Dragons and\or Void?

[Explorer]

So basically playerbase came to conclusion that Dragon Isles is the new continent - simply because we're out of options now. Sure there's Undermine, but srsly, a 1 goblin-themed island as an expansion continent? That's just ridiculous. Dragon Isles seem more likely since we were promised a homecoming in 10.0 so we rule out new 'realms' such as Shadowlands for the next expansion. At maybe one exception...

To sum it up - everyone believes in Dragon Isles because everything else in terms of new landmass is ruled out. The only question is - will the story itself also be limited to the confines of the new continent or is it wider and the landmass is at best a source of secondary quests, not the main plot.

The examples of these 2 approaches are respectively Shadowlands and Legion.

Shadowlands offer us an adventure where each and every event is connected to the local problems and local villains native to the new continent. Big story is the local story at the time. Sure Jailer's actions potentially affect Azeroth but he never ever sets his foot into mortal plane and Azeroth specifically, at best trying to demolish it from a dimension-far distance.

In case Dragon Isles goes this way we may not expect to see massive light vs void war but threats connected to... well, dragons seemingly. Some evil dragonflights who are bigger, stronger and arrogant, dragon empire from nowhere etc. To me that seems just overblown, dragons only can hardly be such a big problem. Only way possible that I see for that if they link it to the Lifelands and Elune somehow. "The vassal of life masks treachery, beware the eyes of green" or something. So perhaps one of the Lifelands' pantheon members, lets call him 'Agressive Dragon Lord', decides to claim Azeroth and boost some new 'Dragon Emperor' of a kind, and Elune will try to help us out with this. Also that might bring us back the story of Botani and Overgrowth and remind that life can be evil too sometimes. That is... well, maybe somewhat fresh. I also expect an endgame zone in Lifelands in this case - exactly like Argus in Legion. Elune Realm, Dragon Lord Realm, some gardens in between, all in 1 patch so that players are not bored being far from home again for too long. We help saving Azeroth from massive dragon invasion mixed with Draenor-style Overgrowth stuff.

In case its Legion's model, the Dragon Isles will play same role as Broken Isles - just some new place that has to be there. We do local problems in questing, have a raid or two similar to Emerald Nightmare and ToV, and then turn to the actual problem that is bigger than the isles and shows itself over all Azeroth. In this case, I'd say, it is said Void and Light. Why? Well because we have a lot of story development leading to it. Azshara's story in BfA mimics that of Gul'dan
in WoD, Xal'atath is around. Letters from Scarlet Crusade against Anduin and Calia are also clearly a buildup, as well as 'golden one claims vacant throne', namely Turalyon. Yrel is also tied there since BfA. So this is clearly a preparation for light and void clash. In this case the "Argus" of 10.3 will be most likely the void realm.

The only question for me here is - will they combine dragons with light and void or not? Do they feel dragons can be an expansion on their own or Dragon Isles is just new Broken Isles, a stage for a greater conflict?

Sure, dragons and all light\void stuff don't seem like a single thematic stuff, but BI are also not all about legion except Broken Shore and the Tomb. So perhaps the squid-like temple on the DI is a new void-themed Broken Shore and\or Suramar while rest of the isles have their on local problems.

On the other hand, if dragons are indeed a separate expansion, what is the continent for Light\Void? Revamped old zones? Realms-walking again, like SL? I don't think they'll risk making an entire expansion placed in cosmic realms again after SL. Anyway, what do you people think?

[epigramx]

everyone believes in Dragon Isles because everything else in terms of new landmass is ruled out.

I don't. I'm well aware the meme is strong also because it self-strengthens itself; the more people believe it: the more the bandwagon gets filled up because many people don't want to be left out of the train; it's still objectively conjecture at best and fake leaks at worst.

Also: didn't the entire Shadowlands thing prove that it doesn't hold water to say "it must be about Lore we already know about"?

[Val the Moofia Boss]

I hope they pull a MoP and whip a completely brand new land with completely brand new races and cultures out of thin air, because I'm sick and tired of dragons (they dominated the first half of the WoW storyline and became overexposed, and I never really found them to be interesting), and I don't want "what if the angels were bad, and the cthulu void lords weren't actually evil?" storyline.

