BfA Patch Speculation thread (8.3 and later).

[Raetary]

They addressed the nelves in an interview, i really doubt they are gonna do anything with them any time soon.
https://www.wowhead.com/news=291733/...-with-blizzard

[Nize]

So essentially what you are championing here is throwing the main theme out the window and clumsily patching on a different main theme instead of getting a clean break with faction war, which would make it more likely it is finished for good.

If Blizz rushes the ending they risk leaving dangling plot threads that may worm their way back into future expansions.

Horde vs Alliance hasn't even been the primary theme since Warcraft 3, a game that launched the Warcraft franchise. Horde vs. Alliance is just an attempt at capturing a popular gimmick in Red vs. Blue that we see in our everyday, and honestly fails at it at every turn. Banding together is more of what Warcraft has been about for quite a while now. In Warcraft 3, Jaina and Thrall banded together alongside the Night Elves to defeat Archimonde. Much like our real selves banding together in our raid guilds to down the ultimate bad asses of the Warcraft universe in WoW. Being united is what Warcraft is about and what Warcraft has done best. Time to leave Red vs. Blue behind.

[Sondrelk]

Horde vs Alliance hasn't even been the primary theme since Warcraft 3, a game that launched the Warcraft franchise. Horde vs. Alliance is just an attempt at capturing a popular gimmick in Red vs. Blue that we see in our everyday, and honestly fails at it at every turn. Banding together is more of what Warcraft has been about for quite a while now. In Warcraft 3, Jaina and Thrall banded together alongside the Night Elves to defeat Archimonde. Much like our real selves banding together in our raid guilds to down the ultimate bad asses of the Warcraft universe in WoW. Being united is what Warcraft is about and what Warcraft has done best. Time to leave Red vs. Blue behind.

Yet the expansion opened with faction war, had a cinematic trailer about faction war, box art prominently featuring faction war, a game first faction war raid, and a max-level questline dedicated to faction war.

The theme of the expansion is faction war. And unless we see the faction war through to the end, then we might not actually be done with Red vs Blue just yet.

[DeicideUH]

Why do people think 8.3 will deal with Sylvanas, or in fact with anything other than N'zoth when Wrathion literally said that the fight against N'zoth will be the true Battle for Azeroth.

Because you can deal with both.

Why not both?

Exactly!

N'Zoth may be the Big Bad, but Sylvanas is the motivator for the entire expansion. Even N'Zoth's escape is in part due to Sylvanas' calculated actions.

Sylvanas may be working for N'Zoth, or Sylvanas may be doing things for her own reasons but helped N'Zoth because it suits her. She seeks "the end of all things, all possibilities" according to the Three Sisters comic, and even the Void fears her actions.

I think the final raid is not just a N'Zoth raid, but a big three-way battle between Death, the Void and us for the future of Azeroth.

[Nyel]

We still don’t know what’s happening with Azshara. I doubt she’s done yet with Nzoth basically rescuing (or rather kidnapping) her.

[Sondrelk]

We still don’t know what’s happening with Azshara. I doubt she’s done yet with Nzoth basically rescuing (or rather kidnapping) her.

I am putting money dopwn right now on her being either a questline boss or dungeon boss in the next expansion.

[huth]

If Blizz rushes the ending they risk leaving dangling plot threads that may worm their way back into future expansions.

That's kinda the point. It's an ongoing story, not a self-contained episode.

[Wilfire]

So essentially what you are championing here is throwing the main theme out the window and clumsily patching on a different main theme instead of getting a clean break with faction war, which would make it more likely it is finished for good.

If Blizz rushes the ending they risk leaving dangling plot threads that may worm their way back into future expansions.

BfA's story is like a necrotic wound. You cut out the necrotic flesh and cauterize the wound before necrosis can spread to other parts of the body. Or the story in this case.

I'd be fine if they just dropped the plot and never brought it up again.

[Sondrelk]

BfA's story is like a necrotic wound. You cut out the necrotic flesh and cauterize the wound before necrosis can spread to other parts of the body. Or the story in this case.

I'd be fine if they just dropped the plot and never brought it up again.

I would argue bandaging the wound instead of cutting off is better indeed, which is why you shouldnt ignore it, make sure it plays out so you can remove it entirely, don't pretend it isnt a problem by putting a giant void-themed band-aid over it

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Edit: Since this necrosis metaphot worked so well, here is a bit more elaboration.

When necrosis hits, say, the leg. You make sure to sit down and remove the entirety of the diseased tissue, possibly amputation before putting on a prosthesis.

What you do not do is clumsily go in with a scalpel and remove odd-lloking skin before putting on a bandaid and hoping for hte best.


Remove the faction plot entirely, don't just pretend it isnt there.

[Wilfire]

I would argue bandaging the wound instead of cutting off is better indeed, which is why you shouldnt ignore it, make sure it plays out so you can remove it entirely, don't pretend it isnt a problem by putting a giant void-themed band-aid over it

- - - Updated - - -

Edit: Since this necrosis metaphot worked so well, here is a bit more elaboration.

