A second World revamp is going to happen - How would you handle it (as a WoW dev)

[Marston]

Imagine the following scenario:

Patch 7.3 brings us to Argus. We win the fight against the Burning Legion but get stranded there. Velen promises to get us with the Exodar and bring us back to Azeroth. Let's say, a trip from Azeroth to Argus and back with the Exodar takes 2 years, 1 year per flight. Not that much time, but enough time to have shit hit the fan back on Azeroth. Therefore, a second revamp of the old world (and maybe more?) is going to happen. How would you handle it as a designer?

Would you make the current Cataclysm world available via Caverns of Time or some other way? Or would you do the same as with Cataclysm, do a revamp and remove the old version completely?
Would you only revamp Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor, or maybe also (parts of) Northrend, Pandaria and even the Broken Isle?
Would you add level scaling to all or only a few zones or would you not scale anything? The same applies for dungeons, would you level scale them?
Would you add world quests or would you go back to a daily quest system?
Would you add large scale events like the demon invasions or would you not do that, because it takes too much time?
Would you maybe go so far and remove flying and do a Path Finder Achievement? Or remove it completely? Or just make it available at a certain level?

Would you do anything else differently from the first world revamp? Any lessons learned?

[Gadzooks]

How would I handle that as a designer? I'd quit. That's way too much work to get done in an expansion cycle's time, you're rebuilding the entire game, that took 4-5 years to make in the first place.

I wouldn't hold my breath for this scenario.

[Jonnusthegreat]

Opportunity to scrap Azeroth and build WoW 2.0.

[Eleccybubb]

How would I handle that as a designer? I'd quit. That's way too much work to get done in an expansion cycle's time, you're rebuilding the entire game, that took 4-5 years to make in the first place.

I wouldn't hold my breath for this scenario.

6. They were working on it as early as 1999.

[Deleted]

Apart from a few zones (looking at you Silithus, Arathi & Ungoro, Draenei isle and silvermoon) the current azeroth is fine
I would much prefer they update BC and WoTLK, and add scaling, so you can either choose to go to outlands or northrend

[Hashtronaut]

Finally doing away with the devastation cataclysm caused would be great.
Feels like everything should be repaired by now. Also really miss the original landscape.

[Lillyth]

I really, really miss the original landscapes and some of the quests. Yes the new quest designs are a bit better. Do I like them more? Hell no.

Looking at each zone individually, I would try and determine the most popular changes.

Remember Desolace as that grey blob of landmass and now it has greenery in it. Instead of reverting, I would grow that out to a full blown jungle connecting to Feralas.

And then theres probably a herculean task hidden away in somehow properly integrating the TBC zones to connect properly to the Azeroth map rather than being instanced.

Ghostlands woule also be very questionable in terms of re-design. Keep the scar? Do we want the scourge to still have a presence there or will that place be restored to its former glory? What lore could be established there for Sylvanas and her sisters? Many questions.

And Teldrassil? Well, I think modeling that zone to be true to the actual concept and lore would also be a herculean task on its own.

[Wondercrab]

I'd focus on Kalimdor and EK again, making older content available via NPCs/phasing if possible.
Everything would scale, with a mixture of world quests and a few targeted daily areas where everything's close together.
Similar to the current emissary quests, players would be funnelled into select zones on a regular rotation to avoid spreading the playerbase too thinly over so much content, but there'd always be active (though slightly less lucrative) quests available all over.
Ideally the general thematic/story content would undo the worst of the chaos from Cataclysm and revert the world to a more stable state, with the story focusing on more future proof, zone-specific stuff rather than lots of tie ins with major NPCs that might be killed off or undergo radical changes by the expansion's end.
Finally integrating the Blood Elf and Draenei starting zones would be nice as well, and there'd be a good excuse to do it if there was going to be scaling world content there.

[firejin]

IF the world were to be revamped I'd prefer if the heroes of Azeroth some how fall through a crack or hole in space that takes them back to Pre-sunder Kalimdor. Would be interesting to see the world as it was before the Legion invaded the first time!

[Camthur]

I agree with what's been said above. Ravamp BC content and maybe touch up a few zones that weren't affected in Cata. No way would I add scaling though. Legion has proven quite well that getting attacked by stuff your level is great when leveling but turns into a pain in the butt when you reach max level.

[FelPlague]

Imagine the following scenario:

Patch 7.3 brings us to Argus. We win the fight against the Burning Legion but get stranded there. Velen promises to get us with the Exodar and bring us back to Azeroth. Let's say, a trip from Azeroth to Argus and back with the Exodar takes 2 years, 1 year per flight. Not that much time, but enough time to have shit hit the fan back on Azeroth. Therefore, a second revamp of the old world (and maybe more?) is going to happen. How would you handle it as a designer?

Would you make the current Cataclysm world available via Caverns of Time or some other way? Or would you do the same as with Cataclysm, do a revamp and remove the old version completely?
Would you only revamp Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor, or maybe also (parts of) Northrend, Pandaria and even the Broken Isle?
Would you add level scaling to all or only a few zones or would you not scale anything? The same applies for dungeons, would you level scale them?
Would you add world quests or would you go back to a daily quest system?
Would you add large scale events like the demon invasions or would you not do that, because it takes too much time?
Would you maybe go so far and remove flying and do a Path Finder Achievement? Or remove it completely? Or just make it available at a certain level?

