Forum post of the day: The fate of Outland
by Amanda Dean 
Jul 7th 2008 at 2:13AM
Once Wrath of the Lich King is released, we will have a whole new end-game continent. Just like how we got a whole new planet in the Burning Crusade. Since the first expansion was released many areas in the old world have been largely unused. There is very little World PvP going on in Eastern Plaguelands, most pre-sixty instances lay dormant except for quick runs with high level characters, and Onyxia lurks alone until someone nostalgic for original WoW until someone comes to slay her.
Dazknight of EU-Lightning's blade posed the question, what will happen to Burning Crusade content once Wrath comes out. If Blizzard continues to work only on the latest endgame content, it's likely that Outland, The Isle of Quel'Danas, dailies, and everything we currently experience will be largely forgotten. Noxmortum of EU-Kilrogg believes that Outland will be the province of characters leveling from 58 to 68, full of Death Knights for the first few weeks and then more of a ghost land than the Ghostlands. Netherstorm and
Not everyone is sad to see it go. In the thread Outland was called "the armpit of the universe." Several replies echoed the sentiment that Outland is a loathsome place.
Sometimes I find it surprising that Blizzard hasn't revamped any of the pre-BC content. They've pumped massive resources into creating endgame content twice. The Black Temple and Sunwell Plateau will most likely fall into disuse soon after the expansion, as did Naxxramas and Molten Core. Many will never take part in that content at all. Blizzard is reworking Naxx for Wrath, hopefully they have some tricks up their sleeves for other old content as well.
Do you think Blizz will do anything to save Burning Crusade content in the era of Wrath?
Filed under: Blizzard, Expansions, Leveling, Death Knight, Wrath of the Lich King, Forums, Forum Post of the Day
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Ametrine Jul 7th 2008 2:20AM
They'd better.
Manatank Jul 7th 2008 2:25AM
Outland was far superior to what came before it. I'm hoping Northrend will be as much of an improvement.
Queso Jul 7th 2008 2:27AM
They should make herioc versions of the old stuff, and make them like 10 to 25 man. I know a lot of people havnt even gotten a chance to run them so for them it would be all new content. It shouldnt take that much resources to adjust some numbers and play test it.
Some buddies and I did 3 man the one blue dragon thats north of Ogrimmar. The fight took like two hours but it was pretty fun and easy to handle.
Kody Jul 7th 2008 12:52PM
I would LOVE to see updated 10 man versions of MC/Naxx/Ony/BWL, I started WoW before BC but didn't make it to 60 fast enough to experience it. I would LOVE to go back and see all those wonderful encounters!
blazenor Jul 7th 2008 2:28AM
I think it's a shame that most pre-bc end game stuff has gone almost unplayed because of BC.
Ryan Jul 7th 2008 7:56AM
What would your alternative be? Require the old instances for new world rep?
I for one am glad I'm not required to run the old world instances any more, for the simple reason that they're played to death.
I still solo them every once in a while for enchanting mats to AH, and that's quite enough for me.
Procris Jul 7th 2008 2:30AM
Well most Burning Crusade content will still be used since you still need it to level 58-68 as pointed out above. Stuff that will obviously not be used is the lvl 70 heroics, all raid instances. About 6 months after Wotlk it'll probably become harder to get instances. Instances like UBRS, Diremaul for example are pretty much never get used currently and i suspect it will be the same for a few of the lvl 70 5 man instances.
In a lot of ways its just the natural order of things. Blizzard could possibly remove some trash mobs, lower bosses hp to make it easier, since changes like this would hurt no one and only help people leveling up towards wrath content.
The Isle of Quel'Danas in all honesty could be changed to a 68-72 area where you could level just to avoid all the crowding which will happen on Wotlk's release. With the Isle of Quel'Danas what to do with it is really hard choice since its pretty much the first zone completely designed for lvl 70s.
Johnnycash99 Jul 7th 2008 3:54PM
One idea for keeping people interested in 5-man BC instances would be to change to BoP drops to BoE. I can envision lvl 80's still doing BC heroics in order to farm the drops and sell them on the AH for the lvl 58-68's.
Changing the drops is not unprecidented either. Blizz did this to the loot from the BC World Bosses a few patches back.
Nathan Jul 7th 2008 7:46PM
In a future expansion, instead of focusing on creating a completely new zone where all of your levelling for that level cap happens in that zone, they should add levelling zones in "old world"(Vanilla / TBC) for that level cap, and the only new zones separate from the old worlds, be for end game.
E.g. You level from 0-58 in Eastern Kingdoms / Kalimdor, 58-68 in Outland and if WotLK wasn't coming out and we were to use my idea, Blizzard would create levelling zones for 68-80 in both outland and Azeroth. So once you hit 70 or got close to it, you could choose to keep levelling in Outland or Azeroth.
Then once you hit 80, there would be zones much like Isle of Quel'Danas where you can do dailies, a Raid etc. But much of the new content would be in the old worlds, but in some ways still be new.
I mean, why do they need to make a new island, or a completely separate area when they make an expansion or increase the level cap. I mean, making NEW levelling zones for 60-80 throughout Azeroth and Outland that you could just walk into like they were Arathi Highlands, or Burning Steppes doesn't stop people from buying the expansion or dull down new content. I think people would love it.
Like imagine questing through level 68 and then having the option to go to the present day Hyjal and do some levelling. You're still getting brand-new content and it does nothing to discourage people purchasing the expac, but it opens the old-world up considerably.
