Realistic ideas for future level 60 content

[BDJ]

*UPDATE*

After reading through the comments, and from other threads, I understand that Naxx SHOULD be the last raid. The content I'm suggesting is to compliment existing content.
-Grim Batol would drop T2-2.5 quality items, with most gear falling towards T2.0 quality. The last few bosses would drop some higher ilvl pieces.
-Nothing from Hyjal would obsolete existing content, but compliment it.
-The smaller outdoor 5-10 player dungeon in Azshara would drop T1.5-2 quality items.
-No one seems opposed to the existing, but not implemented Azshara Crater BG.




This is something I've always thought of. Ever since the Cataclysm, I've felt that the storytelling was slowly but surely taking a nosedive. With all of the pre-Cataclysm unused areas/portals, what sort of content would we have gotten if The Burning Crusade had taken a few more years?

Grim Batol Raid

Since the dungeon was added in the Cataclysm, it wouldn't take as much work as creating a whole new area. Much of the actual architecture can be reused or straight copied, then re-populate the dungeon to suit a higher tier raid, with new bosses.

Hyjal opened as a quest hub

Hyjal as a quest hub could revolve around the beginnings of restoring it to what we see it as today on retail. Running around the demonwastes, trying to fertilize the area, and cleanse it of any remaining demonic presence. Hyjal is already there, it just needs to be populated, and the quests made.

The final available quest in Hyjal would be the beginning of an attunement quest chain for another new raid, The Emerald Dream. They could finish off what they had of the vanilla Emerald Dream, and deliver it to us as a mini-raid. Lore wise, perhaps we're investigating why the 6 portals to the Emerald Dream on Azeroth don't work. 1-3 bosses.

Azshara (the zone)

Finish it, obviously! They could also finish off that Azshara battleground that's been on the shelf forever. Azshara would be a decent place for a max-level outside 5-player dungeon, or maybe even a new 10-layer dungeon/raid thing. The purpose of this dungeon would be similar to that of Diremaul, which was gear catch-up. Make it more difficult, so players would need BWL level gear to clear it.


And finally...

CLASS CHANGES

NONE.
I think they're fine.
Seriously.
A lot of the issue with specs in vanilla was itemization. This can easily be fixed with new content. A few good items designed specifically for feral tanking or dps, moonkins, ret paladins, prot paladins, and shaman dps. Either through stats, item specific effects, or even set bonuses, the specs we currenly have in vanilla are already fun - and plenty viable. I'm not an expert in what stats precisely would make each spec more viable, other than some ideas.

Ele shaman - They could make definite use of either additional mp5 on gear, or a set bonus that grants mana back on spell crits.
Enh shaman - Without dual-wield, Enh shamans are still a little limited. A set bonus that removes the proc, but guarentees a Windfury every 4 hits could be cool.
Moonkin - Between the high cost of wrath, the slow cast of Starfire, and the lack of *umph* from both, Moonkins need more than a little help. However, if more feral tanking gear is added in, Moonkin could be seen less as a "caster dps" and more of a true "caster tank". The Panzerkin.
Feral Tank - More leather itemized towards tanking, and a nice weapon. Bears are already barely just not viable.
Feral Cat - A proper weapon that isn't from a level 30 dungeon boss, and set bonus similar to the Wolfshead Helm effect.
Ret paladin - All they really need is a good 2 hander with STR and Spellpower.
Prot Paladin - A few STR/Spellpower items including a mainhand would certainly help.



Obviously, doing something like this would require new servers for people to play on, or at the very least, changing a few of them over, but offering free transfers away in order to preserve the integrity of your vanilla experience.
Does anybody else have any brain droppings they'd like to share?
And in case anybody cares, I played a warlock.

[Battlebeard]

This is a cool idea, kind of a new expansion in a different timeline. It would be a really cool feature as an expansion.

But, it should be separated from these classic servers. Either an optional addition for your 60 char (you move your chars to new servers), or maybe even connect it to retail somehow.

Just don't touch classic! After 2 years of classic servers (about the lenght of vanilla), I don't want TBC to be a thing again, nor this, nor a server reset. I wanna continue playing my classic level 60 char, on the classic server, for many years to come.

[Castration]

but... classic is classic...

leave it alone.

[BDJ]

Yes, I should have put in the first post that this would not apply to all servers. I'm actually not even sure how they would roll it out. If they do decide to progress to TBC, I want it done with new servers. Anyone who has killed Kel'Thuzad MAY transfer their character to a TBC realm for free. Otherwise, roll a new character.

