Reinvention: Stratholme

[gregomyeggo]

i say put this on the wow cataclysm forums and have hundreds of people sign it, blizz would definately take it in mind if LOTS of people signed.

[Lionhearte0]

/signed!
This should also be posted on the official forums :O

[Aildaris]

First, let me congratulate you on your thorough job at this, it is really amazing! Everything you suggested is awesome and really creative, and like how others have said, you should let blizz see this!

But I have only one concern. I am a mount junky and I have been farming for the baron's mount forever. These changes would mean he wouldn't be here and all my attempts at getting this as well as others' attempts will be nothing but wasted time.

Is there some way that some of the scourge could remain? Enough so that baron rivendare is still there?

I mean, just because we defeat Arthas it doesn't mean there is no scourge. There has been undead before the scourge and the scourge does not need the Lich King to survive, in fact, from what we learned in HoR, the Lich King in a way is holding them back.

Maybe your suggestion could effect most of stratholme, but still let a portion of it be instanced, more importantly, the dead side.

[Powerogue]

impressive

[UraRenge]

I really have to ask though....why would you WANT a sewer level?

It always is the single worst level in a game, because sewer levels are always just another word for a long, dark maze of tunnels that take forever to navigate.

[Deleted]

You, sir, deserve some compliments. Not only is your idea sweet, you also show that you really know how to present such a proposal. Amazing layout with the use of green text (which fits the forum background), centered text, an amazing introductory picture and properly sized paragraphs. If I had money, I'd hire you.

Keep up the good work. You're extremely talented.

[Retrogames]

Time for another round of Updates, Thank Yous and Comments... in that order.

Updates:

- Added a map for the Stratholme Sewers micro-dungeon. This non-instance sub-zone lies beneath the city and is accessible via three passages spread throughout the city.

- Expanded the Points of Interest to include more information on the Sewers.

- Clean up and expanded the Sample Quests section, including a visit with a certain Bronze Dragon aspect in the sewers who is willing to send players back to Vanilla Stratholme on a special mission.

- Started work on a revised enemy list, pictures will be added in the near future.


Acknowledgment:
Thanks to gregomyeggo, Lionhearte0, Powerogue, and DysprosiumDy for the compliments. Thank you for reading and replying!

Comments/Q&A:

I am a mount junky and I have been farming for the baron's mount forever. These changes would mean he wouldn't be here and all my attempts at getting this as well as others' attempts will be nothing but wasted time.

Is there some way that some of the scourge could remain? Enough so that baron rivendare is still there?

The latest update finally addresses the absence of "Vanilla Stratholme" by including Chromie as she hunts for more clues as to the whereabouts of Nozdormu. Players are tasked with entering Stratholme as it burns, looking for an important Timeless Dragonflight relic. Players can enter the instance at any time, however.

I really have to ask though....why would you WANT a sewer level?

It always is the single worst level in a game, because sewer levels are always just another word for a long, dark maze of tunnels that take forever to navigate.

Absolutely true. WoW lacks a proper sewer area, however (Undercity and Dalaran don't count). The inclusion of the Stratholme Sewers as a micro-dungeon helps flesh out the city a bit and connects it to the surrounding areas. I'm even considering a subtle change that would allow players to enter the sewers from the Stratholme moat.

You'll notice I am playing on the general 'sewer dungeon' theme by including rat enemies... they go hand-in-hand ;D.

That's all for this update, I'll be working on the enemies overnight and into tomorrow. I'm also working on another project that might make an appearance soon. Thanks again for reading!

[Racer]

I've been busy over the weekend (when you're unemployed, the weekends are busier.. heh), but I'm planning on hitting it hard tonight and tomorrow. I can give you a general preview though...

Sorry to hear you're unemployed. More of a reason for Blizzard to hire you
Also loved the preview and the final product even more (great thing with Chrono Lord's Skull)
Always gotta have a sewer level..

Also great sig

[Throrion]

This is pretty cool, but just to nitpick about the lore; the Cult of the Damned don't serve the Lich King willingly, they drink a beverage which makes them his mindless slaves forever upon joining the Cult. As such, them deserting the Scourge isn't very plausible as long as there continues to be a LIch King.

