• Chicken

Just saying here, but there was precious little detailed information on Starcraft II around until the announcement recently (There were, of course, rumors floating about but that doesn't mean much), so if there's anything Blizzard can do it's keep their development secret if they want to.

 

Talgog

Yes, but Starcraft II isn't actually coming out anytime soon. Certainly not in November, which is the timeline people seem to be picturing for an announced-street date second expansion pack for WoW.

What you saw here was the start of its rollout. Which was my point. We have had no rollout whatsoever for a new expansion, so expecting a big one to hit the streets in a box in six months is silly.

 

Earthhoof

A somewhat compelling notion I have heard is that the ship in the CoT could be related to Arthas' destruction of his own ships in Northrend as detailed in WC3. I am uncertain why this is an event whose outcome we'd want to safeguard (since it would seem that preserving the ships would be a setback for the Scourge and the Burning Legion), but it would also find a use for the Northrend files that've been making their way into the game.

In any case, I am always skeptical of speculation on new classes. Finding a niche that is unique and desirable but not required would be hard enough. I am further confused by what stats and armor would be sought-after for this class - that is, would it compete further with current classes for itemization, or would it require its own itemization (which causes a large support issue with providing sufficient itemization at low levels)? I wouldn't be surprised if they introduce a new class, but I am not clamoring for one - I think they'd be justified in keeping the classes they've got.

Technically, the fourth Titan site is in Maraudon, not Dire Maul, but that's no big deal and it barely counts anyway. I do have some hope for Uldum, but I'm not holding my breath.

Edited Note: As snape correctly added, that's from an RPG book I flipped through once upon a time, and not in-game. Should have identified that.

 

Groat

Well, there was actually a large raid area post black temple that was planned for a content patch this expansion that they stopped talking about completely (which either means they canned it OR it is going to be a surprise announcement).

The Sunwell Grove / Plateau

This is the third zone in the blood elf areas; the one that didn't make it in yet. This was mentioned multiple times as being a massive raid zone - and this was where they have a lot of potential for some really crazy stuff; magic gone wild or the remnants of the Undead that sacked it in the first place.

For now, you can still observe that the zone is on the world map, there just isn't any way to get to it (unless if they were to put it to the east, in which case it isn't).

I'd fully expect that as the LAST raid of this expansion.

I mean unless if they do decide to add in Deathwing's Lair, which according to the Maps would be way out on an Island to the East of the Dark Portal, so that would take a flying Mount and a long long journey to get to.

 

spronk

I'm told that Blizzard is going to announce a new expansion pack model for WoW - minipacks that are released more frequently, smaller, and cheaper with full details on the first one. They will also announce a new server type that lets people create pre-made 70s with full gear sets (arena, T5, etc) so you can just jump in and run arena with spectator mode thrown in.

 

snape

Mmm, I'm really skeptical of this. It's practically canon that Deathwing isn't there currently (back in Azeroth), so unless you want to fight a bunch of his lessers, I really don't see this as the culmination of TBC.

P.S. I say "practically" because his current whereabouts are in fact unknown, but his last known location was on Azeroth.

 

• Haphnet

Is there anything to say that we wouldn't be helping Arthas burn the ships is there? I mean it's not like we haven't done similarly peculiar things in a Caverns of Time instance (Black Morass anyone?). I'm sure we could shoe-horn a time-line malfunction to justify it.

The presence of the Northrend files as well as the ship in the Caverns of Time general area make this a rather blatant hint to me. But then again, the missing diplomat quest line and the former presence of the King of Stormwind also seemed to make one believe the quest line would be finished at some point.

I had also heard rumor of the idea that smaller, "minipacks" were going to be released. However, I'm curious as to where you heard the notion of the new server type. Do you have any link or proof of this (not that I don't believe you, I'm just really interested in the idea).

 

Groat

Well, I'm referring to "Deathwing's Lair" as positioned on the booklet from Beyond the Dark Portal; it is about the only location they didn't put into Outland yet. In the expansion at least, Deathwing was running amok in Draenor; Draenor became Outland; it can be assumed that Deathwing is chilling in Outland.
http://www.wowwiki.com/images/b/be/Draenor_map.jpg
Island is all the way to the right; everything else from the map (mostly) is already in Outland. Warsong Clan island didn't make it also, but hey...

 

Zong

That map is old(Before Draenor was ripped apart from the opening of the dark portal). Deathwing escaped into Azeroth, and although it's not confirmed, He was believed to be held Prisoner in Grim Batol by Alexstrazs(Sp?). That was until that conversation on netherwing ridge with Lady Sedista surfaced, You can assume by that conversation that they helped Deathwing escape there, and now he is involved with the wrong-doingings toward the Netherdragon's.

 

LucidityAxel

This an excerpt from a thread on our guild discussion board about seven months ago:
Obviously this is a bit dated now that we know more details about Illidan's fate in TBC, but I think these are some of the big feasible opportunities for new content.

