Again with the Gobbos and the Wolf-Men...Oy.

After reading many articles, and responses, on various blogs (Too Many Annas and Lorecrafted, just to name a few), I got to thinking a little more on the political and social ramifications of the theorized Worgen and Goblin races joining the fray.

First up, Goblins. As mentioned time and time again, on Two Wolf Moon and countless other sources debating this topic, Goblins are vastly a neutral race. They are driven by greed, so it's bad business skills to deny potential customers. Thusly, many are quite certain about the Goblins being unable to take sides. I can definitely see why people would think that and, for the most part, I agree with many of their points. However, if a splinter faction of goblins were to officially join the Horde, I'd imagine a similar scenario would take place...

These goblins and their trade prince would probably be quite the black sheep within Goblin society for some form or another. All cultures have their exceptions (The Stormwind Humans have the Defias, the Tauren have the Grimtotem, the Ethereals have the Etherium, and so on...) so I feel that saying that all Goblins are the exact same would probably be doing them a great injustice. Take a look at the Venture Company--Now there's a goblin organization that is friends with neither Alliance or Horde. If there are untouched lands with promises of natural resources or forgotten treasures, they will be there tearing things up and killing/enslaving all who get in their way. So if the Goblins can have an organization that is the equivalent of Hoggish Greedly, that is hostile to both sides, then I find it possible for the existence of a Horde-friendly Goblin group. Not to mention that the goblins, in general, have been on pretty good terms with them despite their neutrality.

But as I mentioned before in one of my previous ramblings, they'd have to be in some serious hot water first. Whatever the cause may be (Their "base" under siege by Naga, economic desperation, and so on...), these hypothetical Goblin allies would need to be in so much trouble that they would have little option but to crawl up to Thrall's boots and kiss them.

On the other hand, why would Thrall take them in? First up, Thrall is not a stranger to helping, at the time, would-be allies out of a sticky situation (IE: Tauren and Darkspear Trolls). Even though these new goblins would initially be more trouble than they're worth, having a technologically driven race that would be honor-bound to develop weapons and vehicles only for the Horde and not sell them to outside parties is a pretty tempting deal...

LONG STORY SHORT: Would Goblins make the best probable addition to the Horde? In my opinion, there are better ones, but if this expansion is indeed involving the Maelstrom, then it gives the Horde yet another reason to go out towards the Rift since Kezan would be under attack. Not to mention that whole Darkspear Islands incident a decade or so back... I'm pretty sure the Trolls are mighty keen on exacting revenge on the powers that drove them out of their home.

On a technical note, as previously mentioned, the addition of Goblins to the Horde would give them a shorter, possibly healer-less, race that is technologically driven--Just like the Alliance with the Gnomes. And Blizzard is all about the whole equality schtick.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now for the Worgen... I will say, off the bat, that this race is a hard one to pin down in comparison to the possible addition of the Goblin race. My previous entries regarding playable Worgen are, of course, purely speculation combined with a generous helping of not-so-silent wishing that this rumor is indeed true. This much I realize, however I still do honestly believe that if the Worgen are indeed slated to join the Alliance, it's not impossible--Just difficult.

First off, if the worgen are to be a playable race in this coming expansion, then I sincerely doubt it'll be the "space wolves from another dimension" variety that was brought to Azeroth via the Scythe of Elune. They are savage beasts who'd much rather kill you than befriend you, so unless something tremendous happens to magically change all this, I don't see them changing their stripes anytime soon.

No, the type of Worgen I'm banking on are the cursed variety... Namely those seen in Pyrewood Village and Grizzly Hills. Though I will say that I see a problem with this theory, right from the get-go. Pyrewood's residents only turn into werewolves at night and the Wolfcult variety appear to have the ability to shift at will. If Gilneas is indeed added in the next installment of WoW, and its citizens turned into wolfish monsters, I would imagine they would have to be fully turned and completely feral. So this is where good ol' Alphus comes in, providing he is indeed a known figure within the game, and helps change that with his Alliance-funded venture to help the Gilnean's regain their sense of self. But even then... Would they join?

