The Five Stages - The Dark Below

[thesmall001]

Stage 1: Denial

I'm pretty sure this is a Diablo III expansion and not an Azshara expansion. Blizzard all but confirmed that the next expansion will be Burning Legion.

Everybody knows that the first expansion will be the Emerald Dream. It's already in the game files and Blizzard basically already confirmed it. Why would we even go to Outland? It got destroyed.

What does the Lich King have to do with anything? Isn't he just asleep? With the upcoming Sunwell raid we can safely assume that we'll use the Exodar to go to Argus in the next expansion to fight Kil'Jaeden and the Burning Legion.

Thrall as the new Guardian of Tirisfal? I think we can safely ignore this BS "leak". There's not even a new continent.

Pandaren were an April fools joke, Blizzard are just trolling us. It won't be a new expansion.

Stage 2: Anger

WTF! I guess this confirms it isn't a Diablo Expansion. Blizzard just went full retard. Azshara expansion will be so dumb. I don't want a dumb Little Mermaid kiddy expansion.

Space Goats?! WoW is a FANTASY game. Blizzard this Sci-Fi wannabe bullshit is so retarded. And why are they ruining the awesome, brutal Horde by adding pretty little gay elfs? Way to appeal to all the kiddies who just want to make hot girl elf characters.

Wait so am I to understand that Blizzard are adding a new class that is actually DESIGNED to be OP? Nice one Blizzard. "Death Knight" sounds like they're trying so hard to attract all the kiddies that want to be automatically "epic".

"How can we get all the damn kiddies to play WoW? Let's just add a big scary dragon. We'll call him Deathwing, that'll make him sound so bad-ass." GG Blizzard. Way to ruin the game.

LOL Pandas. I'm so done with this game. Blizzard are trying so hard to bring in all the kiddies they lost in Cataclysm so they add a cute race of stupid fat chinese pandas. Fuck you Blizzard.

Stage 3: Bargaining

Fine, if they want to make a crappy underwater expansion then I'm done. I won't buy it and I'll cancel my sub. Maybe then Blizzard will change their mind.

I don't think we NEED to buy the expansion. I may just stay at 60 as I'm sure loads of people will do. We have loads of content left to do. Maybe if enough people don't buy the expansion Blizzard will still add content for us at 60?

If Blizzard doesn't fix all of these class balance problems in Arena before adding in their stupid new OP Death Knight roflshot class with all their free epics then I probably won't play in the next expansion.

I only really play for 5 man dungeons. I miss having a community where you actually had to go and look for a party. It gave you a server identity and a reputation. WoW is really going downhill. I think I'm going to show Blizzard their mistake by cancelling my subscription.

For me nothing can beat Burning Crusade. It was the best expansion. Blizzard are recycling so much old content. If they're going to be cheap and just keep recycling stuff we've already done then i'm not going to keep paying them.

Blizzard are just trying to appeal to Asian and the kiddies. If that's all that they're interested in having in their game then I don't want to be a part of it. I'm done. I'm cancelling my subscription.

Stage 4: Depression

I was so excited about seeing the Burning Legion. This was going to be the big 1-0-0. I was going to kill Sargeras. I was going to be awesome.

So all the gear I've worked so hard to get will just be replaced by Green items in the first zone? Why should I even bother then? If they're just going to replace it all anyway then why bother doing anything now?

They're just giving away free epics just for doing 5 man dungeons? Why should I even bother raiding then? What's the point in doing content if they're just going to let everybody see it. WoW has lost it's prestige.

I've seen all this content before. I don't need to see it again. What's the point in doing content that I've already seen a million times. I was so excited when they announced the Abyssal Maw. I thought we'd finally get to fight Azshara. Then they just went and cancelled it. I'm never going to get excited over anything if Blizzard are just going to cancel their promises.

This isn't a real expansion. It's a filler expansion. I just don't see the point in bothering with it if it doesn't really matter to the main story of WoW.

Stage 5: Acceptance

I guess $30 isn't really that much. I'll just get to the new cap and see how it goes. ... Dude this is fucking ace.

I'm just going to throw it out there that I'm actually really impressed with how well the community seems to be handling the fact that the next expansion won't, in fact, be the Burning Legion. Blizzard really played devil's advocate by dropping such big hints towards the Burning Legion as red herrings because it got a lot of hopes up. There were much more subtle hints that something was amiss in the ocean and I'm part of the proud crowd that "called it" and I'm really excited but I was expecting more outrage from the forums. Maybe it's because a lot of people are still in stage one and it hasn't SUNK in yet. But yeah I've seen a bit of all five stages exhibited already in the last 24 hours and I got a giggle out of this idea so I posted it. Hope you enjoyed it.

[Arbs]

Ya i passed Step 4 already, after finding out Reaper of Souls was apprently D3.

It wasn't until the Blizzard Gamescom Poster that I started to think was Azshara, but i was part the crowd that thought it was Burning Legion.

We may finally get to go to the Emerald Dream !! They have had the Emerald Forest in the game files since Vanilla.

[Rocket Surgeon]

I was just about to make this exact thread, you sonofabitch.

Well played.

