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

[lanerios]

Yes, I bash WoW on every post, seriously stop coping, I love retail but im a realist you guys are just being stupid.

Again, if you're a realist you have facts backing up your data. And not just a "lol game is dead because guild is dead" data. So far you are not a realist, just someone on a street corner with a sign "THe world is ending!!" screaming into the void.

[Hitei]

You think so small, people will always buy MTX, Transmogs and services ESPECIALLY if they think they're saving money, tsk tsk shame so many small thinkers.

No? Very few people pay extra money in games.

WoW is also not a game that incentivizes extra purchases for new players, because new players have over a thousand mounts available to earn for free, and tens of thousands of armor pieces available to earn for free, and 15+ years of content to check out. The number of people who would step into wow via gamepass and go "omg, I better buy this one specific transmog set from the store!" is a rounding error. It's near non-existent.

Imagine genshin impact where literally 98% of the characters are already unlocked, or LoL where there's only a couple dozen skins on the store and everything else is in game. That is wow. Its MTX appeal to long-term players who already have a lot of stuff and want to expand their collection with specific items. You charging them $5 less isn't going to make the entire playerbase start spending $5 a month on vanity stuff, it's going to mean most players save $5 and the people who we already going to buy store mounts and transmog packs now pay you less overall to do so.

[Kiria]

Again, if you're a realist you have facts backing up your data. And not just a "lol game is dead because guild is dead" data. So far you are not a realist, just someone on a street corner with a sign "THe world is ending!!" screaming into the void.

Again, I never said the game was dead, it is just not the powerhouse it used to be and many players are disinterested in returning, stop acting insane please you're making a fool of yourself.

No? Very few people pay extra money in games.

WoW is also not a game that incentivizes extra purchases for new players, because new players have over a thousand mounts available to earn for free, and tens of thousands of armor pieces available to earn for free, and 15+ years of content to check out. The number of people who would step into wow via gamepass and go "omg, I better buy this one specific transmog set from the store!" is a rounding error. It's near non-existent.

Imagine genshin impact where literally 98% of the characters are already unlocked, or LoL where there's only a couple dozen skins on the store and everything else is in game. That is wow. Its MTX appeal to long-term players who already have a lot of stuff and want to expand their collection with specific items. You charging them $5 less isn't going to make the entire playerbase start spending $5 a month on vanity stuff, it's going to mean most players save $5 and the people who we already going to buy store mounts and transmog packs now pay you less overall to do so.

That is something that would change, also Genshin is made for F2P where as WoW on GP would not necessarily be free because you are still paying an increased subscription fee to access the content.

Let's just drop it yeah because youguys obviously refuse to understand something so simple, I will no longer reply to you.

[Makorus]

The only thing I can see for Gamepass would be WoW Expansion -1, i.e. a FFXIV-esque trial, so right now you could play until Shadowlands.

But with the way WoW works, that is kinda completely useless anyway.

No way they are going to put Classic on Gamepass; too much revenue from subscriptions.

No way they are going to put Retail on Gamepass; too much revenue from subscriptions and also deceptively large amount of money from box sales.

[Reive]

The only thing I can see for Gamepass would be WoW Expansion -1, i.e. a FFXIV-esque trial, so right now you could play until Shadowlands.

But with the way WoW works, that is kinda completely useless anyway.

No way they are going to put Classic on Gamepass; too much revenue from subscriptions.

No way they are going to put Retail on Gamepass; too much revenue from subscriptions and also deceptively large amount of money from box sales.

they at least considered putting wow on the gamepass tho. one of the leaked microsoft documents shows that.

[lanerios]

But to get back on topic, we don't need someone derailing the thread while looking for attention.

What is a way Blizzard could do an "underground" expansion in a way that could work?

The following is an opinion, not stated as fact:

For me, Zaralek has shown that the current way is not a feasible way to do it an whole expansion. I want interesting "skyboxes". Places where I can't see the walls and ceilings, just a huge open space making it look like it's own "world" in a way. Sadly that would require such large zones that I don't see it happening anytime soon.
Having an whole expansion like Deepholme/Zaralek/Nazjatar? That would get frustrating fast for me with how enclosed it all feels.

- - - Updated - - -

Again, I never said the game was dead, it is just not the powerhouse it used to be and many players are disinterested in returning, stop acting insane please you're making a fool of yourself.

You do realise, the more you say that. The more you look like a fool yourself right? Everyone here is saying you're wrong and using absolutely inane arguments. But everyone else is a fool.

[Hitei]

That is something that would change, also Genshin is made for F2P where as WoW on GP would not necessarily be free because you are still paying an increased subscription fee to access the content.

Yes. Exactly. WoW is much less likely to have people buy things than a F2P game, because people are already paying a significant amount just to play the game, and even F2P games have very few people spending money.

Let's just drop it yeah because youguys obviously refuse to understand something so simple, I will no longer reply to you.

n i c e s a v e

[Kiria]

But to get back on topic, we don't need someone derailing the thread while looking for attention.

What is a way Blizzard could do an "underground" expansion in a way that could work?

The following is an opinion, not stated as fact:

For me, Zaralek has shown that the current way is not a feasible way to do it an whole expansion. I want interesting "skyboxes". Places where I can't see the walls and ceilings, just a huge open space making it look like it's own "world" in a way. Sadly that would require such large zones that I don't see it happening anytime soon.
Having an whole expansion like Deepholme/Zaralek/Nazjatar? That would get frustrating fast for me with how enclosed it all feels.

