South Seas Expansion - What should it be?

[Deleted]

What ho,

If it does turn out that X6 is indeed a Great Sea / South Seas / Queen Azshara expansion, the question then quickly arises what the central theme should be in terms of geography, aesthetics, and narrative.

The expansion will obviously have several themes, just like previous ones have had. There will likely be a little bit of everything from the poll above. But each expansion does have one particularly prevalent theme, and this one won't be an exception.

What should that be, in your opinion?

[Wyrt]

Night elves and Azshara.

[Deleted]

Night elves and Azshara.

I see! Would you say that falls under "Underwater", then?

[Skeppio]

Other. An even mix of those options could easily be spread between the zones.

[Polybius]

There is a lot of lore they can cover in a South Seas xpac. We haven't learned anything new about Kul Tiras, Undermines, elves, Azshara, and Quelthalas. Whatever happened to Neptulon

I really want to see more old gods though, I love lovecraftian themes.

[Deleted]

Other. An even mix of those options could easily be spread between the zones.

It is understood that there will be a mix, and that we all probably want a healthy mix of different themes across the expansion. The choice you make in the poll is simply if there is one you think should be a bit more prevalent than the others.

[gcsmith]

As long as we get one underwater zone, I'm happy. I loved Vashjr compared to mount hyjal. It felt so much different to usual leveling.

[Wyrt]

Uhhh I doubt they would include QuelThalas in a south seas expansion, you considering it's in the northern EK.

In my experience when people say south seas they really just mean an ocean based expansion. You know, since Pandaria is kind of smack dab in the middle of the southern ocean.

[Golden Yak]

I'd want a bit of every option in those polls, really. It's tricky trying to imagine a single focal point that would really suit a great campaign of war and conquest - tropical islands don't really do it, nor does the open ocean. It's why when I made my concept thread I had a whole new continent raised from the sea-floor - gives you the underwater geography and strange alien undersea kingdoms that you'd want to do battle in, without the controversy of actually setting the expansion underwater. I see the flooded chasms of storm-shroudded Nazjatar as sort've the final challenge in conquering the naga.

[Mandrace]

I could have sworn I've seen this same exact thread a week ago.....

[Zyky]

unlikely that x6 will be south seas. There would be literally no way for them to tie it into the story moving on from Draenor. At the very least they could tie MoP to Draenor because Garrosh was "Orc Power" and wanted to stop the legion because of the story Wrathion fabricated to him. I just don't see how they could pull together south seas from us being in another universe completely. X6 is most likely demon themed, probably twisting nether/argus/other worlds the legion conqurored. Possibly even before that we have to earn the blessing of the titans for a whole expansion and going to the "Great Dark Beyond" and exploring that area doing crap for the titans to earn the trust and then x7 will be us going to the twisting nether to fight the dread lords and sargeras.

[Acelius]

A mix of Tropical and Subterranean in my opinion.

[Shadocat]

There would be literally no way for them to tie it into the story moving on from Draenor.

What moving on from Draenor? We blow it up and will be done with it for good. :-)

Also, yes, south-seas is a bit difficult with Pandaria in the middle of it.

[dope_danny]

Do what they failed to do with Northrend: zones above and zones below. Give us a wide sandbox ocean we cross on ships windwaker style with traditional island zones and a timeless isle esque sea floor with the option to explore either. People who hate underwater get the 'strange island that time forgot' experience and people that love underwater get their deep sea ruins exploring and so on.

[Wrathonia]

Why limit it? Yes, I understand for time and budget (oh god, just thinking that Blizzard can't afford something makes me angry) you don't want to make it too diverse, but just making it all the same isn't the answer either. Tropical Islands for the trolls. ~Maybe underwater for naga, though I would be more preferential to a resurfaced sunken island. Have ships move in the ocean a bit like the airships in Icecrown so you have some idea of where they will be. And eventually face off against N'zoth.

[Wyrt]

Yes because situated in between the Ghostlands, the Plague Lands and Tirisfal is totally ocean based.

Quel'thalas? It's a peninsula surrounded by water on 3 sides.

[dope_danny]

There would be literally no way for them to tie it into the story moving on from Draenor.

You mean like Gul'dan going after the remains of the avatar of sargeras in the tomb just like our Gul'dan did? He is about to lose his big bid to hand draenor over to the legion in the next patch and hes already mentioned how hes been looking into our world with all his "apparently khadgar and i share a history" comments.

