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

[SkyTides]

Wooo STUFF!

Can't believe how many rewards are available with timerunning! Super happy to see them add more of the MoP Pterrodax mounts (which look way better than the BFA ones)
and I hope I can get that pandaren phoenix since I missed the CM ones.

I'm looking forward to this. I wish it was happening now and not in June/whenever D:

[Kiivar86]

Give me that mage one dammit. True red/gold green orbs kael thas look. The blue one sucked.

While it will be nice to have another color variation of it, the blue one is quite good. Then again, I main Alliance and my mage is human, and the Stormwind coloration of the heritage set goes quite well with it.

But variety is always nice.

Unrelated but the realm first achievements being called a bug seems odd given that one even has that title "mistrunner".

[Alanar]

While it will be nice to have another color variation of it, the blue one is quite good. Then again, I main Alliance and my mage is human, and the Stormwind coloration of the heritage set goes quite well with it.

But variety is always nice.

Unrelated but the realm first achievements being called a bug seems odd given that one even has that title "mistrunner".

That tier was always the kael'thas armor poeple have been asking. The blue orbs makes no sense, because its suppose to be verdent spheres, which are green, but I understand the blue version fits with the alliance blue armor.

The red/green one is basically the real one imo. There is also a yellow/purple one.

[Zulggun]

Do we know if this pandaria remix event is one-time only, or will it return?

[doledippers]

It's pretty crazy to think that in the midst of all this 10.2.7 datamining hype, we still have the entire flipping alpha ahead of us in a week or so.

and then theres a whole ass expansion coming out in like 4-5 months

[Nathanyel]

Do we know if this pandaria remix event is one-time only, or will it return?

We don't "know" anything, but unless the feature absolutely tanks, it will be repeatedly for other expansions as well, with MoP coming back around eventually, too.

Might even become a regular end-of-season event.

[Nymrohd]

What was this about? I saw a few mentioned, but unable to find much.

You are pretty much told the story of Koroleth, the main villain in the Ohn'aran storyline (the burned night elf shaman) while interacting with her sister. It is a solid story, the kind of thing that would have made Dragonflight much better grounded in Warcraft lore if it had been released when it had to.

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So I am guessing it's just a quest, nothing else comes along with it? Then again it would be weird if only Nelfs get Shamans and not all the other races.

I understand your point but on the other hand, it would have meant that they'd get an actual explanation for being shamans instead of things like the Warlock storyline. Sorry but explaining giving all races access to a class without handling their individual cultures and origins will never be equally satisfying. I cringe at how they'd ever deliver a "Druid for every race" in particular. I'd rather they add them slowly when they fit by building up origin stories. The night elves in particular already have origins for Shaman and Paladin

[Kiivar86]

That tier was always the kael'thas armor poeple have been asking. The blue orbs makes no sense, because its suppose to be verdent spheres, which are green, but I understand the blue version fits with the alliance blue armor.

The red/green one is basically the real one imo. There is also a yellow/purple one.

Oh I know. I'm just happy to have gotten a different color. I like the original but it is great, especially as an Alliance-main, to have something I can rock a bit more easily.

I'll be happy to get the Kael'thas colored one though too.

We should also get recolors of the weapons too I think, right? We're probably going to need to level each class to unlock them, I'm realizing. Well, that cloak should help.

[Makorus]

I understand your point but on the other hand, it would have meant that they'd get an actual explanation for being shamans instead of things like the Warlock storyline. Sorry but explaining giving all races access to a class without handling their individual cultures and origins will never be equally satisfying. I cringe at how they'd ever deliver a "Druid for every race" in particular. I'd rather they add them slowly when they fit by building up origin stories. The night elves in particular already have origins for Shaman and Paladin

I still disagree that we need some elaborate intricate story for every race/class combination. Yeah, certainly, some need an explanation like Lightforged Warlock (which we did get) or Undead Paladins, but did Night Elf Warlocks need an explanation? We literally had them beforehand. Nothing is preventing a Night Elf from becoming a Warlock, so why is it so unreasonable to think that some of them become just that? Why is it so unreasonable that there are Gnome Shamans? They've been living with the Dwarves for decades now, and mingled with all the other shamanistic races. There's nothing preventing Gnomes inherently from becoming Shamans.

It's incredibly cringe to use that term to describe a fantasy race, but the only thing stopping Shaman/Druids/Paladins for all races are stereotypes.

[Nymrohd]

It's incredibly cringe to use that term to describe a fantasy race, but the only thing stopping Shaman/Druids/Paladins for all races are stereotypes.

