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

[Gloriandus]

I'm still confused on how Harpies are in Avaloren

One of my all-time criticisms of Blizzard's design. Give us new, unique creatures and denizens. Yes, it will require a new rig. Ok? Anything that screams BRAND NEW UNDISCOVERED LAND, not "You know this game's all about reskins, right?"

Same with cave layouts, etc. Does it make sense that this new, untouched, heretofore unseen realm has roads, roadsigns, and ever-lit torches on every path? Many small design things in the aggregate. I get it, it's easier to reskin/color stuff.

[Ferlion]

Ok, so real talk.

I'd be fine either that if they were like... crane and goose themed harpies, but also it's starting to also strike me as odd (in general) that I can't think of an instance of someone making a duck harpy, or a flamingo harpy

[Wangming]

Oh I don't disagree haha - was using that as a conveniently timed point about expectations based on an image. A zone probably has more room for variance than a race :P

I agree. But generally speaking it is considered counterproductive to put your most boring shots in the reveal trailer. You need the money shot. BfA was very good at this both in the feature trailer and the CGI cinematic.

[Ferlion]

I think we are going to somehow learn that this storm was created by the titans and maybe way back when Avalon was attached to kalimdor?

You know did the legion also ever invade Avalon? Or do the storms cover Avalon?

In theory, Avaloren was never attached to Kalimdor

[Dragon ANX]

I'm still confused on how Harpies are in Avaloren

There could be many explanation:
They are not the same, but share a common ancestor(Like in IRL where some animals are simillar in diferent continents because they share a common ancestor)
They could be luck ones that traveled there and survived the sea storms.
They could've been there because of the failed expedition to there took them there for some unknow reason,
I could go on, but i think you got it.

[Wangming]

I hope not. That was the mistake Cataclysm made. A world revamp should utilize the revamped zones.

I mean, it could do both. Yes, it was a mistake to only use the revamped zones for leveling. And only for new characters. But having new zones in a revamp isn't inherently bad.

[Raetary]

I'm still confused on how Harpies are in Avaloren

Does it matter?
Blizzard can create any lore they want to justify Harpie involvement.

Maybe they have always been there.
Maybe they migrated over before Avaloren was isolated.
Maybe they managed to fly over/teleport over with the help of whatever mcguffin Blizzard wants to use.

Just this expansion we got introduced to an ancient centaur tribe that predates our known centaur.
Not much different to them.

[Well Done Steak]

Don't see why the direhorn makes it real honestly. It's a new model, but it's also much easier to fake one when you can both copy the style of an available model, and you don't have to animate more than a still frame.

Yeah sure, but every other model in the leak is unique. The direhorn is ripped straight from the game from a baby model and made older.

So either the leak is real or the leaker is playing 4D chess and planned it out perfectly.

[Draedarr]

Yeah sure, but every other model in the leak is unique. The direhorn is ripped straight from the game from a baby model and made older.

So either the leak is real or the leaker is playing 4D chess and planned it out perfectly.

For some artists it's not so hard to work around a screenshot or model and give it a sense of 3D assets.

[Well Done Steak]

I'm still confused on how Harpies are in Avaloren

There's dwarves who never met with EK dwarves and still develop similar culture in kaz algar.

I'm sure they can spin it somehow

[ercarp]

@Demonly and I did some snooping around and found that the tree used in one of the screenshots already exists as an asset in-game.



It's called 10can_tree_burnt_b01_off.m2 and it's found in the Waking Shores.





My question is, has Blizzard reused this many assets in the past when going into what's supposed to be a brand new expansion?

Combining this finding with @Marlamin's earlier analysis, it seems like there's an unusually high amount of assets from Dragonflight. It almost makes it seem like Avaloren (if real) should be 10.3, not 11.0.

[Paula Deen]

For some artists it's not so hard to work around a screenshot or model and give it a sense of 3D assets.

I mean no offense, but the amount of reaching this takes is more effort than it takes to post some screenshot they got.