Personally, given the recent information about Lady Sinestra, I think something related to Deathwing/Grim Batol lore is a good bet for another 25-man instance in TBC, perhaps even the final 25-man in the expansion.

Beyond that, I think we'd be looking at a second xpac, which in my mind would mean something on the scale of Northrend. Perhaps Maelstrom or the Emerald Dream would be big enough, but both of those seem a bit small to me for a full expansion, and Northrend is a major established continent that we have yet to see in WoW.

In any case, as I wrote above, I hope Blizzard saves any raid encounter with Arthas for the final chapter of the story told in this game. It would be a fitting end, and leave the next chapter of the Warcraft story for the next title.

 

Trillian

Anyone else think it's likely that if they intend "Deathwing's Lair" to still exist in Draenor that it will be included in a future expansion as a draw to come back to Outland, just as CoT is a draw back to Azeroth? Blizzard seems big on keeping old continents as populated as possible.

 

snape

If you read the books, or just Wowwiki the story of Deathwing...you'll see where I'm coming from...that map is from Warcraft 2. Like...a really long time ago in game terms. It's almost a virtual certainty he's not on that planet.

Just saying you can't completely look at maps from game several years in the past and infer future content from there without considering the lore implications. Deathwing went back to Azeroth, and the portals to Draenor were closed. It's possible a great big dragon could sneak through one of them before it was closed, but it's unlikely at best.

 

Groat

Oh sure, but you honestly think they aren't willing to retcon things? I mean seriously... they like using old maps so that people get that warm mushy feeling inside (YAY! They're using my favorite trivial zone from Warcraft I! Huzzah!) only updated for current times.

If anything, they'll stick it in just as SOMETHING; and it is cool to have additional large zones that can only be reached by a flying mount; makes people who have them feel that much more special. It is perfectly positioned for them to add something in there, even if it is just the blasted ruins of the place.

I would be more shocked if they don't add it in eventually than if they do.

 

LucidityAxel

It would be perfectly feasible to have an new area in TBC called "Deathwing's Lair" without Deathwing himself actually inhabiting it. It would just be a place where he lived for a long time and left some minions behind.

 

snape

I said that before - but I'm not too keen about just fighting some of DW's minions after finishing other really major lore characters (Vashj, Kael'Thas, Illidan).

 

Maledict

Sorry to derail, but can you explain this? When I completed the Uldum questline it mentioned 3 specific sites - Ulduman, Uldum and the final one in Northrend. Nothing about Mauradon / Diremaul?

 

OzzymandiasKJ

A new CoT instance that involves Arthas would be a fantastic way to finish TBC.

 

Kinv

They could pretty easily add in another instance w/ 2-3 bosses in it where DW's lair is and just throw some Netherdrake boss in it, or DW's LT or something. It might not make sense for another random dragon to be stronger then illidan... but then again it doesn't have to be above T6 either.... it could be anything form a T4.5 dungeon to a T6 dungeon just to add some more to do, along w/ Zul'amen seems like that would keep the majority of Wow w/ something to do until the next expansion. They could even make it another quest-hub like Ogr'la and Skettis and maybe even another 5man instance.

 

• Haphnet

Aside from Gruul and Prince Malchezaar the raid zone final bosses in TBC have all been major lore characters. So it seems unlikely that they would populate a zone called "Deathwing's Lair" with minions but no actual Deathwing. Overall it would have a really lackluster feel. Unless of course they just wanted to string us along with another new zone with 5-man casual rep-grind quests in a zone that would "feel" more important than Skettis or Ogri'la.

 

snape

It is mentioned solely in a Warcraft RPG book - never in any WC game itself.

 

Hozz

Well what are they going to do to get more people into BT/Hyjal? Nothing? They did not learn their lesson from Naxx? I know the party line is 'It was a success!', but it clearly was not as many raiders never killed a boss there and many servers never saw KT down pre-expac.

BT/Hyjal is shaping up to be the same way.

 

Oaken

I suspect they will do what they did with pre-TBC content: slowly ease up on the difficulty level and introduce more and more powerful non-raiding gear to ease the learning curve. I expect subtle nerfs to SSC and TK over the next couple of months and more nerfs to BT and Hyjal after that. Its not a bad model: make the content challenging for the super-dedicated until enough of them have conquered it then ease back on the difficulty pedal and let new players have a go. The only problem with Naxx is that TBC hit too fast for them to do that.

 

◊ Turik

I guarantee you guys will be pleasantly surprised.

 

◊ Shaker

Also, look at the quest text from turning in the Sphere off Kael:

http://www.wowhead.com/?quest=11007

 

andastra

I think Kil'jaeden is pretty hard to do, lore-wise, at this stage of the game. He's supposed to be the most powerful villain left. Then again, Archimonde, from what I'm hearing, isn't exactly the hardest raid boss out there.