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Future expansions planned by Blizzard, from late 2003.Follow

#127 Jul 08 2009 at 7:36 PM Rating: Excellent
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ArchVangarde wrote:
"China did have issues with Pandaren, and they are an important part of their player base. Can't say it'll never happen, but it isn't on the horizon."


Things have changed a lot since Pandaren were introduced, that was back in Warcraft III. The new license holder here (Netease) is said to have a better working relationship with the government and may be more able to steer new content through the local approval process. If they can get WotLK through, Pandaren should be a snap.

For that matter, there aren't really any mainland players right now (although quite a few transferred to Taiwan) and unless things get sorted out, there won't be. Servers have been closed since June 7 and will remain closed indefinitely as the various cases get sorted out. Polls show 20% or more of Chinese players are fed up and may not return to the game; WotLK is expected to be delayed beyond whatever time the servers might come up and that means we're going to continue to be wildly out of step with new content.

If things don't get worked out, Blizzard might have substantially less interest in what China has issues with and might even have an incentive to go with Pandaren to bring in new players. If things do get sorted out, Pandaren seemingly need to be addressed (according to OP) until the expansion after next -- giving plenty of time to work out any issues that might exist.

Azuarc wrote:
There are no physical Pandarens. There are no mentions anywhere within Alliance subculture.


True, but they were in WC III and there is some slight mention of them in Vanilla. The mention is slight, but it is placed in such a way that Horde players are almost certain to encounter it. Panda Express may be an old joke, but I thought it was interesting that it is still found in "underdev" rather than having been archived off; leaving it up keeps the rumors swirling. Granted, if wishes were horses then beggers would ride ... if the list is accurate and if the next expansion moves to the Maelstrom, that would put players in the right area to discover further signs of Pandaria.

Hey, look, they gave us squid faced space goats (who build spaceships, but use crossbows) on a lot less! Yes, they learned from that mistake, but that could explain why they didn't do more to seed Pandaren as a race. When Vanilla was released, they hadn't learned the lesson yet. Maelsrom is probably a more logical point to introduce Pandaren than WotLK would have been.

In practical terms, Pandaren also address some of the other problems that were mentioned in the interview: "I would worry that our classes would become less distinct and interesting, and the new stuff may not feel as cool." It opens the door to Brewmasters, but also to the whole range of oriental RPG stereotypes, even mo.... Urk! Maybe Pandaren are a really bad idea!
#128 Jul 09 2009 at 9:49 AM Rating: Decent
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Quote:
I could be mistaken, but I don't believe this is the original thread. There was one previous, very shortly after BC was released. Even so, do you really have much reason to distrust it? -- Maybe WotLK was announced, but there was zero public information on it until much later.


I thought I remembered reading about this before this thread as well.

Edit: It is difficult to remember after so much time has passed.

Edited, Jul 9th 2009 1:49pm by Karthal
#129 Jul 09 2009 at 7:36 PM Rating: Decent
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591 posts
I remember seeing this thread right around the time Bliz trademarked the name "Wrath of the lich king" I am going by the assumption that it is accurate.
#130 Jul 10 2009 at 8:20 AM Rating: Decent
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3,114 posts
Azuarc wrote:
Chilton said in the interview we had linked on the front page earlier today that they want their player races "seeded" in the world and a known entity to players before they would become playable.


Well as the list says, Hiji is one of the Pandarain areas, and it's "to the east of Kezan, south of the Broken Isles and Maelstrom"(wowwiki) Where's the next expansion? Right next door. It could be that this is where we'll see Pandarians for the first time in WoW, get used a lot and then expac #4, Pandarians enter the scene.
#131 Jul 12 2009 at 2:43 AM Rating: Decent
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190 posts
I found an interesting article that was posted back in January on rumorfeed.blogspot.com. The article can be found here. For those that don't want to click, I have it posted below. I am in no way claiming any of this to be fact.

