Rumors abound on the internet regarding the next expansion for WoW. According to various sources, the rumors are substantiated by a FAQ which Blizzard made for it's G.M. with the following text:
FAQ for World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
What are the features of the new expansion?
Wrath of the Lich King builds on the rich foundation established in World of Warcraft and The Burning Crusade, providing a wealth of new content for players to explore. The harsh, forbidding continent of Northrend, home of the Lich King and his undead minions, will be uncovered on the world map, and to contend with the new challenges found there, players will be able to advance to level 80, acquiring potent new abilities and talents along the way.
In addition, Wrath of the Lich King will introduce the death knight hero class to World of Warcraft. Once certain criteria are met, players will be able to create a new death knight character, which will start at a high level. Furthermore, player-vs.-player battles will reach a new level of intensity with the addition of siege weapons and destructible buildings, not to mention a new battleground. There will also be an abundance of new quests, dungeons, monsters, items, and recipes -- as well as a new profession, inscription -- for players to try out. The expansion will include some additional character-customization options for players as well. We'll be going into more detail on all of these features in the months ahead.
How will the death knight class fit into the game?
The death knight combines martial prowess with dark, necromantic energies. Players might be familiar with the death knight from previously released Warcraft games -- most recently, in the campaigns for Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and the Frozen Throne expansion, the former paladin Arthas became a death knight and wreaked havoc across Azeroth and Northrend before fusing with the spirit of Ner'zhul to become the Lich King. The death knight is the first hero class in World of Warcraft; once certain criteria are met, players will unlock the ability to create a new death knight character, which will begin play at a high experience level. We're currently exploring various options for how the death knight will play and the types of abilities at its disposal, and we'll be revealing more information about this new class as we get further along in development.
Will the death knight have any abilities from previously released Warcraft games?
The way we portrayed death knights in past Warcraft games is certainly a source of inspiration, but we are still determining how best to capture that feel within the mechanics of World of Warcraft, and haven't made any final determinations on specific abilities.
What role will the death knight play in groups and raids?
In general terms, the death knight can be considered a type of class that combines damage dealing and tanking, but naturally it will have an array of unique abilities as well.
What races will be allowed to play death knights?
We haven't yet made a final determination about which races can be death knights. However, the class will be available to both the Alliance and the Horde.
Will there be additional hero classes in the future?
Yes, we do intend to add more hero classes in the future, but right now our focus is on the current expansion.
What is the story background of the expansion?
Players last visited Northrend in the Warcraft III expansion, when Arthas Menethil fused with the spirit of Ner'zhul to become the Lich King, one of the most powerful entities in the Warcraft universe. He now broods atop the Frozen Throne, deep in Icecrown Citadel, clutching the rune blade Frostmourne and marshaling the undead armies of the Scourge. In Wrath of the Lich King, the greatest champions of the Alliance and the Horde will do battle with the Scourge amid Northrend's howling winds and fields of jagged ice, and ultimately face the Lich King himself.
Will players actually get to encounter Arthas himself?
Players will be skirmishing with the minions of Arthas from the moment they set foot on Northrend. He will be a constant presence as players progress through the expansion content -- which will culminate in a showdown with the dread Lich King himself.
Can you discuss some of the new talents and abilities that will be available from level 70 to level 80?
As with character advancement up to level 70, players will gain access to an array of potent and exciting new abilities and talents as they make their way from level 70 to level 80. However, it's still too early to get into specifics on these.
How long will it take to advance from level 70 to level 80?
We were pleased with the pacing from level 60 to level 70 in The Burning Crusade, and we intend to take a similar approach to pacing character advancement in Wrath of the Lich King. However, the specific amount of time that it will take players to reach level 80 will vary widely based on play style.
What can you reveal about Northrend?
The first area of Northrend we're showcasing is the Howling Fjord, a region of grasslands overlooking massive cliffs at the southeastern edge of the continent. This, along with the Borean Tundra, is the front line of the war against Arthas, and players will come face to face with his minions as soon as they set foot on Northrend. Eventually, as players progress further, they will explore the Grizzly Hills, Dragonblight, and more. We'll be showing off some of these new areas in the months ahead.
What's the level requirement to enter Northrend?