Theoretically being turned into worgen-like creatures aside, the Alliance and Gilneas hasn't always seen eye to eye on things... Genn Greymane and his people are notoriously stubborn and prideful. Even though their once-powerful nation would be in shambles, would they admit that they were wrong and that they need help? Would King Fighty McChin actually let a bestial race in with the Alliance that has had a rather bad history with them (IE: Essentially Greymane saying "Screw you guys, we don't need no stinkin' Alliance to help make us awesome. We're already there!")?

I think it'd definitely make a very interesting addition, at least story-wise, if that were to happen. Heck, I'd think Varian would find Genn's possible new form to be appropriate to his attitude. Besides, if the Allies didn't pick them up, they'd probably (begrudgingly) join the Horde and add to their numbers. That's a big no-no to them right there...

LONG STORY SHORT: Given the right explaination, I'd think the possibility of Gilnean "worgen" is a strong one. It would give the Alliance a wild card race, much like the Horde's Forsaken, and help stir things up a bit. However, I cannot see much reason for them, at the time, to join the fight aside from just being desperate for help. That is unless there has been reports of the Scythe somehow slipping out of the Wolfcult's grasp (that is where it is presumed to be currently) and ended up somewhere in the Maelstrom. I honestly do not know... Regardless, I'm sure all our theories will be cleared up come Blizzcon. Continue reading 'Again with the Gobbos and the Wolf-Men...Oy.'

I Smell a Red Herring!

Boubouille at MMO Champion strikes again with his datamining-fu. With today's maintenance, four sets of masks were added to join the Worgen and Goblin ones. Upon hearing this news, I was somewhat despondent that all the theories I, and others of like mind, cooked up might have been dashed...until I took a closer look at the new masks.

Compared to the Worgen and Goblin masks, all the new masks, save the Vrykul, are shoddy coffee break renderings. Just look at the resolution quality and the overall shape of the graphics used in the masks. Sure, the Vrykul at least look respectable being they are a recently added race and one of the "shiniest" looking at the moment... But the color swapped murlocs? The old naga models that have been in file since vanilla WoW?

"But Moonbiter, you said that Blizzard doesn't tend to make in-game items that will never be used!" Yeah... Figures that'd come back to haunt me, however I wouldn't call these newer masks superfluous. I'm not exactly sure on Blizzard's goal regarding the addition of them, but I can say this for certain... The newer masks are fake.

If you compare the newly added masks with the original Worgen and Goblin ones, you'll see there is no comparison. The two original "new masks" are beautifully rendered, there's a female model for a creature race that did not exist up until now, and even the Goblins themselves got quite the graphical overhaul. While the Vrykul masks do look respectable, they don't hold a candle to how detailed the Worgen and Goblin masks appear. Plus the mask edges do not match those of the initially released two, being they are thinner in fold. Also, as mentioned on WoW.com...

"However, astute readers point out that the female ogre is actually a "direct copy-paste of an old drawing from one of the RPG books." Closer inspection of the female ogre mask will reveal some rendering inconsistencies compared to the other skins, which were lifted from in-game models."

But now we are all faced with three possibilities...

1) The newly added masks were a panic-rushed attempt to cover up a possible accident of putting those new Hallow's End masks into the game files.
2) The newly added masks were purposefully put in later to appear as if they were trying to squelch theorycrafting over what will be released in the expansion. However, the new masks were intentionally bad and "half-assed" to silently confirm that the previous Worgen and Goblin masks are the real-deal.
3) That these masks are, what many people have been saying in multiple forum and blog responses, just that... Masks.

While I wouldn't be surprised at #1 being the reason, I'm pretty certain that #2 is their reasoning behind this. Again, Blizzcon is only a month away and they want to have people talking and getting excited over their products. They have been dropping hints about the Greymane Wall, the Scythe of Elune, goings on in the Maelstrom, and more within their forums and various interviews with outside Warcraft-based blogs and news columns. Their treatment of those who tamed a Worgen pet not long ago, in comparison to how rare tames were dealt with before (IE: Spirit wolf and the crocoslime, just to name a few). There's even a logical explanation as to why the cursed Worgen in Silverpine (and presumably Gilneas) could be a player race in a tabletop RPG source book that has been around for years!

