Battle for Azeroth Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[Sentynel]

I mean there's really only been one expack where it was a swerve and that's because it was a complete shit storm of a storyline.

Remove WoD and you can go all the way back to Vanilla and reasonably predict every expansion and story thread in a straight line.

I don't think anybody expected Pandaren after Deathwing ^^

[maplesyrupgl]

Hi guys I managed to pull some strings with my anonymous sources and finally they agreed to spill the beans. Enjoy the leak!

[Myta]

An old god infested expansion with Stormwind turned into a raid ala SoO, and old god infested Hogger is there.

[Paulosio]

I mean there's really only been one expack where it was a swerve and that's because it was a complete shit storm of a storyline.

Remove WoD and you can go all the way back to Vanilla and reasonably predict every expansion and story thread in a straight line.

Pandas ? Hmmm don't think so. Also I really don't see what there was in BC to make anyone think that the next xpac would take us to northrend.

You have a point though... There is no reason it has to be a swerve from the obvious. I'm just watching a lot of black empire vids. Lots of our artifact weapons also have strong links to the black empire or the forces that fought against them in the past. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLPj...aQFm60eEH&t=18

I'm also kind of wondering about the scar that's getting left in Silithus. Has that stirred something from down below...

[Enrif]

I like your spirit and moxie, kid.

mh, great. I want this now. ^^

oh there is more were that is coming from. Afterall one of the fake leaks from the past weeks was from me, and many actually said blizz should hire me

[Aeula]

No definitely Cata with the talent revamp.

Which BTW is still the best version of talents and they should go back to it.

Wowpedia says MoP. (Under Patch Changes, 5.0.4).

https://wow.gamepedia.com/Druid

[keygy]

im the only that think the class system its really plain? i mean, im in love with the class system from a lot games like ro, "evolving" or "tier" classes

[CosmicGuitars]

I mean there's really only been one expack where it was a swerve and that's because it was a complete shit storm of a storyline.

Remove WoD and you can go all the way back to Vanilla and reasonably predict every expansion and story thread in a straight line.

• Vanilla WoW set up the Scourge as the next major threat with Naxxramas teasing the Lich King, instead we went to Outlands.
• TBC teased a fight with Kil'jaeden and the Legion at the Sunwell, but instead we went to Northrend.
• WOTLK had zero indications of the Cataclysm's impending nature, and Cataclysm itself was announced long before Icecrown even came out.
• Cataclysm ended with N'zoth being clearly foreshadowed as the next big threat, but instead we got Pandaren.
• Pandaria ended with Wrathion foretelling of a Legion invasion, instead we went into an alternate past-Draenor.

The only expansion that actually led into the next narratively was WOD leading into Legion, using Gul'dan as a narrative device. All others have been inelegant at best.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

KaelThas and Illidan being dealt with clearly showed an intention of going into the continuation of Warcraft 3 before broaching new ground.

If that part is too meta for you then you have Naxxramas as the story thread. We took care of that then went off world. While we were gone it was obvious someone would take advantage of our absence and make moves. In that case the scourge made the most sense what with how impactful it was at the end of the time we had been on Azeroth.

Also see above. Pandaria was more than just Pandaren. It followed blatantly laid out story threads from Cata about HvA conflict and the consequences of both Varians return and Garrosh becoming warchief.

I doubt people really expected what Pandaria turned out to be. Yeah there was a Alliance V Horde conflict but you really couldn't tell what would happen next.

[maplesyrupgl]

KaelThas and Illidan being dealt with clearly showed an intention of going into the continuation of Warcraft 3 before broaching new ground.

If that part is too meta for you then you have Naxxramas as the story thread. We took care of that then went off world. While we were gone it was obvious someone would take advantage of our absence and make moves. In that case the scourge made the most sense what with how impactful it was at the end of the time we had been on Azeroth.

Also see above. Pandaria was more than just Pandaren. It followed blatantly laid out story threads from Cata about HvA conflict and the consequences of both Varians return and Garrosh becoming warchief.

Hindsight is 20/20

[Pantupino]

will we have an Antorus, the burning throne preview at Blizzcon?

[CosmicGuitars]

will we have an Antorus, the burning throne preview at Blizzcon?

Probably not, no.

