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

[AOL Instant Messenger]

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Agreed on this front, as well. I'm highly doubtful Voidstorm is at all accurate to what we're getting: it's just such an eclectic amalgamation of ideas that it happens to line up with whatever features—or combination of features—people are speculating about at any given time. The majority of what it states are concepts that have already been in circulation in some way, shape, or form, and I wouldn't be surprised if many of them also get debunked along the way.

People thinking we're going to have an underground zone because of Zaralekk simply don't understand how those expansions are designed. Blizzard can test feature with content patch and expand them in an expansion, but they can't take a whole theme and simply say "if it works in this patch, then it's going to be a complete expansion".

I think it's very likely that Zaralek is meant to build up to something later down the line, but I'm skeptical about the idea of us getting the Undermine in particular. At best, it's going to be a hard sell: I don't think many people want to go into a claustrophobic industrial hodgepodge governed by Jewish caricatures.

[Ferlion]

There' already NPC's getting settled in to the new home. (According to this Wowhead article) https://www.wowhead.com/news/amirdra...ew-home-335169

The problem is why not just build the new home with the revamp in Kalimdor or in the Eastern Kingdoms where it's happening? It's like saying Deathwing destroyed Stomwind during the Cataclysm so the humans build a new city in Northrend. Maybe they might move it to another location away from the Dragon Isles... but we won't know until we see how this all plays out.

AFAIK, they are actively in the emerald dream, and some of them are labeled as rep vendors.

That is to say, unless we see the city actively be built up during the patch, Im not sure Blizzard is going to consider a handful of NPC's as reclaiming and settling in game.
And again, I could 100% be wrong on this. There is almost certainly a lot of content we aren't seeing.

[Villager720]

There' already NPC's getting settled in to the new home. (According to this Wowhead article) https://www.wowhead.com/news/amirdra...ew-home-335169

The problem is why not just build the new home with the revamp in Kalimdor or in the Eastern Kingdoms where it's happening? It's like saying Deathwing destroyed Stomwind during the Cataclysm so the humans build a new city in Northrend. Maybe they might move it to another location away from the Dragon Isles... but we won't know until we see how this all plays out.

It’s still an absurd notion that the night elves leave Kalimdor after 10k+ years to go be with some new tree.
Kalimdor has always been their home - always. Hell, even them hunkering down in Stormwind makes more sense than going to the Dragon Isles - the EKs were at least a part of ancient Kalimdor. The elves have no relationship with the DIs.

To go off what you noted, I also really hope the tree pops up next to Teldrassil or something when it blooms - but the fact that it fits so neatly over the Ohnaran Plains map makes that feel super unlikely.
Why Blizzard continues to misunderstand how to solve the “tree issue” is baffling, but having the night elves leave Kalimdor to the Horde is not the solution. I say this as an avid Horde main btw.

[Ferlion]

It’s still an absurd notion that the night elves leave Kalimdor after 10k+ years to go be with some new tree.
Kalimdor has always been their home - always. Hell, even them hunkering down in Stormwind makes more sense than going to the Dragon Isles - the EKs was at least a part of ancient Kalimdor. The elves have no relationship with the DIs.

To go off what you noted, I also really hope the tree pops up next to Teldrassil or something when it blooms - but the fact that it fits so nearly over the Ohnaran Plains map makes that feel super unlikely.
Why Blizzard continues to misunderstand how to solve the “tree issue” is baffling, but having the night elves leave Kalimdor to the Horde is not the solution. I say this as an avid Horde main btw.

It's the big question in the room, yeah.

[Villager720]

I think it's very likely that Zaralek is meant to build up to something later down the line, but I'm skeptical about the idea of us getting the Undermine in particular. At best, it's going to be a hard sell: I don't think many people want to go into a claustrophobic industrial hodgepodge governed by Jewish caricatures.

To me, the most important aspect of Zaralek’s development had nothing to do with the stalactites - it had to do with the “seemless zone transitions” via tunnel.
That reaked of new tech they were planning on employing elsewhere. Such as islands via ship or portals to other realms.

[AOL Instant Messenger]

To me, the most important aspect of Zaralek’s development had nothing to do with the stalactites - it had to do with the “seemless zone transitions” via tunnel.
That reaked of new tech they were planning on employing elsewhere. Such as islands via ship or portals to other realms.

I honestly wasn't even aware that there was something relevant to do with the stalactites. I was focused on the seamless transitions. They're doubtlessly going to use that again at some point, I was just assuming it might be precisely for the purposes of more subterranean zones.

If the next expansion is going to be mainly subterranean, I think the leaked gryphon's effects are reminiscent of saronite vapors. However, I'm not sure how the Thrall key art could possibly connect to that, so I'm just keeping that as a tertiary possibility in the back of my mind.

[Ersula]

There' already NPC's getting settled in to the new home. (According to this Wowhead article) https://www.wowhead.com/news/amirdra...ew-home-335169

That's pretty weird. They're setting up camp...in the dream. Because the actual tree doesn't exist yet. You're not really supposed to set up shop in the dream, even if you're a druid.

