What's next for WoW instances?
by Elizabeth Wachowski 
Jun 12th 2007 at 4:00PM
Well, 2.1 has come and gone. A few people have beaten Hyjal and the Black Temple, rather more people are riding their new netherdrakes and nether rays around, and Worldofraids is already wondering: what's next? Blizzard hasn't even announced their next expansion, so it's a safe bet there's going to be a lot more dungeons before patch 3.0. The only semi-confirmed dungeon is the troll area of Zul'Aman, which is probably going to be another 10-man. Gee, great, another troll dungeon full of my allies mistaking me for a mob and trying to click on me. Other possibilities include:
- Grim Batol, the fortress in Wetlands guarded by the Red Dragonflight. What's hiding in there -- is it just Alexstrasza and her brood, or are they keeping Deathwing chained up?
- The Sunwell Plateau, the island north of Silvermoon where Arthas originally raised Kel'thuzad.
- Uldum, the ancient Earthen ruin in southern Tanaris.
- The Stormwind Vault, the prison that lies opposite the Stockades, used for extremely dangerous demons and mages. I don't know how Horde would get in here -- teleportation?
Other guesses are a Kil'jaeden 25-man and about a thousand different things in the Caverns of Time (Fall of Gnomeregan, Siege of Stormwind, etc.) What instances would you like to see? Do you think that Blizzard should now focus on more 10-man and 5-man content, or would you like to see raids progress beyond Black Temple?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Instances
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Coherent Jun 12th 2007 4:11PM
5 man and 10 man FTW. Kharazan is a huge hit, everybody loves it, so more of the same would be great. I think 25-man content should be few and far between, with an ocean of more accessible 10 man content with nearly-as-good rewards.
gb Jun 12th 2007 4:14PM
I would like to see two or three man instances. I am always in lfg with one or two people :)
Psynei Jun 12th 2007 4:22PM
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there an instance inside Orgrimmar that is really just a horde only instance? If you're confused, I'm talking about Ragefire Chasm. Alliance players at the required level wouldn't be able to get close to entering it, at least not without having their armour destroyed by the Org NPCs before getting there.
Where is the problem with the Alliance getting an instance of it's own inside Stormwind?
Halicante Jun 12th 2007 4:20PM
i hate the 25 mans. Just as bad as the 40 mans imo. I hate the drama and the coordination of too many people all together. More 10 mans! It would be awesome to have a really complicated 10 man....I'd love it. Kara is too easy.
SadClown Jun 12th 2007 4:26PM
@ Psynei
... it's called stockades.
Angus Jun 12th 2007 4:26PM
Nothing wrong with stockades being alliance only.
Although I'd like to think if you could manage to make it in there, stockades would be hilarious for horde to do.
Heck, if you do a corpse run to Ragefire it would be worth it.
Dave Jun 12th 2007 4:27PM
Right now, Stockades and Ragefire Chasm are located within capital cities and are not available to members of the opposing faction without considerable trouble. However, both are small instances without fantastic loot aimed at lower-level players. An end-game ten-man instance aimed at the highest tier of players that was only available to one side would cause quite a reaction. If the instance was in Stormwind, horde players would have to teleport or enter from beneath.
Ryan Jun 12th 2007 4:30PM
@4 Stockades are already present as the Alliance equivalent of RFC.
Prester John Jun 12th 2007 4:29PM
"Where is the problem with the Alliance getting an instance of it's own inside Stormwind?"
Alliance already has an instance of its own inside Stormwind.
Prester John Jun 12th 2007 4:31PM
And as for "Uldum, the ancient Earthen ruin in southern Tanaris."
...if it's anything like Ulda, count me right out.
Mainstay Jun 12th 2007 4:38PM
Going by the fact that they said they plan a one year release schedule per expansion (though this is Blizzard we're talking about) I have a feeling that BlizzCon is going to be when they announce the next expansion. Since August will be 8 months after the release of TBC.
As for content, I'd like to see more 10 mans, people have already beaten the Black Temple and I haven't even see Gruul yet, I feel like I'm still playing in the days of the 40 man.
someone Jun 12th 2007 4:41PM
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there an instance inside Orgrimmar that is really just a horde only instance? If you're confused, I'm talking about Ragefire Chasm. Alliance players at the required level wouldn't be able to get close to entering it, at least not without having their armour destroyed by the Org NPCs before getting there."
your wrong. First you have the stockades. Second RFC doesn't have any blue drops, I would hardly call it a instance.
10man raids are the way to go from now on. Small enough so everyone can do them, big enough to make it fun. Plus there is nothing fun about the bigger raids, you just end up feeling like a walmart employee, a nobody, smaller raids are much more epic.
Sherief Jun 12th 2007 4:47PM
If I recall, we will be seeing Zul'Aman and soon, and it will be a 10-man.
I love the 10-mans. Keep cranking em out, blizz!
Erica Olson Jun 12th 2007 5:10PM
10-man raids are small enough so everyone can do them - since when? Many of us have trouble getting into the 5-man instances. Nothing like spending hours lurking about in LFG trying to find even 2 more people.
Blizz should really put in more 2 and 3-person instances.
Rich Jun 12th 2007 4:57PM
I'd be happy if they never did another 25 or 40 man raid again. 5 and 10 mans with heroics are the way to go. It only makes sense if they plan to release an expansion a year. Only 4 to 5 (if that) guilds per server will really see the inside of the Black Temple if Blizz sticks to its release schedule.
Only one thing would make it better. Doing instances with 3 difficulty levels. Normal, Heroic, Nightmare. You then make the Nightmare level a 10 man and leave the others as 5 man.
Kedran Jun 12th 2007 5:05PM
PLEASE rev the old scholo/strat/ony/ blah blah content through caverns of time. SO OBVIOUS!! Blizz spent time on it, no one does it any more, people who came late never really did it. It would be retro and new at the same time.
Jim Jun 12th 2007 5:16PM
I personally would like Blizz to do something about the Bubble in Alterac Mountians, Its Big...Its Purple...It needs to be replaced.
Vaharneim Jun 12th 2007 5:22PM
In CoT there is a beached pirate ship with a swirling instance-portal barely visible behind it. Any speculation as to what event that may become? South Sea?
Psynei Jun 12th 2007 6:20PM
@ everyone.
Yeah, my bad, sorry.
bugmaster Jun 12th 2007 6:30PM
sunken ship makes me think of 2 things: 1 kul tiras fleet ariving at kalimdor, well doesnt seem much of a instance or event there to me
2 on the other hand is much more viable, namely the bonus campaign in wc3 roc where thrall picks up the trolls and rescues them. this is a criticlal part for the horde as we know it so why not make an instance around it?
Bugmaster out