Ion just hinted at a 10.0 revamp.

[Blayze]

Which has no story potential.

I don't mean that in terms of mechanics, but just in terms of the lore; remember, the engine of Death is broken, and all souls pour endlessly into the Maw instead of going where they should.

If time in the Shadowlands moves backwards, we could get an expansion set in the past out of the end of Shadowlands once we return to Azeroth and find everything looking strange.

People wanted to be seen as adventurers instead of heroes, right? Well, slap us in a time where our names and deeds mean nothing, before the Dark Portal even opened, and you've got an opportunity to do just that.

I can't accept there's no story potential, when there's literally anywhen to choose from.

[Newname1234567890]

I don't mean that in terms of mechanics, but just in terms of the lore; remember, the engine of Death is broken, and all souls pour endlessly into the Maw instead of going where they should.

If time in the Shadowlands moves backwards, we could get an expansion set in the past out of the end of Shadowlands once we return to Azeroth and find everything looking strange.

People wanted to be seen as adventurers instead of heroes, right? Well, slap us in a time where our names and deeds mean nothing, before the Dark Portal even opened, and you've got an opportunity to do just that.

I can't accept there's no story potential, when there's literally anywhen to choose from.

Based purely on how badly WOD was received i doubt we'll avoid any traveling back in time

[Blayze]

Based purely on how badly WOD was received i doubt we'll avoid any traveling back in time

The time travel was hardly WoD's greatest sin; that was the complete lack of non-raid content.

[Orange Joe]

I dont think there is? Whats your source?

There isn't. Chronicles Vol 3 places the invasion of Northrend at 27 ATDP and the elemental upheaval at 28 ATDP

Seems things changed greatly since I last checked.

This was the timeline as I remember it. Which puts wrath in year 34 and cata in year 39.

https://wowwiki.fandom.com/wiki/Timeline_(unofficial)

So I tried search some more and this seems to be the accurate timeline now?

https://wow.gamepedia.com/Timeline_(unofficial)

[Rilas13]

I hope so, not even for a world revamp. Just for a lore explanation. I feel like the past couple of expansions have just been "All of the worlds recources are gone and horde/alliance are out of money, soldiers, ships, ect. Shadowlands would be a nice way to say, only a few of us followed Sylvanas. And new generation occured in azeroth. I don't like massive calamities every year. Makes everything loose it's importance.

[Newname1234567890]

The time travel was hardly WoD's greatest sin; that was the complete lack of non-raid content.

People also didn't like the time travel

[Syegfryed]

timeskip is the only thing who could possible fix this mess of History or at least be endurable in the long run

[Caerule]

There was supposedly a 5 year or so gap between Wrath and Cata.

As you noticed, this has not proven true. There was an NPC in Hyjal that hinted at this, but Blizzard has already addressed this and admitted that this was a mistake. And there have been several canon timelines released since that confirm this wasn't the case. Also the Cataclysm book that set up the expansion showed clearly this wasn't the case.

This was just something the community ran with blindly for a while, choosing their preferred view over what was actually real. The same thing is happening now.

Edit: Please don't use wowwiki. The creators of the place abandoned it in 2010 to form Wowpedia. It's an abandoned mess that's not maintained in any accurate way. It's been closed from any updates now.
https://wow.gamepedia.com/WoWWiki

[Kagthul]

They'll probably ignore that issue.

Being able to return is necessary for gameplay purposes, but if the writers want this to lead to a time skip, then they'll just treat it as if we had remained there throughout the whole expansion.

He said straight up in the interview that NPCs from Azeroth will come And go from the Shadowlands, and that going back and forth IS canon and will happen in the story, so... no.

[Dellis0991]

If I come back from the Shadowlands and see a Panderan rocking some Air Thralls I will laugh my ass off.

[Kagthul]

Excuse me, but what logic is that, please?

By that logic, NONE of the WoW capitals are a good idea.

SW can be easily sieged from the sea-side, it has exactly zero defenses there.

