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

[Well Done Steak]

No we've been dealing with the primalists and fyrakk

We had elemental storms for the first patch but now it's just been fyrakk burning everything for what will be two patches in a row

Oh right, and in wrath we didn't deal with undead, we dealt with the scourge.

[Teriz]

No earthen ring though. Sides one WQ.

Thrall on keyart + no actual earthen ring or non-Primalist shaman presence + "elemental expansion" = something is up.

Thrall on key art means orcs will play a huge role in the plot of 11.0.

[Scyth]

Thrall on key art means orcs will play a huge role in the plot of 11.0.

God I hope not

[Therougetitan]

Thrall on the key art means Metzen will once again be channeling himself into Thrall which will probably be a lot of dad stuff.

[Nerdslime]

All this talk of Thunderdrome and a Hearthstone Gadgetzan expansion makes me think itd be a pretty great home to a Brawler's Guild in the revamp.

[Izalla]

You know what I kind of hope for in a world revamp where they mean to keep the old world relevant and evergreen? Make use of old world mats for higher level content. Max level recipe that uses some iron or mithril or whatever, in addition to a new high level mat that you need to be a high level to mine. Then all the old nodes aren't useless and Blizz doesn't have to keep coming up with so many random new ores and plants.

[milkmustache]

Thrall on key art means orcs will play a huge role in the plot of 11.0.

I think it'll be less Thrall = orcs and more Thrall and orcs as an example of focus on racial groups and storylines, maybe.

[Murlocos]

the 7th cosmic force is orcs

[Teriz]

God I hope not

TBF, we haven’t had an Orc-centric expansion since WoD.

[Woggmer]

Yep agree with you on this one. It’s beating a dead horse at this point. It would be like if we had just finished Shadowlands and then 10.0 was an expansion where the Cult of the Damned have seized control of the remaining Scourge and we go back to Northrend.

The elements will play a part in a world revamp, along with every other threat on some scale but that’s the furthest it will go.

DF is the element expansion.

I'd hardly call this an elemental expansion since we've had two major patches centered around fire and Fyrakk being the prime focus, with 10.1.5 being more about the Infinites and Iridikron (slightly). This definitely feels more like a Dragon expansion than anything close, and we only know Smolderon is in the next patch but we don't know any other context other than "Hey look! There's Smolderon!"

So unless the other elemental lords suddenly show up by the end of DF, this still screams a Dragon Expansion..

It's like saying that Cataclysm was more about dragons because Deathwing is the prime villain of the expansion, even though most of that expansion hasn't been about the dragons until the very end where they came together.

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TBF, we haven’t had an Orc-centric expansion since WoD.

True, but hopefully not to the same extent as WoD otherwise we'll get that whole "Orc Fatigue" BS and have half the story cut because people would "get bored" of orcs in the orc expansion.

[guro-tchai]

Just a thought, do you guys think the Void Elf / Telogrus Rift music is inspired by the Ethereals and K'aresh?

It sounds mildly sort of... Oriental or Arabic or something. Almost out of Aladdin, but more ominous.

I wonder how they would pull off a K'aresh patch or expansion. They've already brought a planet to Azeroth (Argus), so that's not very original anymore.

Could K'aresh be in another dimension, sort of ... on Azeroth? I wouldn't like it if we just took another spaceship there. It doesn't fit that theme.

don't think there's a direct link between oriental themes and telogrus rift music - but as void elves are a thematic offshoot of ethereals, and those are merchant space mummies, makes total sense to use some mildly arabic-inspired motives for them, thorougly boiled in cosmic mysteriousness.
heard the same instruments in d4 ost, particularly Umir Plateau, Oasis and High Desert - gotta be something in it. some parts remind me of d2 ost, surprisingly - Coda, Roger and me

[Scyth]

TBF, we haven’t had an Orc-centric expansion since WoD.

And we really shouldn't get another one imo. I don't mind Orcs involved in some way but another expansion centred around them would be boring af.
They really shouldn't do any race centred expansions tbh

[Revamp Man]

Still- they're heavily themed after the elements and it would cause some fatigue for the players. Because two things are different doesn't mean they don't overlap when it comes to the theme (for example Primalists/Elementals; Emerald Dream/Lifelands; Scourge/Shadowland etc.). To me DF very much felt like a both a dragon and elemental expansion

But it ties DF with 11.0

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Ah, you mean the elementalist faction whose ranks are full of elementals and who are doing element-based things at all of their elementally infused locations? And the elementally infused proto-drake who is the incarnate of one of the four elements and is working alongside the elemental lord of fire?

We've seen fire
If you look at 10.0 we only see frost or earth in two subzones and the invasions
We had
We saw storms for a bit now it's fire for 2 patches in a row
People want Naga and don't claim elemental fatigue despite the fact that Naga are all water and frost and storm

[Teriz]

And we really shouldn't get another one imo. I don't mind Orcs involved in some way but another expansion centred around them would be boring af.
They really shouldn't do any race centred expansions tbh

Well personally I believe it will be mainly centered on Thrall bringing together the elements of Azeroth to repel a Lightbound invasion from a dying Draenor. A conclusion of sorts to the WoD storyline.

We’ll see….

[Auxis]

Wasn't aware of that. Unless they were playing with exact words or outright fabricating, I suppose that does rule it out.

Yeah I thought they said (in that wowhead article linked iirc) that Tyr is brought back in 10.2. Plenty of room after that for story and or content.

Highly doubt they'd bring back such a significant character and forget about him for the rest of the expansions patch cycle.

