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

[Dancaris]

That sounds good. I wouldn't want to get hyped but it does sound good.

Second interesting part.

There are also stories about the sisters Alexstrasza and Ysera and we delve deeper into the lore of the Druids of Flame. We last saw the Druids of Flame a long time ago in Cataclysm and we learn more about what makes them tick, which I personally find very interesting.

They will actually meet! I just Hope not at background.
Also interesting part about flame druids. How much is too much to believe that red skintone for NE will be available? And how long until red tone for orcs? And is it not to much 3 red tones at 1-2 expansions? All foes once, now friends?

[Worldshaper]

I don't think this holds up to scrutiny. Especially BfA. BfA fits too well with the Cata Themes. Faction War, Naga, Old Gods, a world that is hurt after a massive event. The conflict even starts in Ashenvale! (remember that Twilight Cultists tried to blame night elf deaths on the horde). Ragnaros tried to burn Nordrassil, while Sylvanas succeeded with burning Teldrassil. It's only missing elementals and dragons.

On the other hand, DF could fit with WotLK. It has Tuskarr, a Grizzly Hills like zone, Wyrmrest Accord on steroids (all dragon flights represented), Sindragosa...

Look at it this way.

Disorder (the Burning Legion etc).
Death (the Scourge etc).
Shadow (the Old Gods etc).

Those are the three main enemy factions of WoW, beginning all the way back in the RTS games. Each of them had their own expansion in the early days (TBC, WotLK, and Cata). Then we got MoP, which according to Metzen was an intentional break from all of that. (Although as we also know in hindsight, MoP did kinda get WoD started as well.)

What happens over the next decade is that each story keeps going until it ends.

So Disorder keeps going until Legion. You've got demons in virtually every expansion until then, but then we barely hear anything about them.

Death keeps going until Shadowlands. Then it meets the same fate, and steps off the train. Don't hear much about Death these days.

Shadow, the final one, has had the chance to keep building throughout all these years. So we've had Old Gods, different cults, Deathwing shenanigans, and all sorts of stuff. And of course Titans as well, their antithesis.

Now, with 11.0, it'll finally be time for Shadow to meet its demise. That story will end after all these years.

What comes next is anyone's guess. I'm assuming all these cosmic forces will still play a role, but hopefully with new and exciting stories that aren't just continuations from Warcraft 1, 2, and 3.

[Nymrohd]

Reminds me of the Pixar theory where people try to connect all of the Pixar animated movies into a single cohesive universe. There are a few details that line up surprisingly well, but the rest requires a bit of mental gymnastics to make it work, and even the parts that make sense were not intended by Pixar (as confirmed by Pixar themselves).

It makes sense that certain story threads and themes from past expansions would be picked up again later on, especially if they were popular to begin with, but it doesn't mean Blizzard is laying the story out in thematic trilogies.

A pattern means nothing without a theory as to why the pattern exists. What is the theory here? Blizzard sucks at creating a narrative so much that they generate them in an excel spreadsheet and then repeat them? I mean they aren't great but they are also not writing soap operas ffs.

[Dancaris]

The interesting thing about Amirdrassil being so inherantly intertwined with the Dream is that they can likely open up a new Dreamway portal there; strategically speaking that is massive and not something that was possible to explore for warfare when the Nightmare was rampaging. Not only would they regain instant access to key lands in Kalimdor, but they could bolster Duskwood for the alliance (worgen base anyone?) and even start encroaching into the Hinterlands.

I would not be surprised if Amirdrassil emerges as the new NElf capital in that unused area of the Isles (and various datamining/Marlamin being sus would support that) with the distance from Kalimdor being addressed by the Dreamway. The Horde would obviously be very keen on this too.

I think best part to me of it will be actual capital inside ED, and connected via Dream Portals to Azeroth. In Hyjal, Shaladrassil and Amirdrassil. Maybe more.
Safe zone only for NE. And strong presence in Azeroth. Imagine army from portal as from Avengers: Endgame finale. That would be sick.

[micwini]

Imagine if they didn't throw away Fyrakk with Shadowflame and also made the tree grow in the same expansion that it was planted in, awkwardly giving us it's actual name, like everybody knew what it was a patch or two after the damn thing was seeded. Having a reason to let the seedling grow to then later revisit it's growth and this situation where it is threatened. I wouldn't have minded having to go back to the Dragon Isles for a new Raid 2 expansions down the road, that involves everything we're getting in 10.2 - There definitely is a hyperfocus of only making new relevant Content in the place where the current expansion plays, when the reality is that there is absolutely no harm in putting a Raid or a new (not seasonally re-introduced) Dungeon somewhere further from where the current expansion takes places, so long as there is a relation. I feel like that is a major factor in making the world feel underutilized as well. Yes I know some people will find it inconvenient, having to travel to x or y when we could just have the entrance next door, but it's not like it'd be super problematic, especially as old Dungeons rotate into new M+ Seasons and having those Portals can often be a major time save outside of just getting to a specific Dungeon, thus being an incentive to get them.

Fully agree. They often put in some mental gymnastics why X should happen in the latest continent, just for the sake of convienience. The world tree stuff you mentioned being the most recent offender.

