Improvement of existing areas?

[DarthMuffin]

I read something a while back on the official forums that Bliz would add new quests not only to Outland, Draenei Islands and Quel'Thalas, but also to existing areas to give them a "new race flavour". That would be great, since a Draenei dropping in Duskwood just like that without any reason would be odd.

So, has any of the lucky people in the Beta seen new quests and NPCs in the existing zones? I know you guys probably have better things to do than hang out in Westfall, but hey, you never know :laugh:. I'm guessing the draenei will be sent to Ashenvale after Bloodmist and the blood elves to Hillsbrad or something similar...?

[thomiekk]

It looks like there is no new content to the old Azeroth except for obvious class quests. For example BE Paladin quest line contains of few similarities with the Alliance's one (SFK venture). Anyways, the beta is still crawling, there are many bugs and just few new instances open at this time. Let's hope devs will do their job right.

[kabshiel]

I actually just posted about this on the official forums. Someone responded that they have actually seen a few new quests in existing areas: there's evidently at least a Draenei giving quests in Hinterlands and WPL.

[Morail]

I think they just add some quest and BE/Draenei npc's. I don't think they will add new enviroment stuff besides the new starting zones.

[DarthMuffin]

Actually, I was talking more about quest givers for the new races. It's a good thing to know that there are some, but how much is the question.

[Gealach]

In the most recent push they upgraded the high elves in the game to blood elf models with a high elf texture, along with updating the blood elf mobs in Azshara (and the quest giver in Stonetalon) to the new blood elf look. Does that count as an improvement?

[Nakh]

I really don't see why they would improve very much what's already on Azeroth.(IE: Original WoW) Changing NPC etc is very little change.

If they change alots of things in regular wow, why wouldnt they pay for it and buy the expansion ?

[Leviathonlx]

I think they just add some quest and BE/Draenei npc's. I don't think they will add new enviroment stuff besides the new starting zones.

Nah there are new quests.

[KalziEast]

I hope they add a couple (at least) quests just randomly around the world, just because that'll add a little more excitement to the game. (Make them want to buy BC.)

[Thuriz]

Apparently WPL and EPL have started to 'heal', the ground is much less diseased, there are new tree's growing, and the 'diseased' critters are now healthy. I saw some screenshots somewhere, but Ill go on beta when I get home from work and check it out for myself.

[Leviathonlx]

Apparently WPL and EPL have started to 'heal', the ground is much less diseased, there are new tree's growing, and the 'diseased' critters are now healthy. I saw some screenshots somewhere, but Ill go on beta when I get home from work and check it out for myself.


I didn't notice anything like that when I ran through them. Guess I'll need to check it out also :p

There were no changes I noticed in the Plaguelands like that.

Only neat thing I saw was a siege scourge force in EPL outside the Quel'Thalas entrance.

[KalziEast]

I love how they're making more "Battle Scenes". Especially when you walk through the entrance of the Dark Portal, I wonder if that fight will be eventually do-able by even a 40-man.

[Scorch_Hellfire]

In the most recent push they upgraded the high elves in the game to blood elf models with a high elf texture, along with updating the blood elf mobs in Azshara (and the quest giver in Stonetalon) to the new blood elf look. Does that count as an improvement?

have they fixed the spellbreaker guards yet?... as far as i know they still have the old re-skinned night elf model... :undecided:

[mesonm]

My lvl 17 BE hunter reached a point where the game told her to go to UC...I quit playing her because I prefer new content....Maybe I'll look around a bit with her in the coming days.

[Gealach]

have they fixed the spellbreaker guards yet?... as far as i know they still have the old re-skinned night elf model... :undecided:

I don't know for sure, this info was from the beta forum. They said that while the models are updated and the high elves have a blue eye texture, the glow in front of them is still green so the attempt to differentiate high elves and blood elves is kinda spoiled.