"When the mortals commit to the Cult, they are forced to drink a concoction that steals their will and enslaves them forever to the Lich King, to help them with the final act of submission."
- Lands of Conflict, page 156

[Arrganot]

DUDE this thing looks awsome hope a blizzard employye is reading this put this on the offical forums too or put it in a emial its just amazing.

[Lansworthy]

Total win dude I think this effect to stratholme should be applied to both plaguelands, would make the game so much more interesting

[Eltarach]

How about phasing the former Scarlet part of Stratholme in a way, that allows the Alliance (or Argent Dawn) reclaim and rebuild the city?

Great post, and great idea with the crypts below the city - Personally I believe that blizzard should have made the Undercity into a "maze"-like crypt.

[Gyrllsbear]

Wow, a lot of thought has gone into this. I like it. These sort of dynamtic changes to old content would be great.

For new players it was be a bit confusing if they haven't played WC3 or followed up on the story since WoW's release. It may help to add a short cutscene or something, if you entered the area, showing the transformation from the culling, to the scourge take-over and finally the Cata stage. That's just a random thought.

Back to your idea. The rebirth of old areas such as this are great and inspire good ideas and potential for other zones. Stick with this idea, it may even get picked up on by Blizzard with any luck.

[verolinna]

i really love this idea however i just wanted to bring your attention to some issues with chronology. Rimblat and rayne both left for northrend with the Argent Crusade in order to help with the war effort against arthas. When travelling their they came across members of the zandalari trolls who had heard that the troll god's of northrend were being killed and drained of their power in order to defend Zul'Drak. They told the argent crusade of this and the argent crusade ventured into zul'drak where the zandalari shaman and druids as well as rimblat have been working on ways to protect the troll god's of northrend as well as cleanse the land of scourge.

In terms of lore time span their is nobody in the plaguelands but yeoman who were recruited to defend key points in the plaguelands until the crusade returned, it's actually quite possible that the plaguelands have gotten worse. However it's worth pointing out that although the undead don't die they still decompose, i would'nt be surprised if whatever scourge is left there is pretty damn pathetic even if the land and other creatures are completely putrid.

This does'nt mean that Rimblat and Rayne can't have cleansed the plaguelands but the quest chains are more likely to involve the process of cleansing them instead of cleaning and straightening out what's left after they've been cleansed.

[Rspec]

I love it. You've got great ideas. Keep it up.

[Kinekin]

I just need to point out that you didn't seem to take into account the "new" area we get access to in Culling of Stratholme: http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/wo...tratholme1.jpg
(The top part where the gauntlet part of the instance is done, connects back to market row.)
Is this intentional or is it just something you overlooked? If it is intentional i'd like to know why a street suddently dissapeared. Doing a crude photoshop job would make it look something like this: http://bayimg.com/image/hakkbaacp.jpg

Otherwise it's a great idea, I hated stratholme at level 60 (it was very painful and hard.) but it's a great part of the lore.

[Retrogames]

Greetings once again. Since I recently responded to the North Lordaeron thread (if you haven't read it yet, shame on you!), I thought I'd respond to a few of the comments posted here as well. And maybe provide another little teaser for the next Reinvention project.

First, a round of thanks to Racer, Arrganot, Lansworthy, and Rspec. Thanks for the compliments and for reading. if you're not mentioned here, it's because I'm responding below.

This is pretty cool, but just to nitpick about the lore; the Cult of the Damned don't serve the Lich King willingly, they drink a beverage which makes them his mindless slaves forever upon joining the Cult. As such, them deserting the Scourge isn't very plausible as long as there continues to be a LIch King.

"When the mortals commit to the Cult, they are forced to drink a concoction that steals their will and enslaves them forever to the Lich King, to help them with the final act of submission."
- Lands of Conflict, page 156

Very interesting bit of lore, and you're absolutely right. However, since we now know there's a new Lich King, perhaps the bond that ties the Cult to him has weakened, similar to what happened with the Forsaken. With the cultists free of absolute control but still very much attracted to Arthas' strength, I could see them continuing to revere him as a God while regaining their free will.

That's a bit of a stretch with things, but it makes sense, doesn't it? In future revisions, I will keep this detail in mind and make the correct changes. Thank you for reading, bringing this to my attention, and being such a fellow Lore-nerd as to remember the details.

How about phasing the former Scarlet part of Stratholme in a way, that allows the Alliance (or Argent Dawn) reclaim and rebuild the city?

