about which 2 classes aren't included :P

What if it was the void DH spec as a pre-order bonus??

[13last]

What if it was the void DH spec as a pre-order bonus??

Aha can you imagine? It'd be an interesting choice to say the least. Imagine it's the secret for tomorrow?! It's mostly my copium though.

[Enteroctopus Magnificus]

Aha can you imagine? It'd be an interesting choice to say the least. Imagine it's the secret for tomorrow?! It's mostly my copium though.

No idea if it has anything to do with the secret.

That said, Blizzard shared an official preview of 11.2 and I didn't see the Ethereal GG in the Renown rewards.

[Makorus]

No idea if it has anything to do with the secret.

That said, Blizzard shared an official preview of 11.2 and I didn't see the Ethereal GG in the Renown rewards.

Because it's part of the Raid Renown.

[Inxotep]

What if it was the void DH spec as a pre-order bonus??

Checking my spellbook, I have 11 arms spec spells. You might be onto something, maybe its 11 void spec spells.

[Wangming]

The old world honestly would benefit so much from more modernization.

Oh don't get me started. Even from a purely visual standpoint you could get a laundry list of necessary changes By just doing the human starting areas. (Manor mistmantle being the size of an average farmhouse, the stormwind docks being too far from the trade district, old town not looking old, the lack of even a single dwarven piece of architecture in the dwarven district, or the weird absence of anything related to storms or wind. The lack of spooky human architecture is duskwood, all the ruins from the cataclysm still present in Westfall...etc)

Not even counting how the story there is still stuck with Varian being the King, when he died in Legion, Anduin decided not to return after Shadowlands, and during TWW Turalyon had the bright idea to leave Stormwind and the entire Alliance in the hands of Genn, who abdicated from the throne of Gilneas because he was too old fashioned. Meaning there has been three changes in leadership but the hobos if Westfall till curse Varian for their fate, The Night watch in Duskwood was massacred four expansions ago, when Varian's death was still relatively new, and in Redrige Solomon has been threatened with riots due to his incompetence since the Cataclysm.

And we are just now approaching what you suggested. How much the gameplay progressed in the past 15(!!) years since Cata came out (and 18 for the TBC areas). Hidden treasures, area objectives, events.

It is absolutely a monumental undertaking, yes. But there is so much that needs to be unfucked. And yes, if they have the state of the world after the WSS (saying saga again is redundant) set in stone, they can work on it. Preferrably work is already under way behind the scenes.
If I am allowed to slide into utopistic territories, the planet needs to catch up to "The WSS just ended, this is the new year zero" point. Both in terms of visuals, story and gameplay. Places that don't shall stick out like a sore thumb.

- - - Updated - - -

The one about Xal and Alleria?

No, although that would be a good subject as well.

The one I'm writing (make no mistake it is just fan fiction, I wasn't comissioned to write anything yet).
Is about Tess Greymane and her doubts as she approaches an official coronation, her double life as a rogue and Xal'atath as she tries to destablizie Gilneas, not because it is needed for her plans or anything, but mostly for fun and to test the new monarch.

[Enteroctopus Magnificus]

Because it's part of the Raid Renown.

Lol ok mb. We will have to see if this is kept on retail.

Checking my spellbook, I have 11 arms spec spells. You might be onto something, maybe its 11 void spec spells.

OMG

[Makorus]

Oh don't get me started. Even from a purely visual standpoint you could get a laundry list of necessary changes By just doing the human starting areas. (Manor mistmantle being the size of an average farmhouse, the stormwind docks being too far from the trade district, old town not looking old, the lack of even a single dwarven piece of architecture in the dwarven district, or the weird absence of anything related to storms or wind. The lack of spooky human architecture is duskwood, all the ruins from the cataclysm still present in Westfall...etc)

Not even counting how the story there is still stuck with Varian being the King, when he died in Legion, Anduin decided not to return after Shadowlands, and during TWW Turalyon had the bright idea to leave Stormwind and the entire Alliance in the hands of Genn, who abdicated from the throne of Gilneas because he was too old fashioned. Meaning there has been three changes in leadership but the hobos if Westfall till curse Varian for their fate, The Night watch in Duskwood was massacred four expansions ago, when Varian's death was still relatively new, and in Redrige Solomon has been threatened with riots due to his incompetence since the Cataclysm.

And we are just now approaching what you suggested. How much the gameplay progressed in the past 15(!!) years since Cata came out (and 18 for the TBC areas). Hidden treasures, area objectives, events.

It is absolutely a monumental undertaking, yes. But there is so much that needs to be unfucked. And yes, if they have the state of the world after the WSS (saying saga again is redundant) set in stone, they can work on it. Preferrably work is already under way behind the scenes.
If I am allowed to slide into utopistic territories, the planet needs to catch up to "The WSS just ended, this is the new year zero" point. Both in terms of visuals, story and gameplay. Places that don't shall stick out like a sore thumb.