Something I can agree on, Blizz would not do well with an Underground expansion and it would not bring people back, it's also a no go for me my husband and my yearly sub.

[lanerios]

The only thing I can see for Gamepass would be WoW Expansion -1, i.e. a FFXIV-esque trial, so right now you could play until Shadowlands.

But with the way WoW works, that is kinda completely useless anyway.

No way they are going to put Classic on Gamepass; too much revenue from subscriptions.

No way they are going to put Retail on Gamepass; too much revenue from subscriptions and also deceptively large amount of money from box sales.

I think they will do an FFXIV trial system indeed.

Everything included except the latest expansion features (levels, continent, classes, races etc)

[Sydrache]

I really don't think we're getting an underground expansion. By the time they were working on zaralek which they intended to be experimental they were simultaneously working on the next expansion. I'm sure we could get 1 underground zone but I will eat my hat if we get a whole expansion

[lanerios]

I really don't think we're getting an underground expansion. By the time they were working on zaralek which they intended to be experimental they were simultaneously working on the next expansion. I'm sure we could get 1 underground zone but I will eat my hat if we get a whole expansion

I hope you're right and I am thinking the same way. I'd love more zones like Ungoro/Sholazar/STV. More lush, green, lively areas that are filled with nature and mysteries. And more fishing!

[Wangming]

I really don't think we're getting an underground expansion. By the time they were working on zaralek which they intended to be experimental they were simultaneously working on the next expansion. I'm sure we could get 1 underground zone but I will eat my hat if we get a whole expansion

Oh it will surely not be all underground. I persoannly expect an all over the place expansion in terms of themes and areas. Much like....well pretty much what we have been having since WoD.

[Pheraz]

Those long times before a big patch are mostly boring except when blizzard managed to create long time things to do such as warfronts and island expeditions. I find DF really lacks those things. Finished all races on gold in two evenings for EK cup. Races are awesome but sadly that's all casual content in DF. So I level my alt army in time walking dungeons because I just don't want to see or hear dragon islands anymore. @Kiriastrasza
So what I wanted to say is that those periods are normal. Soon servers will be full again especially after blizzcon and ED patch

[Raetary]

Btw, thought i'd bring this up:
https://twitter.com/keyboardturn/sta...66582296879354
https://altertime.es/nuevo-libro-de-...iembre-de-2023

Not anything new, but the dragons losing their fertility is still canon.
And the thing is written by Khadgar.

[Wangming]

And the thing is written by Khadgar.

Ah yes. The guy whose facial hair is so iconic in universe, a plant was named after it. Yet his updated model is clean shaven. Pfff

[Hitei]

I really don't think we're getting an underground expansion. By the time they were working on zaralek which they intended to be experimental they were simultaneously working on the next expansion. I'm sure we could get 1 underground zone but I will eat my hat if we get a whole expansion

Arguably the other way around. Developed the technology to potentially use in 11.0 and wanted to make sure it could function on live servers in place of loading screens so they tried it on a single zone that could be toggled to just loading screens without much trouble if it just didn't function.

Much like how a lot of times an expansion's new skeletal rigs get used at the end of the expansion prior.

[ZyntosAran]

Arguably the other way around. Developed the technology to potentially use in 11.0 and wanted to make sure it could function on live servers in place of loading screens so they tried it on a single zone that could be toggled to just loading screens without much trouble if it just didn't function.

Much like how a lot of times an expansion's new skeletal rigs get used at the end of the expansion prior.

The question is though. With how expansions are made in kinda parallel (they were not starting 11.0 only after bringing Zaralek on live), would they base a whole expansion on a feature they are not sure about if it will work out?

[NikolaiShade]

The question is though. With how expansions are made in kinda parallel (they were not starting 11.0 only after bringing Zaralek on live), would they base a whole expansion on a feature they are not sure about if it will work out?

More than how it will work out I would focus on how it is recieved. We have a series of options, it could be a single underground zone (and based on the "fissure" in Khaz Algar and the mount I would say it's almost certain), there could be many underground zone or all of theme. The real question is, our idea of "underground" is the same as Blizzard's? I could think of at least three/four biomes for underground zones, keeping them grounded in reality. If Blizzard decided to run some more fantasy ideas you could get an "underground" expansion in name only.

[Teriz]

"Gretchen, stop trying to make Undermine happen. It's not going to happen."

It’s doubtful that blizzard would do an underground expansion and not include probably the most well known and referenced underground area in the franchise.

[PaladinBash]

Deepholm was just a random place you teleport to in Cata and wasn't some extended land mass or adjacent area. Could be an underground zone like that with a similar enough mode of getting there. I personally loved Deepholm but I didn't like the Mole Hole. Lots of fond memories farming Elementium there the first week of Cata and single-handedly ruining my server's economy from doing it. The Mole Hole? Not so much.

Kinda crazy to imagine an entire expansion set up underground though. There's plenty of ways and means of getting in and out and shit you can do with it, that's not the issue, I just don't expect that myself. Even so, I don't see how anyone can really rule out a "hey there's X going on in Y place, here's a portal" because they do that shit all the time. Sure they use something more impressive than a portal some of the time but you get what I mean. They can have a visually (and geographically) different zone tied in narratively anywhere they feel like.