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

[Sondrelk]

You've confused yourself! And you've made it plain obvious that you don't play this game when I explained to you why the Stonevault isn't an important to the main story and then you went eh, are we talking about the same thing.

It's just plain bizarre and weird to try and talk about ingame story when you don't follow the story yourself, and it's not the first time where I was deeply suspicious

It's like wanting to be a rally driver, and the most qualified I am is playing Mario Kart 64.

So the giant factory that makes and regenerates earthen is not important to the greater story of the Titan Constructs gaining sentience against the wishes of the Titans then?
Am I getting that right?

Because I would have thought that Xal'atath attempting to hijack a titan facility in order to make armies of void infused constructs would be important. Not to mention all the stuff we learned about the Titan Constructs. Like how they get regenerated in the Stonevault to prevent them gaining free will from exposure to Azeroths world soul.

Maybe I am crazy. Because of all that seems very relevant to a trilogy called the World Soul saga. About the void attacking. And the Titans having kept secrets about their intentions.
But sure. The Stonevault is entirely pointless. And the Earthen gaining sentience and breaking free from the Titans is never going to come back in say, The Last Titan. When we go back to Ulduar and interact with more Earthen.

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What do you mean properly on the PTR? It's been on the PTR for two weeks. I've already unlocked most of the updates on Horrific Visions by now.

Ooh. I was under the impression only data mining had begun.

Guess it's just not been revealed then. My bad.

[Eldryth]

I don't think the Stonevault actually has a stated purpose. It's next to the Halls of Awakening where the Earthen are stored and awakened, but the Stonevault itself is just a facility that the High Speaker fled to at the end of the Ringing Deeps story.


The Coreway is much further from what's been getting discussed here, so no idea how anyone got that. It's very clearly been just what the name suggests- a path to the Worldcore. I get seeing the adjacent Halls of Awakening and Stonevault as the same thing, but the Coreway is completely different.

[Mackud]

I don't think the Stonevault actually has a stated purpose. .

Correct. He's just making it more and more obvious and needs to put the shovel away already.

It was a simply facility he hid in when he his double agent plan went to balls, the quest givers for the dungeon are literally at the instance portal, not a very good hijack attempt if i was supposed to be that.

"I'm hijacking your factory, aw fuck I forgot the shut the front door"

[Nightshade711]

Not to drag us back to order hall discussion but demon hunters order hall is literally a space ship, why wouldn't they just pull up the fel hammer?? It'd also be cool to see the rememants of kaels forces having folded into the illidari including some of their engineers who were working on TK

I could see the Fel Hammer coming back whenever class orders are relevant again.

I think it’ll be like Acherus to where it’d be a mobile order hall to be positioned near the conflict. (Even though it’d be cool if DKs got Icecrown Citadel)

[Nymrohd]

I could see the Fel Hammer coming back whenever class orders are relevant again.

I think it’ll be like Acherus to where it’d be a mobile order hall to be positioned near the conflict. (Even though it’d be cool if DKs got Icecrown Citadel)

DKs and DHs aren't really the hard discussion when it comes to class halls. Both classes have a very specific origin and theme. The issue is first and foremost Priests and Paladins and to a lesser degree things like Rogues, Warriors, Hunters and Mages that have many different origins. An open arcane academy that succeeds the Kirin Tor as suggested by Khadgar would work for Mages. Warlocks are not an issue because they are individuals, Monks and Evokers are on a similar boat to DKs and DHs. Druids used to also be in that club but Zandalari and Kul Tirans make things less clear and they don't all share a Cenarian origin anymore. With Shamans they all share the elemental connection so while they should not all be seen as Earthen Ring, the Maelstrom would still work if it hosts the Elemental Lords.

[Raetary]

Correct. He's just making it more and more obvious and needs to put the shovel away already.

It was a simply facility he hid in when he his double agent plan went to balls, the quest givers for the dungeon are literally at the instance portal, not a very good hijack attempt if i was supposed to be that.

"I'm hijacking your factory, aw fuck I forgot the shut the front door"

It's not just a simple facility, it's the place that makes and houses the Earthen bodies that then get woken up in the Hall of Awakening.

The whole plot-line is Eirich getting desperate and barricading himself into the vault, trying to corrupt the Earthen there himself.
That's what his boss fight is about, that's also why the final boss room is surrounded by a circle of Earthen crystal coffins.

