What do you think?

[Tyraenna]

So I just wanted to share my frustrations, once again, with Blizzard for being slow.  An expansion is good for a year, max, in a game such as WOW where leveling happens fast.  I love the game, and will likely continue to be a loyal customer as they release content, but my interest is waning right this second.  It is almost exactly a year since they released their first expansion, and they have still not announced a DATE for Wrath of the Lich King.  To their credit, they did not announce the release date for BC until about two months before it was released.  But I like to have something to look forward to, and they are stringing me along without a timeline here!

Really wish they would get their act together.  They have made so much money on this game, they should be able to hire enough folks to build a team that can release expansions at a reasonable rate (in my humble opinion, 9 months is about perfect).

OK.  I will let others share their woes now.

Tyr

[Perragin]

Given the new speed of leveling and all I think 6 months is appropriate. And as Tyr said, 8 million times $14.99/month should equal more than enough revenue to make it happen...

[Brasse]

Given that EQII has managed to push out 4 major expansions already (DoF, KoS, EoF, RoK) plus 3 adventure packs and several bonus zones with a tiny fraction of Blizzard's revenues.... it seems a slap in the face to the WoW playerbase to get SO little.

One really good expansion a year would do. Burning Crusade didn't have that much new content.

[Korintha]

Okay, let me start by saying that I'm really excited about the expansion.  But I'm also not sure how often I want to pay forty or fifty dollars for an expansion.  Sorry, I work retail for a living and money is often an issue (just ask the WoW Innmates how often I complain about not enough gold!)  But even with that in mind, Blizz needs to give us a little something more.  Sure they have lots of patch content, but they should have their own staff for major expansions.  And I don't watch message boards much, but quite frankly, I don't remember hearing just about anything about Lich King except what they put on the web page when they announced it.  I'm okay if they take a little while to work their magic, but at least give us some bread crumbs to the big show or something.

[Bearmug]

That's the reason I stopped playing actually, just did everithing I can normally do (including class questlines, faction questlines, reputation rewards, raids), and only thing left were high tier raids that I was months away from.

I wasn't really interested in grinding same old stuff 3 more months just to see BT or Hyjal, last zones I had not seen, and with Blizzard's speed.....

Although it seems patch 2.4 is bringing new area/raids, and after that comes expansion. Judging by BC, it should be ready sometime during the summer (which means not enough people to buy, so delayed till fall when people return from holiday ).

[Kaid]

I am hoping for a summer release but expecting a fall or winter one. Sigh they are just slow blizzard makes good games but they have always been super sluggish in getting them made. Its one reason they had to give up on their first person shooter they simply could not develop it fast enough to keep up with how quickly the FPS shooter graphic engines improve.

[Tengu]

One year to develop each new expansion sounds good to me. It gives enough time to people to save money for the new one and for the hardcore gamers to do every raid.

I would like some more predictability on the time they take to release stuff though. For me one of the cool things about Lineage 2 was that around 6 months or so you could expect a new expansion. It was fun to know that a new expansion was coming then speculate about what would be added.

[Tyraenna]

I agree on the predictability thing, Tengu.

The only thing predictable about Blizzard's rate of releasing expansions, is that it will be SLOW.  SLOWER than the majority of their player base cares for.

Tyr

[Azymyth]

Well, I think they're pacing themselves because Burning Crusade has changed a lot about the game.

The majority of old world dungeons and raids have been abandoned and my guess is they want to minimize that while also offering rewards that would make the new level grind appealing, especially given what's available with Season 4 Arena gear.

There's also a story aspect to it... after Arthas, what major foes are there left to challenge players? Well, besides what ever is lurking in the Emerald Dream.

[Kaid]

Well the titans are a big one. The uldaman quest lines give a lot of interesting hints and leads you to uldum in south tanaris that looks like its gate is being broken open from the inside and has a lot of giants guarding it.


The emerald dream is a given there are a lot of quest lines talking about that I am guessing this is probably where they go next.


The maelstrom not sure if they would do it but the maelstrom would make a good underwater type expansion find out what azshara is up to down there.


Those are probably the biggest things lurking out there that have lore behind them but given you have draenei with flying space ships and portals to other worlds they could take it anywhere they want to. Emerald dream though is probably next at bat though since that ties up some of the last major quest lines and there has been a lot of background leading up to people going into the emerald dream and figuring out what the hell is going on out there with the green dragon wing and malfurion.

[Gordion]

Part of the WoW lore involves the catastrophic sundering of the continents that resulted in the sea between Kalimdor and Azeroth.  Perhaps they can do something with the caverns of time that leads to before the cataclysm.  I also think they're planning some naga-related stuff in the future, maybe with the revelation of their home city?

Uldum has been waiting... I agree with you, Kaid.  I think we'll see more on that before too long.

Also, it would be cool to see the Goblin home city, I think it's called The Undermine.

[Bearmug]

Also, Draenor was destroyed cause too many portals were opened. The one to Azeroth has been reopened, so there is no reason others can't be.

And, as was said, there is still Maelstrom as a whole new expansion and Emerald Dream, which is a copy of Azeroth how it would have been without humans, naga, murlocs and all other 'inteligent' races.

I really hope they do something with Azshara, that place has so much potential, and ends up having about 10 quests in all, some of which are class quests.

[Kaid]

I would not be surpised someday when I am old and grey that they do an undersea maelstrom centered expansion. I would have to think after the scourge and northrend the next at bat is probably the emerald dream though. There are a LOT of plot points from vanilla wow leading to it and a lot of main lore thats leading to what the heck is occuring out there.

If they do I would bet money they add a new heroic class the arch druid.

Perhaps they can figure out how to program faster but I somehow doubt it


kaid

[Perragin]

I must admit I am losing enthusiasm to even try anymore WoW expansions. This one will come out, most of the content will be explored the first month then it will be another 2 years till we see something new. Perhaps I will feel different if/when WotLK releases...

[Tyraenna]

I hope you feel differently then, Perr!  I am looking forward to the many different 10 man dungeons we will have to explore, instead of repeatedly downing undead in KZ.  I hope the others from up in WI are interested enough to come back for a bit, too.

Tyr