Midnight 12.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[Raetary]

It is? I felt we learned nothing from it.

This isn't true.

We learnt that Rommath is totally trying to get under Umbrics robes.

[Foreign Exchange Ztudent]

Are we going to get shorts like the Harbingers / Warbringers from Legion / BFA?

Based on The War Within we get two standalone shorts and a Launch Cinematic Monologue if it follows The War Within. Animated Shorts and such marketing is probably too costly for them at this venture.

[Joshuaj]

"Too costly"

????

[Nymrohd]

This isn't true.

We learnt that Rommath is totally trying to get under Umbrics robes.

I mean at least in this thread we already knew that from the leaked interaction between them once Umbric's exile is fully lifted at the end of the launch campaign.

[DenPhoenix]

Yup, he'll be a TLT player for sure. Maybe even earlier if he's part of Midnight and the Light stuff?

Honestly, considering the theories that 12.1 will be about Lordaeron, I think Tyr’s Lorewalking and his connection to those places is a reference suggesting that this might actually be true.

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Also Tyr was buried in Lordaeron... That Northern EK loadscreen... Maybe his tomb, the one that we visited in Legion when we got the Paladin artifact weapon, is only a part of something much bigger.

And the Tomb of Tyr is the place where the priest takes Xal’atath from the cultists.

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Are we going to get shorts like the Harbingers / Warbringers from Legion / BFA?

I saw at the start of the alpha that at the beginning of the expansion’s storyline, when you talk to Arator, there’s a dialogue option like “Who are you?”, after which some kind of cinematic seems to play.

[Raetary]

I mean at least in this thread we already knew that from the leaked interaction between them once Umbric's exile is fully lifted at the end of the launch campaign.

Sure, but now its official.

[milkmustache]

Does anyone have an ID on the music in the background of the audiobook? There's some classic Blood Elf tracks in there, but some I don't recognize. They're not what I would expect a new Eversong or Silvermoon soundtrack to sound like.

I like the new audiobook, and it makes me excited for a potential new Dalaran. I'd really love to see what they can do with the Kirin Tor in the future, even if it's taking over places like Scholomance to rebuild magical schools.

[Cheezits]

... actually, why DID Xal take that one priest to Tyr's tomb? Was it ever said? Was it just that one Cthraaxi?

I completely forgot the link between Tyr and Xal and that would be a very interesting way to link Midnight to TLT. And to have Lordaeron be relevant as the birth place of the paladins (from Tyr).

Maybe we will revisit Uldaman's new wing and see what is in that giant chamber in the end (path to the sacred flame?)

[Super Dickmann]

Umbric's main problem as a character is his deeply stupid name and they missed a golden opportunity to have it be an alias.

As for the short story, its main problem is that of nearly every inciting incident and societal conflict Blizzard have put together in the past decade, namely that the premise is more interesting than the conclusion, because the conclusion is always harmony and a smothering of conflict. Rather than development and confrontation, every arc is a plunge towards the inevitable abyss.

The tension between Rommath and Umbric over irreconcilable views on the Sunwell, ambition and the role reversal of the blood elves and void elves is a better status quo and leaves more room for the characters than does the ending. What it has over say, the Anduin story in TWW or god forbid, the Gazlowe sermon, easily the worst short story they've put out, is that at least the conflict is there and the sides aren't presented as cartoonish, but the end point is still the same when it hits the game.

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And Horde vs Alliance is so weird because we have reached complete thematic inversion; the Horde are the conservative established civilizations and the Alliance are the iconoclasts.

That is the funny part and has been since the void elves were introduced. They are the actual Horde race here on the thematic level and Umbric has more to do with any recognizably Horde premise than does most every other participant in Midnight and indeed, the last three expansions. Though in keeping with modern Blizzard writing, unlike in TBC the story doesn't end with them finding Jesus and immediately losing all substance but their opponents accepting the virtues of cosmopolitanism, holding hands and dropping off the plot.

[micwini]

Is the short story actual woke slop or is it the same group of people as always just hearing what they want to hear?

[Sondrelk]

Is the short story actual woke slop or is it the same group of people as always just hearing what they want to hear?