He could quite easily pull a garrosh and escape through the dark portal to azeroth and head there, and azshara wouldnt take too kindly to someone trying to raise a portion of the sea floor -her domain- to get some sargeras based power ups.

[Deleted]

As long as we get one underwater zone, I'm happy. I loved Vashjr compared to mount hyjal. It felt so much different to usual leveling.

I loved Vashj'ir as well! Completely underrated zone.

I'd want a bit of every option in those polls, really. It's tricky trying to imagine a single focal point that would really suit a great campaign of war and conquest - tropical islands don't really do it, nor does the open ocean. It's why when I made my concept thread I had a whole new continent raised from the sea-floor - gives you the underwater geography and strange alien undersea kingdoms that you'd want to do battle in, without the controversy of actually setting the expansion underwater. I see the flooded chasms of storm-shroudded Nazjatar as sort've the final challenge in conquering the naga.

I'd like that as well, and I really appreciate your ideas of raising the seafloor. It's a creative spin on it, for sure.

You probably did; and a month ago before that, and a year ago, and so on. This has been a popular topic for discussion for many years.

I could have sworn I've seen this same exact thread a week ago.....

unlikely that x6 will be south seas. There would be literally no way for them to tie it into the story moving on from Draenor. At the very least they could tie MoP to Draenor because Garrosh was "Orc Power" and wanted to stop the legion because of the story Wrathion fabricated to him. I just don't see how they could pull together south seas from us being in another universe completely. X6 is most likely demon themed, probably twisting nether/argus/other worlds the legion conqurored. Possibly even before that we have to earn the blessing of the titans for a whole expansion and going to the "Great Dark Beyond" and exploring that area doing crap for the titans to earn the trust and then x7 will be us going to the twisting nether to fight the dread lords and sargeras.

Allow me to try, at least.

Gul'dan escapes Draenor, hell-bent on revenge as we Azerothians thwarted his plans to conquer Draenor with the Burning Legion. He makes his way to the Tomb of Sargeras nearby the Maelstrom to unearth the ancient powers within. He ends up forming a lose alliance with with Queen Azshara in the hopes of summoning Sargeras to Azeroth; alternatively he ends up fighting her and her old god-influenced Naga for control of the region, using demons.

The shipyard in 6.2 could easily be a teaser for this, since there is a new ship model and everything. They could just have easily written the invasion of Tanaan differently by having us go through the gate from Talador, or via some magical portals. To have sailing appear this late in the expansion is suspicious to say the last, and with beautiful new models for ships at that.

A mix of Tropical and Subterranean in my opinion.

Sounds nice, imo!

What moving on from Draenor? We blow it up and will be done with it for good. :-)

Also, yes, south-seas is a bit difficult with Pandaria in the middle of it.

I see your point. But South Seas is the general term for the oceans of the southern half of the Great Sea, where the Maelstrom and most of its islands lie. Technically, the expansion would probably focus more on the "Maelstrom"-aspect of it, and less on the hot sunny waters.

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Why limit it? Yes, I understand for time and budget (oh god, just thinking that Blizzard can't afford something makes me angry) you don't want to make it too diverse, but just making it all the same isn't the answer either. Tropical Islands for the trolls. ~Maybe underwater for naga, though I would be more preferential to a resurfaced sunken island. Have ships move in the ocean a bit like the airships in Icecrown so you have some idea of where they will be. And eventually face off against N'zoth.

As was stated in the OP.

"Focal point" does not mean "singular". It is understood that the expansion will (and must) have several themes attached to it; what he poll explores is which theme, specifically, people would like to be at the forefront. For instance, the savage and brutal themes of the orcish clans as well as the land itself clearly takes precedence over the Burning Legion aspect of WoD.

[Deleted]

Ha, landlubbers! Feel the wrath of the beach king!

It should be about pirates, parrots, the end of the bloodsail bukaneers, Tauren with pirate hats. Gnomes as petty Officer Second Class. Ships. Murlocs.

It should be about drinking rum, using explosives to go fishing, using the word "Arr", as an ending of nearly every sentence. You would have ship missions, your own submarine you could use to get to quests, and your own group of NPCs to fight for you.

[Deleted]

No!

Cata was warm, Panda was warm.. WoD is warm.. ish. No more tropical crap! I want cold! Death, ice and snow! Or at least the Burning Legion if all else fails!