Would you do anything else differently from the first world revamp? Any lessons learned?

btw idk about you
but you should learn how english works
the title implies that a second world revamp IS COMING
"A second world revamp is going to happen"
your title should be "what if a second world revamp happened"
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idk why exactly i got an infraction, i was simply pointing out the title makes it seem like
"hey guys i have insider information and i know that a world revamp is coming"
it just seemed click baity.

Infracted

[MonsieuRoberts]

I'd quit before I began. Revamps of content people play through once and never again is a waste of time. I'd design a new game before I tried to make old world zones interesting, just to have the majority queue their way to max level content.

For these zones to have meaning, a lot would have to change with the game, and I just don't see WoW changing to include the entirety of azeroth in relevant content. Look at how many people want the old zones back and how foreign some zones are to us post-Catalcysm. Now you want to add a third layer on top of that?

That's so much investment...just make a new game man.

[gamhacked]

Being the content addict that I am, I'd probably play through everything once.

And then with 7 other characters, because it goes cocaine < sugar < WoW.

[Al Gorefiend]

People actually like Kalimdor and EK? They're the most disgusting, geographically impossible, low-res textured blobby messes in this game. Pretty sure Runescape has overtaken them in graphics at this point.

The trees look like N64, lush tropical rainforests are separated from dry barren deserts by a couple of sand dunes. It's pretty ugly lol.

If I could I'd prioritize rebuilding both of them.

[bufferunderrun]

Imagine the following scenario:

Patch 7.3 brings us to Argus. We win the fight against the Burning Legion but get stranded there. Velen promises to get us with the Exodar and bring us back to Azeroth. Let's say, a trip from Azeroth to Argus and back with the Exodar takes 2 years, 1 year per flight. Not that much time, but enough time to have shit hit the fan back on Azeroth. Therefore, a second revamp of the old world (and maybe more?) is going to happen. How would you handle it as a designer?

Would you make the current Cataclysm world available via Caverns of Time or some other way? Or would you do the same as with Cataclysm, do a revamp and remove the old version completely?
Would you only revamp Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor, or maybe also (parts of) Northrend, Pandaria and even the Broken Isle?
Would you add level scaling to all or only a few zones or would you not scale anything? The same applies for dungeons, would you level scale them?
Would you add world quests or would you go back to a daily quest system?
Would you add large scale events like the demon invasions or would you not do that, because it takes too much time?
Would you maybe go so far and remove flying and do a Path Finder Achievement? Or remove it completely? Or just make it available at a certain level?

Would you do anything else differently from the first world revamp? Any lessons learned?

I would never ever redo it the way they did in cata but gradually using zone by zone phasing triggered by a quest chain (with an ending scenario for important locations) for max level chars using small patch during the xpack circle like they have done for teramore.
I would make some zone effort based like isle of thunder where thing are unlocked and phased when the server have done a certain amount of activity.
I would introduce world quests and scaling.
I would let peoples fly but introduce flying mobs (even boss like the big whale in vashjir), anti-air guns, fatigue if you fly too high; you can fly but need to learn how to drive otherwise the chance of falling to our death is high.

[Radianshot]

Secretly hoping the burning legion 'wins'
Azeroth's major factions fall, and are forced into hiding. Meanwhile the burning legion makes victory parades in stormwind and orgrimmar
Players at level 110 wake up in the aftermath in a hidden camp and they campaign to slowly fight the legion to take back land / save NPCs.
Eventually they have to work to take back the cities / capital cities, with time-based events for defending / recapturing cities
It will involve the players to work together to keep the cities

In regards to re-forming the whole map, they can use a new 'zone' for the entirety of azeroth, as in a completely new map. Players can return to old azeroth through a bronze dragon like 'I want to relive the past' or 'Send me back to the present'. That would fix the issue of having to make completely new zones for the leveling characters throughout azeroth.
Also by disabling flying in this new map they can cordon off areas they don't want people to go to with demonic fortifications / unbeatable elite npc army, to hide the WIP areas.
What do you think? They united classes in legion, now they should unite the factions (of course petty PvP behind the scenes)

[Deleted]

I never really enjoy revamps. I would rather have fresh new content to explore. When dungeons have been revamped it still feels like reuse and not as exciting. For that we got time walking.
Minor changes to the landscape is ok like how it was done pre siege of orgrimmar, but not more than that. I 100 % dislike what cataclysm did, specially to Barrens and the night elf area.

[Coconut]

I would make the old Kalimdor and EK accessible via the Caverns of Time and I would reintroduce one continent per expansion, completely revamped, with the smaller original zones baked together into larger ones (The Barrens+Durotar, Stonetalon+Desolace, Tanaris+Thousand Needles, Ashenvale+Darkshore and Felwood, etc). Newer zones are no longer as thematically unitary as they were in Classic, and this would help eliminate the much too numerous borders and make beloved environments feel larger. Just imagine how cool these zones would look if they were made from scratch with current technology from old concept art.

I also would refrain from adding too many elements that would make the continent feel dated later on, like the destruction, rampaging elementals and Twilight Cultists Cataclysm brought. The main antagonists in the Barrens should be centaurs and quillboar, no matter what the expansion is about.

[Kauko]

Some vanilla zones that were rewamped in Cata look horrible. At least for me. So I hope they will improve them. They don't have to completely rewamp the, just some improvments.

[Musta]

I would go with scaling and bring the graphics on par to what we see in legion. The older maps are almost 18yo counting the dev time.