What if the next expansion was something unexpected? (Like MoP)

[enchanted]

Lately after reading all the expansion speculations users have been posting got me thinking, what if the next expansion was something unexpected or the majority of the player base didn't expect (burning legion,emerald dream,south seas etc...)? Take MoP as an example, no one thought we'd see pandas so what if blizz continues on another minor story that no one expected before on the next expansion? Would you be surprised? Or rather disappointed? For me I'd actually be kind of disappointed because I really wanted emerald dream for so long, so what about your opinion?

[Fullmetal89]

I honestly highly doubt we will ever get an expansion dedicated to the emerald dream. Its more or less been covered already, and it wouldn't really be all that interesting imo. I think we are going to get another Burning Legion expansion. What would be very very surprising is if we went to Argus or the Dreadlord homeworld for the next expac. The only other thing I can think off is an xpac dealing with Azshara & King Rastakhan, but again that's as doubtful as the emerald dream since its mostly covered in cataclysm/MoP.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Unexpected for me is anything that doesn't involve a demon lord as the final boss.

So in short, we're talking about Azshara.

[nebula]

Wrathion: Great Red Crane, hear our plea. My champion and I seek your blessing of hope.

Chi-Ji: My my, the child of the Worldbreaker, proof that none are beyond redemption. I am honored by your visit. Tell me, son of the Earth-Warder, what is the nature of hope?

Wrathion: Hope is…it is, a belief in a better tomorrow.

Chi-Ji: You speak, but doubt your own words. You underestimate me.

Wrathion: Great Crane, you have not seen what I have seen. The fires that burn the skies will return. It is inevitable--the Burning Legion will find Azeroth. Seas of blood, cities in ruins. Who are we? One divided world to stand against a legion. You speak of hope--believe me, the thinnest sliver of hope that we might somehow survive the devastation is all that sustains me.

Not sure how it could be anything but TBC, Part 2 !

[Wildberry]

If it doesn't involve Demons, I will be let down.

I could care less about:
-Azshara, Naga and Vashj'ir type zones (Seriously Underwater Zones are terrible)
-The Emerald Nightmare (To be fair that plot was tied up in a terrible Knaak book, or typical Knaak book., I should say.)\
-Another minor plot like Pandaria.

Honestly, I just want to see BC 2.0 with KJ as the final boss, Showdown on Argus etc etc.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Not sure how it could be anything but TBC, Part 2 !

Sounds more like Cataclysm 2.0 to me....

Which suddenly has left me with a sliver of doubt saying "This is WC4 they're setting up, not Expansion V."

[Shefu]

After the let down that Dragon Soul was, and the Pandaria (even though the continent, and the content is good, but the story is not as exciting) they really need to come out guns blazing. Demons, Argus, KJ, Illidan back on the path of Redeption, Turalyon & Alleria, playable Demon Hunters.

That should bring back up subs and make (mostly) everyone happy.

OH and if they really wanna make even more people happy, give Alliance playable High Elfs (so we can stop having another thread on this every other god damn week) and Horde - Ogres, or something cool, like Naztherim or Naga.

[Wishblade]

I'd be cool with that. I don't really care if the next expansion is Azshara, Legion, Dream, Infinite or totally new stuff. I just want it to be awesome.

[Deleted]

It will definitely be a Burning Legion expansion ... But Blizz could also get Azshara involved , making a raid for her in a 6.2 patch or even from 6.0 .

[killidan]

Lately after reading all the expansion speculations users have been posting got me thinking, what if the next expansion was something unexpected or the majority of the player base didn't expect (burning legion,emerald dream,south seas etc...)? Take MoP as an example, no one thought we'd see pandas so what if blizz continues on another minor story that no one expected before on the next expansion? Would you be surprised? Or rather disappointed? For me I'd actually be kind of disappointed because I really wanted emerald dream for so long, so what about your opinion?

It could be. I would never ever think they'd release a panda/pokemon expansion, but they did.

It could be a good expansion, no matter how unexpected, if the theme and content are done well and not overwhelm the entire expansion to the exclusion of the game people have known and loved.

I would be somewhat surprised that they released another unexpected theme after MOP-fail, risking repeating their fail. I would also be a little disappointed as I would like to see more WoW in WoW, but not too disappointed because I no longer have high expectations from Blizzard in their current dismal state as the MMO-pawn of Activision and Bobby Kotick.

