I was thinking how Guild Wars had moved on to Guild Wars 2 due to the restrictions caused by their old client. Not to mention how long the story got and complex the game became for beginning players. This got me thinking about World of Warcraft and its future.
I finally leveled to 60 on Wow Classic as Priest and I found myself missing parts of retail. Not everything mind you but parts. So I started writing things down, things I wish were in WoW.
I have finally decided to put them here, for people to critic I guess. I may end up editing this in time so it is a work in progress. So without further ado a brief glimpse into the mad ravings of a bored IT tech on WoW 2.0.
World Of Warcraft 2.0
1.The World
The world has progressed to a point where now the dividing line between Horde and Alliance is no longer down to race but to ideologies between the factions. Each side has a doctrine that they strive to uphold.
a) Factions
The Alliance work to maintain the world and protect it from harm. They fight against demonic hordes, twisted monsters and corruption. They follow the Light and value the 7 virtues of man.
The Horde work to change the world to suit their individual needs. They fight against anything and anyone who stands in their way. They follow their own doctrines and value the 7 sins of man.
b) Cities
Each new player will start on a island to hone their skills and get a brief understanding on the class they have chosen. Once they have conquered the Island’s level 10 dungeon they will be teleported to one of 3 major cities corresponding with their chosen class.
Each major city has 2 forms of transport for players. The first is similar to the flight points in current game except each zone has unique methods of travel. Gryphons, Trains and even Kodos can be ridden by players to get from a Major city to a local village/unique area. The secondary form of transport can only be used once they have completed a level 40 quest. The form of transport is the quickest and is used to transport players to any of the 3 major cities.
2. Races
Each faction has access to the same races although cosmetically they will be different as they come from different parts of the world. Not all races will have access to the same classes and each race has unique racial passive abilities .
a) Worgen Example
Worgen from the Alliance are a noble guardian race who protect the lands from corruption and dark forces. They are the guardians of the forests and villages which dot the landscapes. They specialise in being druids, monks, shamans, warlocks and warriors.
Worgen from the Horde are vicious wild hunters who tear through the night after wild prey. They are nature’s greatest predators who live for the hunt. They terrorise the forests and small villages in the land. They specialise in being hunters, rogues, warlocks and warriors.
3. Classes
Classes have been changed, some more drastic than others to showcase the different ideologies of the factions. Classes will also affect where you start and which sub-race you have access to. Each class has a Alliance variant and a Horde variant.
a) Classes Example
Available to Both Factions
Warrior
Priest
Mage
Alliance
Horde
Paladain
-
Deathknight
Monk
-
Rogue
Shaman
-
Warlock
Druid
-
Hunter
b) Sub-Race Class Example
Class
Dwarf Sub-race
Priest
Iron Forge, Frost or Black Iron Dwarf
Mage
Iron Forge, Frost or Black Iron Dwarf
Warrior
Iron Forge, Frost or Black Iron Dwarf
Shaman/ Warlock
Iron Forge or Frost Dwarf
Monk/ Rogue
Frost or Black Iron Dwarf
Each class will have access to the same abilities as its faction counterpart albeit different names and visual effects. This will mean both sides have access to the same tools as each other only differences will be cosmetic only.
Each class will have unique abilities specific to each sub-race. These abilities will be considerably powerful and will require the completion of arduous quests.
Each class will offer unique buffs to the player which will compliment their unique play style. Mages will receive a large intelligence boost while warriors will receive a large stamina boost. This is also partly to help tankier classes offset the cost of wearing heavier armour.
Each class will fulfil a purpose within the faction for story purpose and flavour. Shamans/Warlocks acts as guides for the others, showing them the way to a better world. Monks/Rogues act as the faction’s ears and eyes. Monitoring potential threats and investigating disturbances in the land.
