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

[Cheezits]

the narrative went to shit starting from 10.1

1) forgotten plot points like adamanthia and the oathstones
2) ruined storylines
3) rushed narrative

raszageth and iridikron were the only good things of this expansion story wise

Oathstones were either a red herring from the start (the twist being Azeroth would empower the dragons, not the Titans) or they were scrapped because of Metzen's changes to the Tyr story. I don't think are any other glaring plotholes. Things like Decatriarch Wratheye and Adamanthia seem to be built to be longterm, for better or worse.

The plot feeling rushed is the unfortunate consequence of a smaller expansion and subsequent smaller story but we will see if it is properly condensed in TWW onwards now that they have a plan.

[Cherry123]

we should get a big dose of lore soon April-May there will be not only alpha but we should also get animated shorts, I wonder who they will be about

[Makorus]

I mean, while the storytelling in DF was "safe", I wouldn't say it was a "rushed narrative" or had "ruined storylines".

[Dracullus]

we should get a big dose of lore soon April-May there will be not only alpha but we should also get animated shorts, I wonder who they will be about

Shorts are part of marketing campaign and released usually just before or during prepatch. So probably late August/early September.

[Cheezits]

I mean, while the storytelling in DF was "safe", I wouldn't say it was a "rushed narrative" or had "ruined storylines".

I mean it is a debated topic whether or not Wrathion's story was "ruined" in DF through the changes to his character and his fate being something other than aspect. I personally don't agree but if a lot of people are feeling it, it's a point of contention.

Besides that I can't think of any really ruined stories. They executed the nelf stuff really well IMO (and that lore reveal that their empire is fine was a big deal hidden away at the end)

[milkmustache]

Oathstones were either a red herring from the start (the twist being Azeroth would empower the dragons, not the Titans) or they were scrapped because of Metzen's changes to the Tyr story. I don't think are any other glaring plotholes. Things like Decatriarch Wratheye and Adamanthia seem to be built to be longterm, for better or worse.

The plot feeling rushed is the unfortunate consequence of a smaller expansion and subsequent smaller story but we will see if it is properly condensed in TWW onwards now that they have a plan.

My hope was that they just abandoned ship on the Oathstones partially due to Metzen's new plans for the saga, but also because someone internally stressed the idea that it felt like a literal reskin of the Shadowlands sigils, Legion Pillars of Creation, etc. It would be a real shame if each of TWW's zones ended in the player character discovering/saving/reclaiming XYZ ancient artifact. It's such a tired device.

we should get a big dose of lore soon April-May there will be not only alpha but we should also get animated shorts, I wonder who they will be about

Allerria, Thrall, Anduin, Dagrann II, Moira, maybe Gazlowe, maaaaybe Falstad would probably be on the shortlist if they're going individual based. If they follow DF's, maybe we get some lore on the Nerubians and Xal'atath's involvement.

[Cherry123]

Shorts are part of marketing campaign and released usually just before or during prepatch. So probably late August/early September.

not always, for example, Afterlives was released 3 months before the release of shadowlands

[Cheezits]

Allerria, Thrall, Anduin, Dagrann II, Moira, maybe Gazlowe, maaaaybe Falstad would probably be on the shortlist if they're going individual based. If they follow DF's, maybe we get some lore on the Nerubians and Xal'atath's involvement.

Talanji is also leaked unless her model was a placeholder. She doesn't make sense to be there yet but she does make sense with Midnight/TLT in mind (Amani/Drakkari story)

[Reive]

fyrakk
murozond
gilneas
new black aspect
dragonkin civil war

those were ruined storylines imo

[Dracullus]

not always, for example, Afterlives was released 3 months before the release of shadowlands

Because expac was supposed to launch in October. First short was last days of August on Gamescom along with date reveal, rest during September every week, after that expac was pushed to November.

[Murlocos]

My hope was that they just abandoned ship on the Oathstones partially due to Metzen's new plans for the saga, but also because someone internally stressed the idea that it felt like a literal reskin of the Shadowlands sigils, Legion Pillars of Creation, etc. It would be a real shame if each of TWW's zones ended in the player character discovering/saving/reclaiming XYZ ancient artifact. It's such a tired device.

To not totally derail this into a lore thread, I'll piggyback off this and say the other major problem I think that keeps coming up is how much of the runtime of recent expansions are dedicated to meeting brand new cultures that'll have no relevance once the expansion ends. Ohn'ahran Plains is almost entirely about this new centaur civilization that we barely see again after 10.0 and will maybe have a cameo appearance here and there at best after DF ends. They spend so much of SL and DF just world-building, except it doesn't actually make the world feel bigger and richer because these places end up being so isolated from one another (sometimes even in the same continent!) as to feel like one-off throwaways.

