Dragonflight Alpha/Beta General Discussion

[PhillyCheese]

Right now the most likely expansions are down to Dragons, Light, Void, Underground, and I guess Old World Revamp. Another cosmic expansion directly after SL is not happening so we can cross out Light and Void for 10.0. Old World Revamp to me seems too early for 10.0, and an Underground expansion might just be a pipe dream. Which leaves us with Dragons as the most likely expansion setting to follow SL.

Light and void are likely coming packaged together, but would you consider Army of the Light doing bad stuff on Azeroth with the Scarlets a "cosmic" expansion? The only thing not happening is a retread of the Shadowlands idea of the expansion taking place entirely in another realm.

If Blizzard wanted to cross out things at the same time, the way to do it would be an Old World revamp/Dragon Isles as the new zones that features aspects of Light/Void/Life.

[draugril]

If the expansion isn't tied close to the Forsaken, I wonder why they even encrypted Tirisfal. Were they still hanging onto the idea that maybe they can pretend Sylvanas had a chance of coming back to Azeroth?

I mean... we had pre-patch stuff in Darkshore and got our "South Seas" expansion. Then we got Icecrown stuff and spent the next expansion in a completely different plane of existence. I wouldn't place too much importance on the pre-patch locale(s) when trying to divine the setting of the next expansion.

[Pheraz]

You and I seem to be the only 2 logical ones that think this way I think it's going to be off from what people are so sure of and they'll be scratching their heads for weeks.

No you two are not the only ones not expecting a dragon xpac.
I don't see any hint why we should need depowered dragon aspects now. Imo most things point towards lordaeron/full world revamp and the light as the big threat or local/civil wars or wars inside humanity

[ercarp]

Light and void are likely coming packaged together, but would you consider Army of the Light doing bad stuff on Azeroth with the Scarlets a "cosmic" expansion? The only thing not happening is a retread of the Shadowlands idea of the expansion taking place entirely in another realm.

If Blizzard wanted to cross out things at the same time, the way to do it would be an Old World revamp/Dragon Isles as the new zones that features aspects of Light/Void/Life.

Absolutely. Blizzard has been known to squander potential expansion settings into disappointingly small patches in the past (Argus, Nazjatar, Ny'alotha, etc.) so it's totally within the realm of possibilities that one or more of these themes could be somehow made to fit a single expansion. But I still believe that an Old World Revamp would be way too early for 10.0.

I can't find it anymore but I saw a leak a while ago that claimed Blizzard was basically planning to carry out the "Void Saga" before going back to a revamped Azeroth at some point in 2030 as a way to "reset" the universe back to its more humble, Warcraft roots. I'm not saying that leak was real by any means, but that's a solution that makes the most sense to me if they want to shift the focus back to Azeroth without players being constantly distracted by the looming threat of a Purple Space God threatening to end the universe.

[Varodoc]

That's what I mean; If we're getting a new landmass, the obvious choice would be to place it on the Kalimdor side of the Malestrom.

Oh please you're saying that only because you want Undermine as the next expansion. Which by the way will not happen, since 99% of the players see Goblin as a meme race.

And by the way, thank you for pointing out that the map I posted is outdated, how could I have ever known

[Khaza-R]

Given how the Tirisfal event is encrypted and the UC portals are disabled it seems highly probably Lordaeron is getting a revamp for 10.0 as a new capital city. Which makes me think it would also be linked to the pre-launch event.

I doubt any of the early leaks are the real one but certainly I think any leak that mentioned Lordaeron revamp pre-9.2 is at least "of interest".

[Calfredd]

Oh please you're saying that only because you want Undermine as the next expansion. Which by the way will not happen, since 99% of the players see Goblin as a meme race.

Pot, kettle, black.

[Varodoc]

As usual something major is being ignored here.

Remember how Legion patch 7.3.5 (BfA didn't have patch 8.3.5) introduced a questline that set-up BfA? The questline about Azerite?

It's not a coincidence that patch 9.2.5 introduces a questline about Lordaeron (which, by the way, is NOT the Horde counterpart of the Dark Iron meme joke questline, that's the BE's quest in the Ghostlands).

[ercarp]

It's not a coincidence that patch 9.2.5 introduces a questline about Lordaeron (which, by the way, is NOT the Horde counterpart of the Dark Iron meme joke questline, that's the BE's quest in the Ghostlands).

It could mean anything, really. Canonically Dragon Isles are also supposed to be somewhat near Lordaeron, so it could just be that Lordaeron is the best place to set up our "staging ground" for embarking to the isles.

