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

[Nymrohd]

https://twitter.com/NasDaCN/status/1486816908653510666 This guy. I swear to fuck, if he ends up correct in all his predictions, I'm gonna be convinced that mf is either a Void Lord, or even a Progenitor in disguise.

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Cause admittedly this is a pretty smart way of looking at things.

All he does is presume a pattern. Why is there a need for a pattern??? Can we stop with the idea that stories and themes belong in spreadsheets?

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If there won't be any world revamp i at least hope from customization side, there will be another go at character models like in WoD to bring it closer to "unique" NPC's now, much more options for everything because let's be honest - MMO like WoW in 2023/24 when it comes to character creation customization options, the choices there are really small, most faces(besides human) look the same, trolls still dont have beard options for example.
Overall every option like piercings, tusks, tattoos, necklaces etc should be added for all races and doubled in numbers overall.

Humans have the most options available with like 36 face types, so they should at least bring all other races customization choices, closer to human race.

I think just bring it closer to what humans get for more of the races would be ideal and imo also enough. Beyond that, we have seen them get more inventive with how armor looks so no reason to believe that will change.
I do wish we got widespread class customization; I want class skins almost as much as I want a world revamp and I want class customization to get a proper UI (maybe linked to class halls). Moving things to the barbershop is so weird to me. This is supposed to be an RPG. Why is a goblin barber able to change a succubus into a shivarra? I mean they can perform gender reassignment but we are talking about changing a creature's species now . . .

[ImTheMizAwesome]

All he does is presume a pattern. Why is there a need for a pattern??? Can we stop with the idea that stories and themes belong in spreadsheets?

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I think just bring it closer to what humans get for more of the races would be ideal and imo also enough. Beyond that, we have seen them get more inventive with how armor looks so no reason to believe that will change.

Yeah bring it closer to human race available amouint of customization options but adding to that things that are missing like body scars, tattoos and such for all races, necklaces like i mentioned above, because there are things other races and body types have that even human can't use - Like you can't use a necklace on "body 1" human or orcs, taurens have access to necklaces on both body types for example.

They should just fix these irregularities and have every race get the same amount/types of customization options.


Another problem i have with blizzard way of thinking is that they add for example a bladefist hairstyle for orcs but it doesn't resemble the real one in any way and is still a clipping galore.
It's like they are so against having playable character models having access to the same looking hairstyle(in this situation) that NPC had, but instead they have to do something "new" to be original, but it looks much worse.

[Super Dickmann]

What would happen if Iridikron somehow reversed Ra and Helya's magic that bound Azeroth's elementals to the effective prison of the Elemental Plane? It is perhaps the greatest intervention of the Keepers to the natural order, perverting a key component of the physical universe (elementals seem to exist everywhere in it).

Discussed this before so as I said I'm quite fond of this idea and it makes for a villain endgame that's actually fully realizable. The only thing working against it is that, again, Dragonflight is already elemental-themed and I don't see Blizzard double-dipping and that kind of status quo change would immediately put focus on the elements. Mind, it can just as easily just have them be part of an expansion without an immediate overarching threat.

Regarding what happens to elementals when they die, I don't think we can take Draenor as a heuristic. Draenor's wohle thing is that it was a world that had an overabundance of spirit, which is one of the two forces that can be used to channel elementals through. Its elementals coming back might just be down to that, whereas otherwise they might just die when they are killed, with the energy manifesting in a different elemental.

[Hyde]

My list of predictions that came true:

• Neutral Pandaren in 20111
  
• Demon Hunter building up to Argus as a zone, in 2013
  
• BfA with the Warbringers before they were announced
  
• I predicted Shadowlands in 2013 involving Sylvanas, Arthas' Torment, and the Ebon Blade doing nothing, I'm sorry

[micwini]

The only thing that comes close(Being too silly) is the mole people. While they look cute I feel they are a bit of a detriment to the patch(10.1)

There are 0 serious (even semi-serious) Explorers League characters this expansion. Rannan, Toddy, the cataloguer gnome and nightborne are all insufferable as fuck. It just doesnt age well. Its fine at the start but it gets really obnoxious over time.