Circumstance and opportunity. You don't wake up and become a druid. You will need to be taught which requires a willing teacher and it likely takes time. You will also need to find willing Wild Gods to help attune you to the forms.

[Cheezits]

I only want new shamans, druids and paladins if they come with the unique lore and models they historically always have. I do not want a uni-shaman "primalist" background and totem for all new shamans just like I don't want all paladins to ride on a single new horse and have tutelage from Tyr. I do not want Gnome Druids if they only use generic druid forms that are shared with Orcs Druids.

And no, Blizzard does not have the capability to balance their new work load with a new mount for every single new paladin.

[Makorus]

Circumstance and opportunity. You don't wake up and become a druid. You will need to be taught which requires a willing teacher and it likely takes time. You will also need to find willing Wild Gods to help attune you to the forms.

Sure, but we have Druids training non-Druidic races in Emerald Dream right now. We have non-Shaman races who are Shaman right now, and non-Paladin races who are Paladins right now.

All three classes have got an angle that allows all races to become that class: Paladins through the new Order of Tyr. Druids through Amirdrassil. Shamans through Primalists atoning and using their powers for good.


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I only want new shamans, druids and paladins if they come with the unique lore and models they historically always have. I do not want a uni-shaman "primalist" background and totem for all new shamans just like I don't want all paladins to ride on a single new horse and have tutelage from Tyr. I do not want Gnome Druids if they only use generic druid forms that are shared with Orcs Druids.

And no, Blizzard does not have the capability to balance their new work load with a new mount for every single new paladin.

I mean, the only classes that aren't all-race yet are the ones that require unique art assets. Go figure.

[Cheezits]

I mean, the only classes that aren't all-race yet are the ones that require unique art assets. Go figure.

Right. And the unique assets and lore have made them really cool forever so I hope they don't break that, or they delay it to when they have unique assets ready for everyone in a mega patch or expansion launch.

Warlocks made no sense to be delayed forever because it was ONLY lore gating them, and that is flimsy at best, as no (playable) race has a hivemind that disallows a character from wanting to use fel powers.

[Makorus]

Right. And the unique assets and lore have made them really cool forever so I hope they don't break that, or they delay it to when they have unique assets ready for everyone in a mega patch or expansion launch.

Warlocks made no sense to be delayed forever because it was ONLY lore gating them, and that is flimsy at best, as no (playable) race has a hivemind that disallows a character from wanting to use fel powers.

I mean, yeah, my point is that they are definitely making unique art assets for them or else they would have released them when it was more appropriate (Druids in 10.2.5/Paladins for the conclusion of the Tyr storyline).

[milkmustache]

So if Eternus is tied to the MoP Remix, what are the possibilities Xal is as well? Moreso, is this going to be tied into Dragonflight only with the Bronze/Infinite timetravel ability, or is this going to be tied into TWW and The Worldsoul Saga?

Either way... kinda mega cool idea. This is going to be a lot of fun. Can't wait for the inevitable pre-Midnight Legion Timerunning.

Only complaint.. not a fan of the name Remix. Such a small complaint in the grand scheme.

[Makorus]

So if Eternus is tied to the MoP Remix, what are the possibilities Xal is as well? Moreso, is this going to be tied into Dragonflight only with the Bronze/Infinite timetravel ability, or is this going to be tied into TWW and The Worldsoul Saga?

Either way... kinda mega cool idea. This is going to be a lot of fun. Can't wait for the inevitable pre-Midnight Legion Timerunning.

Only complaint.. not a fan of the name Remix. Such a small complaint in the grand scheme.

The theory is that the lore reason for the Remix is that we are trying to stop Xal from taking Y'shaarjs essence. She is in SoD, because she is gonna take C'thuns essence, she took N'zoths essence through the dagger stab, and Iridikron stole Yoggs essence through Galakrond.

Makes a lot of sense to me and seems a cool way to tie seemingly non-canon things into the canon.

[Cheezits]

The theory is that the lore reason for the Remix is that we are trying to stop Xal from taking Y'shaarjs essence. She is in SoD, because she is gonna take C'thuns essence, she took N'zoths essence through the dagger stab, and Iridikron stole Yoggs essence through Galakrond.

Makes a lot of sense to me and seems a cool way to tie seemingly non-canon things into the canon.

I wonder when they are going to confirm the Yogg/Galakrond thing ingame, outside of the easily missable lore book. I don't think it was ever stated outright by any NPC (and DF is pretty anti-old lore for the sake of new players).

