Liebestod

Well, the terrain seems finished, just not populated. If they were gonna have the portal, there's no reason why it couldn't be in already, I think. Not saying that it couldn't happen..

If I could, I'd be bitching about it on the beta forums. Someone should, really. :P A 5th Emerald Dragon as a level 80 world boss would be cool as well.

 

Starfire

Wait what? Why do they need to re-use models? Leaving some models to be unique, especially when they were/are renown and powerful beings should be an asset, not something to be demolished. It saddens me already that Ragnaros, Nefarian, C'thun, Kel'Thuzad, Archimonde and such have had their models largely re-used.

But on the topic of Outlands races... As far as I can tell there were only a handful of "good" Arrakkoa, the vast majority (Hellfire Penninsula, Terokkar Forest - Auchindoun and Skettis) are not good. There's like 5-6 that are good.

Sporeggar are too inept to fight their own fights, much less be anything more than footstools in Northrend.

What happened to there only being 7-8 Gronn? Anyways, most of them seem to primitive to be in Northrend sort of something like being captured/cage (a la Arcatraz).

The Broken, especially now with Illidan dead, might be an option. But I suspect they have a lot of their own loose ends to tie up.

Ethereals have promise, they're almost like the new Goblins.

And even Spacegoats, they've just recently gotten to Azeroth, I hardly think they would have enough time to build up anything in Northrend. I mean, you don't really expect the Spacegoats to have a presence in Eastern Kingdoms or most of Kalmindor, did you?

I am not really sure what other sentient beings there are. And I do suspect we'll be seeing more ethereals.

 

Zaniel

With regards to the Dream, I've been following the "phased" (and now the Dynamic World Change) developments very closely, because honestly that's sort of how the Dream is. It's our world, but different. Sometimes largely, sometimes subtlely... although by now I assume it's very overgrown. Still, I could see them implementing some sort of link between the two realms, like by going through a portal or doorway, but realistically just changing your "phased" state.

It's pretty neat to think about at least.

 

• Chicken

There's at least one ethereal striking a deal between the Blue Dragonflight and the Ethereum in the Dragonblight. Presumably we'll see more of them in later Nexus instances, as the deal was apparently completed and a success.

buff /bʌf/ Pronunciation[buhf]
–verb (used with object)
- to reduce or deaden the force of

 

Liebestod

Hey, if the Gnomes can have a base in Blade's Edge by the time TBC starts, then the Ethereals can have bases all over Northrend by the time WotLK begins. But I agree that they're pretty much the only plausible option, other than the Naaru. Maybe some Mok'Nathal..

As for models, it's not like Grobbulus and Thaddius are super-unique lore creatures who shouldn't be recycled (their official types, I believe, are "flesh giant" and "flesh titan" respectively).. I just think it adds some nice variety, mostly. Only model that I don't support seeing reused is C'Thun's, because there aren't many Old Gods and only Old Gods should have that model. Hell, they can even recycle Kil'Jaeden for all I care, just turn it into some generic uberdemon or maybe a bone Eredar or something like that.

 

• Playered

I'm concerned over how the Aspects are portrayed as they are very significant beings in the history of the Warcraft.
The newer blue dragonflight with the runes and such on their skins feels much better to me than what happened with the IDF and gives me hope that they will not resort to basic recoloring to achieve a different look.

That said; Malygos, Ysera & Nozdormu all show up in their Aspect forms and I'm really hoping they get a lot of attention to make them as special as they should be.
There are some -very- big dragon corpses in Dragonblight and I'm skeptical if any dragon would approach the size of an Aspect - I'm not sure if Malygos as he appears in the quest events matches the size of them...

 

ayb

Have they said whether they intend to change the models they're currently using for them?

 

Liebestod

I'm sure Malygos will get his own model at some point. I'm not so sure about Ysera and Nozdormu, however, possibly they'd just receive variations on the Malygos model, and maybe they'd get their own if they become more central to the story.

Also, one of the quest chains in Dragonblight reveals that the really big dragon skeleton (Galakrond) is actually the super-protodragon from which the Aspects were made. It would be neat to see him revived somehow as a raid boss, but I suppose he's waaaay too big for that to feasibly happen.

 

Switchblade

After completing Grizzy hills I have to say i was impressed with the Worgen quest chain. Theres an escape from a village on horseback and its just absolutely fantastic.

http://ctprofiles.net/1031812

 

Dozer

There's a C'thun-looking thing being summoned in Shadowmoon valley.