Players of any level who have purchased the expansion can visit Northrend. However, all of the content is designed for players level 68 and up.
How many new dungeons will be in the expansion?
The first dungeon players will enter is Utgarde Keep, which is intended for five players around level 70. Utgarde is inhabited by the Vrykul, a Viking-like race bent on proving their strength to the Lich King, who will raise the most worthy of their warriors to serve him beyond the grave. We intend to provide a variety of dungeons comparable to that in The Burning Crusade and will be revealing more details about some of these in the months ahead.
Do you plan to continue with the 25-player model for raids?
Yes, we've been pleased with the tactics, intensity, and variety of the 25-player raid model, and plan to continue with it.
In what ways will players be able to further customize their characters in the expansion?
In addition to the numerous new character-customization options that will be available with all of the new weapons and armor added by the expansion, we'll be offering some fun ways to alter both existing and new characters with regard to dances and hairstyles, but we're not ready to go into more detail just yet.
What can you reveal about the new profession coming with the expansion?
Inscription allows the player to permanently enhance their spells and abilities and to create mysterious items of power to use, trade, and sell.
What can players expect with regard to player-vs.-player combat in the expansion?
Players will be able to take control of siege weapons and use them to destroy opposing buildings, adding a new layer of complexity to PvP battles. Naturally, we'll be providing some fun places to put these new tools to good use, and we'll be revealing more information about them in the months ahead, in addition to the new battleground content being added.
Can you give a sneak peek at the new recipes and items in the expansion?
There will be hundreds of new recipes and thousands of new items available, but we're not ready to discuss specific examples just yet.
Will there be any graphical enhancements?
There will be hundreds of new recipes and thousands of new items available, but we're not ready to discuss specific examples just yet.
How many zones will be in the expansion?
Northrend will be roughly equivalent to Outland in terms of size and scope.
Will there be any new cinematic scenes?
Yes, our cinematics department is hard at work preparing a new intro movie for the expansion.
Release/Availability
Do you need to own the expansion to play with friends who have it?
There will be many aspects of the expansion that will be available to all players. However, in order to experience certain content, such as Northrend, or be able to play as a death knight, players must purchase the expansion.
Will there be an open beta test of the expansion?
We have not yet determined whether the expansion will require an open beta test. If we do decide to conduct a beta test, details will be posted on the official World of Warcraft website once we've gotten further along in the development process.
When will the expansion be released? How much will it cost?
We have not yet announced a release date for the expansion set. However, we expect to announce further details, including the release date and price, on our community website in the months ahead. Please stay tuned to [link] for more information.
Will there be a collector's edition?
We have not yet made any determination about whether there will be a collector's edition of Wrath of the Lich King. We'll be announcing details such as this closer to release.
Will a Mac version be available simultaneously with the PC version?
Yes. As with all of our games, Wrath of the Lich King will be compatible with and optimized for both the Windows and Macintosh platforms.
What are the system requirements?
We'll continue to ensure that the game is playable on a wide range of hardware. However, we have not made a final determination on the system requirements as yet.
Will the expansion be released globally at the same time?
We recognize that players throughout the world will be eager to experience all of the new content being added with Wrath of the Lich King, and we will make every effort to release the expansion simultaneously worldwide. However, there's always the possibility that unforeseen circumstances could delay the launch in any given region. We'll share the launch timing with players in each region as soon as the plans have been finalized.
What is the ESRB rating for the expansion?
The expansion has not yet been rated by the ESRB. However, we anticipate that it will receive the same rating that the original World of Warcraft received -- "Teen."
This FAQ is said to have been spread to prepare the GM's with enough information after Blizzcon and/or the Leipzig Gaming Event, two events which occur in the near future and which could be used by Blizzard to formally announce the expansion.
Source
Details about new expansion leaked?
I doubt that they'll get it released by January though, so the 1 expansion/year pace is unlikely. Maybe summer 2008.
I must say that I don't like the idea of L80 cap. Sure, it's fine for your current characters but leveling alts afterwards...urgh.
Another point is that apparently you cannot own ONLY the new expansion, without BC - I guess you could level to somewhere like 62 by staying in Azeroth but 62-68 might be tough
BTW, Northrend was speculated earlier, patch 2.1 added some new areas related to Northrend into the graphics files or something.
