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

[Telogrus]

I really doubt it. The Worldcore plot is now tied to Brinthe and Dagran, two TWW characaters, and it fits the Underground theme for the expansion. Even if we don't actually interact with the world soul in this expansion vs TLT I think we will go to the facility that houses it, during the expansion it was directly introduced in. It also saves the last raid from being a direct repeat of Amirdrassil.

This isn't like K'aresh and Dimensius who are getting small teases, it's a direct plotline of TWW. The Sword is the bigger fish to fry in TLT which has been directly confirmed by Metzen/Ion.

TLT is about the Titan conspiracy. It makes much more sense that the obvious prison for the world soul will be saved for then. There’s no reason why Dagran and Brinthe can’t also feature in TLT.

[The-Shan]

Exploring Azeroth already retconned it and said there was scattered groups still surviving spread out in Zul’drak.

I look at it less as a retcon and more of it being information that the Zandalari/that survivor didn't have, it's completely possible it was just assumed since people went there, took a look around, and didn't see any Drakkari, then assumed they were all dead.

[Zardas]

The Worldcore will be saved for TLT

We could have a look at it for 11.2, but fail and come back to it more succesful in TLT.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

I look at it less as a retcon and more of it being information that the Zandalari/that survivor didn't have, it's completely possible it was just assumed since people went there, took a look around, and didn't see any Drakkari, then assumed they were all dead.

I had actually forgot, it wasn’t a retcon at all. The Drakkari in Zanadalar says his people were killed and “broken” by the scourge not just wiped out.

Them being scattered but surviving would fall into “broken”

[Nymrohd]

What I imagine is, the Worldcore is down there, at the end of the Coreway that was built where the tree Elun'Ahir was removed. The Roots of Elun'Ahir sort've grew back around it, and that's where the harronir live now. The Black Blood infestation is more recent and threatens to overtake everything.

So the zone will be made up of those three elements - Titan facility, root growth, and Black Blood.

Yup, that has been my bet for a while now. Raid in the Titan facility, some delves, dungeon in the Black Blood area. Enough variety to make the zone lively and interesting.

[Dracullus]

Yup, that has been my bet for a while now. Raid in the Titan facility, some delves, dungeon in the Black Blood area. Enough variety to make the zone lively and interesting.

Maybe also more Beledar-like crystals that would make same day/night cycle like Hallowfall. In general zone imo will clearly show that most or all cosmic powers are after Azeroth.

[huth]

The Worldcore will be saved for TLT

As i already said, they've included it in the story. Last week, in fact. So that's a no. It will not be saved for TLT. Maybe we won't be able to explore it before then, but it's already present as a story element.

Are you even playing the game? It sounds like you have no idea what the story currently is.

[Telogrus]

As i already said, they've included it in the story. Last week, in fact. So that's a no. It will not be saved for TLT. Maybe we won't be able to explore it before then, but it's already present as a story element.

Are you even playing the game? It sounds like you have no idea what the story currently is.

Guess we’ll also be traveling to the Arathi continent in TWW too going by this logic

[Joshuaj]

Guess we’ll also be traveling to the Arathi continent in TWW too going by this logic

That's not at all how it works. We're underground, near the core of the World. We know about the Coreway. We know about the Worldcore. Why wouldn't we go to the soul of Azeroth?

[Telogrus]

That's not at all how it works. We're underground, near the core of the World. We know about the Coreway. We know about the Worldcore. Why wouldn't we go to the soul of Azeroth?

We’re also literally right next to an underground World Tree, so why wouldn’t we go to there? Orweyna can apparently commune with the World Soul or at least get visions of it, so we could get a glimpse of the World Soul from Elun’ahir.

[milkmustache]

Ah, that takes me back to when we went to Balor in Vanilla, full Zul'Aman in TBC, full Azjol-Nerub in WotLK, the elemental plane of water in Cataclysm, the ogre continent of Goria in WoD, Tel'Abim, Zul'Dare and Plunder Isle in BfA, etc.

Jokes aside, anything is possible. We could go to the core in TWW. Perhaps it's a great Titan facility, Uldaz. Or maybe we don't. It's both a self contained story and sort of unofficially a trilogy, so anything goes.

You know, it would be interesting to see part of the 11.2 raid involve Uldaz (or the Worldcore, whatever Titan facility or prison) as a teaser for 13.0, which will be extremely heavy on Titan content. Just a seed planted to be taken later.

[huth]

We’re also literally right next to an underground World Tree, so why wouldn’t we go to there? Orweyna can apparently commune with the World Soul or at least get visions of it, so we could get a glimpse of the World Soul from Elun’ahir.

And we're probably going there in 11.2 too. What's your point?

Also, no, we're not going to Arathi by that logic. We currently have zero reason to go there. Figuring out what's happening to Azeroth and the World Soul is the entire reason we're even in Khaz Algar to begin with however.

Again, are you even playing the game?

[Merryck]

Sargeras plunged his sword into Azeroth and got Silithus.

[Nymrohd]

I wonder what TLT will entail though, really. Personally I've already had my fill with Titan lore in TWW, and over the past few expansions there's pretty much been this omnipresent focus on Titan lore or machinery (replaced by First Ones in SL).

I do love Northrend and Ulduar content but it'd be neat if they surprised us.

