Battle for Azeroth: The second filler expansion

[Yarathir]

I don't know. I considered WoD a filler expansion because it really didn't give us anything noteworthy that we couldn't have gotten without it.

Yes, it gave us a new Gul'dan that could bring in the Burning Legion, but otherwise, what did it really give us? The story of Draenor barely really affected us, it was like a self-contained timecapsule. All we did was lose our main universe Maraad. There was nothing else of consequence.

Yrel, Grommash and the rest were never seen again as Blizzard wanted to close the book on WoD altogether, so we gained nothing, and we lost something.

That's why WoD was a filler expansion: without it, we wouldn't have lost much.

At first glance, BfA might be a filler HvA expansion, but they've already made it clear that that story is interwoven in the Azshara and N'Zoth story people have wanted, and those are far from "filler".

[Siglius]

why is everything a filler expansion suddenly?

It's a buzzword that in short terms means "I don't like the theme, ergo it's filler content" which is a really stupid comment based on what we already know about BFA. People call WoD filler since it didn't have any real impact on the overall storyline except for the return of Gul'dan, thats not the case for BFA already. Both the burning of Teldrassil and siege of Lordaron has massive impact on the overarching story.

People are stupid mon.

[Mic_128]

Classes won't be changing much

They stated that one of the main issues people have with new expansions is having their classes change drastically. I know I haven't played my monk since WoD because I disliked the significant changes to MW healing.

Horde vs Alliance expansion is happening at a time when it doesn't make sense to happen.

The last thing we saw about the Horde was Sylvanis being thwarted from capturing a relic hat would have given her an unending army and immortality. On the Alliance side of things, Anduin was given a pep-talk from Genn about how they should "never let fear prevail, even at the very gates of hell."

Sounds ripe for faction conflict, if you ask me.

[huth]

The last thing we saw about the Horde was Sylvanis being thwarted from capturing a relic hat would have given her an unending army and immortality. On the Alliance side of things, Anduin was given a pep-talk from Genn about how they should "never let fear prevail, even at the very gates of hell."

Sounds ripe for faction conflict, if you ask me.

Not to mention the hints that there is more to it than just Horde and Alliance being boneheads. It's also pretty clear that there is some other threat lurking in the background.

[Azzurri]

Until I see what we get further into the xpac is when I'll make my decision.

[Lollis]

Pfft. Warlords wasn't a filler, it just wasn't very good.

Cataclysm was far more of a filler than WoD. WoD introduced new concepts that just didn't work very well.

[AnonEntity]

I think they will spend a lot of time revamping the leveling experience yet again, hope they have manpower leftover to create an equally rich expansion as Legion was. But the island invasions stuff already make me somehow doubt that.

Focusing the discussion on if "filler" it the right word to describe his prediction of the upcoming expansion is a bit shallow.

[kaid]

I don't know. I considered WoD a filler expansion because it really didn't give us anything noteworthy that we couldn't have gotten without it.

Yes, it gave us a new Gul'dan that could bring in the Burning Legion, but otherwise, what did it really give us? The story of Draenor barely really affected us, it was like a self-contained timecapsule. All we did was lose our main universe Maraad. There was nothing else of consequence.

Yrel, Grommash and the rest were never seen again as Blizzard wanted to close the book on WoD altogether, so we gained nothing, and we lost something.

That's why WoD was a filler expansion: without it, we wouldn't have lost much.

At first glance, BfA might be a filler HvA expansion, but they've already made it clear that that story is interwoven in the Azshara and N'Zoth story people have wanted, and those are far from "filler".

WOD was pretty clearly a filler expansion. Limited patches weird alternate timeline side trip that has no real effect on anything else. I think they just did not want to jump right to legion and wanted to show people a less wrecked draenor and this was a way to do that. I really liked the in zone stories but overall the expansion makes little sense especially if you did not read the lead in novel. Without that nothing in game really tells you wtf happened or what you are doing there. In the first few minutes of the game you totally shut down the iron horde threat by taking out the main gateway. Once that is down any hope for a successful invasion of azeroth pretty much died regardless of what we did or what happened to the iron horde.

It was just a really strange expansion where nothing we did even as we did it seemed useful.

[Queen of Hamsters]

People use the term "filler" to the same effect as "Nazi" these days...

IE: People with no understanding of what the word actually entails, should stop fucking using it.

- - - Updated - - -

It's a buzzword that in short terms means "I don't like the theme, ergo it's filler content" which is a really stupid comment based on what we already know about BFA. People call WoD filler since it didn't have any real impact on the overall storyline except for the return of Gul'dan, thats not the case for BFA already. Both the burning of Teldrassil and siege of Lordaron has massive impact on the overarching story.

