Dragon Isles: Need Zone Ideas

[genegerbread]

Seeing the recent discussion surrounding the Dragon Isles and the potential it has as the setting for the next expansion, I've been working on my own expansion concept. Essentially, my ideal Dragon Isles expansion.

I've got a good idea of the gameplay and mechanics of the expansion, but I've had a hard time with zone concepts. I'm gunning for 7-8 zones, and here's what I have so far:

• An open celtic highlands zone (with a few pine trees scattered here and there). It's home to a long-lost dwarven city, which serves as the expansion's capital
• Redwood forest zone; essentially Grizzly Hills 2.0 (also hosts the titan facility Uldaz, previously mentioned by a now-defunct titan construct in 8.0)
• Autumn forest hills zone (kinda like Townlong Steppes in terms of tree size). This would be home to some red dragonflight influence
• Canyon zone with lush jungle-esque flora and fauna (came about in a similar manner to Sholazar; has some green dragonflight influence). Also thinking of making it home to a lost centaur clan that originated from a few centaur who were exiled for trying to prevent Zaetar's death
• A darker, magic, snowy forest home to ley energy and blue dragonflight ruins (think Winterspring, but updated and with cool ley flowers and stuff?)
• Timeswept Dunes: a desert zone; Home to the bronze dragonflight's influence. Came about unnaturally (similar to how Uldum became a desert after Lei-Shen's attack) after the bronze dragons were ordered to wipe out an advanced kingdom that perfected the arcane arts due to a royal alchemist's discovery of infinite time magic; Ethereals accompany us as well due to fables of lost scrolls that tell of methods to revert back from forms similar to theirs
• The max-level zone, Draksmuth: A large zone comprising snowy peaks. Home to the first proto-drakes, lost dwarven clans, dragon riders, and chromatic experiments underground

I'm just not sure if this is interesting enough. I'm thinking of the actual races to include as well. I've mentioned dwarves and the centaur, and alongside those I'm also considering drakonids, vrykul, tuskarr, the lesser dragonflights (i.e. storm dragons), some Wild Gods, etc.

As you might be able to see with the desert and the canyon zone, I'd like to go for a slight northern influence in this environment with some justification for those two outlying zones. It'd add variety to this hypothetical continent, as well as justifications for that being the case.

If there's additional zones you'd want to see on the Dragon Isles, or environments that you think would better fit this continent, let me know!

[kizcrew]

An open celtic highlands zone (with a few pine trees scattered here and there). It's home to a long-lost dwarven city, which serves as the expansion's capital

So Twilight Highlands.

[genegerbread]

So Twilight Highlands.

Not really. Twilight Highlands was a zone that was terribly executed. Far different from Twilight Highlands in my head for sure.

[Nosnogard]

Would there be room for a zone similar to Suramar? I loved running around in a huge hostile city with a disguise to avoid trouble

[kizcrew]

Not really. Twilight Highlands was a zone that was terribly executed. Far different from Twilight Highlands in my head for sure.

The way you describe it, it's exactly like a version of Twilight Highlands that doesn't have a Twilight's Hammer presence there.

[genegerbread]

Would there be room for a zone similar to Suramar? I loved running around in a huge hostile city with a disguise to avoid trouble

Definitely considering that with Draksmuth. As the max-level zone, I'd have it fill a similar role as Suramar, as we haven't gotten another zone like Suramar since. Having a large, open-world storytelling zone like that as non-raid content was fantastic, and I plan to have Draksmuth fill that role. In terms of cityscapes, perhaps some more long-lost dwarven cities and temples embedded in the mountains?

I also plan to allow players to unlock flying through the Draksmuth campaign. During chapter 3, you'll work with the dwarven dragon-riders to tame and customize your very own proto-drake mount, and you'll learn how to fly on the Dragon Isles so you can scale otherwise impassable mountains in Draksmuth to continue the campaign. You can then purchase an account-wide forged flight license from a sketchy guy in the capital city to unlock flying for the rest of your characters.

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The way you describe it, it's exactly like a version of Twilight Highlands that doesn't have a Twilight's Hammer presence there.

Oh for sure. Definitely quite similar to what the Wildhammer Highlands would've been if they were in-game, but with updated graphics. A bit more would be going on there besides the dwarven capital, though.

I think plenty of people would be okay with this. There's been a pretty big desire to see an uncorrupted Twilight Highlands for a while now.

[Sucralose]

I don't really think zones matter or have ever matter much in wow to be honest as its a instanced based game. That said I would love it if I didn't have to loot bird nests and mushrooms for mythic progression again.

[genegerbread]

I don't really think zones matter or have ever matter much in wow to be honest as its a instanced based game. That said I would love it if I didn't have to loot bird nests and mushrooms for mythic progression again.

Very true. Honestly, if they just kept each form of content in its bounds (i.e. I shouldn't have to wander around an already boring zone looting mushrooms to kill Sylvanas; Torghast is another example of this stupid multi-layered formula) they'd be able to devote more time to fleshing out said content imo.

