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#1
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![]() Sentinel Queen Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 831
BattleTag: Loboan#2416
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![]() Okay people, I'm gonna say this once: This thread is for listing ideas you have about what you would have done differently in regards to the past expansions (including Vanilla, if you want to talk about that) released in World of Warcraft. I can be about the story, the gameplay, the questing, the handling of professions, even the quality of the zones. But let it be said here so I don't get any disclaimers or "But I thought you meant" citations: We are not going to let this devolve into "My faction is better than yours" (take it to the faction thread) and I would really like if this thread could not go the way my Shadowmoon-and-Thunderlord discussion did and get hijacked by idiots intent on getting cheap laughs from reducing us all to barely contained hatred. THAT FUCKING MEANS YOU, FOJAR!
Anyway, I'll let the discussion get going before setting my own ideas down, since I'd prefer not to dictate the course of the thread in one direction (unless I have to get it back on track). So, who's first?
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I fight for the Greater Good. Last edited by Last of the Thunderlords; 10-11-2014 at 11:33 AM.. |
#2
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![]() Banished Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 14,056
BattleTag: Hulk#2393
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![]() I liked that non-canon story which had Kael'thas survive and become the leader, and important and stuff happened with the Orcs/trolls and stuff it was a nice loooooong read.. was cool. It was very very loong.. Horde was united without the boring "Family" stuff.
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#3
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![]() Eternal Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Philippines
Posts: 4,216
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![]() I'd go for Illidan still being crazy but not enough to become loot pinata. Akama and Vash'j helps the Horde and the Alliance fight against the Burning Legion while an incapacitated Illidan remains in the background up until the actual Burning Legion expansion.
The Zandalari also not being hit with the villain bat and instead trying to preserve Troll culture in collaboration with the Horde and the Alliance. IE: Actually helping Zul'Drak instead of annihilating the struggling remnants.
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#4
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![]() Eternal Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 2,635
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![]() Alright, so I'm going to do one for each expansion. Gonna start with Vanilla and TBC with this post then the next posts I'll do a little more if people like some of my ideas.
Vanilla Changes: Only real change is that instead of Naxx being the last raid, Karazhan is released as the last raid. This allows for a better lead up into TBC. Most of the raid plays out the same until you start getting higher up into the tower, then you start fighting more Burning Legion demons until its revealed that Prince Malchezaar has stolen a powerful artifact and handed it over to Lord Kazzak to reopen the Dark Portal. TBC Starter Zones Changes:
Outland Changes:
Raids:
PvP:
So basically, my ideas is to make TBC more coherent. To me, the Illidari never felt like a threat. I always thought the night elves would lead the hunt against Illidan and was disappointed that they only really appeared as druids or off in Blade's Edge for no reason. I would include groups where they made sense (Kirin Tor and the Magisters in Netherstorm, for example). I wanted some sense of faction pride and faction-only quests without making it a completely HORDE VERSUS ALLIANCE thing. I also wanted more zones to have a 'central plot' that help tell the story of the expansion, as well. I changed up the raids a bit, some of their ordering as well, so that they would make more sense with how they progress. The idea is that the raid patches have 1 raid tied directly fighting the Illidari and 1 that has stuff going on in Azeroth itself. The last raid would be Black Temple, as it should have been. Sunwell would had made more sense as a part of Wrath. |
#5
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![]() Arch-Druid Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 1,318
BattleTag: mjbmitch#1158
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![]() For the most part Sunwell made complete sense in TBC because it let players realize that Kael'thas is still kicking and needed to be killed. The flow between TBC and Wrath is bad in general and moving the Sunwell to Wrath would've made it worse; the Blue Dragonflight's involvement in Borean Tundra would not have made sense if the Sunwell was in Wrath as a raid.
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#6
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![]() Arch-Druid Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Brazil
Posts: 2,230
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![]() Cataclysm:
I'd remove all content related to the Elemental Plane, leaving it for a future expansion, and would instead concentrate on making the world revamp better, with max level content for almost all zones in EK and Kalimdor. The levels 1-60 revamp would focus on quickly leveling up, so most zones would cover 10 levels of gameplay instead of five, and quests would give more experience and better gear so you can quickly rise in power up to level 60. ----- World Revamp ----- Horde Zones: Questing only for Horde Alliance Zones: Questing only for Alliance War Zones: Separate quests and quest hubs for Alliance and Horde, may have some neutral quests and hubs. Storyline often but not always revolves around the war. Wild Zones: Mostly neutral zones and hubs, few if any faction quests. Storylines are often about exploration, the Twilights Hammer or working for a neutral faction. Eastern Kingdoms "Horde Zones - Eastern Kingdoms" Eversong Woods (1-10) Tirisfal Glades (1-10) Ghostlands (10-20) Silverpine Forest (10-20) Hillsbrad Foothills (20-30) "Alliance Zones - Eastern Kingdoms" Dun Morogh (1-10) Elwynn Forest (1-10) Loch Modan (10-20) Westfall (10-20) Duskwood (20-30) Wetlands (20-30) Redridge Mountains (30-40) "War Zones - Eastern Kingdoms" Arathi Highlands (30-40) Hinterlands (40-50) Western Plaguelands (40-50) Swamp of Sorrows (40-50) Blasted Lands (50-60) "Wild Zones - Eastern Kingdoms" Stranglethorn Vale (30-40) Stranglethorn Cape (40-50) Eastern Plaguelands (50-60) "Zones reserved for Cataclysm (80-85)" Badlands Searing Gorge Burning Steppes -------------------------------------------------------------- Kalimdor "Alliance Zones - Kalimdor" Azuremyst Island (1-10) Teldrassil (1-10) Bloodmyst Island (10-20) Darkshore (10-20) "Horde Zones - Kalimdor" Durotar (1-10) Mulgore (1-10) Azshara (10-20) Northern Barrens (20-30) "War Zones - Kalimdor" Ashenvale (20-30) Southern Barrens (30-40) Stonetalon Mountains (30-40) Dustwallow Marsh (40-50) Feralas (50-60) "Wild Zones - Kalimdor" Desolace (40-50) Felwood (40-50) Thousand Needles (50-60) Winterspring (50-60) "Zones reserved for Cataclysm (80-85)" Tanaris Un'goro Silithus Zones By Level 