You mean... like any harbor city ever in the real world? Its not that easy. Harbors ALWAYS require active defenses; also, if you think the enemy is going to be able to penetrate the harbor, you can do what was frequently done in history: scuttle ships in the harbor mouth, denying the enemy entrance.

Also, there are no real escape routes anywhere if Elwynn is blocked. Also, a single torch proved to be enough to set half the city ablaze - a city built of stone and heavily patrolled by guards at that point. A city that not even Deathwing managed to set on fire.

A torch set by someone who knows where to place such things to cause as much havoc as possible. And "built of stone" is not a thing. Stone structures like those of Stormwind require wood butressing and frames to be built. They burn just fine. Thatch or wood-shingle roofs are also just perfect for going up like a tinder box.

Orgrimmar could be easily drowned built into a canyon like that. 3 Tide sages would be enough to set the entire place under water for good. This idea was even already verified as workable by the official storywriters when Jaina decided at the very last second not to do it.

No one ever claimed Orgrimmar was a paragon of defense. (Its fallen at least twice) In fact, it isnt. However, this doesn't work because .... the water has to come from somewhere first, and have something to contain it. The city could certainly be WRECKED by a flash flood but the water is going to drain, because Org is built on high ground. Unless those Tidesages are going to stand there and continually create water out of thin air or something. And the Horde, of course, will do nothing about it.

Thunderbluff are woodden huts built ontop of a rock with miniscule sources of water in the vincinity. If there is any city in all of warcraft that is highly susceptible to fire it is Thunderbluff.

Its also populated by Shamans who can create rainstorms and put out fires (and just ask the Fire to put itself out). And actually... there's a lake up there.

Ironforge has exactly ONE exit. Just block the main gate and you can starve/poison the entire city.

Umm... no? It has at least two. Deeprun Tram, yo. It can receive reinforcement and supplies from Stormwind and theres literally nothing you can do about it. Not that the dwarves in any fantasy setting have ever grown their food on the surface.

With the amount of people inside and ZERO food+water sources it would only take a few days until the entire thing collapses. Not to mention, it is obviously built into a seismic active mountain. Shamans need only rise the lava levels a few meters and there is nothing left of it.

Deeprun. Tram. Infinite supplies, cant be interdicted unless you also capture Stormwind.

Ahh, yes, because the Shamans INSIDE the mountain will definitely just let that happen. Also, im curious about the "Raise the lava level" ability that you seem to assume Shamans have. The average shaman is not Thrall. And ive not even seen evidence that he could do something like that at his best.

Also, travel through portals is possible (NOT just a game mechanic convenience) - nearly the entire civilian population of Teldrassil (enough to fill Stormwind, spill out into Elwyn, and nearly fill the entire forest - read the story) made it out through portals. So... any attempt to seal the Dwarves under ground (lolwut they cant tunnel out somewhere else?) will fail both because of the Tram AND the fact that Alliance Mages could simply ... get them out. Or bring in supplies.

As for Teldrassil....have you ever tried to actually set fire to a tree larger than most mountains planted right in the ocean? I doubt it. Never the less a tree protected by titan blessings.

Except.. it isn't protected by Titan Blessings. That was the whole point... the Dragons refused to bless it. AND the very seed was corrupted when it was planted by Fangral. It was corrupted and weak from minute one.

Have you ever used Napalm? I can tell you, it will happily set fire to a living tree, no matter how large. As a fantasy setting, its extremely easy to believe that there is a napalm analogue, particularly since there is real magic and alchemy in this world. Not that you need napalm (which is actually pretty easy to make once you know how, people i the middle ages could do it if shown how, no problem), as simple burning pitch would do the trick, or in a setting that has alchemy, Naphtha or Greek Fire (which is actually worse than Napalm, since it burns underwater) is certainly available.

They could simply have packed some balloons with big piles of burning pitch and let them sail into Teldrassil.

