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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBreakfast Topic: Predicting the future: Patch 5.0.1
by Fox Van Allen 
Sep 21st 2010 at 8:00AM
Here at WoW Insider, we've put an incredible amount of cumulative effort into reporting what's going on both in the Cataclysm beta and on the PTR. We've already got that new-instruction-book smell flooding our nostrils. And quite frankly, we're a little exhausted. So instead of spending this morning reflecting on Cataclysm yet again, let's do something different. It's time to look to the future.
The future, Fox?
That's right, friends for life, it's time we all look into the future. All the way to the year 2000 ... and, um, 12. 2012. Cataclysm will be two years old. A new expansion -- or perhaps even a brand new World of Warcraft MMO -- will be upon us. We first started speculating on what would happen in patch
So, what do you think we're in for? What's going to be the theme of the next major expansion? Are we in for new races? (Come on, Ethereals!) Are we in for new classes? And most importantly, what horrifying quest will involve the two-year-old remains of Old Blanchy?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics, Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 5 of 13)
Architect Sep 21st 2010 11:29AM
Necromancers will never go away.
The Necromancer will heal with shadow magic. As your body is killed by the boss, your lost health will be replaced with necrotic energy. Battle rezzes will be part of the standard build at full capability but you will temporarily appear as an undead character.
The Necromancer class will introduce a new mechanic called 'Infusion'. As your character is healed by the necromancer, your attacks will gain additional potency as + shadow damage.
Major heals may proc strange aberrations in the target, such as a third arm that attacks using the unarmed skill, or protuberances that function as reserves of temporary hit points. After five stacks, such boils explode, healing nearby team mates and causing aoe damage to opponents.
Noogie Sep 21st 2010 10:23AM
I like this idea actually, I imagine the big problem with the scourge was the whole being resurrected was against their will sort of thing, but then I guess that gives you a few more plot holes to work with lorewise.
Siorra Sep 21st 2010 10:27AM
The Death Knight class is pretty much a melee-based Necromancer in plate. They really don't need to release anything undead-based.
If I'm honest, the game doesn't need more classes. Though if they have to implement anything, I'm guessing it could be a ranged/healer based class. Maybe another class to actively use ranged weapons!
Stardusted Sep 21st 2010 8:35AM
I predict (ok, its more of a wish than a genuine prediction) the return of a single 40 man raid. Your enemy? A very tiny blood thirsty white rabbit that leaps from raid member to raid member, with no discernible reason, going straight for the throat each and every time. The key to your success is to use a holy hand grenade, your reward will be a holy grail. Oh, you'll have to attune for the raid by telling an old troll necromancer your favorite color, just don't get it wrong!
(I've been dying for a whimsical Monty Python raid for years, call me a silly-nilly if you want, I can take it :o)
Rob Sep 21st 2010 9:29AM
Remember the Hogger raid for last years BlizzCon? That was kinda similar.
Arizor Sep 21st 2010 1:41PM
Loot will also include Coconuts and African and European versions of Swallow vanity pets.
cmichaelcooper Sep 21st 2010 8:37AM
I think it is likely that the situation with the infinite dragon flight will come to a head and the expansion will deal heavily with traveling to different time periods as zones instead of raids or instances, and maybe even some other pseudo-dimensions outside of time where things get really weird. Instead of preserving the timeline, once we restore nozdormu from old god insanity, he will send us way back to when the old gods were just young gods so we can kill them in their gooey tentacle cribs. This will screw everything up real good and change azeroth's history so much that not even chromie will know what to say.
Nawaf Sep 21st 2010 9:02AM
the only reason we can defeat any old god now is because they are chained to the earth. Titans chained them to the earth. So it'll be really hard.
JungleEmber Sep 21st 2010 8:40AM
Well they've used green, blue and red/orange in a expansion's title so I'd say the next one will be purple, maybe yellow. As for a theme, I'd like the newly active twilight cultists to re-summon C'thun from a cataclysm-shattered Ahn'Qiraj Temple(essentially a broken prison), unshackling C'thun's twisted influence.