1-10 Azuremyst Island (A) Dun Morogh (A) Durotar (H) Elwynn Forest (A) Eversong Woods (H) Mulgore (H) Teldrassil (A) Tirisfal Glades (H) 10-20 Azshara (H) Bloodmyst Island (A) Darkshore (A) Ghostlands (H) Loch Modan (A) Silverpine Forest (H) Westfall (A) 20-30 Ashenvale Duskwood (A) Hillsbrad Foothills (H) Northern Barrens (H) Wetlands (A) 30-40 Arathi Highlands Redridge Mountains (A) Southern Barrens Stonetalon Mountains Stranglethorn Vale 40-50 Desolace Dustwallow Marsh Felwood Hinterlands Swamp of Sorrows Stranglethorn Cape Western Plaguelands 50-60 Blasted Lands Eastern Plaguelands Feralas Thousand Needles Winterspring Examples of possible "Leveling Paths" for levels 20-60 (Levels 1-20 use each race's particular areas) Lordaeron Path: Wetlands (Alliance) or Hillsbrad Foothills (Horde) -> Arathi Highlands -> Hinterlands or Western Plaguelands -> Eastern Plaguelands EK to Kalimdor Path: Wetlands (Alliance) or Hilldsbrad Foothills (Horde) -> Southern Barrens -> Dustwallow Marsh -> Feralas or Thousand Needles Southern EK Path: Duskwood (Alliance) or Barrens (Horde) or Hillsbrad Foothills (Horde) or Ashenvale -> Redridge Mountains (Alliance) or Stranglethorn Vale -> Swamp of Sorrows or Stranglethorn Cape -> Blasted Lands Southern Kalimdor Path: Northern Barrens (Horde) or Ashenvale -> Stonetalon Mountains or Southern Barrens -> Desolace or Dustwallow Marsh -> Feralas or Thousand Needles Northern Kalimdor Path: Northern Barrens (Horde) or Ashenvale -> Stonetalon Mountains -> Felwood -> Winterspring ----- New Zones (for Levels 81-85) ----- - Hyjal (mostly as is, including leaving Ragnaros there as a hook for a future expansion) - Kul Tiras (instead of Vashj'ir, thought reusing all Vashj'ir resources. Would focus on an Alliance vs. Horde vs. Naga questline) - Gilneas (instead of Deepholme) - Uldum (Harrison Jones quests would change into a Reliquary vs. Explorers Guild conflict). - Twilight Highlands
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- Sorry for any typos; english's not my primary language. - A better signature coming soon(ish). |
#7
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![]() Eternal Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 4,796
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![]() Impressive, you guys are putting some good thought into this.
And all i have is a different method of murder for Deathwing.
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#8
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![]() Arch-Druid Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Somewhere
Posts: 2,074
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![]() I'll just talk about the lead-in to WoD...
This would all be during a patch between 5.4 and 6.0, set after the trial in Pandaria. 1) I would have probably had a new scenario/series of quests designed to investigate some anomalies in and around (a special, instanced) Karazhan; perhaps there have been sightings of the Infinite Flight - perhaps in tandem with some orcs or even Thalen Songweaver - around the tower, and it's obvious that they're looking for something. While the dragons themselves get away, you do get to kill Songweaver (alongside Khadgar and either Jaina or Aethas), who has a note with a list of books and where they can be found within the tower. 2) A second scenario or series of quests involving Chromie contacting the players about some unrest in the Bronze Dragonflight (at the Caverns of Time), and how she thinks that it's Kairoz instigating things. At the end, there's a big battle and Kairoz escapes, but it ends up encouraging Chromie to further investigate what he's up to (and can also be used to explain why she goes with us to Draenor). As for Kairoz himself? I would... still kill him off the way they did, happening before the pre-expansion event. But I'd push it back in the timeline until later on in the AU, perhaps as completion of the Dark Portal draws nearer. This... actually allows Garrosh a chance to get those still loyal to him from the MU to Draenor, to plot for once the Dark Portal is open, and maybe even sneak them back in again. ...also, I'd update LBRS as well as UBRS. It just... makes sense to do that.
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Disgruntled Forsaken Stable Master "Blacker than a moonless night, hotter and more bitter than hell itself... That is coffee." |
#9
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![]() Sentinel Queen Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 831
BattleTag: Loboan#2416
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![]() Hmm, so far so good. A little slower off the mark than I expected/intended, but no outbursts so far, which is good.
Anyway, Derp, I'm sure we'd all like to hear your ideas for the WotLK and Cata expansions. Hit us.
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I fight for the Greater Good. |
#10
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![]() Eternal Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 2,635
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![]() I'm still working on the Wrath one. I got stuck with how to still have the Wrathgate but not make the Forsaken look Chaotic Stupid in the process. Also work keeps me busy.
It'll be posted soon. ![]() |
#11
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![]() Eternal Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 2,635
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![]() Okay, so, Wrath of the Lich King. My 'soon' was pretty much a Blizzard 'soon.' I had the hardest time thinking of what to do with Icecrown until I had a few ideas I liked. Have fun, it's a long read because I like words.
DK Starter Zone:
Zone Changes:
Raids:
PvP:
Characters:
Last edited by DerpiusMaximus; 10-19-2014 at 10:42 PM.. |
#12
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![]() Elune Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: The Slaughtered Lamb
Posts: 22,046
BattleTag: Grimtale67#1407
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![]() I like this thread. It took me a while to think of what paths I would have preferred taking different races on but I think I might have settled on this one for the time being. (I don't really always stick to one idea though, so my mind always changes depending on the kind of input it gets.)
Suffice to say, I wouldn't change too much about the leveling path that Cataclysm gave the races. However, I would definitely have given Worgen a more proper 12-20 zone, perhaps in Felwood since I think it would have made the Kalimdor questing flow a lot smoother. (A strong case is made with this post in a very similar topic.) I also think that Felwood would be a very aesthetically fitting zone for the Worgen with a lot of lore that's relevant to their backstory given that it was the place where the War of the Satyr took place and where Velinde Starsong first summoned the Worgen to Azeroth. Night Elves, I would have preferred their starting zone to have been in Moonglade instead of Teldrassil, as well. I believe there are better posts than mine that explain why Teldrassil never made sense, and I also think it wouldn't break the Night Elf questing flow either since Moonglade is close to other 12-20 zones. |
#13
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![]() Arch-Druid Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,390
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![]() Ressureting an old topic, but one that has potential.
