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

[doledippers]

"Tune in 25th of March for an in-depth dive into the features of 10.2.6!"

bro i will LOSE it LMAO stop

[micwini]

Well I mean... it is a skull.

Bro, it was in our faces all along. This is it.

[Worldshaper]

There is literally nothing smart about revealing all your cards at once. Especially 10.2.7 that is 3rd thing in the queue, not even counting all Alpha and classic stuff.



Of course, it would have to be either combined with some new game mode or part of world isolated and fully modified - even if you simply buff whole world there will be ton of easier quests or straight up free XP across 9 expansions.

I see what you mean. But the thing is, people are starved for news. At this point, knowing what 10.2.6 is will just feel like a relief for a lot of people. We still won't be any wiser about the future.

In a normal patch cycle, we would see 10.2.7 on the PTR a couple of days after 10.2.6. So if they choose to withhold 10.2.7 info at this time, they will have missed the opportunity to solve the current problem within the community. It'd just feel like they're keeping us in the dark about yet another patch.

So that's why I think they need to do this:

> Explain what 10.2.6 is without spoiling any potential secrets we're meant to find by playing it. Tell us what day is releases.

> While discussing 10.2.6, also explain S4 and how the two tie into one another. For example if they share the theme of "SoD". Give us a rough time frame of its PTR.

> Once those two urgent matters have been dealt with as a quick and nice introduction to the video or blog post, mention that Alpha testing will begin soon. Give us a rough idea of which features will be present for testing initially, and let us know more details will be coming in blog post over the next few weeks (including patch notes).

> Lastly, as the highlight of the news event, Give players an idea of where we'll be heading next with 10.2.7. List a few main features and mention the patch will hit the PTR soonTM after 10.2.6 is live, running side by side with the S4 PTR for a release in a couple of months from now.

[Dracullus]

I see what you mean. But the thing is, people are starved for news. At this point, knowing what 10.2.6 is will just feel like a relief for a lot of people. We still won't be any wiser about the future.

When you reveal 10.2.7 now, people will be as "starved for news" in 2 months as with "only" revealing 10.2.6. But they would have nothing to feed people.

I don't get why we always have this "omg they will reveal 5+ patches in development article" every time. It's pretty obvious we always learn about next patch, only exceptions are Blizzcons and Alpha/Beta.

[SkyTides]

I've given up trying to guess what the content might be, but I do wonder about rewards.

If its a standalone thing will it reward things like transmog for retail? What's the incentive for classic-only players to try it? Not saying it won't be fun on its own but most people want a carrot to chase, especially if its cool cosmetics/collectibles

I also share the sentiment that it would b better to have some kind of evergreen thing rather than something that's dead in 2 months

[Worldshaper]

When you reveal 10.2.7 now, people will be as "starved for news" in 2 months as with "only" revealing 10.2.6. But they would have nothing to feed people.

I don't get why we always have this "omg they will reveal 5+ patches in development article" every time. It's pretty obvious we always learn about next patch, only exceptions are Blizzcons and Alpha/Beta.

The wildcard at this point is S4. Depending on the size of this season, combined with the Alpha datamining hype, they might choose to delay 10.2.7 news until a later date.

But the thing is, 10.2.7 is slated for a release sometime before the summer, so around the middle of May or early June. Assuming May 14h, they'll want it on the PTR within a couple of weeks probably.

If they're doing a new thing tonight anyhow, I don't see why they wouldn't just detail this spring's entire lineup. Otherwise they'll have to do another announcement post thingie in a week or two anyway.

I see it as a bit of a quarterly roadmap update. They did one of those in September, then another in December and now one in March. Presumably the next one comes in June, guiding us through the summer's releases relating to War Within, as well as the expansion itself.

[Cheezits]

I think they may shuffle heritage quests around. There were already Troll and Draenei NPCs in the 10.2.5 PTR files and on the PTR world themselves, and it would make more sense for the Pandamonium update to have Pandaren heritage.

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I've given up trying to guess what the content might be, but I do wonder about rewards.

If its a standalone thing will it reward things like transmog for retail? What's the incentive for classic-only players to try it? Not saying it won't be fun on its own but most people want a carrot to chase, especially if its cool cosmetics/collectibles

I also share the sentiment that it would b better to have some kind of evergreen thing rather than something that's dead in 2 months

If it IS Hardcore mode, I think they may have recolors of heritage armor as the reward for getting to max level.

[Sondrelk]

I think they may shuffle heritage quests around. There were already Troll and Draenei NPCs in the 10.2.5 PTR files and on the PTR world themselves, and it would make more sense for the Pandamonium update to have Pandaren heritage.

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If it IS Hardcore mode, I think they may have recolors of heritage armor as the reward for getting to max level.

More recolours of Heritage armour would be nice, though I imagine it's less of a sell for the few races that already have loads of recolours, like humans and orcs.

[Makorus]

I still think 10.2.7 is Avaloren, seeing how its gonna contain the lead-in quest to 11.0 judging by the name (contrary to popular belief, Dark Heart is not really a MoP reference, because the amulet thing that Iridikron stole and Xalatath now has is called "the Dark Heart").

[Sondrelk]

I still think 10.2.7 is Avaloren.