Quote:
This info comes straight from the mouth of three GM’s, so while I have no “official” statement from a Blizzard rep (I don’t have any sources inside Blizzard, just a few GM’s that work for them, looking after WoW and battle.net) it should still be considered solid information as all three have seen multiple new areas and are just part of a “plethora” of testers that Blizzard has in these new zones.

The first of these expansions has something to do with the Emerald Dream, as there are currently seven “rather large” zones that are related to the Emerald Dream. These are already “fairly fleshed out” with plenty of quest NPC’s and content. The zones themselves are a lot “greener” than anything previously found in WoW, with many “giant” flowers, trees and lakes. My sources said “think Zangarmarsh, but greener, and with much more foliage. The giant mushrooms are replaced with giant flowers, fields of green, and plenty of foliage.” The creatures in these zones are mostly "animal like" at the moment.

Next up there are a few zones that are in “very early” stages of development. The strange part is that they are in no way connected to either the Emerald Dream or the content that Blizzard is working on for the Lich King expansion. These zones are more “Waterworld themed” (Waterworld is an older movie starring Kevin Costner. Look it up.)

There is a zone that contains a “barely floating city, surrounded by a huge body of water”; there are quite a few more “graphics for ships, with big galleons here and there”; and finally there is a new “giant sea creature”. However nothing in these zones is scripted and they are just walked around in for the moment. The sea creature can already be spawned; then again it can be spawned in any zone as long as the command is known, even in good old Azeroth. There are also a few more “Waterworld” based zones out there, but they are not yet populated or finished.

My sources believe that Blizzard is working on the next two expansion packs to the game. One themed on the Emerald Dream, and the other on what looks like “Waterworld”. I have no release dates, however the three commented on how they “have to be done with a few zones by July 2009”. Which puts one expansion pack on track for late 2009, early 2010.

I have no other knowledge on what else comes with the expansion, but one can assume that we will get a higher level cap and more skills.


The one thing that I find interesting in the article is the quote from the supposed GM's. “have to be done with a few zones by July 2009”. This would put some footage in the hands of Blizzard for the upcoming Blizzcon. I say again this is all just speculation but it's fun to think about.


Edited, Jul 12th 2009 6:46am by Antius
#132 Aug 21 2009 at 6:26 PM Rating: Good
Well it would seem with Worgen and Goblins announced as the next playable races that there is some authenticity to the original post after all.
#133 Aug 21 2009 at 6:45 PM Rating: Decent
Well it looks like if this was ever their outline for expansions they've changed their mind now.
#134 Aug 21 2009 at 8:40 PM Rating: Excellent
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mcmagi wrote:
Well it would seem with Worgen and Goblins announced as the next playable races that there is some authenticity to the original post after all.


You could have just linked it instead of necro posting it.
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#135 Aug 21 2009 at 9:30 PM Rating: Decent
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Mistress Darqflame wrote:
mcmagi wrote:
Well it would seem with Worgen and Goblins announced as the next playable races that there is some authenticity to the original post after all.


You could have just linked it instead of necro posting it.


I actually looked it up like a week ago to confirm if it was the next expac or not.
#136 Aug 21 2009 at 9:33 PM Rating: Excellent
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Mistress Darqflame wrote:
mcmagi wrote:
Well it would seem with Worgen and Goblins announced as the next playable races that there is some authenticity to the original post after all.


You could have just linked it instead of necro posting it.
This thread lives to be necro posted. Smiley: grin
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#137 Aug 21 2009 at 10:14 PM Rating: Excellent
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Sir Xsarus wrote:
Mistress Darqflame wrote:
mcmagi wrote:
Well it would seem with Worgen and Goblins announced as the next playable races that there is some authenticity to the original post after all.


You could have just linked it instead of necro posting it.
This thread lives to be necro posted. Smiley: grin


While I normally have a problem with Necroposting, I have to agree. This thread is an exception.
#138 Aug 21 2009 at 10:37 PM Rating: Good
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Mistress Darqflame wrote:
mcmagi wrote:
Well it would seem with Worgen and Goblins announced as the next playable races that there is some authenticity to the original post after all.


