The speculation begins... again
by Mike Schramm 
Jan 16th 2007 at 5:00PM
Too soon? Too bad.The paint hasn't even dried (or, in some cases, been applied) on the Burning Crusade, but players have already begun speculating about the next expansion pack-- the one Blizzard said would come a year from now. It's not all completely unfounded-- a CM has hinted (ok, he was joking) at Uldum finally showing up, but this is the videogame industry, so if there's any chance at all that something might come out in the next century (Duke Nukem, anyone), players are talking about how cool it will be.
Besides the Uldum guess, a lot of players say Northrend and Arthas, but it's true that Blizzard has said a few times that that's another few expansions away. Personally, I'm throwing my hat in the "back to the seas" camp-- I think we'll see what's in the middle of the map, and maybe get some swimming mounts. Or maybe some new races? Maybe Murlocs or Naga will make a show as player characters eventually. Paladinsucks is in on the speculation, but as usually, they're only concerned about how their shiny Paladin selves will look.
Ok, ok, so we haven't even opened the plastic wrap on the Burning Crusade yet. Feel free to go back to running Hellfire Citadel and getting to 70. But know that as soon as a year from now (snicker), we could all be doing it all over again.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Blizzard, Expansions
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Theadrick Jan 16th 2007 5:28PM
My predictions for the next 3 expansions:
1. The Emerald Dream: Hyjal (present day), The Dream itself (lots of potential there), and furbolgs as a new playable race.
2. The South Seas (or some other nautical name): Kul'Tiras, Tel'Abim, Undermine (Isle of Kezan), Nazjataar (mispelled I know... naga homeland), Bloodsail Buccaneer's base of operations, The Broken Isles, Troll home island (name escapes me... but begins with a Z).... PANDARIA! Pandaren and Goblins new playable races
3. Northrend: Northrend itself, maybe a few other areas as well.
Somewhere in there I also expect to see:
Ul'dum
Grim Batol
Gilneas
Dalaran
Old Ironforge (at one time accessible through the throne room)
Stormwind Vault (the OTHER prison in Stormwind)
Player Housing
Matt Jan 16th 2007 6:05PM
Actually I'd like to see what someone mentioned in an article a while back.
Actual Warcraft, towns & cities that can change hands based on player battles. Being able to actually affect the world on your server & possibly have the Alliance control Orgrimar & vice versa. So when the encampment gets raided, It's a raid with a purpose.
I see the current expansion as pretty, but just more of the same we have now, new skills & more quests, a new area & new items & armor. Basically, just more of the same game. A good game & thankfully expanded upon, but the same.
With the exception of Arena battles, Good Work Blizz & I pray for a Good Super Brawl.
thingy Jan 16th 2007 6:07PM
I'm pretty sure when they first started talking about TBC they said it would be Outland and the Emerald Dream. Well, there's no sign of the Emerald Dream right now, so that's the logical next step. They've had the corrupted dragons coming out of the Emerald Nightmare for a while now after all ...
Katrine Jan 16th 2007 6:14PM
Before jumping for the click more I supposed there would be a text about speculating with dvd box "Burning Crusade". But thanks God, I was wrong. It's speculation. It is joke
RogueJedi86 Jan 16th 2007 6:50PM
What about adding the Undermine, the Goblin island headquarters? It's oft-mentioned in Goblin-related quests, but we haven't really seen it. All we know is that it's an island SE of Tanaris, not seen on the map.
Open Goblins as a race for both factions, but you have to pick a faction for your Goblin when creating it. After that, all the same faction rules apply. They could start on Undermine, and after they level enough, they would take either a boat(for Alliance), or Zeppelin(for Horde) to a more conventional leveling place. Again, faction restrictions applying on the transportation. Made it up off the top of my head, when I saw that Northrend won't be for several expansions.
nik Jan 16th 2007 7:22PM
To be instances:
Timbermaw Hold (azshara)
Uldum (tanaris)
Grim Batol (wetlands)
... there's more but I can't remember right now.
They can easily add an island somewhere and make it an instance, or make a cave or whatever... there's plenty of room for new content.
Since we're seeing naga already in Outlands, I think the next step could be Maelstrom
Jack Jan 16th 2007 9:25PM
I think there will be two new classes but no new races.
The cap will either go higher or we'll get 70 Hero's.
New zones (of course).