Quote:
Illidan.....I'd keep dead. I rather liked what Legion is doing so far, and it gives him an good redemption story. I'd keep him dead for a few expansions and then bring him back as part of the legion's plot. Overall, though this is a good storyline. The Illidari actually feel like a threat rather than fleeing like sissies and waiting for us to storm their hq and kill their leader. It also manages to give both Alliance and Horde a good story without demonizing the others. The orcs actually do something else to help redeem themselves by saving the blood elves from walking the path of damnation, and it in turn makes the blood elves feel like part of the horde. The horde saved them in their darkest hour and kept them from making a terrible decision, so the blood elves feel gratitude. I might make the dungeons (shattered halls and ramparts) combined with the magdetherion's lair. But overall both factions get dignity and it addresses one of the main things fans hated. Kael'thas I think they wanted to have it that he was desperate for a solution and joined Kil'jaeden and the magic rotted his brain to the point he worked for the guy who gave arthas the order to torch quel'thalas. I do understand now why a lot of fans hated the change, and this thing allows us to temporarily have Kael with the legion, while also giving him a less retarded reason. Rather than being an evil jackass he's desperately trying to save his fellow elves. Last edited by Ol'Yoggy; 03-06-2016 at 04:50 PM.. |
#14
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![]() Arch-Druid Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,390
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![]() Quote:
Tirion: I'd have him still use ash bringer. The point is that the silver hand has risen from the ashes better than before. Having Tirion use Ashbringer (the weapon that was meant to combat darkness, but corrupted and then purified) shows that perfectly, since the ash bringer rose from the ashes (pardon the pun) and became better. It also ties in with the whole redemption theme. Ash bringer was corrupted yet redeemed. I'd still have Arthas be Tirion's nemesis, and Tirion is the one leading the charge. He's the perfect foil; Tirion's older, Arthas's younger. Tirion is experienced and calm due to seeing where recklessness leads, Arthas let his passions and anger consume him enough that kel'thuzad ner'zhul and Mal'ganis played him like a fiddle; Tirion lost everything for doing what was right and ultimately regains his honor by becoming champion of the light; Arthas COULD be great but threw it away and became the lord of darkness. Arthas wants to exploit people's desire for revenge and hatred; because Tirion lost everything PRIOR to arthas going evil he doesn't have the same lust for revenge and having seen his friends become monsters in the scarlet crusade he knows where that path will end. Darion: I wasn't entirely sure. I'd have allowed players to have a flashback of the first battle of Light's Hope. At the climax Darion would have plunged Ashbringer into his heart; not only would this have triggered the souls under the cathedral, but it would have also purified the blade (a selfish act of hatred polluted it, a selfless act of love purified it.) Kel'Thuzad would have perished in the battle, as Tirion would have than claimed the purified Ashbringer and with the help of Darion's surviving companions would have ripped Kel'Thuzad a new one, culminating in Kel'Thuzad's phylactery being destroyed and Kel'thuzad's soul being dragged down to the fiery depths of hell for his sins. The Lich King would have stolen Darion's body and risen him as the first of his death knights as a truly vile "screw you" and set him on Light's Hope to avenge his humiliation (The Miracle of Light's Hope being the first time the Lich King EVER really lost a battle, and him wanting to avenge his humiliation. It's like how in Star Wars the New Jedi Order, when after the New republic wins the battle of Ebaq 9 the Vong, who were previously seen as invincible, suffer a genuine loss and lose their aura of invincibility and unstoppableness) Tirion against all odds purified Darion and the argent crusade used the remaining spirits to sever the lich king's connection to his knights. This would add MORE reason why the lich king REALLY fucking hates Tirion. Tirion has defied him twice and badly humiliated him both times. Otherwise I'd have it be what Derpius said. He'd be the more black ops guy who does dicier stuff but ultimately must work with Tirion in order to save the day. Calia Menethil: Come to think of it it was a shame Calia wasn't in Wrath. She was Arthas's sister so she has a reason to be invested. More importantly it also adds more depth to the foresaken Lordeaeron conflict. In canon, the foresaken are evil douchebags but when you get down to it they're like sylvannas. Their souls were twisted in service of the lich king, they have memories of their past, their bodies that they inhabit WERE by and large Lordaeron citizens. They're not quite the original model but their souls are those of the original. So when you get down to......Lordaeron IS their home. There are others who have fled the kingdom and settled elsewhere when arthas ran it into the ground. Calia allows this to be explored. There's a genuine claimant to challenge Sylvannas that the lordaeroni have rallied behind. It adds an alliance horde conflict without being stupid. Calia may want to be a priestess but at the same time feel the obligation to take the throne of her homeland and restore it. Jaina Proudmoore: Largely unchanged. Jaina wouldn't be irritating and crying; she'd still be smart and intelligent. I'd have it that during the final duel between Tirion and Arthas she might be there to help (Kael'thas and Sylvannas would also be there). Garrosh: This is were I'd slightly differ. At the beginning he might not be impressed with the horde's fellow races. However, because Varok Saurfang would be the overall Overlord of the operation AND Because a much larger percentage of the force would be foresaken and blood elves, Garrosh would be forced to dine with, bunk with, and fight with those of other races. Over the expansion he would come to see their worth and at the very least respect them as allies and see the merit in cooperating with other races even if he still thinks the Alliance suck. At the same time, he also comes to embody the more destructive side of the orcish race. He looks up to Thrall and sees him as a mentor, but due to the nature of the scourge he comes to embrace more brutal and destructive tactics against the scourge. The fact that they work and get results sticks with him and forms the impression that sometimes you have to get your hands dirty. Dranosh: I wouldn't keep him alive; having a likable character die at Arthas's hands makes the Lich King more hatable and you can have other Mag'har like Jorin show the more noble side. It also shows that wars will always exact a heavy price. The horde looses Dranosh, the Alliance looses Bolvar. Varian: I heartily agree to trim down a lot of the backstory, but I'd still have him and the others escape and kick ass on adventures before Varian recovers his memory, returns and rips Onyxia a new asshole. I wouldn't have him be so rabid. He wouldn't be "ALL ORCS DIE RARRRRHARHHHHH!" He'd be skeptical of cooperation with the horde; partially because of his experience as a small child, but also because he and several other alliance races were kept in underground death matches for the entertainment of many, and having seen some of the nastiest fighting like in ashenvale. The battle in the undercity would be a major sore spot for him; Lordaeron was his home after the orcs sacked storm wind, so seeing it reduced to the undercity AND seeing some of the more nasty experiments the foresaken did would make him even less willing to listen. Sylvannas's explanation (that she HAD originally meant for the plague to wipe out all life, but that after experiencing genuine compassion and acceptance from the horde she mellowed out, realized not all living things were out to get them, and ordered the apothecarium to terminate the human experimentation.) would be met with either a.) scepticism ("yeah, sure") or b.) "even if