[bruxx]

I hope they pull a MoP and whip a completely brand new land with completely brand new races and cultures out of thin air, because I'm sick and tired of dragons (they dominated the first half of the WoW storyline and became overexposed, and I never really found them to be interesting), and I don't want "what if the angels were bad, and the cthulu void lords weren't actually evil?" storyline.

Largely agree, I would be a bit excited for the Dragon Isles being a flying continent, but I can't really say I even cared about dragons in WotLK/Cata, nothing that we have been shown so far about dragon "culture" has attracted my interest, and quite honestly I've had enough about fantasy robots associated with apparently every freaking cosmic force.
I would really rather explore new cultures like we did in Pandaria or early wow

[Teriz]

While it is a longshot, an Undermine expansion shouldn't be discounted. You can do a lot when you combine underground environments/civilization with crazy Goblin and Gnome science. Also you can tie in above-ground Goblin holdings like Tanaris and Booty Bay. I would also connect Undermine with Mechagon and a retaken Gnomeregan via high speed transport ala Deeprun Tram.

I do agree that Dragons sounds rather generic, and Void isn't compelling after spending years in Shadowlands.

[Maljinwo]

I don't. I'm well aware the meme is strong also because it self-strengthens itself; the more people believe it: the more the bandwagon gets filled up because many people don't want to be left out of the train

So it's like Ork psychology

While it is a longshot, an Undermine expansion shouldn't be discounted. You can do a lot when you combine underground environments/civilization with crazy Goblin and Gnome science. Also you can tie in above-ground Goblin holdings like Tanaris and Booty Bay. I would also connect Undermine with Mechagon and a retaken Gnomeregan via high speed transport ala Deeprun Tram.

Man, it'd be great if they finally allow us to become Techslayers

[ercarp]

I don't want anything to do with Void or Light. The cosmic stuff needs to take a major backseat in the story, preferably permanently.

[Lochton]

I just want to get back to Azeroth. "Lifelands" can go burn in Shadowlands.

[Syegfryed]

Just dragons, only and only. We do not want another mess like BfA where Nzoth and nyalotha were just a raid Bs

Game is already saturated with void, light and those things, we need more warcraft in world of warcraft, an expansion more grounded with more nostalgic elements.

[Pregnant Orc]

The hype machine does what the hypemachine does best.

By the same clues we have that fuel it now we would have expected SL to be all about what turned out to be Ardenweald while we all hyped up for a the very similar looking Emerald Dream expansion.

It's likely that the dragon isles (or a dragon isle at least) will be a zone but I hope it's not all set on them after all the complaining people have been doing on forums since Legion about islands. Legion was a small island, BFA was two smaller islands with islands as one of the big features, in SL each zone was an island in the cosmic death void.

[Varodoc]

This is what I believe the next expansion will be about after having thoroughly observed the evidence in impeccable ways:

A Dragon Isles expansion will feature N'Zoth as the main villain once again, just you watch.

It will be revealed that N'Zoth survived the destruction of his body by transferring part of his essence inside the empty Blade of the Black Empire, which he gained from Xal'atath as part of their bargain. As the blade was used by Wrathion to stab him, and collided with his body, N'Zoth inserted part of his essence inside the blade. So that he could one day be reborn. Consider this a contingency devised by the most cunning of the Old Gods.

The final fight taking place in Ny'alotha will also come into play, as it will be revealed that, like the first encounter with Wrathion, not everything seen in Ny'alotha was real.

Ny'alotha is not a real, tangible place. Ny'alotha is a twisted manifestation of the future that N'Zoth envisions for Azeroth. It exists and is fabricated by N'Zoth's endless imagination.

Anyway the take-away here is that no one but N'Zoth can serve as main villain of this expansion, and this is hardly surprising. Deathwing, the greatest enemy of the Aspects, the fallen Aspect, the threat so great that the Aspects had to give up their immortality to defeat, was but a puppet of N'Zoth. N'Zoth has always been the one to meddle and mess with dragons.

OP, the creatures you cited are not "main villain" material. They are but twisted puppets and experiments of N'Zoth.






