Well, I've been working on a redesigned Gnomeregan, both, as a city and as an instance. As I'd love to discuss this as I continue to flesh it out, I've made this thread. As a note, I am far from complete, but I got already ideas for some of the "n/a" sections, but I'll need time to write them down properly. ;P Still, enjoy!

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Gnomeregan Restoration Project

1.0 Event

n/a

note: I am pondering about an event where Mekkatorque using a kind of counteragent to purify the zones from the radiation and so render Thermaplugg's trump card useless.

2.0 The City

2.1 The Workshop

In this zone, gnomish forces used to find survivors after Operation Gnomeregan. But now with the restoration of Gnomeregan in progress, crafters off all the trades gather up here. The conditions aren't optimal yet, but it is being worked on.

Since the retaking of gnomeregan would render the current starting storyline impossible, the starting experience would have to be changed anyway.

2.2 Train Depot

This is where the Gnomeregan trains are housed. Now finally in service again, the trains can bring you to all of the reclaimed parts of the city. There are even plans to expand the train system and connect it with the Deeprun Tram in Ironforge, when further repairs are done.

2.3 The Hall of Gears

The Hall of Gears is the heart of the city, connecting all areas with each other. It belongs to one of the most repaired parts of town.

2.4 Dormitories

The gnomes used to live together in the dormitories, with the central hall being used as a cafeteria. Former refugees are finally returning home and are now moving back in, while others come only to reclaim some of their belongings. It's all a chaotic process and it will take time until everything will be normal again.

2.5 Clean Zone

The Clean Zone was the place, where the survivors barricaded themselves. Right now, all organization is centered around here, as there are still parts of the city in the hands of Thermaplugg. It's here where you will find Mekkatorque planning the next steps to retake the rest of Gnomeregan once and for all.

2.6 The Exhibition Halls

In these derelict halls, the people of Gnomeregan held many exhibitions, showing off the newest inventions, breakthroughs in alchemy and even the newest advancements in the arcane arts. The last show was the so called “Azeroth of Tomorrow” exhibition, but with the fall of Gnomeregan, it was abandoned. Now, with the gnomes reclaiming a huge part of Gnomeregan, this relict of the past has been reclaimed, too. The repair is already in process, but it's far from being done. Still, it attracted already some curious on-lookers.

The “Azeroth of tomorrow” exhibition intended to show how the latest inventions will revolutionize the world as they knew. With the flying machines and submarines from the second war, you had new ways to conquer the skies and the depths of the seas, a prototype of Mekkatorque's mechanostrider showing how gnomekind gained a reliable mount and how it will be improved in the future and many more marvelous displays of gnomish ingenuity. But all of them are broken now.

2.7 The Docks

Unbeknown to many, Gnomeregan had access to the sea all along. Built into an artificial cave, hidden behind a camouflaged gate which looks like a natural part of the cliff, this dock allowed the gnomes to aid the Alliance in the second war using their new submarines. But with the fall of Gnomeregan the access was lost and only collapsed tunnels prevented the leper gnomes from using them. But thanks to the reclamation by the gnomes and their fast repairs, the access has been quickly restored.

The gates have been opened now and several of the newest submarines utilized in the events in cataclysm era docked bringing supplies. There are even some transport ships from the 2nd war which have been docked there all the years.

3.0 The World

n/a

4.0 The Instance

Gnomeregan

Now aviable as a Heroic!

Work in Progress

While a huge part of Gnomeregan has been retaken, Thermaplugg is still out there, making plans to strike back and re-establish his control over the city, and his subordinates are more than willing to follow his command. It is unknown what he is planning, but one thing is sure: time is running.

The new Gnomeregan dungeon has changed quite a bit. You start now in the tunnel leading to the hangar, and since this area poses still a great danger to the rest of the city, a gate has been installed to improve the defense. Going further, you will notice that Thermaplugg rebuilt some areas to meet his needs and at the same time the maintenance declined and a lot of areas are falling apart now.

After fighting through the various leper gnome forces, you arrive in the hangar. You encounter there a machine intended to break through the gnomish blockade. It isn't ready for its intended purpose yet, but it's ready for a testdrive against some pesky adventurers.

The MST Breakthrough 5000 Mark I
First boss encounter

The MST Breakthrough 5000 Mark I is both, a tank and a mech. In tank form, it will try to ram into the players and you must evade. If it rams one of the walls, you should watch out for falling debris from above.

Changing into mech form, it will utilize various weapons to destroy you. The weapons are choosen randomly during the creation of the instance and hence you will have to watch out for different things each time.

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The old direct way to the tinker's court caved in and you have to take the route through the engineering labs. You find there various new inventions which pose a threat to your advances, which are no problem to you. Closing in on the exit, you are suddenly zapped by a gnomish World Enlarger and you and your companions shrink to a tiny size. One of Thermaplugg's lieutenants has been expecting you and put up this trap.

Science-Lieutenant Valvebuzz
Second boss encounter

insert mechanics here

Basically, for this encounter you will fight atop a table or a similar surface. Imagine this fight similar to Kologarn, where you fight against the upper body of him. He will try to crush you, but also use his gadgets against you.

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After defeating him, you are restored to your normal size and you can finally continue down to the tinker's court. Arriving there, you see Thermaplugg, outside his suit. Striking it down, you must discover that it was a decoy. The doors shut down and Thermaplugg taunts you. Although he wants to unleash bombs on you, he must discover that he is out of bombs. So instead, he sends out masses of troggs. After a while, one particular big one comes in.

Krrragrosh
Third boss encounter

insert mechanics here

This boss is here for the trogg element of gnomeregan. There could be no gnomeregan without troggs, after all. The trogg continue to spawn until you defeat Krrragrosh.

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After the fight, you notice a very suspicious wall segment. You discover that behind it is a tunnel, leading deeper into gnomeregan. Going down there, you start to notice that some leper gnomes mutated further since the explosion of the second radiation bomb. Some are more brutish and others have gained other new abilties.

At the end of the corridors, you encounter a giant mutated gnome.

Kazro
Fourth boss encounter

insert mechanics here

Kazro is a prime example of the Leper Gnome mutants. Unlike the others he gained both, strength and the special powers, making him a dangerous foe.

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Finally, you arrive in the seat of Thermaplugg's operation, his personal workshop. Since his last encounter with Mekkatorque, he had to replace his lower body with robotic legs. It's clear that it drained his health, both, physically and mentally, but he is still up to some surprises.

Sicco Thermaplugg
Final boss encounter

insert mechanics here

It's Thermaplugg with new robot legs and other gatdets. Possibly, he could use similar abilities to the Goblin Tinker
from Warcraft 3, but well, it's just an idea. As a side note, Thermaplugg is able to drop a personal treasure: his very own warcraft 2 era flying machine.

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I am handclaw and this is my favorite thread on Scrolls of Lore!... oh wait, nope... Just another bitching thread.