Midnight 12.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[Cheezits]

That begs the question who do we find down their besides them preventing Xal'atath from getting into the Manifold. Are we aligning with a faction of Thraegar? Bolstering their ranks with the Elves? The Amani? A new generation of paladins? Surely this is the sort of stakes the Aspects have been waiting for?

The only thing currently hinted to be at the Worldcore are Thraegar, but as that would be incredibly boring I hope they instead twist it and involve the Aqir. Maybe a friendly force that have been influenced by Azeroth.

I am also not really excited for a Worldcore patch/zone as it will smack heavily of both TWW and also TLT in regard to Ulduar, especially if the facility is pretty large and intact in scope. I would much prefer it to be a raid with our zone being elsewhere that isn't A) Underground and B) Titanshit (which is a repeat of DF as well).

[milkmustache]

I am also not really excited for a Worldcore patch/zone as it will smack heavily of both TWW and also TLT in regard to Ulduar, especially if the facility is pretty large and intact in scope. I would much prefer it to be a raid with our zone being elsewhere that isn't A) Underground and B) Titanshit (which is a repeat of DF as well).

I wonder how that'd be done with a potential Lordaeron patch? Maybe something to do with the First Flame, or perhaps a secret left behind in the Vault of Tyr?

[Boomer Thor]

Titanshit beats more xal

[Cheezits]

I wonder how that'd be done with a potential Lordaeron patch? Maybe something to do with the First Flame, or perhaps a secret left behind in the Vault of Tyr?

Tyr would have to be the connection somehow, especially as that was (probably) the original plan they were setting up with him in the early Dragonflight draft (I believe he would be the one attacking the Worldcore with Xal being a later addition). Lordaeron would fit because of both him and Paladins/Light. The Flame Vault could be explored.

There's also a chance that we go back to his big room in Uldaman and see where that door goes. Same continent after all. May even connect to underground Lordaeron as it's not -that- far.

- - - Updated - - -

Titanshit beats more xal

Xal is just a raid boss now- we have already had a zone (two if you cound Karesh) and two seasons with her aesthetic. I'm sure her and her mooks will mostly be constrained to the final raid while the theming is something else besides Void and Space.

But DF/TWW and TLT have plenty of Titanic buildings and facilities to the point it is becoming oversaturated as an aesthetic. Even if its their last hoorah.

[Aucald]

Xal is just a raid boss now- we have already had a zone (two if you cound Karesh) and two seasons with her aesthetic. I'm sure her and her mooks will mostly be constrained to the final raid while the theming is something else besides Void and Space.

Pretty sure it's all but confirmed that Xal'atath is going to be with us for the whole of the WSS, up to and including TLT. So she might become a raid boss in TLT at some point, but I don't think we'll conclusively fight and defeat her in Midnight.

[allegrian]

I'm tired of getting obvious original TWW stuff cut and pasted with no rhyme or reason on Midnight or even TLT.

If metzen wanted to expand and "improve" the original TWW concept, he should just make it not that obvious that everything from TWW and the final world core raid is unnecesary filler to the unchanged TWW story.

So we abandoned the "journey to the center of the earth" in TWW to just go again in Midnight (Harandar), via a random portal then leave to the surface again, but the ending is just Xalatath going back AGAIN to the center of the earth, so we of course will go back to it again via just another random portal, while in TWW we'd have gotten a natural progression from patch to patch (Harandar > World core) with no loading zones or random portals.
And then we'll go to TLT to get basically Metzen's version of TWW or something.

[whoisqnx]

what I am mostly curious about, will we also beat the Light in the last patch or will they just save that for possibly the next Saga with the Arathi Empire and their Emperor? Like i can see the Light taking advantage of the moment "we banish the shadow forever" to quote Metzen. He said we will stand with the forces of the Light so that makes me think for now the Light will be on our side, for Renilash atleast.
My theory is still that something happens at end of TLT (Golganneth dying or siding with us) and it clears the Storming Sea, the storm disappears and the path to the other side of Azeroth opens, to the Arathi Empire.

[Enrif]

So the Worldcore and the surrounding cavern is pretty obviously 12.2 right?

Alleria and Turalyon back in fighting form. Us joining back up with Turalyon and Alleria, them attending couple's therapy off-screen between 12.0 and 12.2. They relive their glory days as a dynamic duo fighting the Devouring host, echoing their thousand years in the twisting nether fighting the Legion. There's nothing quite like a existentially hostile environment to rekindle the romance.

That begs the question who do we find down their besides them preventing Xal'atath from getting into the Manifold. Are we aligning with a faction of Thraegar? The keepers hunting down the thraegar at Aman'thul's order is pre-sundering, I don't think it's too extreme to posit that a new generation would have arisen in isolation.


Bolstering their ranks with the Elves? The Amani? A new generation of paladins? Surely this is the sort of stakes the Aspects have been waiting for?

Well, we assumed the core for TWW and K'aresh for Midnight. Who knows what Blizzard is cooking. For all we know 12.1 is about trolls and 12.2 is about lordaeron and thats it, and we go to Northrend in TLT as we find a new way to the core through Azjol'Nerub or the forge of souls that was opened when the jailor siphoned the worldsoul...

Really, no way to really predict it until we have some datamining from future patches

[Cheezits]

Pretty sure it's all but confirmed that Xal'atath is going to be with us for the whole of the WSS, up to and including TLT. So she might become a raid boss in TLT at some point, but I don't think we'll conclusively fight and defeat her in Midnight.

I think we physically fight her in Midnight and effectively beat her in some form, but she still wins with a corruption of the Worldsoul. Aman'thul/Odyn/Iridikron are too many antagonists to juggle along with her in TLT (plus any Titans/Keepers who side with Big A) and they didn't even have Sylvanas as the main villain for three expansions, only two.

