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

[Raetary]

I am curious how they would make it differ from the Ringing Depths or Amirdrassil though. Both would be very recent, and both seem to be taking the concepts Elun'ahir would take. Amirdrassil obviously by being a world tree, and Ringing Depths by being a lush underground zone.

Heavy Titan influence would be a good option, though would have to wait and see I suppose.

Well, looking at the Harronir models, armor and tents, as well as the general colors of the roots, it looks to me like we are gonna see something that's more akin to Everbloom in aesthetic, but more dusky.

Spoiler: 

Wild tight growths, less neon in color and a shared red-accented thorn aesthetic.

[Cheezits]

Whoever said Elun'ahir is a Life Old God nailed it perfectly. This expansion is all about the different magics throwing shit toward the world soul to try and influence it. And we explore the areas around the core that have been impacted by these

Death- Lich King (already covered, not included because SL trauma)
Void- Old Gods (already covered, gets a shout with Nerubians being Aqir aesthetics and lore)
Light- Beladar
Fel- Gorribal
Order- The Earthen machines and the Coreway (Tyrhold serves this purpose but I guess they are waiting to reveal this in game?)
Life- Elun'ahir

I agree that's it sounds too similar to the Ringing Deeps and the Dream, but I assume there is going to be an aesthetic twist that we aren't expecting.

[CrossNgen]

Disregarding this whole Horde Vs Alliance parity discussion, I do think it's a big bait and switch to have Thrall featured so heavily in the marketing material only to be sidelined 20 minutes into the first zone.

[Cheezits]

Also, with the usual influential parties on Twitter crying about the lack of Horde, are we expecting devs to change it up? Because otherwise, they (not naming names) are going to shit up the community in a tantrum, which WoW really does not need right now.

[CrossNgen]

I feel like listening to anyone who frequents twitter for more than an hour a week is a waste of time. Nothing good can come of it.

[Super Dickmann]

Also, with the usual influential parties on Twitter crying about the lack of Horde, are we expecting devs to change it up? Because otherwise, they (not naming names) are going to shit up the community in a tantrum, which WoW really does not need right now.

More likely that the bitching ensures we're treated to a blood elf-Amani apology and group hug come Midnight than any effect on this expansion. There's simply no real avenue to insert any noblesavage character, short of Thrall filling the Magni niche in speaking with the earth and the goblins, who're already in. I'd be all for the bat people being trolls and this is feasible to adjust, but not very meaty.

[allegrian]

No, the cavalry moment is shit, to be sure, but the story isn't random. It's just inept. The main exception to it is the obvious rewrite around Ysera, who was obviously meant to fully return in the role, built up for the last expansion in this direction, only to be sidelined for her even more boring daughter after (night elf) complaints, making her role in the Dream pointless and still ending up with Malfurion written out at the end, just in a slightly different way. But every part of the oathstone -> failure -> fulfilling of individual flight arc -> empowerment by the planet arc was consistent throughout. It is rushed and of poor quality, but it's coherent in the beats it means to hit.

There wouldn't have been much of a problem with ysera coming back permanently if they didn't try to kill malfurion in a stupid way in exchange. It's understandable night elf fans didn't take a death from one of their man characters after BFA and SL where blizz didn't even kill sylvannas.

[Super Dickmann]

There wouldn't have been much of a problem with ysera coming back permanently if they didn't try to kill malfurion in a stupid way in exchange. It's understandable night elf fans didn't take a death from one of their man characters after BFA and SL where blizz didn't even kill sylvannas.

It was identical treatment, except with Malf it was marginally more respectful and served the purpose of writing out a continued writing handicap of having made him too powerful to enable any sort of conflict and thus perenially nothing. Both he and Sylvanas took a hike with a "be continued" sticker. Night Elf fans could've choked on it and asked for seconds, considering that Sylvanas was removd from her main race and replaced with her exact terminal opposite, with most of the cast written out until an apology quest an expansion later, all in service of turning the Horde into its current incarnation as an Alliance support group.

[Ersula]

Also, with the usual influential parties on Twitter crying about the lack of Horde, are we expecting devs to change it up? Because otherwise, they (not naming names) are going to shit up the community in a tantrum, which WoW really does not need right now.

I know Blizzard is hard-committing to the third expansion in a row with zero horde representation, but don't criticize that because it might hurt the public perception of the brand. (This message was brought to you by the Democratic National Committee of America)

[Plehnard]

We need these 2 as allied races, broken rogue and mok'nathal hunter goes brrrrrrrrr.(not made by me)

And who's gonna play a broken? Serious question. Why implement another race that only a minimal fraction of player would even dare to touch?
They are ugly and most people don't want to play ugly characters. That's why you barely see Kul'Tiran females or mecha gnomes.
Instead of creating another fringe allied race they should spend their resources on more options for the established ones.

[ImTheMizAwesome]

And who's gonna play a broken? Serious question. Why implement another race that only a minimal fraction of player would even dare to touch?
They are ugly and most people don't want to play ugly characters. That's why you barely see Kul'Tiran females or mecha gnomes.
Instead of creating another fringe allied race they should spend their resources on more options for the established ones.