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I'm going to check out the Orc Heritage chain quest later.

If there are any hints rn ingame, one must be on that Heritage chain, just like the Tauren Heritage back in BFA.

Im not going to specifically spoil what it is, but there is diffinitely something like that in the orc quest chain.

[Luck4]

https://twitter.com/NasDaCN/status/1486816908653510666 This guy. I swear to fuck, if he ends up correct in all his predictions, I'm gonna be convinced that mf is either a Void Lord, or even a Progenitor in disguise.

This is really big, but again it doesn't say anything about the setting, only about the general theme. We could've got Dragons and a World Revamp, so we can also have Elementals in 11.0 and a World Revamp, especially considering that the pattern is connected with 4.0 Cataclysm a World Revamp expansion, which turns out Thrall was a major character.

Thrall is a Shaman, and that "leak" said 11.0 is about Elementals, so he already has a point in his favor.

However, his predictions don't show or give any hints as to where the plot will take place.

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Im not going to specifically spoil what it is, but there is diffinitely something like that in the orc quest chain.

Thank you so much, for not spoiling it.

[micwini]

I know. It's very likely nothing also. Just think it's funny and kinda coincidental Thrall is there, and Scaleface's theories on 11.0 are Elemental themed. Also, whether it be Backside of Azeroth, or World Revamp related, 11.0 mirroring 1.0 would be peak fiction!

That chiinese leak thing =/= scaleface. 2 different people.

[Nymrohd]

Discussed this before so as I said I'm quite fond of this idea and it makes for a villain endgame that's actually fully realizable. The only thing working against it is that, again, Dragonflight is already elemental-themed and I don't see Blizzard double-dipping and that kind of status quo change would immediately put focus on the elements. Mind, it can just as easily just have them be part of an expansion without an immediate overarching threat.

Yeah I don't see it as an expansion idea. I do see it more as plot hooks or side stories in future expansions (or ofc a revamp). It's why I'd link it to specific areas. If you wanted to explore the Blackrock area again, you need new antagonists (Black flight is friendly, Dark Iron are now majority Alliance, Dark Horde is gone)

[Fahrad Wagner]

That chiinese leak thing =/= scaleface. 2 different people.

Yeah I was about to say, those are unrelated. And although Thrall being on the Blizzcon banners is a convincing argument for 11.0 being focused around Elementals and a WR... am I the only one thinking an Elemental expansion would feel a bit redundant after DF? Like, the Prime Incarnates had a very strong elemental vibe about them and there were lots of elementals all around the continent.

So that plotline may have been baked with the DF one, that or 11.0 WR doesn't focus on elementals... or elementals that we know. Hello Spirit and Decay elemental planes?

[Nymrohd]

Hello Spirit and Decay elemental planes?

Only elemental planes are not natural; they are an artificial construct on Azeroth to imprison the elementals because the lack of spirit turned them extremely hostile and thus made it impossible for life to flourish on the planet. There does seem to be a Spirit Realm but that seems more like a different phase of the physical reality than a separate plane similar to the Veil. It could be that just like the Veil is a border between the physical reality and the Shadowlands, this Spirit Realm (seen in several quests) is a border between reality and Life.
Heck maybe the Emerald Dream is a planar construct created by Freya that effectively splits that border into a separate plane (because if the Veil needs to exist as part of the design of the First Ones so that the Physical can interact with Death so souls can transition, perhaps a similar need exists for Life to interact with the Physical so that new life is imparted with souls), stealing the Spirit Realms metaphysical purpose; given the Elemental Plane's existence it is clear that the Keepers, especially early on when the Titans were present, possessed the power to manipulate metaphysical reality at least broadly enough to affect the area surrounding Azeroth. That would mean the Emerald Dream effectively censors and restricts what can be born on Azeroth (as a blueprint of acceptable reality) which explains why the Incarnates might want to destroy it. It would explain why the cycle of reincarnation for Wild Gods works differently.

[Worldshaper]

Let's stop and think this through for a minute.

- In the beginning of Azeroth, there were the Elementals and the Elemental Lords.

