Your Blizzcon Announce Predictions?

[Skayth]

D3 x info (given)

Blizzard all stars (hos)

Hearthstone release quarter

Sc2 legacy of the void info

Wow x (given) if Naga central theme and 5 lvls naga playable as neutral race, since alliance think they auto get them and always give horde ogres, though lore continues to counter their bad arguments, and neutral because that will be easier for the team working on the old races as well. Demon themed, 10 lvls with dh class.


Titan info as well, either being no info or small amounts

[Yarathir]

Barring new races if there would have to be one. High Elves, I know you don't like them but it's still a big ? why they n ever added them to begin with. Would of been better IMO. And Lol @ Mantid race, they serve the Old Gods, I don't think any faction would be ok with that. They're a cool race even as unplayable.

Creativity can go either way provided it's somewhat reasonable(Seeing Ogres join the Alliance........)

Why?



Well, because they have nigh to no culture of themselves anymore because they have become so integrated in the human society. Blood elves are actually even more rich in that regard.


They are blood elves with blue eyes. It's not that there are major physiological differences between high- and blood elves. Just that high elves have blue eyes, generally.



All in all, they don't add anything we don't have already. That as opposed to a race that actually adds a lot more just makes it seem like a waste of space and time to just add a race altogether if it's going to be a recolor of another current race.


And yes, Mantid. You know.. the Mantid with their own unique culture, behavior and physical movements. Those who are (gasp) grey with the potential to be a darker black. Who have an Old God past that they might be trying to break free from (could be breakaway group, much like just about any race in WoW: goblins, trolls, pandaren, etc.) because it's not the first time Old God servants have stopped serving the Old Ones in particular. Neptulon and Therazane are two large examples. So are the Nerubians, who are, quite without a doubt, originally Yogg-Saron's insect servants.


In Northrend they were seen battling faceless and being at war with Yogg-Saron.

[lopk]

"Ladies and gentlemen, we present to you, World of Warcraft......BEANIE-BABIES!"

[Hitei]

And yes, Mantid. You know.. the Mantid with their own unique culture, behavior and physical movements. Those who are (gasp) grey with the potential to be a darker black. Who have an Old God past that they might be trying to break free from (could be breakaway group, much like just about any race in WoW: goblins, trolls, pandaren, etc.) because it's not the first time Old God servants have stopped serving the Old Ones in particular. Neptulon and Therazane are two large examples. So are the Nerubians, who are, quite without a doubt, originally Yogg-Saron's insect servants.


In Northrend they were seen battling faceless and being at war with Yogg-Saron.

The Mantid have been loyal followers of the Old Gods for more then ten thousand years.
They look down on all other races as almost entirely worthless.

Really can't see them suddenly going "Oh, maybe we should stop following the beings we've worshiped as supreme gods for all of time and instead follow this Troll who leads a tribe of people that don't understand how to make proper clothing, buildings or defenses."

Also pretty sure the Nerubians fighting the faceless were undead Nerubians serving the scourge.

[Swiftzy]

World of Warcraft Expansion
Starcraft 2 Expansion
Diablo 3 Expansion
Hearthstone Release Date
Warcraft Movie Info + Mini Teaser
Titan Information
- Expecting this to be some very, very vague information from the likes of small hints and teases during the panels (Open Q&A?) and perhaps some of the interviews

[Mossiah]

I actually hope the new expansion will contain all of Azjol-Nerub, could be a reason why they will maybe call the expansion "The Dark Below" or either it's Azshara based. Heroes of the Storm is just the official name for Blizzard All-Stars, you want a good catchy shortcut to which people can refer, in this case "Yo brah, do you plat HotS?" "Nah Brah, I play LoL, you mad?"

Anyway, looking forward to BlizzCon

[mvaliz]

They say they don't have plans for another annual pass. Against this is the most certain disappointing sales figures comparing RoS with D3, proving it's a major failure as a game, as not even the expansion could bring people back. Another Annual Pass could ease this shame. BUT, since the AH is going down I see no real reason to attract more people other than marketing and it's a weak one.

I agree the new expansion for WoW is coming way sooner than most expect.

Doesn't mean they won't have a new deal cooked up. A 6-month pass won't be an "annual pass" :P

[Yarathir]

The Mantid have been loyal followers of the Old Gods for more then ten thousand years.
They look down on all other races as almost entirely worthless.

