World of Warcraft: Scions of Azeroth
The tagline of the expansion is, “Discover Yourself.”
The design goal is for players to return to their roots as adventures.
From what I understand, there will be a time jump following the defeat of the Burning Legion and imprisonment of Sargeras. While the Battle of Argus plays out many years pass on Azeroth. This was explained to me through the foreshadowing of Turalyon and Alleria. With the player’s artifact weapons extinguished in the final battle and their return back to Azeroth it gives the designers a chance to usher in a soft reboot which will refresh the game, usher in new threats, plotlines, and characters.
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Expansion Features
A Revamped World:
The Old World has been redone and several missing zones have been added. Eastern Kingdoms, Kalimdor, and Northrend will be updated to reflect a level 1-120 leveling experience. Northeron, Dragon Isles, Maelstrom (Nazjatar, Kul Tiras, Kezan/Undermine) will be 110-120 zones.
-Eastern Kingdoms, Kalimdor, Northrend have been redone
-Northeron and Dragon Isles have been added
Draenei starting areas and Blood Elf starting areas integrated into the redone world
Gilneas and Kezan have been updated
-Maelstrom (Nazjatar, Kul’Tiras, Kezan/Undermine) have been added
-AU Draenor, Pandaria, Old Northrend, Outland, and Broken Isles will be accessible through Caverns of Time/Portals.
-Old World and Northrend Dungeons are being updated for 1-110
-Historic Raids will still be accessible for transmog, timewalking, and achievements.
Sub-Races/Cross Faction:
Each race will have sub-races. Sub-races are being designed around the idea to allow for a Cross-Faction sub-race which will allow the opposing faction to have access to popular faction races. This feature may be expanded upon in the future. Each race will have at least one sub-race, but some will have two (the ones that allow for the opposing faction to have access to that race). An example of this is High Elves who will be a Blood-Elf sub-race, but will be alliance and will start in their own sub, low-level, questing zone. Vice versa, Defias Humans will be a Human sub-race, but start in their own sub, low-level, questing zone and be horde. Sub-zones will be used for sub-races that join the opposing faction while regular faction sub-races follow the leveling path of that faction.
Human
-Stormwind Human (traditional)
-Defias Human (Horde)
-Lordaeron Survivor
Night Elf
-Night Elf (traditional)
-Nightborne
Dwarves
-Ironforge Dwarf (traditional)
-Dark Iron
Gnome
-Gnomeregan Gnome (traditional)
-Mecha-Gnome
-Leper Gnome (Horde)
Worgen
Gilnean Worgen (traditional)
Silverpine Alpha Worgen
Draenei
Exodar Draenei (traditional)
Eredar (Horde)
Broken Draenei
Orc
Orgimmar Orc (Traditional)
Half Ogre
Half-Orc (Alliance)
Troll
Echo Isles Troll (Traditional)
Amani Forest Troll
Goblin
Undermine Goblin (Traditional)
Hobgoblin
Gilgoblin (Alliance)
Undead/Forsaken
Forsaken (Traditional)
Skeleton
Tauren
Thunder Bluff Tauren (traditional)
Highmountain Tauren
Blood Elf
Blood Elf (Traditional)
Darkfallen Elves
High Elves (Alliance)
A New Talent Tree:
There will be a new talent system that incorporates many of the artifact effects from Legion. The new talent tree will be more innovative and allow for players to customize their skills while also incorporating many of the powers and abilities from the artifacts in Legion. It will not be as simple and streamlined as the current talent tree. The idea is not to reintroduce skill bloat, but the system will add new abilities and ways to play your class.
Combat and Class Identity:
New combat animations and effects are being planned. In addition, Class identity was well received in Legion. There will be existing and new weapon types added to the game (I.E. runeblades for DK) that if used will grant class specific buffs. However, players will go through different weapons in the expansion as artifacts are being removed, still there is a hope that class identity weapons that grant specific powers, new combat animations and effects, plus talent changes will continue making each class a unique experience.
