Thursday, July 24, 2014

Max-Level Outdoor Content: Tanaan Jungle Coming in a Later Patch (And Other Warlords News, Including a Speculative Release Date)

This might have been good to let us know earlier, but apparently, beyond the opening experience surrounding the Dark Portal, has always been planned to be patch content, and not an area that we would be questing in while leveling up, or even right after hitting 100.

This is disappointing, because it means we will have one fewer zone. Yet it also makes a little sense if my predictions are correct.

Hellfire Citadel was the headquarters of the Horde during the Draenei Genocide, the First War, and the Second War. And it stood in Hellfire Penninsula, which in Draenor B (and possibly pre-Outland Draenor A) is called Tanaan Jungle.

Hellfire Citadel could very easily be the final raid of Warlords of Draenor, and thus, it would make sense for Tanaan to be the zone that comes with the final patch, like Quel'danas. It's just unprecedented for a zone to be so visibly part of the new continent and yet inaccessible.

Yet I do like the idea that we know exactly (and that's assuming I'm correct) where the final raid will be for the whole expansion. While the Black Temple wasn't truly the final raid of BC (and we actually went there in 2.1,) it was pretty awesome to see that incredibly ominous place that really screamed "final dungeon." Wrath of the Lich King really perfected this, with Icecrown Citadel standing, impenetrable through 3.0, 3.1, and 3.2, before we finally broke through the Lich King's defenses and took him down.

It would have been interesting to see an entire questing zone designed for max level (questing, not daily quests,) but the good news is that there will be level 100 content in every zone, including Horde stuff in SMV and Alliance stuff in Frostfire.

So, if I had to guess, I think we're going to get Farahlon (Netherstorm in Outland) in 6.1 or 6.2, with Tanaan opening up with the final raid tier in 6.3 or 6.4.

I just hope that they build Tanaan up enough. I'd like to see us trying and failing to breach the defenses at level 100. Perhaps we'd have to finally defeat whatever malevolent force is keeping us from flying in Draenor? (hint hint.)

In other news!

It looks like you'll be able to transmog enchants using the enchanting building in the garrison, which is pretty cool. I hope that they include BC-era's Executioner. Personally, I like crazy, busy enchants, but I think those will be even more awesome when you can line them up with weapons that look good with them. Power Torrent for melee? Sign me up! Will it work for hunters, though?

The new build is coming soon, though there's been a delay because of a power outage. Opening up will be Spires of Arrak and Nagrand, and we'll be able to level up to 100. Hitting the level cap in the beta's a very good sign.

And in other great signs: we have what could be a secret hint at a release date: The (sigh) Horde-only Azeroth Choppers bike is going to go live on servers on September 30th. To claim it, you have to log in some time between now and then (I think it doesn't matter which side you log in on, even though the bike is still Horde only, but I did it on Horde toons just in case) and the mount should be yours come 9/30 or 30/9 for you crazy Europeans.

While the beta is pretty buggy at the moment, I think that two more months of testing will probably be enough. We should be getting the full leveling experience up tomorrow, and they've already begun raid testing. Two months of that? Yeah, I think September 30th sounds pretty reasonable.

Woot! Still not doing my preorder until it's announced officially. Just a policy of mine - I'm definitely going to get the expansion.

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