Each class will have 3 talent trees to branch down from, with each tree having 2 to 3 path options for them to specialise. Players will earn a talent points with each level they acquire past level 10.
c) Class Branch Example
Class
Branch 1
Branch 2
Branch 3
Warrior
Tank/Shield
Damage Per Second
Buffs
Priest
Discipline
Holy
Shadow
Mage
Small Spells
Big Spells
Elements
Paladin/Deathknight
Tank/Shield
Damage Per Second
Buffs/Healing
Shaman/Warlock
Enhancement
Spells
Totem/Demonolgy
Monk/Rogue
Combat
Spirit/Subtlety
Chi/ Assassination
Druid/Hunter
Transformation
Damage Per Second & Healing
Beast Warden / Beast Master
d) Class Branch Option Example
Druid/Hunter Class Branch
Option 1
Option 2
Option 3
Transformation
Tank
Damage Per Second (Melee)
Spells
Damage Per Second & Healing
Damage
Healing
Buffs/Debuffs
Beast Warden / Beast Master
Pet Focus
Mutual Buffs
Damage per Second (Melee)
As seen above, Druid/Hunters have a wide variety of specialisations. They can focus on becoming master of fighting with weapons or delve into transformation. They may choose to focus on strengthening their Pets into big great monsters or they may choose to become monsters themselves. By allowing each class to choose which way they go, you give the player freedom to play in any style they would want.
4. Profession
Professions will be receiving large changes on how they are levelled and what use they provide over all. They will increase in level, per player level past level 10 and they can be respec’d just as talents do with a cost. To unlock various profession abilities or patterns will require players to go out and complete quests.
a) Profession Examples
Profession
Tree Path 1
Tree Path 2
Tree Path 3
Craftworks
Armourcraft
Weaponcraft
Engineering
Tailoring
Clothier
Leatherwork
First Aid
Arcane Arts
Alchemy
Inscription
Archaeology
Profession Tree Path
Use
Armourcraft
To fashion armour, offer temporary buffs to armour and repair all mail, plate or weapon equipment.
Weaponcraft
To fashion weapons, offer temporary buffs to weapons and repair all mail, plate or weapon equipment.
Engineering
To make consumable items for players, such as bombs, repair kits, keys and etc. Keys can be used to open locked chests and doors to access hidden areas.
Clothier
To fashion cloth armour, regular to large sized bags and costumes. They may also repair cloth and leather armour.
Leatherwork
To fashion cloth armour, large sized specialist bags and costumes. They may also repair cloth and leather armour.
First Aid
To fashion first aid kit which can be used to repair damage to a player, treat poisons or debuffs and offer temporary buffs.
Alchemy
To make potions that can either be restorative, offer buffs, remove debuffs or poison enemies.
Inscription
To enchant items or players with buffs. Also used to make maps and scrolls which will allow players to access hidden areas or bonuses.
Archaeology
A odd profession that unlocks many special hidden loot and interesting quests that will giver a deeper understanding of the lore. Also useful for find hidden areas as it will point them out on the minimap.
5. Gameplaya) Abilities
Abilities are not bought or gained through levelling. They are rewarded from special quests given by special npc’s.
Special books, codices and tomes can be acquired through high level quests to unlocked different variants of certain abilities.
Various Sub-races have access to certain flavours of abilities that can be acquired through racial quests.
i) Abilities Example
Ability
Tooltip
Arcane Explosion
Causes an explosion of arcane magic around the caster within 10 yards
Frost Variant
Causes an explosion of frost magic around the caster within 5 yards and increases armour by 50 up to 6 stacks
Black Iron Variant
Causes an explosion of fire magic around the caster within 20 yards
b) Armour
Armour will be receiving changes now as each race can now wield any armour type they wish. No longer will class decide armour but play style only. Here will be an example of each type and the bonus/cost for wearing them.
ii) Armour Class Example
Amour Type
Bonus/Cost 1
Bonus/Cost 2
Bonus/Cost 3
Bonus/Cost 4
Armour Rating
Cloth
++Spirit
++Stamina
++Agility
++Intelligence
D
Leather
+Spirit
+Stamina
+Agility
+Intelligence
C
Mail
-Spirit
-Stamina
-Agility
-Intelligence
B
Plate
- -Spirit
- -Stamina
- -Agility
- -Intelligence
A
Key
+
+25%
-
-25%
++
+50%
- -
-50%
This is done so that various classes such as shaman can wear plate if wanted. The costs however mean that the players stats will be hampered. Mages will not be able to get away with plate and at the same time have a large mana pool to utilise.
d) Dungeons
Dungeons will be drastically changed, each dungeon will have hidden parts that can only be unlocked by higher level players. This is to give players incentive to go back and retry earlier dungeons.
Dungeons are separate zones from the world map, there are no entrances into them. They can only be accessed from the major cities where a npc will offer to teleport the party into the instant. Inside such a dungeon will be a number of npc’s offering quests for the dungeon and it’s gate which will lead into it’s depths.