[Dracullus]

It really is genius move if SoD is connected to Xal geting C'Thun power and Pandamonium to Y'shaarj. But I wonder, what happened to dagger that must have some remnant of N'zoth power (or even N'zoth trapped like Xal before)? I guess Wrathion should have it or at least know where he drop it.

[Cheezits]

It really is genius move if SoD is connected to Xal geting C'Thun power and Pandamonium to Y'shaarj. But I wonder, what happened to dagger that must have some remnant of N'zoth power (or even N'zoth trapped like Xal before)? I guess Wrathion should have it or at least know where he drop it.

It disappeared after Wrathion hit the carapace with it. Considering the camera lingered on N'zoth juice going into the dagger, it was likely intended to be a macguffin.

My personal favorite theory is that they are going to do a reverse-Xal'atath where N'zoth is in the dagger now and we work with him to take down Xal (maybe we steal the dagger in TWW?)

[Murlocos]

I still disagree that we need some elaborate intricate story for every race/class combination. Yeah, certainly, some need an explanation like Lightforged Warlock (which we did get) or Undead Paladins, but did Night Elf Warlocks need an explanation? We literally had them beforehand. Nothing is preventing a Night Elf from becoming a Warlock, so why is it so unreasonable to think that some of them become just that? Why is it so unreasonable that there are Gnome Shamans? They've been living with the Dwarves for decades now, and mingled with all the other shamanistic races. There's nothing preventing Gnomes inherently from becoming Shamans.

It's incredibly cringe to use that term to describe a fantasy race, but the only thing stopping Shaman/Druids/Paladins for all races are stereotypes.

I'll give two reasons: story precedent for the faith-based classes and the unique cosmetics that come with them.

Blizzard has demonstrated attempts to showcase the diversity of paladins and priests as far back as vanilla. Priests had different racial abilities to showcase their differing faiths, when new paladins were introduced they were given lore to show how they weren't just interchangeable with Silver Hand paladins. Warlocks differ in this respect because their power source is universal: I think it's neat to play with how different races approach it, but they're ultimately all drawing power from demons and fel magic. A Sunwalker is not the same as a paladin of the Light is not the same as a Prelate of Rezan, and while game mechanics dictate they operate the same, Blizzard has constantly made efforts to differentiate them in the lore.

This has been acknowledged as recently as last year, when they added orc priest NPCs to Orgrimmar and they were originally just orcs in human clothing with names like Brother Shineblade. People rightfully pointed out how boring and lame this was, and they responded by completely changing them to be more orcish and writing new lore tying them to Nagrand and Oshu'gun. That stuff is cool! It makes the world feel more fleshed out and it's such little effort to dress up a few NPCs and write a few paragraphs of dialogue for them.

Druids aren't terribly different in that respect even if the current obsession with night elves keeps them closely chained to that specific racial fantasy. You have stuff like the harvest witches or the troll loa worship that differentiate them from the night elves. Wouldn't it be cool to see the unique way other races explored their ties to and worship of nature and the elements? That'd be so nice compared to like 16 instances of them all just being Cenarion students.

That's why the Tyr's Guard is so profoundly uninteresting, because they're all a bunch of different races that all act, dress and talk exactly the same. It's why the idea of all new shaman races being associated with Primalists in any way is so boring, because they're a total asspull of a villain faction with nothing distinctive about them except a slavish adherence to a 20,000 year old dragon grudge that they gave up after thinking about it for about 10 seconds. There's little enjoyable fantasy in these new groups because they're so one-dimensional.

Cheezits mostly covered the cosmetics point, but the fear is exactly that just going "oh they're all Tyr's Guard/Primalists/whatever" is what will lead to them missing the appeal of the classes in the first place. Nobody wants to see a paladins for all races headline and then see every new race just rides an Order Horse or whatever, nobody wants to see druids for all races and then see every new race just gets to share 5 new generic forms because "oh they were all taught the same way at Bel'ameth". That's why I at least don't like the idea of generic new lore to standardize these new race/class combos, because it suggests they'd want to do it by performing a quintessentially Blizzard blunder of answering popular fan requests but doing so in a way that totally misses the point of why people wanted it.

I know this is a long rant but I want to genuinely make the case for why this stuff matters rather than just rebuke. I'm not accusing you of it, but I've seen other people really push back against all of this and the argument seems to be that Blizzard should actively regress the depth and scope of how they handle worldbuilding compared to the past, and they should do it because it's not fair to expect Blizzard to care about anything that isn't humans, night elves, or cosmology charts. I can't understand it as anything but a reflexive lashing out at anyone that has any expectations for the game and doesn't just clap at anything Blizzard puts out.