While the addition of the new masks have dissuaded many from thinking the originals were the real deal, their shoddy nature should prove otherwise. New masks or no, I still remain resolute in my thinking that the next two player races will be Worgen and Goblin. Continue reading 'I Smell a Red Herring!'

The Coming Storm: The Maelstrom, the Dream, and Two Possible New Allies (Part Trois)

This will, hopefully, be the last thing I have to say on the steadily approaching expansion for a while (However short it may be... *chuckle*). However, the last bits I want to go over are the possible classes for both Goblins and Worgen, my stance on general sentiments towards the two races, my pending plans, and other theorizing. Speculations! Hooooooo~! (Possible spoilers ahead.)

Classes

It's something that needs to be considered, of course. Since we appear to have two new races joining the fold in the future, it's good to have a gameplan.

Goblin Classes:

• Very Possible: Warrior, Rogue, Warlock, and Mage.
• Possible: Priest and Hunter.
• Not Even Possible: Druid, Paladin, and Shaman.
• Uncertain: Death Knight

I'd imagine there being a distinct lack of healing classes, if any at all, for the Goblins. Much like the Gnomes, they do not have a faith in unearthly powers and are self-made men/women that forge ahead under their own steam and quick-thinking. Though unlike their fellow short-statured brethren, they are driven by the all-mighty gold piece. Being a pious religious person usually means living a very humble life, so that would naturally go against the grain for them.

However, I do remember someone bringing up a very good point on a forum somewhere (I wish I remembered which it was...). As anyone can say after watching a televangelist on TV, religion can be profitable too. The weak-hearted and those seeking salvation would gladly pony up the dough if it means saving their soul. So, because of this, a Goblin priest might very well be possible. However, from a game mechanic standpoint, every Horde race has a healing-capable class. The Alliance's Gnomes have no healers, so the Goblins might lack one as well in an effort to keep things balanced.

Worgen Classes:

• Very Possible: Warrior, Rogue, Hunter, Warlock, and Mage.
• Possible: Priest, Paladin, and Shaman.
• Not Possible: Druid.
• Uncertain: Death Knight.

I can see the Worgen having almost every class a human would, save the hunter class. Being Worgen are more feral, they would feel more of a kinship with the wild than they did when they were still human. This might be another healerless race, but I'd think, in an attempt to balance both sides, I'd think they'd have at least one.

Druid wouldn't work since, thus far, Blizzard wants to keep it solely made up of Night Elves and Tauren. Plus I do not think that the Cenarion Circle would welcome an "abomination" of those of the Scythe into their fold. Their healing class will be solely dependent on what will keep things in balance and what fits the race. Priests, in my opinion, are the most innocuous of the bunch. I have a hard time seeing Worgen paladins, but I do not want to discount it entirely because none of us know how far from the Light they have fallen.

Honestly, I can see them as shaman very easily. With their new bestial appearance, and nature, I'd assume, I can see the Worgen being very attuned to the natural world and the elements. However, giving the Alliance another shamanistic race when the Horde only has one race with a paladin class would be unfair. That is unless they give an already existing race the ability to be one--And the only race that could even have it be possible is the Forsaken (but that's a topic for another post). However, that is a problem being that the Forsaken are an already class-heavy race as is...

Hero Classes

Well, this one is definitely up in the air for me... Blizzard initially mentioned they wanted all races to have access to hero classes, but I am not certain if that sentiment extends to future races introduced after the hero class in question. To play it safe, and also for the sake of continuity in lore, I will say that goblins and worgen cannot be death knights. It would make little to no sense to have wolfish and tiny greenskinned DKs running around when they, more than likely, would have never even set foot near New Avalon.

