WoW last expansion?

[Enndo]

So I just had a WoW lore nerd in my guild tell me lich king is the last chapter of wow, anyone know if this is true? And if not what would possibly be another expansion? Personally I'd like to see them finish the many undone things they never completed pre bc, IE the instance in azshara by the furbolgs, the instance in the way back of tanaris by the stone giants, pretty much all of azshara is an unfinished zone, what is there like 5 quests in the whole thing lol. And most of all I'd like to see more stuff added to pre bc in general so that the world isn't dead anymore, any zone between levels 20-50 is dead. Plus I think it would be sick if they added the ability to use your flyer in pre-bc zones!

[falsfire3401]

There's some stuff floating around the internet about projected future expansions, some stuff people snapped from whiteboards in previous press conferences and meetings and such.

I think there's 2-3 more expansions coming (so level 100 or 110 will be the end). All of it points to the final expansion being a foray into the homeworld of the burning legion and defeating Sargeras as the final, be-all-and-end-all boss of WOW.

Lots of rumours that the next expansion would be either the Emerald Dream or the South Seas. If it's the south seas it could include Gilneas as a new starting area (Worgen race!), and would include Kul Tiras, and a final boss of Azshara in the Naga undersea home of Nazjatar in the Maelstrom in the center of the ocean.

If they do Emerald Dream and South Seas separately, then a final "Homeworld of the Burning Legion" expansion, that would take us to about 2014 and level 110.


I do know Blizz has a "next gen MMO" in development, which means they probably have a definite end in sight for WOW. But really, why would they even consider axing it now, it's making them such ludicrous amounts of money and still growing in popularity. Sure, there's lots of people burning out and quitting, but how many of them come back at some point, roll on a different server with other friends that play, or foray into things like multiboxing?

[Taliesin]

Pure speculation. Nobody has a freaking clue.

Early on at the initial release, Blizzard stated that their original storyline takes them out to level 90, but they refused to release any details of what that storyline entailed. They did "reserve the option" to extend the game even further, but I think that all depended on the success and money in doing so. Somehow I don't think they'd have any issue with trying to extend this game as long as they can. Granted, this was about 4 years ago, and their business strategy could have drastically changed. They did mention that they intended to have a final "end game" boss at the end of it all. Considering the Lich King has been a puppet of several different masters, I can hardly believe that he's the end to any storyline.

I think your friend may have heard those kinds of details that Blizzard had a predesignated "end" story for the game and may be misinterpreting that this was the end.

I think an Emerald Dream expansion would be easy to pull off and would make for a perfect next extension of the storyline. We now have the ability to face off against 2 Old Gods that have corrupted the world, but there's a minimum of 3 others (that we know of, total number of Old Gods is unknown) that may still be bound in the dream world. I doubt any more would be revealed before the Lich King instance(s) is opened. The emerald dragonflight is still battling against them in that realm, and emerald leader is slowly going insane from it (re: Dragonblight emerald sanctuary story questline). Throw in the fact that there's like 4 portals pre-placed around Azeroth surrounded by green dragonkin that is serving no purpose except to slaughter lowbies that get too curious, I think Blizzard has already made that a very strong possibility. The Old Gods also corrupted Deathwing (if I recall correctly), so he could also re-emerge as one of their puppets, which common thought is he is still alive (and possibly leading the mysterious Infinite Dragonflight).

Anyways, you could go on and on and on. As falsfire mentioned, a South Seas expansion is another possibility.

[Bovidae]

Blizz will release expansions as long as there are people to buy them. Remember, Warcraft is their own universe, it doesn't end until they say so.

[Tdog]

Dude this "lore nerd" in your guild needs to brush up on his lore apparently. There is so many unfinished storylines that WoW can keep going for easily another 10 years. And then if Blizzard wanted to they could just make some more lore up and keep it going longer than that even. There is no shortage of storyline whatsoever.

