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

[johnnyd2]

JFC are they SERIOUSLY Timegating the ANNOUNCEMENT of the next patch?

[Scyth]

I was sure whatever bit of story we get in 11.1.7 will be Xal-related but I guess I was wrong

[Wyrt]

I feel like I'm alone in disliking the Arathi. They just feel like more humans with more light to me. 2 patches in a row focused up them doesn't sound great.

[Nymrohd]

I feel like I'm alone in disliking the Arathi. They just feel like more humans with more light to me. 2 patches in a row focused up them doesn't sound great.

I only like the Arathi in that it provides a way for Blizzard to get their zealous human light crusader villains without fucking the Alliance with the villain bat. They could have done it with the Scarlets but it would seem so ridiculous (it already is so ridiculous they still exist)

[Makorus]

I feel like I'm alone in disliking the Arathi. They just feel like more humans with more light to me. 2 patches in a row focused up them doesn't sound great.

idk, I think it's good to get another "human" enemy at some point, rather than some monster race.

[Wyrt]

idk, I think it's good to get another "human" enemy at some point, rather than some monster race.

They're not enemies so far. The empire may be in the future, but the ones we have this expansion most likely not.

[Makorus]

They're not enemies so far. The empire may be in the future, but the ones we have this expansion most likely not.

I mean, they definitely are enemies at this point. Not the Arathi we are dealing with, but the Arathi Empire? Definitely.

[Nymrohd]

They're not enemies so far. The empire may be in the future, but the ones we have this expansion most likely not.

That is another part that I like. For once we are introduced to the inevitable "Friendly Renown faction rebels" ahead of time so we can have stakes when we enter the story. Though for some reason I expect a LOT of the Arathi will die in the next patch when the Beledar goes kablooey

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Damn looking at the Trading Post, you will never convince me there was no cut Drust raid from Shadowlands. We've gotten so much Drust-themed mogs in the post over time.

[Makorus]

That is another part that I like. For once we are introduced to the inevitable "Friendly Renown faction rebels" ahead of time so we can have stakes when we enter the story. Though for some reason I expect a LOT of the Arathi will die in the next patch when the Beledar goes kablooey

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Damn looking at the Trading Post, you will never convince me there was no cut Drust raid from Shadowlands. We've gotten so much Drust-themed mogs in the post over time.

Yeaaaah, thats what I thought when I looked at this trading post.

No way they made all these high-quality Drust weapons for no reason.

[Dvalin]

Yeaaaah, thats what I thought when I looked at this trading post.

No way they made all these high-quality Drust weapons for no reason.

The problem is, they're of a higher/different quality (pixel-wise) than Shadowlands weapons.

[Sondrelk]

I only like the Arathi in that it provides a way for Blizzard to get their zealous human light crusader villains without fucking the Alliance with the villain bat. They could have done it with the Scarlets but it would seem so ridiculous (it already is so ridiculous they still exist)

I don't think the Scarlets could credibly be the kind of threat the Arathi could be. Powerful paladins and priests for sure, but not strike teams on airships.

I imagine that Midnight will show the Scarlets allying, or at least attempting to ally, with the Arathi Empire in some fashion.

[Nymrohd]

The problem is, they're of a higher/different quality (pixel-wise) than Shadowlands weapons.

Really? That's interesting. I guess the Drust are a vastly better Dark Druid aesthetic than the Flame Druids ever were (Why did Blizzard not use Drust as the side villains for Amirdrassil? Damn shame, Fyrakk already had the Flame scheme covered).

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I don't think the Scarlets could credibly be the kind of threat the Arathi could be. Powerful paladins and priests for sure, but not strike teams on airships.

I imagine that Midnight will show the Scarlets allying, or at least attempting to ally, with the Arathi Empire in some fashion.

Yeah the Scarlets have always been punching bags so they could never deliver, thus the Arathi. Blizzard could have told a different story for them back in Wrath but that didn't pan out and they just became filler for zone storylines that didn't even get a dungeon for themselves.

