One interesting observation is the talk with the druids about sun magic and Elune being perhaps not the correct choice for Tauren when Worgen (who are intrinsically linked with Elune) might be coming out. This might point to Worgen being another druid class via some Scythe of Elune shenanigans. It also might point to their being some kind of specialized hero class.

Another possibility that I haven't seen raised yet is whether goblins/worgen could be neutral races. Goblins already have the chops, but worgen? They're very geographically located by the horde, which may help, and are associated with undead already. Could the draw for them (and goblins) be that they're a neutral race?

I highly doubt that they would be neutral. While lore-wise Blizzard -could- make it work, logistically it would not work out well for the game. Too many balance issues as well as a ton of things (quests, achievements, mobs, towns, etc) being either horde only or alliance only.

Edit: Sorry, misunderstood when you said 'neutral'.

I am pretty sure he meant neutral in the sense that at some point (in game or at the character creation screen) you pick which faction you want to join. This would make both available to both factions and wouldn't be hard to balance (unless the choice is done in game).

No way Worgen will be excluded from mounts - they're a major collectable feature of the game these days. The only way we'll see Plainsrunning reappear is if Worgen turn out to be shapeshifters. Then they could have Plainsrunning in wolf form and mounts in human form. And (in fact) if they turn out to be shapeshifters that might give you the link to being a neutral race. Just because all the worgen we've seen are human / wolf, that doesn't mean they all are.

Hmmmm some how I got a duplicate post.

Just had a random thought about the timing for this leak. Comicon is this coming week, and Blizzard will be there. It is probably a coincidence, as I expect news of this nature would be officially shown off at Blizzcon. I fully expect the panel there to be on fiction and merchandise, but hey, you never know.

Wait, wasn't the fact that Draenei could be Shaman and Blood Elves could be Paladins announced at Comicon in 06?

I can't help but wonder if, given that Blizzard certainly knows we're capable of reading through the game files, they're just screwing with us and/or building hype to sell Blizzcon streams. WWI purple penguin, anyone?

I think Goblins on Crocilisks could be fun. Not the surfing on croc like in Sholozar Basin, but something with a saddle.

Would having 2 new races and one new class be too much at once to handle?

The Burning Crusade essentially did this already; each faction had a new class added to it which required balancing in addition to a new race. The only notable increase in workload for Goblins + Worgen + Hero Class would be the ground up design of the class.

On that note, I'd expect that if Blizzard aims for a healing hero class that it will likely be a leather or plate wearer. Currently Druids are the only class interested in spellpower leather as spirit does nothing for Shamans or Paladins, and for obvious reasons spellpower plate isn't appealing to Warriors or Death Knights. Blizzard could make spirit more interesting for Shamans and Paladins instead, but even then I doubt they want to further increase cloth competition.

I highly suspect a plate-wearing hero, since right now, only one spec of one plate-wearing class is able to use spellpower plate. The fact that Death Knights were designed to ignore spellpower completely was really interesting to me by comparison, since I sort of expected Unholy DKs to be more caster-oriented.

Absolutly not. Blizzard would even out the armor classes.

3 Plate: DK, Paladin, Warrior
2 Mail: Shaman, Hunter
2 Leather: Druid, Rogue
3 Cloth: Priest, Mage. Warlock

So 1 mail, 1 leather to fill.

As this thread has mentioned before, there's talk about archdruid (the sun druid... I like the name Dawnwalker), and the tri-wielding Bladesmaster. I can go back and forth between who would get which class of armor.

I'd only count the three dps specs of the "pure" dps classes once, including counting both DKs and Warriors only twice each, though:

SP cloth	5
AP cloth	0
SP leather	2
AP leather	2
SP mail	2
AP mail	2
SP plate	1
AP plate	7

Still doesn't show a thing, though...

