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

[Worldshaper]

IDK about technical marvel yet, but it is at the very least something they haven't really done before on that technical scale for a minor patch.

That Orlando Salvatore dude seems very excited.

[Marlamin]

That Orlando Salvatore dude seems very excited.

He is lead software engineer on the experimental gameplay team, of course he would be since it's likely in part his baby.

[Makabreska]

No chance of having dynamic ground mount in it right ?

That sounds much harder to execute than flying, with how often can you get stuck on random obstacles lying around.

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That Orlando Salvatore dude seems very excited.

Man, I still remember how excited they were about Islands NPC AI. All that jizz, but the outcome was like, super mid. Maybe the tech was amazing behind the scenes, but the outcome was very average.

[Woggmer]

Low, since it is a limited time event & that would be a new, major gameplay mode: But it is possible, if there is some sort of boating themed vehicle delve planned for TWW. I am assuming the event will be some form of re-appropriating existing mechanics, like a reskin of Legion invasions, warfronts, torghast, island expeditions or delves. At least, in the most optimistic sense. If it's just a short questchain like Gilneas I will be livid.

Given the Vampire Survivors strings datamined, my theory is a "Pirate Survivors" mode, that is like torghast, only you're put onto the deck of a pirate ship, exponential waves of enemies spawn on top of you & your cooldowns are radically reduced. Then you're rewarded for how long you can last. I'm pretty surprised WoW doesn't have a mode like this already.

It would make sense, there's like a whole bunch of types of pirate groups in WoW.. from Blackwater Raiders, Irontide Raiders (Blacktooth Brawlers, Bilge Rats, Cutwater Corsairs), Northsea Freebooters, and even the Defias Brotherhood.

I guess it would also make sense about the chicken emoji considering that cooked chicken drops in Vampire Survivors to restore health.

The only issue is that Vampire Survivor worked since it was on a 2D plane and you can see what's coming from all four corners of the screen.. but I don't know how that would translate in a 3D setting from a 3rd Person view from behind your character.

[Worldshaper]

He is lead software engineer on the experimental gameplay team, of course he would be since it's likely in part his baby.

That's what I'm saying. He made some cool tech and he wants to show it. Doubt he'd be all giddy from creating something generic.

[Ersula]

That sounds much harder to execute than flying, with how often can you get stuck on random obstacles lying around.

I would hope dynamic ground mounts would be able to travel up & over vertical surfaces. Otherwise it might as well not exist.

[Marlamin]

Man, I still remember how excited they were about Islands NPC AI. All that jizz, but the outcome was like, super mid. Maybe the tech was amazing behind the scenes, but the outcome was very average.

Yeah, it was one of those things that is exciting for engineers and will keep coming up in features after it (as it now has and will likely again for TWW). Player appreciation for technical things is often not the same as a programmer's appreciation, for obvious reasons.

Also when I say that I am very curious about the technical things, to not take that curiousity as generic player excitement, moreso from a tech pov than a gameplay one as one has to actually play it to form an opinion on that.

[ImTheMizAwesome]

Whatever it is, i will be happy that the whole "secret" stuff is over.

I much prefer traditional PTR drops for any patches, at least just to see new items, transmogs that get datamined, because i don't look at datamined story that much.

[Marlamin]

Whatever it is, i will be happy that the whole "secret" stuff is over.

I much prefer traditional PTR drops for any patches, at least just to see new items, transmogs that get datamined, because i don't look at datamined story that much.

Same, at least for this patch. Not wanting to spoil it is one thing but not really talking about it almost 3 weeks is surprisingly difficult, same as it was for the whole world tree situation.

[ImTheMizAwesome]

Same, at least for this patch. Not wanting to spoil it is one thing but not really talking about it almost 3 weeks is surprisingly difficult, same as it was for the whole world tree situation.

Yeah, you know much more because of datamining and sources etc, so its even more difficult if you like to discuss new developments but you can't fully.

Also there is just something about slowly datamining new ptr builds, even if this event turns out great then i think im good with secret patches for some time. ^^

[Marlamin]

Also there is just something about slowly datamining new ptr builds, even if this event turns out great then i think im good with secret patches for some time. ^^

Something I miss a lot when it comes to the "release after finished" mentality that Blizzard has been transitioning to for a while now is that we can't really see how things are developed anymore. The things we do are usually systems or encounters, but all the WIP art stuff we used to see during alphas/betas is kind of a thing of the past.

[Xilurm]

Same, at least for this patch. Not wanting to spoil it is one thing but not really talking about it almost 3 weeks is surprisingly difficult, same as it was for the whole world tree situation.

Could always make a red parrot account and become an "insider". I'm sure nobody would notice.

[Cheezits]

Could always make a red parrot account and become an "insider". I'm sure nobody would notice.

Would that be Bizarro Marlamin who reveals everything?

[Marlamin]

Could always make a red parrot account and become an "insider". I'm sure nobody would notice.

Nimalram, nobody would know.

[doledippers]

i believe orlando headed up the follower dungeon feature as well. It's pretty clear that he and his team can produce some pretty awesome tech for the game. He is much, much more excited about 10.2.6 (atleast publicly) than he was about follower dungeons, so i have high hopes. expectations are tempered of course, but id be lying if i said im not excited

[Nymrohd]

I think with Island Expeditions the AI just did not shine through. I found it more impressive in the Arathi BG. Yes they AI is not nearly as smart but the situation is far more complex and it still manages to deal with it adequately. And with follower dungeons I think we see the tech at its best incarnation yet. The followers are pretty much better than a solid part of the playerbase at this game . . .

[Worldshaper]

We've come such a long way since all those years ago when Mike Morhaime proudly touted Starcraft was being used for AI research.

[Makabreska]

I think with Island Expeditions the AI just did not shine through. I found it more impressive in the Arathi BG. Yes they AI is not nearly as smart but the situation is far more complex and it still manages to deal with it adequately. And with follower dungeons I think we see the tech at its best incarnation yet. The followers are pretty much better than a solid part of the playerbase at this game . . .

Not sure if it's a praise towards the tech, or disdain of the player-base.

[Nymrohd]

Not sure if it's a praise towards the tech, or disdain of the player-base.

It's both obviously

[Lady Atia]

I think with Island Expeditions the AI just did not shine through. I found it more impressive in the Arathi BG. Yes they AI is not nearly as smart but the situation is far more complex and it still manages to deal with it adequately. And with follower dungeons I think we see the tech at its best incarnation yet. The followers are pretty much better than a solid part of the playerbase at this game . . .

If your usual fellow players are dumber than that dungeon AI than I'm really sorry for you Nymrohd.

Here, take a cookie - you need it.