The Biomes of World of Warcraft

[Mteq]

so, i was reading in the BfA Alpha/Beta thread about the WoW art team and Borean tundra was mentioned - this resulted in me googling Tundras to try and find what defines a tundra which resulted in me coming to this page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biome

my train of thought eventually let me to this question; what typ of Biome/ecozone/ecology/ecoregion or whatever you want to call it are we missing and would you like to see in world of warcraft?

now it might be my memory failing me and its already ingame but as a dutchmen i'd love to see a true dune area as followed (that flowes into a more open zone like in picture 2 or picture 3) you could have light houses and wave breakers, a grand pier etc.

[FertsBlert]

That looks like a pretty fair representation of Westfall to Elwyn forest.

[Mteq]

That looks like a pretty fair representation of Westfall to Elwyn forest.

yes that what was my first thought as well - but it just isn't quite that. westfall is to barren and 'red' and the cliffs are to steep to be considered true dunes.

[Deleted]

Would love to see a truly deep/thick (?) forest (Black Forest) or jungle (rainforest) maybe with a big river that divides two parts of that zone, but navigation both on foot or flying mount wouldn't be that great as you would have to constantly move around trees.

Other than that I'd like to see an entire (sub)zone decidated to the titans and their facilities like Ulduar but for levelling/world quests.

PS: Where do I have to go to get the view of pic 1 & 2?

[XDurionX]

Would love to see a truly deep/thick (?) forest (Black Forest) or jungle (rainforest) maybe with a big river that divides two parts of that zone, but navigation both on foot or flying mount wouldn't be that great as you would have to constantly move around trees.

Other than that I'd like to see an entire (sub)zone decidated to the titans and their facilities like Ulduar but for levelling/world quests.

PS: Where do I have to go to get the view of pic 1 & 2?

Krasarang was bad enough, no thanks.

[Queen of Hamsters]

Tbf, I'd like to see something like the Spiny forest of Madagascar.

Other than that, I think we have pretty much every area represented by now?

[Eazy]

I'd like something new, like Arctic.

Anyway, I think that biome is a wrong word - because there's no Biome on Earth comparable to Hellfire Peninsula or Argus.

I personally don't want any earth biomes, the most beautiful zones in WoW were the ones which don't appear in real life: Blades Edge Mountains, Hellfire Peninsula, Netherstorm, Deepholm etc. Whenever I was going through these I felt like in a real fantasy world.

But if I have to choose then I'd say: Arctic, just plain snow/ice. No trees, no mountains, just plain snow/ice with caves(Forstfire Ridge or wotlk zones wasn't that representative):


But if I don't, then I'd like to see "full fantasy" places - like realm of shadows/ghosts/death:


Flying isles(bigger than the ones from Nagrand):

etc.

It's a fantasy game. I want to see spectacular things, not some lame realistic forest for low level characters.

[Teri]

Updated old zones to Legion graphic standards would help a lot already, they could easily diversify the sub-zones with more assets and different colors / doodads and lighting effects.

Right now trees in places like Duskwood/Stranglethorn look horrible, especially when seen from above, they could easily add a lot more variation with new models for those.

I'd also love to see them use the newer techniques for mountains/cliffs in old world, right now it's just the stretched/rounded terrain in Vanilla/TBC zones and that doesn't look like mountains anymore compared to Wotlk and later art.

NPC models certainly seem to get high priority however, WoD, Legion and now BfA updates a lot of them.

[Mellows]

Updated old zones to Legion graphic standards would help a lot already, they could easily diversify the sub-zones with more assets and different colors / doodads and lighting effects.

I think this is a great idea, I think Uldum is a great example of what a revamp can do to the feel of a biome. I hated the deserts in Tanaris but loved Uldum for example.

Something they could try is a large claustrophobic subterranean tunnel network. I don't mean the caves like the dwarf cities we currently have but whole cities/settlements built with intricate tunnel systems on multiple levels linking them and leading to large vaulted areas to quest in.