However, Blizzard mentioned that they planned to release at least one new hero class each expansion. Whether or not this applies to expansions that plan to have new races added as well, I am not sure... On one hand, the next hero class would likely be a healer-caster hybrid in order to help fill the supposed lack of healers at end game. On the other, if they did introduce a hero class that is available for a new race, there will be a glut of hero worgen and goblins running around from the get-go instead of encouraging a brand new race to grow from the ground up. Not to mention that Blizzard still has their hands full balancing death knights.

I know Blizz wouldn't want to cancel out their own new starting zones, so if they did add a hero class along with a new race, I would hope that they wouldn't have them available for play right away. Like...give the new races a couple months of being unable to access the class before allowing them to roll one. Don't know if that'd work, but that's the only thing I can come up with.

My Stance on the Reception of the New Races

Much like the Burning Crusade, there has been an outcry of dismayed people who are aghast by the possibility of there being playable worgen and goblins in the expansion. Old news, new faces... I will go down the list of the most frequent comments I've seen.

1) Worgen?! Dammit, here come the furries.

First of all... All the rampant furry hate on the 'net, and in the real world, sickens me. Sure, just like with any group of people, there are going to be extremists. So while crotchless fur-suiters are out there, a majority of the furry community is very normal and sane. To outright assume that the Worgen will be populated with nothing but perverted furry ERPers is really insulting. Will they be there? Some, yes. No matter what the race, there're ERPers in all of them. They just so happen to frequent the "pretty races", but I have seen ones that were dwarves, tauren, gnomes...

2) Worgen just don't work! They're vicious and mindless beasts from another dimension!

Uh, do you work on Blizzard's creative staff? No? Well, then who are you to say for certain? True, many consider the addition of the Draenei to be a botched job, but not everyone thinks that. And our perception of the Worgen in WoW has changed over the years... Sure, we knew them only as two varieties in Vanilla; The bestial kind summoned via the Scythe and the cursed humans in Shadowfang Keep and Pyrewood Village.

Though in WotLK, we have been exposed to the Wolfcult. While they do seem more primal and feral, they do appear to keep a great deal of their sense of self even in their lupine forms. Being the Worgen in the expansion would be those most likely from Gilneas, they would be exposed to Arugal's worgen curse rather than the Scythe. Therefore, it is entirely possible, especially after all this time of being under nationwide isolation, for the Gilneas Worgen to still maintain their humanity.

3) Goblins can't go with the Horde! They're neutral!

This is true--Goblins are neutral. Denying one side of the war is denying thousands upon thousands of customers. That means less money for them! But even then, the Goblins have a long-standing history of being on close terms with the Horde despite their neutrality. Though there are exceptions to every rule... Thrall and his Horde might happen upon a troubled trade prince and his people and bail them out of a sticky situation, thus earning their loyalty (for the time being).

4) Worgen can't be Alliance! It just isn't possible!

Who says? It's true that Gilneas has a long-running history of neutrality and overall not-giving-a-damn, but even mighty kingdoms fall one day... For all his stubbornness and pride, Genn Greymane might finally see that his people need help and, begrudgingly, admit to the aid that is given to them.

Honestly, even though I do wish they'd be Horde, the Alliance needs a wild-looking tall race and the Horde needs a short one. Plus the Horde got a race based out of the Eastern Kingdoms in Burning Crusade, so I'd say it's just not in the cards this time around.

5) The masks prove nothing! They're just masks!

That may be... But Blizzard generally doesn't make a habit of making things in-game that will never be used or if it is deemed a waste of time. This is why we never see female models of NPC races (save the current Goblins and High Elves), because it was deemed superfluous and a "waste of time". So, following that line of thinking, why would Blizz go through all that trouble to make some high-rendered masks and actually bother to make a female Worgen mask if there was no intention of adding the race in? Not to mention that the Hallow's End masks are only made up of playable races. 'Nuff said.

6) You're all wrong! Worgen and Goblins are going to be neutral races! You can pick your sides!

While this would make sense from a lore perspective, being both Goblins and Gilneans have a history of being neutral in conflicts, it wouldn't make sense from a gameplay perspective. Blizzard has already made it clear that they want each side to be distinguishable--down to the races, the mounts, and the tier armor. Having a Horde worgen or an Alliance goblin would cause too much confusion. Plus, Blizzard has already made it clear that they want there to only be two playable factions. Save the neutral factions for the NPC races, IMO.