Titans arrive in the pre-patch, we witness their return at Ulduar. But then it all takes a major twist and the expansion isn't at all what we thought.

We're forced to set sail and find Avaloren.

Or we venture back in time to prehistoric Northrend to witness what the Titans were really up to. A pre-Scourge Northrend with no Icecrown, Freya is busy setting up Sholazar Basin, Vrykul are still Titan-forged, etc. Yogg-Saron chilling below.

Just a pristine land of snow, mountains, elemental forces, Titan-forged starting to construct Ulduar. Dragon Aspects don't exist yet. Malygos is still a good boi.

Might be too much of an undertaking though, since Northrend would still be connected to the rest of Kalimdor at that point. Not sure how they'd set up borders beyond the zones.

Honestly I want the old zones revamped and merged into about 3 big zones plus an Underground zone that features a combination of Azjol'Nerub, Titan machinery beneath Ulduar and Harrowsdeep (with Iridikron's lair itself being a raid).

[Cheezits]

With Quel'thalas and Northrend, I don't know man. Something's gotta change drastically. It's not enough to just make them big and pretty.

Quel'thalas zones are BARELY playable by modern standards, they may as well be a tutorial island. I think making them into proper zones with flight, actually well-scaled zones (including the "dead" half of the city and troll valley actually brought to life) and the geography not being based on visual trickery is big enough to warrant it being a setting (or most of it).

Northrend is the weird one and I assume it's either misleading or the expansion is only on part of the island, somehow. Maybe Ulduar disconnects from the island and links back up with Halls of Valor to create a new landscape?

That or they lean HEAVILY on the Scourge (somehow), Vrykul and Drakkari to keep things varied outside of Storm Peaks.

[huth]

Quel'thalas zones are BARELY playable by modern standards, they may as well be a tutorial island. I think making them into proper zones with flight, actually well-scaled zones (including the "dead" half of the city and troll valley actually brought to life) and the geography not being based on visual trickery is big enough to warrant it being a setting (or most of it).

Northrend is the weird one and I assume it's either misleading or the expansion is only on part of the island, somehow. Maybe Ulduar disconnects from the island and links back up with Halls of Valor to create a new landscape?

That or they lean HEAVILY on the Scourge (somehow), Vrykul and Drakkari to keep things varied outside of Storm Peaks.

Consider that in-story, it has been a decade since we were last there. That's a lot of time for things to change.

[Sondrelk]

Quel'thalas zones are BARELY playable by modern standards, they may as well be a tutorial island. I think making them into proper zones with flight, actually well-scaled zones (including the "dead" half of the city and troll valley actually brought to life) and the geography not being based on visual trickery is big enough to warrant it being a setting (or most of it).

Northrend is the weird one and I assume it's either misleading or the expansion is only on part of the island, somehow. Maybe Ulduar disconnects from the island and links back up with Halls of Valor to create a new landscape?

That or they lean HEAVILY on the Scourge (somehow), Vrykul and Drakkari to keep things varied outside of Storm Peaks.

If we assume that the DRIVE system in 11.1 is going to be the replacement for ground movement, and that flying will be a privelige given later in the expansion. Or generally that flying is the easy mode, with the "real" game being the one where it isnt available it does make sense. Design the world like it was back when ground movement was the norm, and don't really bother with designing the world with flying in mind.

Northrend however is more like the Dragon isles in that the sheer size of it makes it a suitable location for flying anyways.

[KyleEverett]

If we assume that the DRIVE system in 11.1 is going to be the replacement for ground movement, and that flying will be a privelige given later in the expansion. Or generally that flying is the easy mode, with the "real" game being the one where it isnt available it does make sense. Design the world like it was back when ground movement was the norm, and don't really bother with designing the world with flying in mind.

Northrend however is more like the Dragon isles in that the sheer size of it makes it a suitable location for flying anyways.

Aww hell nah, I don't care how good D.R.I.V.E. you will take flying from my cold dead hands outside of specific zones. Blizzard has lost that fight before and I don't need them wasting time retreading that ground.

[Cheezits]

There is zero chance they restrict/hide dynamic flight from an expansion launch after it has basically saved the game. People LOVE it and you are not corking that genie.

Dynamic ground mounts will probably be mandatory for a select few certain zones only and then optional everywhere else.

[Sondrelk]

Aww hell nah, I don't care how good D.R.I.V.E. you will take flying from my cold dead hands outside of specific zones. Blizzard has lost that fight before and I don't need them wasting time retreading that ground.

Siren Isle in 11.0.7 seems to be toying with the idea of making Flying available as an easy mode. And that if you want the proper gamemode with the good rewards you will have to forego flying and actually be challenged by the open world.

Just pick the option that lets you fly. And the rest of us can have the version with properly challening ground content.

- - - Updated - - -

There is zero chance they restrict/hide dynamic flight from an expansion launch after it has basically saved the game. People LOVE it and you are not corking that genie.

Dynamic ground mounts will probably be mandatory for a select few certain zones only and then optional everywhere else.

They probably won't flat out remove it. But I could see them adding a hard mode to open world content that gives better rewards to compensate the speed lost by flying everywhere.
I am sure that as much as players like it, there are a whole bunch of world design developers who would prefer if players properly explored the zones by ground, and didnt just leapfrog between various points on the map ignoring everything in-between.