Really can't see them suddenly going "Oh, maybe we should stop following the beings we've worshiped as supreme gods for all of time and instead follow this Troll who leads a tribe of people that don't understand how to make proper clothing, buildings or defenses."

Also pretty sure the Nerubians fighting the faceless were undead Nerubians serving the scourge.

Not really. There is enough reason for some Mantid to stop following Old Gods. The Nerubians stopped doing so due to Faceless intrusion and assault. Meanwhile, we have way more intense and extreme Sha assault. The Mantid didn't know the Sha were caused by Y'Shaarj. Now they do.


.. Conclusion?

[Hitei]

Not really. There is enough reason for some Mantid to stop following Old Gods. The Nerubians stopped doing so due to Faceless intrusion and assault. Meanwhile, we have way more intense and extreme Sha assault. The Mantid didn't know the Sha were caused by Y'Shaarj. Now they do.


.. Conclusion?

Alright, now what mantid are going to follow the Horde who just cut down their empress, their leaders, and the remnants of the klaxxi council, and killed hundreds of their kin in Townlong, the Dread wastes and at the Gate of the Setting sun?
And what Horde are going to want to bring in the insect races they just got done having to fight against? I certainly can't imagine the Pandaren on the Horde would be happy about it.

Mantid are born with little on their mind but a lust for battle. Participation in a swarm is not only a cultural rite of passage - it is the catalyst for their physical maturation. Only those who return from battle can develop from a swarmborn into a fully-aware, individual citizen.

i.e. All mantid that aren't the pathetic pushover ones are mantid who have fought against and slaughtered the Pandaren.


Also do you have a source for the Mantid not knowing that the source of the Sha was Y'shaarj?
The Klaxxi are the ones who tell you that Y'shaarj "consumed hope and begat despair; He inhaled courage and breathed fear."

Kil'ruk the Wind-Reaver says: His last terrible breath has haunted this land ever since, but the shadows he left behind are mere whispers of his former glory.

They VERY CLEARLY know the Sha are from Y'shaarj.

Are you maybe talking about how the Klaxxi disapprove of the use of the Sha of Fear's powers in the Dread Wastes?
That is because it goes against their way to force a swarm to maturity by empowering them with fear, instead of using their natural hunger for battle and culling the weak by storming the wall. The Mantid value strength and believe in culling the weak, the Empress is bypassing that and empowering the unworthy (and herself) with outside energy. Why would that cause the Mantid to abandon their beliefs and join a faction of lesser races?

Newly hatched mantid have only two instincts: kill and feed. They turn on one another, devouring the weak and leaving the strongest to mature.
Those hatched during a swarm - the swarmborn - are turned loose on our enemies instead.
The swarmborn in the Clutches of Shek'zeer have been tainted. They are born into shadows and nightmares. Driven by terror, not hunger.
They are not fit to swarm. They must be purged.

At Blizzcon 2007, the nerubians and the Old Gods were described as B.F.F.

[Wishblade]

WoW expansion, maybe Hearthstone release date and I'd like to hear more about All-Stars, but whatever if we don't.

[Yarathir]

Alright, now what mantid are going to follow the Horde who just cut down their empress, their leaders, and the remnants of the klaxxi council, and killed hundreds of their kin in Townlong, the Dread wastes and at the Gate of the Setting sun?
And what Horde are going to want to bring in the insect races they just got done having to fight against? I certainly can't imagine the Pandaren on the Horde would be happy about it.i.e.

All mantid that aren't the pathetic pushover ones are mantid who have fought against and slaughtered the Pandaren.

Blood elves and trolls? Blood elves and orcs? Stranger things have happened. And the more worthy Mantid (the Klaxxi) saw their Queen as naught but a linchpin. A figurehead to keep the young driven. The queen herself was, to her, devoid of any worth besides that small job. When the Sha of Fear did what it did, she had to be eliminated because she threatened the 'true mantid' who followed the Old Gods. (in their minds)


And still.. I don't see the point of what you said. Mantid are more like 'if they died, they must have been weak anyway'. That's a part of what makes them interesting, it is a shared mentality/viewpoint. In fact, overthrowing their entire culture like that would earn them the respect of the Mantid that could come to join the faction.

