The Next Expansion: New Leveling Zones
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iTZKooPA on Monday, May 18, 2009 - 59 Comments Tags: columns, emerald dream, game design ideas, leveling, love for the old world, new leveling zones, old world, redesign, the maelstrom, the next expansion
iTZKooPA on Monday, May 18, 2009 - 59 Comments Tags: columns, emerald dream, game design ideas, leveling, love for the old world, new leveling zones, old world, redesign, the maelstrom, the next expansion 
Maelstrom, Emerald Dream Or Some Combination?A collection of Blizzard's community managers have been teasing the next expansion lately, according to WoWInsider, and it got me thinking about things I would like to see in number three. Outside of the added content, The Burning Crusade's biggest feature was the space goat - does anyone else think of "Coast to Coast" after reading that? - and sexy horde character, as well as Blizzard giving up on balancing faction-exclusive classes. For its part, Wrath of the Lich King introduced everyone to the first hero class, the overpowered, free-minded Death Knights. Without further ado, I present one of the major additions I would like to see in the upcoming expansion, whatever it may be, new leveling zones.
We've essentially been leveling from level 10-60 in the same zones since World of Warcraft launched back in late 2004. If it wasn't for The Burning Crusade's addition of opening zones for the added races, we could extend that to level 1-60. Sure, Azeroth offers many areas that overlap in their level range, but after leveling six characters to level 60, the content has run dry for me. I can only fight the raptors outside Menethil Harbor, squish the spiders of Duskwood, and farm various animals in Stranglethorn Vale so many times.
There's no serious indication that this could happen in the next expansion, but I will grasp any bit of information that can be skewed and twisted in a fashion to make my dreams seem possible. Case in point, when the topic of redesigning some of the Old World zones for a new expansion was raised, Zarhym chimed in with a seal of approval, "Good post :)." It's nice to know that someone within the Blizzard dictatorship agrees with us common folk, even if it is a disembodied, chattering skull.
Although I would prefer new content rather than redesigned zones, I will take what I can get. After all, the overhauled version of Silithus for The Gates of Ahn'Qiraj was absolutely brilliant and we need something brilliant to bring us back to the Old World. It may be a bit premature to begin thinking about the next expansion before we have killed Arthas, but that has never stopped me before and it won't stop my brain from thinking of new things either.
Do you think there's a chance that the developers will revisit the old world, whether it be adding new areas/zones or redesigning existing ones?
Reader Comments (59)
But, yea, im the kind of person who enjoys things to a certain point. Then when they're clearly done with everything, i want it to just finish.
Like Smallville. That show has been done for years now but still, season after season keeps airing.
And i love Harry Potter but im not going to be much of a fan if a book 8 comes out.
So if Blizz finishes up with everything and we get to 100 and are in full Tier 15 gear, then news of a new expansion comes out, ill just end my subscription then.
*NEW INSTANCE IDEA*
Caverns of Time - War of the Shifting Sands.... help the Nelfs defeat/ lock up the Silthlid....think about it
or how about Caverns of Time -- Well of Eternity.... help Malfurion and Tyrande defeat (Nelf at that time) Queen Azshara and the 1st invavison of the Burning Legion
also to those with teh idea to fight Deathwing, what if Deathwing is whats casueing the Nightmares in the Emerald Dream, so to got there and stop him from tainting it would be cool..
i would like to see some of the old instances in Heroic. Or maybe put some new low level instances. Re-desinging some areas would be nice. Really i just want to het through the content in WOTLK before everyone is competing to get to lv 90.
i think they should make a caverns of time instance of how Gnomer got taken over
i just hope that the next expantion they can think of something diffrent besides raiseing the level cap. i dont want to level to 90 =(.
I would love to see new ways to travel accros water. as in having and being able to upgrade your own ship. that could also be a new sick way to PvP. there should be added continents that you can only be able to get to by ship. thats what i really want to see
To be honest i think in one of the upcoming Wotlk patches will be raid:
CoT: The assault of silvermoon
If Blizz makes a new Hero Class they also should increase the player creation cap....10 is not enough...they should do it 15 or something.
I dont want another expansion for a while until we get more than just a single raid per patch i have a page load of patch ideas which im trying to find a recent blog post to post it on.