The Queue: Thanks, I hate it

I’m off on a trip this week, so I won’t be joining you to chat below (I have a lot of driving to do as I head off to meet up with my guild, several states away) — but I’ll check in later tonight to say hello. Where traveling is concerned, it’s about the destination, not the journey, and driving is quite in the way of arriving. (Still, it’s better than flying.)

But while I’m on the road, here are some questions to discuss. Please talk amongst yourselves.

Honestly, I expected Blizzard to come out with it during Summer Game Fest, but that’s come and gone without a whisper. But that just means we could get an announcement any day now. With patch 11.1.7 live, a new PTR is likely going up soon: if we don’t get an announcement of 11.2 this month, I’ll be very surprised.

This is the appropriate use of the vault and catalyst at this point in a patch cycle, and I applaud your dedication to continued transmog collection. (After picking up ahead of the curve, my interest in filling my vault every week has really waned, though I do have a full heroic set for my main.)

Blizzard claims they wanted three Lorewalking events to round out the first batch of quests, though I do wonder at two timely quests and one that seems wholly unrelated. But perhaps they’re true to their word, and Arthas is just here to meet a quota, and because he’s such an iconic Warcraft character. It has been a hot minute since we’ve seen him.

Perhaps.

It’s exceptionally rare we see any characters outside the main cast follow us from expansion to expansion (even Yrel, who specifically said she’d be there to help us if we needed it, a favor we should have called in). The only reason I’d think it’s possible at all is because the next two expansions are presented as part of a trilogy, and in that sense Faerin is the most likely to fit into a broader story and join the “main” cast of the game.

We’ve seen her organizing her people, coordinating with others in Khaz Algar, and even joining us on an expedition to the Arathi Highlands. She may yet follow us farther.

As to the least likely, I don’t think we’ll see or hear from any of the Nerubians again (though perhaps another cameo from Mr. Sunflower). I doubt Goblins will get another spotlight so soon, though the faction leader(s) won’t go away entirely (and may be around to help us as needed). I don’t see the Earthen leaving Khaz Algar except for the occasional curious one, wanting to explore the wider world. But even with our help (and we have, surprisingly, managed to help), they have problems of their own to solve, a history to grapple with. We might see a Kobold or two pop up as a side character, but I can’t imagine any focus on them, or the Niffen either once we leave the caves they’re so accustomed to. (At least I assume we’re eventually leaving caves behind.) The Hallowfall Arathi might play a larger part… but they’ve made their home here, and the lot of them may not wish to leave Beladar’s light, particularly with the Nerubian threat diminished.

So… that leaves us with Faerin, and perhaps the occasional side character cameo.

It is the day of content, my friend!

And actually, I’m curious. In patch 11.1.5, Blizzard timegated most of the content, so events rolled out gradually (the last, Dastardly Duos, has been live for barely any time at all). That made patch day itself a real non-event, with little to do. But patch 11.1.7 launched with most of its content available immediately, giving us a big batch of new content today, but not much in the future (Greedy Emissary will arrive in July).

Which method is better? Does anyone have a preference?

But that’s all for today, my friends. Take care and have a nice afternoon! We’ve made it halfway through the week, and that’s enough to celebrate.