This however makes so much sense, is so logical, is such good writing, that I would upvote you if I could. Who else to save the dragons and defeat the Void, than the first mortal to successfully defy the Shadows' whispers?

[guro-tchai]

dragon isles were next to Quel'thalas in concept maps and in pre-alpha.
Sunwell is a naaru soup, and apparently void wants it. maybe - even AU Xe'ra from the Mag'har recruitement scenario, with Yrel.
revamp Quel'thalas, stitch it to the EK map, make it flyable and put the floating DI next to it. twilight drakes and army of the light are the main enemies, with us caught up between them.

[McNeil]

Ideally I'd like to see another Cataclysm (but better ofcourse) with a huge revamp and the Dragon Isles would be the new continent that makes up for the disjoined extra zones that Cata added.

[Teriz]

I don't want anything to do with Void or Light. The cosmic stuff needs to take a major backseat in the story, preferably permanently.

I agree. I want a good old fashioned bread and butter WoW expansion in the same vein as Vanilla or MoP. Nothing cosmic or universe ending please.

[Explorer]

I hope they pull a MoP and whip a completely brand new land with completely brand new races and cultures out of thin air, because I'm sick and tired of dragons (they dominated the first half of the WoW storyline and became overexposed, and I never really found them to be interesting), and I don't want "what if the angels were bad, and the cthulu void lords weren't actually evil?" storyline.

Well, basically you just described Shadowlands. New land, all new races, new villains never ever mentioned before. Are you quite happy with it?

[Wonderment2]

I reckon Dragon Isles with the old god made Dragonflights as primary villains with maybe collimating in a Void Raid but without the Light.

You could easily frame it as the Void using Thier agents on Azeroth to weaken the defenses before a Void-Light War.

[Explorer]

Just dragons, only and only. We do not want another mess like BfA where Nzoth and nyalotha were just a raid Bs

Game is already saturated with void, light and those things, we need more warcraft in world of warcraft, an expansion more grounded with more nostalgic elements.

While I agree that cosmic theme becomes completely dull and stupid, on the other had, how do you imagine an entire xpac dedicated to nothing more than dragons. 3 years of farming coloured lizards, is that what people want? How can they be anything without any big force backing them up?
I'm not saying even that in all expansions they tried to mix threats as much as possible. For example you can look at bosses in Legion, expansion seemingly entirely devoted to fighting demons. In all first tier of Legion raids there vere only 3 demon bosses, in Nighthold. In ToS, the centre of Legion's power, half of the bosses were naga or nelf ghosts. So blizz clearly will not do anything with "dragons only and only". It's too few of a material for an expansion.

[bruxx]

Well, basically you just described Shadowlands. New land, all new races, new villains never ever mentioned before. Are you quite happy with it?

I see what you are saying, but that's not quite it. The new "people" we met were all essentially drones with single-minded missions and a bit of fluff. No real culture separated from their function, no beliefs other than their knowledge of their realm. Contrast it to all we learned of the Pandaren and how they operated, to me there was a big difference.

[Explorer]

I see what you are saying, but that's not quite it. The new "people" we met were all essentially drones with single-minded missions and a bit of fluff. No real culture separated from their function, no beliefs other than their knowledge of their realm. Contrast it to all we learned of the Pandaren and how they operated, to me there was a big difference.

Sure, I agree, but in both cases we have blizz writers and their, let us say so, evolution. I think if they could or wanted, they could make shadowlands' denizens more than some idiotic robots with no culture, it's a matter of sloth\mental capacity, not just some wrong status of the given world. Take Zovaal as an expample, an ex-judge of all mortal souls who decided to go against a system he was a core of, is a story that had potential. They made a setup, all that "great injustice", break the cycle etc. But then they "kinda forgot" to give him a story and motivation other than "me evil want rule all". Why should we expect they'd be able to make a bunch of completely new, not reused and not plastic characters, nations with cultures etc, if they obviously can't? Maybe they'd do a little better when they have established base like old Azeroth, cosmic forces and stuff?

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

I got a zany idea.

Dragon Isles with Void but only in like 10.2/10.3.