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

[Sondrelk]

"With the mention of specific zones in Midnight, should we expect continent-wide updates or more local updates?
Mostly local. With the detail put into modern zones, it's just not feasible to do full updates. Really want to focus and put our full effort into the specific areas related to these expansions. Expect a fresh coat of paint on specific area, but also that older versions likely won't be completely removed. Think Chromie Time."

And with that quote dies the world revamp dream

I refuse to accept the death of the World Revamp. I will happily move goalposts to claim victory instead, so be ready for when I triumphantly claim we won when Stratholme gets that fresh coat of paint as Westfall continues to be ravaged by the eternal tornado.

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Huh? It will be fully revamped, but they aren't doing all of EK.

We weren't going to get a full EK/Kalimdor revamp until 14.0 at the earliest. But this was interesting:

"There's still so much more to dive into and to announce with each expansion that should help keep players engaged including a strong cohesive narrative. Features in Midnight are expected to blow players' socks off."

Housing maybe? Revamped cities?

Housing seems like the likely option. I stand by that it only truly makes sense if we are in EK and Kalimdor, and housing in Gilneas and outside Silvermoon does make sense for evergreen places to have them.

[Fahrad Wagner]

Huh? It will be fully revamped, but they aren't doing all of EK.

We weren't going to get a full EK/Kalimdor revamp until 14.0 at the earliest. But this was interesting:

"There's still so much more to dive into and to announce with each expansion that should help keep players engaged including a strong cohesive narrative. Features in Midnight are expected to blow players' socks off."

Housing maybe? Revamped cities?

The fact that they call the revamps for Midnight and TLT mostly local and just "a fresh coat of paint on specific area" isn't too exciting to me.
I'm not even sure there will be a 14.0 at this point, we might be heading straight to WoW 2 from there, or if there is a 14.0... I'm not sure it will be in the Azeroth we know of? The way Maria Hamilton phrased it, a full world revamp seems impossible ("it's just not feasible to do full updates").

[Vakir]

I don't know how anyone was expecting a full world revamp in any of the three expansions announced. As unfortunate as it is, SOMEHOW we are getting a Northrend revamp before Stormwind.

I don't even know if it's gonna be a full Northrend revamp, lol.

Northrend may be a key location with the Storm Peaks and Ulduar getting new coats, with 3-4 new zones around/tangentially related to it.

[Merryck]

Huh? It will be fully revamped, but they aren't doing all of EK.

We weren't going to get a full EK/Kalimdor revamp until 14.0 at the earliest. But this was interesting:

"There's still so much more to dive into and to announce with each expansion that should help keep players engaged including a strong cohesive narrative. Features in Midnight are expected to blow players' socks off."

Housing maybe? Revamped cities?

I'm more excited for Midnight than The War Within.

[Ersula]

14.0 will almost certainly be a story and core zone reboot, though. But probably just a time passage with consequences and continuations from the last 20 years of the game.

Silithus is definitely getting updated during TWW. Maybe more. Quel'thalas is definitely joining the rest of the map, so might as well set a patch in the Plaguelands. They directly stated TLT is set in Northrend. Even by conservative estimates, at that point all they would need to do is update Hyjal & Khaz Modan regions. Then the revamp is done.

[Revamp Man]

What's the story here?

So apparently the blizzard staff was planning on having free food and drinks for portal pass and giving free cans of pop for the Mt dew quest.

Today they tried giving out pop in the portal lounge but CC staff stopped them and eventually the 2nd in command for the new team responsible for blizzcon (old team got laid off because no blizzcon means no need for a team) was called and tried to get it figured out but the venue staff wasn't having it.

Security has also been very discriminatory on things like bag checks.

Add to that the failed lines on day 1 and overselling tickets it's been a cluster

[Vakir]

Features in Midnight are expected to blow players' socks off."

Housing maybe? Revamped cities?

Expectations tempered.

"High Elves!!1"

Silithus is definitely getting updated during TWW. Maybe more. Quel'thalas is definitely joining the rest of the map, so might as well set a patch in the Plaguelands. They directly stated TLT is set in Northrend. Even by conservative estimates, at that point all they would need to do is update Hyjal & Khaz Modan regions. Then the revamp is done.

Silithus isn't guaranteed it, just likely. The significance of the cinematic was depicting the aftermath of the event that already happened, not necessarily the location where Anduin was. The entrance to Khaz Algar isn't related to Silithus.

Those Hyjal and Khaz Modan regions are not insignificant. That's at least 5-6 zones.

"Might as well patch in the Plaguelands" is a pretty big "yadda yadda yadda" overlook and avoiding the reality that it's not guaranteed just because of the presence of Quel'Thalas in one expac.

But yes. Probably a fair number of zones over time, which was my point.

[huth]

Can characters of different factions(Alliance/Horde) be in the same warband?

The Warband is literally your characters. So not only can they, they will if you have any.

[Fahrad Wagner]

I'm more excited for Midnight than The War Within.

