Midnight 12.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[Samin]

It remains to be seen, but guild neighborhoods and charter neighborhoods aren't really the same thing, even on a system level. I am talking about the idea of "those people should just make a charter neighborhood". As presented, charter neighborhoods are finnicky. They are more complicated and require active management, they do not automatically regain lost players and can reach a level of inactivity where they are presumably discontinued and the players are forced to re-organize, find more members and start a new charter and new neighborhood.

They're, as pointed out at the start, a suboptimal solution to the gap between full random neighborhoods and completely organized guild groups or firm community groups.

But do those 35 fairly hardcore RPers really want new randoms in their neighborhood who would potentially just be more "undesirables" (really going full urban planning villain here).

Public neighborhoods will always have that aspect of unpreditability in your neighbors. If that causes unwanted friction for you, you're going to want a private neighborhood where people agree on certain rules and standards, like no Horde Housing in our Alliance neighborhood or no out of season Halloween decoration.

What do you mean with finnicky? They're just guild neighborhoods without the guild requirement. They require effectively the same amount of organisation and management, main difference being that a guild probably already has more of the organisation established. They said they don't want 3-people-neighborhoods, so I wouldn't be shocked if the minimum is 5 people, but I actually think 10 people minimum is an optimistic estimation, 15 maybe more likely but expecting anything beyond 20 as the minimum for private neighborhoods is doomposting.

What would you consider an optimal solution anyway if you consider Charters a suboptimal gap stop?

[JDBlou]

Ion mentioned in an interview that they are underground elves. There was no mention of them being trolls.

Wouldnt say they are dark trolls or wood elves either. Interview is on wowhead with Ion mentioned that they are atleast elves as some were questioning that.

He said at the Midnight dev panel "not really elves, not really trolls", feels like Occam's razor suggests they're the intermediary between dark trolls and night elves. A missing link so to speak

[kahedakylar]

Nope. I sort of anticipated Mr GM to ask about it, but alas, it went unasked. I can put my tinfoil on and say because they were told to avoid the question.

Did anyone ask about playable Ethereals in those interviews?

I've seen many, but don't remember anyone asking about potential playable races, just a couple regarding customizations.

I asked MrGM to ask about the Ethereals at Twitter but he replied "The answer would be no"

It would be the most insane secret reveal ever. Though If I could be guaranteed Ethereals were coming later I would prefer being able to make a Void Elf & Nightborne Demon Hunters now.

I can see it being a "surprise" to players that Ethereals are happening, lightly telegraphed by the glamour- but, honestly, why?

man i dont wanna sound too excited but i would BUST

[Enrif]

He said at the Midnight dev panel "not really elves, not really trolls", feels like Occam's razor suggests they're the intermediary between dark trolls and night elves. A missing link so to speak

what i think is a bit fascinating about the Haranir, at least from what we know so far: they have no loa, so that would be a huge cultural deviation from all other trolls we know of. Instead they have a godess, which aligns with night elves, but it doesn't seem to be a moon godess, which makes sense, given their underground nature. So, they are a step more on the night elf site than the troll side. And their nature focused culture seems also more in line with the druidic night elf that we know of, compared to trolls who don't really have any strong nature focus besides living more primal/tribal

[Nymrohd]

Quel'thalas did not get any cata revamp. Were there any wreteched outside of Quel'thalas? At most i faintly remember that one of the high elf lodges had its elves turned to... i think it was undead, but could be wretched?

All of Quel'lithien turned Wretched (probably by exposing themselves to the Crystal of Zin-Malor)

[Enrif]

All of Quel'lithien turned Wretched (probably by exposing themselves to the Crystal of Zin-Malor)

iit is a bit of an unresolved point, why they turned wretched. But i don't believe the wretched will be a topic again, at least i would find it very uninspired

[The-Shan]

I asked MrGM to ask about the Ethereals at Twitter but he replied "The answer would be no"





man i dont wanna sound too excited but i would BUST

These guys have to be ready to ask questions they think they'll get answers to. If they ask about things like Ethereals that Blizzard likely isn't ready to talk about, in all likelyhood they will simply say 'no'. He doesn't want to waste question-time because they only usually get a few minutes.

