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

[Santandame]

Teriz just ignores the existence of eco domes for some reason because it would destroy his arguments against the upcoming void expansion.

What’s curious is why the eco dome hole thing was put in the files for 10.1.7. There’s also Rafaam that was datamined a while back but doesn’t seem to show up anywhere still.

Yeah, I feel like this is the most likely K’aresh has ever been for a potential expansion. I’d be excited to finally get the chance to possibly play as Ethereals.

[micwini]

There he fucking is what the ffff

[Foreign Exchange Ztudent]

I have zero idea what is going to happen anymore like theres too much noise and the Gamespot interview contradicts the rumor side rather heavily what with focusing on Revamp possibilities and 8 week cadence both which are in severe question outside of the Gamespot interview.

1.15 I always theorized to just be SoM 2 and not something major but SoM 2 not being confirmed or announced prior to Blizzcon has made me question it a lot. Obviously there's still time for Blizzard to deconfirm what 1.15 is to just be another SoM.

[Marlamin]

@Scaleface, the images were sent to the protonmail mentioned in the Twitter bio then? How would you estimate the legitimacy of the source?

What is your personal hope for next expansion?

I honestly just want to stay on Azeroth, bringing forward and iterating upon Dynamic Flight as well as the seamless loading screens (albeit with some fixes). I don't need a revamp, just continous updates and maybe aging/naturally fixing up some of the Cataclysmed zones. Not a big wishlist, I know.

I think if classic+ really happens it might not only have a revamp of some sort with updated assets but also toggleable modern character models, so it would be classic wise gameplay but with modern day graphics, models as toggleable option.

They have been working on some tech that allows hotfixing files by effectively swapping between two builds of the game relatively seamlessly. I've tried it out by swapping a retail client to a classic build while in Stormwind and I could actually see modern Stormwind textures swap to classic Stormwind textures (before it crashed due to incompatible databases between Classic/Retail).

It being called file hotfixes does imply this much of a change not being the actual usecase for this system and instead being for smaller fixes instead, but its still interesting that the engine allows for reloading of already loaded assets like that outside of internal clients. This system is currently hardcoded to only work inside of Blizzard (as its a WIP), but as much of it being avaliable publicly as is does imply this will be implemented at some point.

[Teriz]

Teriz just ignores the existence of eco domes for some reason because it would destroy his arguments against the upcoming void expansion.

Yeah, about that;

History
Nexus-King Salhadaar and the Ethereum ruled the K'areshi race that would become the ethereals.[3]

Many thousands of years ago,[4][5] Dimensius invaded K'aresh. How he found it is still hotly debated among the surviving ethereals, but the effects of his coming were unmistakable: he opened countless gateways into the Void and the Twisting Nether around the planet, bathing K'aresh in dark and arcane energies. One of the mortal races hastily attempted to construct magical barriers around its cities, but although the dark energies were blocked, the unimpeded flood of arcane energy tore away the mortals' corporeal shells and infused their souls with enough energy to transform them into the ethereals. This altered state proved to be a blessing in disguise, however, as their enhanced minds and magical abilities allowed the ethereals to fight Dimensius and his limited forces to a standstill. Over the years, however, Dimensius eventually grew powerful enough to summon armies of fellow void creatures, forcing the ethereals to flee into the Twisting Nether.[1]

According to the Adventure Guide for Pandemonius, K'aresh was destroyed.[6] However, at least one ethereal appears to still operate from K'aresh, which suggests that a portion of the planet may have survived the destruction.[7][8] Dimensius may have also abandoned the planet after the ethereals fled.

https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/K%27aresh

So we have Ethereals fleeing their homeworld into the twisting nether. And we also have K'aresh being destroyed. So if its a void expansion, us going to K'aresh is highly doubtful.

[micwini]

Will they really make the mistake of going offworld again? Lots of feedback about "this doesnt look/feel like warcraft" and then they go into fucking space. It makes 0 sense.

