The problem of Outland in Cataclysm
by Mike Schramm 
Sep 15th 2009 at 4:00PM
Bornakk's reply hints that Blizzard will probably just gloss over it as best they can -- they're not going to build a whole new 1-85 experience involving Deathwing. When you constantly update a five-year-old persistent world game like this with new stories and content, something's got to give somewhere. My guess is that Blizzard, being the perfectionists they are, will probably come up with a quest or two that gives a lore reason to go out there ("Hmm, you're too green to face the power of Deathwing, but our companions in Outland need help holding what's left of the Burning Legion at bay!"), and leave it at that. They may increase the XP and get you out of there even quicker, but going to Outland at 58 is still a gameplay necessity (Northrend shares the problem at 70, but of course we don't actually know what's going to happen with the Lich King quite yet). It's likely the lore will just have to deal.
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will destroy Azeroth as we know it. Nothing will be the same. In WoW.com's Guide to Cataclysm you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion. From Goblins and Worgen to Mastery and Guild changes, it's all there for your cataclysmic enjoyment.Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Blizzard, Instances, Expansions, The Burning Crusade, Leveling, Alts, Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
Clydtsdk-Rivendare Sep 15th 2009 4:06PM
Something involving Blade's Edge Mountains.
rosencratz Sep 15th 2009 7:07PM
I don't understand what the problem is?
No two characters or players ever experience the game in precisely the same, quests can be picked up and completed in more or less any order. The only limitation really is what level you are.
It's always been considered that the levelling process is the representation of time passing in wow and what other players have achieved and experienced is more or less irrelevant to your characters experience.
Things will seem chronologically correct pretty much to all current level 80's on release just as much as it will for any new alts made. It will just be different.
I doubt there will be any npc stating at level 60 that illidan is dealt, Outland is ignorable and we midst march straight on deathwing. There will be nothing to tell low levels alts they should do anything but deal with the problems in Outland. Which, as a level 60 are still problems, Illi, kael, bash and kil are not dealt with directly or indirectly, in theory untill level 71 when the dangers in northren will become apparent.
Btw northrend is unnafected by deathwing and so is no different to Outland if it's a problem. Other than apparent overwhelming failure to understand the medium to which wow operates by some though I really can't see a problem here
Chilblain Sep 15th 2009 7:41PM
Leveling *was* part of the game. The majority of the player base is 80 now. This is just an expansion dedicated to people who roll alts. Leveling from 1-60 all over again, THEN Outlands (again), THEN Northrend (again), THEN 80-85?
"Oh but it's new content! I'm a goblin this time!"
Blizzard is laughing all the way to the bank...
w Sep 16th 2009 3:39AM
The 6-10 people who actually care about the story of WoW, out of the 11,000,000 im sure are going to turn the tables on this "problem".
kabshiel Sep 15th 2009 4:07PM
I wish they would just give you a quest at 60 that immediately levels you to 80. Obviously Blizzard would never do it, but it'd be nice to have a more logical lore experience.
Tiberius Sep 15th 2009 4:14PM
Blizzard would never do that and honestly its a dumb idea for blizzard to cut out content.
tatsumasa Sep 15th 2009 5:09PM
um, except that leveling is part of the game... it's also when people are supposed to learn how to play their class. compare playing a single character from one to endgame, to a character of a brand new class that you could instantly get who is already at the level cap - which would people be more effective playing in raids?
Bubsa Sep 15th 2009 7:30PM
After the announcement of race changes I honestly wouldn't put this suggestion beyond the realms of possibility.
Tiberius Sep 15th 2009 10:43PM
@Bubsa
Why do you think that?
Race changes to the new races they said would be mid to late expansion.
Also, its not like you are skipping levels or anything you are just changing from one race to another. Which in game play terms doesn't change anything that much.
Cody Sep 15th 2009 4:10PM
You know, they could easily say "We need to figure out what Deathwing was planning in Outland. Go there and do stuff."
snowleopard233 Sep 15th 2009 4:13PM
That’s true. He did go to draneor and left the eggs that would later become the netherwing flight. It would be interesting if they could tie that in
awwjwah Sep 15th 2009 4:44PM
And don't forget that Deathwings Consort did work with the Fel Orcs in Shadowmoon Valley. Of course, this is seen only by those who did the Netherwing quest line to get the Nether Drake.
illiaster Sep 15th 2009 10:25PM
As I mentioned in the official forums:
I think the best suggestion here so far is to, yes, put Chromie on the Outland Portal in Blasted Lands with a big exclamation point - making the travel to Outlands a 10-level CoT PVE experience. Which goes something like: "The sundering has destroyed the portal to the Outlands, however, we still need to find out what Deathwing was doing with the Netherwing and his eggs, and it might be a good time to check things with Illidan/KJ/Vashj too, since the battle in Northrend is still happening".
illiaster Sep 15th 2009 10:26PM
As I mentioned in the official forums:
I think the best suggestion here so far is to, yes, put Chromie on the Outland Portal in Blasted Lands with a big exclamation point - making the travel to Outlands a 10-level CoT PVE experience. Which goes something like: "The sundering has destroyed the portal to the
Outlands, however, we still need to find out what Deathwing was doing with the Netherwing and his eggs, and it might be a good time to check things with Illidan/KJ/Vashj too, since the battle in Northrend is still happening".
snowleopard233 Sep 15th 2009 4:09PM
This problem was apparent even as early back as the end of the Death Knight starting zones.
Darion: (paraphrasing) We have no place in this world but me and my knights will stop at nothing to stop the Lich King. Let us pledge our very existence to the task of destroying Arthas and making him pay for all he has done!
…by going to Outland!
0_o
t0xic Sep 15th 2009 4:14PM
^This. I was thinking the same thing when I read that.
oshin Sep 15th 2009 4:24PM
I dont mind that so much really, arthas is supposed to be a powerful enemy, theres nothing wrong with the idea that somebody would have to go strengthen themselves instead of going straight at somebody.
Just like be / draenei in tbc, the problem is you get through something shiny and new, and dumped back into the mundane if you have levelled before
Its kinda of interesting, I was thinking there might be an alternative path if they are going to change the continent, why not just boost xp enough to bypass most of outlands ? Then again, its well worth a new players time to go have a look.
Pemberton Sep 15th 2009 4:41PM
It was a test - the Horde/Alliance was happy to get the assistance for the Death Knights, but to make sure they could follow orders or at least do something helpful before going to Northrend (And possibly becoming a double-agent to Arthas), they were sent to Outland where Undeath isn't all that common.
Once they assisted the effort there then they were called back to fight here in Azeroth.
Fyve & Cringer Sep 15th 2009 7:31PM
That wasn't a lore problem, it was all down to a bit of marketing confusion.
"So Darion, now you're free of the Lich King's control, what are you gonna do?"
"I'm going to Disneyland!... Wait, what? OUTland? Awwwwh man, I thought I was headed for THE space mountain, not A space mountain."
jbodar Sep 15th 2009 8:06PM
Outland is just the Death Knight training montage. They should change the Outland musical scores to appropriately-cheesy 80s music:
Hellfire Peninsula - "Burning Heart by Survivor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkI54EoZPJw
Zangarmarsh - "No Easy Way Out" by Robert Tepper http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IuueKw1m98
Nagrand - "You're the Best (Around)" by Joe Esposito http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Qae_TUTeGo
Also, /hate the WowInsider 3-URL-limit. :)