[Skorpionss]

If it doesn't involve Demons, I will be let down.

I could care less about:
-Azshara, Naga and Vashj'ir type zones (Seriously Underwater Zones are terrible)
-The Emerald Nightmare (To be fair that plot was tied up in a terrible Knaak book, or typical Knaak book., I should say.)\
-Another minor plot like Pandaria.

Honestly, I just want to see BC 2.0 with KJ as the final boss, Showdown on Argus etc etc.

N'zoth is still corrupting the nightmare btw Malfy just dealt with Xavius... but I don't think the Emerald Nightmare has what it takes to carry an expansions

[Blufossa]

After the let down that Dragon Soul was, and the Pandaria (even though the continent, and the content is good, but the story is not as exciting) they really need to come out guns blazing. Demons, Argus, KJ, Illidan back on the path of Redeption, Turalyon & Alleria, playable Demon Hunters.

That should bring back up subs and make (mostly) everyone happy.

OH and if they really wanna make even more people happy, give Alliance playable High Elfs (so we can stop having another thread on this every other god damn week) and Horde - Ogres, or something cool, like Naztherim or Naga.

Agreed with everything here but the races. I'd like to see more neutral pick-your-own-faction stuff. And we need more awesome races added like Naga, Ogres, Gnolls, etc.

@the OP: I did expect to see Pandaria at some point, either as an expansion or just the Pandaren as a race. Chen Stormstout played a HUGE role in WC3, so it seemed something would show up eventually.

[mistahwilshire]

I don't care what it's about as long as the content stays as good as MoP.

[Deleted]

I don't care what it's about as long as the content stays as good as MoP.

Well , the content HAS to be way better than MoPs because if its not they'll have to expect a bigger subscriber loss.

[Nearmyth]

I just want it to have some edge to make it interesting, but not turn into a bunch of unfulfilled promises and some disappointments, the like of which were in Cata.

[mistahwilshire]

Well , the content HAS to be way better than MoPs because if its not they'll have to expect a bigger subscriber loss.

I don't care about that either. The subs could cut in half and WoW would still dwarf all other MMOs. Besides, my realm is doing the best it's ever done. Losing Asian subs doesn't bother or hurt me in the slightest.

[LocNess]

If it doesn't involve Demons, I will be let down.

I could care less about:
-Azshara, Naga and Vashj'ir type zones (Seriously Underwater Zones are terrible)
-The Emerald Nightmare (To be fair that plot was tied up in a terrible Knaak book, or typical Knaak book., I should say.)\
-Another minor plot like Pandaria.

Honestly, I just want to see BC 2.0 with KJ as the final boss, Showdown on Argus etc etc.

I am largely in agreement here. I really just want to see the end and get there lore wise, and play that final patch versus Sargeras and call it a day for my time with WoW. And then have Titan come out soon after to take a new spot for me (hopefully).

[Ataxus]

We expect Burning Legion expansion: Shadows of Sargeras.

[Golden Yak]

If it is another invasion by the Burning Legion, I hope they go real crazy with it and let us go to some weird alien planets to fight. Frankly, I don't know that the next expansion could be anything but unexpected - we've gone through all the major lands from the Warcraft RTS games, to the point where we're going to never before seen places like Pandaria. There's only the really obscure regions of Azeroth left (like the last of the islands or Nazjatar), or completely new regions.

[Florena]

I wouldn't be surprised if it was something unexpected.

Outland was a natural choice for a first expansion. Afterall, it featured in WC 3's expansion, Draenor was WC 2's expansion, and it had strong ties to the game's lore and story.

Northrend naturally fit as the next expansion. We knew about Northrend, it had established lore, a good villain to face, the only unexplored continent we knew about in lore.

Cataclysm though was a surprise to me. Before Cata, people were speculating things like under the maelstrom, south seas, emerald dream, etc. I don't think anybody was expecting cata to come, and put the focus back on the old world.

After Cata, I thought 'ok, they hit me with a curveball last time, but surely now we'll be getting something more predictable. My money's on south seas/under the maelstrom to continue the N'zoth/Azshara storyline!' NOPE! We got MoP, which I love, but this is two expansions in a row that came out of left field. So I'm not entirely sure that we can predict what the next one would be.