The entire backdrop is a big conveyor belt, moving Earthen around.

[Cheezits]

I wonder if they will do a Scourge Villain Council with Drakuru and Darkhan? Both served the Scourge, though Darkhan is more tied to Void recently, and both are heavily tied to upcoming expansion zones. You could also include Balnazzar due to the Scarlets being close to both areas but I think they are playing the very long game with the Nathrezim until people "forget" about SL.

Drakuru would be a great undead overlord of Zul'drak but no idea how he would fit into the Titans and Iridikron plots.

It would also be an interesting twist if they go all in on the idea that the Drakkari have been wiped out, so it's a kingdom of undead trolls and we actually ALLY with Drakuru because of how close they are to Ulduar. Technically he should be friendly with pre-Cata characters anyway as they helped him. Maybe the Drakkari and the Ebon Blade form some kind of Accord.

Something something "tentatively friendly undead troll group that doesn't like Bwonsamdi (he hates the undead he can't control) so they are more friends with the Forsaken than Darkspear/Zandalari". It would be cool to have one playable troll group that doesn't bow to the empire.

[Enrif]

I wonder if they will do a Scourge Villain Council with Drakuru and Darkhan? Both served the Scourge, though Darkhan is more tied to Void recently.

Drakuru would be a great undead overlord of Zul'drak but no idea how he would fit into the Titans and Iridikron plots.

It would also be an interesting twist if they go all in on the idea that the Drakkari have been wiped out, so it's a kingdom of undead trolls and we actually ALLY with Drakuru because of how close they are to Ulduar. Technically he should be friendly with pre-Cata characters anyway as they helped him. Maybe the Drakkari and the Ebon Blade form some kind of Accord.

I can't see any big or important story with the scourge either in midnight or TLT. At best i can see it as a sideplot, similar to the kobolds or kobyss in TWW.

[Sondrelk]

I can't see any big or important story with the scourge either in midnight or TLT. At best i can see it as a sideplot, similar to the kobolds or kobyss in TWW.

The Goblins were not that important in this expansion either in the grand scheme. B-list enemies at best, and us going to Undermine had very flimsy justification beyond the meta reason of it being really cool if we went to Undermine.
I could easily see something similar for the Scourge in Midnight as an example. They are mostly there alongside random necromancers who swear fealty to Xal'atath. And once we get to 12.1 or whatever, we need to help cleanse Stratholme in order to remove one side of the overall conflict in EK.

Very flimsy justification that mostly boils down to it being really cool if we had a raid in Stratholme.

[Khaza-R]

I can't see any big or important story with the scourge either in midnight or TLT. At best i can see it as a sideplot, similar to the kobolds or kobyss in TWW.

Void fatigue is going to be a real issue in Midnight though. Especially since the 11.2 is likely to be void-themed regardless if its rootlands, ethereals, beledar, etc.

I can definitely see them trying to break it up with the Scourge or Scarlets or perhaps a mix of the two. It also maybe sets the stage for new goals for both factions in Northrend. So its not like the story has to be totally isolated to Midnight.

[Limayria]

SoD is also getting a scarlet raid rn fwiw with some really cool new quest regarding ashbringer and some sick tbc armor recolors

all of which would be pretty nice content to add to retail at some point as its currently only accesiable on SoD

[Sondrelk]

SoD is also getting a scarlet raid rn fwiw with some really cool new quest regarding ashbringer and some sick tbc armor recolors

all of which would be pretty nice content to add to retail at some point as its currently only accesiable on SoD

Yup. It's the inescapable truth of Classic+.
Unless it's purely reused content like the previous "raids". The obvious question that will be asked is whether the new stuff will be available to players in Retail. Even more so when there are unique cosmetics like what we see being added to SoD right now.
It might be a really low-poly mount. But I bet tons of players will want the new horse mounts for their paladins.

[Khaza-R]

SoD is also getting a scarlet raid rn fwiw with some really cool new quest regarding ashbringer and some sick tbc armor recolors

all of which would be pretty nice content to add to retail at some point as its currently only accesiable on SoD

Maybe a Classic SoD remix after Legion? Although there's so much content there. Its kind of hard to see how they could make it work.