Again guys, Blademaster is not a confirmed class, granted Archdruid isn't exactly confirmed either...or Worgen/Goblin for that matter. >.> But the latter 3 have actual basis for speculation at this point as opposed to the first one. The only reference we've ever seen to the Blademaster was from some "leak" by an overeager fanboy that has no basis what so ever(He guesses the next expansion, big whoop, who didn't see that one coming?). The Archdruid as least has Tigole mentioning it in an interview a while back, as well as a little bit of fluff lore added in 3.2 that we can take a run with and speculate about.

Clearly we need a melee cloth class. Cleric/Monks here we come! Rise of the AP cloth.

But seriously, you missed his point.

That said, personally, I wonder if Blizzard will build a plate class designed to do damage via spellpower from the ground-up. As in, a class with absolutely zero need for melee plate. That is probably the most elegant solution with what to do with spellpower plate short of making awkward melee to spellpower conversion for Holy Paladin's, or forcing them to use mail.

One more type of AP armor? Please not.

Actually, I'm even for merging Leather and Mail... then again, with the 3.0 melee shaman changes, rogues and ferals would suffer from the int on too many pieces, or enhancers and hunters would need to be redesigned around little int on their gear (i.e. cheaper skills, or more regen through talents, but I don't see that coming)

My tinfoil hat is tingling, but I'm kind of wondering something similar. As it was mentioned, the timing is interesting. Intentionally leaking something like this with a little lead up time before Comicon and Blizzcon would give players time to generate hype before the climactic confirmation is given. If it's just to screw with us, that's pretty clever and I'd definitely have to give Blizz props for taking it that far. It would kind of be a "serves you right for all of the constant speculation".

Cloth wearer melee in Warcraft lore is Demon Hunter. I myself was expecting the "Plate wearer ranged physical DPS/spell power DPS/healer" under the name of Warden, due to the strong lore ties between Maelstrom and Maiev Shadowsong.

Regarding the possible class topic, an addition to the game in the 3.2 PTR seems no less than a seeding for something upcoming, if it's not just for nothing. I saw it on Wowinsider, here's the link: Patch 3.2 PTR: Tauren Druid conversation may reveal lore and expansion secrets

I know it hasnt been expanded on much, but I think that if there is a new class a 'sapper' might be a possibility. It would fit perfectly with the goblins and the alliance could get gnome/dwarf sappers also though i'm not sure what other horde races would qualify.

Sappers could be leather wearers using ranged weapons somewhat like hunters but specializing in explosives, bombs, and traps. Taken from wowwiki there has been several appearances of sappers in wow already,

* Clockwork Sapper - Ulduar
* Dark Iron Sapper- Loch Modan
* Dark Iron Demolitionist - Wetlands
* Gan'arg Sapper - Hellfire Peninsula
* Goblin Sapper - The Storm Peaks

The only real problem I could see with this class is what kind of weapons they would use and how to tie in their bomb/explosive flavored abilities with said weapons. I dont think blizzard would want to create another specialty item that only one class could use.

I think holy paladins should wear mail. That will get rid of the least used armor type and SP mail and plate is pretty compatible statted. It's not like holy pala's have any real use for the extra armor (and if they do it's easily fixed by a talent). It will also balance the current easy-mode gearing of holy paladins somewhat.

Oh, and tanking plate is missing in the lists posted above.

This is a great idea; currently there is only one ranged dps class that doesn't cast spells to do damage. Unfortunately the unique abilities of sapper NPCs are available to the engineering profession. For example, Weegli Blastfuse in Zul'Farrak uses Goblin Land Mines. The sapper attitude could be incorporated into a goblin racial ability though. Gnomes get a racial bonus to engineering skill. Goblins could get a racial bonus to engineering explosives. In end game content this would have a significant but situational effect: a boost to the Pryo Rocket glove enchant.

Finally got WoW #21, just wanted to clarify a few things.

The Voice in Med'an's head started when he was thrown on the Husk of C'Thun, but the characters don't specifically seem to think it's C'Thun.

