The War Within 11.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[NikolaiShade]

...in the form of a unique toggleable permanent buff that triggers a substantial visual effect. Correct.

How do you not understand that those subtleties are what defines the entire game and gives an RPG depth and immersion? There's a reason that each mage spec has an individual barrier spell with very minor effect differences, and that rogues re-apply poisons.

I agree with you but one could say Shadowform could become a "cosmetic" toggle and the bonus damage could be baked in the spec.
About the different barriers of mages, I always thought it could be cool to get ways to customize them, frostfire briier for frost or an arcane (purple basically) fire barrier for arcane and fire

Edit: And whoever removed trent form should be publicly outed

[Makorus]

I agree with you but one could say Shadowform could become a "cosmetic" toggle and the bonus damage could be baked in the spec.
About the different barriers of mages, I always thought it could be cool to get ways to customize them, frostfire briier for frost or an arcane (purple basically) fire barrier for arcane and fire

Edit: And whoever removed trent form should be publicly outed

Treant Form is still a thing.

[NikolaiShade]

Treant Form is still a thing.

The CD or the tome? I meant they removed it as a mechanically functional ability, and now treant form could have recieved the same kind of customizations as moonkin

[Makorus]

The CD or the tome? I meant they removed it as a mechanically functional ability, and now treant form could have recieved the same kind of customizations as moonkin

The actual ability was removed because frankly, it was kinda shit considering, once again, there was no reason NOT to be in the form, but the form still exists and is usable in combat. There is no reason it can't receive customization.

[Hitei]

I agree with you but one could say Shadowform could become a "cosmetic" toggle and the bonus damage could be baked in the spec.
About the different barriers of mages, I always thought it could be cool to get ways to customize them, frostfire briier for frost or an arcane (purple basically) fire barrier for arcane and fire

Edit: And whoever removed trent form should be publicly outed

Splitting the actual function from the cosmetic effect defeats the purpose. There is value in pressing a button when you res to reapply a marginal damage increase. A button that simply applies a cosmetic effect does much less, bordering on feeling silly to hit because it's basically a party trick. See: PvE Hunter's Mark.

If you were replacing that damage buff with some sort of utility effect, that'd be one thing, but a button that just turns you shadowy for no reason is a very different sort of button from one that turns you shadowy and gives you 10% damage.

[ImTheMizAwesome]

I hope blizzard will someday remade avatar spell for warriors, it looks so f'n low res and you look like a pile of shit instead of actual avatar form like muradin from hots for example.

[ZyntosAran]

Splitting the actual function from the cosmetic effect defeats the purpose. There is value in pressing a button when you res to reapply a marginal damage increase. A button that simply applies a cosmetic effect does much less, bordering on feeling silly to hit because it's basically a party trick. See: PvE Hunter's Mark.

If you were replacing that damage buff with some sort of utility effect, that'd be one thing, but a button that just turns you shadowy for no reason is a very different sort of button from one that turns you shadowy and gives you 10% damage.

It doesnt make sense to have a button for a permanent 10% damage increase though, if there is no reason for deactivating it.

[Ersula]

It doesnt make sense to have a button for a permanent 10% damage increase though, if there is no reason for deactivating it.

This is part of the reason I dislike them changing Shadowmend back into Flash Heal. The reason was Shadow shouldn't have access to all its holy abilities, but also current shadow doesn't. They should give a bunch of those abilities back with the same stipulation that you can only use them out of shadowform. They had a similar ability on the Beta, but I think they should get rid of shadow covenant & just give Disc Shadowform since is does basically the same thing.

I like to imagine the First Ones gave a very special gift to Azeroth tbh, hence why the Cosmic Forces are so magnetized by it. I doubt the soul itself is a First One, tho it's also likely one of the Progenitors put their essence into it.

I imagine the creation of this universe is meant to be very similar to the creation of the real universe. Nobody made the planets, because they formed naturally. The reason Azeroth has a world soul is likely because "Azeroth itself consumed the elemental manifestation of Spirit" right there at the beginning of Chronicles 1

Is there any chance 10.2.7 will already be the prepatch? That would certainly explain the absence.

It says right on the top its the "2023 roadmap" not the roadmap of the entire Dragonflight expansion. 10.2 comes out in november so that's the last patch of the year. This is also why I'm assuming 2024's roadmap will be very similar.

[Leowyld]

It's hard to predict what the next roadmap will look like. But the last expansion that had a patch cadence this rapid was Legion and I believe the expansion gap between it and its followup (BfA) was one of the shortest we've had.

[Wangming]

It's hard to predict what the next roadmap will look like. But the last expansion that had a patch cadence this rapid was Legion and I believe the expansion gap between it and its followup (BfA) was one of the shortest we've had.

It's kinda 50-50, but yes 11 months is on the shorter end of the spectrum. It would fit the timeframe as well.

[Berkilak]

Hopefully in the next expac we find out what this big threat is that the Jailer warned us about.

I have never been less curious about a cliffhanger.