It's a story whose main plot works to really show that the Belves (as shown with Rommath) are so used to being correct that they don't see the inherent hypocrisy in jumping onto the latest solution as the and-all-be-all. Rommath in this short story consistently espouses how [recent solution] is the one to finally fix everything, and that Umbric is an idiot for trying to diversify.
On the side of Umbric, it shows how the Void tempts you by showing you precisely what you want. And that Umbric is very clearly getting in too deep too quickly.

In short. It's a wonderful short story if the idea of this expansion was to really capitalize on the faction resentment inherent to having the Alliance set up camp in Silvermoon. Both on the side of the Horde for needing to give up a part of their city. And on the Alliance, for not being treated as equals despite being in said city to save the Belves.

[extasy]

Based on The War Within we get two standalone shorts and a Launch Cinematic Monologue if it follows The War Within. Animated Shorts and such marketing is probably too costly for them at this venture.

Blizzard released 5 CGI cinematics during BFA, each costing up to 3-4 milion, How is powerpoint slideshow costly now lmao

I just realised how godmode BFA was... compared to whatever we're getting now when it comes to cinematics and cutscenes.

[Raetary]

Looking at the view counts of every series, i think they just don't think its worthwhile anymore.

Legacies more or less flopped, almost 3 years in and not a single short has had over a million views.
Afterlives didn't do much better, with only the Bastion short standing out at 3.5 million.

However Threads of Destiny has almost a million, just a year in.
And Alleria Light and Shadow is by far the most popular short they have released to date, with over 8 million views already, making it their biggest animated short.
So the popularity is still there.

Whatever we are or not getting this time around, i hope they have the sense to go all out for TLT at least.

[Pyrophax]

Looking at the view counts of every series, i think they just don't think its worthwhile anymore.

Legacies more or less flopped, almost 3 years in and not a single short has had over a million views.
Afterlives didn't do much better, with only the Bastion short standing out at 3.5 million.

However Threads of Destiny has almost a million, just a year in.
And Alleria Light and Shadow is by far the most popular short they have released to date, with over 8 million views already, making it their biggest animated short.
So the popularity is still there.

Whatever we are or not getting this time around, i hope they have the sense to go all out for TLT at least.

Warbringers: Jaina holds more then 15 millions of views only on English version. 8 millions more only for music. 8mil more for Ru version that I found. And countless more for covers.
Who knows that stories that resonate with players gets most of attention, huh?

[Raetary]

Warbringers: Jaina holds more then 15 millions of views only on English version. 8 millions more only for music. 8mil more for Ru version that I found. And countless more for covers.
Who knows that stories that resonate with players gets most of attention, huh?

Yeah, i misread the views on Jainas short.

I still think that it mostly boils down to the last 2 series not pulling enough numbers.

[micwini]

Yeah, i misread the views on Jainas short.

I still think that it mostly boils down to the last 2 series not pulling enough numbers.

Yeah, but lets be honest, they've also been getting worse. This combined with just less interest for the vibe/story side of the game (for obvious reasons)

[Limayria]

Looking at the view counts of every series, i think they just don't think its worthwhile anymore.

Legacies more or less flopped, almost 3 years in and not a single short has had over a million views.
Afterlives didn't do much better, with only the Bastion short standing out at 3.5 million.

However Threads of Destiny has almost a million, just a year in.
And Alleria Light and Shadow is by far the most popular short they have released to date, with over 8 million views already, making it their biggest animated short.
So the popularity is still there.

Whatever we are or not getting this time around, i hope they have the sense to go all out for TLT at least.

because wow needs an anime series about elves

[CasualFilth]

It DOES feel strange that there's no promo for Midnight, the Expac is a month away. We tend to get lots of promotional stuff within the 3 month period to launch, hyping up the expansion. I don't know why it's been so silent for Midnight... :/

[Ersula]

It DOES feel strange that there's no promo for Midnight, the Expac is a month away. We tend to get lots of promotional stuff within the 3 month period to launch, hyping up the expansion. I don't know why it's been so silent for Midnight... :/

I literally just saw a fully rendered Orc housing ad on TV. It isn't on the internet anywhere for some reason, but its there. They're fully appealing to the non gaming crowd for this one.

[Nymrohd]

I literally just saw a fully rendered Orc housing ad on TV. It isn't on the internet anywhere for some reason, but its there. They're fully appealing to the non gaming crowd for this one.

Exactly. What cost money in the expansion is housing and that is what they are selling it on. Housing has as much interviews and marketing time as everything else about this expac combined.