You could have just linked it instead of necro posting it.


I think this thread should be stickied.

DF is awesome
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#139 Aug 22 2009 at 5:40 AM Rating: Decent
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It looks like Gilneas and Grim Batol are the only areas from the "maelstrom set" to make it in...and Gilneas is no longer high-level. In other words, it looks like they've abandoned this plan.
#140 Aug 22 2009 at 7:55 AM Rating: Excellent
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It's obvious there was a change in plans. However, I think that's completely understandable. Look at the state of the game right now. Old world needs an overhaul, game needs a mechanics overhaul. This is actually a brilliant way to do it. I antagonized MMO-champ's advanced info because I didn't think Blizzard was going balls to the wall changing everything, but because they are, it actually all works together. As long as they pull it off, of course, but that's topic for another thread.

I find it completely plausible that we may end up going back to the schedule for future releases. The level ranges might be different, however the expansion themes could remain. I'm not completely counting this file out, although obviously the info we have on Cataclysm does weigh against it considerably.
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#141 Aug 22 2009 at 9:19 AM Rating: Decent
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It looks to me like they took some from the Maelstrom and Plane sets for this one. It sounds likely that they are setting up an Old Gods expansion in the future, and I doubt the Legion set will ever come out.

Edited, Aug 22nd 2009 1:23pm by Minoran
#142 Aug 23 2009 at 2:42 AM Rating: Good
Azuarc wrote:
It's obvious there was a change in plans. However, I think that's completely understandable. Look at the state of the game right now. Old world needs an overhaul, game needs a mechanics overhaul. This is actually a brilliant way to do it. I antagonized MMO-champ's advanced info because I didn't think Blizzard was going balls to the wall changing everything, but because they are, it actually all works together. As long as they pull it off, of course, but that's topic for another thread.

I find it completely plausible that we may end up going back to the schedule for future releases. The level ranges might be different, however the expansion themes could remain. I'm not completely counting this file out, although obviously the info we have on Cataclysm does weigh against it considerably.

Yeah. It was pretty clear that when flying was introduced in TBC, they'd eventually have to provide flight in the old world. Making a "reason" for the revamp was brilliant on Blizz's part.
#143 Aug 23 2009 at 3:50 PM Rating: Excellent
Arguments for the authenticity of the "list":
  • "Memories" of a certain number of people, who state they have seen this and exactly this string of characters before September 2007 already, and not other, similar speculations based on the previous games or the RPG books, which have always floated around the net.

Arguments against the authenticity: (oh god where do I begin)
  • The most important thing: There is no factual evidence whatsoever that this very alignment of letters existed before September 2007. The earliest known reference is this very thread which was posted not even 2 weeks after the Northrend zones were officially announced.
  • There is also a screenshot of the supposed original post by Caydiem, but this only started to appear in 2009, too. It is likely based on this 2005 screenshot of several posts by Caydiem, the date in the first post is nearly the same as in the supposed 2004 screen, with differences just the year and the time.
  • Supposedly this list was known since 2003, but Blizzard had all topics mentioning it deleted - this can only be true for the official WoW forums, not for independent sites. If Blizzard had pressed those sites to also delete postings of the list, you can be sure as hell one rogue site admin would've taken this as a proof for the authenticity, and would've posted it even more, spreading it to everyone who would've wanted to read it. Plus, archive websites like Google or web.archive.org would be able to find even those deleted threads.
  • Strangely, the Northrend Set has 2 starting areas, a method which isn't really used in any other set - in fact, that Northrend has 2 entry zones came from the experience they made with Hellfire Peninsula, which was heavily overpopulated the first days and weeks after the release of BC.
  • Azjol-Nerub had always been planned as its own zone, up until somewhere mid-alpha, it wasn't mentioned anymore when they officially announced the Northrend zones. If the list had been from 2003, it would sure still list Azjol-Nerub as a zone.