If I could get one WoW related thing of my choosing, it would be a whole (and I mean whole, not just Azeroth) world revamp. Don't tie it to any specific expansion, just have the whole world move forward. There's just so much potential, especially in places like Outlands or even Pandaria.

[Casualist34]

That would be nice.

I wonder if they add statue/figurine for collector edition. Some elf statue with dragonhawk similiar to last edition statue would be neat

Also 11 spells - could be new class spells color option ? Similiar to warlock green fire. ( warlock already have one and dracthyr are last new class so 11 classes left ).

[Alanar]

Isn't damn near everything a spell anyway? There's a reason we have hundreds of thousands of them.

Ye basically.

[Makorus]

That would be nice.

I wonder if they add statue/figurine for collector edition. Some elf statue with dragonhawk similiar to last edition statue would be neat

Also 11 spells - could be new class spells color option ? Similiar to warlock green fire. ( warlock already have one and dracthyr are last new class so 11 classes left ).

Eh, doubt it. TWW only had a statue because it was also the Anniversary Edition.

[milkmustache]

I am quite confident that this is a raptor mount and pet, or at least something modified from the raptor base.

Is there anything that is pointing to this that inspires the confidence?

[13last]

If I could get one WoW related thing of my choosing, it would be a whole (and I mean whole, not just Azeroth) world revamp. Don't tie it to any specific expansion, just have the whole world move forward. There's just so much potential, especially in places like Outlands or even Pandaria.

I mean they did say getting the game ready for the next 20 years. Personally I have a hard time understanding how that'd work if they don't do a world revamp, outland is probably my favorite expansion aesthetic wise but it's so barebones and just dry. Sign me up for moving everything forward to current timeline.

[Wangming]

If I could get one WoW related thing of my choosing, it would be a whole (and I mean whole, not just Azeroth) world revamp. Don't tie it to any specific expansion, just have the whole world move forward. There's just so much potential, especially in places like Outlands or even Pandaria.

I mean, I can accept the lack of Outland, Argus, Ka'resh, Shadowlands and Emerald Dream revamp, for a while, if the planet (EK, Kalimdor, Dragons Isles, Zandalar, Kul Tiras, Khaz Algar, Pandaria, Northrend, Broken Isles, Mechagon, Nazjatar) get reworked, but if the entire setting is pulled together for the post WSS all the better.

[ImTheMizAwesome]

Blizzard should add undead elves instead of high elves just to fuck with people

[Hitei]

That would be cool as we haven't had a new (regular) raptor in a long time. But what makes you say that?

Is there anything that is pointing to this that inspires the confidence?

Spoiler: 

In the 7960 key and 7961 key there are four unknown models (two each) which have entries in the table for various model parameters.

Amongst those parameters is mount height. I don't actually know what this parameter corresponds to (the height at which the mounting character model theoretically gets placed for the model I'm guessing?) but the important bit is that all four of these models have the same value for the parameter: 2.5611851. Only those four models have that value in the table. So there's nothing outside of this set of encryptions keys (at least that isn't also encrypted) that is "identical".

...However: There are 33 other models in the table which have a value of 2.56...X for this parameter.

Every single one of those is some sort of raptor model.

There are 28 models that are 2.5606651 (original raptor mob model, the original normal and epic raptor mounts, outland's raptors, the original raptor pet, skeletal raptors, the zandalari masked raptors, falcosaur mounts, etc.)

There are 2 models that are 2.5606666 (the vicious war raptor and the zandalari gold-armored one)

There are 2 models that are 2.56067 (the feathered raptors from BfA and the cat raptors from Emerald Dream)

And there is one model at 2.560706 (the non-mount falcosaur model).

The next closest values are 2.534 on the low end (some drake-related stuff), and 2.577 on the high end (the progenitor toad). So nothing else existing in the game at current is so close in height to the raptors. That said, this is not 100%, as you could theoretically have some entirely new model which just by random chance has ended up at a very close value to the otherwise quite unique raptor height. This is not an impossible scenario.

Additionally, and separate from the above,

Also, don't take this as gospel as it is even more speculatory, but some of the textures referenced around encrypted files (usually indicates they are part of the key but reused unencrypted files so they won't show up as properly encrypted) for what might be a pre-order mount/spell seem kind of light-related.

Maybe a helpful note that the the two models discussed above associated with the pet key use BloodID 10 for their being hit effect, which is composed of "holy" sparks based on hit effects (rather than say spurting blood when crit), and is pretty much only used with light or magical construct enemies.

[Wangming]

Blizzard should add undead elves instead of high elves just to fuck with people

Idunno. This guy does look like he is high on something.