I'd really love some screenies if any of the beta testers would like to oblige. I'd really appreciate it. =)

[TSBasilisk]

Well, we do know the following:

Mount Hyjal will be opened, thus opening possibilities for Darkwhisper Gorge quests.
The Azshara crater will apparently be open for business, aka fighting. This may also open more quests in Azshara.
Apparently opening the Dark Portal will involve another server event.

[Xlorep DarkHelm]

Well, we do know the following:

Mount Hyjal will be opened, thus opening possibilities for Darkwhisper Gorge quests.

Using the Caverns of Time only right now, I believe.

The Azshara crater will apparently be open for business, aka fighting. This may also open more quests in Azshara.

Dunno about that one.

Apparently opening the Dark Portal will involve another server event.

Actually, that idea has been dropped -- as in, the dark portal will be open and available on release for anyone with the expansion. Now, there could be some sort of chaos/events going on around the world, like the Naxx. instance opening & the Scourge attacks, to usher in the Burning Crusade expansion, but the portal will be open on release, and not require some Ahn'Quiraj-like opening process.

[Gealach]

Actually, that idea has been dropped -- as in, the dark portal will be open and available on release for anyone with the expansion. Now, there could be some sort of chaos/events going on around the world, like the Naxx. instance opening & the Scourge attacks, to usher in the Burning Crusade expansion, but the portal will be open on release, and not require some Ahn'Quiraj-like opening process.

Oh, I so want to believe you. I kinda will even if you don't have a source for that info, but if you could link it that would be awesome.

The official trailer hinted that there would be an event where the blood elf and draenei leadership would meet with Thrall and Magni Bronzebeard (respectively) and swear allegiance to their respective factions. Has anything been said about that, or will that also prolly end up in the opening cinematic for the expansion?

[mattstruck]

Well for what its worth according to this post link (http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=30074700&postId=302903057&sid=1#10)
I read it as that there will be some kinda of server event just not one like AQ.

[Lezwyn]

but what would the event be? - as neither the Horde nor the Alliance has anything to do with opening the portal(it's basically a convenient demon who does it for his own motives).

[KalziEast]

Xlorep is right, that would be extremely retarded to have to try to open the Dark Portal when you bought the expansion. He's right, I've also read it, I don't have any links, but I believe it was straight from this site somewhere. *Shrug*.

[Gealach]

The trailer showed the allegiance swearing in Thrall's chamber in Orgrimmar and Magni's throneroom in IF. Mostly just entourages of the new races going in, talking a bunch, then bowing. No speech balloons in the trailer tho, so its still a surprise.

Still, if there's not going to be an event at the portal, I'd still like to see the throneroom part.

[Xlorep DarkHelm]

Oh, I so want to believe you. I kinda will even if you don't have a source for that info, but if you could link it that would be awesome.

The official trailer hinted that there would be an event where the blood elf and draenei leadership would meet with Thrall and Magni Bronzebeard (respectively) and swear allegiance to their respective factions. Has anything been said about that, or will that also prolly end up in the opening cinematic for the expansion?

Sorry, I didn't mean for it to be written with such.... finality. I forget where I found that newsbit, and I cannot confirm it off hand. However, I want to say that's been the gist of things I've picked up over time. But, I could very well be wrong there as well (and I guess I was so busy at work, I didn't get my usual caveats and loopholes into my statement like I typically do when I'm not so certain)

Well for what its worth according to this post link (http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=30074700&postId=302903057&sid=1#10)
I read it as that there will be some kinda of server event just not one like AQ.

Possibly. I think the event that happened when Naxx was put into the game -- where the Scourge attacked various points in Azeroth was much more recieved by people than the Ahn'Quiraj one -- simply because there were stipulations that could be exploited with Ahn'Quiraj.

[frazil]

i remember an ingame (fraps like) movie like what was described . with a draneai kneeling before bronzebeard in IF , and similar in Ogri with a BE. it was kind of a teaser right after draneai were announced. (maybe E3 vid)

[Gealach]

That's the one. =)