[Well Done Steak]

For some artists it's not so hard to work around a screenshot or model and give it a sense of 3D assets.

Right, I'm just saying that the chances of it being legit is higher by then using an existing model when all the other models in the leak are new.

[micwini]

@Demonly and I did some snooping around and found that the tree used in one of the screenshots already exists as an asset in-game.



It's called 10can_tree_burnt_b01_off.m2 and it's found in the Waking Shores.





My question is, has Blizzard reused this many assets in the past when going into what's supposed to be a brand new expansion?

Combining this finding with @Marlamin's earlier analysis, it seems like there's an unusually high amount of assets from Dragonflight. It almost makes it seem like Avaloren (if real) should be 10.3, not 11.0.

What if its the trailer for 10.3? Hmmmm.
Also: That is some mad detective work. Awesome.

[milkmustache]

Combining this finding with @Marlamin's earlier analysis, it seems like there's an unusually high amount of assets from Dragonflight. It almost makes it seem like Avaloren (if real) should be 10.3, not 11.0.

Highly unlikely, but wow would that be a killer surprise announcement of a 10.3 with Avaloren.

[AOL Instant Messenger]

Honestly, the more I look at it the more u am questioning he second and fourth picture. Specifically the models there that don't look like they are actually in the area, but rather pasted on with some shadow effects to hide it.

Maybe I'm just overthinking it though.

It reads as that way to me, too. It looks a lot like they were slapped there with WMV or a similar program.

[Paula Deen]

What if its the trailer for 10.3? Hmmmm

If they do a surprise 10.3 reveal on top of an expansion reveal I'd be beyond hyped but I think it's more likely they are doing what they always do, reusing newer assets when able. If expansions were completely original from the ground up you'd get wow expac less frequently.

This is still possibly fake, but if the OP faked this they did a crazy good job.

[pacotaco]

@Demonly and I did some snooping around and found that the tree used in one of the screenshots already exists as an asset in-game.



It's called 10can_tree_burnt_b01_off.m2 and it's found in the Waking Shores.





My question is, has Blizzard reused this many assets in the past when going into what's supposed to be a brand new expansion?

Combining this finding with @Marlamin's earlier analysis, it seems like there's an unusually high amount of assets from Dragonflight. It almost makes it seem like Avaloren (if real) should be 10.3, not 11.0.

It wouldn't be too crazy to think Avaloren is the DF Timeless Isle, with Uldaz as a final dungeon before the 11.0 pre-patch.

[Nyel]

@Demonly and I did some snooping around and found that the tree used in one of the screenshots already exists as an asset in-game.



It's called 10can_tree_burnt_b01_off.m2 and it's found in the Waking Shores.





My question is, has Blizzard reused this many assets in the past when going into what's supposed to be a brand new expansion?

Combining this finding with @Marlamin's earlier analysis, it seems like there's an unusually high amount of assets from Dragonflight. It almost makes it seem like Avaloren (if real) should be 10.3, not 11.0.

That’s what some people here already said. This entire leak feels more like a part of Dragonflight / Dragonflight afterthought than it does feel like a new expansion.

[Ferlion]

Does it matter?
Blizzard can create any lore they want to justify Harpie involvement.

Maybe they have always been there.
Maybe they migrated over before Avaloren was isolated.
Maybe they managed to fly over/teleport over with the help of whatever mcguffin Blizzard wants to use.

Just this expansion we got introduced to an ancient centaur tribe that predates our known centaur.
Not much different to them.

Within the story that was presented in the Emerald Dream and legends of the green dragon flying over, on top of Aviana, the progenitor of the Harpies, saying you can't leave the dream, yes.

I.E. I think the implications we have is that Kalimdor/ known world is where the Emerald Dream is formed.

Dragon Isles and Centaur, at least, is part of that.

Creating a new continent, divorcing it from everything because it was sealed off, adding it in with the implications of heretics, then populating it with a race charged by the keepers (because who else would charge them), a new Earthen Variant, and wild God spawn linked to the Emerald Dream kind of just feels..

Less than what I would expect.