Rather neutral points, which still should get you thinking:
  • Bloodmyst Isle is misspelled as "Bloodmyrk", suggesting that this zone was renamed during development, on the other hand this could be a deliberate misspelling.
  • "The Deadlands" appear to be the Bone Wastes as their own zone, which actually appeared in 2.0 as a subzone of Terokkar Forest, again you can't say whether this was a change of plans or a deliberate addition to confuse people.
  • All mentioned zones were well-known in 2007 through the previous RTS games and the RPG source books, every experience player could've produced a similar list on his own, with the expansions sorted by their possibility of being made - assuming Outland and Northrend are confirmed as expansions, the Maelstrom/South Sea is the next most possible expansion, rather closely followed by the Emerald Dream. The other "sets" might be too abstract for new players, WoW would need to gain a certain playerbase through "familiar" content/zones, close to known fantasy settings, before venturing into weird stuff as the Elemental Plane or the Legion-controlled nightmares of planets. This holds true for both years of origin, 2003 and 2007, but again it's a proof for neither.

#144 Aug 24 2009 at 6:41 AM Rating: Good
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Nathanyel’s case is compelling. Though it’s possible to still justify faith in this expansion list by saying Blizz’s plans changed, I tend to agree that it was not a leaked high-level devloper document, but rather a wish list by someone with strong game knowledge, but not necessarily inside knowledge.

#145 Aug 26 2009 at 7:54 AM Rating: Excellent
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Hello everyone. I'm the OP, if you haven't noticed.

With the announcement of Cataclysm, it seems the lifespan of my list has come to its end.

It's odd how this list, which I wrote myself out of boredom on a fall morning, has taken on a life of its own.

I wrote it in September of 2007, but some swear they saw it during the WoW beta in 2004. To boot, CMs on the official WoW forums deleted this list every time it popped up - at least until this year, when they suddenly stopped caring.

Some things I predicted came to pass. Others didn't.

I was sure I'd be proven right with a Maelstrom expansion, but it seems Blizzard has combined light elements of both the Elemental Planes and Maelstrom into one expansion. Gilneas and Grim Batol are in from the Maelstrom expansion, while the four elemental planes have been introduced - some only as raid dungeons, disappointingly. Why Blizzard has reduced the Firelands to a raid and expanded Uldum into a full zone is beyond me. If you ask me, they should have followed my lead.

Back in 2006, when we were struggling to figure out what race the Alliance would be getting, I started another rumor - the Worgen rumor!


"The people of Gilneas entombed themselves in their isolated peninsula at the outbreak of the Undead Scourge, erecting the Greymane Wall to keep out the demons and walking dead of the cursed army. To this day, refugees from the ravaged villages of Lordaeron gather at it, crying for safe haven from the Forsaken that now claim Silverpine Forest as their own.

Yet it is not much better behind the wall. For agents of the crazed wizard Arugal have infiltrated the once-prosperous land and spread a dark curse among the populace. As the first tainted moon climbed into the sky, screams rendered the countryside as the inhabitants of Gilneas changed forms and became the crazed Worgen. Few retained their minds. Many became wild and bloodthirsty.

Those who remained in control of their thoughts waged a war hidden from the eyes of the rest of the world, slaying former friends and family in an effort to preserve what little life still hoped for survival. Naming themselves the Nightcry after that first terrifying moonrise, they fought until they found themselves drained of resources and the will to continue the bloody battles alone.

Unable to conceal their horrid existence from the world any longer, a new sun rises over Gilneas. The Alliance has opened its gates to the refugees and an effort is now underway to restore humanity to the Nightcry Worgen. As one of their number, you must prove yourself a capable ally to the Alliance's cause and master the powers granted to you against your will in order to free your land...no matter how much blood you must shed.
"


That was me as well. I didn't try and pass that one off as fact, though. Some people just ran with it. When you write speculative lore, you might as well pass it off as fact yourself and have a bit of fun with it. Otherwise a stranger will take what you wrote and start the rumor himself.

