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

[J Street]

To the "four zones is not enough" crowd, why does number of zones matter and how is it an indication of effort at all? Shouldn't the size of said zones matter more?

Using the Broken isles as an example, what it the inherent difference between having those 5 1/2 zones VS getting a new continent with 3, 2, even ONE large zones the same overall size as the broken isles? Assuming the landscape inside is diverse enough to be interesting?

Do the arbitrary world map borders mean that much?

[milkmustache]

Could be both frankly, since the next expansion is rumored to be elemental based.

I don't want to totally shut down, but let's keep in mind that these elemental rumors come from unconfirmed leaks. Whether you're referring to the Chinese predictor with some correct calls you often site, or any amount of leaks, the only confirmed item of information we have about 11.0 is the "Algarian Stormrider". We can associate this with Earthen, but at that rate you'dl have to say this expansion is rumored to be titanic as much as it is elemental.

Let's just stick with what we know for now, which is so drastically little compared to previous situations. In its own, that's really exciting.

[Northelim]

The Zaralek tech doesn’t need to be limited to underground.

I could see them using it to fly (storm riding?) or sail (like Nightsquall) through storms west of Kalimdor & to utilize the Zaralek tech like that.

I saw some posters previously have the idea that it could be a “Kessel run” type thing.

i am going to sound super dumb here but what is a "kessel"? Is that some form of air travel? Explain please, english is not my first language.

[Local Ardenweald Faerie]

i am going to sound super dumb here but what is a "kessel"? Is that some form of air travel? Explain please, english is not my first language.

It's a Star Wars reference - the Kessel Run is essentially getting from point A to point B in the least amount of distance, because the Kessel Run is filled with very, very dangerous space phenomena and there's dozens of different routes.

[Murlocos]

I disagree.

I dunno why people have jumped on this "it'll be Titan themed" kick. The only thing we know about Khaz Aglar is that it was someplace without Titan stuff (a contingent of Earthen had to be sent there and it was an unnamed sector with an anomaly the watchers didn't know about, that still remains a minor footnote to t hem). If we conflate it with Alvaloren, then we know that whatever group of heretics from the Titan's forces set up shop there (presumably those same Earthen) have outright rejected the Titan stuff. If Erinethria's story is also the same place, we know additionally that Tyr saw the entire region as a lost cause to be avoided.


So there's no reason to assume we're going to show up wherever it is and get Titan themes. We'll show up and find Earthen who are basically just stone dwarves, and potentially some other titan-forged who have rejected the Titans to the point of hostility. But these could be anything. That basically just describes the Mogu and Tol'vir, except here we know that they aren't sitting on top of important Titan facilities. So less Titan-themed than Pandaria.

Likewise, I don't see any reason to assume that dragons will be prominent again. We have a single green dragon matron potentially there. That doesn't mean she's some huge story element. It could mean she's like the single brood of blue dragons in the Broken Isles. Part of of one zone's questing and show up a little in end game campaign stuff and that's it.

My assumption of it is that the Titan storylines from DF would be continuing on into Avaloren, and so the fact that this place has prominently distanced themselves from the Titans will invoke their presence in the storyline as a result. Whether that involves Tyr, or Odyn, or whatever, I don't believe they'd make a point of separating this place from the Titans without a contrasting Titan presence somewhere, either as outright antagonists or still heavily involved in the story. Not to mention, if the leak is true then the fourth zone looks to have Titan-esque architecture, and an adult version of the robot dinosaur pet that's associated with Order/the Titans.

I'm assuming some level of involvement from Iridikron, as it'd be incredibly strange to set him up and then promptly have him vanish for several years with only a small appearance in his debut expansion. That ties into something I mentioned earlier, where it'd be bizarre if Iridikron is one of, if not the major threat in 11.0, but they didn't have the Aspects follow us to deal with this personal loose end. I was thinking about that more than the green dragon book from 10.2.

It could be something completely different, but I'd find it peculiar if they were to drop these plot threads that have been building up over the course of the expansion, with an anti-Titan dragon antagonist peacing out of the expansion in a similar way to Sylvanas dipping in 8.2.5. I don't say that as a diehard Avaloren believer, but to me the leak looks in line with what I'd expect from that path.

[Fahrad Wagner]

See you at blizzcon

mate, you're ridiculous just stop

[micwini]

It's a Star Wars reference - the Kessel Run is essentially getting from point A to point B in the least amount of distance, because the Kessel Run is filled with very, very dangerous space phenomena and there's dozens of different routes.

Pretty sure there is even a quest named after it in WoW on Bloodmyst Isle

[Local Ardenweald Faerie]

Pretty sure there is even a quest named after it in WoW on Bloodmyst Isle

An NPC, too! https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Kessel

[Nightshade711]

i am going to sound super dumb here but what is a "kessel"? Is that some form of air travel? Explain please, english is not my first language.

Something kind of like this was the idea.
But obviously instead of space ships you’re flying a dynamic flight mount.

The heavy storms could be a good way to disguise the loading like the zaralek tunnels did.
Maybe they’d have tech to where if you’re running a slower computer it just keeps you in the storms longer instead of hitting a wall if the zone doesn’t load?
But I’m no programmer I don’t know how that’d work.

[Moth Preacher]

So Warp Jumps

[Teriz]

I don't want to totally shut down, but let's keep in mind that these elemental rumors come from unconfirmed leaks. Whether you're referring to the Chinese predictor with some correct calls you often site, or any amount of leaks, the only confirmed item of information we have about 11.0 is the "Algarian Stormrider". We can associate this with Earthen, but at that rate you'dl have to say this expansion is rumored to be titanic as much as it is elemental.

