Shadowlands will be the time skip?

[cparle87]

I agree with this, however I thought it was going to be canon that the PC can go back and forth because of connection to Azeroth or whatever they said in the panel. But if that was merely meant to be a gameplay mechanic, then I absolutely see this happening.

The only part of "connection with Azeroth" that I remember was that our connection with the HoA would weaken as we went deeper into the Shadowlands, being the justification for why we would eventually outlevel and discard the neck.

[Cosmic Janitor]

I wouldn't give too much credit to such a comic. They can always retcon it to be another timeline or some shit.

Also while a time skip would help the writers massively (even if they don't know it), I'm not seeing them actually dare to attempt one. Let's see what will happen after shadowlands first. Blizzard has entered extremely dangerous territorry here from a narrative PoV, I'm glad if we get of the expansion without having slain death itself..

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The only part of "connection with Azeroth" that I remember was that our connection with the HoA would weaken as we went deeper into the Shadowlands, being the justification for why we would eventually outlevel and discard the neck.

They also said something about us being special and Azeroth still needing us as an explanation for the whole thing.

[Hellspawn]

About the comic, I remember hearing that it is only a possible future.

[cparle87]

I wouldn't give too much credit to such a comic. They can always retcon it to be another timeline or some shit.

Also while a time skip would help the writers massively (even if they don't know it), I'm not seeing them actually dare to attempt one. Let's see what will happen after shadowlands first. Blizzard has entered extremely dangerous territorry here from a narrative PoV, I'm glad if we get of the expansion without having slain death itself..

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They also said something about us being special and Azeroth still needing us as an explanation for the whole thing.

Well, with them canonizing spirit healers as being a thing in lore and not merely a game mechanic as they did in Legion it would make sense that there's something special about the player characters that we CAN be brought back by them over and over, while lore characters like Varian and Vol'jin cannot be. I haven't looked too deeply into the Shadowlands stuff (haven't even watched the cinematic yet, don't hurt me!) cause I want to leave a bit of the mystery for it.

[Khaza-R]

That would be a pretty interesting way to circumvent aging the PC while allowing the rest of the world time to advance.

How big of time skip would they do? 5 years? 10 years? 20 years?

[Video Games]

It would be pretty cool but im not gonna assume blizzard is going to remember they wrote that

[Cosmic Janitor]

That would be a pretty interesting way to circumvent aging the PC while allowing the rest of the world time to advance.

How big of time skip would they do? 5 years? 10 years? 20 years?

If they do too much of a timeskip then they have to change too much and miss out on alot of potential character development, so something like 20 years seems a bit too much imho. Something between 5 and 10 years is the point where you can handwave enough minor plot points without it being annoying, while still retain the sensible possibility to continue all open plot strings.

[Krizerion]

I think it's very likely that we may experience a time skip while in the Shadowlands. Also, this time skip will allow Blizzard to develop Warcraft 4 RTS in those skipped years without messing with the lore or tell already told stories.

[conceptKitty]

I guess old Anduin can happen if he doesn't go to the Shadowlands.

[Cæli]

blizzard showed that full "revamps" is no longer a thing since over 10 years. optional remade zones are a thing, when it makes sense.
what the comic shows might be the perfect timing for a WoW 2. wow is starting to reach the limits of what a gigantic game is, with classic version(s) coming out, making wow 1 going full circle, and players that will play forever (classic wow player play forever regardless of new content). if a WoW 2 ever happens, with a shared subscription, a very high amount of player will move in or start playing. if they don't mess it up, only with the launch, that can possibly make it worth it alone. a very different azeroth, 200 years in the future or more, a slightly different artstyle, there's something to do.

[Sangris]

They said this comic is only a possible future and not set in stone when asked about it. This is a side effect of not caring whether you write yourself into a corner or not as long as it's fitting your current mood.

On a slightly unrelated note, those tail-less Draenei in that comic weird me out every time.

[Varitok]

They said this comic is only a possible future and not set in stone when asked about it. This is a side effect of not caring whether you write yourself into a corner or not as long as it's fitting your current mood.

On a slightly unrelated note, those tail-less Draenei in that comic weird me out every time.

I wonder if Tail-less will be an option with the new customization. They showed they can have long tails now.

[huth]

Well, with them canonizing spirit healers as being a thing in lore and not merely a game mechanic as they did in Legion it would make sense that there's something special about the player characters that we CAN be brought back by them over and over, while lore characters like Varian and Vol'jin cannot be. I haven't looked too deeply into the Shadowlands stuff (haven't even watched the cinematic yet, don't hurt me!) cause I want to leave a bit of the mystery for it.

Lorewise, we only died to Arthas and Argus. All those random mob deaths and wipes never happened. Spirit Healers are real. Us constantly dying isn't.

[RangerDaz]

I guess this way new conflicts and a new political map could rise in Azeroth while we are gone in the Shadowlands.

Anduin could marry and have children, the horde could change drastically, the night elves could have rebuilt a new Darnassus, the plague in Lordearon could have ended... So many new possibilities.

Just like we saw Dreanor different in the Maghar questline, Azeroth could change as well while we were in the shadowlands.

[Kharli]

Wasn't that in a Christie Golden novel? That was just retarded writing.

Hearth stones are very rare things in the lore, compared to the game where everyone has one, but it was in the shattering book indeed written by golden.

[Cherry123]

I am watching 10 year for whine little boy and to skip the middle and watch the whine old man? cut the middle of the book...not nice
and such characters Genn, Jaina will die of old age off scene.They will not do it

[Darknessvamp]

That comic is undone with Legion as I recall.

Yeah I could have sworn it was mentioned somewhere that it was a vision of Velen and was a "What if" moment rather than actual happening.

[Justpassing]

Yeah I could have sworn it was mentioned somewhere that it was a vision of Velen and was a "What if" moment rather than actual happening.

Like one of the guys said, it was discredited as "one of the possible futures", which evidently didn't come true after Legion.

[shoc]

Like one of the guys said, it was discredited as "one of the possible futures", which evidently didn't come true after Legion.

Discredited? Or simply deflected? Blizz do with their lore what blizz want

[A Chozo]

It won't be a timeskip.

Azshara will escape after the Old God raid, and she'll attempt to access the Seat of the Pantheon, defeat Stormrage and claim the power of a Titan for herself (or that's what she thinks will happen when she succeed). We'll return to the Shadowlands to solve this new situation.