I can't think of any way I could have hurt anyone by starting this rumor, but it's within the realm of extreme possibility, so to them I apologize. To the rest of you, I've really enjoyed watching you all debate this. Hopefully you didn't spend too many sleepless nights pondering the ramifications of this leak.

I still intend on comparing future content to my list. Cataclysm looks rather fun but the way they're glossing over the Elemental Planes, which could have been four unique regions, bothers me.

Happy trails. Maybe I'll be around more often on 'Zam' now, unless you all don't want me, in which case I will accept my exile to the official forums. I will live in a mud hut and have many sharp sticks with which to jab the trolls who come through my windows demanding I play Aion.

Edited, Aug 26th 2009 9:55am by Reinjin
#146 Aug 26 2009 at 8:21 AM Rating: Decent
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Quote:
It's odd how this list, which I wrote myself out of boredom on a fall morning, has taken on a life of its own.


rofl

edit: rate up for epicness

Edited, Aug 26th 2009 12:21pm by Karthal
#147 Aug 26 2009 at 8:35 AM Rating: Good
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2,188 posts
Quote:
I wrote it in September of 2007

I guess more than a few people who rated him into sub-default oblivion for calling the OP out owe Nathanyel an apology.

Another example of how people don't get down-rated for saying something nasty or insulting, or giving incorrect information, but for offering an opinion against the majority view. gogo conform or be ostracized.


As for the OP, how very narcissistic of you.
Quote:
I've really enjoyed watching you all debate this.



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#148 Aug 26 2009 at 8:40 AM Rating: Excellent
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cynyck wrote:



As for the OP, how very narcissistic of you.



I think everyone enjoyed reading the discussions that came about from this.

I can't imagine anyone being upset or mad or sad about them.

It promoted discourse about the game lore, which I see as a good thing, since so much of the WoW playerbase doesn't even read quest text. Just look at all the people who have no idea who Deathwing is.
#149 Aug 26 2009 at 8:43 AM Rating: Good
Hats off to the OP for a truly epic ride. I'm speechless.
#150 Aug 26 2009 at 9:24 AM Rating: Default
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2,188 posts
Reinjin wrote:
cynyck wrote:

As for the OP, how very narcissistic of you.

I think everyone enjoyed reading the discussions that came about from this.

I can't imagine anyone being upset or mad or sad about them.

It promoted discourse about the game lore, which I see as a good thing, since so much of the WoW playerbase doesn't even read quest text. Just look at all the people who have no idea who Deathwing is.

You took advantage of people for your own amusement. The substance of the discussion was a sideshow for you - I don't see any posts from you anywhere in that discussion.

You don't think the people who defended your list feel used? You could have engendered the same discussion by being honest and posting the list as your own from the beginning. Lore threads are always lengthy and intense.

Maybe it's just me. Maybe honesty and integrity really don't mean anything anymore. I mean, it's just a dumb game board full of people discussing a dopey game, right?


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"the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."
Hermann Goering, April 1946.
#151 Aug 26 2009 at 9:42 AM Rating: Excellent
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cynyck wrote:

it's just a dumb game board full of people discussing a dopey game, right?


I wouldn't go as far as saying it's a 'dumb game board full of people discussing a dopey game'.

WoW is far from dopey, and I've spent many hours educating people on the lore. I write about it, read about it, explain it to others. I'm a veritable expert.

This is just something that I expected would get four posts and sink off the front page. It got a bit out of hand.

I am surprised and amused by how popular it got, and how so many didn't even think it originated with me, but instead was posted by Caydiem in 2004.

I can't see how any harm has been done. I do apologize for offending you. It appears you have a very high moral standards, which is a good thing as long as things are kept in perspective.
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