Midnight 12.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[Holdodlig]

I think it's alright if some spells can be used as offensive. You've got that risk / reward value out of them. But it does feel weird with Vanish, especially in solo content where you simply can't use it.

[Aucald]

The main thing is that Ansurek has two designs. The one she has at the start of the pre-release cinematic, where she's much closer to Neferess and then the one she has at the end of that one and in the game itself. We know ascension has different iterations, the default ascended, but the flying ones, the G'huun guy in the raid and so on. So while not transformed in the default way, I think we can safely assume Xal helped modify Ansurek.

I don't think her cinematic design is meant to be taken as a different form, and her in-game model seems pretty well based on the cinematic design, only with more affectations reflecting her ascent as queen, when she assumed Neferess' mantle after her little coup. I do imagine Xal'atath probably lent her additional powers, since it seems she wields a degree of more cosmic-type powers during her encounter than the typical poison or shadow-based powers of a Nerubian, but I don't really know if that means she's Ascended, either partially or wholly. Interestingly, both Ansurek and Neferess are depicted with more recognizably humanoid faces compared to the other queens of Azj-Kahet that are visible as projections within the City of Threads. Xekatha, Xy'lasa, Yz, and Zaltra all have more obviously arachnoid faces, as does the statue of Neferess erected in the City of Threads. Neferess in the cinematic, though, has the same humanoid face as Ansurek does, which I assume is an artistic choice on the developers' part.

[milkmustache]

I think it's alright if some spells can be used as offensive. You've got that risk / reward value out of them. But it does feel weird with Vanish, especially in solo content where you simply can't use it.

It's strange because it feels like a heavy rule of cool lean in that they just can't make it work. In theory, it's really badass to jump in and out of stealth to attack, but the execution of it feels so clunky and disjointed, and it makes solo content a drag.

It just needs a really solid look through. Rogues deserve more, a lighter melee class that isn't tied to a specific magic is a classic that we need to see more of.

[Jaggler]

See, I don't see them ever doing straight up domination/compulsion. Their cultists seem to actually believe in them. Madness is closer to love than compulsion or even indoctrination; those are tools of Order.

It's all part of the Jailer's plan

[Makorus]

He's the executive creative director of Warcraft, not just some employee. That's a leadership position. A lot of us were hoping that with his return, the writing would improve. Yes, he made mistakes as well. Yes, not everything he wrote was good. But I cannot hold any grudges against the man because he also gave us some of the most iconic characters ever, not just in WoW, but gaming overall, characters which Blizzard are still using to this day for marketing, and which have reached a level of success that the new guard has failed to replicate for many years now, and I doubt that they ever will

And the thing is, we don't even know the names of the actual writers on WoW. I'm only aware of Anne Stickney. We just know that the creative process is "democratized" now, which means that every story and character will be decided by a committee (what a giant mistake to make, I have serious doubts about WoW's stories and characterization going forward), and that Metzen, supposedly, is at the helm of it. I would love to know who wrote the Draenei heritage questline, more of that please. I would also love to know who wrote the Arathi questline, no more of that please. So until we know who the actual writers are, we just refer to Metzen as far as stories go as he's he "face" of it

I have nothing against Maria, but that's not the type of energy (or lack of) that WoW needs. A lot of people got their hopes up for the WSS solely because of Metzen, as there are very few good things to say about most of the writers on WoW right now, so him being MIA during an expansion reveal, for a trilogy that supposedly he pitched, is kind of a big deal and worrying

He is the "Franchise Creative Director", which very much seems like a made-up position for him to jump in and help.

And the thing is, we don't even know the names of the actual writers on WoW.

You know there are credits literally in the game?

We just know that the creative process is "democratized" now, which means that every story and character will be decided by a committee

How do you think writing works? Every moderately big franchise has more than one writer lmao. Also, we very much know thats not how it works.

[Raetary]

An'surek was very obviously Ascended.

Spoiler: 

6 legs instead of 4, giant spider sack, drastically different, more humanoid face, new skin tone.

[Makorus]

An'surek was very obviously Ascended.

Spoiler: 

6 legs instead of 4, giant spider sack, drastically different, more humanoid face, new skin tone.

Yeah I always thought it was weird how that was never acknowledged, or why she is so different compared to the other Ascended, who lose a pair of legs (even the failed ones like Ulgrax or Neferess).

