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

[Ersula]

I mean, what you suggested, more hero talents as choices IS horizontal progression.

I predict they'll be adding Hero Talents for this Saga and the next Saga. There will be a level squish in 14.0 so the fact that its horizontal won't be as blatant. Then by the end of 16.0 it'll be 2028 and they'll have a whole new system devised.

If they had visualized the Hero Talent Trees as simply an end-of tree spec branch that you can't go halfsies into, would anyone be complaining? Because its the same thing.

[Woggmer]

Then you could say the same thing about the PvP version of Plunderstorm, since PvP Island Expeditions was, and is, a thing.
I think it's different. In PvE IE you didn't really compete against anyone except lousy AI. You didn't have to be smart about how you did things; you could just run around and AoE mobs.

You could also apply your logic to anything in this game. We have leveled before, so let's just scrap that. We have had dungeons and raids before, so let's just scrap that. We have had expansions before, so let's not do that. Abilities, mog, spells and abilities, mounts, etc with everything in the game.

PvE Plunderstorms could be an improved and more complex version of IE.

I'm not against the idea of a PvE mode, but rather... the pirate gimmick wears out fast. If it's gonna be like that with every single time they try to introduce this mode, I don't know if I'd stick with it. So I'm more of the "just make it more about the Venture Co trying to harvest Azerite" ...not make it like Seething Shore, or an exact replica of Island Expeditions.

The big issue with IE is that it had a pseudo-time limit. The moment you or your opponent fills the bar to max, then the game is over. It isn't last man standing or anything like Extraction Shooter games where you have a small bit of extra time to do stuff before you have to leave, which is why people do Mythic IEs because it meant getting more stuff while having more time.

[Dracullus]

They said S4 will be on ptr, but when is 10.2.7 ptr? Wouldn't it be soon if it's supposed to be May?

Best way to estimate 2024 roadmap is to read it backwards.

11.0.5 is last patch of year and will have anniversary stuff - obviously November patch.
2 months earlier - September 2024 for launch.
So August for pre-patch.
So June for 10.2.7.
And early May for Season 4.

Imo 10.2.7 PTR will start even before S4 launch (there will be 2 PTRs running like with 10.0.7 and 10.1), but somewhere in April.

[Ersula]

Imo 10.2.7 PTR will start even before S4 launch (there will be 2 PTRs running like with 10.0.7 and 10.1), but somewhere in April.

I think it's more likely that since the Alpha is starting soon the testing of s4 changes will simply overlap into the 10.2.7 build. It wouldn't be too intrusive to apply fixes to 10.2.6 on a build that's already in 10.2.7, even if it means a little logistical discomfort internally.

[Reive]

the alpha is "late". on the roadmap it should have come out after 10.2.6 but before spring

tbh i don't even know how are they going to test s4, 10.2.7 and the alpha in such a short amount of time

[Ersula]

the alpha is "late". on the roadmap it should have come out after 10.2.6 but before spring

tbh i don't even know how are they going to test s4, 10.2.7 and the alpha in such a short amount of time

Let's try to come up with a speculative schedule based on the roadmap & what we already know:

Winter 2024:
01/16: Seeds of Renewal 10.2.5
03/19: Plunderstorm 10.2.6

Spring 2024:
04/02: TWW Alpha
04/16: Dragonflight Season 4
04/30: Dark Heart 10.2.7 (this is also when Plunderstorm is scheduled to end)
05/28: TWW Beta

Summer 2024:
06/18: TWW Pre-Patch 11.0

Autumn 2024:
10/08: The War Within Release.
11/19: 20th Anniversary Event 11.0.5

If 6 weeks per major release is the goal, this will be 2024's schedule.

[Reive]

Let's try to come up with a speculative schedule based on the roadmap & what we already know:

Winter 2024:
01/16: Seeds of Renewal 10.2.5
03/19: Plunderstorm 10.2.6

Spring 2024:
04/02: TWW Alpha
04/16: Dragonflight Season 4
04/30: Dark Heart 10.2.7
05/28: TWW Beta

Summer 2024:
06/18: TWW Pre-Patch 11.0

Autumn 2024:
10/08: The War Within Release.
11/19: 20th Anniversary Event 11.0.5

If 6 weeks per major release is the goal, this will be 2024's schedule.