Broken are one of the most iconic races since W3 and Velen already established connection with the Cheftain Hatuun and broken on Argus.

Another thing - They're badass, not ugly.

I know many just like playing with their shiny, pretty barbie dolls, but to me personally it's the most basic b thing and having only "pretty cleaky clean" races is boring, especially another variatons of offshot elves/something.

We should get tuskarr too.

[Khaza-R]

And who's gonna play a broken? Serious question. Why implement another race that only a minimal fraction of player would even dare to touch?
They are ugly and most people don't want to play ugly characters. That's why you barely see Kul'Tiran females or mecha gnomes.
Instead of creating another fringe allied race they should spend their resources on more options for the established ones.

Yes, clearly the game needs a 17th variation of elf instead

[Cheezits]

I'd be all for the bat people being trolls and this is feasible to adjust, but not very meaty.

Someone pointed out the root theme and thorn theme, plus their quills and fur, matches up with Quillboar.

Now, why they would do "Quillboar Elves" I'm not sure.

[Gurahk]

Also, with the usual influential parties on Twitter crying about the lack of Horde, are we expecting devs to change it up? Because otherwise, they (not naming names) are going to shit up the community in a tantrum, which WoW really does not need right now.

They are right, lack of Horde is inexcusable especially after being sidelined expansion after expansion with a bunch of characters and races not getting even something as a vendor NPC. We're all gonna follow after Anduin, Alleria, Magni e.t.c. and if we're lucky, we get to spend a single quest with Thrall whilst he attempts to "find himself in the Horde" (he has done this for 4 expansions in a row).

[ImTheMizAwesome]

Yes, clearly the game needs a 17th variation of elf instead

If elf fans would have 10 variations of elves in the game, they would be still flooding forums and all social media for more elf races, it's just weird.

[Ersula]

And who's gonna play a broken? Serious question. Why implement another race that only a minimal fraction of player would even dare to touch?
They are ugly and most people don't want to play ugly characters. That's why you barely see Kul'Tiran females or mecha gnomes.
Instead of creating another fringe allied race they should spend their resources on more options for the established ones.

Honestly, all of the allied races are a novelty. Most people won't play a specific allied race. But people do try them & the people who really wanted them are made very happy.

I just find it strange we don't do races that are more generally involved in the setting, instead going for races that are very briefly important.

Prevalent WoW races that aren't playable include: Broken, Moknathal, murloc, tuskaar, mogu, naga, tolvir, gnolls, kobolds, furblog, centaur

Expansion featured races that are playable and only relevant because they were made playable: Nightborne, Mechagnomes, Earthen, Vulpera, Highmountain Tauren

Someone pointed out the root theme and thorn theme, plus their quills and fur, matches up with Quillboar.

Now, why they would do "Quillboar Elves" I'm not sure.

Goddamn we almost got Quillboar & they make hairy elves instead.

[Super Dickmann]

They are right, lack of Horde is inexcusable especially after being sidelined expansion after expansion with a bunch of characters and races not getting even something as a vendor NPC. We're all gonna follow after Anduin, Alleria, Magni e.t.c. and if we're lucky, we get to spend a single quest with Thrall whilst he attempts to "find himself in the Horde" (he has done this for 4 expansions in a row).

Implying Thrall's role won't consist of helping Anduin through his quarter-life crisis so he doesn't get his grubby green mitts on any actually relevant plot point.

[Cheezits]

The lack of Horde in TWW does point to Midnight Lordaeron being Forsakenpalooza, which will create the funniest reaction on twitteroth.

[Plehnard]

Broken are one of the most iconic races since W3 and Velen already established connection with the Cheftain Hatuun and broken on Argus.

Another thing - They're badass, not ugly.

I know many just like playing with their shiny, pretty barbie dolls, but to me personally it's the most basic b thing and having only "pretty cleaky clean" races is boring, especially another variatons of offshot elves/something.

The same was said about Kul'Tirans and the only reason some got played was that there racials were great for some classes. And now? They are less then a percent in the player base. I don't care who you find cool or iconic or that you don't like "barbie" characters.
The reality is the wide majority of players want beautiful, cute or brutal looking characters and broken are neither.
Broken are just a worse version of draenei and even those are only in 4th place played on alliance side.
Last working wow census had Kul'Tirans (fat humans) and Mechagnomes (Disfigured Gnomes) under 1% of player base. Alliance doesn't need another fringe race nobody wants to play.

We should get tuskarr too.

I agree on this one.

[Ersula]

The lack of Horde in TWW does point to Midnight Lordaeron being Forsakenpalooza, which will create the funniest reaction on twitteroth.

I'm the forsaken stan & even I don't believe they're going to make them important to the plot. People suddenly shifted from "Silvermoon will be made neutral" to "Of course Midnight will be horde focused" as soon as we brought up the lack of participation from horde characters in this storyline.