With a year more of development, I wouldn't expect too much honestly
Im beginning to hate trying to get to 60 Jan 16th 2007 8:13PM
This might sound crazy but i'd like to see a third faction... a three way war if you will. The third faction could fill the darker needs of the player with such races as the scourge, blood/night elves (illidan's followers [maybe a bit demonic looking]), naga, and a couple of the other random races about azeroth, and implementing it wouldn't be that hard have a nice quest for each of the other 2 factions explaining the there has been a schizm in the "lesser races" resulting in chaos but in the midst of it some of them have banded together (a ministy of evil or some comic book reference) plus it lets them add more lore without going back and breaking old lore
thingy Jan 16th 2007 9:07PM
A third faction would be awesome, but who would be in it? Need at least 5 races. Naga, Murlocs, Dark Iron Dwarves, Satyres and ... Silithids? *shrugs*
Of course if we do that we'll need a fourth faction with all the always-neutral races for all the hippies god-junkies out there who think killing in any way shape or form is bad. These are PvE-only classes that cannot PvP flag no matter what and are cannot attack Alliance/Horde NPC's. Goblins, High-Elves (what few remain, limited number of people allowed to play them per server) and Pandarins.
Now that I've taken it over the line of "taking the piss", I have to go further. Beast faction for all the furry's out there so they can reroll from their druids. Their races will be more than any other faction to make up for the Neutral faction's lack of options. Cats, Wolves, Bears Boars, Birds, Scorpids & Turtles.
... I would continue but I've run out of ideas. :(
Banana Kid Jan 16th 2007 9:48PM
I think we'll see the Emerald Dream, Pandaren for Alliance, and Wargen (but given a Draenei-style makover to become more intelligent and less hideous) for Horde. Also at least one new class and some new content for the mid-levels (20s-40s stuff).
Also, some more story advancement would be nice. Save Gnomeregan already. But have Ironforge destroyed in the process! Shake things up!
Urthona Jan 16th 2007 10:36PM
If the Emerald Dream is opened as the next xpac, I doubt it will bring "new races"... We really don't have the landmass in the Starter World to support new races.
I do, however, think that there's stock in the idea that some race may be introduced that can choose its affiliation. The idea of reputation is almost as important as experience in the game now. That race is easily the Goblins, as they can level quickly to 10 in the Undermine Island, and then choose affiliation through Horde or Alliance "recruitment". Possible Goblin classes include Warrior, Rogue, Mage, Warlock, Hunter, and wait for it... Bard.
I think the next xpac's new schtick will be the implementation of one or two new classes — either new altogether, or new classes available to existing races. We've discussed the possiblities for several classes, and I think a Bard class is the most useful and most novel for the game as it stands. I've even thought of the talent trees: Performace(crowd-control), Poetry(buffs and multiple spell effects), and Noise(destruction).
If new tricks for old dogs is the case, I can see Night Elves learning Shaman class, and the Undead learning Paladin. If "Bard" or some other class is implemented, I think Tauren and Gnomes are the first races to get it, followed by Dwarves and Orcs.
There's little things that I think the next xpac could implement, like book items that allow players to "learn" another races' language or dances. Dance books would excellent! I'd like more "book-bought" polymorph shapes for mages, and new "book-bought" shapes available to druids. Spider for crowd control, Serpent as a poison caster, alternative travel form Stag.
Hero classes could be implemented as well. Or at least level 80 "God modes" with 24 hour cooldowns. For instance, Balance druids can become Cenarius-like Keepers of the Grove. Feral Druids can become ethereal Green Drakes. Restos become enormous and stationary superhealing Ancient of War. Other class's talent trees would correspond to an "ultimate" form.
In any case, I'd prefer more seasonal "events"... Like opening the new instance of Grim Batol and the global release of the crazed red dragonflight would be handled in a similar way to Naxxramas and the Scourge infestation of 2006. Opening Uldum would be our first exposure to the Titans. The random depletion of mana throughout the realms could be traced back to Dalaran, where casters could be "inoculated" against the magic siphoning powers under the dome.
Obviously, I have lots of ideas, which can only mean Blizzard has thousands more waiting for us.
Swiftlydead Jan 17th 2007 9:36AM
I'd like to see some forced balancing between number of alliance toons and number of horde toons, personally.
multikast Jan 17th 2007 10:13AM
@12
No.
forcing people to be on one side or the other goes against the entire principle that it is a GAME that you PAY FOR to play how YOU want to play. I do like the idea that you can play a race where you choose which side to be on. however, this poses the problem on PvP servers that you can't have horde AND alliance toons on the same server. so, it might be hard to implement, or it could just be a thing where if you have horde toons already, the alliance would say something about you already aligning with the horde and they won't accept you, etc.
Vovan Jan 17th 2007 10:41AM
If I worked for blizzard i would make a new race that lives under water. Just imagene a new city under water where players can see through glass walls all tha fish swimmingt.New boss in that city that comes every few days and attacks the city. So u have to protect city from that monsters and get a lot of honor for it.Sorry about my English.
Jeff Taylor Jan 17th 2007 2:48PM
@2. I agree with you, I think this would make for a MUCH more interesting game over time. I doubt Blizz will ever go for it mainly due to the imbalance between Hoarde and Alliance, every server would consist of small groups of Hoarde in constant flight on the world map pursued by mobs of Allys.