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

[Joshuaj]

Blizzard has dropped major plot threads before, both in BFA (Sylvanas ditches) and DF (Tyr? who cares).

I think Rootlands were moved because someone had to tell the team that it was too derivative. Even if it's surrounding Azeroth's sleeping titan form. "It's too derivative and not hype enough" could very easily be higher-up commentary that just got them to course correct.

The Black Blood is not a super exciting story, especially if you have played since Cata where the aesthetic constantly is repeated. Even Vanilla if you count Silithus.

Neither of those plots were dropped. Sylvanas ditching was continued with Shadowlands, and DF's plot with Tyr is likely continuing in TLT.

[Cheezits]

Neither of those plots were dropped. Sylvanas ditching was continued with Shadowlands, and DF's plot with Tyr is likely continuing in TLT.

And Rootlands can be continued in a future expansion as well. Dropped as in "dropped in its current expansion regardless of how important it is".

This is kind of a reverse situation to Sylvanas where she wasn't as important to N'zoth in the main expansion story but people didn't care about him in comparison to her.

- - - Updated - - -

I'll add in one more argument: it is silly to go to a secret World Tree backdoored by Elune, and guarded by what look to be primordial Dark Elves/Trolls, without a single notable Kaldorei or Troll in the cast.

In early builds Talanji was seen in the Haranir camp, and while she could've been a placeholder, it also could've been a hint that she was going to reach out to them for obvious reasons. But instead there are no troll or night elf characters whatsoever in TWW. Yes, they could port in suddenly for 11.2, but I think a natural story going from Midnight (where they definitely will appear) to TLT (or maybe during Midnight!) would make way more sense.

It would be like going to Undermine in TWW without Gazlowe. Actually more difficult, as this is an OC idea, and it needs Azeroth characters to ground it to what we know (Wild Gods, World Trees, Loa, Elune, etc)

[Khaza-R]

In early builds Talanji was seen in the Haranir camp, and while she could've been a placeholder, it also could've been a hint that she was going to reach out to them for obvious reasons. But instead there are no troll or night elf characters whatsoever in TWW. Yes, they could port in suddenly for 11.2, but I think a natural story going from Midnight (where they definitely will appear) to TLT (or maybe during Midnight!) would make way more sense.

It would be like going to Undermine without Gazlowe. Actually more difficult, as this is an OC idea, and it needs Azeroth characters to ground it to what we know (Wild Gods, World Trees, Loa, Elune, etc)

I think there was definitley some primordial troll subplot that got axed at some point in development. For one, they mentioned it back in the DF reveal but then it never happened. So I wonder if it was something intended for Zaralek but got pushed to TWW only to get scrapped again when rootlands didn't make it.

I am assuming they were going to link trolls to the elements. But I could see maybe that story getting pushed to the TLT if we're again revisiting the natrual Azeroth versus Titan influenced Azeroth.

As for the harranir I wonder if they were intended to be linked into this. Maybe they are progentiors elves or perhaps they're just Azeroth's version of the Mok'nathal.

Magnaron -> Gronn -> Ogron -> Ogres -> Orcs

Deepwalker -> ???? -> Dire Trolls -> Trolls -> Elves?

[Joshuaj]

Y'all think we gonna go to the White Lady at all in Midnight?

[Merryck]

Y'all think we gonna go to the White Lady at all in Midnight?

That's what I'm hoping. We go to the moon and meet Elune.

[Hitei]

Fair but I don't know how much the casual player is going to distinguish this

from this

I appreciate your point, but you're also pretty heavily cherrypicking for the sake of argument here. 90% of the Emerald Dream isn't that one specific cave-y sort of section. Without even getting into the fact that we don't really have any idea what the hypothetical Cradle actually looks like. For all we know, its like an underground Azerite-themed jungle beneath the glowing worldsoul.

This:


doesn't really look anything like this:



The plants that the Harronir brought with them (see above: their huts and clothes and weapons and storage) rather than the roots and flora that are just growing around Hallowfall/Azj-kahet are all distinctly nothing like the ED aesthetics. They're bright green-yellow vines with red thorns, bright red, orange and purple leaves. And we can only assume that those are what the Rootlands look like, since they're clearly not getting them from any of the visited Khaz Algar zones.