People are stupid mon.

Quoted for the truth.

[Deleted]

This is why WoD is called a 'filler' expansion (Well, that and the garrison table) a selfie camera is not a content. Though judging from some of these posts its hard to tell whether you're ironically shitposting or if Blizzard fanboys really are that far gone.

[huth]

WOD was pretty clearly a filler expansion. Limited patches weird alternate timeline side trip that has no real effect on anything else.

Because they messed up their planning for it. It wasn't intentionally made that way, they just realised they couldn't get it to the standard they wanted, so they abandoned it halfway through.

And we only stopped the immediate threat in the opening scenario. Had we just left, they would most likely just have rebuilt the gate and started over.

[Deleted]

Did you miss the part where they said one of the last of the two major Black Empire leaders is the boss of the 2nd tier?

Sounds a filler expasion when we clash with one of the few remaining evils on Azeroth....

[Emmique]

Pfft. Warlords wasn't a filler, it just wasn't very good.

Cataclysm was far more of a filler than WoD. WoD introduced new concepts that just didn't work very well.

Cata also revamped nearly every single zone, had 3 raids on launch vs 1, did new races (worgen/goblin) and had patches with content rather than "selfie cameras" and twitter integration

[Shakou]

As others have said, no such thing as a filler expansion. WOD wasn't one either, it was just a shitty expansion with very little content. But if it didn't happen Legion wouldn't even make sense.

That said I don't feel particularly excited for BFA, but it's not because it looks bad, it's because I've learned to lower my expectations and take this game for what it is. It looks solid enough though, just the hype factor was so much a thing for Legion they'll never be able to top it, game is just too old.

[Soeroah]

Not sure they are having "less art" by removing tier sets. Sounded to me like they were going to be putting the focus away from class specific armour sets and giving us more unique sets from a wider range of sources, like instead of PvP sets being recolours of the Tier sets they'll be entirely distinct models, which are different from Warfront sets, which are different from leveling/profession sets, etc.

Also not entirely clear on what you mean by the level 110 armour thing. It almost reads like you think paying $60 for a boost will unlock the armour, so Blizzard are trying to get people to buy boosts, but that's the opposite of what was said.

[Mic_128]

I think they will spend a lot of time revamping the leveling experience yet again.

That's already been confirmed and well explained. Starting zones scale 1-10, 10-60 all Vanilla zones scale, 60-80 has all BC and Wrath zones scaling, with 80-90 scaling for Cata and MoP zones.

I really liked the in zone stories but overall the expansion makes little sense especially if you did not read the lead in novel. Without that nothing in game really tells you wtf happened or what you are doing there. In the first few minutes of the game you totally shut down the iron horde threat by taking out the main gateway. Once that is down any hope for a successful invasion of azeroth pretty much died regardless of what we did or what happened to the iron horde.

It was poorly set up (They at least had a short story on their webpage explaining what happened to Garrosh after he got there and the fate of Kaizdormou. The threat did seem pretty diminished in thanks to feedback in the alpha/beta that it felt too 'Orc heavy' so they ripped out most of the Iron Horde from Gorgrond and replaced it with plants. There was to be a lot more on their war machine, their supplies and the story about Orgrim Doomhammer. Cutting it basically neutered the Iron Horde's story, only made worse by skipping the middle raid/story of the expansion and jumping straight to HFC.

weird alternate timeline side trip that has no real effect on anything else.

Other than kick-starting the Legion's invasion of Azeroth, thanks to Gul'dan, without which the Alliance and Horde would probably have grown somewhat closer after working together to defeat Garrosh with a Warchief that Varian respected, meaning that BfA wouldn't be happening either.

[Deleted]

Did you miss the part where they said one of the last of the two major Black Empire leaders is the boss of the 2nd tier?

Sounds a filler expasion when we clash with one of the few remaining evils on Azeroth....

Where exactly did they say that? Or do you think Azshara is a Black Empire leader?

[huth]

That's already been confirmed and well explained. Starting zones scale 1-10, 10-60 all Vanilla zones scale, 60-80 has all BC and Wrath zones scaling, with 80-90 scaling for Cata and MoP zones.

It's also already pretty much done.


Blizzard outright said that WoD seriously suffered from their attempt to make it only last 1 year, and that was a major contributor to them abandoning the whole "1 expansion per year" plan.

[Deleted]

Where exactly did they say that? Or do you think Azshara is a Black Empire leader?

Black Empire being a term for the old god forces. So yes she's one of the last two leaders of Azeroths old god forces. Below Nzoth

[Oblider]

Oh no please not this again...