Med'an's age was explained that because he has 3 different races inside of him he looks younger then he is, though he's apparently like 30(Nice save Metzen)

The Draenei Paladin, Maraad, who is Garona's Uncle had a vision that Garona would be instrumental in the salvation of Azeroth and avoiding a catastrophe which may have something to do with Cho'gall.

Med'an according to prophecy will either release this evil, or play a part in destroying it.

Cho'gall also hears the voices in his head, and he's really beginning to lose it.

It seems to me like the comic is setting up for the 3rd expansion as opposed to even attempting to catch up to or take huge part in Wrath of the Lich King. I'm also reasonably sure they're gonna end up Retconning Broll/Valeera ever being at The Battle for Undercity. >.> Varian still remains a much more likable/level-headed character in the comic as opposed to in-game, hoping for peace for his son's rule after the fall of Arthas.

On a more somber note, they changed Sylvanas' voice actor, a change for the worse. YouTube - Sylvanas Voice 3.2 PTR

Though this is a sign that they intend to actually use Sylvanas in an upcoming encounter(Icecrown anyone) otherwise they would have left it alone.

Touching up again on the whole Goblin/Worgen thing. If Goblins are introduced as a playable race, and if Undermine is in fact implemented as their own capital city, what do you think could be used for the new Neutral Shattrath/Dalaran Capital City? What do you guys think? Here are a couple logical options that could be used in my opinion...


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Boralus - Capital of Kul Tiras

Boralus, Kul Tiras' capital, lies on the island's west coast. The city's population has dwindled since Jaina's and Daelin's exodus, and many houses and surrounding farms lie empty. Currently the city's population stands at four-thousand heads. The people have drawn in away from the fringes and toward the coast; one can wander for a short while through the abandoned residential districts and market places in the city's east side. An ideal place for a secret society or hidden cabal, the town was eerily quiet. Still, Boralus is a friendly enough harbor, though almost all its citizens carry long knives to "gut the murlocs and naga". Kul Tiras's diminished fleet patrols the waterways leading to the harbor, so merchants from Southshore, Menethil Harbor and (rarely) Kalimdor make Boralus a regular stop.


Zuldazar - Capital of Zandalar

Zuldazar is the capital of the Zandalar Tribe and all Troll tribes of Azeroth. It is located on Zandalar in the middle of the Great Sea. Most of the tribes of Trolls outside this island share no love, but every sixth year, they meet at Zuldazar in a peace vigil to discuss things that may affect the entire Troll race.

Zandalar’s capital is built into a series of ziggurats. From a distance, it looks like a towering mountain. Zuldazar includes standard troll architecture: It features a winding, tiered structure of walls and buildings. Thousands of cannibalistic jungle trolls inhabit these ziggurats. Zuldazar is the seat of King Rastakhan and hosts a gathering of all the troll tribes every six years; the trolls meet to share information and plot.


----------------------------

Descriptions were pulled from wowwiki.

Either option could be worked in. Boralus works best in my opinion, as it's part of Kul Tiras, which is already very familiar to alot of players. Essentially a human Alliance nation, they can more or less take the same position as Dalaran did in WoTK, except Kul Tiras is going up against the Naga and Queen Azshara instead of the Scourge and Blue Dragonflight.

Zuldazar is a bit more tricky seeing as how it's all trolls. However, the Trolls are no friends to the Naga and if Azshara poses a significant threat to their homeland, I could see them opening up their borders to the Horde and Alliance as a necessity to combat the threat of the Naga. Plus, having a Troll themed Neutral City would spare us all of yet another Troll Instance/Raid it would most likely be otherwise.

Personally, I'm really warming up to the idea of Boralus, regardless of Undermine. Kul Tiras as alot of intrigue to it, and I could see Blizzard bringing Jaina Proudmoore back home from Kalimdor and using her as a prominent protagonist again this expansion.