I must say that I don't like the idea of L80 cap. Sure, it's fine for your current characters but leveling alts afterwards...urgh.
Another point is that apparently you cannot own ONLY the new expansion, without BC - I guess you could level to somewhere like 62 by staying in Azeroth but 62-68 might be tough
BTW, Northrend was speculated earlier, patch 2.1 added some new areas related to Northrend into the graphics files or something.
Thinking about how long time the normal players (non-raiders) had to experience not even close to all content before TBC, I think it would suck majorly a** if they come with a new expansion this fast.
Would also mean that we _again_ can throw out all the stuff we've been working so hard to aquire lately.
Personally I think they can stuff their expansion in a certain place, and let me enjoy the content as it is now. (with the odd new event/quest/faction ofc)
Would also mean that we _again_ can throw out all the stuff we've been working so hard to aquire lately.
Personally I think they can stuff their expansion in a certain place, and let me enjoy the content as it is now. (with the odd new event/quest/faction ofc)
BTW, more interesting tidbid is about Zul'Aman.
Apparently there are four optional "winged" bosses, that are on timer - and get this - you get better loot depending on how fast you complete the wing.
Second tidbit: You get "logical loot", meaning that you get stuff that the boss is actually wearing.
Combine these two: You get scaled dungeons! So I guess the boss strips down to a less difficult gear as time passes! So if you slay all trash in 5 minutes he's in full legendary epixxes, but if you tarry for 5 hours he's down to grays!
Sounds VERY interesting.
Apparently there are four optional "winged" bosses, that are on timer - and get this - you get better loot depending on how fast you complete the wing.
Second tidbit: You get "logical loot", meaning that you get stuff that the boss is actually wearing.
Combine these two: You get scaled dungeons! So I guess the boss strips down to a less difficult gear as time passes! So if you slay all trash in 5 minutes he's in full legendary epixxes, but if you tarry for 5 hours he's down to grays!
Sounds VERY interesting.
Official scoop:
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3161725
WoW: Wrath of the Lich King Revealed
New Hero Class, new continent, new level cap, and more!
By GFW Staff, 08/03/2007
It's official: The next World of WarCraft expansion is coming; it's called Wrath of the Lich King, and will open up the continent of Northrend to players of level 68 and above. This second expansion will focus on the return of Arthas Menethil, a.k.a. the Lich King, ruler of the Scourge, and one of the most powerful beings in all of Azeroth. This semi-sequel to the saga of Arthas (from WarCraft III: The Frozen Throne) is intended for experienced players with a couple level 70 characters in their pockets.
The September issue of Games for Windows: The Official Magazine (on sale soon) has tons of details, but for now here's a quick rundown of what's in store....
Level Cap: 80
Skill Cap: 450
Continent: Northrend
Number of Zones: 10 (tentatively), for levels 68 and above
Profession: Inscription
Class: Death Knight (first-ever Hero Class)
Features: Outdoor PVP zone with siege weapons and destructible buildings.
Release Date: You're kidding, right?
The biggest news for existing players is the introduction of the Death Knight, the first new class since WOW's launch -- and, coincidentally, its first Hero Class, too. Other big new features include the introduction of siege weapons and destroyable buildings in both a new Battleground and a brand-new outdoor PVP zone. What Wrath of the Lich King won't have is any content for new characters: no new races, no new level-1-to-20 zones back in the old world, and little change to the old world.
Here's what we know so far:
The Story
Having cleaned up Outland (or at least having set things in decent enough order for now), the Alliance and Horde turn their heads northward to the continent of Northrend, where a terrible threat has gone unchecked for far too long: that of Lich King and his undead army, the Scourge. On the day Wrath of the Lich King launches, players will be able to set sail from various points in old Azeroth and join the fight against Arthas Menethil.
New Continent: Northrend
Having learned a valuable lesson about funneling 8.5 million players into once single starting zone with The Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King lets players pick a zone on either side of the continent to start from: Borean Tundra in the west or Howling Fjord in the east. Each zone has level-equivalent quests (appropriate for approximately level 68 through 72) and one Hellfire Peninsula-style instance hub with multiple dungeon wings for level 70 characters, level 80 characters, and raiders. While Northrend immediately calls to mind ice and snow, Blizzard doesn't want to make those themes dominate Northrend completely-expect as much variety as ever, only not quite as weird and wild as Outland.