Failing that i'm fully up for a zone full or rainbows, unicorns and cotton candy.

[Deleted]

because there's no Biome on Earth comparable to Hellfire Peninsula

LOL what?

[Deleted]

old thousand needles style but in new graphics and maybe slightly more open, could even squeeze in a river with a few green areas

I always loved mountain zones so maybe a rly high zone, with snowy mountains, glaciers and various temples/titan facilities (i know it sounds a lot like storm peaks but I was thinking more a storm peaks, kun'lai, highmountain hybrid)

high plains

a beautiful grassland area with many lakes and hills and maybe rivers and cliffs and hanging bridges

i also always loved how ivcebergs look in northrend and how a pine zone with snow and ice covered water looks

[Arrkon]

Something they could try is a large claustrophobic subterranean tunnel network. I don't mean the caves like the dwarf cities we currently have but whole cities/settlements built with intricate tunnel systems on multiple levels linking them and leading to large vaulted areas to quest in.

Basically, you're refering to the Undermine.

[Mellows]

Basically, your refering to the Undermine.

Do you mean Uldaman? If so then yes, in part. But I am thinking more extensive with large cities.

[Nefarious Tea]

Basically, your refering to the Undermine.

Considering I had to go through three different websites to actually find out what that is, I'm thinking that's not to what that poster is referring.

[Soulwind]

Do you mean Uldaman? If so then yes, in part. But I am thinking more extensive with large cities.

The Undermine is the goblin capital, an underground city. Not a whole lot about it has been established, but it could be very, very big if they wanted.

[FelPlague]

The first one is westfall beach
the second is mulgore
the third is literally grizzly hills.

I would love a zone that is an underground cavern we sorta got that with deepholm but it has a big opening, i want the zone that was planned in wotlk.

[MrHappy]

I want a massive tall tree city

[FelPlague]

I'd like something new, like Arctic.

Anyway, I think that biome is a wrong word - because there's no Biome on Earth comparable to Hellfire Peninsula or Argus.

I personally don't want any earth biomes, the most beautiful zones in WoW were the ones which don't appear in real life: Blades Edge Mountains, Hellfire Peninsula, Netherstorm, Deepholm etc. Whenever I was going through these I felt like in a real fantasy world.

But if I have to choose then I'd say: Arctic, just plain snow/ice. No trees, no mountains, just plain snow/ice with caves(Forstfire Ridge or wotlk zones wasn't that representative):


But if I don't, then I'd like to see "full fantasy" places - like realm of shadows/ghosts/death:


Flying isles(bigger than the ones from Nagrand):

etc.

It's a fantasy game. I want to see spectacular things, not some lame realistic forest for low level characters.

no mountains, just snow and caves?
you mean like winterspring?
shadow realm, well we havent gone there yet
flying islands? I mean isnt that all of outland techniccly? either that or netherstorm because its a bunch of floating rocks in space.

- - - Updated - - -

I want a massive tall tree city

it would be cool to see a ewok style "homes within the trees" but we sorta have that with tedrissle, but with it burning down they could make a city thast is all tree houses.

[Eazy]

you mean like winterspring?

There are trees, a few buildings etc. I'd like to see tunnels and caves under the plain snow area.

shadow realm, well we havent gone there yet

I hope we will.

flying islands? I mean isnt that all of outland techniccly? either that or netherstorm because its a bunch of floating rocks in space.

Yeah, but I'd like to see BIG flying islands, like faction main capitols being constructed on the flying rocks... Not Nagrand, because it has a terrain under these small flying rocks, but more like whole area being flying islands. Netherstorm is very close, but still not exactly what I meant.

Something like this:

LOL what?

It doesn't have that awesome sky so it doesn't count.

[Mteq]

The first one is westfall beach
the second is mulgore
the third is literally grizzly hills.

I would love a zone that is an underground cavern we sorta got that with deepholm but it has a big opening, i want the zone that was planned in wotlk.

i disagree

the following three would be more like westfall, mulgore and grizzly hills, in that order;