Yeah, I have no idea unfortunately lol.
It seems like mostly everything Blizzard wants kept a secret, is going to remain a secret until 9.2.5 launch (or Blizz does some announcement/trailer).
Hope whatever it is, that it’s worth it. I can’t see players being satisfied with just a questline - the story is one of the most criticized parts of Shadowlands, so it’s definitely not going to bring people back, no matter how decent it is in this patch.
This one is easy to sidestep now, just have people who pick Worgen or Goblin Monks have to do Exile’s Reach.
Seeing as the prepatch for Dragonflight would have early access to Dracthyr Evokers, and that it doesn’t make sense for them to build Evokers with the current talent system only to tear it down shortly thereafter to a new talent system, I am feeling like there should be a decent preorder incentive of some kind to keep us busy until then.
We’ll have a long while before we even get to Dragonflight’s prepatch with Dracthyr available, and with something like some new races, it would be something hype enough if some good choices were made to get preorder numbers up and players interested in playing again to make characters of said new races immediately. Not to mention the whole revenue stream of level boosts, race changes, and so on that come with it.
New races are of course the most exciting potential, though not a guarantee. However, there is quite a lot suspicious about the whole thing, and part of me wants to believe we’ll see some new races. Preferably ones people have requested for some time, and hopefully at least a pair or two if we do get new races at all.
If playable Darkfallen are part of that equation, I think it’ll be popular if designed properly, despite how people will make Elf complaints. However, if this is to become a reality, I still hope for Horde San’layn representation through it.
If new playable races aren’t tied to preorders at all, I can’t imagine what would be added to entice people to preorder for the most part. I don’t really see customization options a la Wildhammers as much of an incentive at all, so who knows what could be part of it? In a way, it could be better than getting something like Light themed Undead, though I’m still hoping we do see some requested races come from it.
And even if nothing comes from it, it doesn’t mean Horde San’layn would be off the table at all. We’d just continue onward with playable Horde San’layn support. That said, I hope that potential carrot being dangled before us is a delicious and juicy one as opposed to a rotten potato.
Hopefully, we’ll get a reveal of 9.2.5 and Dragonflight preorders soon so we can put those rumors to bed. Preferably for the better with our dreams coming true. 
please god. the patch should be out by july at the latest going by history so please just tell us what’s in it so I can either be excited and start playing retail again or continue diving into classic.
I hope they add new playable races like they did with BFA (?). They are one of the few things left in WoW that I look forward to.
Could even drop the new AR’s and new talent system before launch so we can mess around with them before launch. I’m just hoping they didn’t scrap the idea because I love having a new race to play around with.
With the San’layn returning in 9.2.5 I am wondering how we would recruit them because Bellular made it sound like they were leading the Scourge.
They seem disproportionate to me. And I find it weird that the males actually shrink in size when they transform because they got the beefy BE build going on in human form but then slim down to turn Dracthyr. I’d love for them to do like the DH’s and get bigger, but it is what it is.
And I looked at the human forms and I think the males look better than the females from what little I’ve seen of the customizations. Not sure which gender I’d make seeing that I would most likely be in dragon form most if not all the time but if it stays slender then it feels wrong for a male, at least to me it does. So, I’d make a female for the Dracthyr form but if I change to human form it would have to be male. So confused. 
From what we know, it was just the one San’layn Blood Prince in 9.2.5 who was acting on his own for his own selfish reasons, likely related to power or something of that nature. As far as I’m aware, there wasn’t anything to show there were other San’layn around and also in control of the Scourge.
And quite frankly, San’layn shouldn’t be lumped in with the Scourge. Moreso when there were still plenty of Horde friendly San’layn in BfA still around, and by now with the Helm of Domination destroyed, the San’layn should be in control of themselves as opposed to being evil mooks for the sake of being evil. This when we see Forsaken, Death Knights, and even beings like Liches be control of how they were before death and not being complete villains.
We’ll see if there are any more San’layn sightings when we learn more of 9.2.5, but so far, there is still hope despite the one rogue San’layn.
Well some things we can safely assume and/or know
The Scourge have been rampaging on Azeroth during Shadowlands.
This means LOTS of new undead, and the Valkyr demonstrated during the prepatch to be able to bring back specific undead.
The Scourge have no leader so individual strong willed undead rising up and forming their own groups isn’t out of the question, which is what I believe is happening with the new San’layn.
We come back from the Shadowlands and the destroyed half of Silvermoon has been fixed up and is entirely populated by San’layn XD
I feel like exiles reach takes a lot of the old ideas of “you’re this character from this place in time” etc out of the equation.
Like Blood Elves as the playable High Elf race and w implications from Auric to Lanesh you could be a High Elf from Outland type sentiment.