[Mysticdoll]

If blizz sent out fake ai images to suss out leakers an muddle the speculation, like scaleface is suggesting may be a possibility, that would be a high iq move

[Foreign Exchange Ztudent]

Will they really make the mistake of going offworld again? Lots of feedback about "this doesnt look/feel like warcraft" and then they go into fucking space. It makes 0 sense.

I think it makes sense if you assume that Metzen is not working with Steve and Steve is just enjoying the power that has been given to him of running a 100 million USD annual game into the ground.

Think Metzen is on a different project entirely.

[Teriz]

I did the Goblin starting zone once and hated it, will never roll a goblin again, also I steer Clear of all the Gnome/Goblin infested areas as much as possible, an expansion about them and their culture would be seriously offputting and im pretty sure im not the only one who feels this way.

TBF, I didn't much enjoy the Goblin starting zone either, and if I roll a Goblin character I tend to level on Exile's Reach instead. That said, I feel the same way about the Worgen starting zone and also have my Worgen run through Exile's Reach instead of the Worgen one. I feel that both starting zones in Cataclysm were too long and drawn out for their own good.

I don't think Undermine would be anything like the Goblin starting zone tbh.

[micwini]

I think it makes sense if you assume that Metzen is not working with Steve and Steve is just enjoying the power that has been given to him of running a 100 million USD annual game into the ground.

Think Metzen is on a different project entirely.

Metzen is confirmed to be working on WoW in a recent interview. Unless you mean a different wow project

[Scaleface]

@Scaleface, the images were sent to the protonmail mentioned in the Twitter bio then? How would you estimate the legitimacy of the source?

No, they do not come from an e-mail - but from the environment that informed about DF and Legion.
However, it was noted that these may be "baits", as I mentioned earlier.

If blizz sent out fake ai images to suss out leakers an muddle the speculation, like scaleface is suggesting may be a possibility, that would be a high iq move

^ this.

Unfortunately, I may cool down the hype, but it's impossible to judge whether they are legit - 50/50.

I'll go back to reading, and in the same way (although I haven't played DF too much because lack of time) I'm waiting for the new expansion like You guys

[Usagi Senshi]

I did the Goblin starting zone once and hated it, will never roll a goblin again, also I steer Clear of all the Gnome/Goblin infested areas as much as possible, an expansion about them and their culture would be seriously offputting and im pretty sure im not the only one who feels this way.

You're quite the judgemental one there, midgetphobe!

[Marlamin]

No, they do not come from an e-mail - but from the environment that informed about DF and Legion.
However, it was noted that these may be "baits", as I mentioned earlier.

Fair enough, thanks.

Unfortunately, I may cool down the hype, but it's impossible to judge whether they are legit - 50/50.

I'll go back to reading, and in the same way (although I haven't played DF too much because lack of time) I'm waiting for the new expansion like You guys

I think it is possible to confirm legitimacy, but not without sharing them more widely with people knowledgable in AI art, which would indeed increase the risk in the case they were genuine or made as bait. So yeah, we'll have to take them at face value for now. Enjoy reading, as far as is possible inbetween the drivel.

[micwini]

No, they do not come from an e-mail - but from the environment that informed about DF and Legion.
However, it was noted that these may be "baits", as I mentioned earlier.



^ this.

Unfortunately, I may cool down the hype, but it's impossible to judge whether they are legit - 50/50.

I'll go back to reading, and in the same way (although I haven't played DF too much because lack of time) I'm waiting for the new expansion like You guys

Could it be 10.3 stuff?

[Sondrelk]

https://twitter.com/towelthetank/sta...02409927987232

Never seen Towelliee be this vehemently against a concept prior to a expansion, lol.

Seems like his belief is that they would instead put all the "Revamp pls" folk on towards a Classic product that fits in that style instead.



Fascinating nonetheless.

And the point of that is?
Seems to me like a world revamp would only be satisfied by a world revamp, not smoke and mirrors in attempting to make them think that Cataclysm is actually the world revamp they want when they themselves admit it had flaws in that regard.