7) Pandaren! I want Panda person!

Probably not gonna happen. Ever. And if it does, it won't be for a LONG time. However, I can see them being present in the expansion, even if they're a NPC race like the Taunka or Tuskar. Pandaria is allegedly out in the Great Sea, after all.

My Plans

I know that the expansion is way off, but I still like to have an idea of what to expect when that day eventually does come. However, Blizzard is becoming faster at cranking out new content for WoW, so while the expansion could very well come out in winter of next year, it could also just as well hit the shelves in late spring or early summer.

So, the big question is; Worgen or Goblin? While I do intend to roll at least one of both races, I think you can probable guess which I'm going to go for just from my handle and the name of this blog. So, yes, I'd roll a Worgen the moment I install the expansion. However, would it sway me entirely from the Horde? Not certain at this point, being I don't know where I'll be then (In real life and in-game). I've always been a Horde player by heart, but I've been stuck as Alliance for a very long time. Needless to say, I'm not entirely eager to go back to the "boys in blue" right away, but... I have been holding out for playable worgen for years and that just might be the race to keep me Alliance side (where, apparently, this game thinks I belong ¬_¬).

And being there is also a lot of groaning about Worgen coming from the RPers (which is justified, of course, I don't consider myself that insensitive), I do want to strive to be one of the exceptions that will hopefully help break the stereotype that's already being placed upon them. In fearing that I will carry on with this too long, this too will be discussed in a separate future post.

In Summation

I am extraordinarily excited to start theorizing about the expansion (Couldn't ya tell?) and I can't wait to hear more about it come Blizzcon in August. Believe it or not, I am trying to not theorize too much because it would kind of suck to be proven wrong over something after being so keen on it. However, the masks do kind of make it clear on what races will be added, at least.

As for when the expansion is coming out, like I said... Blizzard is getting faster at releasing content. TBC took about a year and a half (closer to two years, almost). WotLK took a little more than a year. While the safe assumption would be that it's released in late fall/early winter of 2010, I'm betting on it being released in late spring/summer of that year. Providing that the Icecrown Citadel raid comes out in fall or early winter of this year, I'd say that's more than enough time to let people experience it before moving on to "bigger and better things". Continue reading 'The Coming Storm: The Maelstrom, the Dream, and Two Possible New Allies (Part Trois)'

The Coming Storm: The Maelstrom, the Dream, and Two Possible New Allies (Part Deux)

As covered in a previous installment, I have been talking about my personal observations, quandaries, and predictions for the upcoming expansion that is looming over the horizon. Bets are on that the expansion will be predominantly set in the Maelstrom and the Emerald Dream, with Worgen and Goblins as the World of Warcraft's newest playable races. Which will be the grand finale for this installment? A show down with Queen Azshara or with the source of the Emerald Dream's corruption? It is still anyone's guess...

That being said, let me continue with my rambling... Once again, this is all fun and speculation. Some things might turn out to be true, some won't, or, who knows, maybe it'll ALL be wrong. *chuckle* (Possible spoilers ahead.)

Possible Starting Areas: Worgen

For the Worgen, I find it to be a rather no-brainer... In the last expansion to introduce new races, the Burning Crusade, Alliance got a new race in Kalimdor and the Horde got one in the Eastern Kingdoms. So that means it'll be the reverse this time around. So Worgen, naturally, will start off in Gilneas. Finally... FINALLY, we will all see what is behind that accursed Greymane Wall and it will be awesome.

Much like the addition of Eversong Woods, Ghostlands, Azuremyst, and Bloodmyst Isle, both new starting zones will need two main questing hubs and a way to connect it back to the "old world". Many theorize that, aside from Gilneas, the secondary Worgen quest hub will be Zul'Dare. Being that it is technically Gilnean land, it'd make sense to have this place be the next area of focus for any up-and-coming werewolf. Its fate is uncertain, but, popular theory and the wiki entry linked suggest, it is supposedly suffering much the same fate as Kul Tiras (ie: Boat loads of naga and murlocs).