This looks nothing like 10.2:



A zone of twisting blood-thorny green roots, sharp looking orange leaves and dark bark is pretty safely not retreading anything recent. It's obviously dipping into the raw Life look we got with the Evergrowth in WoD (it had that same red and green blood thorn thing going on)

[Joshuaj]

Prolly not gonna expect anything for this gamesfest panel huh?

[Dracullus]

Prolly not gonna expect anything for this gamesfest panel huh?

Since Microsoft merger Blizzard always show something on Xbox showcase. If I had to bet, money would be rather on D4 second expansion CGI trailer than WoW patch, but we will see.

Todays panel? Nah.

[Joshuaj]

Since Microsoft merger Blizzard always show something on Xbox showcase. If I had to bet, money would be rather on D4 second expansion CGI trailer than WoW patch, but we will see.

Todays panel? Nah.

Maybe? But doesn't that expac release in 2026?

[Dracullus]

Maybe? But doesn't that expac release in 2026?

Yes. That's why it's perfect time for reveal if Midnight will be on Gamescom.

[Joshuaj]

Yes. That's why it's perfect time for reveal if Midnight will be on Gamescom.

I guess, yeah. Why can't both be shown tho? D4 expac and WoW patch

[Dracullus]

I guess, yeah. Why can't both be shown tho? D4 expac and WoW patch

Oh I think this is possible, just think D4 expac is more likely. Could be both too, could be also Overwatch (I think expecting anything from Hearthstone would be going way too far xD).

[Monkal]

That's my expectation. Rootlands is a large zone with 3-4 themes; Elun'ahir and the Harronir town, Black Blood infestation, Titan ruins, Ethereal Invasion. The Ethereal area includes a portal that leads to a smaller K'aresh zone that is similar to the Argus zones (chunk of rock in space, other areas seen in the skybox). Raid portal is in K'aresh, at least one delve in each zone plus a dungeon (maybe in Rootlands to split the theme).

Then if Midnight includes playable Ethereals, we get a second zone in K'aresh that serves as their starting area. Or it is in an entirely different location in the cosmos (heck it could even be a revamped Netherstorm which would have me drooling.)

That said, I am usually wrong.

I think this is it. We get a bit of Karesh now and more on Midnight.

[Khaza-R]

I appreciate your point, but you're also pretty heavily cherrypicking for the sake of argument here.

Not really. You can draw distinction of course. I would never argue that. But its same that the average player sees Outland and Argus as the same regardless of their very important lore distinctions. And again "cradle" is never captilized meaning it isn't a proper place.

Rootlands is nothing but a name in some file people keep trying to make relevant but just isn't.

[Limayria]

Not really. You can draw distinction of course. I would never argue that. But its same that the average player sees Outland and Argus as the same regardless of their very important lore distinctions. And again "cradle" is never captilized meaning it isn't a proper place.

Rootlands is nothing but a name in some file people keep trying to make relevant but just isn't.

Okay but you can't make a game around what people who are genuinely incapable of obtaining information from your video game think

If people aren't able to tell two entirely different planets apart they won't be able to meaningfully understand anything and thus clearly don't care enough to be catered to

[Khaza-R]

Okay but you can't make a game around what people who are genuinely incapable of obtaining information from your video game think

If people aren't able to tell two entirely different planets apart they won't be able to meaningfully understand anything and thus clearly don't care enough to be catered to

I don't disagree with you. But in the same breath Blizzard would never do Outland to Argus back to back. So yeah, general theme matters regardless of interpretation of it.

[KyleEverett]

I don't disagree with you. But in the same breath Blizzard would never do Outland to Argus back to back. So yeah, general theme matters regardless of interpretation of it.

We literally had Hellfire Citadel, Temple of Sargeras, and Antorus almost back to back.

[Khaza-R]

We literally had Hellfire Citadel, Temple of Sargeras, and Antorus almost back to back.

And that created the whole orc and fel fague arugment which created their modern design philosophy. Possible they walked back from that. But until proven it isn't likely.

[Makorus]

We literally had Hellfire Citadel, Temple of Sargeras, and Antorus almost back to back.

A common complaint was Orc fatigue (SoO into WoD) and Demon Fatigue (HFC into Legion).

[huth]

Fair but I don't know how much the casual player is going to distinguish this

You can just say i instead of trying to blame it on some nebulous "casual player" that isn't really defined beyond their complete lack of visual capability.