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

[Joshuaj]

The D.R.I.V.E stuff looks interesting, it's not a 1:1 port of dynamic flight as there's some extra stuff (as explained in the preview vid too). Curious to see if it ends up feeling the same as dynamic flight or if it feels like its own thing. Also curious how they're going to keep the same thing from happening that happened with dragonriding in case people relaly like it.



ty i do my best

I mean, the roller beetle isn't a 1:1 port of Griffonriding in GW2 lmaooo.

All seriousness though, I'm hyped. Glad they made it with Need4Speed type videos in mind.

[Golden Yak]

Also, here is the coolest (in my opinion) variant of the open world stuff. Here's the PvP version :
Plate


It seems like Gallywix will go full Wolf Brigade with the patch.

PvP? Blech! Yuck! Damn it, I really want that plate set, but... PVP?

[Lahis]

PvP? Blech! Yuck! Damn it, I really want that plate set, but... PVP?

The quest model equivalent PvP gear is the honor gear. Easy to get.

[AOL Instant Messenger]

Guess you haven't seen any barechested men ever.

My guy, you know full well what those are supposed to be. I really don't get why you feel the need to be disingenuous about this of all things.

[Chickat]

Fair enough.

For a comparison, size wise the city itself is almost exactly as big as Suramar.
Here's the new entrance subzone in Zandalar as well as the new subzones in Khaz Algar. All taken at roughly the same size (unless my datamining tired mind messed something up along the line).

Here's Undermine on the minimap site if you want a slightly closer look.

See the city looks great being that large, but imo it would have had more to the zone than just the city. Or at least Kezan up top.

[Nymrohd]

See the city looks great being that large, but imo it would have had more to the zone than just the city. Or at least Kezan up top.

Yeah this is one of the very few things so far that I am disappointed with in this patch. I am sure the city itself will be adequately large and amazing to navigate but I think Kezan deserved more than being a single city and I doubt we will ever get it now.

[huth]

My guy, you know full well what those are supposed to be. I really don't get why you feel the need to be disingenuous about this of all things.

I know full well what you want to see in them. I just disagree that they fit the bill.

Calling me disingenous because i don't agree with your delusion is laughable though.

[Black Rider]

Okay so:

- 11_0_goblinraid icons were indeed, legit - no surprises there.
- Then, we get a serious update on Ethereal models and there's still 11_0_etherealraid hanging out there to be confirmed as legit.
- We got ethereal boss in 11.0 raid.
- Midnight is the next expansion, and from there, it wouldn't be too far-fetched to assume Ethereals get a pretty solid exposition in the story.

In my head it sums up to: we get 11.2 partially about void and ethreals -> its story smoothly leaks into Midnight and some/all ethereals join our forces against void, so we get them as playable race.

Less probable:

- Survey is legit and Ethereal playable race comes with Artificier / Battlemage / Spellbreaker / Astrologian class / specs.
- The Last Titan comes with Tinkers (breadcrumbs being spread now, but access to Titan technology is open in TLT).

Any other item names leaks which we can link to something?

[Raetary]

My guy, you know full well what those are supposed to be. I really don't get why you feel the need to be disingenuous about this of all things.

I think you are overreacting.

The chest is pretty flat and the shading is subtle, i couldn't even tell it was the female model until i saw MrGMs tweet about it.

[OCoyne]

I think you are overreacting.

The chest is pretty flat and the shading is subtle, i couldn't even tell it was the female model until i saw MrGMs tweet about it.

In fairness they stand out like a sore thumb. There's very few female Void Ethereal models in the game but they all share a lighter shade of purple, very easily distinguishable from the darker purple Male use.

I've seen suggestions these new models are sharing the Nightborne skeleton which is why they look so different from their Argus counterparts

[Dracullus]

I'd like one of those raids that shift themes, in 11.2. You know like SoO. Makes for a neat adventure.

Wing 1 - defend the roots of Elun'Ahir and purge them from blood.

Wing 2 - Xal'atath's awakening. Fight voidy beasts and reach her old body.

Wing 3 - unexpected Ethereal attack, disruption of the ritual. Slight detour to K'aresh through a portal, to reclaim the Dark Heart or something.