Not to mention this area has a prime location for new wolves to be ferried to upon completion of the starter zones--Menethil Harbor in the Wetlands. From there, freshly minted level 20 werewolves can continue questing there or hop on another boat to Stormwind. Works beautifully, if I must say so myself!

Possible Starting Areas: Goblins

Though this is the difficult part... There is no known area in Kalimdor that remains unused and of good reason to be inhabited by the little greenskins. Sure, there's...Hyjal. But I sincerely doubt that they'd start out there. *chuckle* No, I think, much like with the addition of Azuremyst and Bloodmyst, there will need to be a few islands tacked on off the east coast of Kalimdor. Could be an established island, only moved in location, or a "brand new" one.

What would happen there that'd have the otherwise neutral gobbos align with the Horde still remains uncertain, but I'd assume they'd have to be in some super deep shit (a la Darkspear Trolls). Whatever the case might be, a brand new island or two will be added so that they can have access to either the docks at the Barrens or, perhaps, a zeppelin tower that leads them to Durotar/Orgrimmar.

A lot of people like to think that the starting area will be Kezan, but the Undermine is home to many trade princes, all with their own methodology and views on how to run things (My money's on Tel'Abim, if anything). The Goblins that will officially align with the Horde would probably be a splinter group (a powerful one, perhaps, but a splinter group none the less) and shouldn't be lumped in with the rest of the Goblin race (that's like saying all Trolls are the same--which they're not).

Mounts?

Everyone loves mounts. I know I do. Even though the knowledge of Worgen and Goblins possibly being in the works is still rather new (two days and counting), there have been many theorized suggestions at what their racial mounts might be.

Let's go with what we know (or like to think that we do):

• Worgen = Former Humans, much like the Forsaken, so they would have historical ties with the Horse, more than likely. One suggestion for a mount, that I have seen, is some sort of...wolf-horse hybrid. While it might work, I think they would most likely switch to something more accustomed to holding their weight and probably wouldn't mind a giant man-wolf riding on them.

So, in order to keep mounts unique for each race, I think just saying "another type of horse!" isn't in the cards. My suggestion? Some sort of giant bull/ox or a bison. It's big, tough, powerful, and can hold the weight of a rather large worgen.

Many people seem to want to have Plainsrunning make a comeback, but I can safely say that it'll never be a primary mode of transport. Every playable race will have a mount to insure equality and I sincerely doubt they'll change that way of thinking anytime soon. However, perhaps the ability to run on all fours will show up as a sprint animation or some watered down sprint-like racial.

• Goblins = The rivals of tinkering Gnomes everywhere, the Goblins generally make a living by selling their weapons, gadgets, and transport vehicles to the highest bidder. Therefore, their mount, much like the Gnomes, will most likely be mechanical as well. Just that it would appear to have a much higher chance of exploding. What it'll be? I'm not certain... I know it needs to jump, if anything. Though I can safely say that the often-suggested Goblin Shredder is right-out. That's a weapon/tool, not a vehicle. A Goblin rocket car with jumper boosts, maybe...? *shrug*

Or, I might be surprised and they actually have a living mount. I'd say turtles, but that seems like it'd be a general aquatic mount. So, I don't know...

Worgen and Goblins: WHY?

If the expansion is, indeed, introducing the Maelstrom and the Emerald Dream to World of Warcraft in playable form, then both of those races have a huge reason for being involved.

The Goblins are simple; Kezan is in the Great Sea and is a stone's throw away from Nazjatar and the Great Rift. I'd assume that they'd be under heavy attack by Queen Azshara's forces by now. Kezan, and by proxy, the Undermine, would likely be a neutral haven much like Shattrath City and Dalaran. Another guess would be Zandalar, the Troll capitol, but I'm not sure which it would be at this point. Both could work.

