Breakfast Topic: The next expansion

by Elizabeth Harper Jan 22nd 2007 at 8:00AM

Blizzard has mentioned in the past that the Burning Crusade expansion is only one of many to come -- and, in fact, that they plan to release expansion packs on a yearly basis in the future. And players are already out and speculating on what we might see come this time next year. So what are your predictions for the next expansion pack?

Tags: azeroth, outland, warcraft, world of warcraft, wow

Filed under: Breakfast topics, Expansions, Features

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FOR3MAN Jan 22nd 2007 8:15AM

I am still waiting for Northrend. Here is an old map of the zone.

http://www.blizzplanet.com/coppermine/albums/WOW/maps/world-maps/northrend.jpg

Also thous is the Emarald Dream or whatever in NW Ashenvale. I think this is more likely the next expansion.

Ephor Jan 22nd 2007 8:16AM

Next up is Northrend (Lich King raid boss, neurubians neutral faction, etc.) followed by an expansion about the Maelstrom.

Place your bets, people!

Thomas Jan 22nd 2007 2:33PM

Considering the Lich King is rumored to be the most powerful NPC in the game and Blizzard has stated characters are not ready to face him...I think we'll see other areas explored first. There's tons of potential instances and areas in the game not finished yet, but in existence. WowWiki actually has a good section on potential expansion material.

FOR3MAN Jan 22nd 2007 8:32AM

Here we have a supposed Blizz quote from WoWwiki from as recently as 3 monhs ago.

"Nethaera: "As for the Emerald Dream, there are no plans for anything as of yet but it is a consideration for the future. The Emerald Dream opens up a lot of different opportunities and the Burning Crusade is definitely not going to be the last of the expansion packs. There are many different places and storylines that can be pursued. The story is going to keep growing and as it does so, people will get to experience it."
My bet is Emarlad Dream, and untouched version of zeroth where the continents are still together perhaps?

Bildo Jan 22nd 2007 8:41AM

I'm still wanting to see the Undermine and a playable Neutral faction in the Goblins (allowed to ally with whom they want at a certain point past the starter zone) as well as a new class... only goblins would have it: The Demolitionist. :)

But I'm probably dreaming, because heaven forbit Blizzard add Goblins as a playable race... curse them for saying they're "meant" to be neutral. I want to play one darn it!

Duromiir Jan 22nd 2007 8:47AM

I'm willing to bet that we'll see the Emerald Dream next, with the remnants of Archimonde the Defiler (albeit, in a weakened state) as the end boss.

Two reasons:

1: There have been Blue posts (yeah, I know that means almost nothing) stating that players would need to be level 90 to face the Lich King as they envision him. That means one more expansion before we face him.

2: The Emerald Dream is being corrupted/attacked/whatever by a powerful spirit/being. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say that Archimonde's spirit mixed with some of the World Tree's nature energy when he was "destroyed" at the end of the 3rd war. Also, Caverns of Time ends with that very battle in Mount Hyjal. It's a perfect lead in for those who don't know/care about lore.

They've still got the Maelstrom and Undermine to open, as far as new zones and major world areas are concerned. This also precludes that use of other worlds accessable only through Outlands via one of the many portals opened by Ner'zhul at the end of the second war or the continent that's home to the Pandarens on Azeroth (assuming that they too aren't offworlders *sigh*).

Clint Jan 22nd 2007 10:25AM

Original game to L60, four expansions mentioned = L100 character at end of line.

Guy Jan 22nd 2007 8:59AM

It seems to me like some people have forgotten how to enjoy WOW.
There is a rush to see who can be the first to get to level 70 and now less than a week after the expansion there is talk of a new expansion.

Call me a 'fuddy duddy' but I'm still enjoying basking in the beauty of the starting zone with my , bad and beautiful, new blood elf rogue.

Dave Bard Jan 22nd 2007 9:35AM

Don't forget:
- Grim Batol
- Gilneas (south of the Greymane Wall)
- Kul Tiras
- Dalaran
- Hyjal in the present day (still not open)
- Uldum
- The Maelstrom

There are a lot of areas in the "Old World" of present-day Azeroth that are right under our noses. I'd be willing to bet we'll see a couple of those soon.

Daegon Jan 22nd 2007 11:47AM

I bet Emerald Dreams will have a new race...Undead Gnomes FTW!

Todd Jan 22nd 2007 10:29AM

Honestly - I think the next expansion is the one that's up in the air.