They never re-used Gluth, did they?

 

Himmel

Tempting theory that black crystal Ashbringer was made from is actually a shard of (collapsed dark?) Naaru, so maybe remains of that Naaru lie below Light's Hope Chapel?

The only thing that sustains one through life is the consciousness of the immense inferiority of everybody else, and this is a feeling that I have always cultivated.

Oscar Wilde, "The Remarkable Rocket"

 

Ashen

They Void Crystal from which the Ashbringer was forged, was brought over from Outland, I'm pretty sure. There's no history of Naaru's existing on Azeroth before the more recent Burning Crusade events.

That being said, I just simply think that it may have to do with the power of the people that reside there. When you force a lot of paladins and other powerful figures, that oppose the scourge into a small spot... you create "hope" and that may very well be enough to help ward off the Lich King and his minions.

 

Spink

Dragons in general, and especially aspects are seem to be able to alter how their size is perceived, and probably alter their actual size (like turning into Katrina Prestor for example) and so even if, in their natural form, they're a sun blotting behemoth they might rarely (except upon death) assume that form due to convenience.

Edit: Also regarding the crystal in the Ashbringer, and potentially the thing that makes undead scared of LHC could be related to the Ata'mal crystals or just Naaru relics in general. There seems to be a whole unexplored realm of Naaru stuff that's pretty unexplained and I guess that the original Ata'mal crystal could have just been a Naaru in the small crystal phase of their life cycle and so any number of other Naaru could have contributed to the Ashbringer. A lot of the Ata'mal crystals seem to have similar mechanics to other fantasy mystical powers like morale boosts/cloaking/boosting insight/makes the holder an excellent general sort of like a lot of Jedi stuff I suppose.

 

Sapp

Aside from the fact that Gluth was a modified version of the eternally reused "Two Headed Dog" that people were screaming and crying about the overuse of bac around the time aq40 came out (remember the crying over Omen for chinese new year?)

On Ret paladins:
<Fyr> its like they went from sniffing powdered sugar for 3 years, got real cocaine for 2 weeks, and are pissed that they're going back to the sugar again

 

Ashen

So then, Arcatraz, you mean.

 

Cube

I think the purpose of a lot of the reuse(especially for the Tempest Keep instance bosses) was to allow players to experience some of the encounters that they wouldn't have seen pre TBC.

I would expect to see some 5-man encounters in Wrath that are, in essence, scaled down TBC 25-man fights. Not only does that allow Blizzard to re-use content, it also lets people see some of the strategies required for the upper tier fights.

And it probably makes long-time raiders just want to kill the bastards more.

 

Centigrade

As someone who picked up WOW classic around the time Naxx-1.0 went live, I saw Capacitus in Mechanaar and Harbringer Skyriss in Arcatraz before I ever saw Thaddius in Naxx-1.0 and The Prophet Skarem in AQ40. When I saw the real bosses that were only mimicked in Burning Crusade, I understood the basics of the fights and felt like I had found something really 'cool,' and fun. I am looking forward to re-vamps in Lich King, because it will be a special kind of thrill to go into a 5man fight that mimics a 'unique' fight in Burning Crusade.

 

Kenohki

A good example of this is Halls of Stone. It has a Gruul like boss as well as a Maiden like boss.

 

• LodeRunner

Yes, but the Maiden model is straight out of Uldaman as well.

Also, on a side note, I was quite amused to find the Maw of Neltharion area is just a lightly re-skinned Ragefire Chasm.

 

Tyrian

It is quite impressive how little they have used the Titan male (and female) model, I think. Its a very cool model. We saw Archadeus use it, the Uldaman Watcher use it, yet it was never used for any other boss or raid (correct me if I forgot one) in vanilla WoW or TBC. Maiden showed up for Kara and thats about it.

Gathering it was classed as a special reserved model that designers deliberately avoided using, given the special importance of the titans (even if it was going to be 2 expansions later and years after they created it for vanilla wow).

 

Stromni

There is a giant Thaddius model roaming the main road in Zul Drak now, think his name was Thym...scared the heebie jeebies out of me , because he wasnt there before. Didn't get very far into the quest line in the zone yet, but there is a section of the map called Thym's End, and im supposing he has something to do with the Necro Citadel dealie that is either crashed or was destroyed there.

edit - I also like how the banshee's float several yards above the ground now too.

