Raids between launch and Deathwing?

[Vidur]

So, I know we've all been wrapped up in the excitement of Cataclysm and perhaps getting to roflstomp the Aspect of Death. However, I got to thinking just now; what raids will we see between launch and Deathwing? We know Blizzard is returning to the design by which we have more raids per tier, but with less bosses in each. So, your thoughts/ideas on this manner would be great! Also, ideas on the names of these patches? Here's what I'm thinking (will update as I come up with these :P).

Patch 4.0: The Shattering (this we all know as fact)

Blacking Wing Descent; Nefarion
Bastion of Twilight; Cho'gall/Lady Sinestra
Throne of the Four Winds; Al'Akir

Patch 4.1

The Emerald Dream?
Uldum raid?
Neptulon (in ToT, we don't kill him but, perhaps he'll be incorporated into a Naga raid)

Patch 4.2: The Awakening

Caverns of Time: The Sundering (my lore knowledge is weak but, I know Deathwing played a key role in this so I think it'd be cool if we could help him out)
The Firelands; Ragnaros
Deepholm; Old God(s) (I think this is almost guaranteed - Deathwing fell into his insanity as a result of an Old God and the Cataclysm has surely shaken up any remaining Azerothian Old Gods)

Patch 4.3

Nazjatar; Queen Azshara (we wouldn't kill her but, it'd be used as a lead-in for the next expansion )
Grim Batol; Deathwing

[Jeina]

Firelands will probably be 4.1, along with a Neptulon Raid.

[Hardalor]

Not a bad list of speculations. But Nazjatar is NOT coming in Cata. At all. Blizz has bigger plans for it.

Edit- But oddly, I'm very excited for Firelands. And Deepholme probably won't have an Old God raid, since it's TECHNICALLY not Azeroth.

[ryuke09]

throne of the 4 winds technically IS a Uldum raid..but i assume you mean an Egyptian-tolvir style raid. and yeah that would be cool,

[zaneosak]

Firelands should be 4.1 for sure, since it was originally slated for release. I'd imagine Neptulon raid may come along with that.

This would make CoT: War of the Ancients garaunteed for 4.2 since there would be no other place to put it. I don't know if they could add an Old God raid with CoT or not, CoT should be a very epic event but maybe it will be boss light so they could add something else too.

4.3 would be Deathwings raid and something else if they are continuing with the multi-raid tiers.

[Ormula]

The Emerald Dream could very well come this expansion (Considering both Ysera and Malfurion are big players), and I think it's rather probable that we have a CoT raid.

We'll probably have a naga raid at the same time as Firelands.

[Nuke1096]

My predictions are still...

4.1 Patch - Fury of the Elements

- Firelands (Ragnoras)
- Abyssal Maw (Neptulon)


4.2 Patch - Dreams of the Past

- War of the Ancients (Xavius)
- Rift of Aln (Nightmare Old God)


4.3 Patch - Death of the Destroyer

- Temple of Earth or Grim Batol (Deathwing)

[wariofan1]

(we wouldn't kill her but, it'd be used as a lead-in for the next expansion )

No... not a freakin' naga expansion... We already have a whole underwater zone... 3 actually.

[Nuke1096]

Azshara = Naga expansion. Really no way around it.

Lich King = Undead
Deathwing = Twilight Hammer

Legion Expansion = Demons

[Zeppelin535]

I guess I've been out of it.. but what happened to 4 raids on release?

[Arcangel14]

4.1 = Firelands and Uldum/Old God
4.2 = CoT and Possible Neptulon-type raid (I thought he was good though?)
4.3 = DW

Uldum/Old God and Neptulon can be changed around

Thats just a person thought/hope :P

[He-man]

wow classic in its 3rd year ended with a wow population of 7 million
wow TBC in its just over 1 and a half years ended with a wow population of 9 million
wow WOTLK was shown off to have 11million players at launch month but that have not mentioned any population increase now over the past 3 years leading many to think that the population has droped dramatically and frankly thats why blizzard is being so radical in cata.

