Battle for Azeroth Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Deleted]

[damonskye]

No, because:

• Datamined Kul Tiras armor set icons that were later removed alongside some Zandalari icons. Both point towards two islands: Kul Tiras and Zandalar.
• Jaina is still the key art for BlizzCon, which means even if the above was just a feint, it's not going to be only "Sylvanas and undead related and stuff".

Plus, with Golden's novel called "Before the Storm" it does lead you to wonder... why is nobody talking about that? A novel called "Before the Storm" invariably should lead people to speculate that something in the expansion will literally *be* the storm... and it'd be a great tie-in title to an expansion with the word 'storm' in its title.

And storms can happen anywhere, but are especially nasty in the middle of oceans and large bodies of water... just saying...

[Steampunkette]

It's hard to say. Keep in mind, the Forsaken don't use the Crest of Lordaeron beyond the ripped banners outside of UC/things in ruins.

I would personally rule out the "Horde Pride" approach because when I see the crest, I think of the Human Kingdom, not the Forsaken.

For them to bring back the Crest as something relevant would mean that they plan on doing something with Lordaeron (Northern Lordaeron lead by Calia?); it could also be for a WC3 remaster announcement, just an iconic decoration, or anything in between.

We know a few things:

Northern Lordaeron and Dragon Isles are both close enough to be considered Lordaeron territory; there's potential for a "Lordaeron Civil War" arc.

They removed the video; this could either be because it was posted too soon or they didn't want us seeing the stage yet. It's hard to tell.


I personally feel that we're at the point in the "faction war" cycle where Blizzard tends to reignite faction conflict (generally we band together for something & make peace, then start fighting when it ends). We could see an expansion based around the Alliance and Horde fighting over the ruined kingdom. Kul Tiras could still fit into this considering the location, but I don't see how Zandalar would.

Could also just be there as a reference to the Lordaeron Arena.

Either way, it's got speculation going and is keeping the hypetrain fueled.

I'd rather overanalyze something that's just there for aesthetic purposes than spend all week discussing stained glass that's been confirmed to not hold any real lore significance or argue about the merits of a two-level expansion.

An easy way to get Zandalar involved is to make sure it's not -just- about Lordaeron. Sure the Lordaeron conflict is important, but that could be the back half of the expansion while the front half is going after Azshara and meeting Kul'Tiras and the Zandalari on the way. Then once Jaina and Kul'Tiras are back in the picture, have some Lordaeronian exiles push for an invasion of Lordaeron to rebuild the kingdom. Jaina goes along with it to stick it to the Horde, Genn signs on to join the fighting against the Forsaken and maybe get Gilneas back.

Then the Horde goes on the offensive against the attempt, may or may not lose Lordaeron, but since the Horde isn't helping to stop Azshara and the Alliance Forces are fractured over the invasion of Lordaeron, Azshara manages to awaken N'Zoth before the expansion-ending raid where we finally defeat her, leaving N'Zoth for the next expansion pack. Genn is viewed as a betrayer for leaving his "Post" to fight a second war against a nation the Alliance isn't -currently- at war with, and the Horde gets to look like the downtrodden but scrappy fighters just defending themselves from the sucker-punch of the Alliance.

South Seas and Lordaeron Conquest in the same expansion, MoP style but without losing a leader on either side!

[Aeluron Lightsong]

I'm wondering if instead of Order campaigns, there will be Race campaigns(Basically questline related to a specific race).

May split the content up just as much but not to the same degree. If that Lordaeron thing IS related to x7 it may be part of the human campaign.

[Enrif]

An easy way to get Zandalar involved is to make sure it's not -just- about Lordaeron. Sure the Lordaeron conflict is important, but that could be the back half of the expansion while the front half is going after Azshara and meeting Kul'Tiras and the Zandalari on the way. Then once Jaina and Kul'Tiras are back in the picture, have some Lordaeronian exiles push for an invasion of Lordaeron to rebuild the kingdom. Jaina goes along with it to stick it to the Horde, Genn signs on to join the fighting against the Forsaken and maybe get Gilneas back.

Then the Horde goes on the offensive against the attempt, may or may not lose Lordaeron, but since the Horde isn't helping to stop Azshara and the Alliance Forces are fractured over the invasion of Lordaeron, Azshara manages to awaken N'Zoth before the expansion-ending raid where we finally defeat her, leaving N'Zoth for the next expansion pack. Genn is viewed as a betrayer for leaving his "Post" to fight a second war against a nation the Alliance isn't -currently- at war with, and the Horde gets to look like the downtrodden but scrappy fighters just defending themselves from the sucker-punch of the Alliance.

