Midnight 12.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[Khaza-R]

Also, they forgot Vordrassil.

Which you think they would take the opportunity to seed something and make hyper relevant to the next expansion.

I am actively worried they really are going to turn Northrend into a series of islands and then be like "lol wut tree?" unironically.

[Super Dickmann]

I think playing horde must be very hard to immerse yourself in WoW since bfa as nothing makes sense and you're currently questing with the alliance leadership and caring about their "feelings".

That's probably why blizz kinda gave up and they write everything through the alliance player pov, even horde-leaning zones like undermine and Silvermoon.

Honestly, TWW was a lot worse in this respect. The jarring sections were the terrible Eitrigg/Turalyon Sons of Lothar business, Magister's Terrace and being told by that random dwarf to 'sort things with the natives' while playing a rosy-cheeked blood elf paladin twink purposefully generated and selected for maximum immersion before he's consigned to the bench. But it most definitely written with the Alliance PC as the default. Bob is a bit like Merrix or Alexstrasza.

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Given that Zul'aman extends into the sea with islands I think it would absolutely work to have a chain of islands linking it to Hinterlands. Add Puul (Amani shark Loa of Peril) there and have the Amani expand across the east coast

We did have a Gral mention this expansion, which along with having the Zandalari right there makes not including them for Zul'Aman even more of a baffling pick, as it'd gel very well with your idea.

[Nymrohd]

We did have a Gral mention this expansion, which along with having the Zandalari right there makes not including them for Zul'Aman even more of a baffling pick, as it'd gel very well with your idea.

I think this could be used in the future if they ever revamp Hinterlands. Heck if Jan survives, it'd probably prefer it to be seen in the future. I hope that if they do proceed with revamps, they better integrate allied races (which means Hinterlands should also have Haranir)

[Enrif]

i don't know where or who brought it up, but i like the idea that Harandar is just the elemental plane of spirit. It would explain a lot.
It could also put a fun twist in regards to Aln'hara. I assume, Aln'hara used to be the elemental lord of spirit, and was not removed by the titans, or old gods, but actually azeroth. It is afterall stated in chronicles that the worldsouls absorbed most of the elemental spirit. This also explains the similarities between azerite and alndust, without making them the same. Azerite took on some of the properties of Aln'haras dust, the bluegold coloring for example, but perhaps not other properties like the disconnection of the mental song or the light on the lightbloom.

[milkmustache]

I don't mind that Harandar was shifted to Midnight from TWW, but I am a little annoyed at how sloppy it is.

Fishing certain pools will give you skill in Khaz Algar fishing, some world quests have Orweyna talking about Brann, and the complete disjointed feeling of the zone in general. It's a great concept for a zone, it's beautifully made, but it really doesn't fit at all. I wouldn't be surprised if their story drops off after 12.0 and isn't picked up again for a long while. I just don't see where they plan on taking them.

[Nymrohd]

I don't mind that Harandar was shifted to Midnight from TWW, but I am a little annoyed at how sloppy it is.

Fishing certain pools will give you skill in Khaz Algar fishing, some world quests have Orweyna talking about Brann, and the complete disjointed feeling of the zone in general. It's a great concept for a zone, it's beautifully made, but it really doesn't fit at all. I wouldn't be surprised if their story drops off after 12.0 and isn't picked up again for a long while. I just don't see where they plan on taking them.

The Harandar delves also give Khaz Algar fishing

[Joshuaj]

I'm 90% certain the fishing rep is less to do with Harandar originally being part of TWW, and more to do with them simply fucking up the rep programming a bit LMAO

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Probably didn't update the Delve Fishing Rep to Midnight content for Harandar's Delves.

[rainhard]

I don't mind that Harandar was shifted to Midnight from TWW, but I am a little annoyed at how sloppy it is.

Fishing certain pools will give you skill in Khaz Algar fishing, some world quests have Orweyna talking about Brann, and the complete disjointed feeling of the zone in general. It's a great concept for a zone, it's beautifully made, but it really doesn't fit at all. I wouldn't be surprised if their story drops off after 12.0 and isn't picked up again for a long while. I just don't see where they plan on taking them.

They seem to be struggling in polishing content in general with the new release speed they are going with, but i am sure that shifting plans like that does not help them either.

[Ersula]

Probably didn't update the Delve Fishing Rep to Midnight content for Harandar's Delves.

.....because the entire zone was developed for The War Within, meaning before Midnight. This isn't even a theory, the devs directly told us this.

[milkmustache]

I'm 90% certain the fishing rep is less to do with Harandar originally being part of TWW, and more to do with them simply fucking up the rep programming a bit LMAO

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Probably didn't update the Delve Fishing Rep to Midnight content for Harandar's Delves.

I dunno. I don't agree. The other delves don't give Khaz Algar fishing reputation, but the ones in the zone that was allegedly cut from TWW do.

If Blizzard internally decided that Harandar would fit best in Midnight, I'm all for that decision. I only find it frustrating that it's not just the disconnected story informing us of this, but oversights like the fishing skill and Brann name-drops as well.

Harandar is an interesting zone. The Haranir are a beautifully made race. I just think it was shifted over to Midnight so that they could give the box features an extra bump with the allied race.

It's a part of the Saga situation -- and to be clear, I'm not complaining about the Saga. Midnight's story pacing is the best they've ever done IMO, and regardless of Harandar's fit here, I don't think they had another option. Having done K'aresh and Voidstorm in the same expansion would have been a mistake. Just the way it rolls. I have confidence in Midnight as a whole, and I'm very excited for The Last Titan.