Why? Avaloren seems like something that will come after the next three expansions, given it's seemingly being built up as a major location in The War Within.

[Cheezits]

I still think 10.2.7 is Avaloren, seeing how its gonna contain the lead-in quest to 11.0 judging by the name (contrary to popular belief, Dark Heart is not really a MoP reference, because the amulet thing that Iridikron stole and Xalatath now has is called "the Dark Heart").

Avaloren is definitely post-The Last Titan, as it isn't relevant to the next three expansions save for the Hallowsfall Arathi supposedly being from there.

[Makorus]

Avaloren is definitely post-The Last Titan, as it isn't relevant to the next three expansions save for the Hallowsfall Arathi supposedly being from there.

I don't see how it would make sense post-TLT, seeing how it specifically deals with things that will not really be relevant after TLT and are gonna explore in TLT.

I don't think they are gonna have a "Anti-Titan/Titan" plot-point post-TLT when everyone will probably be sick of Titan plotpoints. Likewise, it might work for a Midnight patch, but then the juxtaposition is a bit much.

I feel like Avaloren from what we know would slide in quite well as 10.2.7, because as far as we know, it is just an island. Odyn sents us there, we get more whispers from Azeroth, Azeroth sends us to Uldaz, we find something on the island that leads us to Khaz Algar and we go into the planet.

Rather than random Anduin in Stormwind telling us his scouts detected a weird rift in the ocean.

[Varodoc]

Avaloren will be TLT material and will be the base of the resurgent Scarlet Onslaught.

They will tie it to New Avalon in Dragonblight.

[Makorus]

Avaloren will be TLT material and will be the base of the resurgent Scarlet Onslaught.

They will tie it to New Avalon in Dragonblight.

I suppose it could work as a zone in TLT depending on how the Titan-sentiment plotpoint goes. I dont think it's gonna be Scarlet related though.

[Cheezits]

I don't see how it would make sense post-TLT, seeing how it specifically deals with things that will not really be relevant after TLT and are gonna explore in TLT.

How is it relevant to TLT? It's a hidden kingdom made up of early Humans nowhere near Quel'thalas or Northrend. It is likely very Light oriented (Humans love Light and the Hallowsfall are Super Paladins) and the Light is taking a backseat for The Worldsoul Saga, though it could be the focus of the next saga.

[ImTheMizAwesome]

I think 10.2.7 will be new harbingers quests, heritage questlines plus seasonal event return to pandaria and old removed rewards returning from that era, it will be the first of many to eventually come.

[Makorus]

How is it relevant to TLT? It's a hidden kingdom made up of early Humans. It is likely very Light oriented (Humans love Light and the Hallowsfall are Super Paladins) and the Light is taking a backseat for The Worldsoul Saga, though it could be the focus of the next saga.

I mean, the fact that the Arathi people came from Avaloren isn't even confirmed anyway. All we know is that there are heretics on Avaloren that Odyn hates, presumably being an Anti-Titan faction, who have seemingly been killing off Keepers.

Avaloren, unlike Khaz Algar, is from the get-go drenched in Titan conflict.

[Varodoc]

It's a hidden kingdom

Source?

nowhere near Quel'thalas or Northrend.

Avaloren is closer to Northrend or Quel'Thalas than Argus is to the Broken Isles or Zereth Mortis to the Shadowlands. This is not an argument.

and the Light is taking a backseat for The Worldsoul Saga

This is wrong.

Metzen stated that the Army of the Light will be the major ally in Midnight against the Void.

[Cheezits]

Source?

I mean, the fact that the Arathi people came from Avaloren isn't even confirmed anyway. All we know is that there are heretics on Avaloren that Odyn hates, presumably being an Anti-Titan faction, who have seemingly been killing off Keepers.

Avaloren, unlike Khaz Algar, is from the get-go drenched in Titan conflict.

I don't have the quote, but the presenter from TWW said in an interview that the Hallowsfall Arathi come from "a kingdom to the west" which, given Kalimdor is in the way, means that it is West of Kalimdor, ergo past the mystery storm from the Nightsquall and Green Dragon lorebooks.

What else would it be?

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Avaloren, unlike Khaz Algar, is from the get-go drenched in Titan conflict.

They don't like the Titans/Keepers. That is no different from demons, aqir, etc, meaning that while they are tied to the greater lore it doesn't mean they are guaranteed to appear in a Titan expansion.

Considering Dorne is an island filled with ex-Titan servants (some of whom still follow the edicts) with a highway super tunnel to the world soul, it is currently more relevant to the Titan story.

[Varodoc]

Anyway, even if Avaloren is not near Northrend, it can be fit into a Northrend-based expansion.

Exactly like this:





Avaloren is not near Northrend? No problem. Just put a small "Avaloren" marker near Northrend on the map.


My idea is good for these reasons:

1) Avaloren makes sense for a plotline about the Light vs. Titans (which can easily be fit into TLT);

2) Avaloren sounds very similar to New Avalon (Scarlet Onslaught) in Dragonblight;

3) The Scarlet Crusade is set-up as an Evergreen villain. I expect the Scarlet Crusade to show up in Hallowfall and Quel'Thalas too. Giving them a foothold in TLT through Avaloren is logical.

For the aforementioned reasons, Avaloren will most likely be included in TLT.