[Enndo]

Yeah that is true there are random dragonkin all over pre bc, than there is that weird area in the middle of the island off feralas next to the the ally island. Its like ungoro crater but with all elites in it.

[Malekyth]

And if nothing else, there are writers at Blizzard who can come up with something new! Just because a lot of WoW's plot was shaped by Warcraft III doesn't mean that it can't go down a route that wasn't conceived in some old RTS. It won't end because they run out of ideas, and there is no economic reason to let it die in sight, even on a very clear day.

[zanthor]

Just a guess, but at $500,000,000 posted profits last year I'd guess they can hire someone to make up a new story arc.

[Taliesin]

Yeah that is true there are random dragonkin all over pre bc, than there is that weird area in the middle of the island off feralas next to the the ally island. Its like ungoro crater but with all elites in it.

Along those same lines, I think I last counted like 5-6 zones that have yet to be put to use in Azeroth: one huge one in north Kalimdor, one south of Silverpine in Eastern Kingdoms, one east of Loch Modan, one north of the plaguelands, a small one between IF and SW along the coast, etc. Not all of these may have intended uses, but there's still possibilities of opening brand new zones in already existing continents.

[Stabface]

yeah, lorelol pretty much.

[falsfire3401]

In terms of instances or areas I *WANT* to see opened, south seas, Kul Tiras, Gilneas, Uldum, Grim Batol, and an outdoor world map for Hyjal in old Azeroth.

[Tombs]

WoW isn't ending anytime soon. I guarantee that Blizzard knows their next MMO is not going to ever be as popular as WoW.

[moji]

The only problem with infinite expansions is getting new players, who then have to buy 4-5 boxes to play one game. If someone new comes in now, they have to drop about $60 just to get the whole game - vanilla, BC and wrath, then take about a month and a half or longer to get up to 80. Add on a few more expansions and things really add up, new players get discouraged and they look for a more accessible game. Yes, Everquest is still going, there's plenty more MMO's too that have been around forever, but the problem they all have is they're not gaining. They have die hard players, but no fresh blood. Wow will survive for a long time, but it makes sense to rewrite it and start over.

[zanthor]

The only problem with infinite expansions is getting new players, who then have to buy 4-5 boxes to play one game. If someone new comes in now, they have to drop about $60 just to get the whole game - vanilla, BC and wrath, then take about a month and a half or longer to get up to 80. Add on a few more expansions and things really add up, new players get discouraged and they look for a more accessible game. Yes, Everquest is still going, there's plenty more MMO's too that have been around forever, but the problem they all have is they're not gaining. They have die hard players, but no fresh blood. Wow will survive for a long time, but it makes sense to rewrite it and start over.So every 3rd expac EQ would release a battlechest that would bring you to near current... for $50. So for a new player after 6 xpacs they had to buy 2 boxed sets to get current...

Blizzard has so far followed a similar path with theirs.

[Dominian]

The only problem with infinite expansions is getting new players, who then have to buy 4-5 boxes to play one game. If someone new comes in now, they have to drop about $60 just to get the whole game - vanilla, BC and wrath, then take about a month and a half or longer to get up to 80. Add on a few more expansions and things really add up, new players get discouraged and they look for a more accessible game. Yes, Everquest is still going, there's plenty more MMO's too that have been around forever, but the problem they all have is they're not gaining. They have die hard players, but no fresh blood. Wow will survive for a long time, but it makes sense to rewrite it and start over.

Make the 3x xp bonus apply for everyone in the 1-60 range and the outlands xp needed was lowered when WOTLK launched.

The leveling in general doesnt take much longer if you focus on the right stuff, but wow got lots more fatures,proffesions,abilities and talents then what it had at launch.

Paying for Outlands aka TBC expansion feels kinda pointless since you wont have a chance to raid there, after all nearly no one play in outlands.

Im not sure if it costs THAT much more thought: Vanilla = $23 TBC = $23 WOTLK= $41 wich is $87 in total and i belive i paid $75 for my vanilla wow without beeing 100% sure.