The only way this would work logically is if they had two sets of WoW running concurrently. One for a world revamp and one for K'aresh or whatever, and if they are capable of doing both those things well then why separate them to begin with?

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Well I don't see how this Blizzcon isn't pure bloodshed then.

I don't see how anyone would actually think Cataclysm Classic is what world revamp people want. Unless they are talking about a Cataclysm Classic+, in which case my thought is that people would much rather just have those features in WoW proper instead.

[Kiria]

You're quite the judgemental one there, midgetphobe!

Oh im totally against puntable races, my fave quests in game are the gnome slaughtering in uldum and goblin BBQ in BFA, I do not hide my prejudice's, I really dislike them races.

[Foreign Exchange Ztudent]

Again no one thinks its referring to Cataclysm. It was a form of deflection. Again, you can read it that way but that is not what the person asking the question was asking about in that Question/Response.

1.15 is uncounted for and has been vendor'd I expected a clarification that it was SoM 2 and we could move on from it being anything curious but it has not occured yet.

It is still possible that we just get a announcement that its SoM 2 and we can move on but until then it is curious.

[Mysticdoll]

Will they really make the mistake of going offworld again? Lots of feedback about "this doesnt look/feel like warcraft" and then they go into fucking space. It makes 0 sense.

It is interesting considering outland and shadowlands are the only real cosmic expansions warlords was off planet but very primitive vibes an legion had 1 off planet patch. Both sl an bc launched/relaunched recently an were not received well bc isn't even a permanent fixture and people actively want to forget sl and most of its lore

If the images are real void auto generated island expeditions or one void based zone would definitely be a better business move

[Sondrelk]

I'm going to continue and remain boring and not invest hope in any leak that doesn't have at least one foot in reality (and I don't mean Teriz reality, actual reality), this leak season is arguably already of the lowest quality thanks to the like of ChatGPT and the constant drivel/veiled shitslinging in this thread by a select few being worse than the editions before as well.



That'd definitely be an interesting take on "Classic+", it wouldn't explain why some of the updated assets have been showing up in mainline WoW (which is a different content branch) but it might explain what 1.15 is and why it's been on encrypted patch endpoints for longer than any retail expansion has before going into Beta (let alone it not being announced yet).

If there's anything good about this run-up to BlizzCon it's how little is publicly known about the stuff Blizz is working on.

The issue i have with this hypothetical Classic+ is that it seems to work backwards from the idea of making Classic a world revamp.
If that ends up being the case and we get all the bells and whistles a world revamp could offer, but in Classic, then why couldn't we instead have that content put into Retail?

It just seems like a recipe for disaster. Classic diehards will be hesitant to give it a go because it's evidently not Classic. And those like me who prefer Retail will be hesitant because I want all the amenities from Retail.

The solution to this would in that case be either a full version of Retail bolted onto Classic, or the entirety of Classic bolted onto Retail, neither of which seem like a good idea.

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Will they really make the mistake of going offworld again? Lots of feedback about "this doesnt look/feel like warcraft" and then they go into fucking space. It makes 0 sense.

Any sort of cosmic theme that has a distinct area away from Azeroth associated with it should really go the Legion route. You stick to Azeroth, slowly build up, and then have all the best ideas put into one big blowout ending.

It's how Legion did it. It's partially how BfA did it. It's how Shadowlands should have done it.

[Nightshade711]

Yeah, about that;



https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/K%27aresh

So we have Ethereals fleeing their homeworld into the twisting nether. And we also have K'aresh being destroyed. So if its a void expansion, us going to K'aresh is highly doubtful.

Did you even read the very thing you posted?

However, at least one ethereal appears to still operate from K'aresh, which suggests that a portion of the planet may have survived the destruction.[7][8] Dimensius may have also abandoned the planet after the ethereals fled.

And regardless, lore changes all the time.
The Shadowlands was just a copy of Azeroth at one point, until that was retconned to being “the veil” or whatever.