Considering this.. and the fact wow was 1.5million after its first fue months in early 2004-2005 but it was only with the release of Black wing lair / ZG / Aq20 /AQ40 / Dungion 0.5 and Naxaramas that its population shot to 7million one can consider this period wows tru successes and recreating this periods vibe is the goal of cataclysm

I think its safe to say that Cataclysm is a atempt to return to Wow Classics roots . so i expect they will patch in at least 2 raid dungions per year however the teir diferences between raid dungions will be reduced.

just as teir 1-2 where close i think we may also see more side grade raids.. like aq40.. i think we will all hold on to gear and progress longer.

Thinking Cataclysm is going to follow TBC and Wraths model of super dramatic almost seasonal PVE upgrades is unrealistic.. They did this to try to keep players motivated with big upgrades but it ultimately failed on them when the community saw past this cheap tatic at player retention and started to quit in masses during early WOTLK i think in cata we might see many sets around the same level of teir11.. in 6months or 12months time.. with alternative playstayles being the focus rather than gear score levels jumping dramatically like huge steps up each 8months or so.

For example

4.0 teir 11

4.1 teir 11 alternative

4.2 teir 11.5

4.3 teir 11.5 alternative

etc etc

If you didnt play back in 2004-2006 you prob dont know what im talking about but basicaly itemisation was dramaticly diferent then.. and pulling together a working spec or gear set up was much more dynamic there where options and styles not just gear score and huge teir diferences.

i think and i hope cata does that with its raid content.. so when we finaly see deathwing we might actualy be in gear with very close item level to the first purples we get in cataclysm. and we might fight deathwing multiple times.. over the years ahead .

---------- Post added 2010-10-06 at 08:43 PM ----------

They still have as many bosses.. they have just moved stuff around abit.. there still is 4 raids just not all are 6boss long.

[huth]

If you didnt play back in 2004-2006 you prob dont know what im talking about but basicaly itemisation was dramaticly diferent then.. and pulling together a working spec or gear set up was much more dynamic there where options and styles not just gear score and huge teir diferences.

Yeah, gear was different. Like Hunter tier 1 wrists with spirit on them (no joke, they are still like that on live)
And talents were more open because half of them were more or less worthless.

WoW population growth certainly has slowed down, but there are no massive drops or anything.

Cata is many things, but it's not a return to the roots. If anything, Blizzard is burning the roots off.

[Golden Yak]

I guess I've been out of it.. but what happened to 4 raids on release?

Blackwing Descent - 6 bosses
Twilight Bastion - 4 bosses (5 in heroic)
Throne of Four Winds - 2 bosses
Tol Barad Hold raid - 1 boss (to start with)

It's not as many bosses as Wrath started with, but there's more new bosses (no old raids that are revamped). Plus, keep in mind there's gonna be heroic modes for everything, which Wrath starting raids didn't have ('cept for OS sort've).

No... not a freakin' naga expansion... We already have a whole underwater zone... 3 actually.

Better idea than totally underwater expansion:

Azshara and the Naga cast a spell that raises Nazjatar and the rest of Sunken Kalimdor off the freaking sea bottom and creates a new continent to explore.

[NGRazor]

I am starting to think the Abyssal Maw boss won't be Neptulon.

[Deleted]

Im pretty sure next raid tier will be Firelands @ sulfuron keep, the whole hyjal thing is background for it.As for what patch 4.2 might be, uldum related raid would sound logical but that plot is sort of finished with al'akirs defeat in the first patch.It could also be war of the ancients related caverns of time raid and 4.3 being deathwing's lair.Unless theres going to be patch 4.4.

[Deleted]

I think all of you are forgetting something important here.. A troll raid! There's bound to be a troll raid, especially now that we didn't get one in wrath

[Asur]

i think all of you are forgetting something important here.. A troll raid! There's bound to be a troll raid, especially now that we didn't get one in wrath

noooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[haydude]

Wouldn't surprise me if the Abyssal Maw raid boss ended up being an old god, after the whole fiasco with an the old god's forces attacking Neptulon.

[Dalahn]

I think all of you are forgetting something important here.. A troll raid! There's bound to be a troll raid, especially now that we didn't get one in wrath

Give.