World of Warcraft Then and Now: Stromgarde

[CreatureLives]

I want to see Danath get a new model.

We're long overdue for a world revamp at this point.

It does make sense to focus on the old world more than ever with Allied races being such a big deal now as well as the faction conflict being so important now too.

I know Blizz and even a lot of players probably don't want another full expansion based on re-designing the world but I think Blizz could update a handful of zones every expansion from now on till eventually they are all done. I'm tired of all the Twilight's hammer shit and all the destroyed zones I used to love questing in.

[Wildberry]

It does make sense to focus on the old world more than ever with Allied races being such a big deal now as well as the faction conflict being so important now too.

I know Blizz and even a lot of players probably don't want another full expansion based on re-designing the world but I think Blizz could update a handful of zones every expansion from now on till eventually they are all done. I'm tired of all the Twilight's hammer shit and all the destroyed zones I used to love questing in.

Honestly, I don't think it'd be nearly as much work as it was in Cataclysm. A good chunk of the work came from just making the world flyable, now that everything is properly stitched together, and not smoke and mirrors, all we'd need are minor terrain changes and new quests.

[CreatureLives]

Honestly, I don't think it'd be nearly as much work as it was in Cataclysm. A good chunk of the work came from just making the world flyable, now that everything is properly stitched together, and not smoke and mirrors, all we'd need are minor terrain changes and new quests.

They also have a lot of assets they can reuse too.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

BFA is giving me more and more reasons to stick with ally even though i wanted to go horde this time around, looks bloody amazing.

[Highwhale]

Also - why Stromgarde is blue?! It supposed to look like:



RED and WHITE is national colors.

[Ithekro]

I am hoping for a level 120 (or maybe just 110+) phased revamp of basically everywhere (Azeroths, Outlands, and Draenor if needed) to put in content related to the current expansion. Even if it is just for world quests. There not only a full on war going on, but Azeroth is hemorrhaging azurite blood all over. That should be reflected in some places and several "events" from CATA do need a resolve to them. So many places in CATA are left in their final phased state and some of those are perpetual fires or other nonsense that should be finished by now. Outland is in dire need of a revamp. The Draenei and Blood Elf zones need a revamp and be pasted into the Azeroth maps rather than the Outland maps, cause I'd like to fly to Silvermoon normally. And while the Exodar might be too far away to get to without dying, it be nice if it was there past the burning World Tree..

Draenor doesn't need as much of a revamp, but with the AU Orcs coming in BfA, it would stand to reason to keep the place relevant via World Quests. Or adding Farahlon finally to the map for a new questing zone, or stating hub for maybe an Alliance Allied Race (I don't know, just a reason to keep all the placed relevant).


Even if it isn't the world shattering CATA revamp were all leveling content is changes to reflect what happened in Legion, at least make a phased post-Legion version of places so that people that progress through the content can see something happened world wide. (With of course a Bronze Dragon someplace that can turn it back, cause people still need to farm transmogs and help run low level guildies through content (being or stopping gankers), farming rep or mats, or just Loremaster stuff). But its been a long time since CATA now, and Classic is coming eventually (which might turn out to be just an AU Azeroth, just not in an obvious way, until Chromie shows up) so a revamp would be nice.

(Stromgarde, the nation is gone: the castle is rebuilt by Stormwind, for the Alliance, which uses blue.)

[Khaza-R]

Is this a permanent change to the area? Not just a warfront which is separate from the actual zone itself?

I doubt they are changing the live version of Arathi. Since several of the areas change, the quests would need to be reworked

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

i liked zone changes in cata.. it was something new, fresh

and liked the expansion itself too

the world is due to another rebuild.. its been longer since cata to now, than since wow launch to cata

Not to mention I think the quality gap from Cata-BFA is far larger than the quality gap was from Vanilla-Cata.

[Biotec]

I am hoping for a level 120 (or maybe just 110+) phased revamp of basically everywhere (Azeroths, Outlands, and Draenor if needed) to put in content related to the current expansion.

I can't see them doing every zone, especially in one expansion.

What I see them doing though is making the revamped old world 1-100 or 110 and then having a few new zones ala Cata for 120+ players and integrating Silvermoon and the Exodar and making adjustments for both of them (Silvermoon rebuilt, maybe Exodar scrapped and turned into a real city?). It would also probably come with another batch of allied races as well since they seem to be really going at it with them.

[Broken Fox]

i liked zone changes in cata.. it was something new, fresh

and liked the expansion itself too

the world is due to another rebuild.. its been longer since cata to now, than since wow launch to cata

Yeah. Funny I still think of the Cata zones as the “new” world when it’s getting close to a decade old at this point.

[Ithekro]

Not everyplace needs a texture or physical revamp, but a lot of places need an NPC revamp, and some effects turned on or off. Sentinel Hill has been on fire for years now after the end of the quest chain...and the NPC are all still fighting. Which is sad since I use to have my hearthstone set for their until CATA (I didn't want to have it set for Stormwind since it use to overload the computer sometimes like Dalaran use to sometime. I had engineering ways to get everywhere else, but the Eastern Kingdoms, so I left the Hearth at Sentinel Hill, which was close enough to Stormwind for my purposes).

Arathi needed an update because it really didn't get one in CATA. Its almost the same as it was in Vanilla. Almost.

And can we please get Gilnaes back to being a useful zone? Its a fine starting zone and all, but outside of that its dead in there. Deader than the Ghostlands.

