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

[Melorandor]

What confuses me is that it doesn't really fit anything we are aware of. It looks more like a rave party than any known faction, including the cosmic forces.

Which is rather odd since Blizzard prefers clear distinct visual identities.

It's not necessarily a bad look, but it's one that seems oddly out of place.

First thing that came to mind when seeing the image(s) is K'aresh

[Dismayxz]

i'm actually quite surprised how many people don't see that it's AI
i mean, it's obvious, it's visible, everything is abstract without defined form
given the number of gullible people on the internet, AI will wreak havoc

Well, I don't have the time or will to somehow 'learn' the skill to immediately figure out something's AI Art. I'm not that interested in Art or will come about it often enough to suddenly care. That's not exactly gullible, is it? Just can't be arsed. And my line of thinking was to simply remind myself of what I know of WoW's Art Style and taking it at face value. And at face value, it's low size/resolution images (which can speak towards being AI, to obfuscate any flaws that would be seen at proper resolution), what I can make out, looks like I can take it and compare it to something I've previously come across in Game, as a style. And a lot of the Backgrounds would be very simply and realistically possible within Engine through the way Blizzard uses Skyboxes.

At the end of the day, it could be either for all I care. I like what's shown, I like how it looks, I wouldn't mind if it was legit and I wouldn't be disappointed if it isn't.

The one thing I do put value into is where this was posted and where it came from. Even if it's just AI, that doesn't immediately illegitimize what it might hint at.

[huth]

i'm actually quite surprised how many people don't see that it's AI
i mean, it's obvious, it's visible, everything is abstract without defined form
given the number of gullible people on the internet, AI will wreak havoc

It's obvious to somebody who spends all their time differentiating them. For everybody else, there's no clear indication.

[Dismayxz]

When I brought it up to people, we had zero hesitation in going "Probably the Twisting Nether". We have hooks that could lead there with a bit more work, off what we have at the moment.

[AOL Instant Messenger]

Part of the problem is that there's no way for Blizzard to effectively create an entirely different world in a single expansion. It worked in TBC because Outland was a destroyed world, so only have 5-6 zones makes sense. When you start to get to WoD or Shadowlands, it gets silly because we're going to what is essentially different worlds and we're only getting 5-6 zones. For example in WoD we never venture to the Ogre continent which is on the map because Blizzard simply couldn't handle that much extra work in a single expansion. When you get truncated material like that, it just feels off, and the world you're supposedly venturing into just feels like a theme park visit instead of a new world. This isn't a problem for Azeroth-based expansions because you have so much of the old world already established in the game, and this new continent you're exploring just feels like another part of the world you know and love.

For K'aresh, my ideal setting for a high-concept expansion, I think the scale could work given that it's—just like Outland—shattered or rotting. Theoretically, you could use the small size to its advantage: one way I liked to imagine selling it as a whole planet while still leaving a sufficiently small playable area is that you could have a giant eco-dome or a massive wall, and everything beyond that wall is an uninhabitable Void-coated mess. This could simultaneously make it feel like a sensible part of something much larger and sell the destructive power of the Void.

[justwatching]

Whatever Towlliee's doing, it looks like he's trying to pull red herrings and throw people off from whatever they've got planned at Blizzcon. And if it wasn't an expansion, it seems suspicious that they're leading us on a wild-goose chase with this stuff.

Its much more likely he knows absolutely nothing and just makes shit up to hype up the game(and his stream). He's done that in the past and I see no reason to believe why this time is any different.

[AOL Instant Messenger]

This. Throwback to everyone, myself included, saying that the Dracthyr were fake and from a furry server. And even 3D modelers pointing out how the “wings clipped through the chest”, when they really didn’t and it was just a misinterpretation of the low quality image.

This is fair. I think I was personally arguing quite vehemently on both those points. A good number of us learned a lesson about being overly-skeptical from the Dracthyr. However, I feel like these images are subject to a different standard of scrutiny. While plenty could be said of distortion from the scale of the pictures, the nature of them feels a bit different on account of being small pictures of mostly landscape art as opposed to something being transparently sold as something in-game. It's perhaps a more arbitrary kind of skepticism when you direct it towards a decent-quality, clearly-3d image of a race standing in front of the usual background than when you wonder if a landscape is in-game, concept art, or AI-generated.