With playable Ogres and Arakkoa, a World Revamp, and new support specs for bloodlust classes?

Doubtful.

So your argument is, if the features are good enough, they can really do any theme they want? I think they should do necromantic themed expansions more. Warcraft 3 was rife with death & that was the ultimate iconic entry of the franchise for a lot of fans.

who the hell are you? lmao you don't have to read anything. if you don't like a post, just move on

If you want to present your theories without scrutiny, don't phrase them as "Here's why this is the most logical decision for the developers to make." People are going to urgently reply with a countertheory. It's not the most logical decision if its easy to pull all these ways its problematic.

[Ebonn]

It’s still an absurd notion that the night elves leave Kalimdor after 10k+ years to go be with some new tree.
Kalimdor has always been their home - always. Hell, even them hunkering down in Stormwind makes more sense than going to the Dragon Isles - the EKs were at least a part of ancient Kalimdor. The elves have no relationship with the DIs.

To go off what you noted, I also really hope the tree pops up next to Teldrassil or something when it blooms - but the fact that it fits so neatly over the Ohnaran Plains map makes that feel super unlikely.
Why Blizzard continues to misunderstand how to solve the “tree issue” is baffling, but having the night elves leave Kalimdor to the Horde is not the solution. I say this as an avid Horde main btw.

Except, all their recent content is about new beginnings, renewal and change. So really, it makes perfect sense that the Kal’dorei would want to start anew in a place that is protected from outside conflicts and closer to their favs, the green dragons.

[Woggmer]

Except, all their recent content is about new beginnings, renewal and change. So really, it makes perfect sense that the Kal’dorei would want to start anew in a place that is protected from outside conflicts and closer to their favs, the green dragons.

It doesn't. These are the same elves that would die fighting trying to protect their forests from orcs cutting down the trees in Ashenvale, and then again in Azshara when the Goblins moved in and built a road system across the land and a giant statue head of Gallywix on the side of a mountain.

Having the Kal'dorei move away from their homeland and letting the Horde take over goes against EVERYTHING they've been doing since this game's inception. And I know they've been going through some changes, but if they change them too much then they're not the same Night Elves people have been accustomed to.

And the only Night Elves that are close to the Green Dragons are the druids, the Cenarion Circle, or anyone with a close connection to the Dream.

[huth]

It doesn't. These are the same elves that would die fighting trying to protect their forests from orcs cutting down the trees in Ashenvale, and then again in Azshara when the Goblins moved in and built a road system across the land and a giant statue head of Gallywix on the side of a mountain.

And i'm sure the Kaldorei military is going to continue doing that. The habitants of Darnassus where predominantly civilians, though. Those would probably rather live somewhere else where they aren't under threat of attack.

[Teriz]

To me, the most important aspect of Zaralek’s development had nothing to do with the stalactites - it had to do with the “seemless zone transitions” via tunnel.
That reaked of new tech they were planning on employing elsewhere. Such as islands via ship or portals to other realms.

TBF, the transition from flying from an outdoor space into an indoor cavern that was utilized in Zaralek is quite reminenscent to the descriptions of Undermine, which is under Kezan the same way Zaralek is beneath the Dragon isles. Undermine is also the most referenced and mentioned underground area in WoW in-game.

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So your argument is, if the features are good enough, they can really do any theme they want? I think they should do necromantic themed expansions more. Warcraft 3 was rife with death & that was the ultimate iconic entry of the franchise for a lot of fans.

Well it's not just the features, it's the thematics as well. Shadowlands wasn't received well because people eventually got tired of being off of Azeroth. That's the key; People love Azeroth and want to explore new areas of Azeroth. Players tend to not want to leave Azeroth and go to some half-baked area with 5-6 zones that is supposed to represent an entirely new world.

[Revamp Man]

I think that if we take into account Ion's recent declarations about the WoW team not wanting to do an Old God focused expansion or an Emerald Dream focused expansion, because the settings would not be different enough, there is little chance of getting a full Void expansion or a full Underground expansion.

IMO, it is perfectly possible to do an expansion focused on any of these themes, but Blizzard disagrees.

So I would say, 11.0 will NOT be full Void, and 11.0 will NOT be full Underground.

Now if they make a partial or full revamp, they can include any theme that they want, and from time to time, an underground zone, which seems like the most reasonable approach.

I am curious, how would you feel if Blizzard's aim is to revamp all the world through several expansions? Including all the continents, except Outland, Draenor and the Shadowlands. They can give us a cosmic patch from time to time, a new Azeroth continent... but the focus would always be in Azeroth, making (in due time) every continent evergreen, with the Dragon Isles as the start of this new world.

Until SL expansions always had kind of two themes
Heck that's what the Chinese prediction has been based on

Expect a slow revamp

[Grazrug]

It's obvious the new tree will be the future home of the night elves.

