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

[Cheezits]

I mean I like the Minor Patch spam that happened in Dragonflight since it suits my playstyle more, but I also recognize that the Major Patches for Dragonflight cannot be the norm going forward.

We need strong Major Patches with bold ideas, creative output and concepts.

The Minor Patches cannot take the role of Major Patches. I think having this surprise concept for Major Patch would be way better received than doing this with a Minor Patch after you cut the expansion abruptly after the Tree Story pivot in a Dragon focused expansion.

BFA tried that, it failed horribly, and every major patch after was fairly standard. It's not feasible to experiment for big patches that are supposed to hold players for months, because if most players dont like it, Blizz can't just repair it in a snap and have to waste minor/major patch time to fix their mistakes.

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Obviously, I also recognize that Minor Patch Spam will at some point become a detriment and if they are going to keep spamming them at the current frequency and even increase frequency due to the removal of future Major Patches then we're going in a very weird territory with a much more social, RP, Hangout World environment than a Progression style MMORPG.

If anything it will get better once players reign in their expectations for post-expansion content. These baby patches are very very different than Forbidden Reach and Dawn.

I'm sure that mid-expansion patches will be decently sized in TWW, but once the story is over, the devs have to focus on the next expansion.

[Foreign Exchange Ztudent]

BFA tried that, it failed horribly, and every major patch after was fairly standard. It's not feasible to experiment for big patches that are supposed to hold players for months, because if they dont like it, they can't just repair it and have to waste minor patch time to fix their mistakes.

Sure, but they still experimented and again I am not talking about System Design in these Major Patches. I'm talking more Evergreen Feature development and more diversity in the Major Patches than just Zone and Raid Copy & Paste.

If anything it will get better once players reign in their expectations for post-expansion content. These baby patches are very very different than Exiles Reach and Dawn.

I'm sure that mid-expansion patches will be decently sized in TWW, but once the story is over, the devs have to focus on the next expansion.

Okay, this is such a ridiculous thing because of the way game development works.

1) I mean Blizzard want people to get accustomed to this new reality because it suits their business interest. If players are happy and acceptable of 15 minute quest chains and quirky stuff instead of a Zone and Raid then they can cut the budget going forward.

2) Either, we have to assume that all planning for expansions is done within the expansion or we have to assess the fact that The War Withins' ending point has already been established as being 11.1/11.2 due to their coyness of recognizing the sensitivity of answering straightforward what is going on with The War Withins' major patch amount.

3) The story is over when they say its over, considering their track record and how we ended up at the top of Amirdrassil this does lead me to believe they don't have the best interest at heart for the Intellectual Property or the consumer in that regard so I'd say that to assess their decision of ending the story as anything but for business interest is quite silly at this point in time.

[Worldshaper]

Which checks out with a Plunder Isle patch that is completely divorced from Dragonflight, but it feels incredibly unlikely we are getting a new landmass. Based on the quality of 10.2.5, and their post-expac reliance on "shit that's already in the files/doesn't require the art team" it will probably just be long questline puzzle with some freebie low-effort stuff (Druid of the Flame skintone, Bakar mounts)

I think people are mad and disappointed about the size/scope of the post-expac content, but it's still content, so it's not like they are lying. A single questline that rewards a mount and tmog is content.

Heritage quests will be one each, Harbinger quests may just be an hour tops like Gilneas (if that), Pandamonium may just be an entire expansion rehash through timewalking. They don't have creator devs for these patches and have to cobble together stuff.

Given how Muffinus seems to be quite involved, I am also inclined to believe it is some type of mystery event with a questline. I think it'll be amazing for a certain type of player, and a huge letdown for others.

Using the old world in new ways seems to be something they want to do, based on the blog post and Ion's statements from last year.

Wouldn't surprise me if it's called something along the lines of "The Stranglethorn Bonanza" or something, involving players running around STV for a month to discover secrets, fight pirates, and perhaps even unlock special abilities.

[Cheezits]

2) Either, we have to assume that all planning for expansions is done within the expansion or we have to assess the fact that The War Withins' ending point has already been established as being 11.1/11.2 due to their coyness of recognizing the sensitivity of answering straightforward what is going on with The War Withins' major patch amount.

They will never, ever say this for obvious reasons but your safest bet is to assume that all expansion stories moving forward will end by 10.2 or the next mid-patch. Because they have done it twice now and have gotten away with it.

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Wouldn't surprise me if it's called something along the lines of "The Stranglethorn Bonanza" or something, involving players running around STV for a month to discover secrets, fight pirates, and perhaps even unlock special abilities.

