The Next Xpac: Theorycraft, hoooo!

I like thinking about stuff. Sometimes I get ideas! Sometimes they are about world of warcraft. I'm making this thread to offer a place where people can post their desires, suspicions, visions or revelations concerning what blizzard is going to do with the next expansion! Or any other future content, really.

I'll start with my own crazy elaborate ideas about what I think the next expansion should look like. Sort of.

For lack of a better name:
WORLD OF WARCRAFT: REIGN OF CHAOS.

What is it about?
A new continent joins with the mainland of Draenor, and it's full of fucking demons! The Legion comes to fuck shit up. Again.

What are the main features?

• New playable races: Ogres and High Elves.
  
• A work-over of Burning Crusade content, meaning the outland zones and the Blood Elf and Draenei starting zones.
  
• Gameplay overhaul: Moving to a slotted ability system, removing clutter. No new class.
  
• It's time for a new profession, but I have no idea what.
  
• Finish the damn remakes of vanilla models already!

Details? Details!

The New Races!

Ogres.
It's about time the horde got these lovable tubs of lard as a playable race.

As an ogre you will start on Draenor. You will be a part of an ogre tribe that's been isolated on a rock that's been floating through the nether, and through the power of plot requirements, this floating rock has now re-joined with the outland main continent. Most of the starting quests will be about this, and eventually you will meet the horde and join with them. Because the horde need more big dudes to stomp humans. You'll go through a portal to Orgimmar to meet your warchief, and so your adventure on Azeroth begins.

High Elves.
Yes, they are very similar to Blood Elves. Big deal. So far blizzard has done a fine job of giving the two elf races a distinct face, I'm sure they can do it again. I think player demand for High Elves is very high, and in Pandaria there's been enough focus on those guys to justify making them playable.

As a High Elf you will start your journey in Dalaran. Where Dalaran is hanging out at that moment is not relevant. Most of your starting quests will take you through portals to places in Quel'thalas and Outland. Let's get that feeling of magic in there straight away. There's no need for a quest line to affirm your loyalties to the Alliance, you already belong to them. Instead the quest lines will focus on explaining and exploring "the new" Quel'thalas. More about that later.



New and Remade Zones!

Quel'Thalas.
The blood elf starting area! Silvermoon is largely rebuild, the wretched are gone, and big portions of the dead scar have been healed. Of course, a giant-ass monument has been erected to honor the fallen, guarded by an elite guard of Death Knights. Because Death Knights need love, too!

The starting quests will now have a big focus on a newly escalated conflict between the High and Blood elves. Both feel they have claim to Quel'Thalas, Silvermoon and the Sunwell, and neither wants the other to have it. Fighting!

High level characters can now fly in Quel'thalas.

The Isle of Quel'Danas.
...Becomes a max level pvp zone! That's right! The horde and alliance duke it out for dominance over the Sunwell.

Azure and Bloodmist island.
The Draenei have finally realised they have a freakin' space-ship to repair, and your starting quests will now mostly focus around the need to do this. During the quest-lines, the Exodar will slowly be repaired, and construction will begin of a new city at the crash site of the Exodar once it regains it's ability to levitate. Somewhere during one of the patches, the exodar will move to outland to FUCK SHIT UP.

High level characters can now fly in Azure and Bloodmist.

Hellfire Peninsula.
WAAAAAARRRRRRR!!!

As the main entry point to outland, Hellfire peninsula is the site of a constant ongoing battle. Hellfire ramparts no longer provides the main threat; it is your opposite faction. Both Thrallmar and Honor Hold have grown into full-blown fortresses, enforced with whatever new metal they see fit to introduce this time.

Zangarmarsh, Blades Edge, Netherstorm, Nagrand, Shadowmoon.
I'm not entirely sure. Quests get updated, some new stuff happens.

Shattrath
Remains much the same, a sanctuary city. The situation has gotten worse, the lower city overflowing with refugees from new conflicts. Also, Naaru! Yes. They're there too.