I feel like the same would apply to San’layn in the scenario of a second distinct visual theme. San’layn / Undead Elf lore would be nice, seeing various representation in Orgrimmar etc, maybe even seeing some walk around like NB travel lol.
“Giving” anyone the other side of Silvermoon is very specific. Both halves of Silvermoon belong to the majority population of High Elves the Blood Elves and government of Quel’thalas. Whether the other options come on BEs or not I wouldn’t want to see the second visual theme or possible AR infringe on the main theme of Blood Elves, the same way that RP tools existing on VEs I don’t expect to overtake the VE story narrative.
hey that’s my thread!
I looked into buying your glasses. 260k… too rich for my blood that’s like 2 tokens (not that I buy tokens) but thinking it’s the gold equivalent of almost $40 is like… uh no.
There is a goblin monk in the monk order hall. The “Excuse” is time locked zones but that’s a bit silly because we now have that new starting zone. And there isn’t even class quests anymore are there? it doesn’t even really matter.
Originally goblins and worgen didn’t have monk animations but they added a few of them randomly in a patch and then the rest were added with their model updates. You can test them by using transformation toys.
With the release canidate I am holding my finger for an announcement tomorrow. 
Fair enough, we all have our preferences. It’d be cool to get more options for sure. I would still choose the lithe model, though, given I do prefer it. I’m tired of races being overly beefy all the time. They look super derpy to me. Some of the dracthyr suggestions look very bleh. But still, like I said, would be neat for more options rather than a total change so everyone could be happy.
This is pretty much why I’m very hesitant on San’layn being shoved to customization. They will be overshadowed, always, by Blood Elves, and they will likely get no additional lore. Personally, I hate the direction of Blood Elf lore. I know you like it though, and that’s okay. We all have preferences!
But, sadly, it’s a very real fear as someone who does love the lore that vampyr would just be tossed aside and never expanded again. Meanwhile, void elves, who have existed for far less and were shoehorned in, will always have their lore expanded because they are an actual playable race.
That said, I’ve suggested stuff like Naxxanar, a necropolis, for them. Others have suggested the structures at the end of the Dead Scar in Ghostlands for a main ‘hub’ for the San’layn. They could use that as a place to protect SMC and such. It’d be pretty cool if they became defenders in that way.
Haha yep! I support it fully, too. Even if I’m apparently not ‘doing enough’ 
stares at all I’ve done with this thread and on youtube and twitter Right…
Also yeah, those glasses are super expensive, sadly. Cheaper than I thought they would be right this moment, at least, though.
This would be nice! Is it common for that sort of thing to happen?
AFAIK patches usually release 2-3 weeks after the first release canidate
Makes sense to me! Do they usually announce all the features about 2 weeks before it launches?
I don’t mind a story involving them being somehow connected and invested in Quel’thalas especially if it came w an updated Quel’thalas.
But the idea of “oh you can just have this section of Quel’thalas” I do dislike bcz even if we get them and even if BEs are okay w them as allies, I don’t think it’s really fair to hand wave sign away BE territory to anyone. I can see a scenario where they may feel connection to their homeland in death and want to protect it or idk but then they’d just be taking up residence within Quel’thalas, not “oh we’re giving you part of Quel’thalas”
I do support lore / story somehow and think it’ll be likely if it happens in some capacity given their comments on a Night Warrior like quest, I just think w Exiles reach + a little story + the tools (options) is enough for me anyways, and I do respect other people may want more which is fine, the only issue would be for me is if it ever infringed on the main theme of Blood Elves, the same way I’d imagine VE story will always focus on their main theme even if they provided the RP tools necessary and people can look at 6 or so Wayfarers in the Rift.
Give up and play V rising instead.
Oh yeah, that’s entirely fair. Honestly, lorewise, it wouldn’t make sense for them to have a chunk of SMC anyway. Maybe one walking around, like you said for Org, and SMC too. But I imagine there’d be distrust of San’layn & Dark Rangers anyway from the general public even if they do join because of the attacks from individuals like Vorath & those who were loyal to Sylvanas. (this also applied to DKs).
If San’layn were to get any area (they wouldn’t though if it was just customization), it would probably be a floating necropolis or yeah, ghostlands.
Plus, SMC just feels too bright for a perma-home for a huge chunk of San’layn anyway 
Honestly, if Undercity was ever rebuilt, I imagine we’d see a few vampyr (if they’re ever added) and Dark Rangers there. Quite a few more than other cities.
Edit: also, out of likes, so can’t give you folks any. Sorry
They aren’t happening. 
I mean yet another San’layn is killed off in 9.2.5 Blood Elf quest.
I know. I have been using goblin disguises on my monk for a few expansions. They gave them working monk animations since like Legion/wod with the model updates. And the vulpera share the same skeleton and use all monk abilities with the goblin rig.
Same for worgen, lightforged have the dranei skeleton.