[SPOILERS] Next Expansion Info and Discussion

[LarryWithTheWeatherReport]

Yeah, total waste of Azshara. Why is there even the whole PvP clusterfuck when they have Azshara? There's a completely logical story to make with Azshara and N'zoth using the destruction wrought by Legion and Azshara's 10k years of hoarding of all sorts of artifacts as an opportunity to strike, acting as a logical path for the following Void Lord expansion. Throw in some Zandalar side raid (could even be more closely tied via Hakkar). Explore the wound in Silithus as something of interest for the Black Empire. Already a solid foundation for an expansion. Then throw in some new stuff, tie PvP aspect around Kul'tiras if you really need it in the game and you get a pretty solid premise.

I was expecting a N'zoth, Azshara, Naga, Faceless Ones, maybe a new interesting Aqir like race as the main antagonists tied with the Wound. With Zandalar's Capital as the Hub pf the expansion and Zul/Hakkar as the secondary antagonist with pirates and other sea stuff being minor factions. I still loved this upcoming expansion a lot. They could have a excuse where the world leaders don't really know how huge and powerful Azshara/N'zoth's empire is. Mulfurion tries to warn them but the factions leaders ignored his warnings.

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Will the Horde lose Lordearon though?

Yeah they did while the Alliance loses the Night Elf Capital.

[Wildberry]

MoP did it right, IMHO the detail is that the main title had "Pandaria" in it, and people was not fan of the Panda thing

The shift in gears to "oy vey muh Orc expansionism" was poorly executed. Granted, it was better than WoD, but not by much.

WotLK nailed thematic framing. From day 1 you know exactly why you're there. Even with minor distractions, having ICC loom over the continent set things up perfectly. It's the one time this game has even gotten close to having the feeling of a war effort.

You know, you gotta really feel sorry for azshara. She doesn't even appear in cinematic. She if officially degraded to rank C (if not D) villain. Probably a shitty character too.

Well, I mean, she's a character that manipulates others by enchanting her looks. Not exactly gripping.

Also, lets face it, subraces feel like massive let down. Only zandalari feel really unique. On the other hand, highmountain and dwarves feel like expanded sliders not a real race.

I can't believe they managed to somehow screw up subraces. Only 6? Are they joking? Dwarves get Dark Iron, but Mag'har are a bridge too far? Lightforged Draenei, which were just shoehorned in somehow make the cut before Mag'har?

My thoughts on whole. The xpac feels like a rushed mess of concepts; no one thing seems to have been properly fleshed out, and in keeping with their philosophy of have a 'flowing' story, this feels less like the start of a new chapter and more like an interlude. I think the one thing that underscores everything, however, is the lack of new features.

Everything they've announced so far sounds awful, honestly.

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Also happy with vanilla wow back, really curious how tht's going to work.

More subs than BfA,

[Aucald]

Are you implying there is any coherent theme to this clusterfuck?

I can't really speak for "coherency" just yet, but the theme does seem to be "let's you and them fight" for the Horde and Alliance. Where Azshara factors into that, and how - well that's kind of the original statement's unasked question. Azshara kind of deserves her own marquee - she's a legacy character with tons of lore and backstory behind her, so having her appear in the opening raid tier seems kind of odd to me. But who knows, perhaps we don't actually fight her and its another head-fake like Azsuna was, or perhaps she isn't killed in the process. Or maybe she is and that's the end of it - it all just seems odd to me.

[OptimusDeadpool]

I think what gets me, after everything in legion, where our characters become the leaders of freakin orders to unite ALL races to fight against the Legion, not one lesson is learned and it's back to faction war. Don't get me wrong I'm excited for new content but that part makes no sense to me.


"Oh hey guys great work on that Legion deal but fuck off we're going to start fighting each other again"

It's silly, lorewise, friendships cross-faction took place and they were pretty deep, so I want to know how they'll explain that.

[Deleted]

So, they pissed on the Darkspear Rebellion, retconned Sylvanas' "not my war", retconned Zandalar, brought Void Elves out of crappy fanfiction ass. What more?

[LarryWithTheWeatherReport]

Will Queen Azshara be the final boss in Battle for Azeroth, or will she be the "Kil'jaeden", the middle boss? I want her to be the final one, because she is that powerful, and has been built up for many expansions now. But I guess since this expansion focuses on Alliance Vs Horde, she will not be the final one...

Maybe she survives, and we take on the Naga and N'zoth on for real in the next expansion.

She would most likely be the final boss as I can't really see Sylvanas or Jaina being a end boss even with some powerful artifacts but I could be wrong since Garrosh managed to be one with some powerups.

[Techno-Druid]

I wonder what the other allied races will be. Surely they're not going to release subraces for just six races.