[Gomotron]

The only problem with infinite expansions is getting new players, who then have to buy 4-5 boxes to play one game. If someone new comes in now, they have to drop about $60 just to get the whole game - vanilla, BC and wrath, then take about a month and a half or longer to get up to 80. Add on a few more expansions and things really add up, new players get discouraged and they look for a more accessible game. Yes, Everquest is still going, there's plenty more MMO's too that have been around forever, but the problem they all have is they're not gaining. They have die hard players, but no fresh blood. Wow will survive for a long time, but it makes sense to rewrite it and start over.So every 3rd expac EQ would release a battlechest that would bring you to near current... for $50. So for a new player after 6 xpacs they had to buy 2 boxed sets to get current...

Blizzard has so far followed a similar path with theirs.And to expand on this, Blizzard wisely made the RAF program that makes leveling to 60 essentially trivial. I am betting that RAF will be expanded to 70 with the release of the next expansion, with the XP curves lowered as well at least to level 80, much like the revisions that have occurred with BC.

[algol]

Wow will survive for a long time, but it makes sense to rewrite it and start over.As I recall, EQ2 hurt the franchise significantly. Aside from the added cost, this would probably be a pretty dumb move on Blizzard's part. They really don't want to be the one that finally builds a "WoW killer"...

Also, Blizzard has already been "battlechesting" BC with the original for quite a while now. I don't think being 6 expansions deep will leave them very confused as to what to do. Mostly they'll be confused over which small country to buy to use as a tax shelter.

[keyclone]

if it were me...

wrath of the lich king (max level 80) --> ??? (max level 90)

add some content (i'd prefer forces of good to counter the DKs) forcing skill levels up a bit, more gear, align lore for....

--> the legions of diablo (max level 100)

this is when we find that the lich king ruled the dead, while diablo ruled the underworld. where the death knights, from alliance and horde, come under the command of diablo as his elite guards to fight their way to dominance over the entire realm. fighting against non-DK from both alliance and horde, who formed an uneasy truce (which breaks down occasionally).

just a thought

:D

[Taliesin]

if it were me...

wrath of the lich king (max level 80) --> ??? (max level 90)

add some content (i'd prefer forces of good to counter the DKs) forcing skill levels up a bit, more gear, align lore for....

--> the legions of diablo (max level 100)

this is when we find that the lich king ruled the dead, while diablo ruled the underworld. where the death knights, from alliance and horde, come under the command of diablo as his elite guards to fight their way to dominance over the entire realm. fighting against non-DK from both alliance and horde, who formed an uneasy truce (which breaks down occasionally).

just a thought

:D

Sorry, man. No.

It turns out that the Old Gods are Zerg Cerebrates (seriously, just look at them), and the Overmind has been controlling them from an island hidden inside the Maelstrom. The Silithid are actually his minions, but he has found a way to gain control over the Emerald Dream (queens creating infested druids... "For the Overmind!" *kablooie!*). The pre-cursor to the next expansion is all the portals (actually Nidus Canals) on Azeroth will open and zerg creep will spill out and slowly start consuming the land. Zerglings will appear randomly around the world and must be stopped, otherwise towns like Darkshire get turned into zerg havens and the inhabitants become infested as well. The final premise is that the Protoss have been warned that the planet has been infected and are coming to "cleanse" the planet. We must fight together to not only stop the spread of the zerg influence, but also attempt to stop the Protoss before the "final solution" can be put into affect by the Council.

As I'm typing this nonsense out... it sounds awfully damn close to the undead and the titans, doesn't it? Hmm.

[Tdog]

Blizzard has already stated, like 3 months after TBC, came out that their intentions concerning time to reach max level will always be inline with the orginal time it took to get from 1-60. Which if you stop and think back, I think it's actually faster to get from 1-80 now then it was to get from 1-60 back in Vanilla WoW. Then again I also have leveled more toons then I care to admit and don't even have to look at the leveling guides half the time anymore thus becoming quite effiecent at leveling fast :D