Also do you have a source for the Mantid not knowing that the source of the Sha was Y'shaarj?
The Klaxxi are the ones who tell you that Y'shaarj "consumed hope and begat despair; He inhaled courage and breathed fear."

They VERY CLEARLY know the Sha are from Y'shaarj.

Easily fixed . Your character, when you create it, becomes a Paragon. That is what you accomplish the first 10 to 12 levels. After that, the questline makes your character encased in amber. Then the screen goes black and the next quests tell you that you were one of the few Paragons that survived and remained encased in amber, who can now also aid the Horde cause because the rest do and because they have earned the right to be allies. Your character would be freed just a slight bit after the events of Mists of Pandaria, and a new group of surviving mantid could be freeing mantid from amber to join the cause.


Yes. Paragons are special, but so is any goblin that survived, any gnome that you create, any troll that you create, any draenei that you create -- and so on. This adds an extra side of the 'hero character' deal that we, as the adventurers/heroes have going on. It is also implied that Paragons are way less like the hatchlings, who need guidance, direction through a queen, and more like adults that can think for themselves.


Through expansions, there could also be "political conflict" in the mantid factions, as Old Gods become more involved/weaved into the story. There could be some opposition against aiding the Horde. This in turn would add some tension.

Are you maybe talking about how the Klaxxi disapprove of the use of the Sha of Fear's powers in the Dread Wastes?
That is because it goes against their way to force a swarm to maturity by empowering them with fear, instead of using their natural hunger for battle and culling the weak by storming the wall. The Mantid value strength and believe in culling the weak, the Empress is bypassing that and empowering the unworthy (and herself) with outside energy. Why would that cause the Mantid to abandon their beliefs and join a faction of lesser races?

It's not directly a cause. It's more of the gap that opens up the possibilities. Blizzard would have to add the reasons. It's just that Blizzard left the gap here. For normal Mantid, it is almost incomprehensible (as it was for Kil'ruk) that some would not give two shits about the Queen. How far-fetched is it to think that there could be Mantid that broke away from the Old Gods altogether? It is not. Not at all. Depending on how it would be done, the events of MoP could even be the trigger. What happened with the Sha, Y'Shaarj's heart, all other Mantid, etc? It's very unlikely that the Mantid will ever be playable, but they are far from an impossible race to introduce.

And they could be a very interesting race at that. It was an example, and I still think it applies.


And yes, I said the incorrect thing. I indeed made the mistake of saying they did not know the Sha were Y'Shaarj's spawn. Mantid just don't acknowledge the Sha and Y'Shaarj to be on the same level, the same being, etc


Oh, and yes. Exactly, that quote from Blizzcon is what I meant when I said "Nerubians and Yogg-Saron were buddies" or rather servants, going by the logical pattern of insect race = Old God servant race, originally. But they are pissed off at the Faceless. And the Faceless are Yogg-Saron's minions. Plus it's not the first time something that previously served the Old Gods started opposing the Old Gods because the Old Gods started being a disadvantage to them.


Like I said: Therazane and Neptulon.

[Hitei]

Blood elves and trolls? Blood elves and orcs? Stranger things have happened. And the more worthy Mantid (the Klaxxi) saw their Queen as naught but a linchpin. A figurehead to keep the young driven. The queen herself was, to her, devoid of any worth besides that small job. When the Sha of Fear did what it did, she had to be eliminated because she threatened the 'true mantid' who followed the Old Gods. (in their minds)


And still.. I don't see the point of what you said. Mantid are more like 'if they died, they must have been weak anyway'. That's a part of what makes them interesting, it is a shared mentality/viewpoint. In fact, overthrowing their entire culture like that would earn them the respect of the Mantid that could come to join the faction.

Just because you use your enemies to cull the weak doesn't mean you like them.
At the end of the day, the reason they are culling the weak is so that they remain superior.. they're entire mentality is that they are the purest and greatest and that everyone else is scum and lesser.

Even as a player when you not only revive the paragons, but basically save the Klaxxi from destruction and reach exalted, you're still seen as a lesser a member of a lesser race and all you earn is a warning that they serve the old gods and will not hesitate to cut you, and all other lesser races down when the time comes.

