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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBreakfast Topic: New 5-man dungeon plotlines
by Daniel Whitcomb 
Mar 30th 2009 at 8:00AM
So the rumors of a new 5-man dungeon to come sometime before Icecrown, maybe in 3.2 or 3.3, continue to persist. Assuming they're true, I wonder: What would you like to see? I have a few ideas of my own.
How about a Grimtotem dungeon? Let's unmask Magatha once and for all as a Scourge agent. Some quest lines point to the possibility, and it's an excuse to implement a nice Great Masquerade type quest line complete with confrontation in Thunder Bluff. It's topical to Wrath, and it shakes Tauren lore up a bit. It's a perfect idea all around, as far as I'm concerned.
If that idea doesn't tickle your fancy, I have a few more after the break.
Another idea is to create a third Azjol-Nerub dungeon. Let's face it. For a sprawling subterranean empire, Azjol-Nerub feels sort of small, thousand mile drop aside. I'd like to see another section of Azjol-Nerub opened up into a BRD style dungeon. It'd be a nice experiment in bringing back longer dungeons, and it could be a proper large spider city that does justice to all the talk about the ancient kingdom of the spider people.
Finally, I'd sort of like to see another Vykrul dungeon. No reason other than I think they are awesome, and I want more back story. Plus I wanna meet some of the "good" Vykrul who didn't go for Ymiron's blood thirst and evil. Maybe even some of the ones who protected their poor sickly mutant kids. It'd be sort of like meeting Adam and Eve for us Human PCs. There's got to be more awesome Viking giant back story. Don't let it end with Ymiron's unceremonious death!
What about you? If there's a new 5-man or even a new secret raid dungeon coming, what settings and story lines would you like to see explored?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Podcasting, Breakfast Topics, Instances, Lore, Wrath of the Lich King, Rumors
Reader Comments (Page 6 of 8)
quagmire Mar 30th 2009 10:56AM
I'm not one for inventing lore (but I do enjoy others' creativity!) but I do like to think up crazy mechanics.
What about a truely hardcore 5-man with a massive variety of decent epic drops that'll shut the hardcore QQers up about 'content too easy' crap. Something that lasts 2-3hrs and 1 death leads to a full wipe and instance reset, and triggers an elite pack of 5 mobs to spawn (e.g. a dugeon setup) to attack that faction's major city, dropping normal loot for those trash clearers. i.e. you screw up, you put minor pressure on a major city and reward someone else.
So while ur attempting this dugeon for the 15th time you can think of 15 other grops who are happy with their new loot, all because of you!!
Lol could you imagine the cascade effect if several groups wiped indipendently at the same time? NPC RAID!!!
Batleth Mar 30th 2009 10:06AM
I, for one, love the Caverns of Time...probably because I'm a lore nerd. But anyway, those instances are awesome...not one of them is bad.
Personally, I'd love to see more CoT stuff...
1) Protecting Tyrande as she breaks into Razorfen to break Illidan out...
2) Aiding Turalyon outside of Blackrock Spire right after Doomhammer defeats Anduin Lothar...
3) Protecting Quel'Thalas with Sylvanas and Alleria as Arthas marches through it
As far as Grim Batol goes, my opinion is that its going to open up when the Emerald Dream is released (in whatever form). It's my belief that the Deathwing is behind the Nightmare and he's holed up far beneath Grim Batol right now....that fight is going to rock the casbah, baby!
ghola Mar 30th 2009 10:10AM
I vote for an instance in the subway between Ironforge and Stormwind and requires heroes to investigate. The storyline would answer long-burning questions like: why does the train go east/west instead of north/south? Why does it go underwater when it should be under just mountains? Why doesn't the train require a fee or even drivers? The people of Azeroth need to know!
Cipri Mar 30th 2009 4:06PM
The reason the tram goes east-west instead of north-south, is because way back in the beta, the tram was intended to go between Eastern Kingdom and Kalimdor, and link Ironforge and Darnassus.
Batleth Mar 30th 2009 10:11AM
I like it!! 8-)
Rakeesh Mar 30th 2009 10:12AM
There are a few options that seem likely.
First there's Gundark; we haven't actually gone through the front entrance as it seems. Really, there's a huge multi-story stone building there and we were only in the basement out front. (And yes, I like troll dungeons. I like the troll style. :) )
Then there's Wyrmrest; we see plenty more portals aside from the Obsidian Sanctum, and one or two could easily be opened up into dragon based dungeons, or even 'behind enemy lines' type dungeon environments.
I do agree though, I'd love to see large dungeons a-la BRD and BRS/UBRS brought back. Those were fun and you didn't have to clear ALL bosses if you didn't want to. I think Old Kingdom is the closest we come to that.
Dranaerys Mar 30th 2009 10:21AM
I know nowadays all the rage in dungeons is clearing them in 30 minutes, but I wish they would bring the days of BRD back again, an epic sprawling dungeon that would take you 5 hours or more to clear.
But I guess theres no point seeing as the new WOW direction is making all content easily available to everyone, jsut wait for raid instances to get their 5-man versions. You know its coming. :P
wrathwillcome Mar 30th 2009 10:26AM
Nah, no more giants, trolls, elementals, vrykuls, demons, etc. Give us a taste of the Emerald Dream. Meh, dragons. Nevermind.
Hrm.
Warren Mar 30th 2009 10:27AM
what about the instance portals inside SW here.
http://www.wowhead.com/?maps=1519:720695
wrathwillcome Mar 30th 2009 10:27AM
BTW, how about another instance in Stormwind? Use the 'Stockades-like' building that has never been used.