They seem to be struggling in polishing content in general with the new release speed they are going with, but i am sure that shifting plans like that does not help them either.

I agree. And I don't want to be the one to say "Buh-- their next Saga will be perfect!", but I think they deserve a bit of grace here. I still think it's worth discussion, especially because of the implications of the Haranir's role in... quite literally everything.

[GeometryWizard]

They should do an expansion where they never mention Teldrassil once and then a new lore book releasing at the very end of it reveals the timeline is now tracked by relation to BTB and ATB Before Teldrassil Burning and After Teldrassil Burning

[Joshuaj]

.....because the entire zone was developed for The War Within, meaning before Midnight. This isn't even a theory, the devs directly told us this.

No. It was planned for TWW, but was pushed back for the Worldsoul Saga. There were early drafts for it AKA the Rootlands, but that's it.

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Valeera has been given Bran XP since early access. Does that mean she was originally meant to be a Delve follower for TWW?

[Sondrelk]

Christ, those sidequests. Here I am, leagues underground, within a pocket dimension inhabited by troglodytes with zero contact with the outside world. it's been an expansion since I last saw a night elf. I walk to my new cave-dwelling na'vi friend. "Hey! How can I help?" I ask. She smirks ear to ear, lifting a baton shaped from night elf forum posts. "My life has been empty without Teldrassil." she intones as she sends me to water roots and pay my respects for the fucking tree. Terrified, I flee up to the surface, only for two weeks later to have Arator break down the doors to my hiding spot.

"Champion, we need the night elves to help reverse the Darkwell. Oh gosh, I hope they can forgive us for the tree."

You gaze over the potential of a cool Forsaken story in the Eastweald. Thinking the story will get away from Teldrassil, you let out a sigh: "They couldn't kill hope"

Then you remember, the main story is in Silvermoon, and Sylvanas returns: "Can't I?"

The story immediately goes back into the ramifications of the Horde betraying the Nelves as you scream, your forum handle turning into a complaint against the developers, and you turn fully into a Blizz hater, haunting the forums forevermore.

Lorebringers: Blizzard

[Ersula]

No. It was planned for TWW, but was pushed back for the Worldsoul Saga. There were early drafts for it AKA the Rootlands, but that's it.

Valeera has been given Bran XP since early access. Does that mean she was originally meant to be a Delve follower for TWW?

You need to extrude that logic until it reaches the pain receptors of your brain. We even got Gazlowe in Harandar as a complete non-sequitur: There's no Midnight explanation why he's even involved. All these things should tell you the opposite. Karesh was rushed because normally they're working on a season patch for more than a year.

[Joshuaj]

Hey, Ersula, if you're gonna make a counter-argument, please don't proceed to insult me in the process. I'm not gonna entertain that. I've quite literally been banned for similar behavior, so please heed my statement.

[Nymrohd]

You need to extrude that logic until it reaches the pain receptors of your brain. We even got Gazlowe in Harandar as a complete non-sequitur: There's no Midnight explanation why he's even involved. All these things should tell you the opposite. Karesh was rushed because normally they're working on a season patch for more than a year.

The rest of the Horde is nowhere to be found to help with the Sunwell but Gazlowe has to go visit his new friend you know.

[Sondrelk]

The rest of the Horde is nowhere to be found to help with the Sunwell but Gazlowe has to go visit his new friend you know.

He was just really curious about the pit filled with ghostly apparitions of old god enemies, apropos of nothing.

[Lady Atia]

No. It was planned for TWW, but was pushed back for the Worldsoul Saga. There were early drafts for it AKA the Rootlands, but that's it.

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Valeera has been given Bran XP since early access. Does that mean she was originally meant to be a Delve follower for TWW?

Actually, the original plan was to have delve followers other than Bran for TWW, but that was changed after season 1. While Valeera most likely was created for Midnight in specific, I wouldn't rule it out that they build her upon the initial TWW framerate which, well, would have changed them up each season.

[Joshuaj]

Actually, the original plan was to have delve followers other than Bran for TWW, but that was changed after season 1. While Valeera most likely was created for Midnight in specific, I wouldn't rule it out that they build her upon the initial TWW framerate which, well, would have changed them up each season.

Thanks for this reply. Genuinely helpful, and it gives me some further insight on this topic. It is possible they built her upon TWW's initial UI for Delves. However, I do believe it was meant to develop a bit beyond that lol. Part of me believes the Devs didn't have enough time to finalize certain things before Midnight's launch.

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The rest of the Horde is nowhere to be found to help with the Sunwell but Gazlowe has to go visit his new friend you know.

Which is odd too, cause the factions did appear early on in TWW LMAO.

Meanwhile, I don't think I've seen Jaina or Thrall at Quel'thalas once.

[Sondrelk]

Actually, the original plan was to have delve followers other than Bran for TWW, but that was changed after season 1. While Valeera most likely was created for Midnight in specific, I wouldn't rule it out that they build her upon the initial TWW framerate which, well, would have changed them up each season.

In hindsight, I wonder why. They already made a bunch of Goblin themed abilities for Season 2 that could have been given to Gazlowe or whoever. And I doubt it would have taken that long to add some extra voice lines for the ten or twenty situations that trigger them.

I suppose to make it easier for a player to fully learn their moveset across the expansion, but would be interesting to know for sure.