Same, but after that interview from Maria Hamilton it kind of diluted my hype. Imagine saying you're going back to Quel'Thalas for something epic, and when asked if the zone will be revamped they tell you "expect a fresh coat of paint". Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but it's kind of underwhelming. Hopefully Midnight won't be and it will be cool, but yeah

[Cheezits]

Same, but after that interview from Maria Hamilton it kind of diluted my hype. Imagine saying you're going back to Quel'Thalas for something epic, and when asked if the zone will be revamped they tell you "expect a fresh coat of paint". Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but it's kind of underwhelming. Hopefully Midnight won't be and it will be cool, but yeah

They just have weird ways of saying things. Reminds me of Ion treated the Dracthyr. They aren't marketers or salesmen.

If the marketing is "Quel'thalas!" then it will be really cool Dragonriding Quel'thalas, not just TBC with better textures. The zones look like shit right now and would get a huge rehaul.

[Izalla]

True, but I'd go out in a limb and ascribe some responsibility to Blizzard for their communication. At this point it just seems like a marketing ploy, as if applying a series of fancy names to a simple new row of talent points.

Yesterday, I think a great deal of people - including myself - dupped themselves/were dupped into believing this was an entirely different thing, far more transformative than it seems to be, both mechanically and aesthetically.

My little nature loving druid heart is broken. Why can't I just have a green wrath ability back and starfall replaced with hurricane weather effects? I'm pretty sure the pvpers will still recognize that as a druid.

And if I can't have that can't I at least have more glyphs to make my abilities visually sun based? I'll take being a sun based druid over a moon based druid.

[pacotaco]

I might be blind and deaf, but I'm pretty sure Ion showcased a UI screenshot (mock-up probably) that showed a list of characters added to your Warband, and then below that was a normal list of other characters.

He also said you can add characters from different realms. Not sure why he'd say that if they're automatically included anyway.

No, that was the new character select screen, where you can select up to 5 characters to show.

[Khaza-R]

Same, but after that interview from Maria Hamilton it kind of diluted my hype. Imagine saying you're going back to Quel'Thalas for something epic, and when asked if the zone will be revamped they tell you "expect a fresh coat of paint". Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but it's kind of underwhelming. Hopefully Midnight won't be and it will be cool, but yeah

I think your perspective if very reasonable but I also feel like the devs know how much the community want a world revamp and probably want to make it irrevocably clear they are just touching certain zones.

[Vlyse]

I think 12.0/13.0 revamped zones and new areas will be great, and there’s still so much about them yet to be announced, but I hope after that 14.0 is a brand new setting again. Those have been the best, like MOP, Broken Isles, DF, and now hopefully TWW.

I was excited about Avaloren and Tigon, lol…

[Raetary]

I feel like they kinda shot themselves in the foot by announcing the setting of each expansion.

People are more preoccupied talking about Silvermoon, than what's gonna happen in TWW.

[Stonecloak]

I expect Cataclysm level changes on these "fresh coat of paint jobs". It'll be more confined, but I don't think for example It'll just be one area in Quel'Thalas, or Northrend. I expect in the least 4 revamped zones in each of those expansions.

[Cheezits]

I feel like they kinda shot themselves in the foot by announcing the setting of each expansion.

People are more preoccupied talking about Silvermoon, than what's gonna happen in TWW.

They had to announce a revamp of a popular area because the fanbase wouldn't have done well with just another reveal of another New Island like Khaz Algar (though it is done well IMO).

Northrend is weird though because I don't think that was as popular a request as, say, Ashenvale revamp. But HD Ulduar is probably the focus because it's so popular.

[Foreign Exchange Ztudent]

TWW was never going to be a popular concept. Everyone is excited for Midnight and curious about LTT.

It makes sense why they wanted to have 3 connective expansions considering how weak TWW is.

Obviously the Major Patches becoming a gacha mechanic with your box purchase price is a weird change from them. But, at least now if there is more than 1-2 Major Patches its a surprise mechanic.

[Varodoc]

They had to announce a revamp of a popular area because the fanbase wouldn't have done well with just another reveal of another New Island like Khaz Algar (though it is done well IMO).

Northrend is weird though because I don't think that was as popular a request as, say, Ashenvale revamp. But HD Ulduar is probably the focus because it's so popular.

Lich King fans vastly outnumber Night elf fans.

Back at Blizzcon 2019, the crowd went wild when they saw Icecrown Citadel at the beginning of the SL trailer.

The Lich King is easily the most popular and beloved villain of entire Warcraft franchise; it is not surprising that Northrend will be the setting of the final expansion of the Worldsoul saga.

[Raetary]

They had to announce a revamp of a popular area because the fanbase wouldn't have done well with just another reveal of another New Island like Khaz Algar (though it is done well IMO).

Northrend is weird though because I don't think that was as popular a request as, say, Ashenvale revamp. But HD Ulduar is probably the focus because it's so popular.

For an expansion that's supposed to be the climax of an expansion trilogy, i really hope Northrend is actually a revamp and not just an extended Stormpeaks.