How would an expansion about healing Outland work?

[Kyphael]

I definitely wouldn't be interested in recycling Outland back into what it once was... I mean, that's what AU Draenor was, and that ended up being a big waste. Draenor/Outland is a cow that has been milked dry. Time to explore new worlds. K'aresh is still an untapped resource. Let's go heal that instead, at least isn't an already-explored chunk of space debris.

[Selastan]

It's constantly being destroyed by the Twisting Nether, there is no 'saving' it. Ethereal bubbles seem to work, but you can't build one all around Outland. It would just be expensive floating bubbles. Note the Cinematic with Saurfang and Thrall, the world is doomed.

However, it IS high fantasy, so there could always be a way. Especially with Illidan's shiny new Keystone. They could teleport the whole damned thing and drop it in Azeroth's empty ocean. That might work.

[schwarzkopf]

Given how little impact my Tailor had in repairing holes in BfA's space time continuum - I doubt I could do much to knit together a broken world

[Die]

Jastor Gallywix never got paid for financing and support the war campaign in BfA. He mysteriously disappeared. Where did he go?

With Outland seemingly falling apart in the Twisting Nether, Gallywix decided to "buy low". He took over control of Outland and had his goblin engineers reassemble the remains of Draenor into a giant battle robot. Now, he has brought his mechanical menace to Azeroth seeking revenge on those who stiffed him and profits galore!

[Inukashi]

Well, at some point we will be forced to go there anyway or does anyone have a plan in case Azeroth is hatching? I can only think of using a portal to either Outland or draenor.

[Icelin]

I do not wish to go back to Draenor for a third time. I heard a rumor about us going to an alien planet. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about that but it can't be Draenor again...

[Kathranis]

It's a cool idea, but I don't think it'll happen. Several of the initial pitches for Warlords of Draenor involved Garrosh using a mystical artifact to restore Outland and revive the orcish warlords, but it was all scrapped in favor of the alternate timeline concept. If they didn't like the idea then, I doubt they'll go for it now. Plus, we've already gone back once.

I would like to see the world updated to represent modern day -- everything from the "Mean Streets of Gadgetzan" to present Outland -- but realistically, it's not going to happen. They might do a zone or two from time to time if it makes sense for the story, but I wouldn't hope for more than that.


All that being said, it feels to me like it would be a job for the Titans (especially Eonar), perhaps working together with the Earthen Ring or even the Aspects and Wrathion. Could be a decent excuse to revisit Deathwing's Lair on Ashran...

[PalliesThrowStuff]

It's constantly being destroyed by the Twisting Nether, there is no 'saving' it. Ethereal bubbles seem to work, but you can't build one all around Outland. It would just be expensive floating bubbles. Note the Cinematic with Saurfang and Thrall, the world is doomed.

However, it IS high fantasy, so there could always be a way. Especially with Illidan's shiny new Keystone. They could teleport the whole damned thing and drop it in Azeroth's empty ocean. That might work.

I personally always thought the idea of Thrall losing his powers, getting in touch with new ones on Draenor, the whole WoD experiment, it was always about Outland, and how important that place is going to be for the future (past? IDEK anymore).

The big long quest line in the original Shadowmoon valley, about Gul'Dan severing the Orc's ties to the Elements, driving them mad and all that. Oshu'gun, the legion, a connection between shamanism and the Naaru.

I really expected that following the fight with Argus, our next end of xpac raid boss was gonna be the titan whose world-soul or whatever was Outland. Most of the Xpac would be about even 'collecting' the shattered pieces of the planet through phased Vindicaar/Exodar/Xenedar/Fel Hammer content, using something like the Heart of Draenor, an artifact belt that you upgrade through a series of story-driven quests, unlocked by doing side narrative content about which ship you rode in on, sub-dividing the alliance and the horde both.

The Fel Hammer and its crew reignite Kael'thas's Manaforges, tuning them to absorb the fel energy of the Twisting Nether, but also to power their own war machines from Netherstorm. Elfy themed group, including a new Horde allied race, the Dark Elves, your general mish-mash of Dark Rangers, San Layn, undead Night Elves, and so on.

The Vindicaar, the warship of the Light, crewed appropriately, puts their focus on the current capital city of Shattrath, and in cutscenes they even teach us how to properly pronounce it. Reconstructs Outland by making peace with the ghosts of the planet's dead, the echoes of what happened to it, and eventually, the titan specter of the world itself.

The crew of the Exodar is welcoming to orcs, tauren, draenei, dwarves, and many other diverse races, because it is decidedly shaman themed. This vessel settles Oshu'Gun itself, and Nagrand proper as the seat of their component of the reconstruction. They harness the power of the elements and the dogged engineering capability of the Eastern Kingdoms both to get not just the Exodar off the ground, but by literally rebuilding the surface of Draenor.

And the Xenedar, captured by a rogue crew of ruffians, private interest groups, and a particularly criminal element, somehow this rag tag, cut-throat, no-good band of berserkers, bandits, mercenaries, and crooks fielded enough tech and sorcery to get the dang thing dimension-worthy. Nobody was using it, were they?! This group surprisingly manages to make their contribution to rebuilding Outland by covering its finances, negotiating territories, and micro-managing the crews of the other 3 ships in the end. Their capital is set up in the remnants of Hellfire Citadel, transforming the bombed-out fortress into a bustling trade hub.