I read all the Know Your Lore posts and by the looks of it, you can never REALLY kill a Old God, making me think there could be some kind of Old God apocalypse where they most of them come back or reveal themselves for the first time. We could see new species of Aqir ravage all new parts of the world. And a story involving returned titans may revolve around finding the means to perma-ban Old Gods.
World of Warcraft: Rise of the Old Gods (in purple :D)
SunGod228 Sep 21st 2010 8:48AM
I wanna be the very best
Like no one ever was
To catch them is my real test!
To train them is my cause!!!
JungleEmber Sep 21st 2010 9:42AM
A wild Old God appears! :?
Kar On E Sep 21st 2010 12:12PM
Anyone else have a sudden urge to capture Yogg-Saron in a little Red & White ball and rename him 'Fluffykins'?
Samutz Sep 21st 2010 8:38AM
More of Draenor's remains will be discovered/recovered, doubling the size of Outland. The existing Outland zones will be revamped in the same way Azeroth is getting revamped for Cataclysm. A new hero class, Demon Hunter, will become available (originating from Maiev, who becomes a Demon Hunter herself after Illidan's defeat). Kael'thas will return from yet another setback. Level cap 100. And the big baddy of the expansion will be Sargeras' second in command, Ghostcrawler.
Fletcher Sep 21st 2010 9:14AM
I think I love you a little bit. You're not undead, are you?
Demon hunters, Maiev, and Outland, mmmm. Ooh! The demon hunters could take over the Black Temple as their class' starting area! Drive out the remnants of the Illidari!
trefpoid Sep 21st 2010 10:32AM
woah, this actually sounds pretty cool O: I imagined it and got really excited. Damn u!
Angus Sep 21st 2010 8:40AM
level 90, Paladins have a complete revamp in how they work. Either a new resource or the death of holy plate and their numbers are all over the place.
Rogues get some weirdly OP new spell at 90 that is nerfed to the ground before it goes live and is damn near worthless, hunters get something damn near worthless from the start.
Druids get a new form, shrub of apologies. It replaces tree of life.
Moonkin have eclipse revamped.
Bears are given another attack, it is mildly useless. Cats are given a playbook by John Effing Maddon.
Shaman complain about totems and the lead developer posts that shaman have far too much utility to not have to make sacrifices due to totems. 2 weeks later Blizzard gives shaman another buff that someone else already has, and it is a totem in school that the spec most likely to want it already has too many choices in.
Warlocks get green fire. The have their demons merged into 3 different demons. Ranged demon which is an impish sort of thing, melee demon which is a female fel guard. and PVP demon, which is cool looking, scary as hell, and utterly dominated by anything sneezing in its direction unless the 1 cool ability is off CD.
Mages get an Arcane Storm. AoE in arcane flavor. You pick an ally and they are the ground zero of a bunch of arcane explosions... You also get new pants.
Warriors get a new AE tanking ability called "not-consecration, we swear it"
freyal Sep 21st 2010 9:41AM
you forgot priests. Damn you!
Angus Sep 21st 2010 10:41AM
Sorry, I had to rush out the door for work.
Warriors continued: rage gets a revamp. Fury is now able to triple wield. In the case of some races it is the tail. In other cases, well, you don't want to know. The third weapon is always a 1-hander. Heh. Gnomes must use daggers.
Priests are given a new spell with angle wings as a spell effect somehow. Lightwell is again toyed with and now it just dispenses "healing stones" before a fight... Warlocks have kittens over this but that ia not an issue as the kittens are eaten by that new PVP demon.
Death knights have their diseases changed to "mild fevers" since they are nerfed to the point that that is about all they count for in damage. Unholy is revamped to make the diseases be useful while the rest just have them as flavor. It also gets a new
Strike that is nicknamed "HOLY MOTHER OF WTF WAS THAT?!?!" or "Mack truck" depending on the person asked. Blood is renamed the "Edward Tree". And sucks the life right out of that spec, but at least it sparkles.
dirtygringo Sep 21st 2010 11:19AM
ten shades of awesome
Izaach Sep 21st 2010 2:43PM
You sir wins a interwebz