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

[Nymrohd]

The final raid being tree-themed of two expansions in a row would be....something

No reason it would be. Zone could be rootlands, raid could be K'aresh.

[Merryck]

No reason it would be. Zone could be rootlands, raid could be K'aresh.

I do think Rootland could be the main zone, and K'aresh could be a Maw-like zone where the raid is also set.

[Ashworth]

Crazy theory (Not sure if it was mentioned before), but what if Xal'atath is a Light/void renegade with her own agenda to provoke the Renilash, but not join any of the sides?

We defeat her in 11.2 but instead of dying, it phases to her light being persona, probably with another name, personality, but same goals. The relationship between the void and light personas, which are aligned in goals but can never coexist together could very well be parallel with Alleria and Turalyon's relationship, probably even tempting the couple during the storyline to join her in order to "be together".

The light being persona would come to instigate the Arathi Empire into the Renilash in Midnight, who would believe her every word as prophetic.

[Nymrohd]

I do think Rootland could be the main zone, and K'aresh could be a Maw-like zone where the raid is also set.

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.

[Makorus]

I support K'aresh for Midnight if only because it would diffuse the elf-centrism we might end up seeing. But I believe our road leads to K'aresh in TWW. The freshest bread crumbs we have (end of Undermine(d) cinematic, Ethereal timewalking, dev interview) lead towards K'aresh. The rest are stale.

Yeah, I feel like Blizzard is going to be in a lot of trouble with the community after first shipping a lackluster .5 and then also release a patch that's not Karesh after having a Karesh cliffhanger in the last patch.

I just feel like it would be way better thematically in Midnight.

Then again, it happens a lot that the last patch of the expansion uses assets from the next expansion to save on workload.

[Nymrohd]

Yeah, I feel like Blizzard is going to be in a lot of trouble with the community after first shipping a lackluster .5 and then also release a patch that's not Karesh after having a Karesh cliffhanger in the last patch.

I just feel like it would be way better thematically in Midnight.

Then again, it happens a lot that the last patch of the expansion uses assets from the next expansion to save on workload.

Eh, I think most of the fanbase doesn't care that deeply. As long as we get new content regularly, the systems work and the story is not offensively bad, most people will be happy.

[huth]

No reason it would be. Zone could be rootlands, raid could be K'aresh.

Most of Amirdrassil wasn't really tree themed anyway. And underground root systems are quite a different setting from treetops.

[milkmustache]

I think something that’s often forgotten in this discussion is the Dark Heart almost being the main vehicle for the expansion so far. If we had just seen a short clip of an ethereal in K’aresh without it, I’d be fully on board with the idea that it’s a tease for Midnight. It’s deliberate inclusion is the hint that we’re following it in some form.

Even more important, Xal’atath’s anger with Gallywix giving it to Azir shows that she is going to follow it. I don’t think that Xal’atath will be killed this expansion, but having our last patch/conclusion not be centered on the villain they’re hyping up is certainly a choice.

Whatever events happen that bring victory for the Void and draw chaos to Quel’thalas need to be shown on screen. Xal’atath is the one fighting for that victory. Her entire storyline so far has been preparing the Dark Heart for something. It’s now in the hands of an Ethereal group on K’aresh. She follows it, we follow her.

[Khaza-R]

Most of Amirdrassil wasn't really tree themed anyway. And underground root systems are quite a different setting from treetops.

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



from this

[Cheezits]

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.

[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.