Plot Twist: In next-to-last raid of xpac, the rebuilt world will be complete not only with a nascent ghost-titan embryo that may hatch evil, but a plant-themed old god reminiscent of the Emerald Nightmare's Ilgynoth, but suspiciously in vivid green, the true origin of the Primals. A charming story-driven side bit to distract us from the building climax of the World-Soul story arc, kinda like how previous xpacs gave us a troll raid. Bright colors, wacky bugs and plant people, fun unlockable powers and armor sets, airing out some of the elves' dirty laundry and making Tyrande hush.

[Swnem]

I dunno, but i'm down for it.

I don't know why, but i enjoy Outland and Draenor more than Azeroth.
I think it's cause they are wilder.

[Zmagoslav]

It would just not work at all.

How do you imagine the gameplay to work with that?
Perhaps it would work as a game like civilization, with a touch of teraforming via shamanism, but not as a mmo.

[Felrane]

If the Titans were not locked up I could see them atleast stopping it from falling apart. We have seen the Machines they built into Azeroth in Northrend/Uldum and other places. I dont think it would be much of an issue for them to create an artifical bubble all around whats left and pull it back out of the Nether.

I bet they could just transfer the landmasses to Azeroth through a gateway like the Sargerite Keystone that Illidan used in Legion. Honestly though it would just be easier to abandon outland fully and resettle on a new planet. Legion showed a few planets that are mostly empty that the Legion was trying to consume. Bonich/Naigtal seem to be mostly normal.

Not a full expansion but a patch could work. New dailys/quests having you collect eggs. Round up animals. Talk to Ogre Tribes/Orcs/Arakkoa transfering them through portals to new worlds. Sucks for the Elements they are bound to the planet. RIP. Then perhaps down the road another patch/expo where you help them get more settled on the new planets. Would be nice little side events the game really needs.

[Doffen]

Let's annihilate Draenor instead, so they match.

This. Outland wants its revenge.

I did get chills in the cinematic with Thrall. The intro there sent me back. I would love an updated Outland(no, not looking like Draenor) but I think we should move on by now when thinking about doing a whole expansion again. Its not to say we wouldn't visit it again. I said in an older thread that in the expansion we fight the Void Lords, Outland could be like a hub, or a center for the militiary divisions of the factions. Send forces there before they go off to other planets etc. Make some questlines, really revamp a rebuilded Shattrat as a big city hub and finally get the Shattrat we never got in WoD.

So, I think reusing some of the older zones/continent/planet would be cool if we truly go to fight the Void Lords.

[Swnem]

I definitely wouldn't be interested in recycling Outland back into what it once was... I mean, that's what AU Draenor was, and that ended up being a big waste. Draenor/Outland is a cow that has been milked dry. Time to explore new worlds. K'aresh is still an untapped resource. Let's go heal that instead, at least isn't an already-explored chunk of space debris.

I belive there is a whole continent in Draenor we have not visited yet. Ogre continent.

So, not quite dry.

Isn't K'aresh a world destroid by the void? I don't know what is there to visit.

I honestly would like to visit new planets. Completely new stuff. I think i liked Draenor cause of that. I want to be dropped in a planet where no one knows me and meet new chatacters amd scale down the story, make it more personal.

[PalliesThrowStuff]

It would just not work at all.

How do you imagine the gameplay to work with that?
Perhaps it would work as a game like civilization, with a touch of teraforming via shamanism, but not as a mmo.

You quest across an expanse of terrain designed by developers to impress you. At the end of the experience your character walks up to and interacts with a thing. You get a wall of text and are transported back to your ship. You interface with a console or a teleporter or whatever, and apply the rewarded imaginary quest item to the interface, filling in a missing piece or unlock a menu option. You are given a new quest by the guy aboard your ship who tends to give these quests, and you are sent to another map, essentially to repeat the process, while you do side quests in the areas.

Sound familiar?

[VinceVega]

We have Outland, which is a broken world on the brink of destruction. and then we have Draenor which shows what the intact planet would look like. But since Draenor is from an alternate universe then lorewise it cannot be explored too much from a lore perspective. AU Draenor was supposed to give us a glympse of what Outland used to look before it got ripped apart.

And now the residents of Outland live on a dying, shattered world, even though it is a place that many call home. Thrall for instance actually left to settle in Nagrand before Saurfang found him during BfA. And there is great potential within Draenor should it ever become whole again.

The mortals have already shown the titans their worth, and seeing how the titans are all about creating order and healing worlds, and considering that one of the biggest threat to the mortal world (the burning legion) is now defeated, Is there a possibility of titans lending the mortals a hand in repairing Outland? which is one of the shattered worlds in the WoW universe. Such expansion can see us mending the planet and moving to different zones that the titans are reshaping/repairing, and aiding them with taming the zone.

Perhaps races such as ethereals and Arakkoa can be brought back to assist the players in reshaping this newly forged Draenor. With the Titans only concerned about reshaping the world and not meddle in mortal affairs, we can be tasked with overseeing the little errands such as helping these broken civilizations find their path on this new world.

But how else can this expansion work? from your perspective. What does it take for Outland to be repaired, and what would you like to see in that expansion?

Outland is not a planet anymore. It is not even really tethered to our reality no? It just floats there between dimensions. I don't think even the titans can create whole planets from nothing.

There is no "healing". It is suspended in a near death state.

[Laytnor]

Hopefully by forcibly deporting orcs back to the shithole they came from. Those (not exclusively now) green apes overstayed their welcome. :^)