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

[Nymrohd]

Especially since their screeching and habit of swarming and harassing others for differences in opinion is largely the reason why so many players simply do not bother to participate in discussions surrounding the game's story in the numbers that they once did.

I severely doubt this. The main reasons are very different a) the faction war was the one of the main lore attractions and that conversation is now largely dead, b) a lot of people are far less passionate about the lore after BfA and SL. Up to BfA and especially until 8.2.5, lore discussions probably had the greatest volume.

[Mackud]

The Ethereum are K'aresh's former ruling class, and are completely obsessed with getting revenge on Dimensius and his forces, no matter the cost.

That's how rebellions and/or splinter factions work. It's like saying we're not fighting Ireland, we're fighting the UK, Ireland splintered off from the UK in 1916 much like the Ethereum who channeled the void became a splinter faction as the Shadowguard but channeling the void when you're unable to control it means you've completely defeated the objective you were trying to achieve in the first place.

They're not the same faction they're predecessors. A more recent example in modern history would be the Syrian war where Al Qaeda in Iraq splintered off into Islamic State. You wouldn't say they were the same faction at all.

Others became factions associated with the Burning Legion like the ones you see in Blades Edge Mountain and Magisters Terrace who have more purer minds as they're not possessed and the Burning Legion is an enemy of the Void

[Foreign Exchange Ztudent]

I feel like its more about apathy and the general realization that nothing ever really happens. I guess we all just want Big Daddy Dimensius to devour all over us for Midnight because at least thats' something tangible than "UNKNOWN MCGUFFIN FRISBEE" with unknown characters that have no characterization.

[Hitei]

That's how rebellions and/or splinter factions work. It's like saying we're not fighting Ireland, we're fighting the UK, Ireland splintered off from the UK in 1916 much like the Ethereum who channeled the void became a splinter faction as the Shadowguard but channeling the void when you're unable to control it means you've completely defeated the objective you were trying to achieve in the first place.

Being a hypocrite, or even actively working against your previous goals doesn't mean you suddenly no longer count as part of that faction. The distinction here is formal, you have to actually leave the faction. Ireland didn't just stop being the UK when they had an uprising in 1916, they stopped being the UK in 1921 when they formalized a self-governance treaty and became the Irish Free State.

Vol'jin (and players) in open rebellion against the Horde and the Horde's warchief, working with Alliance didn't suddenly become not-Horde. Alleria was still a part of the Army of the Light despite actively using the Void and being jailed for it.

The Ethereum using the Void doesn't make them not still Ethereum if they haven't actually renounced it and decided to become something else.

As Viridiel pointed out above, we already knew that the Shadowguard are some sort of sub-faction of the Ethereum because Saprish was still titled Ethereum-Lord. Even if the entire rest of the Ethereum consider the Shadowguard traitors and Saprish and his group were banished, they're still a traitorous group of Ethereum, because they have not forsaken that identity.

[Ersula]

Being a hypocrite, or even actively working against your previous goals doesn't mean you suddenly no longer count as part of that faction. The distinction here is formal, you have to actually leave the faction. Ireland didn't just stop being the UK when they had an uprising in 1916, they stopped being the UK in 1921 when they formalized a self-governance treaty and became the Irish Free State.

Vol'jin (and players) in open rebellion against the Horde and the Horde's warchief, working with Alliance didn't suddenly become not-Horde. Alleria was still a part of the Army of the Light despite actively using the Void and being jailed for it.

The Ethereum using the Void doesn't make them not still Ethereum if they haven't actually renounced it and decided to become something else.

As Viridiel pointed out above, we already knew that the Shadowguard are some sort of sub-faction of the Ethereum because Saprish was still titled Ethereum-Lord. Even if the entire rest of the Ethereum consider the Shadowguard traitors and Saprish and his group were banished, they're still a traitorous group of Ethereum, because they have not forsaken that identity.

That's the thing... Which of these two groups are enemies of Xal? Perhaps both. Both are void Ethereals but the Shadowguard work for Dimensius, while the Eternium want void powers to fight Dimensius. Locus walker seems to represent a third faction of Ethereals who were attuned to void against their will. Three different void ethereal factions.