I did believe you you still sanctioned the torture of innocents." Thrall would seen as at worst a liar and at work ineffectual at keeping his allies in check. Shit goes down in the throne room and Thrall and Jaina's magic keeps it from becoming a blood bath. Sadly, Jaina predicts that once the news spreads people will definately want war; they might be willing to wait while the scourge is active, but once that happens all bets are off. Sylvannas: I'd make her more sympathetic; originally she DID plan to use the blight to wipe out all the non living. However, being shown genuine acceptance and friendship from Thrall softened her, and while she's still angry and nasty in the break a few skulls way, she no longer wants to exterminate the living and has ordered her apothecaries to terminate the parts of the blight that target living things. She's basically what Kerrigan was at the end of Heart; kind of abrasive and willing to bust heads, but ultimately gave more of a shit about human life. Unfortunately, a lot of the foresaken STILL dislike the living and combined with the fact that sylvy really hasn't answered what the hell she plans to do (she can't make them reproduce). Combine the two and we start to see cracks; some defect to the scourge, others side with putress's coup and join the legion. Because she's come to see the horde as family she feels genuinely guilt stricken when Varian uses the apothecaries and clusterfuck to reignite hostilities. Thrall: I'd Keep him as the leader figure; however cracks are starting to show. You get the feeling he's kind of suffering under the weight and is hoping to choose a new successor. He's also failed to notice the darker aspects of the foresaken, but when things get nasty he drops negotiations, picks up the hamma and rips Varimathras a new one. |
#15
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![]() Arch-Druid Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,390
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![]() Quote:
Agreed. This is a good example of storytelling and showing off the power of the scourge. I'd change light of dawn somewhat so that when Darion was freed he helped Tirion and together they were able to overpower the Lich King and drive him away, albeit with injuries. The rest would play out. The Death Knights would be adrift trying to find their place in the world. Borean Tundra: Pretty solid overall; You could even have it that the cult of the damned stoke the flames of the conflict trying to turn the foresaken and alliance against each other for the nerubian assault to curb stomp them. The Alliance storyline would culminate in a showdown with Valanar atop Naaxanar: Thassarian facing him is epic from a lore perspective. The alliance soldiers would play a direct role; Valanar would be defeated with help from the players. The cult of the Damned would be crippled with the death of their leader. The Horde would take out the Nerubian tunnelers and kill their king. Howling Fjord: Pretty good overall; no real objections to the storyline. It shows both the fight against the scourge and the peril both sides go through. I'd explore beforehand how both Alliance and Foresaken have tensions amongst them. Some on the foresaken want to work against the scourge with the alliance; others are all "fuck the living". On the alliance side there are similar disagreements. The more cool heads see that they need the foresaken's help in order to win. The more radical ashore contact with the undead. Things climax in a joint raid to take down Ymiron. Dragonblight: No objection Wrathgate: I'd keep Dranosh dead but otherwise I love this. Grizzly Hills: Again I agree: I'd have the San'layn who only appear in the vision also appear as the main antagonists of the setting. In addition to Arugal we have to fight the San'layn Zul'Drak: Again, not much issue. Same for the others really. Storm Peaks is by all accounts a damn good zone (often said to be one of the best questing zones) Icecrown: Overall I really dig the idea of a massive recreation of Lordaeron's capital city in the heart of Icecrown. I don't think having Garithos is good, since his corpse was eaten by ghouls, but overall it's a cool idea. Than again Garithos's SOUL could be intact and he's basically Arthas's bitch. Kael'thas might meet Garithos's soul again, and we see the irony of the situation. Kael'thas is the one with power now over his former tormenter. One thing I'd add is that as part of the coup de grace both the alliance and horde use the newly created Mana Bombs to purge the rest of the city (or use it during the attack.) It's a terrible weapon, but it helps even the odds enough for victory to be achieved. The pseudo Lordaeron is taken and destroyed, but not without a lot of casualties. If Mal'ganis is around I'd have it that when he was defeated he was so badly beaten that even the legion lords failed to realize he was alive and in any case he only regained form after a couple years. Dread lords CAN come back after a powerful artifact (if the artifact isn't too potent) but it takes longer depending on potency. If a demon was slain by ash bringer they'd be dead for good. Skull of Gul'dan.....you MIGHT survive but the best you can hope for is reincarnating in ten years. Mal'ganis would have been out of action for 4 years or so, since Frostmourne was still just a fairly potent runeblade (it gained more power as it devoured more souls. If it was used NOW Mal'ganis would be fucked.) The stage would be set for the finale. After the whole Plaguelands are done with we come back and deal with the final three dungeons; pit of saron Hall of Reflection and Forge of Souls. Plaguelands: Western part is fine, but I'd have it that the scourge are using the chaos of the undercity and increasing flare ups to launch an attack. The Plaguelands are being used as a launch point on Tirisifal glades, and from there they'll hope to sweep into the south. While Sylvannas's forces hold the line the Horde and Alliance must reluctantly work together. Ultimately the invasion is broken. First Andorhal is reclaimed from the Scourge, with Deathwhisper fleeing. Caer Darrow, than Hearthglen fall. In the East, I'd replace Kel'Thuzad with some other Lich; This guy is potent but is aware he has big shoes to fill since Kel'thuzad perished at the first battle of Light's Hope. He's under pressure to do well and hopes to succeed where Kel'thuzad failed. He's forced most of Naaxramus's personnel out into the open to do experiments for his own goals. Things culminate in a fight outside of stratholme, and finally conclude in Naaxramus. Darion and Grunn'holde (yeah I liked her so she survives in this) give advice on how to attack since they were the only two to survive the mission last time. Quel'danas: In all honesty, I've decided Sunwell Plateau might work well after all, more as an attempt to stop Lana'thel (who has replaced Kel'thuzad as Arthas's second in command) from seizing the new sunwell for her master. I'd have it that the Draenei, High Elves, Blood Elves, and later Blue Dragonflight try to help create a new sunwell. Since Anveena has become a living being sacrificing her is off the table. They're making good progress, but the scourge have come to strike at Quel'danas before finishing the blood elves for good. Arthas's new second in command, Lana'thel, is the one leading the charge (Lana'thel is the most prominent scourge commander and I think a worthy replacement for Kel). Lana'thel wants to corrupt the new sunwell while it's being made and than launch an attack on Silvermoon. However, safeguards have been put in play. The raid is getting through the plateau (which I'd make a more outdoor kinda raid) to stop Lana'thel before the safeguards are overwhelmed. In the end, Anveena sacrifices herself (whether to push Lana'thel away or to stop the corruption from spreading) and we get a somber ending. Malygos has agreed to add his support to the project, making the hope of rebuilding more of a possibility. |
#16
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![]() Banished Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Kisaragi#11533
Posts: 212
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![]() @DerpiusMaximus, interesting. I would be happy if you continue.