I'm still holding on to the idea or pandaren getting furbolgs (and tuskarr?) Since the former has always been more Alliance-oriented and the tuskarr have a lot of traits that make them fit perfectly into the Horde (clan lifestyle, shamanism, etc).

[Graden]

Yeah. And Alliance captured 5 kingdoms (plus the land formerly occupied by Dalaran) while the Horde captured just a boatload of Night Elven forest and islands that may not have even contained any Draenei anymore.

Are they really going to show all these changes in game? It would require a tremendous amount of time/work.

[Techno-Druid]

I think what gets me, after everything in legion, where our characters become the leaders of freakin orders to unite ALL races to fight against the Legion, not one lesson is learned and it's back to faction war. Don't get me wrong I'm excited for new content but that part makes no sense to me.


"Oh hey guys great work on that Legion deal but fuck off we're going to start fighting each other again"

It's silly, lorewise, friendships cross-faction took place and they were pretty deep, so I want to know how they'll explain that.

Old Gods? But I'll definitely be dissapointed if a huge chunk of the Horde and Alliance are like 'fuck this!'

[JTHMRulez1]

Night elves and forsaken lose their capital. I have permission to die now?

[Maxilian]

I can't believe they managed to somehow screw up subraces. Only 6? Are they joking? Dwarves get Dark Iron, but Mag'har are a bridge too far? Lightforged Draenei, which were just shoehorned in somehow make the cut before Mag'har?

They did mention that more will come, i expect the Mag'har and other simple races to join up later in the expansion (Some Orcs variations, a couple more Trolls and Tauren variation -based on what we already have, not NEW things like Void elfs-, Wildhammer Dwarfs, NE worgen, etc...)

[McCulloch]

My only issue so far is void elves. I don't like using the word cringe, but they are kinda cringe thematically and so far away from established lore.

I don't mind anything else so far. It is pretty soon to have a faction war since we had one two expansions ago and we just did a whole unity theme from fighting the Legion, but it's whatever for me.

[LarryWithTheWeatherReport]

I wonder what the other allied races will be. Surely they're not going to release subraces for just six races.

I'm still holding on to the idea or pandaren getting furbolgs (and tuskarr?) Since the former has always been more Alliance-oriented and the tuskarr have a lot of traits that make them fit perfectly into the Horde (clan lifestyle, shamanism, etc).

Furballs and Tuskers are probably not popular and liked enough. My bet is non green orcs from AU Draenor coming to join the Horde and High Elves for the Alliance.

[Arrashi]

So, they pissed on the Darkspear Rebellion, retconned Sylvanas' "not my war", retconned Zandalar, brought Void Elves out of crappy fanfiction ass. What more?

Turtles from HS appearing on zandalar ?

[Snuffe]

Aaaaww yisss, Reclaim Lordaeron!!! You horde boys can have that damn pineapple tree!

Plant Calia on the throne!! The legacy of the Menethil will continue! "gasp!" wait its more!

*Calia blinks at anduin*

*Anduin Casts Power Word: Fortitude!*

*STEAMING HOT NIGHT!*

*Ultra mega super Heir of the Alliance is born!!!.....Mentalwrynn? imagine the possibilites. Sry im a bit tipsy.

[Mehrunes]

Are they really going to show all these changes in game? It would require a tremendous amount of time/work.

Well, this is a lore forum :3 But yeah, most likely only reflected in lore. Blizzard is allergic to work. Maybe they'll reflect Alliance capturing Lordaeron in the name of HORDE BIAS.

[Maxilian]

Night elves and forsaken lose their capital. I have permission to die now?

Isn't that good for both races lorewise? (i mean, they are going to get much more lore now, as they are one of those that have suffered the most of this war, we even see many NE in the trailers, and in the picture of the burning Teldrassil, there seems to be a female archer, i was not sure if it was Sylvanas, but i assumed it was Tyrande, so hopefully we see more of the NEs)

[OptimusDeadpool]

Old Gods? But I'll definitely be dissapointed if a huge chunk of the Horde and Alliance are like 'fuck this!'

Imagine there being another faction, made up of the orders, who are like "these idiots are at it again" and basically try to deal with the real threats while the ninnies continue to punch each other.

[Kraddark]

I feel like they totally missed the mark. They completely misunderstood what the player base expects from a war focused expac.

1. Make an expansion where the main story follows a battle between Alliance and Horde forces. Capital cities will fall and burn as armies clash.

2. Create a new continent and send all the heroes there to work as ambassadors...

It's like they benched us and let the NPCs do all the cool stuff. We should be spending our time marching on Stormwind/Orgrimar. Instead we are collecting magic rocks on distant islands. Why didn't any of this magic azerite appear on the main land?

[Deleted]

Another fun part, Zandalari just went from possible Third Superpower to Horde race...