If I had to guess the shadowguard are both our & Xal's enemies and we might even team up against them in the finale of TWW. I'd even bet they decided to do the saga because they knew people would hate if the finale of TWW had us befriending Xal without knowing she's our enemy overall.

Considering the datamined ethereals aren't void-attuned at all means playable etherals are basically guarenteed.

[Hitei]

Considering the datamined ethereals aren't void-attuned at all means playable etherals are basically guarenteed.

Not sure about that conclusion. Not that I don't think them being playable is likely, I do. But the models not being "void-attuned" (something that basically only requires their energy effects be swapped out) doesn't really prove anything, because we can expect there to be regular non-void NPC Ethereals on K'aresh or in Midnight or whever they come into play in force. I mean, even in your scenario, the playable ones would be coming from some faction of regular Ethereals who would have a bunch of NPCs associated with them and so need those models.

[Cheezits]

Since there's literally nothing new to speculate about... what are you guys really hoping for in 11.1.5 - 11.2.7 (e.g. the rest of War Within)?[/LIST]

The Gallagio opening up into... something. Though this could happen at any patch in any expansion. It likely will have a new interior as the raid layout doesn't really work as an actual casino.

Some kind of Arathi airship mount. Maybe the meta achievement mount?

[Eldryth]

Since there's literally nothing new to speculate about... what are you guys really hoping for in 11.1.5 - 11.2.7 (e.g. the rest of War Within)?

Playable Ethereals is my one big wish- they've been the race I've wanted most ever since TBC and it finally feels like the story is right for it.

Aside from that, either K'aresh or Rootlands for the remaining big zone. It being K'aresh is seeming more and more likely at this point, as much as that would throw off all my expectations for Midnight's ending.

Some kind of Arathi airship mount. Maybe the meta achievement mount?

Or possibly the S3 customizable mount, if it's not Ethereal-themed.

[Foreign Exchange Ztudent]

So Ion's weird retort about returning to Undermine and with the connection to the re-opening of the Casino seems like that's what we're returning for later in 10.1.7 or something.

But yeah, I am wondering if we see more RP focused stuff like Surname system for RP Servers, Instruments and what not. I do feel like if they copied the Housing System and made it better they could also copy the instruments and do it better too at some point.

I honestly don't really know whats' left in this expansion, I mean I am pretty excited if we do get a Playable Ethereal faction. If not and this K'aresh thing crashes and burns I just want the Final Raid to be World Soul related and not just Rootlands.

[Ersula]

Not sure about that conclusion. Not that I don't think them being playable is likely, I do. But the models not being "void-attuned" (something that basically only requires their energy effects be swapped out) doesn't really prove anything, because we can expect there to be regular non-void NPC Ethereals on K'aresh or in Midnight or whever they come into play in force. I mean, even in your scenario, the playable ones would be coming from some faction of regular Ethereals who would have a bunch of NPCs associated with them and so need those models.

But so far they've established multiple ethereal factions and they're all void or arcane attuned. Both good and evil. Why make fire, death, nature customization for a npc race if they're not going to be playable? We know the ethereals of Karesh were forced to attune to void to survive the conversion. Either they're going to be playable or they just wasted a lot of time establishing other kinds of ethereals.

[Kiivar86]

Or possibly the S3 customizable mount, if it's not Ethereal-themed.

I seem to recall Arathi decals being datamined for the delve mount so that's my bet.

[Khaza-R]

If K'aresh or an Ethereal raid is 11.2 and they're also the AR of Midnight. I could see them being a pre-order bonus to play early in 11.2.7

[Ersula]

Playable Ethereals is my one big wish- they've been the race I've wanted most ever since TBC and it finally feels like the story is right for it.

But see, Ethereals aren't an allied race, they're an entirely new race. While Harronirs are night elf allied race. I think the best case scenario we can hope for is because they're in the data now, that they're the pre-order bonus for midnight.

[Hitei]

But so far they've established multiple ethereal factions and they're all void or arcane attuned. Both good and evil. Why make fire, death, nature customization for a npc race if they're not going to be playable? We know the ethereals of Karesh were forced to attune to void to survive the conversion. Either they're going to be playable or they just wasted a lot of time establishing other kinds of ethereals.