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#17
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![]() Eternal Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 2,635
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![]() But I'm lazy
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#18
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![]() Arch-Druid Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,390
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![]() I had an idea for Mists of Pandaria; I always felt that this was better than Cataclysm in some ways. There was a clear storyline, and I felt the idea of a horde civil war could have worked.
You just needed to do a few things. 1.) Eliminate Theramoore. The Alliance already has reason to go to war, and having this negates the little bit of character development that Garrosh got in Cataclysm. Alternatively, you could TONE DOWN Theramoore. The Horde occupies the city but aside from strict curfews and marshal law, the citizens of Theramoore aren't particularly mistreated. No cartoonish acts of cruelty; just standard war time occupation. Jaina could be somewhat more hostile without being cartoonishly evil, and it allows us to have Khadgar as the head of 2.) Make Malkorok the main villain. Garrosh, i'd have him be struggling as the war progresses. He wants to lead the horde to a better tomorrow, but the war begins to go badly for him as the pandaria campaign progresses. Malkorok finds the legend of the sha, and plans to harness their power. Garrosh struggles with the idea, but ultimately refuses; he feels that drawing on the darkness of the sha is no better than drinking the blood of mannoroth. Malkorok and his followers amongst the Kor'Kron and city guard (which he has been infiltrating) launch a bloody coup; Garrosh is killed and the city of Orgrimmar is placed on lockdown. Realizing that inevitably the rest of the horde will come for him alongside the alliance, Malkorok sneaks into the vale of eternal blossoms and activates the heart of y'shaaj's power. In doing so he rallies the Klaaxi and Mantid to his banner, bolstering his forces. The Alliance, Horde forces and Panderan forces besiege Orgrimmar to dethrone Malkorok and end the coup. Malkorok is loosing control of the heart's power, and Y'Shaarj is reawakening. |
#19
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![]() Ranger Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 315
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I had something simlar to this but with a bit more leadup: For example, when Garrosh replies to magatha in The Shattering-his reply is that he will send Orcish Warrriors to Reinforce the City. He doesn't tell her they're not to ward the rebels off. Magatha is then locked in Irons when they overtake the City (more on this later) Things progress mostly as normal from there on, but then Malkorok enters the Scene. The same events progress only Malkorok plays the Shady Vizier role a little harder. Garrosh likes his ideas but then seeing the plans in action (Raising the Elementals and using the sea beasts) sort of make him scratch his head a bit. Then comes Thereamore.Instead of being the Mastermind, Garrosh is not privvy to the bombing plan. When told to wait until he is ready, Garrosh is wondering why Malkorok is taking so long ,and having to try and get the leaders from breathing down his neck-his guy has it handled so it's no big but damn he better hurry up. Then He says fuckit and attacks the town to drive the Alliance from the shore as he wanted, then during the fight the retreat horn is sounded, and the Bomb is dropped. Garrosh has mixed feelings about this but he cannot place them for the moment. Things then proceed normally untill Krassarang Invasion, where up till then, Makorok has been trying to sell Garrosh on this Sha power stuff and Garrosh was algain, not having any of it. Too close to Demon Blood nonsense. Makorok is not happy. He looks for alternatives and finds it in the flesh shaping power used by the Mogu-tells Garrosh of a wellspring of power that will make his troops stronger. Then Vol'jin shows up unannounced and Garrosh gets an Idea-Take Vol'jin with him and see this power for himself. Natrually, he finds out it's flesh shaping evil nasty shit and Gets pretty pissed-It was clear Malkorok was trying to twist his arm again. He'd have to deal with that....But then he gets shanked by assassins that have been stalking them for the entire scenario (instead of them being right by your side) and you and Vol'jin fight them off. Vol'jin takes the Dying Garrosh to the nearby Village and tells you to wait for further instruction but to try and play things cool. Garrosh and Vol'jin then go off on Magical Pandaria adventures of "Learning how to be less shitty of an Orc and Leader" and learns all the lovely happy feely shit that all of Pandaria's Parable stories were meant to teach (Because honestly half the Horde side content meant to impart any lesson were practically Foils to Garrosh) Things then proceed up untill 5.3 (with Malkorok taking over as De-facto warcheif back in Orgrimmar and being the one to instigate the Shit with the bell and whatnot in Garrosh's absence) When SOO patch hits, Malkorok takes the Heart and shit and everything goes bannanas and that's when Garrosh and Vol'jin think it's high time to show the fuck back up. Garrosh, having learned all the good shit(trademark) Extends an invitation to Varian to take his city Back (Malkorok would never expect that He, Garrosh, would ever request for help, least of all from a Human.) Interaction ensues,Everyone is surprise because holy shit they thought you were dead, Garrosh and Varian Bicker because they're That Couple and then SOO goes like normal only instead of Garrosh you have Malkorok and Instead of Malkorok you have Magatha-who was offered sweet sweet Old God Powers if she and her surviving Grimtotem did Malkorok a Solid. They take back the city, get the Human survivors, Garrosh and Varian Fist Bump and have a Bro moment and Everyone goes home. It's more or less a Garrosh Redemption arch because I recently realized even after all this time I'm still upset with how he was a writer's convenience and never was allowed to grow. |
#20
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![]() Sentinel Queen Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Berlin
Posts: 947
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![]() Classic:
Instead of the Vanilla Experience I would propose the following. Sole starting continent Kalimdor, and the night elves form their own faction (Cenarion Circle) instead of being with the Alliance. Factions, their capitals and races: I. Alliance: Capital Theramore(about as big as current Stormwind), minor capital Bael Modan Races: Humans, High Elves, Wild Hammer Dwarves (the refugees of Lordaeron) II. Cenarion Circle: Capital: Nighthaven, Timbermaw Hold Races: Night Elves, Furbolg, Worgen III. Horde: Capital: OG, Thunder Bluff Races: Tauren, Orcs, Trolls Classes with viable specs from the beginning. Also no faction specific classes though every Alliance race my choose Paladins, every Circle race Druid and every Horde race Shaman with only one race in each of the other factions being able to play that class. (Wildhammer Shaman+Druid, Trolls Paladin, Tauren Druid, Furbolg Shaman, Night Elf Paladin - just name them differently for the lore; for example Night Elf Paladins would be Guardians of Elune's Light and Troll Paladins Hex Wardens of the Sun Hawk Loa) Kalimdor would be as big as both Vanilla continents combined but far more sparsely tamed/settled. While WoW is bleak it would be even bleaker and showing that all factions were survivors/refugees of both the devastation in the Eastern Kingdoms and the Legion invasion. II. Instead of BC we would have Wrath Explanation: Lordaeron would be lost to Forsaken/Scourge and frankly nobody should know the difference between them. While liberating it might be a goal it would just cost ressources not avaible and further needed to stop the Scourge. Thus Northrend would be the next step and instead of a new class every faction would recruit a new race. (Maybe Gnomes who settled in Northrend for the Alliance, the Tuskarr for the Circle and the Wolvar for the Horde) The Lichking would be Arthas+Nerzhul and not Arthas alone. Lorewise it would be fitting for Jaina to kill him thus making up for not stopping Arthas in Stratholme. Malygos would aid in this as well as the other "good" dragonflights instead of dividing ressources even more. III. Would be a combination of Cata and Retaking of the Eastern Kingdoms. I like three factions since I played DAOC before WoW but I understand the appeal of undead. Likewise I am tired of the Lordaeron debate so whether the factions retake Lordaeron and help Quel'Thalas and Kaz Modan or that the Blood Elves, Sylvanas Undead and her enslaved Ogres form their own faction is the same for me but one of the two options should happen. DKs would be implemented then, as following the study of the Scourge to bolster the poor and broken factions (yes, with emphasis, they should be almost broken after the efforts in Northrend) and they need to compromise with lesser evils. Stormwind would be gone by then, ruled as a puppet of the Black Dragonflight as well as the Dark Horde. Deathwing would never become a generic doomsday villain but remain a puppeteer. IV. BC Instead of dealing with insane Illidan/Evil Kael'thas we would come to their aid and that of Alleria/Turalyon/Khadgar who would fight the Legion in Outland together. That would add Demon Hunters for every faction and end with the fight against Kil'jaeden in Shadowmoon Valley. V. Pandaria Instead of just Pandaren for every faction Jinyu would join Alliance, Pandaren Horde and Yaungol the Circle (the latter would be far more noble than the savages in Mists). The Old Gods would make their appearence here in force and that would see the end of the different doomsday cults like the Twilight Hammer. VI. South Seas This would add the Monks from Pandaria for every race and deal with the Old God - Naga connection and we would help the Zandalari fend off Queen Azshara.
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#21
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![]() Arch-Druid Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,390
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![]() So I have a rough idea for Cataclysm
Cataclysm This would take place shortly after the Cataclysm itself strikes. The Cataclysm itself would have taken place a few years after Wrath ended. There wasn't any outbreak of war immediately, but only because both sides needed to regroup somewhat after the war against arthas's forces (this is so that both sides can rebuild their populations). There's a lot of low level guerrilla shit that both sides are supporting on the sly. The alliance is supporting the Lordaeron reclamation guerrillas (lordaeroni survivors who want the foresaken gone and Calia Menethil's restoration), unofficially of course. The Foresaken are strengthening their claims in Strom'garde, assassinating Galen Trollbane and gaining the upper hand against the league of arathor. This has recently graduated into open warfare, since the destruction of so much during the shattering has lowered the amount of resources, which in the hordes case has combined with the cutting off of trade the alliance has put on as puntitive measures. Aside from the Goblin and Worgen starting stories, I would focus more on updating the regions that existed. Deicide suggested focusing on revamping. At launch we get just the revamped materials, and a few storylines focusing on the war that's going on, while others like the Earthen Ring, Kirin Tor, Explorer's Guild and Reliquary are focusing on trying to stop the Elemental incursions and Deathwing's evil diabolical plans. First they need to take out the elemental incursions and restabilize the barriers between the Elemental Planes and the Material realm; then they must access the Twilight Highlands (which have been sealed off for the time being with a massive barrier of earth.) Fortunately there are Elementals that are on the side of the angels (they don't seek to be dominated by the Old Gods, remembering a time when they were free of their master's commands.) The heroes must join forces with these elementals and build an army in order to stop Deathwing. Opening Raids: Blackwing Descent and Baradin hold: Blackwing Descent involves sneaking past enemy lines and attacking the Blackwing Descent to shut down the project of the chromatic dragonflight Patch 4.1: Rage of the Firelands Faction: Cenarion Circle Prior to the Cataclysm, the Cenarion Circle had come to help heal the damaged lands of Searing Gorge and Burning Steppes. Now, with the rise of the Cataclysm, Ragnaros the Firelord is using the area as a gateway to attack the kingdoms of Stormwind and Ironforge. The Cenarion Circle and the Alliance has held off the Firelord’s assaults for now, but unless decisive action is taken they may be overwhelmed. Raid: The Firelands: Ragnaros has been driven back into his home dimension. The time is now. Strike him before he can regroup, and in doing so sunder the fire army. Patch 