I just don't understand how you can possibly thing that the Mantid would ever considering putting themselves below a half-naked troll.

Easily fixed . Your character, when you create it, becomes a Paragon. That is what you accomplish the first 10 to 12 levels. After that, the questline makes your character encased in amber. Then the screen goes black and the next quests tell you that you were one of the few Paragons that survived and remained encased in amber, who can now also aid the Horde cause because the rest do and because they have earned the right to be allies. Your character would be freed just a slight bit after the events of Mists of Pandaria, and a new group of surviving mantid could be freeing mantid from amber to join the cause.

Yes. Paragons are special, but so is any goblin that survived, any gnome that you create, any troll that you create, any draenei that you create -- and so on. This adds an extra side of the 'hero character' deal that we, as the adventurers/heroes have going on. It is also implied that Paragons are way less like the hatchlings, who need guidance, direction through a queen, and more like adults that can think for themselves.

This still doesn't explain WHY the mantid join the Horde.
They don't have allies. Even you, the player working with the Klaxxi, are just a servant kept around to do their bidding. And they still originally have no problem slaughtering you on the spot after you just helped them until it's suggested that you can be used further.

So unless you're suggesting that the entire Horde faction will fall under Mantid leadership, and help the Mantid pursue their goals, there's just no room for it to happen.

This isn't like Sylvans and the Forsaken, who have their own goals but also assist the Horde, the Mantid just wouldn't bother assisting the Horde... everything about them says that. So unless you're saying the Horde factions would be fine with being used by the Mantid and then the Mantid not helping in return...

Through expansions, there could also be "political conflict" in the mantid factions, as Old Gods become more involved/weaved into the story. There could be some opposition against aiding the Horde. This in turn would add some tension.

Again. There's absolutely no evidence to suggest that there are Mantid who would stop serving the Old Gods.
The Paragon encounter clearly shows that serving the Old Gods is everything that drives them... to the point where they agree to work with Garrosh, because they believe they can serve Y'shaarj that way.

It's not directly a cause. It's more of the gap that opens up the possibilities. Blizzard would have to add the reasons. It's just that Blizzard left the gap here. For normal Mantid, it is almost incomprehensible (as it was for Kil'ruk) that some would not give two shits about the Queen. How far-fetched is it to think that there could be Mantid that broke away from the Old Gods altogether? It is not. Not at all. Depending on how it would be done, the events of MoP could even be the trigger. What happened with the Sha, Y'Shaarj's heart, all other Mantid, etc? It's very unlikely that the Mantid will ever be playable, but they are far from an impossible race to introduce.

And they could be a very interesting race at that. It was an example, and I still think it applies.

Obviously Blizzard could implement reasons for the Mantid to join the Horde.
They could also implement reasons for the gnomes or Night Elves to have splinter factions that join the Horde.

That doesn't change the fact that EVERYTHING we have seen on the Mantid so far, says that they do not care at all about any other race, and are xenophobic to the point of genocide, have no problem slaughtering other races to strengthen their own forces, and live only to serve the good of the swarm and Y'shaarj and those two things ONLY.

When a Mantid NPC that doesn't care about the other mantid and just wants to learn about Pandaren mist weaving comes along, you point can be completely valid but until then, there is just no room in current lore for a group of Mantid to join the Horde.

And yes, I said the incorrect thing. I indeed made the mistake of saying they did not know the Sha were Y'Shaarj's spawn. Mantid just don't acknowledge the Sha and Y'Shaarj to be on the same level, the same being, etc

Oh, and yes. Exactly, that quote from Blizzcon is what I meant when I said "Nerubians and Yogg-Saron were buddies" or rather servants, going by the logical pattern of insect race = Old God servant race, originally. But they are pissed off at the Faceless. And the Faceless are Yogg-Saron's minions. Plus it's not the first time something that previously served the Old Gods started opposing the Old Gods because the Old Gods started being a disadvantage to them.

Faceless =/= Old Gods.
There is nothing that suggests that the Nerubians stopped serving Yogg-Saron. They angered the faceless ones deep below Northrend and fought a war against them.

It's literally the exact same situation as the Mantid and the Sha.
The Mantid don't serve the Sha or care about it, and the Klaxxi fight against the Sha-touched Mantid, but they always have and according to their own words always will serve the Old Gods.