[Makorus]

While I think 10.2 is gonna have the last proper "raid tier", I do expect a small Trial of Valor/Ruby Sanctum-esque raid to set up the next expansion (as well as Fated, obviously). Maybe the Fated (obviously wouldn't really fit thematically) mechanic is gonna be related to the raid.

[Ersula]

It's hard to predict what the next roadmap will look like. But the last expansion that had a patch cadence this rapid was Legion and I believe the expansion gap between it and its followup (BfA) was one of the shortest we've had.

If you notice, 10.2 is lacking in minor features compared to major patches. Besides new druid form options its just a raid & zone. But that's by design & I think it's a good design: To move all the non-season additions to the game in minor patches to keep the content release schedule rapid.

WoD was actually a shorter expansion, but it had radically less content patches. While BFA also had a rapid release schedule, but it was considered a long expansion: The average of all expansions is 2 years. Some last longer & some last shorter.

So Dragonflight could go short (August 2024 release) or it could go long (January 2025) but I'd bet on the Average. (November 2024 release) In which case we should expect a 10.3 and I think the "roadmap" of Dragonflight is them finding a cadence of patch releases that keeps everyone happy. It's not actually more than Legion, it's just chopped up in a very manageable way.

[Grimbold21]

Make us knights of the circular desk

The last thing this game needs is the player as a key figure in the lore.

[Raetary]

All i want is Shadowform to receive the same love as Moonkins are getting rn.

Multiple new voidy visual effect options, with toggable overlays as well as an option for intensity.

[Leowyld]

If you notice, 10.2 is lacking in minor features compared to major patches. Besides new druid form options its just a raid & zone. But that's by design & I think it's a good design: To move all the non-season additions to the game in minor patches to keep the content release schedule rapid.

WoD was actually a shorter expansion, but it had radically less content patches. While BFA also had a rapid release schedule, but it was considered a long expansion: The average of all expansions is 2 years. Some last longer & some last shorter.

So Dragonflight could go short (August 2024 release) or it could go long (January 2025) but I'd bet on the Average. (November 2024 release) In which case we should expect a 10.3 and I think the "roadmap" of Dragonflight is them finding a cadence of patch releases that keeps everyone happy. It's not actually more than Legion, it's just chopped up in a very manageable way.

That makes sense. It is interesting, though. The timing for 10.2 lines up more with 8.3, which was on PTR during BlizzCon and released after. Although, 10.2 is about a month further along, I acknowledge. 8.3 didn't release until the following January and 10.2 will likely release in November. I think we will at least have 10.2 minor patches. But I'm still not sold on 10.3 being a thing yet. I do think any remaining story content we see will be self-contained Dragon Isles stuff, otherwise the next expansion announcement would somewhat spoil it.

[Teriz]

Torghast 2.0, underground, delving ever deeper, fighting your way to riches/power would/could be super cool.

Torghast was nearly awesome, given the right mixture it could be a big thing. Just gotta nail that balance and reward. Easy right ;D

Perhaps similar to the "Dungeon Run" mini game in Hearthstone that was introduced in Kobolds and Catacombs where you grind through underground dungeons for loot and prizes? Quite possible if we're getting an underground expansion. Toweliee's statements are still valid because nothing yet has disproved the possibility that we're heading underground next expansion. Even Khaz Algar is possibly underground.

[pacotaco]

The fuck else do you think they go to?

Well, they were supposed to be elementals that became fleshy. But after finding Tyr's experiments, that's in the air now.
If you take into account the Oracle talking in Draconic, I wouldn't be shocked if dragons are actually from the Life Realms and Tyr simply infused them with the elements and then made up a cover up saying "hey, it wasn't me, they were already like that".
That would also explain why Elunaria has dragons apparently unrelated with the ones in Azeroth.

[Nightshade711]

All i want is Shadowform to receive the same love as Moonkins are getting rn.

Multiple new voidy visual effect options, with toggable overlays as well as an option for intensity.

This would be cool. If they really went down the rabbit hole I’d like a holyform option. It feels really weird playing a shadow priest LFD sometimes.

But I also would like the old shadowform to come back, maybe with increased resolution on the effects. I miss the whole “featureless shadow” thing it used to have going on.

[Lady Atia]

While I think 10.2 is gonna have the last proper "raid tier", I do expect a small Trial of Valor/Ruby Sanctum-esque raid to set up the next expansion (as well as Fated, obviously). Maybe the Fated (obviously wouldn't really fit thematically) mechanic is gonna be related to the raid.

You know what's weird - they seemingly removed some weapons from the raid that were originally part of the transmog ui already - f.e. the elemental outdoor bow (which I think was supposed to be from honour) or the cool axestaff which now only has 2 tints that come from pvp, while the pve tints are missing. Of course they could come back either via season 4 pvp, or maybe new outdoor content down the line ... or they save them for something else. Or it's just a bug and they will all be back with the next builds haha.

Edit: Actually managed to find the bow which was weirdly not listed at the start of the list haha.