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

[Foreign Exchange Ztudent]

So I guess the 3rd Major Patch is completely dead with what Metzen said about 13.1/13.2 seemingly confirming there's no .3 patches anymore.

Well, will be interesting to see if they strike gold once with this game model during this saga.

[Hitei]

The Xal "floaty elf corpse" body will probably get shredded, albeit she lives on in her true form and/or controlling or corrupting Alleria.

Alleria is going to stay Alleria. The Worldsoul Saga theme is literally her leitmotif. She is the main character for the next three expansions.

[Enrif]

Also something I'm not seeing anyone mention...

Metzen says they're building Xal'atath to be someone we see and confront multiple times over the arc of the saga. Read into that how you will, but it's good to see Xal will be more than a 11.2 raid boss kill.

I always thought they will do with Xal something similar to what they do with Iridikron. Not a throw away villain, but one that will be problematic for some time. I could even see that she never will be a boss, only the one that plays the strings on others, just one step away from facing us.

[Hitei]

So I guess the 3rd Major Patch is completely dead with what Metzen said about 13.1/13.2 seemingly confirming there's no .3 patches anymore.

Well, will be interesting to see if they strike gold once with this game model.

The patch cadence isn't an issue. You can see it in DF and SL. SL's patch problem was not not having a 9.3, it's that ZM's theme didn't appeal to many people and Korthia felt like an awkward retread of the Maw. DF swapped this issue, where Zaralek just didn't have much appeal to a lot of people and ED felt like a retread of Val'sharah.

Realistically speaking, MoP's "four" patches are nearly identical in nature to our current 2+2: 5.1 and 5.3 are more like .5 patches, and 5.2 and 5.4 are more like actual main patches. Simialrly, Legion's 7.1 is more like a .5 patch. So if we take those two expansions as "good" then we already know that the 2 major patch, 2 minor patch, 2 mini patch system can work perfectly fine, they are just fumbling with the actual areas, systems, etc. chosen to occupy those slots.

[Cheezits]

So I guess the 3rd Major Patch is completely dead with what Metzen said about 13.1/13.2 seemingly confirming there's no .3 patches anymore.

Well, will be interesting to see if they strike gold once with this game model during this saga.

That's a good point I didn't think about the patch number thing, but it lines up with DF. And how there is no where to go in TWW after Rootlands. Besides Silithus which seems to be off the table.

[Makorus]

No way, Warcraft Direct coming soon.

[Xilurm]

Good to see a Blizzard president that ain't stiff af on stage. Although Mike had a charm to him. (og one)

[Foreign Exchange Ztudent]

The patch cadence isn't an issue. You can see it in DF and SL. SL's patch problem was not not having a 9.3, it's that ZM's theme didn't appeal to many people and Korthia felt like an awkward retread of the Maw. DF swapped this issue, where Zaralek just didn't have much appeal to a lot of people and ED felt like a retread of Val'sharah.

Realistically speaking, MoP's "four" patches are nearly identical in nature to our current 2+2: 5.1 and 5.3 are more like .5 patches, and 5.2 and 5.4 are more like actual main patches. Simialrly, Legion's 7.1 is more like a .5 patch. So if we take those two expansions as "good" then we already know that the 2 major patch, 2 minor patch, 2 mini patch system can work perfectly fine, they are just fumbling with the actual areas, systems, etc. chosen to occupy those slots.

They need more Animated Shorts or CGI Cinematics (a la Saurfang) during an expansion and following a clear well structured plan where the A Plot is at the center and the B Plots do not overtake the Major Patches for this to work honestly. I just don't think that will ever happen. Lore Tab being filled with Short Stories during ongoing expansions etc. they have to do a lot more to make this work.

I am so down in the dumps at this point, its like okay I guess we just see how this works out and whether feedback when it fails ricochets it to something else involving more microtransaction sales than this.

[Zardas]

Well, Warcraft segment at Gamescom is over and nothing announced

[milkmustache]

If the pitch was "we go to Khaz Algar and then Elun'ahir, and get a tease of Avaloren" that is not Metzen's pitch, that is Danuser's pitch from launch and 10.2 DF. TWW looks to be largely planned without Metzen though I can see his influence appearing in the patches (Kezan)

I still got the implication that there is some late game changes to TWW via Metzen, and I think Elun'ahir/Harronir/Rootlands are indicative of that. Especially if Kezan/Undermine take the 11.1 slot, I think we're looking at a larger changeup than just planting seeds for 12.0 and 13.0.

I greatly appreciate that idea of allowing things to gestate more than just a mention in the expansion prior.

[Makabreska]

Well, Warcraft segment at Gamescom is over and nothing announced

Well, what could they announce about it 3 days before expansion launch?

[Raetary]

I guess they wanted to focus on Diablo for Gamescom.

But like, early access is available in 2 days, i find it strange that they didn't use the opportunity to do a last marketing push with another early access/launch trailer.

[Ersula]

Well, what could they announce about it 3 days before expansion launch?

Literally anything? Even a hearthstone expansion would have been better than "Followers for Diablo 4" and "the anniversary event you already know about exists, but we'll give you no details"

[Reive]

wow is featuring at the gamescom on thursady. we'll probably something new then

[Zardas]

Well, what could they announce about it 3 days before expansion launch?

They could have teased the anniversary. Or the hearthstone miniset. Or something for Overwatch that's more than a skin. Or probably something for Diablo 4. Or something for Starcraft 2. I don't see the point of going to this kinds of conference and don't announce anything.

[Makabreska]

Literally anything? Even a hearthstone expansion would have been better than "Followers for Diablo 4" and "the anniversary event you already know about exists, but we'll give you no details"

They could have teased the anniversary. Or the hearthstone miniset. Or something for Overwatch that's more than a skin. Or probably something for Diablo 4. Or something for Starcraft 2. I don't see the point of going to this kinds of conference and don't announce anything.

Guess they didn't have time to talk much during opening ceremony.

[Ersula]

wow is featuring at the gamescom on thursady. we'll probably something new then

Those aren't presentations, those are booths. If they had anything to show it would be in the opening ceremony. It's just going to be Vessel of Hatred & that VR flying around dalaran piece.

[Cheezits]

No way, Warcraft Direct coming soon.

Where was this mentioned?

[Reive]

Those aren't presentations, those are booths. If they had anything to show it would be in the opening ceremony. It's just going to be Vessel of Hatred & that VR flying around dalaran piece.

a launch cinematic?
a new short? we still have only 2 of them

idk

[Dracullus]

wow is featuring at the gamescom on thursady. we'll probably something new then

I would believe if today WoW would have some launch trailer. But with single day for WoW, imo Thursday will be focused on that.

Also they annouced Warcraft Direct - and that sound like something, well, directed for invested people who care about stuff like 11.1.