WoW maps past show present
by Matthew Rossi 
Mar 3rd 2008 at 4:30PM
It's a good week for posts at DwarfPriest.com, it seems. In this look at the manual for World of Warcraft, we get to see that the maps included in the original, 2004 release (which hasn't been updated since... four years later, and we're still using the same increasingly inaccurate manual) are at times surprisingly accurate to what we see in the game today. Interesting inclusions and omissions abound: the fact that Maraudon isn't on these maps but Dire Maul is just fascinates me from the perspective that Maraudon was a full patch ahead of the Maul.I remember riding around Silithus way before the AQ release trying to get inside and see what was back there, and have been to both Hyjal and along the Greymane wall with my lovely wife who always wants to see the zones that are the hardest to access: I like the idea of Gilneas coming into the game so much that I've mused about releasing the whole zone as an instance before. For these reasons I found this look back at the game manual's maps and what has and hasn't made it into live yet to be grist for the mill of my naturally speculative brain. Will we finally see Uldum when Ulduar hits in WoTLK? Maybe Hyjal will finally go live? Will those islands off the coast of Gilneas make a reappearance on the world map? I've been wondering for years now what's up in Kul Tiras.
Anything on these maps you're surprised to see? Anything excluded that you'd expect? The very detailed map of Quel'Thalas, years before it went live, was one of my big 'woah' moments looking over these maps, which shows how easy it is for me to forget just how much lore the RTS series packed in.
Filed under: Patches, Analysis / Opinion, Fan stuff, Odds and ends, Blizzard, Lore
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Splink Mar 3rd 2008 4:46PM
I love reading my manual. The lore sections are a great primer for WoW history nerds in training. Although here in the UK at least the manual in the retail boxes has certainly been updated to reflect a lot of the changes since 2004. I bought a new box recently for a family member, so speak from experience. The game also now comes on DVD! So no need for the 5 discs.
Maki May 19th 2008 11:57AM
Well, sorry to tell you. But, this is the map from WCIII. Yes, it is included in the manual, but it was from WCIII. In Warcraft III, you get watch the fall of the High Elves, while playing the Undead campaign. You play as Arthas as he attacks the Sunwell. And that's why the map was there. Because we had already seen the Isle of Quel'Danas, in past games. (Though it was very, VERY, less detailed.
Maki May 19th 2008 11:58AM
Sorry, didn't mean to comment on you.
Baluki Mar 3rd 2008 4:56PM
I was a bit disappointed that they left the Shrine of Ula'tek out of Zul'Aman. Maybe that's one of their back-up ideas for dungeons they'll add if they can't get WLK done quickly enough.
JessPachWay Mar 3rd 2008 5:35PM
The manual is my current bathroom reading. I gasped when I read that warlock's soulstones originally caused rez sickness.
Alittan Mar 3rd 2008 5:55PM
I have the RPG book that describes all the area's in Azeroth, from Northrend to the Eye in the Maelstrom. I can't wait for Nazjatar, the capital of the Naga. And Hyjal, I wonder what theyre gonna do with that. But most of all I miss the Burrowed Den or something from warcraft 3, the location where Illidan was kept for 10.000 years. They should put that in Hyjal, cause it was directly under it. Sort of like an homage to Illidan, who sadly died at the hands of 25 players screaming "We are prepared!". He was an awesome lore character and my favorite :P.
csarcops Mar 4th 2008 2:20AM
You can go into the Stormrage Barrow Dens in Moonglade, if that's what you're referring to. I didn't make it very far, as there are ??-level nightmare things that will attempt to kick your butt, and usually succeed. :)
Feoremar Mar 3rd 2008 6:02PM
Speaking of maps and content coming onto live, I was personally dissapointed with the sunwell isle. Looking at all, and I mean ALL, of the old maps, the island looks pretty huge. Like there'd be mountains along the sides, with a valley type palce in the center for the Sunwell itself.
But when I saw the Isle of Quel'Danas for the PTR notes on WoWwiki, I was just so dissapoitned at how tiny it looked. Theres barely enough room for the content there as it is, nevermind mountains and valleys.
But alas, tis just the game. The world ingame is naturally smaller than what I would be in real life, and certain technical restrictions and all that stuff, I can understand. But I guess it's just the lore-geek inside me that just wanted more. I:
DJScythe17 Mar 3rd 2008 7:25PM
It's a bit of a pipe dream, but I'd love it if Pandaria(http://www.wowwiki.com/Pandaria) showed up somewhere in seas of Azeroth, even even no playable Pandaren came with it. (Even thought playable Pandaren would be awesome. XD)
PropagandaPanda Mar 3rd 2008 8:29PM
Speaking of maps is there a way to modify the actual map images in WoW? say if i wanted to scan RPG maps, or make my own maps?
Weisheng Mar 3rd 2008 10:08PM
Grim Batol! And Hyjal too.
Forgehart Mar 3rd 2008 11:42PM
UNDERMINE!!!!
The capital of the goblins!, for those who dont know, opposite Northrend at the the bottom of the map is Undermine. The center of all Goblin trade. They reference it in WoW and there are pics online that show it on a whiteboard with the rest of Azeroth.
But yea great article, i too cant wait for Nazjatar and Gilneas. Especially with the politics surrounding Gilneas and the not wanting to join back with the alliance (surely Deathwings doing)
Andelorn Mar 4th 2008 1:28AM
I wanna know what the zones clearly outlined on the world map, around the middle of Eastern Kingdoms are. I was recently doing some farming in Burning Steppes on my hunter, actually, and I saw on the eastern mountain wall near the Alliance flightpath that there is a square-shaped chunk taken out of the top, like a fly-through area such as on the western edge on the flightpath to Stormwind. When I took a look up there with Eagle Eye, there was a -huge- flat, untextured area beyond it.
I also remember going to Silithus before AQ and using Eagle Eye to look over the wall, and just seeing a line of pillars stretching out into the distance along a stone road.
JR Mar 4th 2008 1:56PM
Apparently that zone near Burning Steppes hasn't been named yet, and no information is known about it. See wowwiki: http://www.wowwiki.com/East_of_Burning_Steppes
Neil T. Mar 4th 2008 6:04AM
The Outland map on the TBC web site - http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/burningcrusade/townhall/outlandmap.html - shows a town called 'Gron'bor Shrine'. I'm guessing this became Ogri'la but it's interesting that it never made it into the game.
The Altar of Sha'tar is also shown as 'Ancient Draenei Base', the 'Sanctum of the Stars' is missing altogether. No mention of Toshley's Station or Cosmowrench either, or Evergrove.
Zonique Mar 4th 2008 6:39PM
Also looks as if the consortium was known as 'Aeris' back then as well - which is interesting in a not-very-interesting kind of way