Hidden zones will have various requirements to access, such as doors that can only be opened by players with certain level professions. These zones will be stronger than the rest of the dungeon and have better loot.
The map feature of a dungeon will not work unless a player has cartography or posses a map item. As such a player explores a dungeon they will fill in their mind-map. As they complete certain levels of the dungeon they may then produce maps which they can sell to other players. These maps will outline where mobs are located, what items or professions are needed to access areas and even where quest items can be found. Each grade higher the map is, the more bonuses the player receives. Map bonuses are not shareable among players.
iii) Map Grading Example
Map Grade
Completion Level Required
Bonus
A
100%
+50% Gold & +50% Reputation
B
75%
+25% Gold & +25% Reputation
C
50%
No Bonus
Once a player has finished all dungeons at 100% completion, they will be allowed to try thematic dungeons. These special dungeons are much harder than the regular ones and are themed around other Blizzard games. The rewards will be on theme as well and there will be a loot converter at the gate to help make said rewards. Themes will include Starcraft, Overwatch and even Diablo.
The maximum number of players in a party allowed into a dungeon will be based around the dungeon’s overall level. A beginner dungeon may only allow 5 while a end-game content dungeon may even go beyond 20. This is to keep the difficulty high yet at the same time allow groups to grow and play together as their guilds grow.
e) Experience & Reputation Points
Experience Points will no longer be given out by killing mobs but instead by quests only. Dungeon quests will be repeatable, aimed for those players who do not enjoy questing and only wish to farm dungeons.
Reputation is now only a quest reward but the amount earned can be increased by owning any combination of maps, faction trinkets & faction armour sets.
f) Factions
Factions will return but they will not be centred around races but by cities and communes. By levelling your reputation with a faction this will bestow various buffs and unlock features available to the player.
iv) Faction Reputation Reward example
Faction Level
Buff
Reward
Neutral
Safe Passage through their lands
Additional Side quests will become available
Friendly
+5 to stats when in their domain or dungeon
Regular mounts become available
Honored
+10 to stats when in their domain or dungeon
Regular Faction items become available
Revered
+15 to stats when in their domain or dungeon
Elite mounts become available
Exalted
+20 to stats when in their domain or dungeon
Elite Faction items become available
g) Loot
Loot is having a drastic change so that no matter what grade the loot is, it will always have value. Whenever a mob dies they will always drop their corresponding loot for each player in the party responsible for it’s kill.
Loot will simply be a reagent that can be converted into various other items. Each major city has a loot vendor who will convert the loot into an item of your choice for a price.
If the player wishes they may vendor their item to a npc or auction it at the auction house.
I got the idea from the game Dark Cloud for the PS2. In their dungeons they would hide hidden zones which required items to access. These zones were not integral to the dungeons but hid stronger enemies and greater reward.
I actually enjoy going back to lower level dungeons and exploring. It’s a shame there is no real reason to go back to places like Ragefire Chasm or Shadowforge Keep. I’d love for their to be a hidden level 60 zone in shadowforge keep filled with Worgen or something cool.
I found professions silly in classic, in real life big bags were generally made of leather as they were tougher and could carry more than canvas. But Leatherworking can only make small bags. Not to mention once you complete blacksmithing it doesn’t do much for you, it would be nice for that profession to keep having value after maxing it out.
I like the hidden part of the dungeons idea and the trees for each class. Lore wise i think having the same abilities for two dirrerent classes would be “weird”. Like cast blood boil as a paladin.
Hi, yeah they would be odd unless worded differently,
Like having a heal spell for druids and hunters, that heal the same but have very different flavour.
Druids using seed items to call on nature to heal their allies,
Hunters using natural harvested remedies from nature to heal their allies,
Or for a deeper look,
Warlocks can make it rain fire on their enemies, buff themselves with demonic enhancements or heal allies with blood fountains.
Shamans can make it rain lightning on their enemies, buff themselves with nature enhancements or heal allies with water totems.
The spells could be the same but the flavour and the costs could be different. Warlock spells could require health or soul gems as additional costs while shamans just use mana.
In a new world you would most likely see a stronger settlement of Gnomish and Goblin infrastructure and constructions. They seem to be the ones fastest and easiest to adapt to the changes.
I always had this image of the Goblins making a train rolling from Winterstrong capitol (Vacation destination for all the moolah) and to the Capital of Tanaris, Gadgetzan, an industrial growth and blight upon kalimdor, Gadgetzan almost having consumed all of Tanaris.
