The Maelstrom: Lore behind the possible next WoW expansion
by Amanda Miller 
Jun 10th 2009 at 6:00PM
How would you feel about an expansion where the naga are the villains, the murlocs do their bidding, a powerful queen emerges, and dormant gods awaken? We've braved alien lands and the cold, harsh climate of Northrend, so how would you fancy going out to sea, discovering new islands and diving down to sunken cities?
I have to admit, my first reaction to the concept was an inner groan of disappointment, but when I read into it further over at Lorecrafted, I became intrigued. After all, who hasn't dreamed of drifting off to explore the Great Sea? I've wanted to see a sunken city ever since my first character, a female Troll Shaman, discovered that she had no home city. Deep down, she was sure that there simply had to be some lost troll city, perhaps beneath the sea, or at the very least, a place to rebuild, reconnect and start anew.
What do you think, folks? If this were to be our next adventure, do you think you could get excited, or are you itching for the Emerald Dream or something else entirely?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Expansions, Lore, Rumors
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 7)
Morgwatt Jun 10th 2009 6:11PM
So...stock up on swim speed potions now, or hope for the Emerald Dream?
Urza Jun 10th 2009 11:07PM
I see underwater vehicles playing a big enough roll that you won't need pots, I won't be surprised if they add a lot more items too.
JLocke Jun 10th 2009 6:12PM
that'd be cool, I wonder if neither the Maelstrom or Emerald Dream were the next xpac, that would throw a monkey wrench in people's predictions, but the likely hood of that happening for either is very slim. Either way, hope its Maelstrom :)
Creese5704 Jun 10th 2009 10:21PM
For them to release a xpack that was not Emerald Dream or Maelstrom next, would be screwing up the line of lore and I doubt they would do that because that would piss off a few lore freaks like me.
John Jun 11th 2009 12:27AM
They own the lore. They, as they have shown time and again to the detriment of fanboys and girls, can do whatever the heck they want with it.
I'd be surprised if it wasn't the Emerald Dream or the Maelstrom (or the two melded into one) but I wouldn't be totally thrown off if it was neither.
IDC which is next really, I just hope they build on the momentum of Wrath.
Seraph Jun 11th 2009 11:54AM
@Creese: Just have one name for you: Kael'thas. TEMPEST KEEP WAS MERELY A SETBACK
oldwisemonk Jun 10th 2009 6:12PM
Not a fan of underwater melee or swimming in general. I'd dig the lore, but I wouldn't be excited for any new parts of the game that involved going underwater.
Cabcru Jun 10th 2009 6:19PM
This is how I feel on the subject. Underwater combat sucks. More so for melee classes but in general, if an expansion centred around that sort of combat, I don't think I'd be looking forward to it much.
Robert M Jun 10th 2009 6:41PM
Not to be a complete jerk, but use your imagination. Just because you venture underwater doesn't mean the entire place needs to function like underwater combat. Think of a lost ship of refugee gnomes who were sucked into the maelstrom and built a colony down there because whatever causes that swirl in the middle of the map is really some pressurized mechanic that creates various bubble zones that are essentially a lost continent below the depths.
If the hordies want equal love, the trolls in their exodus to kalmidor, they could have ran into the same situation as I described for the gnomes. I personally would like to see the trolls find a home somewhere in the seas.
It doens't have to be underwater combat. Remember that many were cynical about Northrend because, "who wanted to play 10 levels of snow." Blizzard did a great job up there, and I'd keep faith that they will do it again if we headed into the Maelstrom.
http://fatchickstank.blogspot.com/
jam Jun 10th 2009 6:52PM
Agreed.
Hey, I hated X-Com: Terror from the Deep too!
I just don't want expansion that takes place in underwater, even partially.
Arturis Jun 10th 2009 7:44PM
Bioshock took place under water. People seemed to like that... >_>
Condor Jun 10th 2009 8:57PM
I hated water and murlocs so much with my original rogue I rerolled a shaman just to breathe and run on water. Hooray for foresight!
And yes, enhancement shaman are just aqua-friendly rogues.
oldwisemonk Jun 10th 2009 9:41PM
@jerks (who really aren't jerks)
I wasn't cynical about NR being in snow because snow doesn't slow me down like water does. Snow doesn't force me to watch my breath and it doesn't make my fights more difficult. I don't care how much imagination I have, it's not going to overcome how clumsy it feels going underwater in the game.
Most of my problems are with the water mechanics in WoW. Just the mechanics. If they found ways around travel, movement speed and fight positioning, I'd probably be down.
Urza Jun 10th 2009 10:51PM
Underwater vehicle combat!!!
Elry Jun 11th 2009 7:45AM
@oldwisemonk
Hey yeah, maybe the powers that be could find a way of changing the mechanics of water in the real world too, so we could move faster underwater and not have to worry about feeling clumsy if we got into underwater melees!
You seem to be complaining about the fact that underwater movement mechanics are based on real life ones - i.e. slower and more difficult movement. I for one, would love it if underwater mechanics were even more realistic, with tides and currents dragging my toon around, thus making it even more difficult (and even more realistic) in underwater combat.
Besides, they're already implementing water-based mounts. They probably will end up having underwater vehicle fights similar to the drakes in Oculus and EoE before long. There's no need to make our characters even more unrealistic in terms of game mechanics by making them able to breathe, move and fight unhindered underwater without any kind of potions or spells.
Personally, if the next xpac is the maelstrom, all I hope for is a "Wrinkly!" debuff after spending too long underwater!
oldwisemonk Jun 11th 2009 9:16AM
@Elry
And in real life if I had to choose to fight someone in water vs land, I'd pick land.
I don't mind that it's comparable to real life mechanics, I'm just saying I don't like those particular mechanics. Ever since vanilla WoW, I've disliked anything dealing with water since the first time I swam over to Echo Isles. I found it frustrating then, and I find it frustrating now.
Solex Jun 11th 2009 10:22AM
You know... serpent shrine cavern? Tier 5? Yeah... it was underwater and had nagas, you got in the water twice, to swim into the instance and then to get to Lurker.
Task Jun 10th 2009 6:12PM
It would certainly be a new perspective in terms of the game itself. We've gone to where, Blackfathom and Sunken Temple. And that's as far as underwear in terms of dungeons (Correct me if I'm wrong).
Regardless of what the new expansion is, whether it is the Emerald Dream or the Maelstrom, I am up for new areas and new lore to learn about.
Awesome article Amanda. :)
papermoonshine Jun 10th 2009 6:16PM
"And that's as far as underwear in terms of dungeons (Correct me if I'm wrong)."
hehe. Underwear
JustinScott Jun 10th 2009 6:30PM
Correct ME if im wrong, but arent the Coilfang Resevoir instances underwater as well =P