[Wangming]

Makes more sense to revisit the outdated originals than to visit another random made up area or a continent sized cave. It is hard to be attached to areas if you are just hopping to the next new random island and never going back.
No one cares about "Avaloren", or "Khaz Algar". The only one of those 3 that has been mentioned in early lore is Undermine and that really doesn't offer much variety for an entire continent.

And we have gone full circle and back with the revamp debate.

[Nymrohd]

The interesting thing about Amirdrassil being so inherantly intertwined with the Dream is that they can likely open up a new Dreamway portal there; strategically speaking that is massive and not something that was possible to explore for warfare when the Nightmare was rampaging. Not only would they regain instant access to key lands in Kalimdor, but they could bolster Duskwood for the alliance (worgen base anyone?) and even start encroaching into the Hinterlands.

I would not be surprised if Amirdrassil emerges as the new NElf capital in that unused area of the Isles (and various datamining/Marlamin being sus would support that) with the distance from Kalimdor being addressed by the Dreamway. The Horde would obviously be very keen on this too.

A method of transportation that is completely insecure is not really that big a thing. The Horde can get there at will using their own druids. Anyone can get there by just holding one of the many exists to it. THe Flame Druids just opened portals to it and managed to connect it with the Firelands.

[Wangming]

Fully agree. They often put in some mental gymnastics why X should happen in the latest continent, just for the sake of convienience. The world tree stuff you mentioned being the most recent offender.

This was also a thing I liked about Legion. You revisited old continents as well.

[Kiria]

It's still fully available.
Just gotta unlock it in Dalaran.

Ooooh thats great to hear thanks, I will get around to it when I reach that expansion in that case, much appreciated <3

[micwini]

And we have gone full circle and back with the revamp debate.

Damn right we are. At least it is about 11.0 speculation instead of old lore or tinkers

[Nymrohd]

I think best part to me of it will be actual capital inside ED, and connected via Dream Portals to Azeroth. In Hyjal, Shaladrassil and Amirdrassil. Maybe more.
Safe zone only for NE. And strong presence in Azeroth. Imagine army from portal as from Avengers: Endgame finale. That would be sick.

But how would it make sense as a safe zone for Night Elves only? What makes it safe when we just saw Fyrakk invading it?

[Dancaris]

But how would it make sense as a safe zone for Night Elves only? What makes it safe when we just saw Fyrakk invading it?

With Druids of the Flame either killed or at our side - why not. Only way to our ED is from portals, or by help of enemy druids. And all druids rather dead or at our side.
Ofcourse some shenanigans can be made to break into capital, but same can be told about any capital or zone.

[Wangming]

Damn right we are. At least it is about 11.0 speculation instead of old lore or tinkers

I mean your argument is one of the reasons why I want a revamp.

[ercarp]

With Druids of the Flame either killed or at our side - why not. Only way to our ED is from portals, or by help of enemy druids. And all druids rather dead or at our side.
Ofcourse some shenanigans can be made to break into capital, but same can be told about any capital or zone.

Apparently there have been some indications in the lore that the Emerald Dream may not just be an Azeroth thing. Therefore beings from other planets or dimensions could potentially invade it as well.

[Dracullus]

I don't think anyone is expecting Undermine to be able to provide content for an entire expansion. In all likelihood, it would be either a new capital city, a raid, or a patch location. Knowing Blizzard, I would bet my money on them turning it into a raid.

You could literally said same thing about Broken Isles after Frozen Throne. They could make continent even from banana island. How? Simple - as always 1 zone will be something you know, 3-4 zones will be something completely different. We have gone through this in TBC, Wrath, Legion.

Again, have some imagination people. Azeroth is not real world with its limitations.

[Delever]

Dont know if this has been posted already as I saw 25 more pages from where I left off but it looks like blizzcon goodies were anounced and the algarian stormrider looks to be an elemental.
Since they openly showed this I m guessing its not necessarily tied to the expansion? Unless I am mistaken and this is not the algarian stormrider.

[Worldshaper]

Dont know if this has been posted already as I saw 25 more pages from where I left off but it looks like blizzcon goodies were anounced and the algarian stormrider looks to be an elemental.
Since they openly showed this I m guessing its not necessarily tied to the expansion? Unless I am mistaken and this is not the algarian stormrider.

This is from like a week and 300 pages ago.

[Hitei]

Makes more sense to revisit the outdated originals than to visit another random made up area or a continent sized cave. It is hard to be attached to areas if you are just hopping to the next new random island and never going back.
No one cares about "Avaloren", or "Khaz Algar". The only one of those 3 that has been mentioned in early lore is Undermine and that really doesn't offer much variety for an entire continent.

No one cares about 95% of EK or Kalimdor either. That's why nearly every fake leak for revamps is the same "what if Lordaeron" idea.

[Delever]

This is from like a week and 300 pages ago.

Oh I see. Please ignore this then I had not seen it. This thread is moving too fast to keep up.

[Wangming]

Apparently there have been some indications in the lore that the Emerald Dream may not just be an Azeroth thing. Therefore beings from other planets or dimensions could potentially invade it as well.

Well that doesn't make it any more unsafe than the lest of the planet, does it?