- The Void sent the Old Gods to conquer Azeroth. The Elementals fought back, but ultimately lost and became enslaved. The Titans arrived and won the day.

- Then the Protodragons evolved from the Elementals.

- Some Protodragons were turned into Dragon Aspects by the Titans using Order magic, while some went deeper into their Elemental ancestry and became Primal Incarnates.

- Two sides of the same coin, both Elemental in nature but one infused with Order magic, and the other even more Elemental magic.

- Both sides were lured by the Void. Neltharion struck a pact with it, and it seems like Iridikron might've as well.

- Both were engaged in a war, and ultimately the Dragon Aspects came out on top. Essentially, two different philosophies clashed over the right to rule and protect the world they shared: the Elemental magic which had always covered the planet, and the Order magic which had always resided inside with the slumbering Titan.

Right? Okay.

What's happening right now is essentially round 2 of that war. Iridikron is pursuing his endgame, whatever it may be, and Alex is pursuing hers (making sure the Dragon Aspects are empowered once more, and able to fulfill their duty to protect Azeroth).

Then Thrall appears on the cover of BlizzCon 2023. The one guy who's been heavily involved with both the Elementals and the Dragons. The mortal who, in a way, represents both of these forces. He literally was the Earth-warder for a while.

At this point it feels very likely the next expansion will involve some kind of war over Azeroth, which would include Dragons, Elementals, Old Gods and a world revamp.

Theory

War breaks out all over Azeroth, in what is essentially the Hour of Twilight. The Old World is literally torn asunder.

In a cinematic that invokes the spirit of the old Cataclysm cinematic, but with Thrall as the narrator, we see elemental forces clashing, Old God minions lurking in the shadows and deep corners of the earth, and ultimately, Thrall riding a dragon into combat.

Metzen's voice is booming, just as it did when he voiced Deathwing, about the impending dangers and terrible forces now waging war for dominance.

Lands are destroyed and restored, cities rise and fall.

Ultimately the logo appears: World of Warcraft: WORLDBREAKER / AZEROTH / HOUR OF TWILIGHT / TITAN or something like that.

Then, because 11.0 is the final expansion in the "Void" trilogy, after Cataclysm and Dragonflight before it, we get a follow-up to MoP in 12.0 with a thrilling expansion that takes us across the world to the mystical continent of AVALOREN.

Vanilla
TBC -> WoD -> Legion
WotLK -> BfA -> SL
Cata -> DF -> 11.0
MoP - 12.0 -> 13.0

[Scyth]

In a cinematic that invokes the spirit of the old Cataclysm cinematic, but with Thrall as the narrator, we see elemental forces clashing, Old God minions lurking in the shadows and deep corners of the earth, and ultimately, Thrall riding a dragon into combat.

I'd love to see this in a cinematic tbh so really hope your theory comes true lol Am still incredibly disappointed with the DF cinematic..

An expansion that focuses on the Elementals more is more than welcome by me, as I'm a sucker for anything Elemental-themed but I, like a few others on here, am not sure Blizz will go in that direction given DF already is very heavily Elemental-themed.

They have shown us they can change the way they do things do, such as introducing a new spec after the xpac started, so who knows. It's honestly hard to see what else, other than an Elemental xpac, they can go with at this moment in time though so fingers crossed lol

[Santandame]

Dragonflight is an elemental expansion. It’s primarily about dragons and elementals. Much like BfA was faction conflict and old gods. I’m not sure where people are getting the idea that 11.0 will be primarily elemental focused.

11.0 so far is heavily leaning towards World Revamp. I’ve no doubt that the elements and the elemental lords (as well as the surviving Primalists/Incarnates) will factor into zones stories like they did in Vanilla, but they won’t be the primary theme. It’ll just be Vanilla 2.0 with a combination of various stories, characters and narratives dedicated to each of their zones.

[Dracullus]

Ah, smell of expac speculation and actual Blizzcon on the horizon. I missed that.

[Worldshaper]

I'd love to see this in a cinematic tbh so really hope your theory comes true lol Am still incredibly disappointed with the DF cinematic..