The Worgen, I'd admit, wouldn't have much to do in the Maelstrom aside from that the Naga are accosting their shores and they would, ideally, like to put a stop to it. Though, much like their unlucky neighbors, the Forsaken, the Worgen would probably be seeking a cure to their affliction. The Scythe of Elune has been a hot topic of debate and theory for many years... We did the quests for it in Ashenvale, in Duskwood, and possibly suffered an unknowing loss of it in Grizzly Hills just recently.

So NO one knows where it is now... Aside from it probably being in the hands of the Wolfcult. Which is unfortunate for the Worgen due to the fact that it was one of the causes that started the whole worgen 'plague' as we know it. The Scythe and Archmage Arugal's work (via Ur's research) are intertwined and since Arugal is dead (again), the former is the only real way to help them. To find the Scythe is to find the key to unlocking their curse.

Well... I still have more to cover, but for the sake of people's eyes, I'm going to pause now and resume my theorizing in a third part! I think it is becoming a little obvious that I am excited over all this... *cough* Continue reading 'The Coming Storm: The Maelstrom, the Dream, and Two Possible New Allies (Part Deux)'

The Coming Storm: The Maelstrom, the Dream, and Two Possible New Allies

Many people in the Warcraft communities (myself included) are starting to foam at the mouth over the possibilities of playable Worgen and Goblins. There are many hints being dropped that this will likely be the case, being both of them have loot and walking backward animations (which normally only playable characters have) and what not. Not to mention that Blizzcon is right around the corner and we will probably have the grand announcement of what WoW's future will be there.

Again, there is no official word on what the expansion will be and if there even be new playable races. But, as many people on the MMO Champion website can attest to, if its owner, Boubouille, makes an announcement over upcoming content, he's always right. Something that I personally agree with as well, being I've been following Boub's posts on MMO Champion for a couple years now and I've yet to see him be wrong on upcoming content. He also informs us that the Emerald Dream files that have been in WoW's database for -years- have been recently updated...

So! Exciting times are upon us once again... (Possible spoilers ahead.)

Musings on the Future Expansion

Pretty much every thing I've seen on the net, whether it be fan-based speculation or bread crumbs dropped from Blizzard's staff, points squarely at the Maelstrom and the Emerald Dream. Now wait-- BOTH the Dream and the Maelstrom? I don't see why not... Personally, I think that would be the best route considering the possible implication of additional races. There has been a great deal of talk in recent game events about the tainting of the Dream--The quest "Hope Within the Emerald Nightmare" being one of the most recent occurrences.

In the 3.2 PTR, there is a quest that sends you to Thunder Bluff (I haven't tried the Alliance counterpart yet, if there is one, but I'd assume that it's the same?) and you overhear two druids talking about the imbalance of magic within the Cenarion Circle itself. Whether this is a pre-cursor for something in Patch 3.3, Icecrown Citadel, or in the expansion is currently unknown. Though, if I were to hazard a guess, I'd say it's a sign of what is to come in the new X-Pac.

Rumblings in-game regarding the Emerald Dream/Nightmare has been around since the vanilla days of WoW, seen in Wailing Caverns and the eventual redemption of Eranikus, and more recently the the infestation of the Stormrage Barrow Dens in Moonglade and the defeat of Anzu. Now, while the Dream is, essentially, a version of Azeroth untainted by those of the mortal races, I can't see it being a main zone. It's just too big--and probably needless to see all of Azeroth when you can concentrate on one singular area of focus.

For years, shortly before the time of the Burning Crusade, to be exact, I have felt that if we were to go to the Dream, we'd go to the last vestiges that have not been tainted. Which would be, in my mind, the Eye of Ysera, the area where She of the Dreaming herself slumbers. There we would see the Dream as it should be, but when we venture outwards, we would bear witness to the encroaching corruption. How large would this area be...? I'm not certain. Big enough to not seem too minuscule, so I'd wager it'd be around the combined size of Icecrown and Storm Peaks.