Mounted Combat:
In Legion the design team experimented with mounted combat. In Scions of Azeroth this will become a playable game option. Players will be able to acquire combat mounts (although some will allow combat already). You will be able to use combat mounts in outdoor areas and in some battlegrounds.
The Story Continues:
After the imprisonment of Sargeras, the Burning Legion has been defeated. The player character returns from Argus to find that the world has changed due to the passage of time.
In Kalimdor, various plots deal with the remnants of the burning legion and Naga who have emerged in force. This is in addition, to renewed conflicts between the Orcs and Night Elves over resources. A sub-theme involves Uldum and Un’goro Crater which become relevant later in the expansion due to the Azeroth Titan. In the Eastern Kingdoms, various plots relate to the Scourge, Orcs from Blackrock Mountain, and Trolls of Zul’Gurub. Another conflict is present between the Worgen and Forsaken. Dalaran has returned to the crater and is a neutral city. A sub-theme involves the Badlands and Uldaman which will again become relevant later in the expansion. In Northrend, plots involve the renewed Scourge, Ice trolls, and Vrykul. Again, there will be a sub-theme involving the Stormpeaks and Ulduar. Icecrown Citadel will not be present at launch but will be unlocked later in the expansion. Naga and True Alliance under Jaina Proudmoore will be represented on each continent with the end of these threats coming in the 110-120 leveling zones.
A smaller sub-theme is also introduced for the alliance dealing with the theft of Arthas Menethil’s body from Stormwind Cemetery. This quest line can be joined by the Horde during the events in Northeron. Bolvar Fordragon apparently is behind Kel’Thuzad and the theft of Arthas’ body.
The Dragon isles will be an important location that involves the Red Dragonflight, Infinite Dragonflight, Bronze Dragonflight, and elements of the Scourge. This will be a 110-120 level zone.
Northeron will be the seat of Kel’Thuzad and also Naxxramas. During the 1-110 leveling experience, players will find a renewed Scourge under Kel’Thuzad. From here, Kel’Thuzad is directing operations against the Dragon Isles, Argent Crusade, and Forsaken. The Plaguelands, will be plagued again. The destruction of the Scarlet Crusade produced a large amount of risen who are now allied with Kel’Thuzad. Northeron will be a 110-120 leveling zone.
Kul’Tiras will be a 110-120 leveling zone. From here Jaina Proudmoore has launched a crusade against the Horde and Alliance. She has allied herself with Queen Azshara. She views the alliance under Anduin as weak and has rebranded Kul’Tiras as the seat of the True Alliance. However, she has actually become a minion to N’zoth and Kul’Tiras is built over the titan prison for N’zoth. Genn debates joining the True Alliance, but discovers to his horror that Jaina has been corrupted by the Old Gods. He dies and Tess becomes the new ruler of Gilneas.
Nazjatar will be a 110-120 partial underwater/partial above water zone. From here Queen Azshara will direct the naga forces and work with Jaina Proudmoore to release N’zoth.
Kezan/Undermine will be a 110-120 level zone. From here Faceless Ones and creatures from the deep have infested the Undermine. It will be mostly a subterranean area.
There will be two raids unlocked shortly after launch. These will be the dual raids on Nazjatar and the Dragon Isles. The Infinite Dragonflight will be a smaller raid on the Dragon Isles with the raid on Nazjatar being a larger raid that deals with Queen Azshara.
The middle tier will deal with Bolvar, Arthas, and Kel’Thuzad in Icecrown and Northeron.
The final tier will address Jaina’s True Alliance with a raid on Kul’Tiras that will descend into the prison of N’zoth. We will discover here that we are the Scions of Azeroth and hence that is the reason for our godlike power in the world (we are blessed with a portion of the Titan Azeroth’s power itself). Here we will find that N’zoth has corrupted Azeroth. The destruction of Kul’Tiras and Jaina will be the Horde’s “fistbump” moment.