Even based on older concept art, they always wanted her to be... not entirely Nerubian?

[milkmustache]

Yeah I always thought it was weird how that was never acknowledged, or why she is so different compared to the other Ascended, who lose a pair of legs (even the failed ones like Ulgrax or Neferess).

Even based on older concept art, they always wanted her to be... not entirely Nerubian?

I... never even began to notice that. This makes a lot of sense. I wonder why they wouldn't shine a brighter light on this and just let it be assumed.

[Makorus]

I... never even began to notice that. This makes a lot of sense. I wonder why they wouldn't shine a brighter light on this and just let it be assumed.

And it's a concious decision (I imagine) because she does look like a normal Nerubian in the Warbringer video.

[Sondrelk]

Just to have some other stuff to discuss. What would people really want for Housing that would elevate it.
For me, the music box from the Garrisons, and more music discs. Housing will probably be great, but the background music is one of those things you notice immediately, and if it's always the same thing, then it will get stale fast.

[Super Dickmann]

I don't think her cinematic design is meant to be taken as a different form, and her in-game model seems pretty well based on the cinematic design, only with more affectations reflecting her ascent as queen, when she assumed Neferess' mantle after her little coup. I do imagine Xal'atath probably lent her additional powers, since it seems she wields a degree of more cosmic-type powers during her encounter than the typical poison or shadow-based powers of a Nerubian, but I don't really know if that means she's Ascended, either partially or wholly. Interestingly, both Ansurek and Neferess are depicted with more recognizably humanoid faces compared to the other queens of Azj-Kahet that are visible as projections within the City of Threads. Xekatha, Xy'lasa, Yz, and Zaltra all have more obviously arachnoid faces, as does the statue of Neferess erected in the City of Threads. Neferess in the cinematic, though, has the same humanoid face as Ansurek does, which I assume is an artistic choice on the developers' part.

Others posted about it, but take a look at how she looks before and after. She is modified. Neferess is already more humanoid, as a default queen, but Ansurek takes her from looking like her mother to looking closer to Xal, which can't really be more than a deliberate choice to communicate her change. The main thing communicated about the Ascended is that despite being stronger, they're also lesser, as they're separated from their people culturally and physically (no pheromones) and become extensions of Xal.

[Aucald]

An'surek was very obviously Ascended.

6 legs instead of 4, giant spider sack, drastically different, more humanoid face, new skin tone.

Others posted about it, but take a look at how she looks before and after. She is modified. Neferess is already more humanoid, as a default queen, but Ansurek takes her from looking like her mother to looking closer to Xal, which can't really be more than a deliberate choice to communicate her change. The main thing communicated about the Ascended is that despite being stronger, they're also lesser, as they're separated from their people culturally and physically (no pheromones) and become extensions of Xal.

Neferess also has a humanoid face and the same basic skin tone as Ansurek in her art:



The changes to her physiology with the bloated abdomen and apparent extra legs are weird, though. Ascendency for Nerubians typically results in a reduction of limbs for its various outputs: the Skyrazors have 4, Ascendent Hulks are bipedal, as are true Ascendents with almost humanoid proportions. So I don't know if this is some form of natural evolution for Nerubian queens, or if it is something akin to the same type of Ascendence process undergone via the Black Blood, and there doesn't appear to be any kind of confirmation either way.

[Sondrelk]

Neferess also has a humanoid face and the same basic skin tone as Ansurek in her art:



The changes to her physiology with the bloated abdomen and apparent extra legs are weird, though. Ascendency for Nerubians typically results in a reduction of limbs for its various outputs: the Skyrazors have 4, Ascendent Hulks are bipedal, as are true Ascendents with almost humanoid proportions. So I don't know if this is some form of natural evolution for Nerubian queens, or if it is something akin to the same type of Ascendence process undergone via the Black Blood, and there doesn't appear to be any kind of confirmation either way.

Think it's just about changing her into a "better" version. In this case changing her from a vizier body type to something more, in this case probably a version that gives her greater use of poisons and silk, given that is supposedly important for nerubian queens to know.