I'm not saying that Blizzard couldn't come up with some retconning story that explains why the Mantid suddenly forsake the beliefs they've followed for tens of thousands of years, the beliefs that were literally made into them when the Old Gods created them, their intrinsic hatred and xenophobia against non-insect races.

I am saying that in current lore, there's just no way that the Mantid would do such a thing.

[Deleted]

What major things do you think blizzard will announce at this years blizzcon, I am hoping for Burning Legion expansion and can't wait to hear some more on the D3 Expansion, what about you?

1.) Announcement of the WoW "The Dark Below" expansion feat. Characters 2.0 (complete races overhaul)
2.) Presentation/Announcement of "Heroes of the Storm" a.k.a Blizzard DotA a.k.a. Blizzard All-Stars
3.) More Details for Diablo 3 Reaper of Souls incl. the Ladder system

Probably another 12 month sub deal for wow getting the new D3 exp for free and beta into the new wow exp again, with your free mount etc. Tie people in because of the massively declining number in subs.

You can bet that this one is coming. The free mount is likely the Faerie Dragon mount which has been datamined from the WoW patch MPQ's.

[Yarathir]

Just because you use your enemies to cull the weak doesn't mean you like them.
At the end of the day, the reason they are culling the weak is so that they remain superior.. they're entire mentality is that they are the purest and greatest and that everyone else is scum and lesser.

Even as a player when you not only revive the paragons, but basically save the Klaxxi from destruction and reach exalted, you're still seen as a lesser a member of a lesser race and all you earn is a warning that they serve the old gods and will not hesitate to cut you, and all other lesser races down when the time comes.

I just don't understand how you can possibly thing that the Mantid would ever considering putting themselves below a half-naked troll.






This still doesn't explain WHY the mantid join the Horde.
They don't have allies. Even you, the player working with the Klaxxi, are just a servant kept around to do their bidding. And they still originally have no problem slaughtering you on the spot after you just helped them until it's suggested that you can be used further.

So unless you're suggesting that the entire Horde faction will fall under Mantid leadership, and help the Mantid pursue their goals, there's just no room for it to happen.

This isn't like Sylvans and the Forsaken, who have their own goals but also assist the Horde, the Mantid just wouldn't bother assisting the Horde... everything about them says that. So unless you're saying the Horde factions would be fine with being used by the Mantid and then the Mantid not helping in return...




Again. There's absolutely no evidence to suggest that there are Mantid who would stop serving the Old Gods.
The Paragon encounter clearly shows that serving the Old Gods is everything that drives them... to the point where they agree to work with Garrosh, because they believe they can serve Y'shaarj that way.




Obviously Blizzard could implement reasons for the Mantid to join the Horde.
They could also implement reasons for the gnomes or Night Elves to have splinter factions that join the Horde.

That doesn't change the fact that EVERYTHING we have seen on the Mantid so far, says that they do not care at all about any other race, and are xenophobic to the point of genocide, have no problem slaughtering other races to strengthen their own forces, and live only to serve the good of the swarm and Y'shaarj and those two things ONLY.

When a Mantid NPC that doesn't care about the other mantid and just wants to learn about Pandaren mist weaving comes along, you point can be completely valid but until then, there is just no room in current lore for a group of Mantid to join the Horde.



Faceless =/= Old Gods.
There is nothing that suggests that the Nerubians stopped serving Yogg-Saron. They angered the faceless ones deep below Northrend and fought a war against them.

It's literally the exact same situation as the Mantid and the Sha.
The Mantid don't serve the Sha or care about it, and the Klaxxi fight against the Sha-touched Mantid, but they always have and according to their own words always will serve the Old Gods.


I'm not saying that Blizzard couldn't come up with some retconning story that explains why the Mantid suddenly forsake the beliefs they've followed for tens of thousands of years, the beliefs that were literally made into them when the Old Gods created them, their intrinsic hatred and xenophobia against non-insect races.

I am saying that in current lore, there's just no way that the Mantid would do such a thing.

Then you interpret current lore incorrectly. And you call it retconning; I call it adding to it.


And no, you are not a servant when you hit exalted with the Klaxxi. Sure, they use you in the beginning, but later, they start to respect you as a warrior.