When necrosis hits, say, the leg. You make sure to sit down and remove the entirety of the diseased tissue, possibly amputation before putting on a prosthesis.

What you do not do is clumsily go in with a scalpel and remove odd-lloking skin before putting on a bandaid and hoping for hte best.


Remove the faction plot entirely, don't just pretend it isnt there.

It has to be removed A.S.A.P. though. It already tainted N'Zoth's expansion by making 80% of it about Saurfang, Thrall, Baine, Zekhan, Jaina and Anduin being SAD about HONOR. Don't let it corrupt any more plots.

[Sondrelk]

It has to be removed A.S.A.P. though. It already tainted N'Zoth's expansion by making 80% of it about Saurfang, Thrall, Baine, Zekhan, Jaina and Anduin being SAD about HONOR. Don't let it corrupt any more plots.

So let me get this straight...

Instead of letting the faction war run its course during this expansion so we are done wioth it. You want Blizz to attempt to fix things by not ending teh faction war plot forever, and instead hastily force in N'zoth as a final boss instead of letting him have more free reign in the next expansion.

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Also, where do you get the idea this is N'zoths expansion. He has been in this as much as he was in Cata, and you didnt see people adamant he would be the final boss in that one.

[spleen1015]

They said we would know who the final boss is after EP. That's why folks are saying it's N'Zoth.

I hope I am wrong, but I can't see introducing N'Zoth in the middle of the expansion then killing him at the end. I think he needs to be carried into the next expansion. End the faction war in 8.3 so that we can be united to battle N'Zoth in 9.0.

Some folks are going to be unhappy no matter what. It's just the way some people are.

[Sondrelk]

They said we would know who the final boss is after EP. That's why folks are saying it's N'Zoth.

I hope I am wrong, but I can't see introducing N'Zoth in the middle of the expansion then killing him at the end. I think he needs to be carried into the next expansion. End the faction war in 8.3 so that we can be united to battle N'Zoth in 9.0.

Some folks are going to be unhappy no matter what. It's just the way some people are.

Peopl are assuming it is N'zoth. But the wording used was "After the cinematic, you will know who the final boss is"

During the cinematic, Azshara survives and N'zoth is free. Right after Lor'themar says that the most important thing now is removing Sylvanas before N'zoth arrives.

So we basically have 3 choices. Azshara as the final boss would be insane, and Sylvanas is the one that makes the most sense thematically, not to mention the massive amounts of foreshadowing of her being the final boss.

People WANT it to be N'zoth because they are under the false impression that the main theme of BfA is Void and not Faction war. And the final raid has NEVER been about anything other than the main theme.

[A Chozo]

I hope I am wrong, but I can't see introducing N'Zoth in the middle of the expansion then killing him at the end. I think he needs to be carried into the next expansion. End the faction war in 8.3 so that we can be united to battle N'Zoth in 9.0.

Agreed. A freed Old God can be main-antagonist tier. And if Azshara is freed, it means that she can undergo a new transformation into a true Queen of the Black Empire.

I still think this expansion will end in Silithus, solving the Azerite plot and the Faction War plot through a raid centered on that Sword.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

8.2.5 still needs some reveals so I'm going to hold out before I say my feelings.

[Sondrelk]

We will find out what the 8.3 raid is likely going to be soon.

If it is anything other than Sylvanas/Faction war raid. then the war campaign has to jump right into the rebellion, finish it in a couple questlines and then hastily rush some Old God foreshadowing.

[Raetary]

It has to be removed A.S.A.P. though.

No it doesn't.

What it should do is run its course so we can end it.
Just cutting it off right here is a terrible idea.

Have we learnt nothing from WoD?

[Aeluron Lightsong]

No it doesn't.

What it should do is run its course so we can end it.
Just cutting it off right here is a terrible idea.

Have we learnt nothing from WoD?

I wouldn't waste your time.

[FlubberPuddy]

Every .5 of BFA so far has extended War Campaign stuffs. Who knows, we could potentially have the conclusion to the faction war related stuff happen in 8.3.5 instead of 8.2.5.

But yeah overall I'm with Aeluron, a lot of story moments still yet to be revealed by 8.2.5 ptr, I'm not sure if this is a case of encryption or they didn't include it within the build. I mean I know we learned Wrathion stuff and the like, but that's still too vague about the conclusion to BfA.

[DeicideUH]

My bets for 8.2.5 campaign:

- We learn who killed Vol’jin and appointed Sylvanas warchief (guess: it was Helya)
- We WON’T learn who brought Vol’jin’s spirit back, but it’ll be hinted it was to stop Sylvanas
- There will be a big battle to end faction war, thought there will still be Sylvanas loyalists for both factions to fight.
- Wild guess: Saurfang dies.
- We find out that Sylvanas is working with (not for) a greater power. (Guess: Helya, who survived as a spirit and is bound to Sylvanas through their pact).
- We will learn some big details about what Sylvanas’ endgame is (probably through Vol’jin’s spirit, who said he would watch over Sylvie), but we still won’t have the full picture

Then patch 8.3 brings the final act with both Sylvanas and N’Zoth converging to the same place and the factions rallying to stop them.