Diamond Mar 30th 2009 10:29AM
Wait a minute...what about Sargeras? We got Illidan in BT what about Sargeras?
Pliska Mar 30th 2009 10:35AM
What about Sholazar? It needs a 5man, and you could utilize the Maker's Perch or Maker's overlook for entrances.
Do any of the Ulduar stuff in 3.1 utilize the Engine of the Makers? That would make a great entrace for a dungeon.
occipital Mar 30th 2009 10:46AM
Didn't read through every comment to see if anyone else pointed this out... but it's spelled Vrykul, not Vykrul... misspelled in the article and the tag.
Narshe Mar 30th 2009 10:51AM
Who's to say the whole Argent Tournament wont eventually open up a new 5 man? Blizz says you wont be able to unlock the whole Tournament until 3.2 so that would be around the time if the rumors are true. Maybe it would even work like the AQ gate, open up the tournament and you can run the 5 man.
jam Mar 30th 2009 11:00AM
"I'd like to see another section of Azjol-Nerub opened up into a BRD style dungeon. It'd be a nice experiment in bringing back longer dungeons..."
This.
Not necessarily AN (not a big fan of those 2 instances), but just a big, non-linear 5-man instance.
O
Candina@WH Mar 30th 2009 11:04AM
Musings:
Uldum: I doubt it is going to happen. I think the raids/instances associated with Uldum became Ulduar/Hall of Stone/Hall of Lightning.
Timbermaw Hold: Could this be the entrance to Hyjal?
Further use of the 'phasing' technology? Phase the oldworld? Changes to the old world that so that it doesn't effect the lowbies, but we lvl 80s see it and must deal with it?
The Naga laying siege to Stormwind/Orgrimmar?
Wailing Caverns as an entrance into the Emerald Dream?
But, I think the most logical setting would be to create a third 'tier' of dungeon difficulty. 'Epic' dungeons that drop the new Emblems of Conquest.
I also expect another Chamber of Aspects Raid or Raids. Another CoT. Though CoT Gnommer would be interesting, I would hate to run Gnommer ever again.
For humor... CoT 'Pirates of Booty Bay'. Your group are pirates who engadge other Pirate ships (vehicle battle) to fight your way into booty bay, then it is swash and buckle as you fight your way through several bosses to defeat the High Admiral of the Bloodsail and return control of Booty Bay to the Steamwheedle cartel.
Sygerrik Mar 30th 2009 11:09AM
I'd like to see a complete curveball. Possibly a Scourge five-man under Icecrown Citadel. For all that we fight the Scourge and that they're a constant presence, there aren't many pure Scourge dungeons. There's AN, which is Nerubian-themed and anyway, it's extremely short; there's AK, which they only control half of, and which is mostly full of Yogg-Saron's minions; and there's DkT, which is half-troll controlled and has a strong troll theme. While undead appear in those, they're not like Stratholme, pure undead with a powerful agent of the Lich King as the final boss.
With that in mind, I'd like to see a five-man that's an infiltration of one of the lower levels of Icecrown Citadel. Rather than a linear progression dungeon, it would be a "sandbox" style dungeon, where you were given a list of tasks to complete. Maybe there'd be a smelting wing where skeletal smiths are creating saronite weapons, and you have to sabotage the smelting by pouring something in the ore. There'd be a construction wing, where the undead are strengthening Icecrown's defenses: you'd have to plant bombs, then get to a safe distance before they detonate. Then there could be a corruption wing, where the undead are holding Argent prisoners; you could free some high-ranking general prisoner and escort him back to the entrance through waves of mobs, like OHB. Once you'd completed all three tasks, the Lich King would notice you and send his servant to destroy you, final boss fight, collect lewtz and skedaddle.
One more thing: by performing these tasks in a difficult manner (escaping before the bomb goes off, choosing to rescue more prisoners on the way and escorting them as well) it could be like a raid's "hard mode," where you unlock better gear on the boss associated with each wing. Of course, they'd have to drop epix to make people want to run this dungeon.
Heston Mar 30th 2009 11:14AM
Some places are too valuable to use as a 5 man. For example, Grim Batol, Greyman Wall (which I never new about until now), Uldum and the Timbermaw. They're great ideas, but same them for another expansion that at least partly brings us back to Azeroth.
The Nerubian haven't gotten their fair share of the spot light. Show us their history. Vykruls are another good idea, more back story. And that Fall of Silvermoon idea sounded very cool.
Any new heroic needs a purpose other than, oh look, a new dungeon! Higher level emblems for a higher level of difficulty than the other heroics. And there needs to be more than one.
jaynitan Mar 30th 2009 11:21AM
More trolls plz. . .. give us an instance where there are multile troll bosses that you can do in any order. . .and each one has some power derived from a different animal Loa. Then when you kill all of themyou unlock the main boss of the run! Yeah!!! Or maybe a troll instance where you can use outdoor mounts!!!
And you can run around killing thousands of trolls! and you can have an epic battle on stairs or soemthing where wave upon wave of troll comes after you!!
Please more trolls, maybe a raid where you have to stop thousands of trolls from posting on comments and threads!!!! You would win the title Community Manager or something if you can fight troll flaming with a wepaon kinda like the ones in TK, uber epic but only for the battle. The weapons would be called 'Perma-ban'
More trolls plz!!!!
exit Mar 30th 2009 11:28AM
i think i know what the next instance will be, because last time was 'merely a setback'