I just hope they bother to rehaul STV if this is the case. Would make sense with how they have talked about a very slow progressive revamp "when it makes sense", and also people running around crappy-looking Cata all patch would just look bad for marketing.

[Reive]

As opposed to no content? Because that is the alternative, and I doubt these tiny patches are taking away from TWW/Midnight development.

it's the opposite actually. their need to develop multiple new expansions at the same time is taking away from the current one. dragonflight was barebones. major patches were the usual 1 raid (with less bosses than in the past), a new season for m+ and arena and and a lazy open world event while minor ones were mostly about low quality 10 minutes long questlines+ some catchup event. in all this, the .3 major patch is now gone in favor of fated season

[Cheezits]

it's the opposite actually. their need to develop multiple new expansions at the same time is taking away from the current one. dragonflight was barebones. major patches were the usual 1 raid (with less bosses than in the past), a new season for m+ and arena and and a lazy open world event while minor ones were mostly about low quality 10 minutes long questlines+ some catchup event. in all this, the .3 major patch is now gone in favor of fated season

Yeah, the 3 major patch model was likely determined to be unfeasible. I wouldn't be surprised if they have hard data that not enough players engage through a 3-patch expansion to keep going with them.

It's not coming back outside of a sheer miracle. Faster patches and expansions, even if they are smaller, bring more subs and engagement and thus keep the game alive, albeit maybe not in the state people would like.

It's not quite ESO mode and a far cry from maintenance mode.

[Foreign Exchange Ztudent]

They will never, ever say this for obvious reasons but your safest bet is to assume that all expansion stories moving forward will end by 10.2 or the next mid-patch. Because they have done it twice now and have gotten away with it.

I mean, that's my assumption but then next time its' 11.1 and welp. I guess its only 1 Major Patch before next expansion.

Obviously, they said as much. Ion did misspeak once that the Patch cadence would include BFA, SL, DF cadence in his assessment only to change to SL/Dragonflight cadence going forward.

So yeah, I mean I don't really have a problem if this sticks but will it stick? I don't know. The whole marketing for The War Within and The War Within itself is just.. So icky. The War Within can just be abandoned relatively quickly due to Midnights intense "New Sales Record" energy. It will be very tempting for the executive side to make a quick exit with 11.1 and then they can cut expansions at the first Major patch and get praised when they don't.

[milkmustache]

Given how Muffinus seems to be quite involved, I am also inclined to believe it is some type of mystery event with a questline. I think it'll be amazing for a certain type of player, and a huge letdown for others.

Using the old world in new ways seems to be something they want to do, based on the blog post and Ion's statements from last year.

Wouldn't surprise me if it's called something along the lines of "The Stranglethorn Bonanza" or something, involving players running around STV for a month to discover secrets, fight pirates, and perhaps even unlock special abilities.

Maybe it's Tanaris/Gadgetzan based. We do our mystery questline, tango with pirates, but eventually it leads us to our discovery of the Isle of Dorn or a way there perhaps. That'd be a fun version of it. Events that progress the story into the next expansion, let the player feel like they're working towards getting there rather than just pre-patch invasion

[Kiivar86]

Just throwing stuff out there but an idea came to me, given the Timecap'n Hooktail infinite dragon thing and pirates, a Plunder Isle that maybe has other infinites existing in more than one time (hence being able to be interacted with by both classic and live) sounds possible.

Probably not it but I like the idea.

[Worldshaper]

Maybe it's Tanaris/Gadgetzan based. We do our mystery questline, tango with pirates, but eventually it leads us to our discovery of the Isle of Dorn or a way there perhaps. That'd be a fun version of it. Events that progress the story into the next expansion, let the player feel like they're working towards getting there rather than just pre-patch invasion

Hmm, perhaps!

I'm wondering why they chose to highlight the fact that players from Classic can play it, as long as they have a subscription.

Why would somebody who's invested in SoD, without a Modern max level character, all of a sudden want to jump over to Modern for a simple event? How will these players participate and benefit?

Will the event be available to characters of all levels?

Will it not give out rewards that are cool specifically to Modern players, but instead focus on the experience of it all?

Will it give a currency that can be used in either version of the game?

Xal'atath was sighted in SoD, wasn't she? Will it be a crossover lore event, relevant to both stories?

Will it unlock runes that can be used in SoD? A first glimpse of Elite Talents for Modern?

So many questions.

[Foreign Exchange Ztudent]

Most common Classic+ conceptualization has always been Booty Bay Revamp - Pirate themed whether it involves The Island of Doctor Lapidis, Plunder Isle or other South Sea Island concepts.