An expansion that focuses on the Elementals more is more than welcome by me, as I'm a sucker for anything Elemental-themed but I, like a few others on here, am not sure Blizz will go in that direction given DF already is very heavily Elemental-themed.

They have shown us they can change the way they do things do, such as introducing a new spec after the xpac started, so who knows. It's honestly hard to see what else, other than an Elemental xpac, they can go with at this moment in time though so fingers crossed lol

WoD heavily featured the Burning Legion, and we got Legion right after.
BfA heavily features Death-themes and the storylines surrounding Jaina, Arthas, Uther, Drust, Sylvanas, Bwonsamdi, etc., and we got SL right after.

So there is no reason why 11.0 can't contain Elemental stuff. In fact, going by history, it seems quite likely.

[Kiivar86]

2020 was the year Shadowlands was released, so you wouldn't get expansion hints from that one. However, if you look at the key art in the last few years, it does hint at what the next expansion is going to be thematically. For example, before Shadowlands announced, this was the key art for BlizzCon '19;

And obviously Sylvanas played a big role in that expansion.

Here's the key art from '17;

And obviously Jaina was a big part of that expansion via Kul'tiras.

Here's the key art from BlizzCon '15;

That did come out after Legion was already announced though, because the new expansion was announced at Gamescon instead of BlizzCon that year.

That said, yeah Thrall being in the key art for this one could definitely be indicative of what's to come in 11.0.

Fair enough, does seem I may be mistaken, and as was pointed out my thing about Deathwing turned out to be HotS which I completely forgot about.

Still think basing the idea of a WR off Thrall being there isn't much more than wishful thinking, but who knwos.

Yeah I was about to say, those are unrelated. And although Thrall being on the Blizzcon banners is a convincing argument for 11.0 being focused around Elementals and a WR... am I the only one thinking an Elemental expansion would feel a bit redundant after DF? Like, the Prime Incarnates had a very strong elemental vibe about them and there were lots of elementals all around the continent.

So that plotline may have been baked with the DF one, that or 11.0 WR doesn't focus on elementals... or elementals that we know. Hello Spirit and Decay elemental planes?

Yeah, like we've got an elemental expansion in all but name right now. It isn't out of the question to continue but I would think they'd want to avoid something too similar to the previous expansion in order to avoid fatigue.

[Berkilak]

Sometimes a Thrall is just a Thrall.

I think it’s as simple as Blizzard wanting a banner that shows off each franchise’s most iconic character. Thrall is a logical choice for WoW. Nothing more to it.

[Khaza-R]

While personally I don't think there will be a revamp (although I would love one)

The one thing I've been mulling over was a revamp for retail that also doubles as Classic HD release. That kind of double effort is something I could plausibly see Blizzard investing in since the returns on it could be massive. And Thrall in his new updated model kind of symbolizes something simultaneously both old and new.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

WoD heavily featured the Burning Legion, and we got Legion right after.
BfA heavily features Death-themes and the storylines surrounding Jaina, Arthas, Uther, Drust, Sylvanas, Bwonsamdi, etc., and we got SL right after.

So there is no reason why 11.0 can't contain Elemental stuff. In fact, going by history, it seems quite likely.

WoD mostly featured Orcs, only in the last patch did Legion themes really ramp up. BFA hardly dealt with Death related themes that the Shadowlands did. It isn't comparable.

[Teriz]

Sometimes a Thrall is just a Thrall.

I think it’s as simple as Blizzard wanting a banner that shows off each franchise’s most iconic character. Thrall is a logical choice for WoW. Nothing more to it.

TBF, we have a history of key art hinting at future expansion themes.

Also the last time we had an Orc-centric expansion was WoD which was coincidentally announced 10 years ago and the next expansion's release frame is 10 years after WoD's release. A Lightbound invasion would be a very appropriate sequel to WoD. I could also imagine Blizzard doing it as a way to clean up some of the shortcomings the original expansion went through, and give us some of the lost content that we missed out on. Maybe some dungeons and raids that were meant to be released in WoD are re-released via some time-traveling shenegains.