A new continent.
From the nether comes a whole new continent that's come floating in range. The ogres mentioned earlier originate from this new slab of land. But, far more scary... It houses a whole new pocket of demonic overlords, eager to smush your faces and rule over the good people of Draenor... AND AZEROTH.

It features three distinct areas:

• A rocky place for the ogres, half of which is for them to level in, the other half is a high level zone. This area will feature a big Ogre city.
  
• A high magic place like netherstorm, where there is no gravity. because WHY NOT? Would be totally awesome.
  
• The main seat of evil. Green fire everywhere, lots of nasty demons. Die die die, etc.

Progression!
The expansion will start with a heavy emphasis on Draenor, then go back to Azeroth for some nasty demon invasions all over the place... And then back to Draenor again, to kick their asses. Maybe for good! But probably not.



Gameplay!

Another talent overhaul to simplify things, yet offer more choices.

World of Warcraft will switch to a slotted ability system much like guild wars or Diablo. You have a bunch of spells in your spellbook, but only a limited amount you can use. Mix and match! Find your own style or min/max like a boss!

But what I reaaallly want is:

I cba to do a big post right now but I agree that the next expansion will have mass loads of demons. As our only source so far points us in the direction that it may be the last expansion, I'm thinking the Emerald Dream will be involved in the taking down of Sarg.

The Emerald Dream would work out GREAT for my ultimate wish of being able to RP a Satyr <3

Seems solid but what I gathered from the wrathion questline we're going to be hardcore invaded on Azeroth(The demons have done it before, why not again? Also, the hologram of infernals bombarding Azeroth) instead of using Draenor directly. Maybe they'll invade Azeroth fully as they seem to have the power too and maybe we might be able to go to their homeworld as a result? Just my two coppers. Dreanor felt more and more insignificent as TBC story went on with the finale ending on Azeroth itself.

erwtenpeller wrote:
The Draenei have finally realised they have a freakin' space-ship to repair, and your starting quests will now mostly focus around the need to do this. During the quest-lines, the Exodar will slowly be repaired, and construction will begin of a new city at the crash site of the Exodar once it regains it's ability to levitate. Somewhere during one of the patches, the exodar will move to outland to FUCK SHIT UP.

I think this already happened in Velen's short story. The Triumvirate announce that key systems have been repaired and by the end of the story Maraad states that its fully operation again or something, but they could make use of scenarios and have one based on the story.

As for what I'd like to see... More Titans! They must be noticing all these signals going off on one of their favorite planets.

Maybe. I just wrote down what I would like to see. With a little bit of what I would think would be the next logical step. It's probably wrong, but I find it's a nice exercise to think about these things.

Bjornar Valisson wrote:

erwtenpeller wrote:
The Draenei have finally realised they have a freakin' space-ship to repair, and your starting quests will now mostly focus around the need to do this. During the quest-lines, the Exodar will slowly be repaired, and construction will begin of a new city at the crash site of the Exodar once it regains it's ability to levitate. Somewhere during one of the patches, the exodar will move to outland to FUCK SHIT UP.

I think this already happened in Velen's short story. The Triumvirate announce that key systems have been repaired and by the end of the story Maraad states that its fully operation again or something, but they could make use of scenarios and have one based on the story.

That is certainly true. but we've yet to see it in the game world. It would be nice to be able to experience the exodars revival, instead of just having it updated. And I think it'd make a great updated starter zone for the blue boys and girls.

erwtenpeller wrote:

Bjornar Valisson wrote:

erwtenpeller wrote:
The Draenei have finally realised they have a freakin' space-ship to repair, and your starting quests will now mostly focus around the need to do this. During the quest-lines, the Exodar will slowly be repaired, and construction will begin of a new city at the crash site of the Exodar once it regains it's ability to levitate. Somewhere during one of the patches, the exodar will move to outland to FUCK SHIT UP.

I think this already happened in Velen's short story. The Triumvirate announce that key systems have been repaired and by the end of the story Maraad states that its fully operation again or something, but they could make use of scenarios and have one based on the story.

