Expansions come and go, but your faction capital will always be your true home. So instead of building new capital every expansion. Why not lean into the fact that Orgrimmar is always going to be the king of capitals and upgrade the visuals and gameplay surrounding it to be futureproof. Here is how you do it…
Solo spaces.
These serve as central hubs for very specific activities. Solo spaces are phased locations that the player can customize, but offer limited utility. Customization options for these locations are added via crafting/quests/raids/achievements etc.
Shared spaces.
These are locations where the player has the ability to meet and interact with other players for specific activities like trading, pvp, crafting, training etc.
Shared spaces are not customizable. In these spaces you have access to unique user interfaces and NPCs that make performing that specific activity more fun.
Lore locations.
While these offer much less utility to the player, then they serve the purpose of fleshing out the world. These are small corners, buildings, sewers, rooftops, alleyways etc. While they offer little utility, then they are populated with NPCs that interact and react to the player in different ways. They offer commentary about the player or different events that take place in the world. They may offer quests or hidden puzzles. Rare spawn chests, quests or items.
PvP Barracts (shared space)
This is the central hub for all PvP activities where the player can view their server’s PvP ranks, obtain quests and test their rotation on dummies. People waiting for arena queue will be here flexing and testing different talent setups and rotations. There is a vendor here that sells PvP consumables. There is also an NPC here that resets all your cooldowns and heals you - so you can learn to use your longer CD abilities.
The War Room (solo space)
This is a location where the player advances their main questline forward and plots their follower missions. This is a highly designed space that changes based on the stage of the story you are in. NPCs will visit this space and interact with you in interesting ways. Kinda like Starcraft 2 mission hubs. An example of interesting interactions can be that every day 1 random important NPC will come and offer you a daily mission from here. This space will also be upgraded with trophies of the past foes you’ve defeated. In addition player will be able to play a form of autochess here (kinda like Team Fight Tactics, but with classic Warcraft units: Grunts, Footmen, Blood Elf Mages, Ogre Magi, Nightborne Mages, Orc Warlocks etc)
Tavern (shared space)
Taverns allow players to recruit followers and pick up daily bounty quests. There is also a specific backroom where players can enter and play Heartstone in. In the basement, there is a pet battle arena. Here players can also access an interface where they can view their local leaderboards for pet battles and Heartstone.
Marketplace (shared space)
Daily traders come here to trade X for Y and offer different limited time items/recipies/toys/consumables. You can also exchange trade goods for reputation here. A rare traveler can come by and offer an odd mission or you might run into some trouble with pickpockets.
Crafting Areas (shared space)
Professions and borrowed power systems would really benefit from being merged to a certain degree. Each profession area should have a designated location in the city that matches their theme. Players who want to buy a service from a crafter can enter that area to meet players who can offer that service. There should only be one designated location for each profession in a city.
The Armory (solo space)
All the legacy and token armor merchants have moved here. You can display your personal transmog sets on racks here and decorate the walls with weapons you’ve collected over the years. You can also outfit your followers and the guards of your personal space.
Art department direction
Orgrimmar should better reflect the society it hosts, but also host the institutions that a realistic Orc city would need to have in order to function. Different sections of the city have specific functions and serve as homes/working locations for different races. You won’t see Elves and Trolls interacting too much with each other. However you might see a Nightborne Scribe and Orcs Shaman stargazing together.
The Valley of Strength
A demonstration of the Horde’s might and also the main entrypoint into Orgrimmar for all travelers. While impressive, it is also the most expensive part of the city to live in. There is increased security and upscale shops here.
This area hosts:
Bank
Auction House
Mage Tower
Jewel Crafting Trainer
Enchantment trainer
Tavern
Guild Bank
Stables
Orcish furniture merchant
Horde Council Hall
Expensive living quarters
Monuments of Horde heroism
Orgrimmar Embassy
A small, but very upscale and expensive area favored by elves. There is an hotel and a tavern here with a very highbrow feel. To the great distaste of the elves, the Vulpera have decided make a small caravan park here
This area hosts:
The Embassy
Barber Shop
Tavern
Blood Elf furniture merchant
Nighborne furniture merchant
Blood Elf residential buildings
Nightbourne redidential buildings
Vulpera residential caravans
Valley of Spirits
Over time the vegetation has grown so thick here that hardly any sunlight reaches the ground below. The Zandalari and Darkspear have set up a shrine for Bwonsamdi here. With the Darkspear Trolls practicing voodoo magic and worshiping the Loa of Death, the entire place has become an ominous looking jungle. Mystical mist fills the air as wines hang from the vegetation above.