4.2: Into the Earth Faction: Earthen Ring This introduces the Deepholme raid, and the heroes of Azeroth must venture into Deepholme in order to begin the process of stabilizing the barrier. Deepholme opens up, and the players do various quests. The Earthen Elements are in state of upheaval. Therazane remembers the bitterness of slavery to the old gods and is determined to never again obey them. The Twilight's hammer and Deathwing are sending forces to overthrow Therazane. The heroes must thwart this and defeat the Twilight's hammer. We get the quests to support Therazane and undermine the twilight’s hammer and the elements that support them. Raid: Deepholme: Here we go up against various Twilight Hammer forces, and Earth Elementals that seek to side with the Old Gods. Include Morchokk. This culminates in a showdown with General Erudax, the leader of the Faceless forces sent by the Twilight's hammer. In the end, Erudax is defeated, the twilight hammer supporting faction of the elementals is defeated, and Therazane allows the mortals to rebuild the world pillar or whatever will help stabilize the boundaries. Patch 4.3: Secrets of Ulduar Faction: Explorer’s Guild; Reliquary With the Deepholme side of the rift repaired, the heroes of Azeroth leave Deepholme and head into Uldum; There they get involved in the Tol’vir Neferset War, and later venture deep into Uldum, hoping for more information on how to stop the Old Gods. At the same time, the Air Elementals of Al’Akir are threatening things and stirring up trouble. This is the first full fledged zone of Cataclysm, rather than a revamping of an existing zone. It’s Uldum, built up for years. It deserves justice. The heroes thwart the Twilight’s hammer, and Neferset. They venture into Uldum, learning more details of the war with the Titans and the Old Gods. We find out the things established in chronicles (the exact number of old gods) and also learn that Uldum was also one of several research stations meant to find a way to destroy the old gods WITHOUT killing Azeroth. A Draenei volunteers to talk to the Naaru, revealing that the Naaru have also encountered the old ones, and may have information to share with them (since you can only solve a puzzle with all pieces.) This sets up a plot point for the future expansion where the heroes must face N’Zoth and end him for good. Raid: Once more, things culminate in a showdown in the Realm of the Elements. This time, the challenge is greater. Al’Akir, though the weakest of the elemental lords, is still stronger than General Erudax. It will take all the cunning, strength, courage and skill to triumph over the windlord and his immediate successors (the goal is to create such a civil war amongst the air elementals that the heroes can rebuild the barriers without interference.) Patch 4.4: The Abyssal Maw Faction: Kirin Tor With the Skywall stabilized the Kirin Tor are launching a mission into the Abyssal Maw in order to reinforce Neptulon, who is under siege by the Naga. During the Throne of the Tides dungeon Neptulon is abducted by Ozumat. The heroes must venture into the Abyssal Maw to save Neptulon from the clutches of the Old Gods. They are ultimately successful in freeing Neptulon; Neptulon agrees to lend his forces against the Old Gods when the time comes, eager to get revenge. Raid: Abyssal Maw: The old gods forces have abducted Neptulon and seek to break him to their will. You must fight your way past the naga in the abyssal maw, as well as the dark forces of N’Zoth and free Neptulon. Culminates in a vicious face off with Neptulon, corrupted by the Black Blood of N’Zoth. Hydraaxis takes control of the realm of water and absorbs Neptulon’s power. He agrees to send forces to help the heroes when the time is right Patch 4.5: Hour of Twilight: New Region: Twilight Highlands: With the aid of the earthen elementals the armies of Azeroth have shattered the barrier that Neltharion has risen around the highlands. What lies beyond the wall Dungeons: Caverns of Time: Even with the army that has been amassed, Deathwing himself presents an almost insurmountable obstacle; his considerable powers have been amplified by the Old Gods, making him almost unstoppable. Only a weapon such as the Dragon Soul can tip the odds against the Destroyer and give the coalition a hope of defeating the Dark Dragon. End Time Well of Eternity Hour of Twilight Raid: Bastion of Twilight: This is it. The Twilight’s hammer is making it’s final stand, and has prepared to unleash it’s massive army of twilight and chromatic dragons on the world in order to usher in the Hour of Twilight and flood over the world of Azeroth. Thanks to the intervention of Therazane, Hydraaxis, and the Dragonflights the Earthen Ring, Kirin Tor, Guardians of Hyjal and other neutral factions are able to match the Twilight Army; while the forces of Azeroth clash with the forces of the Twilight’s Hammer the adventurers must enter the bastion and destroy the breeding facilities for the Twilight Dragonflight and Chromatic Dragonflight, while also destroying the leadership of the Twilight’s Hammer. It all culminates in a massive battle with Deathwing the Destroyer; ultimately Deathwing is defeated and cast down, consumed by the combined power of the aspects and the dragon soul. The Twilight’s Hammer is overrun and for the most part put to the sword during the battle. The forces of Azeroth have won, but the Old gods are still out there, and will most certainly try again. Deathwing I’d have him be an epic three phase showdown. The first phase is against him in his human form. Then he’d take to the skies, forcing the heroes to pursue him and bring him down. Eventually, Deathwing will crash into the Twilight Highlands, creating a massive crater. There, the heroes must face the Destroyer in a final showdown; Deathwing has gone completely feral and must be stopped. So that's my rough idea of how Cataclysm should have gone down. Ulduar would have had the heroes get their hands on the research and hopefully be the genesis to a weapon that would purge the old gods from azeroth. I'm not totally satisfied with the order in which the elementals got fought but honestly I think it's a good idea. I'll try and follow with mists |
#22
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![]() Arch-Druid Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,390
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![]() Mists of Pandaria.....in the parts related to native Pandaria the questing seemed pretty cool. The Mantid fighting each other, the Sha being unleashed by the war, the mogu trying to reclaim glory.....those were fine ideas.