And like you said.. those with power deserve respect until they are overthrown. The Horde has faced many challenges.


You are expecting me to come with proof that Mantid have some kind of splinter faction like that already. They don't. I am just here to prove that there is a very easy way for Blizzard to make them a new race that wouldn't have to contradict the lore. So no, I'm not sure what you are expecting. I don't have to come up with the motivations. I can just list potential motivations, reasons, ways in which based on the current, canonical Mantid, which is exactly what I am doing.


And I feel I am doing a good enough job at it as it is.



And since when do Mantid care about whether or not a race wears clothes? If that race has proven its worth, they don't care whether they walk on their head, on their tails, wear only toe-rings or lick their own eyes.


And the warning was not like "HISS BE HAPPY THAT WE DONT CUT YOU DOWN BECAUSE WE SERVE OLD GODS"


It was actually a very, surprisingly well-mannered way in which they warned the player. "We might tolearte you and even befriend you now, but beware, our gods are still more important to us."

[Deleted]

If it's canceled, my guess is they tried to go too "WoW 2" in design. Not story, but design.

And no modern MMO is staying afloat with a WoW-esque design.

We might never hear of Titan again, but of another WarCraft, StarCraft or Diablo MMO instead. Look how they suddenly push Diablo 3 after they've almost destroyed the franchise with that stupid, AH-centric concept and ridiculously bad itemization. The ideas for Titan and its characters were probably too lame to keep up with the long established franchises.

[Styx1992]

1. Heartstone release date
2. World of Warcraft Expansion
3. Titan announcement

But there are things connected to the next expansion I don't want. I don't want them to do the same thing and last year, which was "Everyone who buy's Diablo 3 gets a mount and guaranteed Beta invite" sure that is good marketing however, A lot of my friends wanted to participate in the beta and bought D3 to get the Beta and they suffered more then they thought ... They went into Diablo 3, leveled to max level and then just ... haven't touched the game ever since and are now actually concerned if they will do it again (If it will be like that). If they are having it like that, why don't we just buy Beta invite .... 20.000 first to buy get it on first wave, then next and next and next and you know where I am going with this

[Shadowblade945]

Here is what i think will be announced:

New WoW x-pac: The Dark Below
Level Cap increased to 100
Main Villain: Ashara/N'zoth
Updated Models for Vanilla/BC races
7-9 leveling zones
6-8 instances & scenarios (of each not total)
NO new class or race this time
Path of the Titans will return in some form
Stat/ilvl Crunch
and some kind of new profession and/or collect the shinys time sink

Dunno how likely it is but I am really have my fingers crossed Blizz will take another crack at talents instead of just tacking on a 'lvl 100' tier for each class

[Skayth]

To put an end to the bickering between Hitei and Yarathir, wrong topic to discuss lore over who and who will not be a playable race, though I doubt they would simply make the mantid a horde race. It like saying the Hozen are the next Alliance race, cause, the monkey king was in the alliance quests, not the horde =\

But, I think Diablo 3 expansion, Reaper of Souls, will give something else new, rather than just crusader and another arc. so more info, and a release date will be given. Hopefully an offline mode as well.

Blizzard All Stars will have a new name, Heroes of the Storm. And a Beta will be announced for winter and spring quarters,

Hearthstone release date will be spring quarter with tablet beta winter/spring quarter.

Starcraft 2: Legacy of the Void information, with only 1 new unit reveals. (and hopefully some new nydus stuff for zerg)

WoW expansion. Unlike what half you folks believe, we will either have a new class or new race. The new race is easily an easy make and sell point of an expansion. No matter if they are doing "updated" vanilla/bc models. They said they were only 25% done... i wonder why? If its the Naga expansion, they are going to update naga models either way, and what easier to do, than give the new race as something that is already going to get updated?

[Issalice]

WoW Xpac
Hearthstone info, either release date or a feature that hasn't been announced
D3 xpac stuff
Maybe something on the movie wouldn't be surprised if the clip from comiccon was aired

And like another poster said I wouldn't be surprised if they announce another annual pass. It is a good idea for them, this late in the xpac numbers are declining. Announcing that would force people to stay subbed even if they aren't playing.

[Jayjayhey]

WoW expansion and talk of D3 expansion. That's it.