If they bring back class halls I do hope they revamp them considerably. We're definitely losing two as-is (the rogues' and mages', naturally), and some of the others are just...mediocre (hunters', warriors').
As much as I enjoyed class halls, I'd hate it for the certain race-class combos that didn't fit in well with the halls that this isn't the case. (Looking at you Tauren paladin) Especially if its evergreen.
I've always suggested 'race order halls'. People get confused, but I just mean translate the order hall class system into the capitals for the races. This would work reasonably well for the main races, but Vuplera just have their little caravan so that isn't really fair.
Its a toughie, but if Paladins get a perma lights hope chapel or equivalent, that's great for the races that it fits for. But Tauren and the eventual Night elves? It's not a perfect solution in my eyes, but there may not be one.
Its possible after the world soul saga the main expansion spotlight could move to Avaloren for a while? If so you could have 'race order halls' in the capitals. Storylines settling the lesser races without more defined homes and updating existing ones, showing the creation of the Draenei's new capital for example? You working alongside your race in the old world with mini-questlines separate from the big expansion of the day, showing what's happening a little closer to home.
Have the Botani been causing problems for the Orcs in the Barrens? How are the Tauren interacting with Kalimdor Centuar after Baines recent friendship with the Dragon isles ones? What exactly is Undercitys status right now? Is Tess Greymane adjusting to the Throne? Have all the people of Zandalar united under Talanji? Mechagnomes of Rustbolt been getting any upgrades? (And their final two heritage recolours) I feel the potential is reasonable.
If the renown isn't tired to expansion progress or player power, it can easily be a great way for new players to learn about their race after starting the game. It can be used and updated during all future expansions. New players will log in for the first time, make a character, and are sent to their personal capital at level 10. Learn about their heroes and leaders. Learn recent history, their current threats and their motivations.
Your racial capital could be a race specific renown bar also.
Then when new class combo's are introduced they can put questlines in alongside them to give backstory, theming and reason to them. HD some old race mounts and armours, update racial leaders models, race/class specific titles from mini-explain quests (sunwalker, blood knight, mountain thane, blademaster) GIVE TROLLS BEARDS.
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All in all, making 13 class order halls is a lot easier than one for each race. (I guess some allied races could unite under one (Mag'har/orcs + Tauren+Highmountain if they really had to- but Nightborne players deserve Suramar, and I'd be sad to not see Thunder totem/Zandalar/Shadowforge city again) Or they'll just make a Dracthyr one and re-utilise legion halls. But the Majority of the capitals are fantastic, they've been left in the dust too long. Earthern players, with how the capitals are now, enjoy this expansion and make the most of it because it will almost likely never be relevant again. Unless they make 'Order halls' Capitals instead. They've just spent how long making Dornagal? Imagine if we do get Undermine this expansion? Goblins get it for a patch. Then its never relevant again? Nah. (I'm almost hoping it doesn't come for this reason alone) Imagine how good zones like this would be made if Blizzard knew they would always be relevant and updated alongside the game.
My main point is if the class hall order system is to become everygreen, it would make more sense for the hall to focus on the race as opposed to the class for future aditions to the class roster. Luckily, all DK's share pretty much the same vibe, but a Troll mage felt slightly out of place in Dalaran and would have felt much more at home in the Echo Isles. Lets give new players a reason to care about their new race, and give us oldheads a little time in Ironforge again. If 'order halls' are to be evergreen, then they should be set in a location that is always relevant to the character no matter where the current expansion is set. The racial capital can be that. I would even go as far as giving the hero classes their own separate Hall alongside, because DK's and DH's are lorewise, ostracised and only helps that fantasy a little more. But I digress.
Last edited by Nibelheimy; 2024-06-27 at 01:37 AM.
As a dracthyr main, I'm frothing at the mouth at the prospect of an evoker class hall.
I think it would've been a great concept before allied races. A capital city for every base race was reasonable (even if we never got it) and would've been less work than class halls and would actually have a good chance of being relevant to current content. Now there are just way too many races and many of them have zero relevance (vulpera being the worst).
IMO what we need are conceptual groupings with choices (ideally with cosmetic and story consequences, not gameplay). It could be race-based or class-based or any variation thereof, e.g. if race-based a blood elf could choose between an elven coalition (blood elves, night elves, void elves, nightborne) or a sun-adjacent organisation (blood elves, tauren, vulpera, Zandalari), if class-based mages could choose between militants (mages, death knights, warriors, paladins) or mystics (mages, druids, shaman, priests). It'd get a bit weird for some races/classes, but in general a lot of these groupings already exist and just need to be revitalised/made relevant. It would, though, be a LOT of work and I don't see it happening any time soon.
Last edited by Viridiel; 2024-06-27 at 01:41 AM.
I'd love it if they brought Class Halls back, was an amazing addition to the game.
I don't know which is more absurd: That the way the survey is constructed it asks you if you'd like "more earthen allied races?" (specifically earthen?) or the survey asking if you're more excited for Order Halls returning or new jpegs for your warband to stand in front of
If they bring back class halls as an evergreen feature that could be amazing… for the classes they care about.
Though if they continue campaigns it’ll be interesting to see how Warriors would do in TLT, would they overthrow Odyn and kick him out of the halls of valor?
Yes Blizz, bring back order hall, but don't think of it as a suitable replacement for housing.
MMO Champs :
Player housing isn't on the survey because it doesn't need survey data to happen, it's already going to happen. It has been teased in interviews what, two, three times now? We just got "dye" furniture props this expansion. I expect it in Midnight.
Anyway, I am 100% for new/updated starting zones. Class halls coming back would be cool but I much prefer racial lore.
Class Order Halls should have been desinged as an evergreen feature back in legion. It makes so much sense to have them, and they would easy explanation points to add in new races to each class. DK Class Order Hall, makes new DKs, instead of doing the Bolvar new intro. DH Order Hall teaching their skills to new acolytes, and so on. Some of them already got great places too, that will see unlikely changes. DK, DH, Warlock, Priest, Monk, Shaman all could stay the same. Rogue, mage, warrior and hunter need something new, as does Evoker obviously. Paladin and Druid could stay the same, but i wouldn't mind a change. Druids into the dream ways completely instead of the broken isles, and Paladin... i don't know, a reclaimed Tyr's Hand/New Avalon/Stratholme in a EK revamp?
Most of them are also pretty boring and uninteresting. They are not all in the Lights Hope catacombs, or gets an entire zone to themselves like what Monks get.
A return to Class Halls would ideally need a rethink on every class hall to achieve better parity in terms of how thematic they are. And more importantly to ensure they are more evergreen.
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Definitely. An instanced version of the Forbidden reach with loads of Dracthyr and Drakonid NPCs roaming about, dragonriding races, etc.
Would be great.
The world revamp dream will never die!