Patch 5.3 interview with Ghostcrawler
Mystery of the Unborn Val'kyr
The latest patch 5.3 news
All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsGnome and troll starting zones to be revamped
by Zach Yonzon 
Mar 2nd 2010 at 3:00PM
It's been a long time coming for two of the game's original races who got the shaft when Burning Crusade introduced two new races with their own capital cities while gnomes and trolls continued to squat in Ironforge and Orgrimmar, respectively. Over the chat, developers mentioned that they were looking at revamping all the original starting zones, with particular focus on the two races. Now that Cataclysm is on the horizon and Blizzard plans to introduce two more races with the worgens and goblins, it only seemed fitting that gnomes and trolls get their due.
However, the developers were quick to point out that the zones won't get as "epic" a feel as the two new races in Cataclysm. They did reveal that they have "big plans" for the two races, hinting at the events set to come in a future patch, if not Patch 3.3.3. Blizzard also reminded everyone that they planned to overhaul all the starting zones with Cataclysm, which improves gameplay, quest flow, and overall experience. Now that these squatter races are finally getting equal status with the others, maybe Blizzard will finally let us see a gnome in the Cataclysm cinematic?
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 4)
Steve Tanner Mar 2nd 2010 3:26PM
Big plans for the new races eh? Maybe we'll finally find out what happened to the Scythe of Elune in Grizzly Hills (assuming that it is the Scythe in the box we retrieve for the Silverbrook trappers).
Eliezer Mar 2nd 2010 3:30PM
They should just give Trolls Zul'Gurub and be done with it. Echo Isles were ALREADY a place of exile.
Khremloc Mar 2nd 2010 3:35PM
Oh nooo, I'm still waiting for King Rastakhan to make his appearance and organise a troll conference there!
followthategg Mar 2nd 2010 5:20PM
Noooo, i've yet to get my raptor and tiger mounts!
Fraeda Mar 2nd 2010 3:31PM
Don' ya be knowin' dat the Elves are da trolls dat got all uppity and changed dere skins at da barber shops. Dat's why sa should stay away from da voodoo...
Eli Mar 2nd 2010 3:31PM
I was about to ask when this was going to be implemented.
Then I went:
"Oh yeah. Soon."
Jamie Mar 2nd 2010 3:42PM
Warning: The following message discusses the powerful concept of "Soon".
For those who are unwilling to divluge in this great enlightenment turn away now, you have been warned!
Long ago after the beginning of time, well some time soon after the beginning of time, the Blizzard Titans decided to give meaning to the moments that passed by, for the creatures of azeroth would ask "when will my buff come?", "Lock NERFS when!!?!!" this was troubling so they created two ideals of time, "Soon".
Soon is a powerful sense of time, actually one two states of time actually have ever existed.
Soon, the giver of hope to many, that before they die something may be implemented to make their lives more liveable without having to cancel their subscription to Azeroth.
And then the darker side of soon, "Not so soon", which is for everything which has yet to come but not before soon and the end of time, the thought of "Not so soon" has been the push over the ledge for many and so they have left the world of Azeroth for a different existance.
Use this state of mind carefully without it, an Azerothian or indeed anyone, could go insane!
Further reading:
- http://www.wowwiki.com/Soon
Jamie Mar 2nd 2010 3:46PM
Well okay, so the Wowwiki article goes into two different definitions of soon from my post, but eh...
theminifig Mar 2nd 2010 3:34PM
I will not be surprised at all if the Gnomes get Gnomer as their starting zone in Cataclysm.
NeoCloud61 Mar 2nd 2010 3:35PM
What pisses me off is the Worgen get stuck in Stormwind since Gilneas is just a battleground after the phased intro is done. At least that's what they said before.
Why should the gnomes get their home back when the new race is getting stuck in an old one?
Jamie Mar 2nd 2010 4:19PM
Blame the Forsaken.
i2hellfire Mar 2nd 2010 4:19PM
huh? are you thinking of tol barad?
snowleopard233 Mar 2nd 2010 4:22PM
Yeah they have actually hinted that the city of Gilneas will become a battleground with controllable districts in Cataclysm.
Oni Stardust Mar 2nd 2010 4:25PM
"Blame the Forsaken."
I do blame them, I blame them for EVERYTHING.
Azizrael Mar 2nd 2010 4:34PM
Gilneas the zone will be the setting of a new BG.
Worgen and Goblins will at least be getting a home town, just like trolls and gnomes. It won't be another Org/Stormwind, more like Goldshire/Brill/Razor Hill etc.
Lorsty Mar 2nd 2010 3:36PM
I believe the Cataclysm cinematic is the best chance gnomes have to be in one.
I mean, everyone knows gnomes and goblins hate each other, so now that the goblins are joining the Horde, it could be nice to have gnomes and goblins fighting on their planes, tanks, submarines or any other machines they have invented.
Of course that wouldn't matter if Blizzard goes with the lore-filled cinematic they did in WotLK, instead of the "alliance vs horde" kind of cinematic they had for vanilla WoW and TBC.
Eddy Mar 2nd 2010 3:59PM
I'm hoping that they do sort of a mix- they do a big sexy lore cinematic with Deathwing bursting through Azeroth's crust and lava exploding everywhere and then put in some bonus awesome fight scenes just to spice things up.
alpha5099 Mar 2nd 2010 3:49PM
It's probably a good thing that the Gnomes and Trolls are moving back to their old homes, as I felt the new races' displacement would cause some problems. It's not so much a problem for the Alliance, with Worgen sharing a city with the Humans and Gnomes in the Ironforge. But if the Trolls stay in Orgrimmar, you end up with three races calling one city home.
Lucidien Mar 2nd 2010 5:31PM
Three races calling it home? Negative. At the very least, from the city proper, Garrosh has been said to evicting all but the Orcs and Tauren (they being the only 'strong enough' to defend Orgrimmar... pfft). My theory is that Goblins will have a district or even a one-building embassy in most Horde capitals. I have another theory as to why Tauren were included so specifically in that example, and why the Horde Capital may be getting so crowded that the evictions were necessary. My theory is that the Goblins will have their own capital in Azshara (or Lost Isles), *OR* the Trolls will get a proper capital either in the Echo Isles, or in STV (perhaps start in EI, then move to STV for capital?) and to compensate, the Tauren will loose TB.
How well do you think those giant stone rises are going to cope with gratuitous volcanic and tectonic activity? My guess; not well. As the Gnomes are only getting a new start-zone (and also the Worgen), the Alliance get no new capital, they break even on capitals. And the Horde do the same, they loose one (TB), the Tauren refugees become akin to the Trolls pre-Cata, and the Goblins or the Trolls form a new capital, thus the Horde break even on capitals as well. This would also give the Horde access to Lower Eastern Kingdoms, and with the distinct focus on levelin in one half of a given continent (as mentioned in the first edition of the WoW Magazine), it is almost mandatory that the Horde - at the very least - gain a foothold akin to Theramore in Lower EK.
^ Not exactly the most well thought through speculation I've ever had, but there it is. Also, it helps solve the mystery of how Cairne will die. No assassination necessarily, he just falls off a Bluff in an Earthquake. But will he fall, or will he be pushed!? OOOOooooooo
michiel-ajax Mar 2nd 2010 4:06PM
it would be epic thou, to see like a fleet of gnomes in airplanes bombing the crap out of something :P
other then that, they are just too small