I mean, if there were level 78 mobs in Hyjal, then you obviously aren't going to have level 58's trying to level there, they would have to go to outland to get anywhere near going there.
I know it's no hope of happening now since they have already created a new COMPLETELY SEPARATE area where all of the expansion content happens, but alas, i can hope. :P
Clevins Jul 7th 2008 2:32AM
Nope, they won't. It's too bad in some ways but honestly... if you've levelled up a 70 or 2... do you REALLY want to see Zangar again? Or HFP? Or Blade's? For me it's been there, done that, don't need to see it again.
Don't get me wrong - I enjoyed levelling both 70s and I don't hate Outland - but it's done. REally, what could they do to change the experience much? Add an instance? A new quest hub? Sure... but there's really no reason to.
WoW content is like a book or a movie... you might go over it a few times, but at some point you move on.
Sean Jul 7th 2008 2:37AM
No, they will most likely let the dust grow on it as they did with EPL and Silithus.
The dailies are an interesting problem. What happens to the daily quest rep grinds? Will the Netherwing faction simply vanish? Or will they give Rep but not gold or XP?
Fyrestrike Jul 7th 2008 3:00AM
I think they should do something with the old Pre-BC areas. I like the Caverns of Time is getting an instance.
I think Silithus could be updated, or perhaps an event done there, such as a bug invasion of other areas near it. And I don't mean like the little hives in Tanaris, Un'Goro and Feralas. I mean a major invasion of bugs, hitting towns and such.
Or a new Scourge Invasion, in response to the encroachment of Northrend.
Apophis Jul 7th 2008 3:14AM
> Or a new Scourge Invasion, in response to the encroachment of Northrend.
Not very logical to send your army away when everyone is going to storm your castle ;)
elprogramer Jul 7th 2008 5:02AM
There is going to be a new Scourge Invasion! Doesn't anyone read the news anymore?
Dan Jul 7th 2008 6:14AM
Dailies will be giving xp rather than gold, until you get to level 80. But since they will increase the xp you need from a level, and increase the xp rewards in Northrend, you wouldn't want to stick with the dailies unless you actually need the factions.
And Northrend is bound to have plenty of new dailies, the question is if you can start doing those as soon as you enter Northrend, or if they will require L80.
Khanmora Jul 7th 2008 8:36AM
They stated at WWI that they wanted dailies to be a part of the leveling process in Northrend. It's one of the things they wished they had implemented sooner in TBC.
Faydre Jul 7th 2008 2:44AM
The biggest difference between Outland and Wrath will be the gear.
When outland came out people were replacing greens for epics. there was such a huge jump in gear that anyone new playing the game leveling an alt would have been foolish to go out and farm any type of gear from Stratholme, scholomance, Dire Maul etc. All you had to do was those first few quests in outland at level 58 and you already had amazing gear compared to those instances.
The question is, and I think it has been answered already, will the same thing happen in Wrath. From what I know, it won't, the gear you have now, in outland, if it's epic, it's going to last you a lot longer than your epics did when outland came out. So in saying that, for just the pure enjoyment of the game, it might be worth doing Tempest Keep, Heroic Hellfire etc.
What I kind of wonder is will it be worth grinding an epic flying mount at level 70, you won't be able to use it in Wrath till level 78 or so.
And what will happen to all those dailies? I hope the fishing gets extended to Wrath.
my2cents Jul 7th 2008 3:06AM
That's what they said and yet I've seen screenshots from the alpha (granted it's only alpha) of level 71 blue 1H weaps with 103 dps on them...so it looks like T4 and T5 gear (or at least the weapons) will be replaced just as quickly as my Necklace of Hakkar was on my first run through Ramparts =P However, I really hope they change this before Wrath is released. I think T5/ZA/2.3 badge gear should last until at least level 75 or so, not level 71 =(
Tbear Jul 7th 2008 3:22AM
I have read what they have said about gear in the expac. Bornakk said you will not be replacing season 4 with greens from the first zone. I noticed he did not say T4. I suspect that the level 70 greens will be about T5 in quality. There are three reasons for this.
First season 2 is on the honor vendor right now and that is about the same as T5 but with PVP Stats. The gear is however great for questing and farming still.
Second, a character leveled after BC will go straight to Northrend at 68. If he/she cannot get gear there equal to what most people had at the time of the release, then they will have an impossible time leveling. If the area is tuned for people in BC blues and greens then those of us geared out now will find it trivial.
Finally, Blizzard wants to sell copies of the expac. They will want the content (read:gear) to be so awesome that people will run out and buy it just like they did BC. I remember when BC came out, I knew several people that said they were not going to bother. That was until they saw the greens on the AH from Hellfire.
Now those in T6/S4 will get to wear those shiny purples for a while. However, at some point they will be outdated by blues and greens.
To sum up my argument, a person can easily hit 70 in Nagrand or Blades Edge. It takes weeks to gear up a new 70 in dungeon blues, then even longer to epic out. People follow the path of least resistance and just like now they will go get the easy quest rewards in Northrend rather than fight the RNG in level 70 BC instances.
sephirah Jul 7th 2008 5:24AM
Surely outlands epics will last longer, but I don't think many people at 68-70 will farm hundreds of badges, run X times a heroic or farm gazillions of primals to get some item, when they could instead get similar gear just levelling to ~75 in new content.