Given how unpopulated capital cities like Exodar are, I hope they don't invest too much in new capital cities that will go relatively unused... I like their approach now of having a single hub city (shat in BC, dal in Wrath) while pushing people out to capital cities for things like AH -- but let's face it, there's not really a need for more than 1-2 (like sw/IF)

No. No new citites. Why do people even want rubbish like that? They could already take a city out of each faction and the game wouldn't be worse off. Maybe even two cities.

Cities are a huge investment of resources that generates a few "wow" moments for newbies and are otherwise dead content.

I don't buy the idea that they won't have their own Capitol Cities... That would sort of make you feel homeless. Where will you train past 20? The starter zone? A neutral city? (That would be a first.)

With more people moving about the old world I can't imagine them not having their own cities as they would be used by high levels coming and going through the area. These would also give the Horde a major presence in Southern Kalimdor and the Alliance a major presence in Lordaeron.

@lur

Homeless? That is the entire back story for the Goblins. Have you been paying attention at all? And since when did you need to train at your factions city? They added Paladin/Shaman trainers to the major cities in early-mid BC to get around that retardation.

Gilneas city is there (one of the new BG's takes place in it, and some of the early quests are there) but from what I can tell they haven't thrown open the gates and let any old tramp in.

It would not make sense if they DIDN'T make a city for Gilneas. After all, lore-wise it was one of the largest human populations or largest kingdoms (pleasure correct me if I'm wrong). They would have to have a city.

I forgot to mention that two of the starter races don't have cities either. Trolls have a tiny village, and Gnomes have an instance.

Hell Goblins already have more of a city than either of those two.

@mtsadowski

And lorewise Dalaran had a population of more than 40. Which you wouldn't guess by seeing the remains of Dalaran and the floating Dalaran. Orgrimmar and Stormwind also have populations of several tens of thousand in the lore. Which you wouldn't guess by their ingame representation. Lorewise Azeroth is a massive world teeming with life. In game the landmasses add up to two small islands, and I would guesstimate the planet would be smaller then our moon.

Blizzard stated: No new capital cities.

That doesn't mean Gilneas city isn't in game. It means it isn't a capital like Gnomeregan isn't a capital.

According to the lore, Ratchet is the largest city in the lands of Azeroth. It is a great walled city where you can buy anything and anyone to do whatever. In the game it is seaside village with a few outbuildings.

For the love of all that's holy, no new "hub" cities. Lagaran is brutal at peak times, but unfortunately you have to slog through there at less than a frame per second in order to do anything nowadays. If Deepholm works the way that they're saying, with it being connected to all the new zones, nobody's really that far off from any of the current capitals. Stormwind and Ironforge (for the Alliance) would probably become laggier because of a lack of a hub, but it would probably encourage more use of Darnassus or the Exodar because of people wanting to get away from the lag.

New Battleground: The Battle for Gilneas City

There answered your question, Gilneas City is one of the new BG's that is being shipped if I recall correctly. Worgen get a new district in Stormwind

Goblins: Shipwrecked on desert island - they move to Aszhara, wouldn't surprised me if Orgrimaar was extended for the goblins, like SW for the worgen.

Yeah, from the looks of things we're moving back home to our own faction cities. So we'll actually start seeing people in Darnassus and Thunder Bluff again!

@theRaptor
"I forgot to mention that two of the starter races don't have cities either. Trolls have a tiny village, and Gnomes have an instance."

Well, if the story leaks are to be believed (some bits seem true, others can't be confirmed since blizzard obviously doesn't want to spoil the story), the gnomes may be taking back Gnomeregan. Whether it functions as an actual major city after retaken is yet to be determined. I would imagine that it might be effectively a major city, except smaller, and with obviously less people. I can't see why the trolls wouldn't get similar treatment, perhaps with the Echo Isles.

@theRaptor

"Blizzard stated: No new capital cities."

Where did they say this? I remember them talking about the ugly city the Goblins would be building in Azshara; maybe it'll be a small establishment, but I never saw any place where Blizzard confirmed that there would be no capitals for the Goblins or the Worgen.