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I quite like your ideas

Here is how I would see the zones :

First of all, zones in the Dragon Isles would be a reminder of what had been done previously in WoW, but done to a greater extent. So, we would have a fully underground zone, a zone floating in the air, a zone located in the Emerald Dream, and a mix of nature and titan landscapes. In the end, each zone would have as theme one of the Dragonflights.

In this exp, you find out the Twilight Hammer, the Nightmare and the Infinite Dragonflight have been working together for years in order to take control of Azeroth.

- Uldaz City (neutral capital city) : a beautiful Titan city built upon the location where Azeroth is expected to emerge upon her birth. This is why it is targeted so much.

- Uldaz (zone) : think of heaven on earth, a magnificent paradise where life and magic coexist with no trace of hatred or war. The zone is located in the center of the Dragon Isles. It is a sanctuary to all Dragonflights and all Titan-forged. You can find Earthens, Tol'virs and Mogus that never left the Isles since the world collapsed after the War of the Ancients.

- Everblossom Forest : a beautiful red-colored forest home to the Red Dragonflight. You can find here a long-secret community of former High Elves that fled Quel'Thalas after the Third War, now called Dawn Elves. They have embraced the ways of the Red Dragons and have vowed to defend their new home from external threats. They are fighting the Twilight Hammer invaders.

- Eye of Ysera : a lush dreamy forest located inside the Emerald Dream, original home to Ysera. It is a high-guarded place within the Dream that's being assaulted by the Nightmare. To help defend the zone, Wild Gods are being called back into the Dream - including the August Celestials (making it possible for Pandarens to (finally) become Druid).

- Mount Norgar : a mountain range stuck in an ever winter where mana and telluric lines are dangerously unstable. The area, inhabited by Blue Dragons, is being attacked by the Void. Mages will have a key role to play in the quest lines.

- Black Earth Caverns (bellow Mount Norgar) : sanctuary of the last Black Dragons. The area is being harassed by the Twilight Hammer that wants to corrupt the Dragonflight and enslave it once and for all. You find in this zone the very first tribe of Taurens/Yaungols and learn more about their pre-Titan origins. Shamans will be important in this zone.

- Time's Rest Island : a floating desert high above the Dragon Isles where you can find Bronze Dragons fighting Infinite Dragons. Expect Chromie in full action as you've never seen her before.

I'm honestly hoping they get away from thematic zones. I feel like it'd be a bit generic to just have one zone per dragonflight.

Also idk if we really need more elves at the moment hehe... Would definitely like to see Twilight's Hammer come back, though.

[Alanar]

I like the ideas, but if we are to stay on Azeroth and go to the Dragon isle I think to shake it up a bit, is to touch upon other lost islands or places on Azeroth that we are still missing. It feels like this is the best option to include these without dismissing the Dragon story. Depending how many patches next one will have ofc...

Pirate Island (needs to be expanded, having an actual full on pirate island with the biggest baddest duke of all Azeroth) outdoor/raid option
Undermine, important in lore and we haven't visited it yet. Battle of the Trade princes, return of gallywix.
Zul'dare/banana island
Tuskar and Vrykul clans to discover.

I hope we stay on Azeroth and I hope they will really make use of Azeroth and lets us explore again. I am not a super huge fan of Dragon in general hence I hope they would have a slow buildup and make room for just some distraction while we make our way to the main content.


Maybe I am still hoping for a fresh start/revamp in Azeroth and meet old/new friends, finnaly add some races we all want to play etc etc..

[Wadrak]

- land covered by rocks and bones, close to desert but not really as the sand is made by larger grey pieces instead, land of the undead dragons, ghost dragons, some undead creatures, ghosts, with a cave turned into a Vault with all the gold dragon stole

That's all I got lol, I hope its not too similar to shadowlands ...

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Go visit the Dragonshrines in Dragonblight.

More of that.

[shoc]

Dragon Isles shouldn't even be on Azeroth at all. Should be part of the 'Life Realm' opposite the Shadowlands that includes the Emerald Dream, where the ED is just the Green dragon domain.

[catalystical]

The Dragon Isles itself can/should be a zone like the Broken Shore, less broken-y. Think the Maelstrom.

It's a place we don't get to do much until a later patch where the story brings us there, like the Broken Shore/Maw/Hellfire Peninsula.

[KOUNTERPARTS]

Here are some zone ideas:

[Demsi]

World of Warcraft: Buy our shit you paypigs

[McNeil]

I'd take a look at the Spyro games for inspiration on how to design most Dragon Isle zones. Basically they would have a huge landmass for them just to fly above with some castles and other buildings for them to chill out in their humanoid form. Also lots of little islands in the sky for them to move around.

[Wonderment2]

For the dragon isles?

Snowy tundra with mana crystals etc
lush green forest
Autumnal red forest
volcanic waste
Sandy dunes
Titan vault

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Here are some zone ideas:

This. I geniually don't get why blizzard need to do anything else. Dragonflight zones cover a good range of themes and zones don't need to be unexpected.