[Auxis]

Clarification about the size of the 'alliance friendly territory' in Silvermoon from a recent interview:

https://www.wowhead.com/news/story-m...fire-questions

"How does Silvermoon work as a faction hub for both Alliance and Horde?
To clear up any confusion, roughly 2/3 of the city is a shared zone with only the eastern third being Horde only. Horde players should recognize many of the iconic spaces in their faction only area, but the Western ruins have been repaired and act as the shared faction space."

So basically Falcon Square, the repaired Dead Scar part, and the Bazaar (AH) section of old Silvermoon are the neutral areas, and the iconic part of Silvermoon is the Horde zone? TBH IMO, the Bazaar is pretty un-iconic compared to the eastern part of SMC, that view of that weird verandah building as soon as you walk in, Farstrider Square, Murder Row, Walk of Elders, Sunfury Spire and the courtyard out front - all iconic SMC areas (no shade to the Bazaar.. but yeah..).

[Nymrohd]

Clarification about the size of the 'alliance friendly territory' in Silvermoon from a recent interview:

https://www.wowhead.com/news/story-m...fire-questions

"How does Silvermoon work as a faction hub for both Alliance and Horde?
To clear up any confusion, roughly 2/3 of the city is a shared zone with only the eastern third being Horde only. Horde players should recognize many of the iconic spaces in their faction only area, but the Western ruins have been repaired and act as the shared faction space."

So basically Falcon Square, the repaired Dead Scar part, and the Bazaar (AH) section of old Silvermoon are the neutral areas, and the iconic part of Silvermoon is the Horde zone? TBH IMO, the Bazaar is pretty un-iconic compared to the eastern part of SMC, that view of that weird verandah building as soon as you walk in, Farstrider Square, Murder Row, Walk of Elders, Sunfury Spire and the courtyard out front - all iconic SMC areas (no shade to the Bazaar.. but yeah..).

Yeah I think the Horde gets to keep the best parts of old SMC though I am certain the new parts will be just as gorgeous. And it makes place if the Bazaar goes neutral. It is a trading district. Though it could stay Horde and Alliance accesses Murder Row in a more roundabout way.

[Mecheon]

Clarification about the size of the 'alliance friendly territory' in Silvermoon from a recent interview:

https://www.wowhead.com/news/story-m...fire-questions

"How does Silvermoon work as a faction hub for both Alliance and Horde?
To clear up any confusion, roughly 2/3 of the city is a shared zone with only the eastern third being Horde only. Horde players should recognize many of the iconic spaces in their faction only area, but the Western ruins have been repaired and act as the shared faction space."

So basically Falcon Square, the repaired Dead Scar part, and the Bazaar (AH) section of old Silvermoon are the neutral areas, and the iconic part of Silvermoon is the Horde zone? TBH IMO, the Bazaar is pretty un-iconic compared to the eastern part of SMC, that view of that weird verandah building as soon as you walk in, Farstrider Square, Murder Row, Walk of Elders, Sunfury Spire and the courtyard out front - all iconic SMC areas (no shade to the Bazaar.. but yeah..).

We know Alliance gets access to Murder Row, as there's specific quest stuff there, so the Alliance has at least some access to that side of town. Plus, well, I suspect (though obviously not confirmed) they'll re-use Sunfury Spire as the portal room and main quest area where NPCs hang out, like the temple in Valdrakken and whatever that room is called in Dorn

Which'd make Farstrider's Square and the Royal Exchange the Horde exclusive areas

[Alanar]

iit is a bit of an unresolved point, why they turned wretched. But i don't believe the wretched will be a topic again, at least i would find it very uninspired

It wasnt unresolved. It was throught the crystal. They basically failed to uphold their yoga sessions. They are just gone.

- - - Updated - - -

They've got troll-esque accents (not just in English, their quest text in another language was flat out written in the way they normally do for troll NPCs) and I swear one of the customisations (the clawed feet) gives you the troll reverse toe. Plus, well, tusks

They're def going for the troll/elf vibe to them

I am just going over what Ion said, he called them elves specifically.