1) What exactly are you taking as "fire, death, nature customization"?
2) Why would a playable set of Ethereals be from a bunch of entirely separate completely differently aligned groups?
3) Again players hypothetically coming from different aligned groups requires those different factions also exist as NPCs, so the models for different sorts would exist anyway. Like AU Orcs don't come in a large variety because player races need more customization so they made a bunch of different kinds. The player Maghar have a bunch of varied kinds because they made a bunch of different looks for the NPC orc clans.

[Nymrohd]

2) Why would a playable set of Ethereals be from a bunch of entirely separate completely differently aligned groups?

Mag'har are from several clans. Draenei nowadays can include Man'ari. So why not have ethereals from multiple groups?

[Ersula]

Players hypothetically coming from different aligned groups requires those different factions also exist as NPCs, so the models for different sorts would exist anyway. Like AU Orcs don't come in a large variety because player races need more customization so they made a bunch of different kinds. The player Maghar have a bunch of varied kinds because they made a bunch of different looks for the NPC orc clans.

But why would they make them if these multicolored ethereals don't exist in lore already? Ethereals have always been various kinds of purple, but suddenly they're getting Drakthyr levels of customization. The Orc Clans are not an appropriate analogy because those clans existed long before they became playable. An orange ethereal goes against everything already established about Ethereals.

To put it more plainly, the customization for these Ethereals rivals and even exceeds existing playable races. While non-playable races get far less. If we were simply getting a patch zome of Ethereals they'd just be various colors of purple that have already been established.

[Hitei]

Mag'har are from several clans. Draenei nowadays can include Man'ari. So why not have ethereals from multiple groups?

Those two situations aren't even similar to each other, let alone Ethereals.

Orcs have been a bunch of clans since WC3, and the AU Mag'har were a bunch of very different looking clans two expansions before playable allied race Mag'har were added in. Draenei got a couple customization options for one specific subgroup that existed even back in 2007 when Draenei were first retconned, and only got those options, three expansions AFTER the man'ari storyline was resolved with the defeat of Sargeras and KJ.

This is sorta my point.

It's like looking at a bunch of new orc visuals and yellow glowy eyes in some minor leak before WoD alpha, and taking that as hard confirmation that we're getting playable fire orcs. They didn't get a bunch of new visuals and types because they were being made playable in WoD, they got them because the next expansion had a bunch of different groups of orcs. We know it's pretty likely that the next expansion, or even 11.2 or whatever, is going to have a bunch of different Ethereals, so a handful of customization options on a new model is quite flimsy evidence.

- - - Updated - - -

But why would they make them if these multicolored ethereals don't exist in lore already? Ethereals have always been various kinds of purple, but suddenly they're getting Drakthyr levels of customization. The Orc Clans are not an appropriate analogy because those clans existed long before they became playable. An orange ethereal goes against everything already established about Ethereals.

To put it more plainly, the customization for these Ethereals rivals and even exceeds existing playable races. While non-playable races get far less. If we were simply getting a patch zome of Ethereals they'd just be various colors of purple that have already been established.

Ah, here is your problem. This isn't the case. They've been multicolored since they were first added in BC, and that was only doubled down on in subsequent media like hearthstone.

[Ersula]

Ah, here is your problem. This isn't the case. They've been multicolored since they were first added in BC, and that was only doubled down on in subsequent media like hearthstone.

Your examples are 4 pink/purple ethereals so.... you're going to need more than "pink and purple are different" because they're really not

[Mecheon]

Your examples are 4 pink/purple ethereals so.... you're going to need more than "pink and purple are different" because they're really not

Think you gotta get your monitor checked. That's purple, red, white and blue. I can see interpreting the blue as more of a purple, but its clearly a very different shade to that sharp violet of the first one

[Cheezits]

So Ion's weird retort about returning to Undermine and with the connection to the re-opening of the Casino seems like that's what we're returning for later in 10.1.7 or something.

But yeah, I am wondering if we see more RP focused stuff like Surname system for RP Servers, Instruments and what not. I do feel like if they copied the Housing System and made it better they could also copy the instruments and do it better too at some point.

I honestly don't really know whats' left in this expansion, I mean I am pretty excited if we do get a Playable Ethereal faction. If not and this K'aresh thing crashes and burns I just want the Final Raid to be World Soul related and not just Rootlands.

Where did he mention returning to Undermine? Dastardly Duos takes place in Undermine so it could just be that.