She can still exist in some ghostly form but if Blizz is allergic to multi-patch campaigns now, they can't drag Xal out for too much longer.

[Enrif]

I wonder how that'd be done with a potential Lordaeron patch? Maybe something to do with the First Flame, or perhaps a secret left behind in the Vault of Tyr?

i hope that, if we go to Tirisfal, we have Tyr with us there. It is named after him afterall. Could be the "paladin for all patch" too.

[Cheezits]

I'm tired of getting obvious original TWW stuff cut and pasted with no rhyme or reason on Midnight or even TLT.

It feels like he dragged out the Worldcore to Midnight/early TLT to get the Titans actually coming back, with that not being in the cards for the original draft. I think it may have just been a showdown with Bad Tyr at the Worldcore, representing the Titans restraining Azeroth, before freeing her and moving on to Avaloren for more OC donut steel adventures.

The shuffling around has its negative consequences (Karesh) but I don't think the Worldcore delay is one of them.

[Nymrohd]

Xal is just a raid boss now- we have already had a zone (two if you cound Karesh) and two seasons with her aesthetic. I'm sure her and her mooks will mostly be constrained to the final raid while the theming is something else besides Void and Space.

Plus we have original flavour dead elf waifu back in rotation. I am sure she is willing to take her boots off for the fans

[Aucald]

I think we fight her in Midnight and effectively beat her in some form, but she still wins with a corruption of the Worldsoul. Aman'thul/Odyn/Iridikron are too many antagonists to juggle along with her in TLT (plus any Titans/Keepers who side with Big A) and they didn't even have Sylvanas as the main villain for three expansions, only two.

Possibly, that is one possible outcome for Midnight. My personal pet theory is that Xal'atath is going to "succeed" in corrupting the worldsoul in some capacity, only to find out that she inadvertently engineered the means of her own destruction. It would be a nice ironic take on Xal'atath's tendency to use and discard her tools without care across the WSS, from Locus-Walker to Antenorian to Mor'duun to Alleria. Not sure if this will involve us fighting her directly, or fighting some aspect of a corrupted Azeroth, temporarily putting it back to rights, and setting up events for TLT.

Maybe, deep down, I just want to see Xal'atath truly humbled at long last. She's really gotten to the point where I want events to permanently wipe the smirk off her face.

[Cheezits]

Maybe, deep down, I just want to see Xal'atath truly humbled at long last. She's really gotten to the point where I want events to permanently wipe the smirk off her face.

Maybe she sees Azeroth turn into Void, but then at the last minute realizes that she's being absorbed and is losing her individuality/"soul" and is scared as she gets erased into dust ala Khadgar. That would be a fitting end for her.

[whoisqnx]

From what i remember Ion said the 12.1.5 raid will be another solo boss one and it will continue the main storyline and setup 12.2 unlike Sporefall in 12.0.7 which is its own standalone thing so that makes me wonder who/what could that be about.

[Nymrohd]

Honestly I just want Iridikron to show up and just chomp chomp swallow on Xal, feet first.

[Khaza-R]

So the Worldcore and the surrounding cavern is pretty obviously 12.2 right?

Alleria and Turalyon back in fighting form. Us joining back up with Turalyon and Alleria, them attending couple's therapy off-screen between 12.0 and 12.2. They relive their glory days as a dynamic duo fighting the Devouring host, echoing their thousand years in the twisting nether fighting the Legion. There's nothing quite like a existentially hostile environment to rekindle the romance.

That begs the question who do we find down their besides them preventing Xal'atath from getting into the Manifold. Are we aligning with a faction of Thraegar? The keepers hunting down the thraegar at Aman'thul's order is pre-sundering, I don't think it's too extreme to posit that a new generation would have arisen in isolation.


Bolstering their ranks with the Elves? The Amani? A new generation of paladins? Surely this is the sort of stakes the Aspects have been waiting for?

I honestly think the Undersea and the Naga are a possibility. Just because there certainly seems to be a naga tease like we got with Goblins leading to Undermine.

So maybe the Devouring Host and the Naga assaulting the Manifold together?

The Northrend "leak" had the Thraegar as a faction associated with the Stormpeaks / Ulduar. Which was kind of strange. But maybe we wake a bunch of them up trying to defend the core and it ultimately leads to them summoning the Titans back?

[Cheezits]

From what i remember Ion said the 12.1.5 raid will be another solo boss one and it will continue the main storyline and setup 12.2 unlike Sporefall in 12.0.7 which is its own standalone thing so that makes me wonder who/what could that be about.

I'm hoping it's Red Dawn related and sets the ball rolling to head south after Zul'Aman is cleaned up. Maybe the glasses lady to get rid of her and set up a better RD antagonist (the Menethil "prince" the Scarlets claimed they had? it's probably Calia's daughter but alas).

It could also be whatever is in Stratholme.

Back to TLT- I will double down on that villain list and say Odyn -> Iridikron -> Aman'thul are the bosses, though I can see Odyn and Iridikron being in the same season. Corrupted Azeroth herself is also a good chance.

[allegrian]

Chimaerus and the upcoming sporefall raid feel like leftovers of the abandoned tww harandar tier, alongside the zone itself in midnight.

[Cheezits]

Chimaerus and the upcoming sporefall raid feel like leftovers of the abandoned tww harandar tier, alongside the zone itself in midnight.

Rootlands were originally in at launch (and fairly small) so I'm not sure if it was ever going to have a raid tier. Chimaerus data has its name be corruptedloa so I think there may actually be a surprise Harandar/ZA link coming up.