I'd make a few key changes to it overall. 1.) Either eliminate Theramoore or tone it the fuck down. If Theramoore is attacked the horde simply occupies it like any other city. They don't go out of their way to brutalize the inhabitants but the city is very much under lockdown. It could be construed as villainous but gives the orcs dignity. 2.) Redo Dagger in the Dark and A little patience. Dagger in the Dark: Garrosh has been approached about using Sha and Mogu magic. Garrosh, despite wanting to win the war, is hesitant. He doesn't like the alliance, but using Dark magic is a price even he's reluctant to use. Eventually, we get to the flesh well thing used on the saurok in dagger in the dark. Vol'jin manages to persuade Garrosh to come with him and see what this is. Garrosh is disgusted by the implications and finally stands up. Unfortunately it turns out that Mal'korok has bribed the Kor'kron escorts, who immediately turn on you and try to murder you. Garrosh is badly injured, but you and Vol'jin manage to kill the attackers. Vol'jin realizes that you still need to be in Malkorok's good graces for now, so to fool Malkorok he cuts off his hand (trolls regenerate). He and Garrosh (still out of it) leave and go underground. You present the hand to Malkorok and convince him that you helped the assassins take out Garrosh and Vol'jin. Malkorok is skeptical but believes the story. Divine Bell: Malkorok takes Garrosh's place researching the Sha. He also starts digging for the vault of Y'Shaarj. He strong-arms certain elements of the Sunreavers into helping with the theft. Things largely progress the same, but Jaina isn't leader of the Kirin Tor. She wants her city back, but that's it. Battlefield Barrens: Largely in canon, show many orcs getting fed up with Malkorok's leadership (one possible solution is that Malkorok is becoming more xenophobic against tauren trolls forsaken goblins blood elves and pandaran). Unfortunately, at this time Malkorok finally finds the Heart of Y'Shaarj. Garrosh enters into negotiations with the Alliance; he agrees to pull back the ashenvale troops and pull out of Theramoore. However, he still wants places like Azshara, and wants a more limited Alliance presence in the Barrens. Siege of Orgrimmar: Garrosh (who has been going on a journey of reflection and discovery, and has mellowed out considerably) publicly reveals Malkorok's treachery; most of the orcs who were undecided defect from Malkorok's camp putting the city on Lockdown. Malkorok realizes the odds are turning against him, so he sneaks into the Vale of Eternal Blossoms and activates the Heart's power. Due to his hatred and force of will Malkorok bends the heart to his will. This then attracts the Klaaxi and mantid to his banner, bolstering his forces. Several disillusioned Mogu clans also flock to his banner (maybe). We get the siege of orgrimmar but with changes. Zeala and the Dragonmaw are replaced with another boss (maybe Mogu). Malkorok's spot gets taken by.....Magatha. Malkorok has reached out to her and secured her loyalty by offering to share the power of the heart of Y'Shaarj. Instead he uses it to bend her to his will and make her and her grimtotem guard the Underhold. Malkorok is the final boss, and he plays out like Garrosh did in the original final boss fight. End cutscene. Malkorok lies defeated on the ground. Garrosh is ready to kill him. Varian blocks the blow, saying that Malkorok's fate is not his alone to decide. Taran Zhu takes Malkorok away in chains. Garrosh and Varian have a standoff, where Garrosh is asked if he will keep his word. Garrosh hesitates.....but ultimately says that a deal's a deal. The conflict is over and both sides simply want to rebuild. |
#23
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![]() Eternal Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 2,635
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![]() I really like these ideas, especially the use of Malkorok being built as the new big bad and introducing him much earlier in Cata.
I think I'd still have Garrosh something of an ass. Not responsible for some of the greater tragedies perhaps, but his mindset and actions allow for something terrible to grow within the Horde and in the orcs specifically. But it's not until he sees what Malkorok has done, what he has allowed to fester and grow within the Horde, that realizes he's fucked up and starts to try to change his ways and mindset. Last edited by DerpiusMaximus; 05-06-2016 at 07:49 PM.. |
#24
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![]() Arch-Druid Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,390
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![]() I was kinda going for that. Garrosh is kinda a jerk but not as bad in canon. He's against the alliance, but he treats those with the horde (the blood elves, foresaken etc) as equals. Being put in a position where he has to choose whether to use dark magic is one of the signs that forces him to reevaluate his actions.
Bashiok said (I think) that one of the reasons orcs defected was because while they hated the alliance they considered the tauren etc family. So when Garrosh went after them it finally clicked that Garrosh was nuts. That idea actually works. It allows a heel turn without being cliche. With Garrosh it was while on the run he meets the Celestials and is sent on the journey to learn about Shaohao. He's reluctant but Vol'jin persuades him to at least try to keep an open mind. Garrosh ultimately comes to understand balance; he realizes that while his desire to restore the orcs sense of pride was commendable, it's becoming twisted into something ugly. He finally realizes what Varok was trying to say about his past sins years ago; that you can't ignore the ugly parts of your past. This ties in with the Sha of Pride and how Pride is the most dangerous. On one hand, it's okay to be proud of your accomplishments. However, that can be twisted into something ugly and dark. Garrosh finally comes to realize that you can find balance between trying to do what's best for your people without being a heartless dickcheese. He realizes that he needs to act in order to stop Malkorok from leading the people down the path of darkness. When he comes out and reveals himself, he talks about all he learned in Pandaria and denounces Malkorok as a traitor. This prompts most of what remain undecided to defect from Malkorok. Some of Malkorok's OTHER actions (attempting to destroy Theramoore as a "screw you", instituting harsher policies on the Tauren and Trolls) prompts orcs who were previously behind the war effort to become increasingly uneasy. After all, theramoore was captured in a fair siege and with military conduct. Malkorok's action is dishonorable. |
#25
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![]() Eternal Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 4,421
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![]() Oh man, where to start.
Faction Defection would be a thing. Most player races would align with either the Horde or Alliance for starting experiences, but after those experiences you'd have opportunities to join other factions. Which is where other non-aligned factions would come into play as options for players to join, like the Argent Dawn and the Twilight's Hammer. That being said, I'd have had a neutral starting experience for certain races from the start, like goblins. Starting from a neutral race would make defection easier, but only particular races have the option. Player Housing would be a thing, but more in line with the Sunsong Ranch and the garrison. Each expansion would involve the character establishing their base of operations, where they'd have craftsmen and other followers to do work for them. I'd even go the extra mile and have this be a mobile app that players could work with when not logged into the game. There's a way to strike a balance between Sunsong Ranch and the Garrison in terms of how much it sequesters the player from the community, so if you start this concept from classic and iterate on it throughout the expansions, you get to something that probably isn't as divisive as how garrisons turned out in WoD. Zone flexibility (essentially questing zones scaling in such a way that you can do them in any order, a la Legion) really needed to be a thing from the start. It helps replayability, it helps emphasize zone narratives, and if zones have a capstone event take place in a dungeon or scenario, having the opportunity to build to that event throughout a zone's story makes the event more impactful. Drakuru's narrative through Grizzly Hills, Drak'tharon Keep, and Zul'Drak is a great example of this. As an aside, having more zone narratives tie up in a group event of some kind (imagine the Battle of Darrowshire as a scenario that tied up EPL questing) would help to reinforce group content as the endgame and prime the pump for raiding. Raid attunement doesn't need to be an overly laborious process, because attunement can be a great way to ensure that characters start with a certain baseline of gear before setting foot in the raid, and that helps encounter design. As a bonus, if you waive attunement after the current tier is replaced, you can make farming earlier content more convenient over time. In addition, you'd have the "reinforcements" function as the raid tier gets older, where players get a progressive buff (from 5-30% additional damage and health) to help them down the bosses. Downing enemies without the buff gives an advantage for getting elite loot, but if taking the buff is the choice between getting some loot or no loot at all, it'll give raid leaders more flexibility instead of banging their heads against content. This wouldn't kick in until weeks after the raid is completely unlocked, so it wouldn't impact the world first race, but is chiefly there to let F&F and beer-league teams get through the content. Ugh, god, there's so much. I haven't even scratched story changes.
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