So where will 5.3 take place?

[digitalfirefly]

Emerald Dream.

[Aeula]

Kul'trias would be nice, especially if they held jaina as a crinimal for her part in the death of her farther....but poloticts rarely have a place in WoW despite them having a place in war...

Hmm...the vale would make sence but the golden lotus dailies would conflict heavyly with it.

Kun'lai got some attention in 5.1....the jade forest was the main alliance/horde battlefront in 5.0....towlong is getting some attention in 5.2....maybe the dread wastes ? though it wouldn't make much sence with the entire mantid army camped there...and i think blizzard want to keep valley of the four winds peaceful...

honestly i can't think of anywhere...the alliance and horde need to push into pandaria but...it would be very hard to find a place to set up base...atleast a large base...

[Irisel]

Remember that Dalaran is on the move and, personally, I believe that it will fill in the crater that was once Theramore in 5.3. The difference between Theramore and Dalaran(New Theramore) is that their leader is now enraged and won't be willing to share the neighboring land with the Horde anymore. The area between Org and Dal will become a war zone and another PvP/PvE zone, like we are seeing with the Isle of Thunder. It would be a pretty good intro into 5.4.

Wow, this is orginal (at least to me) and damn possible. A+

[Therougetitan]

There are three things of this patch that are pretty much guaranteed.

1. It will take place on Pandaria

2. It will be the last patch before Siege of Orgrimmar

3. Garrosh will do something to make everyone go at him

My reasoning is because of Wrathion's datamined quest. He says it is the end of the Pandaria campaign and something is about to give with Hellscream. Also logically, the ending of the Pandaren campaign will take place in Pandaria. After that the story in Pandaria will pretty much be done, and will lead into the Siege of Orgrimmar which is outside of Pandaria.

We come now to the climax of the pandaren campaign. Hellscream's machinations have brought the Alliance down on his head - but even more importantly, he's fractured the unity of the Horde. As the Pandaren say: "The Wok is Hot." Something is about to give, and all of our work comes down to this.

http://ptr.wowhead.com/quest=32598

[Golden Yak]

My vote is in Kun Lai. There's a lot of empty mountain space to deal with that could be carved into a new questing hub. Maybe we get a look at another one of those Titan machines that Lorewalker Cho speculated was out there. Or heck, even just the one in the Vaults would be enough, if the Alliance and the Horde are fighting to get their hands on an unlimited soldier machine. Also wouldn't mind something that deals with the aftermath of the other tier 1 raids, like what the Klaxxi are up to now.

I don't expect a big new zone in the vein of Thunder Island, since there isn't going to be a raid in 5.3.

5.4 - Fueled by the warfare that grips the Vale, and freed from its prison by the death of Ra-den, the Sha of Hubris is unleashed deep beneath the Vale of Eternal Blossoms.
*Tier 16 added. Located beneath the Vale of Eternal Blossoms, players face off against Y'shaarj's greatest servants climaxing in the defeat of the final Sha.
*At the end of the raid, Garrosh will attempt to control the weakened Sha only to be corrupted instead. Setting the stage for deposing him in Siege of Orgrimmar

5.5 - New 5-mans related to Siege of Orgrimmar added.

5.6 - Siege of Orgrimmar.

I really wouldn't anticipate 4 tiers of raiding. I know Wrath had it, but if you think about it one of those tiers was awfully light on the content. The story progression you've got is a good one though. I could see the events of your 5.4 being what happens during the actual 5.3, leading us into the Siege of Org.

[Khaza-R]

I think Kul'Tiras will be next expansion. Or whenever Naga become the main antagonists. Besides I don't see a reason for them to jump right in on the fight on Pandaria for seemingly no reason...

[Azrile]

5.4 is going to be SoO and the final patch.

My guess for 5.3 will be SE Vale, and will involve a daily quests that set up the final straw with Garrosh. Vol´jin will come back and the end of the quest chain and at the end it will see Garrosh retreating from Pandaria to fortify with only the orcs in Ogrimmar.

[Therougetitan]

5.4 is going to be SoO and the final patch.

My guess for 5.3 will be SE Vale, and will involve a daily quests that set up the final straw with Garrosh. Vol´jin will come back and the end of the quest chain and at the end it will see Garrosh retreating from Pandaria to fortify with only the orcs in Ogrimmar.

This is what I'm guessing too, the Vale from the start since MoP came out has been marked as a huge source of power. Something Garrosh would want.

My other guess is Garrosh will use the power of the Sha. He seems pretty confident even after the Divine Bell is destroyed.

Garrosh Hellscream says: There is much I do not know about this artifact. The weak-willed cannot control this sha energy, but I WILL master it.

[Azrile]

5.2 March 5
5.3 May 5 ( 2 months)
5.4 Sept 5 (4 months)
Next Expac March 5 ( 6 months)

I think Blizzard finally learned their lesson, you can see it in the way they are getting out patches fast. There will NOT be another 10 months after the last patch until the next expac. They also stated that 18 months is about what they want between expansions.. so next March would be exactly that.