Wing 4 - something to do with the Earthen and Keepers, perhaps Xal'atath reclaiming the Dark Heart and completing the ritual.

Big no for me. I hate when in raid we jump from place to place, my perfect raid is something like Blackrock Foundry where there isn't even single loading screen between bosses. But for more variety I would welcome 2 separate smaller raids for some random tier (maybe not final one).

[micwini]

the wrappings on the new ethereal model look way too tight. I hope they have more 'floaty' options like the original model.

[Enrif]

the wrappings on the new ethereal model look way too tight. I hope they have more 'floaty' options like the original model.

if they are meant for player use, they need to be tight to work with armor and other transmog like shirts and tabards

[Nymrohd]

I am pretty sure what we are seeing is just ethereal mobs for a dungeon or raid. They could evolve into a player model ofc

[AOL Instant Messenger]

I am pretty sure what we are seeing is just ethereal mobs for a dungeon or raid. They could evolve into a player model ofc

Yeah, that seems fairly evident. This model most likely isn't rigged for armor unless we're getting another Dracthyr-type situation, which people complained about extensively last time it happened.

- - - Updated - - -

I think you are overreacting.

The chest is pretty flat and the shading is subtle, i couldn't even tell it was the female model until i saw MrGMs tweet about it.

All I'm saying is it just doesn't sell the idea of "ethereal" to me. The body shape is too awkwardly defined to fit the idea of "clump of magic bundled in magic bindings".

Here's a much better female ethereal from Hearthstone:



Despite actually being more exaggerated, it sells an obviously feminine shape (including curving at the chest) while looking "looser" and more like a silhouette of a humanoid frame than an actual humanoid frame, which better fits what it's supposed to be than the current model.

[Nymrohd]

Yeah, that seems fairly evident. This model most likely isn't rigged for armor unless we're getting another Dracthyr-type situation, which people complained about extensively last time it happened.

I'm ok with limited transmog slots for something ambitious like naga or centaur. But I don't ever see Blizzard trying for that.

[Nebron]

The communicator was a Ky'vas trinket.

Hmm, that's true

Any other item names leaks which we can link to something?

Nah, I don't think so unfortunately; and as @Raetary mentioned, one icon has already been used, not sure about the other one though. Still, having Ethereals in 11.2 would feel like a natural expansion of their lore to bridge it with 12.0 (assuming they play a role of a major faction in 12.0).

Not sure how it works, but I believe every time there's a serious model update for something unrelated to upcoming, already announced content, it happens to be connected with future content, even further down the line. So having random Ethereals update now is like a subtle tease of what's coming next? at least that's how I see it!

And obviously, it also feels like a deliberate "marketing" thing, so that there is always some fodder for speculation to keep the interest alive

[OCoyne]

So having random Ethereals update now is like a subtle tease of what's coming next?

It's not random at all. They were heavily featured in the novels which took place before the events of Dalaran, it was more of a surprise they didn't show up sooner. These are the actual bad dudes all the way from K'aresh which is why talk of being a playable race is nothing more than wishful thinking.

When the absolute main antagonists arrive, talk of allied races should be the last thing on the mind.

[bruxx]

if they are meant for player use, they need to be tight to work with armor and other transmog like shirts and tabards

Eh, I'm sure they can set it up for the armor texture to wrap around the model regardless of bandages being there or not. Dracthyr have no problem having their spikes pop in or out depending on their shoulders, for exemple.

[AOL Instant Messenger]

It's not random at all. They were heavily featured in the novels which took place before the events of Dalaran, it was more of a surprise they didn't show up sooner. These are the actual bad dudes all the way from K'aresh which is why talk of being a playable race is nothing more than wishful thinking.

When the absolute main antagonists arrive, talk of allied races should be the last thing on the mind.

I don't see how that wouldn't fit with the addition of an ethereal race. Some are aligned with the Void, but those are mainly groups associated with the Ethereum (with some unclear outliers in the form of the Netherguard from the void elf unlock scenario). Others are neutral merchants or even actively-benevolent forces against the Void (in the case of the Protectorate who fought against the Void-dabbling Ethereum) that would most likely be more than happy to assist in bringing down their malevolent cousins. Action against the Void seems to entirely align with their interests.