[seleri]

I almost want it to happen just so I can see 40 people trying to fight along the narrow paths in Grim Batol. For extra fun they should add mobs that have lots of knockbacks.

Really though, I'm open for new level 60 content as long as they can justify the costs and they have at least one server that remains pure Classic with nothing added. For lore purposes, if post-Naxx content gets added Classic can just be one of the many alternate timelines with retail being the main timeline.

[Clozer]

Why would you put more content into classic if people never wanted that to begin with. They wanted classic the way it used to be - nothing else.

The most likely thing to happen is - if classic is still successful after nax(it kinda looks like it) we gonna see tbc.

[Voidwielder]

Reused Cata Grim Batol assets could make a decent 7 boss raid. It's not too out there in terms of aesthetics.

[Askyl]

Yes, this is needed. No, this isn't needed now. Make these threads in 3-4 years or so.

[enigma77]

What I'd like to see is the start of basically an alternate universe. WoW 2.0.

Whole new expansions but with the vanilla game design/ philosophy.

[Razzako]

Most people seem to not really want anything else as of right now, but after a couple of years and Naxx being stagnant I think that this general opinion will most likely change. They've said they'll consider if the fans request for things like this. And honestly, OP's ideas are not that unrealistic, especially Hyjal and the emerald dream IMO.

[Obelisk Kai]

This should be resisted, as once classic changes it is no longer classic and the entire point of creating it is ruined. If people want new content, they have either live for that, or they can bide their time for the TBC and WOTLK era servers Blizzard has hinted at which would not be 'new' content, but would be new relative to classic.

Class balancing however is NOT new content, that is definitely going to be an interesting discussion. Should specs that are currently broken be kept broken or non viable just because that is how they ended classic?

[Santti]

"Realistic"?

New content for Classic is not realistic. Especially if you assume class changes wouldn't be part of it.

The moment they announce new stuff for Classic, is the moment you simultaneously alienate the people who actually want to be there, and open the door for people who previously weren't, but want now for the new content. The demand for class changes and other QoL changes is going to too high for Blizzard to just ignore.

And then there is the utmost lunacy of having 2 different WoW's being developed at the same time, splitting the community and resources in half.

So no, there is nothing realistic about new content for Classic.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

I think they probably start small. Maybe tweaking some specs that are being outright ignored. Maybe adding in some of the holidays from Live. If the reception stays strong going forward into the new year maybe they test the water with a 5-man.

I don't think they'll add new raids because honestly I think there'll be maybe 2 raiding guilds per server.

[MatadorMedia]

Azshara is the only thing they started and never put in the game. The other areas that are hinted at in Classic (Hyjal, Uldum, etc) eventually made it into the game so it would be silly to put them in at level 60. I'm all for adding an additional BG and Raid at level 60 but I'd want it to be something that's not currently in game.

[garicasha]

Let’s just see how many people even hit 60.

[Razzako]

"Realistic"?

New content for Classic is not realistic. Especially if you assume class changes wouldn't be part of it.

The moment they announce new stuff for Classic, is the moment you simultaneously alienate the people who actually want to be there, and open the door for people who previously weren't, but want now for the new content. The demand for class changes and other QoL changes is going to too high for Blizzard to just ignore.

And then there is the utmost lunacy of having 2 different WoW's being developed at the same time, splitting the community and resources in half.

So no, there is nothing realistic about new content for Classic.

You were saying?

[Dhrizzle]

The other piece of content they started working on before scrapping it for an expansion was Outland/Hellfire Penninsula as a level 60 zone.

- - - Updated - - -

Ooh, I think they probably had vague ideas to do something with Kharazhan too.

[draynay]

My preferred level 60 addition to vanilla would be going to Hellfire Peninsula and leveling.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

My preferred level 60 addition to vanilla would be going to Hellfire Peninsula and leveling.

If they ever add BC servers I hope they let us transfer up our Classic characters.

[Ielenia]

<snip>

The only "realistic idea" is that Classic should not get any new content that was not part of the original vanilla experience. Classic WoW is not "let's restart WoW and the game's lore and mechanics in another direction." Classic WoW is a frozen snapshot of time of an era of the game, which was vanilla WoW. Think of it as a musem exhibit.

No new content for Classic. That's not their purpose.