It could be that we hear more about some troll links if its the case, but for now they are just Undergound Elves. Their envoirment could simply be the reason why they look more primal and nothing more. It would be a prettt simpel, logical explanation without the troll stuff.

[Auxis]

We know Alliance gets access to Murder Row, as there's specific quest stuff there, so the Alliance has at least some access to that side of town. Plus, well, I suspect (though obviously not confirmed) they'll re-use Sunfury Spire as the portal room and main quest area where NPCs hang out, like the temple in Valdrakken and whatever that room is called in Dorn

Which'd make Farstrider's Square and the Royal Exchange the Horde exclusive areas

Right, didn't think about Murder Row and the Prey system.

Though I don't think they'd use Sunfury Spire as the portal room again, rather I think they'd relocate that somewhere central - otherwise they'd be allowing Alliance to freely enter what is essentially the throne room of Silvermoon/government chambers. If they are so strict about 'Alliance being Killed on Sight' in the Horde sections, I highly doubt they'd let them into something that important; while Dorn and Valdrakken didn't have a tense relationship between factions.

[Nymrohd]

Nah the portals will be at the Sanctum of Light. Sunfury Spire is the one district we'd never get. Maybe we can visit in some scenario when we save Silvermoon and there is a celebration there.

[Auxis]

Nah the portals will be at the Sanctum of Light. Sunfury Spire is the one district we'd never get. Maybe we can visit in some scenario when we save Silvermoon and there is a celebration there.

Yeah that's the only way I'm seeing Alliance getting in there: scenario or cutscene.

[Nymrohd]

Yeah that's the only way I'm seeing Alliance getting in there: scenario or cutscene.

I think there should be a Horde-exclusive scenario at the end of this where they bring back the Convocation of Silvermoon and raise the Theron line to Royalty, making Bob king (and then Thalyssra reveals she is pregnant cause of course she will be) and after that there is a common scenario where we are invited to the Court of the Sun so King Theron can congratulate all of us for saving Quel'thalas like the Amirdrassil celebration. While you are in that phase, you can walk around a phased version of the Court of the Sun and Sunfury Spire and when you exit it, you exit into the Sanctum of the Light.

I think they will do something similar in 11.2.7 with Ve'nari at the Oasis btw. ESO does this for every single zone (and every important NPC shows up with more NPCs showing if you completed all side quests).

[Auxis]

I think there should be a Horde-exclusive scenario at the end of this where they bring back the Convocation of Silvermoon and raise the Theron line to Royalty, making Bob king (and then Thalyssra reveals she is pregnant cause of course she will be) and after that there is a common scenario where we are invited to the Court of the Sun so King Theron can congratulate all of us for saving Quel'thalas like the Amirdrassil celebration. While you are in that phase, you can walk around a phased version of the Court of the Sun and Sunfury Spire and when you exit it, you exit into the Sanctum of the Light.

I think they will do something similar in 11.2.7 with Ve'nari at the Oasis btw. ESO does this for every single zone (and every important NPC shows up with more NPCs showing if you completed all side quests).

As a potential time to give us playable Ethereals, as well! :>

[Alanar]

He said at the Midnight dev panel "not really elves, not really trolls", feels like Occam's razor suggests they're the intermediary between dark trolls and night elves. A missing link so to speak

Then he said two differnt things. I litererally heard him say undergound elves in an other interview. I am at work, so dont have time to scroll through wowhead, but il get back to ya later. Weird how hes not consistant then.

[Al Gorefiend]

He said at the Midnight dev panel "not really elves, not really trolls", feels like Occam's razor suggests they're the intermediary between dark trolls and night elves. A missing link so to speak

I wouldnt be surprised if lore reveals they ARE the dark trolls encountered during the battle for mt hyjal. Why else would they be there?

https://warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Dark_troll

[Jaggler]

I really don't see Sunfury Spire being neutral. The "neutral" hub is the Sanctum of Light.

[FossilFree]

He said at the Midnight dev panel "not really elves, not really trolls", feels like Occam's razor suggests they're the intermediary between dark trolls and night elves. A missing link so to speak

It's because they simply aren't either of them. They are bat people. Bats that evolved to become intelligent and bipedal due to exposure to the Worldsoul energies.