Biggest dissappointment at the moment is the lack of dino's in Scholazar basin. Rhino's are cool, but the normal cat models , cobra's and gators that currently populate it, are just....blahh

 

Liebestod

I haven't done much of Sholazar basin, but tbh I think I like Un'goro's feel more. Ancient canopy rainforest vs... a weird palm tree swamp? Oh well. The Ulduar raid has areas based on Sholazar Basin and Un'goro, that'll be neat to see.

 

Stromni

Scholazar just hasnt drawn me in like other zones in Northrend.

Right now Zul Drak is pretty good after this last patch, but the rest of the game has a long way to go to overcome the pure win that is Grizzly Hills (at least from an alliance stand point). From the poop joke quests involving the bucket of acorns/nuts. To the entire series revolving around the Worgen culminating with facing Aragul again on his island. The questline involving the story of the world tree, and how the Furbolg tried to grow another , finishing off with purifying the bear god Ursoc was great too. Doing quests for Budd's camp from ZA, the traitor troll questlin finishing off in Drak Tharon Keep...i could go on and on about this zone. But overall my favorite part of the whole thing was going to the Westfall Brigade Camp and seeing Gyran Stoutmantle, and Old Blanchy, i admit there was a tear there when i saw that old horse was still alive!

Anyways i dont want to spoil everythign about this great zone, but its easily the most amazing one from this testers perspective.

 

Cranberry

I personally found Sholazar very fun to quest in, even if it wasn't totally tied-in to the whole Northrend storyline (the Blues make no appearance and the Scourge are only in the extreme east), it had some fun light-hearted quests and the Oracles are fascinating (they remember the Titans, so to speak).

I expect a re-appearance of Deathwing this expansion. We have four Aspects whose locations are known/who are in game now:
Alexstraza (Wyrmrest)
Ysera (Emerald Dragonshrine [physically]/the Dream [spiritually])
Malygos (The Eye of Eternity)
Nozdormu (Somewhere in time, brief appearance at the Bronze shrine, probable leader of the Infinites)
Malygos' corruption doesn't sit well with me. Overuse of magic is what created the problems he supposedly trying to fix by overusing magic. I suspect that he's being manipulated by Deathwing, given that the Black Aspect has already been able to take from Malygos nearly his entire flight. It's also possible that the Old God under Azjol-Nerub is working its corruption. Katrana Prestor (i.e., Ony) is also missing from SW.

Ice Troll lore is interesting - particularly the Zandalari being totally apathetic about the fall of Zul'drak. I suspect a Gun'drak raid will give us some insight into the consequences of the Drakkari's actions.

To add a bit of specificity to the discussion on Father Inigo Montoy - he reappears as a Lich named Thel'zan the Duskbringer, in the Wintergarde Crypt just to the west of Naxxramas' new location. The quest is, I believe, Alliance only.

I'm beginning to wonder if the younger Hellscream might fall in the same way his father did. Saurfang certainly seems to suspect as much, as mentioned earlier in the thread, and corruption/moral ambiguity is a MAJOR theme in Wrath questing.

One thing that doesn't seem to have been discussed yet is Varessa Windrunner. Not only is she alive and present in Dalaran, she leads a staunchly anti-Horde faction there, effectively declaring war on Sylvanas.

The Vrykul's "curse" (i.e., humans) is an interesting bit. Why DID the Vrykul start mutating into humans, if not from the Titans? If the Titans didn't do it, who did? It's possible, I guess, that Ymiron is involved simply to manipulate himself into greater power.

Something I suspect we'll see as we progress into Icecrown is the corruption of major lore figures. The Wrath trailer, The Echo Of Ymiron ("this one isn't ready yet...they must grow more powerful") in HF, and the lich inside the Lifeblood Pillar in Sholazar ("Arthas once showed strength like this...perhaps his path is the one you will follow") suggest that Arthas' ultimate goal is not merely to defeat the heroes, but to turn and corrupt them much as he was. There are any number of excellent candidates for this, really any hero whose primary goal is vengenace.

 

Mikari

Is that horde or alliance? I've done enough quests in Dragonblight to get the achievement, so I think that's all/most of them and I don't recall one that mentioned Galakrond.