[Woggmer]

And we really shouldn't get another one imo. I don't mind Orcs involved in some way but another expansion centred around them would be boring af.
They really shouldn't do any race centred expansions tbh

I mean. The one time it worked was with the Draenei in Legion where we got to see their home world and ghosts of their past along with Velen's telling of what happened.

So, not a whole expansion but a patch centered around a race is good.

Edit: One could even argue that TBC more heavily focused on the Blood Elves since we've had King Kael'thas as a boss, the Amani tribe increasing in activity in the same expansion, Having to fight their mana-addiction and dealing with the Scourge at their doorstep... and having it all culminating a big confrontation at the Sunwell, a very sacred area for them.

[Nibelheimy]

I personally feel we're getting some elemental storyline alongside the next expansion.

My view for a while has been that Iridikrons words in the megadungeon are the key for what's next, as he states when the tree burns the titans will not be interested.

What they will be interested in, is when they loose their grip on the planet. That grip being old god prisons and the elemental plains they created.

A world revamp (at least Ek + Kalimdor) has room to address these themes. I had thought for a while the best way to do this would be Kalimdor first, then Ek as separate expansions. But if they do both and both continents have a mix of old god plots, elemental fallout from prisons being destroyed (Thrall) all of the previously seeded lore I.e. Botani in Durotar/the barrens, updated azuremyst with broken and manari joining the draenei, scarlets in lorderon.

It would be an expansion thay follows on from dragonflights premise of reawakening. With the world tree coming back, Alexstrazasability to heal land with her breath as shown in the cinematic, Old god energy being absorbed and elemental prisons being destroyed.

Say an expansion focused purely on a remade Kalimdor to start with. Iridikron has broken the elemental planes and the elementals are now back to being native azerothians. Neptulons forces settling around darkshore/teldrassil where the new world tree has flourished (if it doesn't become part of Di) Therazane taking over maraudon and waging war on thunderbluff to expand her territories (will baine opt for diplomacy or war after his DF questline) thunderaan could have some focus in uldum. Maybe Neptulon is assisting the night elves in removing fire elementals from Hyjal, or maybe the orcs and Thrall work alongside the fire elementals to help burn away the Botani who's influence has overgrown the barrens and is threatening orgrimmar. Focus on the Horde and Alliance Kalimdor races and how they're adjusting with the time skip.. And with these new Ahn'qiraji changes you have to wonder if Iridikron and his allies might take a little visit there to absorb something special for the disc.

If its a two continent revamp, the dark irons could help us clear blackrock mountain and Neptulon could till be in vashir. That with all the eastern Kingdom races focus they can start properly addressing the scarlets for a light expansion. Though I'd prefer they do it one expansion at a time to really get as much into these continents as possible.

There's a lot to come from an 'elemental' expansion other than ouch we just fought fire elementals, we're not going to do that again.

What's just come to mind is if we are assuming that Xal'atath is after old god essences.. She already has presumably yoggs. Next would be C'thun and Y'shaaj. With C'thun presumably still in Ahn'qiraji. Is there any information on the heart of Y'shaaj current whereabouts? If its still in Kalimdor and she keeps her deal with N'zoth and leaves him in the blade, she could get the last remaining old god essences for the disc from Kalimdor.

[Osmeric]

the 7th cosmic force is orcs

The 8th cosmic force was the friends we made along the way.

[Ebonn]

I'd hardly call this an elemental expansion since we've had two major patches centered around fire and Fyrakk being the prime focus, with 10.1.5 being more about the Infinites and Iridikron (slightly). This definitely feels more like a Dragon expansion than anything close, and we only know Smolderon is in the next patch but we don't know any other context other than "Hey look! There's Smolderon!"

So unless the other elemental lords suddenly show up by the end of DF, this still screams a Dragon Expansion..

It's like saying that Cataclysm was more about dragons because Deathwing is the prime villain of the expansion, even though most of that expansion hasn't been about the dragons until the very end where they came together.

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True, but hopefully not to the same extent as WoD otherwise we'll get that whole "Orc Fatigue" BS and have half the story cut because people would "get bored" of orcs in the orc expansion.

I would fundamentally call it an elemental expansion, considering we are constantly dealing with them. The four big nada literally all are based in the elements. The entire expansion kicked off because Azeroth was waking up again and the elements were being more active. Our major crafting collectibles are the elements, the awakes fire and air and frost and order and decay. Every plot line directly deal with the elements and how they oppose the Titans’ Order. It’s called Dragonflight and obviously it’s about Dragons, but like… it’s HEAVILY themed around the elements and missing that is like missing more than half of the meat.

[FelPlague]

i agree with you tbh. And that image with all that cool patch content? That gets me excited.

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Dragonflight is no more elemental themed than WoD was Legion themed and then we immediately got Legion after WoD. So I completely disagree. Not saying 11.0 is Elemental themed but it could be.

Wut... dragonflight is literally about the dragons fighting the elementals, and their own elemental infused dragons...
Elementals are all over every one of the zones, multiple of the dungeons, every raid so far has had multiple elemental bosses, and the next one even more.

WOD literally had zero demons outside shatrathz and a tiny camp in shadowmoon, until the final patch.

Meanwhile in dragonflight.
First raid had 5 elementals, 4 shaman, 2 elemental infused creatures, and an elemental infused dragon.

Second raid had 2 elementals

Next raid has the firelord, an elemental infused dragon, another elemental, and 2 druid of the flame.

Halls of infusion water elementals
Neltharus and ruby life pools, fire and earth elementals
Nokhud offensive air elementals
Algethar+azure vault arcane elementals (if we consider them a true elemental)