10/08 for the release feels too late. september is a better guess

for the rest i agree

[Dracullus]

10/08 for the release feels too late. september is a better guess

for the rest i agree

You think S4 will be in 3 weeks, 2 weeks later 10.2.7 and pre-patch will last 3 months? xD

[Ersula]

10/08 for the release feels too late. september is a better guess

for the rest i agree

I think it entirely depends on how elaborate the pre-patch even will be. The Legion event was very elaborate & lasted 6 weeks. The BFA event was pretty simple & lasted 2 weeks. And then the Shadowlands & Dragonflight events were in-between that specturm.

[Woggmer]

10/08 for the release feels too late. september is a better guess

for the rest i agree

If they release the alpha this week, we could expect it to be an August release.. which I think is what they might go for but we'll have to see.

[Reive]

You think S4 will be in 3 weeks, 2 weeks later 10.2.7 and pre-patch will last 3 months? xD

the guy above me wrote dates by putting months before days (the american way). he suggested an october release date if you didn't understand

anyway, to address your points:

1) s4 is roughly 1 month away
2) 10.2.7 is already getting internal builds. end of april/first half of may is a plausible window time
3) pre patch will probably come out in in august

[Ersula]

You think S4 will be in 3 weeks, 2 weeks later 10.2.7 and pre-patch will last 3 months? xD

Each of those releases is 6 weeks, just like the projected patches during Dragonflight. Season 4 will be lasting until TWW's release, so it has to come soon after s4 begins or else how are they going to fit in two major patches during it, as portrayed by the 2024 roadmap?

[Reive]

If they release the alpha this week, we could expect it to be an August release.. which I think is what they might go for but we'll have to see.

it's an october release date the way ersula wrote the dates

[Woggmer]

it's an october release date the way ersula wrote the dates

...That doesn't make much sense since they would need to be gearing up for WoW's 20th Anniversary.

[Ersula]

it's an october release date the way ersula wrote the dates

It's my assumption based on the way they keep saying 6 week release windows are their goal. Though, I would agree with you that September is more likely just so Season 4 doesn't last 6 months. (Shadowlands s4 lasted 4 months)

...That doesn't make much sense since they would need to be gearing up for WoW's 20th Anniversary.

...And I counted them from the Anniversary going backwards. October 8th is 6 weeks before the Anniversary (11.0.5) then the expansion release 6 weeks before that, 11.0 six weeks before that ala legion pre-patch, and 10.2.7 six week before that etc.

[Reive]

It's my assumption based on the way they keep saying 6 week release windows are their goal. Though, I would agree with you that September is more likely just so Season 4 doesn't last 6 months. (Shadowlands s4 lasted 4 months)
...And I counted them from the Anniversary going backwards. October 8th is 6 weeks before the Anniversary (11.0.5)

they've been releasing a patch every 8-9 weeks for a while now. following that trend and starting from 10.2.6 this could be the schedule:

16/04: season 4

14/05: 10.2.7

16/07: pre patch

end of august-early september: expansion release

[hattahat]

Since everyone seems to be speculating, I'll throw my hat in the ring and say Season 4 will be the first week of May and TWW the first week of September.

[Murlocos]

Expansion pre-patches have always been about a month out from the full release with the exception of Cata which was a much more unique occasion. The DF patch cycle has been 8-10 weeks. If we go with the fastest case of 8 weeks each leading up to patches:

10.2.7: May 14th
11.0: July 9th
TWW release: August 6th or 13th

10 weeks would be

10.2.7: May 28th
11.0: August 6th
TWW release: September 3rd or 10th

Unless TWW gets a delay of several months out of nowhere, they seem to be going for the DF testing cycle of only about 4-5 months. I'm leaning towards a September release and hoping that they get all the time they need given at least one dev stated that DF was rushed out to meet the fall 2022 launch window.

[Nymrohd]

Hope we get a beefy This Week in WoW tomorrow

[Reive]

Expansion pre-patches have always been about a month out from the full release with the exception of Cata which was a much more unique occasion. The DF patch cycle has been 8-10 weeks. If we go with the fastest case of 8 weeks each leading up to patches:

10.2.7: May 14th
11.0: July 9th
TWW release: August 6th or 13th

10 weeks would be

10.2.7: May 28th
11.0: August 6th
TWW release: September 3rd or 10th

Unless TWW gets a delay of several months out of nowhere, they seem to be going for the DF testing cycle of only about 4-5 months. I'm leaning towards a September release and hoping that they get all the time they need given at least one dev stated that DF was rushed out to meet the fall 2022 launch window.

legion had a longer pre patch: july 19th-august 29th

devs usually work less in the first 2 weeks of august.