Gnomeregan, Sen'jin, and Phasing
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Heartbourne on Thursday, April 23, 2009 - 42 Comments Tags: gnomeregan, gnomes, phasing, sen'jin, trolls
Heartbourne on Thursday, April 23, 2009 - 42 Comments Tags: gnomeregan, gnomes, phasing, sen'jin, trolls 
Some of the content in this post may be considered spoilers to those who have not leveled to 80.A lot of players ask questions like "how was Gnomeregan taken over by a bunch of level 40 troggs and why can't level 80 players clean it out?" or "the Exodar crash has been a few months ago for a couple years now. Why doesn't this change?" One of the reasons the world doesn't change is that Blizzard wants a "static MMO world" to a large extent where they have developed content that they still want to be accessible to players as they spent a large amount of resources developing it. Players also largely don't want to see content disappear. The disappearance of the Onyxia key quest chain in order to progress the story was controversial.
The second answer to questions like this is that as far as lore goes, "level" is not a direct measure of power. It is unclear if Kel'Thuzad could best Ragnaros mano-a-mano. Lore-wise, cleaning out Gnomeregan is not as simple as a level 80 mage walking in and spamming Arcane Explosion. Gnomeregan has some additional radiation issues, but generally you can't just use levels to compare say Edwin VanCleef to Jammal'an the Prophet.
The 8 "well-developed" capital cities have lots to do and there seems to always be some corner to explore, yet Sen'jin and Gnomeregan are extremely static and boring. Orgrimmar and Stormwind were attacked by the Scourge prior to the Horde and Alliance's invasion of Northrend, and all the capital cities usually have something going on with the world events. Sen'jin and Gnomeregan are left out completely. I wonder why they can't phase the Sen'jin and Orgimmar areas after you do the starting quests and maybe some "construction" quests like with the Argent Crusade in Icecrown which progress you through a series of phases.
Some of my favorite content in the game has to be the aftermath of the Wrathgate incident. The phasing of Orgrimmar and the Undercity were fantastic, shocking, and memorable. Somehow I can't imagine why they can't do something with Sen'jin and other undeveloped areas. I think it degrades some of the "troll identity" in the Horde to not have a home city and having to slaughter trolls all the time. I smiled to myself when I completed Exalted Champion of Silvermoon and was able to choose "Bladebourne of Silvermoon" as a title. This is one of the reasons I have problems playing as a troll. Trolls and Gnomes were not even included in the original WoW cinematic and their inclusion in recent content always feels like "token representation". Vol'jin didn't even go into the Undercity during the attack on Varimathras and I really wanted him to bust out some voodoo.
I hope that perhaps in the next expansion they flesh out Sen'jin and Gnomeregan, maybe through phasing, and give people a reason to visit them when they are at max level. I don't often go to Silvermoon City or Thunder Bluff, but I never go to Sen'jin. Is it worth it to build these cities up, or do you think the excuse of trolls largely being absorbed to Orgrimmar and gnomes into Ironforge valid enough to leave them as is?
Reader Comments (42)
Source:http://www.wowwiki.com/Zandalar
That Zandalar stuff is interesting. Most of the south sea stuff has only been represented in the Warcraft RPG and I'm pretty rusty on it. I could totally see the south seas and maelstrom giving us a full expansion with all the untapped material in the lore there.
Retake Gnomeregan? Clean it?
Fools!!!
Did you ride with the Gomeregan Mobile Infantry? Did you fight the troggs at the battle of ventilation shaft 82? Where was Stormwind and Ironforge when the troggs came through the tunnels, when the robots revolted, and when the radiation was unleashed? Where were you when it seeped through and mutated our kin?
I'll tell you where you were! You were fighting orcs and Dark Irons while our city was overrun by rampaging mutants!
No... Gnomeregan is lost. Doomed to radiation for decades to come.
We are exiles, now and forever.
But blizzard should really implement some more lore related quests. I mean, what the hell did the gnomes do before being overrun? Weren't there any great heroes in that entire war?
How about some phasing in the instance, so that you could run it more than just between lvls 28-35. Return at lvl 50 pehaps and face of against the now radiated Dark Irons. Leper Dwarves? I say yes!
Although, the less lore, the more fan fiction can be made, and you can pretty make up your own gnomish history.
Kinda like: http://www.worldofzach.com/?p=84
As for the trolls I think Zen'jin is a dump and the Echo Isles should be reclaimed with some quests and phasing, just for the heck of it.
OR maybe the trolls could lead the horde into the battle for the Great Sea, with places like Kezan, the Maelstrom and Zandalari, aswell as Nazj-atar. Would be awesome with some ancient lore, cause The Darkspears doesn't appear to have any legends, or stuff.
"I hunger! Gief more lore!"
@Lord Cogwrecker: Is that an actualy quote? It's awesome, I must know who says it!
If the next expansion does turn out to be the Maelstrom, which looks to be the most likely of the (player) suggestions, then the Horde will need sea ports: Sen'jin from Orgrimmar and Gilneas from Undercity look like good places to put boats.
Likewise, the Alliance could use an airbase for the expansion - Ironforge Airstrip, and something in Kalimdor (can you tell I don't have a high level Alliance toon?)
There's a ton of old world content that is crying out for a revamp - if we're going nautical, that would mean a strong naga theme, and open Azshara up to a level 90 raid instance, for one.
(maybe digression off the post but follows the comments)
i've enjoyed old world content almost more than the new one. Deadmines is one of my favorite dungeons.