How much of the storytelling in 11.0's zones is going to consist of "Meet the good Earthen/Arathi/Nerubians, help them fight the bad Earthen/Arathi/Nerubians", and what are the odds that we ever see those groups again after TWW? I'll throw out a hot take and say this is a similar phenomenon to how borrowed power played out: spending most of an expansion reinventing the wheel before throwing it out and doing it all over again. That's time that could have been spent working on the main plot and avoiding scenarios like where Vyranoth switching sides feels completely hollow because she literally does nothing while with the Primalists, she doesn't even appear in-game outside of cutscenes until 10.2.

[Ersula]

I doubt they'll get mounted combat. It doesn't feel very Hunter-y, and leaning hard into a specific niche in the Sentinel (Night Elf) army doesn't feel like it makes a whole lot of sense, either.

Sentinels are agile guerilla warriors more or less, primarily archers. That's what I think should guide Blizzard in this instance.

I dunno. When I think about mounted combat I think of Tyrande as much as I think of Arthas. She is the general of the Sentinels after all.

[Makorus]

I mean it is a debated topic whether or not Wrathion's story was "ruined" in DF through the changes to his character and his fate being something other than aspect. I personally don't agree but if a lot of people are feeling it, it's a point of contention.

Besides that I can't think of any really ruined stories. They executed the nelf stuff really well IMO (and that lore reveal that their empire is fine was a big deal hidden away at the end)

I mean, while I don't agree with Ebonhorn necessarily being the Aspect, I dont think Wrathion was ever going to be the Aspect to begin with.

The reasoning really always was "He is a black dragon therefore he has to be Aspect"

[Teriz]

I doubt they'll get mounted combat. It doesn't feel very Hunter-y, and leaning hard into a specific niche in the Sentinel (Night Elf) army doesn't feel like it makes a whole lot of sense, either.

Sentinels are agile guerilla warriors more or less, primarily archers. That's what I think should guide Blizzard in this instance.

Eh what? Ambushing and guerrilla tactics seem more like a rogue.

Sentinels in WC3 all were mounted, even the NE archers who could ride Hippogryphs. I would be rather shocked if we don’t get the ability to emulate Huntresses (Surv) and PotMs (MM).

[Jolly Roger]

fyrakk
murozond
gilneas
new black aspect
dragonkin civil war

those were ruined storylines imo

I'm still confused about the new black aspect
Dude was literally absent for 99% of the story

[Khaza-R]

fyrakk
murozond
gilneas
new black aspect
dragonkin civil war

those were ruined storylines imo

I don't even like DF's story and I can't agree with all of these.

Fyrakk as a throw away. Not really sure where people expected his story to go other than be plot fodder.
Murozond was already done. The DF story is just unnecessary if nothing else. Although I didn't think the story was bad at all.
Gilneas I agree was just sad. They promised conflict would still in the story and then just hand-waived it way in the same expansion
The Sabellion / Wrathion thing was bound to end in disappointment one way or another. Granted they took the most boring approach but just making Wrathion, a child, an Aspect also would of just felt like fan service

[Jolly Roger]

Market wrathion
Gives us wrathion while leveling
Destroyed his character
Replaces him with brother

- - - Updated - - -

I don't even like DF's story and I can't agree with all of these.

Fyrakk as a throw away. Not really sure where people expected his story to go other than be plot fodder.
Murozond was already done. The DF story is just unnecessary if nothing else. Although I didn't think the story was bad at all.
Gilneas I agree was just sad. They promised conflict would still in the story and then just hand-waived it way in the same expansion
The Sabellion / Wrathion thing was bound to end in disappointment one way or another. Granted they took the most boring approach but just making Wrathion, a child, an Aspect also would of just felt like fan service

It was 100% what the marketing was though

[Makabreska]

Market wrathion
Gives us wrathion while leveling
Destroyed his character
Replaces him with brother

Not sure what about his character was destroyed. Should he keep being an immature prick who always thinks he knows best and causes a lot of collateral damage? He was still one of the main NPCs of expansion, even if he didn't end up an Aspect, so dunno what's the issue here.

[Nymrohd]

Not sure what about his character was destroyed. Should he keep being an immature prick who always thinks he knows best and causes a lot of collateral damage? He was still one of the main NPCs of expansion, even if he didn't end up an Aspect, so dunno what's the issue here.

The think is, Wrathion stopped being that in BfA already. So he very much backslided into MoP Wrathion in the early DF quests.

[Khaza-R]

It was 100% what the marketing was though

Why because he shows up on that tacky loading screen?

Krexus would have a word.