[Woggmer]

Classic deviating from the original timeline is definitely an interesting thought and I’m sure there would be a huge spike of players checking out classic if it was a completely new timeline with completely new zones, dungeons, raids etc. I’d check it out for sure. It’s something I wouldn’t be totally shocked to see Blizzard do either.

We've seen only a small amount of changes, especially with the Sons of Hodir tabard that was included into Classic, but was later added in the Time Rifts event in retail as an alternate timeline goodie.

If Classic Cata deviated from the original, it would only raise questions to what kind of changes and outcomes can happen.
Possibilities like if Cairne didn't die in his duel against Garrosh, or if Genn Greymane died to Sylvanas instead of his son, Liam at Gilneas... Or instead of going into the Firelands, we ended up in the Abyssal Maw that never made it.

Still, this is only just a couple of empty hopes and it might not mean anything, but it is fun to speculate the "what could've beens".

[Woggmer]

Its much more likely he knows absolutely nothing and just makes shit up to hype up the game(and his stream). He's done that in the past and I see no reason to believe why this time is any different.

You'd be right, but even Blizzard themselves is getting in on it and throwing people for a loop. This isn't mean believing in anything he says is true, but this doesn't seem like a troll-bait either.

[Nymrohd]

On the matter of a new world; it just has to be more than one expansion. There needs to be a good reason ofc why it is split in two but an expansion can easily have 6-7 zones if you include patch content and if you find a way to explain why it is in two parts, that means 12-14 zones in total, big enough for it to feel truly large in scale.

And honestly they could always have some zones be truly massive but also empty. Not every part of a world needs to be populated with quests.

[huth]

When I brought it up to people, we had zero hesitation in going "Probably the Twisting Nether". We have hooks that could lead there with a bit more work, off what we have at the moment.

I really don't think Twisting Nether fits. Do remember that place is more closely tied to Disorder, i.e. Demons and such.

- - - Updated - - -

On the matter of a new world; it just has to be more than one expansion. There needs to be a good reason ofc why it is split in two but an expansion can easily have 6-7 zones if you include patch content and if you find a way to explain why it is in two parts, that means 12-14 zones in total, big enough for it to feel truly large in scale.

And honestly they could always have some zones be truly massive but also empty. Not every part of a world needs to be populated with quests.

They should have kept the original "stuck on Draenor" thing and have the follow-up expansion be us going to that southern continent trying to find a way back.

[Teriz]

For K'aresh, my ideal setting for a high-concept expansion, I think the scale could work given that it's—just like Outland—shattered or rotting. Theoretically, you could use the small size to its advantage: one way I liked to imagine selling it as a whole planet while still leaving a sufficiently small playable area is that you could have a giant eco-dome or a massive wall, and everything beyond that wall is an uninhabitable Void-coated mess. This could simultaneously make it feel like a sensible part of something much larger and sell the destructive power of the Void.

Beyond that sounding terrible, my question is what would Thrall have to do with such an expansion since he’s on the BlizzCon key art? Thrall doesn’t mesh well with the void or Ethereals. A more logical choice would be Alleria.

[AOL Instant Messenger]

Beyond that sounding terrible, my question is what would Thrall have to do with such an expansion since he’s on the BlizzCon key art? Thrall doesn’t mesh well with the void or Ethereals. A more logical choice would be Alleria.

Nothing. My statement doesn't have anything to do with the next expansion, I'm just asserting that this particular expansion concept could work.

