Some Suggestions - Talents, Zones, and More!

[Henny45]

TOC:
1. Gnomeregan and Gnome/Troll World Space
2. No Level Cap Increase, Expanded Talent Point Levels
3. Proper Zones for High Elves/Goblins
4. Quel'Thalas as High Level Zone and Old Outland
5. Language Profession
6. Professions Expanded
7. Open World PvP Expanded
8. Possible new race additions

1. Gnomeregan and Gnome/Troll World Space

I suggest making Gnomeregan a fully fleshed out city, almost as a wing of Ironforge connected by a live tram. The area to the left of Dun Morogh can be partially used as a possible Gnome starting point.

Gnomeregan dungeon can be expanded into a raid; Horde players may access through goblin tunneler in Sparkwater Port. (I also think they should get a Spirit Healer that is not physically connected to open world Gnomeregan so they can't mass die, spirit rez, log out, then raid Alliance cities so easily)

Echo Isles can be partially turned into a troll starting zone; I think only two of the islands are ever used for the Zalazane quests anyway.

I think it is okay that the trolls do not have a city on par with Gnomeregan. Valley of Spirits is a huge space, that can be expanded, and would mimic the Gnomeregan-Ironforge connection. Both Spirits and Gnomeregan should get Mage portals but share their connected city's trade chat.

2. No Level Cap Increase, but rather talent point levels

In a few patches, if Turtle Wow team wishes to mimic a level cap while keeping level 60, they could implement a system where you instead gain experience for talent points. So instead of level 70, level 60 characters can level 12 talent points to use in addition to their existing ones. Ultimately this will show they are more powerful without invalidating the Vanilla content. Some classes will benefit more from this, however. This will also reinforce the Vanilla priority of class > specialization, where the player is a mage with some extra fire practice, but not a fire mage in and of itself(unless they wish to be).

3. Proper Zones for High Elves/Goblins

Just want to thank the TW for all their hard work. I love that these were added in a Vanilla friendly way. I have ideas for what could be possible with these toons, however.

High Elves renamed Thalassian Elves. Customization for Blood Elf or High Elf; Silvermoon is racial capital, Eversong and Ghostlands implemented. Stay on Alliance. Always was a fan of Alliance Blood Elves specifically; As I feel the dark underbelly of their society fit well with the humans shady ties to the Scarlet Crusade as cementing the Alliance as a faction of exterior virtue with some hidden darker elements. Storyline can revolve around quelling the fel addiction of the Blood Elves.

Goblins given the Draenei Azuremyst/Bloodmyst Isles. Starting zone revolves around resource exploitation of a crashed ship, dead to history (no player interactive space travel, but a cool mystery point). Goblin city racial capital. Zeppelin to a spot in Stonetalon mountains, then from there Orgrimmar.

What I envision with these zones is a way to give the races their own cities and zones and to put the pressure on the Horde in EK and the Alliance in Kalimdor. Ultimately while they are super close to another racial capital, they are separated by a few zones in Quel'Thalas' case, and physically by the Azuremyst Isles case so it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

4. Quel'Thalas as a high level zone and Old Outland

If the point three above is seen as a no, Quel'Thalas can be made into a high level zone that integrates with the expanded talent idea. Silvermoon is on one half a neutral city, and the other a raid. Storylines revolved around the Horde and Alliance competing with the Blood Elves for favor; Blood Elves without the TBC lore shoehorn have an Alliance bias(One rogue general is not enough to change an entire faction to the Horde), but ultimately have sharp disagreements at times. High Elf quarter for Alliance, and Ranger quarter for Horde, reflecting Sylvanas' influence. Sunstrider Isle is a PVP zone.

Outland implemented as a single zone through the Dark Portal, with respect to the WC3 version. Draenor in WC3 was a rocky barren planet similar to Durotar, and then further destroyed. It was not what we see in retail WoW. This can be implemented as another talent leveling zone. This area is long abandoned by the Legion, except in the few generals that remain.

5. Language Profession

Language profession implemented in game where one is able to learn their faction's languages by completing certain quests, crafting tomes, etc. Secondary skill. Rewards for proficiency allow for players to complete higher level quests from those faction's npcs, as well as the ability to speak it to their own faction members. You must also learn the language of that race to interact with the mount vendor for another race.

Players who learn all of their factions' languages can opt to become a Diplomat. Diplomats are able to roleplay as emissaries to the other faction and are able to learn Orcish on Alliance, or Common on Horde. Diplomats can engage with a limited amount of the other faction vendors and access Stormwind/Orgrimmar on unfriendly terms(orange npcs). Attempting to access open world settlements is still attack on sight - You are an emissary only.

6. Professions Expanded

Professions are expanded as an alternative gearing path to instanced PvP and PvE. But it is not easy; Rare, expensive, and large quantites of reagants are required for great gear. Gear requires special crafting stations in dark and dangerous parts of the world, for example the "Scourgebane Staff" requires the defeat of Nerubian world boss, and special ritual circle in Plaguewood guarded by elite mobs. Other items require the defeat of enemy faction NPC's and players for a crafting PvP route. Grab a lock of Tyrande's hair to be woven into a powerful amulet, or a shard from Sylvanas' bow for your hunter weapon.

7. Open World PvP Expanded

Rewards from city raids, high level PvP zones. Encourage PvP as it was meant to be! Not an instanced zergfest with endless cooldowns, but a set of random encounters in a dangerous world!

8. Possible new races as time goes on - Refugee races

Draenei for Alliance, Mok'Nathal for Horde.

Mok'Nathal are already in Horde. No racial capital. Start alongside Orcs. Classes: Warrior, Hunter, Shaman, Rogue.

Draenei lore 100% overhauled. They are not the space-faring goats from retail. They are the broken and primitive race seen in WC3, but given the TBC models, with some more primitive markings, and a less glowing appearance. Fel energies have castrated them from their shamanic tradition, leaving them a race where few are attuned to magic. They have shown a slight, unexplained proficiency to some forms of holy magic in the form of the priest class, but are unable to swim in it as a full member of the silver hand. Start alongside Night Elves. Classes: Warrior, Hunter, Priest, Rogue, Warlock

[Raukodor]

I like all your ideas

But for new races i suggest furlbogs to aliance and ogres to horde for lore reasons

[Kanto123]

I like the idea of expanding gnome and troll areas, I feel a larger version of the echo isles would be nice

[Chnams]

I love these ideas. And I'll never understand why people say we can't have draenei in the alliance without breaking vanilla lore. TBC space goats can perfectly exist without the cosmic space travel BS. Just have them be a race native to Draenor. The Broken are corrupted, the regular Draenei are still somewhat untouched by demonic energies.

[Pistol]

There are already plans to add Quel'thalas and Outland as high level zones. SIlvermoon is to be a raid filled with Blood Elves addicted to Fel Magic.

[Kanto123]

There are already plans to add Quel'thalas and Outland as high level zones. SIlvermoon is to be a raid filled with Blood Elves addicted to Fel Magic.

Do we know what level ranges ghostlands and the forest around Silverwood will be?

[Pistol]

No but SIlvermoon is going to be a max level raid so presumably something like 55-60

[Henny45]

People are saying that adding talent points would be op for some specs;

I think the work involved in rebalancing those few specs is tremendously preferrable to redesigning or adding additional talents for level cap increases.

Say you make it to WOTLK and still have a level 60 cap, but a total of 20 additional talents. How does that affect an enhancement shaman? It gives them strong totems or easy mana management. Really, that's it.

How does that affect a Hunter/Warlock? Well yeah I see the point. But like I said, balancing a few classes' specs is probably a lot easier than some redesign work across the board.