71-80 - who knows? Emerald Dream?
81-90 - Northrend/Arthas
91-100 - Maelstrom/Sargeras

RogueJedi86 Jan 22nd 2007 9:55AM

I'll go with a sea expansion next, if they can. Not player-controlled boats or anything, but unlock the dozen or so islands in the sea that exist. Undermine for one thing. Kul Tiras is another. The island of Tel'Abim(home of the famed bananas).

And didn't Blizzard already say we won't get Northrend for another 2 or 3 expansions?

Ristic Jan 22nd 2007 10:03AM

Hero Classes!

Anroth Jan 22nd 2007 10:06AM

In my opinion the next expansion will be a return to Azeroth. Not only because of #7's post but also because of what is happening right now.

Let's see, Blue says it doesn't want to empty Azeroth, but azeroth is indeed empty! People will speed level until 58 and then go to the Outlands as there is nothing else to do or someone to do it with. That means that people will still go to BRD, LBRS and then only as leveling instances because there will be no followup to the quests. Once they reach 58 they will fight the good/bad fight in the Outlands. Which is consistent with a desire to move the story forward: Ragnaros has been regularly killed for the last two years... so has Nefarian and, to a lesser extent, Kel'thuzad.

The story has to move forward and maybe the next expansion is focused on returning to Azeroth, maybe due to another full fleged Burning Legion invasion... Maybe, and give me a break for i don't know much about the lore, Illidan was somehow stopping the BL of invading Azeroth again and as he is slayed by players that opens the doors again for an invasion.

That's for the lore, in-game we would see a revamp of some areas and, more important, a recycle of the instances. Blue could put an instance option in adition of heroic, which is the version you want to run but we would have new BRD, LBRS, MC, Strat, Scholo that would reflect an azeroth on fire and brimstone. So we would have new areas and new instances and i don't think it would be hard to accomplish. New areas and new versions of instances would be locked to the players who wouldn't upgrade and the changes in order to turn azeroth in a world on fire would be quite easy from a technical point of vue.

I would like that.

Anroth

umamasyean Jan 22nd 2007 10:41AM

To me all this PVE content expansion is getting kinda boring. It's just the same thing in a different land or a different dungeon with different mobs and different drops. In order to truly distinguish itself from all other MMORPGs Blizzard should hold more to the Warcraft theme. That is, war between factions. They need to enhance the PVP aspect of the game beyond mass kill-fest battlegrounds and race-to-the-end objectives. The holding territory in EP is a decent idea, but they didn’t make it intriguing enough to work. What I want to see is some elements of the game that involve more simulation of siege type warfare like original Warcraft games. Where are the towers to destroy, the territory to conquer. Where are my siege engines? Hey, maybe as a hero class, you can command a small army of siege peons or other NPC units…even gathering ones for resources? If they can develop some content that would require preparations and more “organized” warfare, it would give guilds new and exciting challenges both within and between different guilds. After all, fighting other people is what the Warcraft series is about. The computer is dumb. Once you beat it a few times…farm status = boring grind.

Theadrick Jan 22nd 2007 11:18AM

I'm guessing it will be Emerald Dream, followed by a "South Seas" expansion (Undermine, Nazjatar, etc), and finally Northrend as a 4th expansion.

RogueJedi86 Jan 22nd 2007 10:57AM

I don't think we'd need a Hero class though. It would just make those players(of the Hero class) walk around with a "I'm better than everyone" mindset. That arrogance would be detrimental to group play. And don't Priests and Paladins kind of cover the Hero class, with their buffs and heals?

Tony Jan 22nd 2007 10:53AM

I hope they take the Alliance out in a future expansion because they suck so bad and there is no reason to have an easy mode in wow.

endofworld Jan 22nd 2007 11:07AM

I'm still waiting for blizz to copy PvP from Dark Age of Camelot and/or Savage. umamasyean mentioned it as well, but I've passed numerous siege weapons from the previous warcraft games and I would like to use them. I would be completely happy if they made an all PvP expansion that focused on bringing the feel of an RTS like WC3 to an mmo.

Jeff Jan 22nd 2007 11:51AM

I don't know the story well enough, but I for one would almost rather see Blizz NOT put out an expansion for awhile, but go through and revise the quests for the original starting areas and midgame content. The polish on the new BE and DR areas makes the old stuff appear so poor. "Go to this moonwell, go to that moonwell, get me 5 whatevers", with none of the little details that make the world really come alive. In any event I suspect it will be 1-1/2 to two years before another expansion.

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