[Foolicious]

I know you're probably right but that blurb is true about all Hearthstone expansions. All hearthstone expansions are heavily influenced by World of Warcraft. It's a card game based on it.

Honestly the biggest hint about the Expansion announcement will be on April 5th, where they announced there will be a "big announcement" over what the name of the annual season will be. Why announce it at all rather than tell us now? Is it that revealing about the next expansion?

The big announcement is more likely to be about the standard core changes and different gamemodes. The name of the year is usually not revealing or important because its tied to the first set released. Only exception is year of the dragon which featured a dragon set as last expansion. So we can expect the year of the snake to begin because of the new naga minions introduced.
Also its hearthstone. Its quite possible we get zovaals pleasure palace as expansion which is "heavily influenced by wow". you'll never know because as you said there is not a single expansion that is not heavily influenced by warcraft.

[PhillyCheese]

I mean... we had pre-patch stuff in Darkshore and got our "South Seas" expansion. Then we got Icecrown stuff and spent the next expansion in a completely different plane of existence. I wouldn't place too much importance on the pre-patch locale(s) when trying to divine the setting of the next expansion.

Darkshore set up one half of BFA (the war plot, not the south seas location) and Icecrown directly related to Shadowlands in lore and setting. It was even a thing that made Wrath of the Bolvar more likely when that image leaked.

If we're getting a half Lordaeron and half Dragon expansion then Tirisfal would fit the bill, as it both ties to plot (Scarlets/Scourge) and setting, especially if they keep the old physical location of the isles.

But writing this out I just realized, this is a cheeky way of mirroring the Darkshore event in BFA with it being the Forsaken's turn to need help.

[username993720]

The only continent on that list is the Ogre continent on Draenor.

Darkspear Islands
Dragon Isles
Channel Islands
Balor
Ancient Kalimdor

No because rogues weren’t based around Dark Rangers when WoW was being made.
There’s no “Hunter” hero in WC3, but instead blizzard took concepts from several heros. (Beastmaster, Dark Ranger, Priestess of the moon, etc)

Hunters are based on the RPG ranger:
https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads...lasses-origins

Don’t see how Dark Ranger could viably be split into three different specs without stepping on the toes of hunters.

Same applies for most, if not all of the other classes that shipped with WoW.

Besides hunters still actually have or have had abilities that were in the Dark Ranger kit. (Black arrow, wailing arrow, etc)
Would be easier to continue with those abilities than to generate two+ more specs for a new class. Or to even come up with a whole new spec for Hunter.

No one said it's gonna be a standalone class.

[Kiivar86]

(which, by the way, is NOT the Horde counterpart of the Dark Iron meme joke questline, that's the BE's quest in the Ghostlands).

Yeah I know, I've been corrected.

[Varodoc]

Yeah I know, I've been corrected.

I wasn't referring to you, I'm just pointing out that that questline is an "anomaly", so to say. Unless the Kaldorei also get something in return, they have been the "counterpart" of the Forsaken since Classic.

[PhillyCheese]

Absolutely. Blizzard has been known to squander potential expansion settings into disappointingly small patches in the past (Argus, Nazjatar, Ny'alotha, etc.) so it's totally within the realm of possibilities that one or more of these themes could be somehow made to fit a single expansion. But I still believe that an Old World Revamp would be way too early for 10.0.

I can't find it anymore but I saw a leak a while ago that claimed Blizzard was basically planning to carry out the "Void Saga" before going back to a revamped Azeroth at some point in 2030 as a way to "reset" the universe back to its more humble, Warcraft roots. I'm not saying that leak was real by any means, but that's a solution that makes the most sense to me if they want to shift the focus back to Azeroth without players being constantly distracted by the looming threat of a Purple Space God threatening to end the universe.

I mean there is literally no better time to do the soft reboot than right after SL, because there is no plot hook between expansions. Everyone thought Jailer would cause Cataclysm 2 or something... nope, the expansion just ends.

BFA sets up the reboot, SL is a filler story that wraps up Sylvanas and the Night Warrior, so 10.0 should follow through on that BFA setup with dealing with a warless world recovering from the 4th war/the Legion/N'zoth and fending off the Scourge and Azshara/Xal.

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned how similar this feels to Wrath -> Cata, even without taking into account that this was Wrath 2. There was nothing that happened in Wrath that lead to Deathwing breaking out AFAIK. Every expansion besides TBC -> Wrath and Wrath-> Cata have lead into each other but there is no leadin for 10.0, meaning it may very well be Cata 2.