[bufferunderrun]

I doubt they are changing the live version of Arathi. Since several of the areas change, the quests would need to be reworked

they only need to phase it for 110+ characters, it make no sense for a high level character to pass into time freezed zones that didn't change at all after mop/wod/legion, every time i pass over the barrens and see the korkron building i can't keep but calling blizzard lazy bum.

Also any difference for the east part where Hammerfall is?

[Khaza-R]

Not everyplace needs a texture or physical revamp, but a lot of places need an NPC revamp, and some effects turned on or off. Sentinel Hill has been on fire for years now after the end of the quest chain...and the NPC are all still fighting. Which is sad since I use to have my hearthstone set for their until CATA (I didn't want to have it set for Stormwind since it use to overload the computer sometimes like Dalaran use to sometime. I had engineering ways to get everywhere else, but the Eastern Kingdoms, so I left the Hearth at Sentinel Hill, which was close enough to Stormwind for my purposes).

Arathi needed an update because it really didn't get one in CATA. Its almost the same as it was in Vanilla. Almost.

And can we please get Gilnaes back to being a useful zone? Its a fine starting zone and all, but outside of that its dead in there. Deader than the Ghostlands.

Unfortunately I don’t see that as being possible without a full revamp to most zones. Places like Ashenvale, Barrens, Wetlands, Etc need a lot more than a little clean-up

In Vanilla, zones were pretty ambiguous about a timeline. So you could easily go from questing in Northrend and go back to Hillsbrad with very little disconnect in your sense of time continuity. Then Cataclysm happened and forced most zones into a specific time bubble following immediately after the shattering.

[Imperium Romanum]

Thinking about Stromgarde, I cannot help but believe it cannot sustain itself as a Feudal Duchy, let alone a Kingdom anymore. Thus it makes sense that the buildings are wholly Stormwind styled. It is also convenient for the designers, as they use old models to freshen up something ancient. They could easily connect it with a story like this:

-Stromgarde has been the ancient home of humanity, led by the Trollbanes post Empire of Arathor
-The King of Stormwind annexes and adds Stromgarde as some sort of Principality or Exarchate, with Danath as the Regent Lord/Governor
- The remnant Stromgarde people make an elite guard of the area, along with Stormwind armed forces

A lot more development in this too. Naturally, the Keep has turned into a full militarised area, rather than a place for inhabitants. If you notice, all houses are now located off the Kewp, suggesting a repopulation of the area.

[Imperium Romanum]

Posting again because the last post was lost while being edited.

As it was said, the idea that Stromgarde can sustain itself as a Duchy or a Kingdom in its own seems impossible. The Syndicate, the Forsaken and Galen's folly decimated most of the citizens and Stromgarde is at best represented by a small force. That force could turn into an elite guard nonetheless. Naturally, Stormwind buildings reign because story wise, Stormwind should be including the region into the Kingdom's Duchies/Principalities/Exarchates.

To further liken the link, Danath Trollbane is better to be placed as the Governor Lord of Stromgarde and the Arathi. After all, the link with the past must be kept.

As for the Keep itself, it looks like it is turned fully for military purposes, suggesting an expansion. During Sttomgarde's fall, all houses in the area were abandoned with Northfold being the sole link in Stromgarde sovereignty, along with the Pointe. Nowadays, the Highlands are repopulated off the walls, and many of the areas are strategically fortified. Without a doubt, something for Stromgarde will occur at a later point too, as it is the only Human Kingdom not having a fortunate development.

[Soulwind]

Also - why Stromgarde is blue?! It supposed to look like:

http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/...20130609222823

RED and WHITE is national colors.

That kingdom doesn't exist anymore. It's an Alliance city now, and it's mostly people from Stormwind who have rebuilt it, why should they use the colors of those who lived there before?

I get the feeling that they're going to slowly update the old world a handful of zones at a time, and try to use them for current content when possible (in this case, the warfront). That way they don't waste as much development time, and the one that's used, is justified.

And I agree the new keep feels smaller, partially because the new buildings seem very HotS-inspired, as in they look like giant toys. But it's designed for a warfront, so it feeling like a city wasn't the priority, it's made so that players know at a glance which building does what.

[Graden]

And can we please get Gilnaes back to being a useful zone? Its a fine starting zone and all, but outside of that its dead in there. Deader than the Ghostlands.

Honestly after watching this video it gives me hope for Gilneas. If warfront is the only way for Gilneas to be updated then I'm all for it.

I really like what they did in Arathi/Stromgarde and I hope it's a permanent change if not for all then at least for 110+ people.

[Highwhale]

That kingdom doesn't exist anymore. It's an Alliance city now, and it's mostly people from Stormwind who have rebuilt it, why should they use the colors of those who lived there before?

I get the feeling that they're going to slowly update the old world a handful of zones at a time, and try to use them for current content when possible (in this case, the warfront). That way they don't waste as much development time, and the one that's used, is justified.

And I agree the new keep feels smaller, partially because the new buildings seem very HotS-inspired, as in they look like giant toys. But it's designed for a warfront, so it feeling like a city wasn't the priority, it's made so that players know at a glance which building does what.

Not argument. Stromgarde as kingdom (or what left of it) re entered Alliance in Vanilla. It should have its own identity.

[Rhlor]

hammerfall?

[Highwhale]

hammerfall?

Hammer will Fall.