We've had it on public testing for ages and there's too much stuff to talk about otherwise. I doubt they'll spend any time on it.

[Merryck]

guys, if we spam enough fake leaks it is inevitable that we will leak some REAL info

[Chemical Ellis]

And people say Old Gods are just tentacles puked everywhere, and are sick of that kind of shit. Putting Azshara and N'zoth together, which makes perfect sense given that they do work together, adds more depth to the opposing faction. One could argue that Kil'jaedan deserved his own expansion, and now our last boss is Argus itself. Kil'jaedan is a far more significant lore character than Azshara, yet that's how it went.

Is he, though?

Azshara led the greatest empire Azeroth ever saw (save the Old Gods). Azshara's actions are what first brought the Legion to Azeroth. They led to the destruction of most of the known world, directly created the Naga, indirectly created the High Elves and Nightborne, and reflexively shaped Night Elf culture. Her power was on par with Archimonde's - when she was still just a night elf! No Old God infusions, no Tidestones, no legions worshiping her as a god. Okay, Kil'jaeden corrupted the orcs, betrayed the draenei, created the Scourge. But he never destroyed most of the planet.

She's had millenia to hone her powers. She raises and sinks whole kingdoms like it ain't no thing, just to prove a point. She could easily be a larger threat than N'Zoth right now. She's certainly more dangerous than Kil'jaeden, Xavius, Archimonde, Garrosh, or Arthas.

I'm not saying that N'zoth and Azshara necessarily wouldn't be in the same expansion. But I'd expect Azshara to be a box villain, and N'zoth to be some shadowy thing that we take care of on the side by rupturing a random tumor, like Yogg or C'thun.

[Totemslap]

Question to everyone here: what would be your least favorite theme for the expansion?

(I hate to sound pessimistic but this could be an effective way of guessing what the next expansion is actually going to be about.)

Personally I have two expansion themes/ideas that I'm dreading the most:

1. A purely Old God centered expansion with nothing to do with the South Seas.
2. A Void-themed expansion with Ethereals as either a main focus or a new race.

Anything involving either Bolvar becoming villainous, or Tinker being added as a new class, are by far my least favorite ideas.

[Zoibert the Bear]

guys, if we spam enough fake leaks it is inevitable that we will leak some REAL info

Transcendence. You are a gifted one.

[Pantupino]

Probably not, no.

We've had it on public testing for ages and there's too much stuff to talk about otherwise. I doubt they'll spend any time on it.

There are still many people who don't know anything about Antorus yet, surprisingly, I know some guildmates like that.

[Enrif]

we may see the antorus end cinematic where sargeras stabs the wound ...and after that expansion announcement

[Servasus]

Question to everyone here: what would be your least favorite theme for the expansion?

Anything involving taking back Gnomeregan. Usually these "leaks" also come with tinker as a class. There is nothing more boring to me in the Warcraft universe than focusing on machinery and iron and steam. It's a bland color scheme, with a bland flavor. OOohhhh. Gnomerergan is soooo cool. Isn't machinery you could literally go see in the real world by taking a tour through a factory so exciting?!?!

Now, to play devil's advocate, my vision of a south seas expansion isn't that out of the ordinary either and I could just go travel to an island in the real world if I wanted to see that, but artists can do SO MUCH MORE in the way of color, creativity and LIFE (aka the creatures/beings that would inhabit the place) with tropical islands than they can with a bunch of steam and turning cogs.

I was also never into steampunk either. I understand the appeal, but it's just not for me. I like vibrancy of color and usually, but not always Blizzard's concept of Gnome tech in wow has been nothing but a grey or bronze color scheme with random cogs turning and flashing red lights. Booorrrrrrring. Move along!

If I were to guess, we are without a doubt getting either a South Seas/Kul'Tiras/Trolls setting OR a full on Void expansion. I think in either case, Old Gods are 100% going to be a focus. I would rather the South Seas setting, but I wouldn't be completely distraught if they took the Void route. Maybe just a little disappointed but not enough to rage about it.

[Pantupino]

we may see the antorus end cinematic where sargeras stabs the wound ...and after that expansion announcement

I doubt that will happen, they will release the cinematic to the public when they release the last wing of LFR, like they did with both Nighthold and Tomb of Sargeras.

What I think they will show is a preview of the raid, nothing else.