[draugril]

Given how the Tirisfal event is encrypted and the UC portals are disabled it seems highly probably Lordaeron is getting a revamp for 10.0 as a new capital city. Which makes me think it would also be linked to the pre-launch event.

I doubt any of the early leaks are the real one but certainly I think any leak that mentioned Lordaeron revamp pre-9.2 is at least "of interest".

Was Legion a world revamp because of where the Legion invasions were placed?
Was Battle for Azeroth the northern Kalimdor expansion because we had pre-patch story content in Darkshore?
Was Shadowlands a Northrend expansion and because we fought a few resurrected bosses in Icecrown?

I'm not convinced that this is evidence for determining a setting.

[Kiivar86]

I wasn't referring to you, I'm just pointing out that that questline is an "anomaly", so to say. Unless the Kaldorei also get something in return, they have been the "counterpart" of the Forsaken since Classic.

Ah got you.

Just smarting from my idiocy here, is all, heh.

[Ersula]

I don't think the themes are connected, especially when the article said that the third expansion is "broadly Warcraft" meaning it could be something like Heroes of the Storm in how it deals with random characters.

Lately they have been getting more overt with Hearthstone seasons: 2019 had all 3 revolve around the Explorers' league. 2020 was vaguely dark magic themed. And then in 2021 the overt theme was Horde & Alliance Conflict; a Horde expansion, an Alliance expansion, then an Alterac Valley Battleground expansion, complete with them promoting it that way: If the theme actually does have something to do with 10.0 that explains why they're being cagey because of WoW being cagey about the announcement.



On April 5th, if the "Expansion 2" is modeled after the void, or a dragon, or Sylvanas, that's a pretty big clue. It could just be a Maw-themed expansion & they didn't want to spoil the Judgement ending.

It would be funny if they do a Warbringers reunion themed year & the 2022 expansions are Azshara & Naga themed: Sylvanas in the Maw themed. Then Jaina as the new Guardian of Tirisfal theme: Return to the Return of Karazhan.

[PhillyCheese]

Was Legion a world revamp because of where the Legion invasions were placed?
Was Battle for Azeroth the northern Kalimdor expansion because we had pre-patch story content in Darkshore?
Was Shadowlands a Northrend expansion and because we fought a few resurrected bosses in Icecrown?

I'm not convinced that this is evidence for determining a setting.

1. No.
2. No, but it was very much a "Night Elves are super important" expansion.
3. No, but it was ABSOLUTELY Wrath 2.

You can usually get a glimpse of what is gonna go down from the prepatch. Unless Dragons are attacking Tirisfal or Lordaeron is just our main city in a Dragon Isles expansion (very likely as I don't think we'll get a dragon city), the Lordaeron/Forsaken story is gonna be important.

- - - Updated - - -

Lately they have been getting more overt with Hearthstone seasons: 2019 had all 3 revolve around the Explorers' league. 2020 was vaguely dark magic themed. And then in 2021 the overt theme was Horde & Alliance Conflict; a Horde expansion, an Alliance expansion, then an Alterac Valley Battleground expansion, complete with them promoting it that way: If the theme actually does have something to do with 10.0 that explains why they're being cagey because of WoW being cagey about the announcement.

I agree completely. I just meant that I don't think the Naga/???/Broad Warcraft themes are connected. But that idea of them being associated with the Warbringers would be neat.

[guro-tchai]

[IMG]https://i.ibb.co/ZgnsG3X/Screenshot-20220325-165404.jpg[IMG] sorry not sorry.

absolutely beautiful. stealing it.

I don't see any hint why we should need depowered dragon aspects now. Imo most things point towards lordaeron/full world revamp and the light as the big threat or local/civil wars or wars inside humanity

depowered dragon aspects (or dragons in general) might want to get what's theirs back. they didn't just lose power, they've also lost the ability to procreate. insert a magical mcguffin and here's a first layer of conflict.
considering that the writing team loves unity and reconciliation, this message can be delivered through a conflict with rogue dragonflights. don't obey your makers, you're all brothers. proceed with schmaltzy cinematics.
i'm not sure if the devs can make any sort of conflict between human kingdoms - even the dead lordaeronians could reunite with the living humans at this point.
light is a big threat, but it could be explored in the same dragon expac. there's void dragons, light wants to turn void into itself, voilà.