Without creating new lore from scratch, what is left for future expansions?

[Marston]

Hello there.

Just a quick question, I am not sure if I have forgotten something.

So, without creating lore completely from scratch, what is left for future expansions? Pandaria is a good example. We knew that it existed and that the Pandaren lived there. We also knew that it was going to have an asien influence and that the pandaren loved beer. But that was all. So, we got the Mantid, the Hozen, The Jinyu, the Mogu, the Sha - all races we never heard from before and which were build completly from scratch.

But they were still part of an expansion where we at least somehow knew what we would get.

So, what is left?

- Emerald Dream
- Burning Legion
- Azshara and the Naga
- More Old God related stuff
- Azjol'Nerub
- Titans
- The Void
- South Seas (Then again, how much of those islands were destroyed during the Cataclysm?)
- Some planets we knew that exist (K'aresh for example, but that would probably be part of a Burning Legion Expansion)

Have I forgotten anything? I could see various expansions build around at least some of these themes or places - but what would come after we are done with this?

I know that Blizzard can create an infinite amount of content and I have absolutly no problem with it. I am just interested in what known lore is left that could be used to build an entire expansion around.

[Kisho]

We could always go back to the elemental realms, I guess. Firelands and Deepholm are pretty well fleshed out, so not those; but the water and air realms could be used for something, even though we've already delved a little bit into them.

There's Argus as well, which would link to a Burning Legion expansion.

[dracco4heads]

I see content enough for 6-7 expansions atleast in there, and wow wont live forever.

As for your topic.... i think thats it, untill we start going to the "spirit world" and rescue old defeated bads.

Ofc, blizzard will find a way to keep wow going for aslong as ppl pay for it.

[Mayhem]

well we never travelled through any of the other portals on outland, so i´d say we have still enough to kill befor turning against each other

[Soulwind]

Even if we have defeated Murozond (in the most unimpressive way), the Bronze dragonflight is there, and they still have their powers. Some Old God or demon might mess with the timelines and we would have a trime travelling expansion (where the setting is a "continent" made of independent future and past events put together).

And once a saga gets there, parallel universes and alternative realities start appearing quickly, which provide an infinite number of -bad- stories.

[Marston]

I don't even think Blizzard is out of ideas now. But something like the Emerald Dream or Queen Azshara doesn't fit into Pandaria.

As said, I just wanted to know how much lore there is that could be used to create a whole expansion, without creating said lore completely from scratch.

I forgot about the Infinite Dragonflight and the Elemental Planes. I wouldn't be suprised if we would see them again at some point. Especially the Elemental Plane with Ragnaros and Al'Akir dead, two of them are without a ruler. I wouldn't even be suprised if Therazane or Neptulon would try to take over the two now leaderless planes and wage war against the other one to become supreme ruler of all 4 planes.

[Oneru]

Hello there.

Just a quick question, I am not sure if I have forgotten something.

So, without creating lore completely from scratch, what is left for future expansions? Pandaria is a good example.

Just a quick question, I am not sure if I have forgotten something.... without creating lore completely from scratch

Just a quick question... lore

Those two don't mix.

Anyway, the one thing that comes to mind is Burning Legion, Titans and Old Gods. Even considering just the Warcraft RTS games, there is still stuff to play with (simple example Turalyon and Alleria). I guess most of the existing options have been fleshed out in the various (and mostly very long) new expansion & lore threads on the board.

All I hope for is Burning Legion, most other things would feel like filler.

[Kevyne-Shandris]

As said, I just wanted to know how much lore there is that could be used to create a whole expansion, without creating said lore completely from scratch.

The problem is not that they have enough lore to make more expansions with -- or even create new lore around an idea -- it's overuse of the same lore.

[Deleted]

Did you even think about Pandarens, Mogu and Sha before MoP?? Don't think so, thats becasue Blizzard can invent new lore on the spot.

edit:
sorry OP i havent read your post with care before I posted, you obviouslly know this and were asking for something different, my bad.

[rogueMatthias]

Even if we have defeated Murozond (in the most unimpressive way), the Bronze dragonflight is

I atually thought that was a real shame. The fact we've been fighting infinite dragonflight for so long with a big mystery aroudn them, I thought that Murozond could be one of the few villains that Blizz could actually build up so we actually care about fighting and finishing the story... and instead he just became a throw away villain in a dungeon.


Errmm, Expansions...

Underwater/Queen Azshara
The Emerald Dream
Burning Legion / Sargeras

Don't know if it will last much longer than 3 more Expacs so I've stuck with them. TBH, I'm not even convinced Sergaras will be in WoW, wonder if Blizz will try a Warcraft 4 before that.

Did you even think about Pandarens, Mogu and Sha before MoP?? Don't think so, thats becasue Blizzard can invent new lore on the spot.

Actually, I think a lot of people thought we'd go to Pandaria eventually. I think Blizz has done a great job of fleshing out the entire place and adding such diverse races.

[Deleted]

Perhaps Xoroth, the world of the Dreadsteeds, the Warlock exclusive mounts, and Nathrezim, or Dreadlords.