I would LOVE it if theymade a Heroic or even a levle 80 version of all old world dungeons. Let them keep their setup adn abilities, all you have to program is change eveyrne's level to 81, bosses to skull, and add a bit of hp. Can't take too long to program!
Arugal had unique moves you don't find anywhere else in the game.
Sunken Temple was a unique design and getting thru it and stuff.
Blizzard needs to do this lol.
The "Old World" in WoW, like the psots above say, HAS TO BE used in lore and events and such things again...
Man, some days ago I had a blast on a PUG in Ragefire Chasm and Wailling Caverns! Ragnaros fight is just EPIC! Arugal is epic too!...you see...there is a lot of the "old world" that is cool and everyone likes, like the deadmines or Blackwing Lair for example...I think old-school players would enjoy coming back to their roots ^^
I've always thought that Zul Drak would have been beautiful if not for the scourge. All that lovely Meso-American architecture and bright colors. But alas, it was not to be. The trolls and the cultures they've borrowed from to make them unique, are some of my real life favorites. The capoeira the males do and the cute Caribbean accents. But, you're right. Almost everything I've ever done with my troll brethren involved smashing them in the head with a comically large mallet.
illigetimi: Nope, but it is now!
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And Gilneas would be awesome if claimed by Undercity for some sort of Great Sea expansion. Perhaps we could kill of a few refuges and stuff, just to be evil.
And imagine you getting on board of ships and then manning a gun turret (kinda like in New Avalon) and just firing away at all ships passing by, eventually sinking them.
We were, after all, already introduced to her majestys royal navy, The Windrunner Fleet, at Vengeance Landing.
Would be nice to be able to attack with ships and then torpedo them with gnomish and goblin submarines.
i heard something about a gathering of trolls every like seven years or so(maybe more) something like that
maybe this would be the next expansion with something added to the gnomish side as well idk seems like a good idea if blizzard follows through with it good addition to both of the races
Gnomes will get back Gnomeregan back when they introduce the gnome healer class, ie never.
Trolls will get Sen'jin back when their regeneration racial actually heals them more than the very lowest leveled "Troll's Blood Potion" does, ie never.
i agree to the topic in every way shape form and colour!!!
I agree that they could probably use phasing a little better now. Since the original quests and game didn't have this feature when you rescued somebody, or did something in an area it basically stayed the same like what you did had no impact on the future.
While I doubt they will change the old quests to show more of this, it would be nice to have some of the zones/areas of interest phase as you leveled. Some could be quest related and would not affect how others see you or the area, others could just be level related. Say you hit level 30 and its time to get your mount, there is not a quest to learn it still costs the same gold but it would phase you to a later part in time/developement.
the gnomes were advanced WAY beyond the others races, when the dwarfs discoverd teh gnomes, the dwarfs had just found out about gunpower, the gnomes..... had a small tech village. the gnomes helped the alliance in the 2nd war.reclaiming gnomer? not a good idea, instead how about the gnomes just build a new city....inside Ironforge, hey the dwarfs let them in why not let them build a new home...
As for the Trolls, they have a long history. they were one of the 2 dominant races in the beginning of Azeroth. it was the trolls and the Siltihid, the trolls empires were the Amani and Gurubashi they divided the big bugs into the Siltihid in AQ and the Nerubians. then the Nelfs came to power useing the Well of Eterinity. the playable troll race is the most...civialived (and i use that term loosely) the other races: Forest, Desert, Frost, Undead those trolls are still in the olden days of canabalism. I've seen ther' small small small villiage near Echo Isle, it was so small i nearly missed it for the Discover achievements. makeing it bigger? perhaps, it'd be nice for the Trolls to have a bigger city and have Mardi Gra
As for old world content comin back, ppl do the raids for the achievements from time to time, and lowbies being run though, im glad to say im not a person that does that. I'm a lv 80 Mage and i have a few rule if someone wants a run though: 1. they must have tried to find a grp for a long time. 2. I'm NOT running them more then once. 3. im a mage, i dont rez, u stay back and get LOW exp gain while i ice barrier and pwn low lv instance...and i mean stay back......
I started mid-BC era so I had a chance to lv and do instance with a group and not be run through, i know the instances by heart, i ninja the defias gunpower no matter waht cause i like blowing the door up, I'm a Lore Master, when new patches came out i got pissed when they nerf mages (my only prob now is i have to cast Frostbolt more when im Frostfire spec) after Arthas is gone btw, all thats left is Queen Azshara........and......Sargaras the Demon Lord of the Burning Legion, Former Titan....
how about the alliance and horde fight for something similer for a change as well, Give peace a chance Varian!
How about a NEW capital city for Trolls and Gnomes, as in populating a NEW island near Echo Isles or something ...
well the next expansion is going to be released sometime in the future. they are completely re-making azeroth. ditching alot of old azeroth quests and adding new ones. getting rid of old classic instances and adding new ones. apperently barrens will be split in 2, each side for a different level bracket. and yes gnomes will get healers (priests). basically getting from level 1-60 is going to be completely different. this is a chance for them to ditch the old quests for gnomer and echo isles, and is a great operotunity to give us gnomer back aswell as the echo isles for the trolls.
hey i really liked your post...
i think this phasing idea would fit perfectly!!
anyways gnomes are much more cooler then trolls (for most people) and it could be not a big city but a really small city that provides unique and important things...(we dont want more empty cities..)
one thing i was thinking about is to put some racial advantages to some professions or races.. like...
deadly poisons in alchmy for the forsaken..
mechanic battle mounts or mechanic advantage for gnomes with enginering
orcs with shaman, trolls and some kind of vodoo trick...
i dont know, its just an idea!