Let's just stick with what we know for now, which is so drastically little compared to previous situations. In its own, that's really exciting.

Yeah, he only thing real leak from 11.0 that we have is the Stormrider, which is why I said "rumored". Everything is speculation here.

[Well Done Steak]

TBF here, Dragon Isles was initially part of Vanilla WoW, and had multiple major characters potentially attached to it. That's a different situation than a concept brought up once in 10.0.2 suddenly being the next expansion in 11.0.



I wouldn't consider any of them anchors, since they're essentially gods or keepers. Alexstraza for example is a dragon whom we've worked with for multiple expansions. You're comparing that character to someone like Odyn or Elune? What relationship do we have with them that even comes close to the relationship we had with dragons like Chromie, Wrathion and Alex?

T, come on...

Dragons isles in vanilla was an abandoned concept that was completely different to what we ultimately got in DF.

What we got in BFA that finally canonized the dragon isles, a simple turn in quest text, is objectively and substantially less than the lore books that introduce avaloren. Everything that was scrapped in vanilla dev doesn't matter.

What does it matter if they're gods or not. They're still characters that that players know and recognize that could lead us to knew lands.

[Nightshade711]

Yeah, he only thing real leak from 11.0 that we have is the Stormrider, which is why I said "rumored". Everything is speculation here.

The screenshots are likely real.
Most things “debunking” them are probably “Dracthyr are fake” 2.0 levels of stretching/copium.

There isn’t really much of a history of in-game fake leaks. (Stealing screenshots from private servers doesn’t count because a simple reverse image search is typically easy to debunk them)

[ercarp]

This might be my biggest cope by far, but...

I went through a few hundred tileset textures trying to find the one they used for the road, but I couldn't find an exact match. However, I came across one texture that comes pretty damn close. And as I started comparing the road in the jungle screenshot to most of the road textures used in WoW, I also realized that the shapes of the stone tiles seem a bit off.

Could they have used something like Photoshop's Generative Fill to "continue" the texture of this tileset to create something that has the same look but doesn't repeat the exact pattern?



Also worth pointing out that this road texture looks super low-res compared to textures used in more recent expansions.

[milkmustache]

Yeah, he only thing real leak from 11.0 that we have is the Stormrider, which is why I said "rumored". Everything is speculation here.

Apologies, "rumored" to me implied there was some associate with offical sources or evidence. I agree, it's speculation, and with what we know about dwarves currently in WoW, Khaz Algar at the veery least will have underground elements.

[Alanar]

mate, you're ridiculous just stop

That sentence ia starting to annoy

"See you at Blizzcon"

[Nightshade711]

This might be my biggest cope by far, but...

I went through a few hundred tileset textures trying to find the one they used for the road, but I couldn't find an exact match. However, I came across one texture that comes pretty damn close. And as I started comparing the road in the jungle screenbs to most of the road textures used in WoW, I also realized that the shapes of the stone tiles seem a bit off.

Could they have used something like Photoshop's Generative Fill to "continue" the texture of this tileset to create something that has the same look but doesn't repeat the exact pattern?

It honestly would not surprise me if blizzard did start to use AI for a lot of the more menial stuff.
If I remember correctly wasn’t it found out that they use procedural generation to create the terrain of the Dragon Isles & then manually put in the landmarks/polish?

[ercarp]

It honestly would not surprise me if blizzard did start to use AI for a lot of the more menial stuff.
If I remember correctly wasn’t it found out that they use procedural generation to create the terrain of the Dragon Isles & then manually put in the landmarks?

There was an article earlier this year that said Blizzard wants to start using AI art in their games. So yeah, it's definitely a possibility I guess.

[Teriz]

T, come on...

Dragons isles in vanilla was an abandoned concept that was completely different to what we ultimately got in DF.

Read the history of its development. It reads less of abandonment, and more of put on the backburner until they can make it.

What we got in BFA that finally canonized the dragon isles, a simple turn in quest text, is objectively and substantially less than the lore books that introduce avaloren. Everything that was scrapped in vanilla dev doesn't matter.

And what about the multiple draconic hero characters in WoW? They're part of the Dragon Isle's lore as well. Keep in mind, the story of dragons coming from an ancient land in northern Azeroth comes from WC2, and was established lore even before WoW. Avaloren doesn't have a leg to stand on in comparison.

What does it matter if they're gods or not. They're still characters that that players know and recognize that could lead us to knew lands.

TBF, I don't believe must players care about any of those characters. If I'm playing as an Orc, why would I care about the Night Elf moon goddess? Why would anyone care about meeting Elune outside of hardcore NE players? For that matter, Tyr and Odyn aren't great lore hooks either. We're probably fighting Tyr at the end of DF, and Odyn is keeper from a Legion instance who was kind of a dick towards us.

Again, you're comparing them to a character like Wrathion who is liked by a lot of players, and who actually helped us (and screwed us over) on multiple occasions? That's a stretch.

[Hitei]

This might be my biggest cope by far, but...

I went through a few hundred tileset textures trying to find the one they used for the road, but I couldn't find an exact match. However, I came across one texture that comes pretty damn close. And as I started comparing the road in the jungle screenshot to most of the road textures used in WoW, I also realized that the shapes of the stone tiles seem a bit off.

Could they have used something like Photoshop's Generative Fill to "continue" the texture of this tileset to create something that has the same look but doesn't repeat the exact pattern?


Also worth pointing out that this road texture looks super low-res compared to textures used in more recent expansions.

Textures get stretched and warped when applied to models, especially if the texture wasn't painted for that specific polygon set in the first place. You should be looking more for the same general matching lines (seven sided figure over a five sided figure, next to a triangle, etc.) than exact shapes.