This area hosts:
Priest Trainer
Hunter Trainer
Death Knight Trainer
Skinning Trainer
Leatherworking Trainer
Loa of Death Shrine
Darkspear Homes
Zandalari Homes
Stables
Pet Merchant
Burial Tunnels
Fletchers
Spear makers
Zeppelin Towers + Market
The area between the Zeppelin towers is now a huge public marketplace. Merchants of all races gather here to buy and sell wares. Merchant tents and caravans are packed tightly together forming a colorful bazaar.
This area hosts:
Vulpera decoration merchant
Goblin decoration merchant
Troll decoration merchant
Pandaren decoration merchant
Traveling mount merchant
Auction tent
Food sellers from all races.
Cooking trainer
Tailoring trainer
Stables
Pet Trainer
Pet Merchant
Valley of Wisdom
This is the breadbasket of Orgrimmar. Druids of all Horde races have combined their efforts to create a lush and beautiful garden here. All of Orgrimmar’s food is stored here for the purpose of surviving a long siege. A simple system of accounting is used to keep track of all the supplies while the underground river is lush with fresh fish. Paladins favor this area for the it’s sublime purity while helping keep order in this area.
This area hosts:
Bank
Druid trainer
Paladin trainer
Fishing trainer
Inscription trainer
Tauren decoration merchant
Highmountain decoration merchant
Grain silos
Library
Meat drying area
Cooking trainer
Hospital
Western Earth Shrine
The Orcish Shamans have risen a huge stonehenge around the portals. Ancient Tauren burial chambers have been discovered in the mountains nearby and Goblins have helped the Nightborne set up an observatory here. Monks frequently gather to meditate near the small pool of water.
This area hosts:
Portals inside the newly formed Stonehenge
Altar of Storms
Observatory
Small pond area
Monk trainer
Shaman trainer
Archeology trainer
A fireside storytelling area
Burial by fire ritual area
The Drag
Over the years this place has become overpopulated with living quarters. House upon house - this is no way to live for the majestic orc. Yet, it’s filled to the brim with orcs of all kind. There is hardly any space left to expand. With the increased population, crime and thivery have become commonplace with many businesses hiring private guards or moving their valuable goods into the basements below.
This area hosts:
Sewer system
Complex maze of living quarters across 3 levels of hanging pathways
Thieves
Overpolicing
Orphanage
Suspicious cult activity
Transmogrification and void storage
Public school
Brewery
Totally legitimate Goblin businesses
Mag’har decoration merchant
Cleft of Shadow
The seedy underbelly of Orgrimmar. Most inhabitants try to avoid this place or don’t even know it exists. Artificial light glowing lights illuminate the ceiling above imitating the of night sky while the air is think with magical mist and smoke from brazers. Rogues, Demon Hunters and Warlocks exchange forbidden knowledge behind curtains while Toxic Alchemy fumes fill the air.
This area hosts:
Rogue Trainers
Warlock Trainers
Demon Hunter Trainers
Alchemy Trainers
Black Market Auction House
Forbidden Library
Decorative Oddities Merchant
Poison makers
A few Forsaken residences
Valley of Honor and Rear Gate
This is a massive industrial area where Orcs and Goblins feed the fires of the Horde war machine. A waterfall is used to operate a large lumber mill and an underground tunnel leads to the industrial Harbor of Orgrimmar from here. Massive warehouses host the ore, metals and lumber used by the factories here. There is a large Black Rock inspired foundry here where all of the Horde’s weaponry and armor is forged. A massive factory operated by Goblins builds the Horde’s war machines.
This area hosts:
Industrial forge
Orgrimmar Arena
Lumber mill
Industrial factory
Storehouse
Tavern
Blacksmith trainers
Mining trainer
Engineering trainer
Warrior trainer
Stable master
Mount seller
Armory
Carpenters
Logistics department
Gazlowe’s temporary office
Orgrimmar Harbor
Connected via underground tunnels to the Valley of Honor and Valley of Strength. The orcs have begun constructing a large Harbor on the coast to build a stronger marine force and improve trade between Darkspear, Silvermoon, Suramar and Zandalar.
This area hosts:
Ferry transport to: Quel Danas, Suramar, Echo Islands and Zandalar
Large Storehouse with a rat problem
Logistics department
Forsaken decoration merchant
Slaughterhouse
Fishing trainer
Carpenter
Tavern
Seamonster hunter’s storehouse
Ship building facilities.
Smuggler’s storehouse
Harbormaster’s office
Animations
1xPassive and 1xActive loop animation for each race per each profession. These are something that players will be able to use and they help developers to give NPCs something more to do as opposed to standing around. Creative use of these animations can be applied in multiple ways. Example: Leatherworking Tanning animation can be repurposed to show an npc painting a wall.
Navigation
Players can only mount on flying mounts from the zeppelin towers or from the top of the city gates. Players are not dismounted when entering the city, but cannot remount once they have been dismounted. Ground mounts are always available while.
I know this is a long read, but I hope it painted a comprehensive picture. What improvements would you like to see made to Stormwind or Orgrimmar?