[Sondrelk]

Yeah the Scarlets have always been punching bags so they could never deliver, thus the Arathi. Blizzard could have told a different story for them back in Wrath but that didn't pan out and they just became filler for zone storylines that didn't even get a dungeon for themselves.

My hope is that the Scarlets end up becoming a part of the greater Arathi empire, giving them the credibility to continue being a menace in the Eastern Kingdoms. Maybe taking over larger areas or some such. Just imagine the giant airships with Scarlet Crusade theming.

[Nymrohd]

My hope is that the Scarlets end up becoming a part of the greater Arathi empire, giving them the credibility to continue being a menace in the Eastern Kingdoms. Maybe taking over larger areas or some such. Just imagine the giant airships with Scarlet Crusade theming.

Honestly I'd love to have part of the Scarlet fleet blown of course back in Wrath, arriving at the Arathi Empire and then coming back with the entire Empire to attack us, having convinced the Emperor we are corrupt monsters and everything that has gone wrong in the past few decades is our fault (you know, the Shattering, the Legion invading, the Old Gods invading . . . all these should have happened in their land as well).

[Cheezits]

Considering the Arathi probably thematically were inspired by the Scarlets they will definitely team up.

Red, flames, holy, zealous...

[Foolicious]

Is everybody emotionally prepared to be disappointed by the beledar reveal?

Really? That's interesting. I guess the Drust are a vastly better Dark Druid aesthetic than the Flame Druids ever were (Why did Blizzard not use Drust as the side villains for Amirdrassil? Damn shame, Fyrakk already had the Flame scheme covered).

The druids of the flame have more of a connection to nightelfs, amirdrassil and the firelands than the drust. The drust would have been the more interesting aesthetic though. The druid of the flame visuals fell flat after fighting primalists all expansion.

[Cheezits]

No chance in hell were the Drust weapons from Shadowlands. If anything they were antagonists in the Rootlands and those are scrapped raid/zone weapons.

Could just be artists having fun though.

[milkmustache]

No chance in hell were the Drust weapons from Shadowlands. If anything they were antagonists in the Rootlands and those are scrapped raid/zone weapons.

Could just be artists having fun though.

I like the idea that the Drust possibly play a role in whatever vision of the "Rootlands" devs had (regardless if we go there or not).

I'm not totally sure the Trading Post items are recycled from cut content, but I agree there's no way they're from Shadowlands. I think the Drust are a cool enough aesthetic to find excuses to bring them back in content like the Trading Post. Almost like a precursor to the Arathi in the sense that it was new lore that was overwhelmingly accepted as awesome (I think?)

[FossilFree]

Witch class incoming? If the Amani are friendly and neutral in Midnight, a Witch class would fit right in there. Perhaps it could have a Shadow Hunter hero talent tree?

[Cheezits]

I'm not totally sure the Trading Post items are recycled from cut content, but I agree there's no way they're from Shadowlands. I think the Drust are a cool enough aesthetic to find excuses to bring them back in content like the Trading Post. Almost like a precursor to the Arathi in the sense that it was new lore that was overwhelmingly accepted as awesome (I think?)

While the way they were handled in BFA and SL ranges from good to iffy IMO, I think the idea of "Vrykul Death Druids because ofc Vrykul love death, classic Vrykul" has been well accepted. As well as the Thornspeakers.

And not all the TP items are recycled, clearly most are just new ideas the artists cook up to make sales. But Blizz has been cheeky about reusing stuff in smart ways lately- that children's week robot is very likely tied to that promotional set that was goblin themed.

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Witch class incoming? If the Amani are friendly and neutral in Midnight, a Witch class would fit right in there. Perhaps it could have a Shadow Hunter hero talent tree?

I think if we're getting a class it's something that wasn't on the survey. I still think a Windrunner themed spellbow class would work (Void/Arcane/Shadow) and fit the themes of the expansion.

Also, I'm just realizing this now, but all three of those magics have warp effects. So it could be a very movement heavy class that zips around and can create portals/fly like Sylvanas does.