[Super Dickmann]

The changes to her physiology with the bloated abdomen and apparent extra legs are weird, though. Ascendency for Nerubians typically results in a reduction of limbs for its various outputs: the Skyrazors have 4, Ascendent Hulks are bipedal, as are true Ascendents with almost humanoid proportions. So I don't know if this is some form of natural evolution for Nerubian queens, or if it is something akin to the same type of Ascendence process undergone via the Black Blood, and there doesn't appear to be any kind of confirmation either way.

Neferess's design and Ansurek's match until she's transformed. It's wrong to view Ascension as a linear process, i.e you put in X and Y comes out. There's the standardized ascended, but we know that it took time, scientifically, to get to that point. Neferess is the First Ascended because she and the other hulks are defective, they aren't the end goal. Ditto, Ansurek is a custom model, as are Ulgrax, Rasha'nan, Ovinax and so on

[Aucald]

Neferess's design and Ansurek's match until she's transformed. It's wrong to view Ascension as a linear process, i.e you put in X and Y comes out. There's the standardized ascended, but we know that it took time, scientifically, to get to that point. Neferess is the First Ascended because she and the other hulks are defective, they aren't the end goal. Ditto, Ansurek is a custom model, as are Ulgrax, Rasha'nan, Ovinax and so on

It was less viewing it as a linear process, and more of one with a preset or at least expected set of outcomes, that is, an outputted Nerubian that was more humanoid than the arachnoid creature that went into it. The hulks and skyrazors are likely failures of the process, but both still generally fall along those lines - they produce creatures that are less arachnid and more humanoid, even if they don't quite make it there. Ovinax specifically is an aberration, probably a creature of a more specific design meant to spawn or create mutations from existing Nerubian stock for whatever Ansurek and Xal'atath's demented purposes were.

That being said, I can't really discount Ansurek having been Ascended either, because her physiological changes are noteworthy, and as you said, she doesn't resemble her younger depiction, what with the extra legs and distended abdomen. She doesn't look Ascended in terms of what I'd expect, but she may be a more refined or altered type of Ascended, as befits her position as queen.

[huth]

Neferess also has a humanoid face and the same basic skin tone as Ansurek in her art:

I don't see it. That looks like pre-transformation Ansurek, while post Ansurek has vastly more human-like lips and slit pupils as opposed to essentially no lips or pupils.

[Aucald]

I don't see it. That looks like pre-transformation Ansurek, while post Ansurek has vastly more human-like lips and slit pupils as opposed to essentially no lips or pupils.

I do agree, the older Ansurek definitely has a more defined humanoid face, but I was discounting that more as artistic interpretation than an indicator of being Ascended (especially with the major differences between Neferess' depiction in artwork and her in-game depiction as a statue). I also agree it can be viewed either way, though, so I can't discount her being Ascended, either.

[Raetary]

Neferess also has a humanoid face and the same basic skin tone as Ansurek in her art:

The skin tone is not at all the same.
Post-ascendancy Ansurek is a lot more blue.

And yes, Neferess has a more humanoid face, compared to a regular Nerubian.
Ansureks face changes to become even more humanoid post-ascendancy than it already was.

She gains a nose, loses her fangs, has a fully oval face with completely smooth skin, more defined lips and sharper, narrower eyes.
She even lost her hair.

[Hitei]

I’d hope so, although since Gamescon it’s been very quiet, a blog recapping what we already knew and that’s about it.

My guess is some new information (hopefully class blogs) this week, then alpha next week.

I sorta wonder what classes would even see significant changes. Warrior?

Most of the classes are either in a pretty stable state (evoker, druid, monk, priest, lock) or just recently got major changes this expansion or in the back half of DF (rogue, DK, paladin, shaman, hunter, mage). DH would be in the running with warrior except that I think with the new spec being added, they'd probably want to keep the other two familiar.

[Sondrelk]

I sorta wonder what classes would even see significant changes. Warrior?

Most of the classes are either in a pretty stable state (evoker, druid, monk, priest, lock) or just recently got major changes this expansion or in the back half of DF (rogue, DK, paladin, shaman, hunter, mage). DH would be in the running with warrior except that I think with the new spec being added, they'd probably want to keep the other two familiar.

Augmentation Evoker is probably due a big blog post about various changes. Whether it parses decently or not, the reputation for that spec is at rock bottom.
A rework that either re- or de-emphasizes the support playstyle is probably on the books. The spec is giving pre-Legion vibes where you had specs like Demonology that was purposefully ignored because it was due a big rework.