[Pheraz]

Also the amount of hd assets Models not used but old world related have increased from my impression (could be wrong).
I feel like they might cross a threshold soon where they have so many models already in the clients that they don't have to add so much in the next expansion.
Those outer world pictures could be concept art at best though they all look too similar for a whole expansion.
My bet and hope is still on something with a partial revamp but I've learned to become disappointed on the theme they put into the expansions since wod

[Villager720]

Also the amount of hd assets Models not used but old world related have increased from my impression (could be wrong).
I feel like they might cross a threshold soon where they have so many models already in the clients that they don't have to add so much in the next expansion.
Those outer world pictures could be concept art at best though they all look too similar for a whole expansion.
My bet and hope is still on something with a partial revamp but I've learned to become disappointed on the theme they put into the expansions since wod

I still find the notion of a void realm based expansion pretty dubious, even with scaleface’s “leak” stuff.
If that art is legit, it could easily be an island expedition/time rift/legion invasion style gameplay premise for an expansion feature but the proper setting could still centered/anchored on Azeroth.
I just can’t imagine what they’re doing with all these updated assets over all these years beyond an upcoming revamp. It just feels too unlikely we’d keep getting more assets every patch AND THEN Ion recently confirms a revamp WILL happen for it to all just … get skipped over for the 20th anniversary.
Call me naieve or overly optimistic, but I can’t see it not happening soon.

[Well Done Steak]

Imagine we go to both the remains of nathreza and karesh and have to deal with the void lords, and the sire D lead remnants of the BL along with crazy lightbound zealots.

Sounds like a good time to me

[Woggmer]

They should have kept the original "stuck on Draenor" thing and have the follow-up expansion be us going to that southern continent trying to find a way back.

At this point, I don't think that'll ever be possible...

Not unless they can move the Trading Post around like the Black Market, but then there's also the issue with the Embassies and getting to unlock Allied races from there... and also some of the major city places like Dalaran (Legion), Dazar'alor/Boralus, and Oribos don't have Auction Houses. (There was the Brutosaur Auction House mount, but that's subjective).

And even then, there are players who would prefer to back to Old Content to farm for mounts or transmog.. having them locked out of it would be a bad thing. They could try to split player characters based on interests, but then that will just divide the playerbase.

[Pheraz]

I still find the notion of a void realm based expansion pretty dubious, even with scaleface’s “leak” stuff.
If that art is legit, it could easily be an island expedition/time rift/legion invasion style gameplay premise for an expansion feature but the proper setting could still centered/anchored on Azeroth.
I just can’t imagine what they’re doing with all these updated assets over all these years beyond an upcoming revamp. It just feels too unlikely we’d keep getting more assets every patch AND THEN Ion recently confirms a revamp WILL happen for it to all just … get skipped over for the 20th anniversary.
Call me naieve or overly optimistic, but I can’t see it not happening soon.

Also after SL's theme bad player reception it would be so weird to yet again do a cosmic expansion again. Didn't they say that they ain't do this anymore?
If it's void or space Varadoc is definitely the final boss xD

[huth]

At this point, I don't think that'll ever be possible...

Not unless they can move the Trading Post around like the Black Market, but then there's also the issue with the Embassies and getting to unlock Allied races from there... and also some of the major city places like Dalaran (Legion), Dazar'alor/Boralus, and Oribos don't have Auction Houses. (There was the Brutosaur Auction House mount, but that's subjective).

And even then, there are players who would prefer to back to Old Content to farm for mounts or transmog.. having them locked out of it would be a bad thing. They could try to split player characters based on interests, but then that will just divide the playerbase.

Story and gameplay segregation. Preventing players from actually going back would cause problems. Having it just be a lore thing is perfectly viable.

[FossilFree]

Also after SL's theme bad player reception it would be so weird to yet again do a cosmic expansion again. Didn't they say that they ain't do this anymore?
If it's void or space Varadoc is definitely the final boss xD

I don't think you can really say "cosmic=bad" because of Shadowlands. Shadowlands was only technically cosmic, but aside from ZM had nothing really thematically cosmic about it. And frankly, I don't even find the First Ones to be all that cosmic in theme either, even if they are supposed to be. Space, void, black holes, glowing worlds, that shit is cosmic.

Plus, death is just a weird realm to explore. It should be the ultimate mystery, and dissolving it down into four distinct factions and themes doesn't really capture every cultural idea of death in WoW either. Also, it makes the player feel punished just for being there, especially when trapped in literal WoW hell: AKA the Maw.