As for the Maelstrom, I am not certain as to what will be done there. I would love to have there be an emphasis on underwater zones and travel, but that might be too much work for Blizzard... So, I think it is safe to say that most of our interactions in the Maelstrom will be on the many islands that surround the Rift. Places like Tel'Abim, Kezan, Zandalar, the Broken Isles, the Darkspear Strand, and so on... However, I am not certain about Nazjatar's fate. Will it rise from the watery depths, as it was done with the Tomb of Sargeras? Or will we go down to it to have a nice spear-to-heart chat with Queen Azshara?

Putting design plans aside for a moment, it's pretty obvious that the next mount choices will be aquatic ones. We already have one, the Sea Turtle (which I honestly thought signaled that the Maelstrom would be the next main quest hub in the next expansion), so I'd assume that they'd give us fast aquatic mounts (possibly with some form of re-breather or underwater breathing enchant) that are bound to the Maelstrom area.

There is one location I'm rather uncertain about; the island nation of Kul Tiras, which was once home to Jaina Proudmoore, much of Theramore, and one of the best naval fleets of the Human race. Being that Kul'Tiras is a HUGE part of the Warcraft storyline, I think it'd be rather moronic to not include it in a predominantly naval themed expansion (Especially since, to this day, Kul Tiras is being constantly attacked by Murlocs and Naga). I'm just not certain where it'll fit... It could be a port of call/questing area for the Eastern Kingdom-side of the world, transport to it being located in good ol' Menethil Harbor (and Stormwind Harbor, I'd imagine. There is an unused dock there, after all).

However, being that Kul'Tiras has a rather long standing grudge against Orcs and those associated with them, I'm not certain how hospitable it'd be for those of the Horde. However, since Jaina has been trying very hard to keep relations between the Horde and Alliance at least slightly amicable, she might convince her brother, Admiral Tandred Proudmoore, for the Kul Tirans to stay their blades.

Well, that's all I'll prattle on about for the time being. Next installment will be focusing more on what might become of the Worgen and Goblin races and their involvement with the World of Warcraft. Continue reading 'The Coming Storm: The Maelstrom, the Dream, and Two Possible New Allies'

Twitterings About the Third Expansion

I will say that the wolfish revamp to this site and the news of datamined image you see above is no coincidence. I saw this image very early in the morning when it was flitting around on MMO Champion's forums--when it was still on page one. Just recently, it hit WoW.com and now everyone knows about it.

When I first heard this rumor (which, in my eyes, is pretty much a fact at this point), I was absolutely thrilled. Ever since I laid eyes on the Worgen, I've always wanted to have them as a playable race. If these masks are legit and not just a well rendered hoax (I'm looking at you, evil penguin...), then popular debate is that the Alliance will soon have Worgens as their playable race, while the Horde has a subfaction of Goblins. While both races make sense, I can't help but groan a little... Apparently this game wants me to play Alliance and nothing but, being it is attempting to lure me away from the Horde with the promise of playing werewolves (one of my favorite mythological races aside from zombies and vampires). However, the idea of playing a Goblin warrior amuses me greatly... Or a rogue, for that matter.

However, much like the whole Draenei and Blood Elf whining of the Burning Crusade, this is no different--Well, at least where the Worgen are involved. Being this is the internet and people are free to spew tactless and hateful vitriol as they please, furry bashing and the like are running rampant in any WoW article that features the image posted at the head of this entry. While I am certain that some Furs will make a worgen, just as many "normal" (it is a relative term, after all) people will make one too. I don't see why wanting to play a werewolf automatically makes you into a degenerate. I mean... It's a freaking werewolf! How cool is that? If someone said that they didn't want to play a werewolf, I'm pretty damned sure they're lying.

Though that being said, if this image is true... I'm pretty certain we're going to see the Maelstrom and the Emerald Dream. Blizzard has already been dropping crumbs for us in their interviews and forum posts--putting drops of blood in the water to start a feeding frenzy, if you will--with mention of the mystery of the Scythe of Elune, "what lies beyond the Graymane wall", and so on... And I know I definately want to see what's beyond that wall! Ever since I came across it back in 2005, I've longed to see what is over there. *crosses fingers* And I hope it is Worgen. Continue reading 'Twitterings About the Third Expansion'