South Seas and Lordaeron Conquest in the same expansion, MoP style but without losing a leader on either side!

So you say we first head to Zandalar/Kul Tiras for some reason, then for some reason we get to a war leading to lordearon and then back to old god stuff

like what the tides of war leak was about? just different details
http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...t-Tides-of-War

[rhorle]

And then I asked myself again: why would anything about the new expansion be on the e-sports stage?

A new arena themed around the new expansion? Maybe they will have the e-sports take place in that Arena map.

[Renley]

So you say we first head to Zandalar/Kul Tiras for some reason, then for some reason we get to a war leading to lordearon and then back to old god stuff

like what the tides of war leak was about? just different details
http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...t-Tides-of-War

That's what I was thinking. C'mon Blizzcon, hurry up.

[Musta]

At this point, with this much on the balance its either gonna be a major hit or a massive disappoint. And I really dont like the odds.

[rhorle]

At this point, with this much on the balance its either gonna be a major hit or a massive disappoint. And I really dont like the odds.

Don't kid yourself it will be both.

[Musta]

Don't kid yourself it will be both.

sad thing is, after 15 years of playing warcraft, i just wanna know how it ends now.

[Doomaz]

That's what I was thinking. C'mon Blizzcon, hurry up.

wait, tides of war could actually be a thing?

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Plus, with Golden's novel called "Before the Storm" it does lead you to wonder... why is nobody talking about that? A novel called "Before the Storm" invariably should lead people to speculate that something in the expansion will literally *be* the storm... and it'd be a great tie-in title to an expansion with the word 'storm' in its title.

And storms can happen anywhere, but are especially nasty in the middle of oceans and large bodies of water... just saying...

For whatever reason most people have written The Storm off to be just a phrase. As in "the calm before the storm."

The fact the novel was at one point titlted "Thunder Crashes" says that it's not a phrase but a plot point.

[miffy23]

At this point, with this much on the balance its either gonna be a major hit or a massive disappoint. And I really dont like the odds.

Or it could be like always, some people will love it, some will hate it. You can never please everyone no matter what.
People always get a bit melodramatic in the build-up.

[Deleted]

A new arena themed around the new expansion? Maybe they will have the e-sports take place in that Arena map.

They've been updating arena maps in legion and Ruins of Lordaeron is (iirc) the oldest one now without an update.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

sad thing is, after 15 years of playing warcraft, i just wanna know how it ends now.

It won't end in X7

[Deleted]

The story for faction conflict over Lordaeron is writing itself. Turalyon won't be happy to see what has become of human kingdoms. And Greymane will be more than happy to assist him in reclaiming them.

Sylvanas, Genn, Tess, The Crowleys, Turalyon and Celia could all get involved. Hell if we look at Dalaran's original place maybe Jaina as well. Also the Death Knights of Acherus, who might still be bitter about the whole Kolthira thing. If Sylvanas pisses off Lorthemar even they might join in. And then comes the question of where Vereesa and Alleria will stand in all this.

Hmmm. Kul Tiras could be a Naval base used for an Alliance invasion of Lordaeron.

That would certainly be a fun expansion. I feel like there's a potential for new races here as well:

If we focus on the Alliance vs Horde conflict, maybe Sylvanas decides to deploy Ogres in large numbers to fight off this direct attack.

Maybe Kul Tiras has a strange alliance with Tortollan or Naga.

Maybe some third thing I can't think of.

An out-of-left-field expansion has a lot of potential.

Again sorry for bringing up FFXIV again. In Stormblood the story is about liberating a province from the evil empire. The plan backfires and we get our asses handed to us. So we divide our forces and help rebels liberate a different province. With the enemy's atteniton divided it is far easier to liberate forces. Lordaeron might be the end goal, but keeping Sylvanas occupied in Kul Tiras and Zandalar might be the way to get it.

[Arbs]

Northem did. Dudes a nut.

But yeah she did. Of course that was all before the possibility of an expansion based around Lordaeron.

Ahh yes, I couldn't his name. Thank you Snorlax, enjoy your nap!

[Renley]

wait, tides of war could actually be a thing?

Could, but probably not. While there is a history of games named after books (Tides of Darkness), it's highly doubtful we have a book named Tides of War, followed by book Before the Storm, then the expansion Tides of War. Which came first, Tides of War or Tides of War?

[Musta]

It won't end in X7

I know, that why im saying its gonna be love or hate. There will be no grey ground this time.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

I can show you how it ends:

https://www.everquest.com/register

Not with a bang, but with a whimper.

I mean they could go the way of XIV(Before Realm Reborn) and do a soft reboot. But that's not here or there.