So, I don't know maybe they are counting on it getting them onboard but yeah I don't get it either.

Either that or its a Concept that involves both Classic and Retail getting Pirate concepts into the game at the same time.

No idea how the fuck the Vampire Survivor mode fits in?

Maybe its a Pirate Themed Vampire Survivor gamemode? Its really weird, because of the vague tweeting having chicken reference attached to this so is it some Pirate Themed Vampire Survivor clone with Ship travel towards each level? I don't know, food for thought.

[Cheezits]

Most common Classic+ conceptualization has always been Booty Bay Revamp - Pirate themed whether it involves The Island of Doctor Lapidis, Plunder Isle or other South Sea Island concepts.

So, I don't know maybe they are counting on it getting them onboard but yeah I don't get it either.

Either that or its a Concept that involves both Classic and Retail getting Pirate concepts into the game at the same time.

It would be very funny if the reason it is a secret is because they are ripping a popular Classic+ idea and putting it into retail, basically confirming that Classic+ will never happen (which will cause rage upon reveal).

[Foreign Exchange Ztudent]

It would be very funny if the reason it is a secret is because they are ripping a popular Classic+ idea and putting it into retail, basically confirming that Classic+ will never happen (which will cause rage upon reveal).

I mean SoD is Classic+ in all but name. We're getting new Endgame content at the end of the level bracketing and Classic Raids. Not to speak of all the original content already existing in SoD.

My main thoughts at this point are:

1) Vampire Survivor with Ship Travel between levels and Evergreen which means they can add to it more and more with new updates going forward.

2) Its something silly like a Pirate Costume and Pirate Flag that waves and interacts with physics in a tiny questchain.

3) Its Plunder Isle (Lol, art asset cost go bing. Too high for the budget we're operating under these days.)

4) Reuse of Stranglethorn Vale for some Booty Bay shenanigans in Retail. The Island of Doctor Lapidis added back to the game (?)

5) Secrets of Azeroth style thing but Pirate themed with exploration around Islands being important.

At least thats' where my thoughts are. It could also be so completely left field that it would be impossible to guess or a combination of several options.

[Cheezits]

I mean SoD is Classic+ in all but name. We're getting new Endgame content at the end of the level bracketing. Not to speak of all the original content already existing in SoD.

No new zones/geography reworks to my knowledge. If that happens in Retail instead that will spell out the future of SoD.

[Worldshaper]

Hmm...

The Hearthstone 10th anniversary event is in March as well, although listed as a feature for 10.2.5.

Could it have got anything to do with that?

A massive tavern opening up somewhere, where players can enjoy minigames such as Vampire Survivors Mode?

Nah, sounds farfetched.

Maybe STV turns into a pirate-infested playground essentially, taking inspiration from that Vampire Survivors thingie? Fight whacky enemies ranging from angry chickens to feisty pirates, slithering naga and rampaging trolls, unlock crazy new abilities and unlock unique items , and survive the jungle for as long as possible.

[doledippers]

honestly, i love the confidence they have in doing something like this. I think it demonstrates that theyve sorta rebuilt a better relationship with the community compared to where we were in shadowlands. I dont think they couldve gotten away with something like this in SL, nobody would trust them.

And while i am a bit concerned about the lack of PTR, i think the fact that they are planning around it, hopefully means they are more diligent with their internal tests to make up for the lack of public testing. At the end of the day, i think im ok with a somewhat bumpy launch if it means we get to truly have a non spoiled patch in retail

[Foreign Exchange Ztudent]

To be fair, if we ever did get a way to start a Hearthstone match within the client that'd be super sick. I doubt it will ever happen though, lol. I've always wanted that functionality of being able to duel WoW players in-game to a game of Hearthstone.

I don't know, Stranglethorn Vale lol?

[Marlamin]

Honestly, I mean if the Classic and Retail can both participate I just have to assume the festivities in 10.2.6 is a complete Pirate Themed concept that has content for both SoD and Retail respectably rather than some sort of reward for SoD? I don't know, I am very much up in the air.

The patch itself is just respective of a Content Drop for SoD and Retail happening at the same time with a Pirate theme.

Again, I don't think there's any new content for SoD/Classic implied in the post, just that Classic players can access it on Retail without a Dragonflight license.

[Cheezits]

A massive tavern opening up somewhere, where players can enjoy minigames such as Vampire Survivors Mode?

Would you call it a Hearthstone Tavern...?

[Marlamin]

Would you call it a Hearthstone Tavern...?

Don't play with my heart.