[MasterHamster]

Not to fall into some category here, but I don't see an issue with Burning Legion making an appearance as the patches comes along. Depends on how they want to tie in with the first story arc
(and let's face it, no one is sure what the Dark Below is referring to. Demons, or deep ocean, i.e Azshara)

[Arbs]

Not to fall into some category here, but I don't see an issue with Burning Legion making an appearance as the patches comes along. Depends on how they want to tie in with the first story arc
(and let's face it, no one is sure what the Dark Below is referring to. Demons, or deep ocean, i.e Azshara)

This will lead in Burning Legion for sure, we can't deny that.

[Golden Yak]

Hilarious. High five!

[lavaalamp]

"Ozumat fiend of the Dark below" underwater no doubt. or atleast a lot of naga's

[Tsuna]

You sir have put the biggest smile on my face today. I thank you for this!

[Zuben]

I kinda felt it was too soon for the big Burning Legion expansion, plus an Azshara expansion will likely have islands and seafaring, so I'm more or less happy about the news.

[Kikazz]

It probably is a Burning legion expac tbh.

http://www.wowwiki.com/Dark_Below

The Dark Below is in reference to the burning legion in the twisting nether

[thesmall001]

It probably is a Burning legion expac tbh.

http://www.wowwiki.com/Dark_Below

The Dark Below is in reference to the burning legion in the twisting nether

*hugs* I know it's hard now but acceptance will come my friend.

I kinda felt it was too soon for the big Burning Legion expansion, plus an Azshara expansion will likely have islands and seafaring, so I'm more or less happy about the news.

I am so f'ing stoked for an Azshara expansion. I loved the visuals in Vashj'ir even if the gameplay was clunky. I trust them to do it better if we go under again but I'm not holding my breath waiting for a lot of underwater combat. I'm more expecting something along the lines of Azshara using the powers of Neptulon to receed the tides and bring Zandalar, Zin'Azshari, the Tomb of Sargeras, Mak'aru, Kul Tiras and Undermine back above the water level.

This will lead in Burning Legion for sure, we can't deny that.

Azshara may serve N'zoth but we know that N'zoth and the other Old Gods were the real cause behind the War of the Ancients. She serves him. He serves himself. Which serves Sargeras. She may still want to bone Sargeras. Raid = Tomb of Sargeras. Awesome-sauce. Burning Legion lead-in confirmed.

[Deleted]

If there's more underwater zones, I'm not playing it.

[bigrichard]

I'm still in the bargaining stage. I really do not want a bunch of underwater zones.

[Krawu]

I would actually prefer an Azshara expac to anything "burning legion-centric", way more interesting lore as far as I'm concerned. Then again, reading the wowwiki article on the Dark Below makes me think this might not have a whole lot to do with the burning legion, since it sounds like an entirely different realm from the twisting nether. Like some sort of demonic parallel universe or something. Either way, it sounds like it might hold some extremely cool lore.

[Puffman]

Even if we go underwater, it doesn't mean we'll be swimming everywhere. There may be an underwater zone akin to Vashj'ir, but I'd bet the vast majority of the new overworld content is kept "dry" somehow

[Crysis]

It's not 100% naga,underwater,azshara,n'zoth expansion, so hold your horses there boys... with the 5.5 image leak that seems very possible to me we might have yet see a suprise by Blizzard. And one unimportant npc with metaphorical title doesn't change a thing.

[RaoBurning]

Even if we go underwater, it doesn't mean we'll be swimming everywhere. There may be an underwater zone akin to Vashj'ir, but I'd bet the vast majority of the new overworld content is kept "dry" somehow

My best guess is "Azshara made the water heavy (or some Metal Gear Solid 2 Vamp fight nonsense) so you can't swim in it! Damn that bitch is evil, now you have to walk everywhere. *Cough* Give me five or ten levels to figure out how to teach your mounts to swim in this shit."

^ Calling it now.

- - - Updated - - -

It's not 100% naga,underwater,azshara,n'zoth expansion, so hold your horses there boys... with the 5.5 image leak that seems very possible to me we might have yet see a suprise by Blizzard. And one unimportant npc with metaphorical title doesn't change a thing.

If a leak isn't on the front page, it's bullshit as far as I'm concerned. <3 Boub (and Chaud)

[Z3ROR]

Stage 6: Over enthusiastic!

Whoaaa! This gonna be totally awesome. We finally see true darkness in Warcraft. So excited, can't wait!!!!!!1

That's where i am right now :P

[Cairhiin]

Well personally I hate underwater zones but I love underground zones. If The Dark Below is going to be a lot of the former I'm not going to be excited. I hated Vashj'ir. Underwater movement and combat simply doesn't work very well. You can hardly tell if someone is in front of you or behind you without turning your camera like a lunatic and ground based attack fail in a 3D area.

However, I'm sure Blizzard has learned something from Vashj'ir so I'm reserving judgement till I actually see the expansion zones.

[Crysis]

If a leak isn't on the front page, it's bullshit as far as I'm concerned. <3 Boub (and Chaud)

So what it's not on the front page. Few months from now, it very well might be and what are you gonna do then? I won't dismiss anything that looks THIS good (because if it was fake, then it is the best looking fake I've EVER seen and trust me, I've seen plenty) and actually would go in line with the hints over the course of Mists.