I had considered that, and several people have mentioned similar ideas. The Scarlets lost the Scarlet Bastion due to the weakening of their numbers during the events in Northrend, and the Cultists moved in as quickly as they could with the help of their Apothecary allies. The area is beginning to recover, but it's apparent that some degree of contamination still exists. You can read more about the Cultists and Apothecaries in the North Lordaeron thread.

As far as the Alliance getting one of their cities back, I personally believe that they'll be recovering Andorhal, since Blizzard just announced changes to the Western Plaguelands during their last Twitter chat. If not, the teaser image in that Lordaeron thread shows that maybe they've settled somewhere else... ;D

For new players it was be a bit confusing if they haven't played WC3 or followed up on the story since WoW's release. It may help to add a short cutscene or something, if you entered the area, showing the transformation from the culling, to the scourge take-over and finally the Cata stage. That's just a random thought.

I agree; a city with as much history as Stratholme really needs a clear explanation. The Culling is retained (and I'm thinking Chromie should provide access to it without traveling to the Caverns of Times), as is the burning version (after a few quests for Chromie), so players can actually step back in time and see the stages you've mentioned.

That said, maybe when you first speak to Rimblat and Rayne, you get a short cutscene that sort of previews the city for you. Aion did something similar with their main questlines, so it's not entirely impossible.

i really love this idea however i just wanted to bring your attention to some issues with chronology. . . This does'nt mean that Rimblat and Rayne can't have cleansed the plaguelands but the quest chains are more likely to involve the process of cleansing them instead of cleaning and straightening out what's left after they've been cleansed.

This is one of those cases where the same character is in two places at once. If you were level 50-60 and questing in Eastern Plaguelands, despite Rimblat and Rayne being in Northrend 'right now', they're still standing around Light's Hope Chapel when you get there. This is something that Blizzard does that I simply cannot understand, and rather than fight it (by trying to invent new Cenarion characters), I simply went along with it.

In terms of Chronology, perhaps Rimblat and Rayne simply dart back and forth between the two projects, and perhaps I'll change the quest text to suggest that both were looking for ways to cleanse Stratholme while they were working in Northrend. Since we players don't watch them all the time, who's to say they don't wander off on their own? ;D

Trust me, I'd love to see Blizzard actually update the world with Cataclysm, from the unfinished bridge in Redridge to the smallest little movements of characters. Sadly, I don't think it's gonna happen, but they may surprise us all in the end.

I just need to point out that you didn't seem to take into account the "new" area we get access to in Culling of Stratholme: http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/wo...tratholme1.jpg
(The top part where the gauntlet part of the instance is done, connects back to market row.)
Is this intentional or is it just something you overlooked? If it is intentional i'd like to know why a street suddently dissapeared. Doing a crude photoshop job would make it look something like this: http://bayimg.com/image/hakkbaacp.jpg

Otherwise it's a great idea, I hated stratholme at level 60 (it was very painful and hard.) but it's a great part of the lore.

Nice work on the example map, and I actually did take that into consideration. It's mentioned (in passing) once or twice in the original post, but you really have to be looking for it to find it; the secret passage in the culling section is an entry way into the Sewers section.

I was unhappy with all of my attempts at fitting that section into the map, because Blizzard actually didn't bother to fit them together; Slaughter Square and one of the Ziggarauts in the Gauntlet impact upon that area, as you noticed from your map. The Gateway out of Slaughter Square would actually be further to the left on your map, and the actual 'radar' data blends even worse.

In the end, I decided to leave that section off the map. If Blizzard did decide to follow this concept, I should hope they would redo the Stratholme map while they're at it to accommodate this and other features.
_________________________________________________

Thanks again to Everyone for reading. As mentioned above, Wragnarok and I are working on an entirely new Zone (Not sub-zone, not city, but a whole big zone). No ETA on it yet, but we've finished the quest flow, map, and are starting work on the detailed write-ups. The size and scope of this new project will make both of the previous Reinvention threads look small by comparison.

Here's another teaser, let's see if you can figure out how things fit together...

[Patrickstarr]

I would jizz my pants if this were implemented!

[martrydumb]

nice ideas man

[Chronicle]

So are you still working on this?

[b]Thanks again to Everyone for reading. As mentioned above, Wragnarok and I are working on an entirely new

And this?