[Teriz]

I think that if we take into account Ion's recent declarations about the WoW team not wanting to do an Old God focused expansion or an Emerald Dream focused expansion, because the settings would not be different enough, there is little chance of getting a full Void expansion or a full Underground expansion.

IMO, it is perfectly possible to do an expansion focused on any of these themes, but Blizzard disagrees.

So I would say, 11.0 will NOT be full Void, and 11.0 will NOT be full Underground.

I don't believe you can compare a full Underground expansion to an old god or emerald dream expansion. In those cases, the thematics completely dominate the environment because the thematic demands it. For example, in an expansion where an Old God has conquered a planet, you can't have much variety because the Old God has literally conquered the planet.

Underground themes on the other hand can rather varied because nothing really dictates the thematic outside of their having to be a ceiling above your head. Even the height of said ceiling is arbitrary, so I don't think Ion's statements really apply to underground themes. However, I would say they apply to void themes because a void theme would be very similar to an old god theme.

[username993720]

https://www.wowhead.com/news/empower...ch-10-2-335137 How are we feeling about this one?

Kalecgos visage form's glow doesn't match his dragon form's. It should be purple. He shares blue with Nozdormu. That being said, they look good.

It's obvious the new tree will be the future home of the night elves.

Thing is, night elves never needed a new home. Teldrassil was awesome.

[Grazrug]

Kalecgos visage form's glow doesn't match his dragon form's. It should be purple. He shares blue with Nozdormu. That being said, they look good.



Thing is, night elves never needed a new home. Teldrassil was awesome.

So you don't like a possible city with a massive graphic update?

[Darkarath]

I don't believe you can compare a full Underground expansion to an old god or emerald dream expansion. In those cases, the thematics completely dominate the environment because the thematic demands it. For example, in an expansion where an Old God has conquered a planet, you can't have much variety because the Old God has literally conquered the planet.

Underground themes on the other hand can rather varied because nothing really dictates the thematic outside of their having to be a ceiling above your head. Even the height of said ceiling is arbitrary, so I don't think Ion's statements really apply to underground themes. However, I would say they apply to void themes because a void theme would be very similar to an old god theme.

I mean, I already said that IMO it is possible to do an expansion around any of those themes.

Focusing in a supposed full Underground expansion, I think that it would have the same problem of a full Underwater expansion. Some players will just hate it, no matter how varied the settings are.

For example I loved Vashj'ir, one of the best zones ever made IMO, but many many players hated it, and it was just one zone. Hell, they even made Nazjatar not an Underwater zone. Same can be applied to Zaralek Caverns.

So... I just do not see a full Underground expansion, although no doubt that we will get one or two Underground zones in the next 4-5 years, even more if we get a revamp. I mean, now that they have the tech, it seems unlikely that we would not visit Azjol-Nerub.

[Annihilas]

If we do get Undermine, it will be one of the last places cut from Classic which never made it into the game. Dragon Isles, Emerald Dream, Undermine...

My theory is Iridikron knows of a hidden place within Undermine that gives him direct access to the center of Azeroth (remember his plan?)
Maybe we get some sort of "Hollow Earth" expansion, just like in Godzilla! That could totally fit in with the fantasy themes of Warcraft!

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollow_Earth

[ImTheMizAwesome]

It's definitely set up, and the Rexxar model is a great starting point for a Mok'nathal race, but the thing that gives me pause is that it would be the death knell for playable Ogres... who seem to be getting new animations in the future (if the Boomkin animations are for them first and foremost). I can't see both them and Ogres, and it's very telling they are possibly redoing animations for Ogres as they seemingly thought their WoD models were up to par for modern content (Exiles Reach).

At this point i would welcome one or another - i love the models for both of them, but the difference here is that mok'nathal already have access to all playable animations, armor pieces would fit them even more than ku'ltirans and now ogres might get some updates with boomkin updates but it's still up to blizzard if they would like to reintroduce allied races system that is still heavily talked topic after all these years or full blown races.

I think if they will add ogres then alliance will get vrykul, 2 big very known races going in together or they might go allied races route and maybe have mok'nathal for horde and broken for alliance.

Both were implied in the recent questlines - orc heritage(mok'nathal getting accepted as equal and migrating to azeroth) and latest Man'ari quest about broken.


Of course it would be my chosen allied races that i think would easily fit now when added, but everyone will have different favorite choices - when it comes to ankoan or jinyu i feel like they would have even less or more limited customization than Dracthyr.

[Annihilas]

Things always slip through the cracks!



Based on metadata e.g. what is encrypted, how much is encrypted as well as other usages and anything that slips through the cracks you can pretty quickly tell what something is or at the very least what it is for. I'm not going into any of the contents as that's just straight up spoiling shit which I no longer do for future content, maybe after it's announced we can dive into what was leaked beforehand if one of the other dataminers doesn't get into it first.

Are said spoilers, available elsewhere, or is it you alone who holds the key?