That is certainly true. but we've yet to see it in the game world. It would be nice to be able to experience the exodars revival, instead of just having it updated. And I think it'd make a great updated starter zone for the blue boys and girls.

I was thinking about this the other day. They could make use of a system similar to solo scenarios at the beginning of a starting zone that sort of does a "catch up" of lore that has passed already, and then goes into the present day and the actual area. It could even be to keep the old starting zone lore for those who never played through those original zones, and do a shortened version of the events that took place. There is a lot that players might have missed since the original zone that would be possibly hard to cover in a plain old starting zone. I think it would be a nice creative way to introduce people into that race.

An entire continent of demons to wipe out.... *checks calender* No it ain't x-mass ?? First event I'd hold would be a demon hunting compatition

Elves Vs Draenie

GOD I want this..... finally an excuse to bring back lock Bob
Demons shall cower at that name

Kel'Thuzad joins the Forsaken.

So...ogre females? Somewhat muscled-up big ladies, I'd guess? Can't have them looking too ugly for the sake of people wanting to play pwetty races. Also, shouldn't have googled that...

Not much anything else I can think of, really. I'll just settle for waiting for the announcement at Blizzcon later this year

Or well...give Dance Studio, plx?

There's only one thing I want desperately from the Lore right now.



"Exodar Operational"

And then maybe some of this to celebrate:



Make it happen, Blizz.

Seriously though. Satyr. Giev.

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Srsly. Make this something I can be.

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Isle of Quel'danas as a PvP zone...? Why would the Alliance even want the Sunwell? The ones that care about it are the High Elves, and they have access to it anyway D:

(Not to mention Emrys would be permanently high when fighting there... )

Because of plots to make the High Elves a prominent part of the xPac! I tried to come up with a theoretical expansion that makes sense on every front and stuff. :3

erwtenpeller wrote:Because of plots to make the High Elves a prominent part of the xPac! I tried to come up with a theoretical expansion that makes sense on every front and stuff. :3

I doubt there would be enough High Elves lorewise to make it work. If I have my numbers correct about 90% of the entire High Elven population was wiped out by the Scourge, and I believe it would not be much of a stretch to say that about 90% of the remaining High Elves became Blood Elves. So all that would remain is this tiny tiny margin that is still High Elven.

Lore has never been a problem for Blizzard to add something to the game. See Draenei and Worgen as main examples

I am so out if they screw over Elven lore by somehow making the High Elven population grow 9 times as large out of the blue... @_@ (Although this is just theorycrafting, and in my opinion, High Elves as a playable race are not going to happen)

I already thought they had waaaay more soldiers available than logic dictates on the Isle of Thunder (unless Jaina has been making them cast Mirror Image constantly, or something) >_<

Maybe the high elves have finally solved the lesbian problem and have started BREEDING! O_O

erwtenpeller wrote:Maybe the high elves have finally solved the lesbian problem and have started BREEDING! O_O

Wouldn't that make them playable High Elf 1 - 2 year old babies? Awesome.

Vaell wrote:

erwtenpeller wrote:Maybe the high elves have finally solved the lesbian problem and have started BREEDING! O_O

Wouldn't that make them playable High Elf 1 - 2 year old babies? Awesome.

A playable race smaller than gnomes!
They'd be sooo happy.

The SoO ends. Vol'jins body lies next to thralls and the raiders only survive due ro being teleported out of Org by Jaina/Thamar. Garrosh forces the horde to kneel before the true warchief.

Next expac themes - Moar war, this time in the old world, with real battles and stuff!

- A slowly growing and interesting plot with the Draenei and the AC/EB independantly investigating demon plots and comming together to fight them.

- Something with Kul tiris and the sunken city of nerlotha

erwtenpeller wrote:Seriously though. Satyr. Giev.

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Srsly. Make this something I can be.

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The satyr would probably end up with the horde due to the fact that they fought the night elves in the war of the satyr, that was also when the pack form was introduced by druids (worgen, long story!)

Doesn't matter what faction they are! Just give them to meeee.

With the Satyr... I am curious what its female counterpart would be, as Satyr are all male