[Limayria]

I want the scarlet robes theyre adding too lol i could see in midnight us getting some scarlet content though it might be more of a questline in the style of the new naxx stuff and old scholo/sm stuff as a path to getting the new SoD cosmetics rather than a scarlet raid or dungeon

[Lady Atia]

The Goblins were not that important in this expansion either in the grand scheme. B-list enemies at best, and us going to Undermine had very flimsy justification beyond the meta reason of it being really cool if we went to Undermine.
I could easily see something similar for the Scourge in Midnight as an example. They are mostly there alongside random necromancers who swear fealty to Xal'atath. And once we get to 12.1 or whatever, we need to help cleanse Stratholme in order to remove one side of the overall conflict in EK.

Very flimsy justification that mostly boils down to it being really cool if we had a raid in Stratholme.

Why should we have Stratholme in Midnight when we will get the Scourge Remnants in TLT?

[Sondrelk]

Why should we have Stratholme in Midnight when we will get the Scourge Remnants in TLT?

Because Stratholme is the more iconic location, with more obvious potential for content.
Scourge remnants in TLT is an obvious choice for extra content. But outside revisiting ICC, there isn't really a whole lot of places that are obvious candidates for a Scourge nostalgia raid. Lots of places that might work for dungeons or delves. But unless you go for a full Naxxramas or ICC wholesale revisit, there isn't anywhere I can think of that works as well.

In short: Midnight is ironically the expansion with more obvious places to be upscaled to a full Scourge raid if they choose to do so. Whereas with TLT its probably easier to reuse Zul'drak. Utgarde pinnacle. Or something Old God related.

[Lady Atia]

Because Stratholme is the more iconic location, with more obvious potential for content.
Scourge remnants in TLT is an obvious choice for extra content. But outside revisiting ICC, there isn't really a whole lot of places that are obvious candidates for a Scourge nostalgia raid. Lots of places that might work for dungeons or delves. But unless you go for a full Naxxramas or ICC wholesale revisit, there isn't anywhere I can think of that works as well.

In short: Midnight is ironically the expansion with more obvious places to be upscaled to a full Scourge raid if they choose to do so. Whereas with TLT its probably easier to reuse Zul'drak. Utgarde pinnacle. Or something Old God related.

I mean, Stratholme is still in Lordaeron and NOT QT .... they can easily safe that as another location down the line when we actually revamp EK's.

[Cheezits]

In short: Midnight is ironically the expansion with more obvious places to be upscaled to a full Scourge raid if they choose to do so. Whereas with TLT its probably easier to reuse Zul'drak. Utgarde pinnacle. Or something Old God related.

Zul'drak is Scourge clay at this point. I cannot see it being a Vrykul or Titan raid, and the possibility of Old God shit after TWW is low.

Couple that with the high possibility of a troll raid in Midnight and I don't think Zul'drak will be a raid at all. I don't actually know what they will do, hence the crazy theories.

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Why should we have Stratholme in Midnight when we will get the Scourge Remnants in TLT?

Because it would advance the Forsaken story (ESPECIALLY Calia's), be a cool nostalgia thing, and also provide a much needed change up from elf and Amani zones. I would much prefer a Stratholme-tied zone at launch than a random Naga whirlpool land or Quel'danas being turned into its own Broken Shore thing.

K'aresh is definitely on the table (unless it's TWW) but I can't see it being launch. There will need to be four varied zones just like TWW launch (Ringing Deeps had kobolds and Machine Speaker culture to diversify from Dorne) and Ghostlands/Eversong/Queldanas/Amani wont cut it.

[Xilurm]

Just found out that Reznik wasn't voiced because the VA was one of the VA's that went on a strike against AI in voice acting. So instead of recasting him, Blizz just left the character unvoiced. Pretty cool of Blizzard to do that.

[Ersula]

I mean, Stratholme is still in Lordaeron and NOT QT .... they can easily safe that as another location down the line when we actually revamp EK's.

Interesting detail about that is that during Warcraft 3, the Alliance was essentially considered one kingdom (Lordaeron) the devs were treating the former kingdoms as cities within it: Turalyon referred to the new Alliance as "The Alliance of Lordaeron" in Warcraft 2 & if you look closely, that's why Stratholme and Dalaran both have Lordaeron flags in Warcraft 3 cutscenes. Stratholme & Andorhol would have been considered their own kingdoms in WoW if they had survived. Which makes sense considering they were about the same size as Lordaeron, Stormwind & Dalaran etc.

This is pretty much why a kingdom in WoW is basically just a city and only several yards away from other kingdoms.

So technically Quel Thalas was part of Lordaeron for a while.