[Deleted]

I don't even know why Blizzard made so much new lore in form of Pandaria instead of focusing on existing lore. There were three big storylines in wow yet and we only finished one of it:
-Scourge (Naxxramas in Classic, Hyjal in TBC, pretty much whole of Northrend in Wotlk)... we finished this storyline by killing the Lich King in Wotlk. The scourge might some day be an interesting power again, but atm it's pretty much finished.
-Burning Legion (Demons in Classic in general, pretty much all instances in TBC)... we are nowhere near to finishing this storyline... we just killed illidan who is indirectly linked to the legion and we pushed back a weakened version of kil'jaeden. The Legion itself is still at full power, we just hindered them from conquering our world. We still haven't even seen Sargeras yet.
-Old Gods (AQ in Classic, MC/BWL to some extent, Ulduar, most of cataclysm)... we killed Cthun and Yogg'saron, but N'zoth is still around and maybe there are 1-2 more Old Gods we don't know about yet.

I really hope that the Sha are somehow linked to the Old Gods and we can finish this storyline.

[Deleted]

I don't even know why Blizzard made so much new lore in form of Pandaria instead of focusing on existing lore. There were three big storylines in wow yet and we only finished one of it:
-Scourge (Naxxramas in Classic, Hyjal in TBC, pretty much whole of Northrend in Wotlk)... we finished this storyline by killing the Lich King in Wotlk. The scourge might some day be an interesting power again, but atm it's pretty much finished.
-Burning Legion (Demons in Classic in general, pretty much all instances in TBC)... we are nowhere near to finishing this storyline... we just killed illidan who is indirectly linked to the legion and we pushed back a weakened version of kil'jaeden. The Legion itself is still at full power, we just hindered them from conquering our world. We still haven't even seen Sargeras yet.
-Old Gods (AQ in Classic, MC/BWL to some extent, Ulduar, most of cataclysm)... we killed Cthun and Yogg'saron, but N'zoth is still around and maybe there are 1-2 more Old Gods we don't know about yet.

I really hope that the Sha are somehow linked to the Old Gods and we can finish this storyline.

I agree with you. To me, Pandaria feels like a huuge filler episode in the Warcraft «manga». Next expansion we might return to the main story arc.

[Steelangel]

I really hope that the Sha are somehow linked to the Old Gods and we can finish this storyline.

The Sha are the manifestation of the dead body of Y'shaargh (the Old God killed by the Titans) And when you're exalted with the Klaxxi, they out right tell you that if the Old Gods come back the Klaxxi will fight for their masters.

Korven the Prime even mentions the "Usurpers who remade the world" on a questline, so there's a lot of Old Gods just beneath the surface* all throughout this expansion.

*Pun Intended

[Kevyne-Shandris]

I agree with you. To me, Pandaria feels like a huuge filler episode in the Warcraft «manga». Next expansion we might return to the main story arc.

MoP was a turn off on many reasons, but I just can't see Pandas and China fitting into existing lore. The Nordic theme in Northrend fit, as it could fit the Scourge/undead theme so important to explain the existence of the Lich King. Undead pandas in an Asian motif just wouldn't do, as Asians have their own undead mythology, and not the Zombie-like ideals of the West.

Story matching existing themes = win. Story that doesn't relate to existing themes = loss.

Can't get too far from the script as it won't fit.

[Trollragemore]

well we don't really know about anything on the eastern seas off the eastern kingdoms... so there could be(just saying) another continent... but didn't blizzard or Metzen himself said that the emerald dream was done in the books thus no expansion based on that?

Also wasn't Draenor supposingly restored by its elementals? also leaving Argus and the rest of the twisted nether... and what not to say the AQ kingdoms don't rise again or the Valkyr invade the main continents.

[Soulwind]

MoP was a turn off on many reasons, but I just can't see Pandas and China fitting into existing lore. The Nordic theme in Northrend fit, as it could fit the Scourge/undead theme so important to explain the existence of the Lich King. Undead pandas in an Asian motif just wouldn't do, as Asians have their own undead mythology, and not the Zombie-like ideals of the West.

Story matching existing themes = win. Story that doesn't relate to existing themes = loss.

Can't get too far from the script as it won't fit.

When America was discovered, people thought it didn't fit with the existing lore, that's why they killed the natives!

I get your point, but Pandaria is a "new and unexplored land" which has been separated from the rest of Azeroth for thousands of years. Outland didn't fit with Azeroth either, and if it hadn't been for Vashj, Kael and Illidan, our enemies there would have been basically aliens.

Stories do need some fresh ideas from time to time, not only they bring new points of view about the existing lore (Pandaren culture and how they see us), but it also gives the writers some margin. In fact, we are dealing with Garrosh and our war in this expansion, we just happen to be fighting over the recently discovered resources of Pandaria. Different setting, same story.

[Golden Yak]

- Emerald Dream
- Burning Legion
- Azshara and the Naga
- More Old God related stuff
- Azjol'Nerub
- Titans
- The Void
- South Seas (Then again, how much of those islands were destroyed during the Cataclysm?)
- Some planets we knew that exist (K'aresh for example, but that would probably be part of a Burning Legion Expansion)

Woo!

As Kisho mentioned, I wouldn't mind a trip back to the elemental planes to fully explore all of them. There could always be more parts to Deepholm and Firelands, especially if time moves forwards and we get to see what effects the Curse of Flesh has wrought on the plane of earth and how the plane of fire has been affected by being tied so closely with Mount Hyjal and the source of all life there.

[Varyk]

I'm expecting the return of the burning legion/Sargeras as the last expansion. With maybe 1 or 2 in between. No idea what theyd be tho, probably old god as the 2nd to last and maybe emerald dream after MoP.

[Anjerith]

Pandaria didn't actually exist outside of a joke, HOWEVER, that is how lore is created; ideas are formed and expanded on during the development of storylines. Plot hooks lead the player to eventually explore these hooks and that will lead to the natural expansion of the lore itself.