Even IF you managed to set it on fire somehow, do you have any idea how long it would take to actually burn to the top?

It took over a week. Read the fucking story. So, the point your making is CORRECT (for once!) but it's not working like you think, because THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED. Thats why nearly the entire civilian population got out alive. READ. THE. STORY.

Genn's wife was one of the first people through the portal to help Teldrassil, and if you follow the letters she wrote, she was there for days while the tree burned helping people escape.

The burning of Teldrassil was one of the greatest shitshows on the "strategic" side of WoW ever. There was exactly one reason why it worked: Because Blizzard wanted that picture of the tree burning so Horde players would rip the box out of their hands. Which they succeeded with.

Since you dont even understand the basic facts of the event, i think your "argument" has a few holes in it.

The tree didn't burn down in an hour. The Night Elf population was NOT cut by 99%. MOST OF THE CIVILIANS GOT OUT ALIVE.

[experimentOne]

Sylvanas: BEFORE THE FINAL BLOW WAS STRUCK, I TORE OPEN A PORTAL IN TIME, AND FLUNG THE CHAMPION INTO THE FUTURE WHERE MY EVIL IS LAW

[Sylv_]

IE: Time passes much slower in SL than it does in the normal plane.
Thus, when we are finished with SL, Azeroth will have a large time skip. Or, they'll send us baack.

[Cosmic Janitor]

IE: Time passes much slower in SL than it does in the normal plane.
Thus, when we are finished with SL, Azeroth will have a large time skip. Or, they'll send us baack.

It could also be the premise of an expansion. Thought that is probably unlikely, since they'd create alot of zone updates only to throw them away (as well the continuity they finally achieved).

[Rune B]

It's probably a way for Blizz to revamp major parts of the political setting on Azeroth above all else. Because they no doubt feel like they've made many mistakes. The Horde and Alliance might even have a long peace, only for things to flare up again. Though I hope not. I still hope we'll see a world where the two factions can work together against major threats. Going as far as to be able to do dungeons or even raids together.

[Xorzor]

Maybe by the time we get back, Yrel has already arrived and has set up shop, hoping to convert Azeroth to the Light by force.

It's a theory.

[Cosmic Janitor]

It's probably a way for Blizz to revamp major parts of the political setting on Azeroth above all else. Because they no doubt feel like they've made many mistakes. The Horde and Alliance might even have a long peace, only for things to flare up again. Though I hope not. I still hope we'll see a world where the two factions can work together against major threats. Going as far as to be able to do dungeons or even raids together.

I think it would help alot if Blizzard would just stop forcing the player characters into a race-war and instead embrace their status as neutral adventurers and mercenaries that help out the factions if it pleases them. That way they can have their cake and eat it too. It's just too jarring to constantly fight at the side of lore figures with complete trust only to be on their KoS list right next patch. They can have the factions at constant war, that doesn't mean the players have to participate in it. Not to mention that half the races have neutral variants and it should be practically impossible right now to determine on first sight who belongs to which side..

[Sylv_]

It could also be the premise of an expansion. Thought that is probably unlikely, since they'd create alot of zone updates only to throw them away (as well the continuity they finally achieved).

Jabbing at the poor storytelling that is blizzard these days.

[Cosmic Janitor]

Jabbing at the poor storytelling that is blizzard these days.

Hmm? They admitted themselves that the whole questing experience never made much sense with going back and forth in time with cata. With SL they finally achieved continuity again by starting before BfA, and then going BfA->SL->whatever is next. I doubt they'd make you go into the future from there and then back again to continue the current timeline.

It would be a less awful version of time travel though compared to WoD and they could do alot of interesting stuff with it. I imagine something like us trying to bring back the bronze dragon flight to get a ticket back while dealing with a completely changed world. It could be a compromise between a decades/century timeskip and keeping the story/cast relevant after the expansion.

[javierdsv]

Hopefully that means Azeroth will be using Unreal Engine 5 when we leave Shadowlands.