Northrend's indigenous inhabitants include a Viking-like race called the Vrykul: 15-foot-tall humanoids with a strong Norse influence. Most Vrykul you encounter will be your enemies, as they've been in Northrend so long that the Lich King holds a lot of sway over them. Another friendly race -- the walrus-like Tuskarr -- will serve as a cute little counterpoint to the lumbering undead-loving oafs.
New Zone Type: Outdoor PVP
One of Northrend's 10 new zones (final count still tentative) is an outdoor PVP zone that introduces the concept of siege weapons (Meat Wagons, Steam Tanks, etc.) and destructible buildings. Blizzard describes the outdoor zone as basically a "non-instanced Battleground" where completing objectives earns world-wide bonuses for your side (Think Spirit Shard buff in Auchindoun instances). The PVP zone is entirely avoidable (if you're the carebear type), and seige weapons won't be useable outside their designated PVP area.
New Hero Class: Death Knight
World of WarCraft's first Hero Class is a plate-wearing tank/DPS hybrid that works a little something like this: When players hit level 80, they'll be able to embark on a quest (similar in difficulty to the Warlock's epic mount quest, back before the level cap was raised to 70) that unlocks the ability to create a Death Knight character. The Death Knight starts at a high level (somewhere around 60 or 70, though Blizzard isn't certain yet), so you won't have to grind your way back up all over again. It's intended as an alternative, advanced class for end-game use only.
Rather than using rage, energy, or mana, Death Knights have a special "rune sword" displayed beneath their health bar, onto which the player can etch six different runes (choose between Frost, Blood, and Unholy). Different abilities require different mixes of runes, and using abilities consumes the requisite runes until a cooldown timer causes them to be available again. Stuff like talents, spells, and other specifics are still being finalized. So are key questions like what races can be a Death Knight (start a Gnome petition now) and whether unlocking the Hero Class on one server means you can create a Death Knight on any server.
New Profession: Inscription
Wrath of the Lich King will introduce a new profession called Inscription that will let players customize individual spells and abilities in their spell book -- to change the cooldown timer on a Fireball, for example, or alter the crit rate of a healing spell.
There's lots more in the upcoming September issue of Games for Windows: The Official Magazine, on sale in the next couple weeks, including candid insight from the developers, details on some of the new dungeons not shown at BlizzCon, and word that The Burning Crusade ain't over yet...there's more BC content coming beyond Zul'Aman.
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3161725
WoW: Wrath of the Lich King Revealed
New Hero Class, new continent, new level cap, and more!
By GFW Staff, 08/03/2007
It's official: The next World of WarCraft expansion is coming; it's called Wrath of the Lich King, and will open up the continent of Northrend to players of level 68 and above. This second expansion will focus on the return of Arthas Menethil, a.k.a. the Lich King, ruler of the Scourge, and one of the most powerful beings in all of Azeroth. This semi-sequel to the saga of Arthas (from WarCraft III: The Frozen Throne) is intended for experienced players with a couple level 70 characters in their pockets.
The September issue of Games for Windows: The Official Magazine (on sale soon) has tons of details, but for now here's a quick rundown of what's in store....
Level Cap: 80
Skill Cap: 450
Continent: Northrend
Number of Zones: 10 (tentatively), for levels 68 and above
Profession: Inscription
Class: Death Knight (first-ever Hero Class)
Features: Outdoor PVP zone with siege weapons and destructible buildings.
Release Date: You're kidding, right?
The biggest news for existing players is the introduction of the Death Knight, the first new class since WOW's launch -- and, coincidentally, its first Hero Class, too. Other big new features include the introduction of siege weapons and destroyable buildings in both a new Battleground and a brand-new outdoor PVP zone. What Wrath of the Lich King won't have is any content for new characters: no new races, no new level-1-to-20 zones back in the old world, and little change to the old world.
Here's what we know so far:
The Story
Having cleaned up Outland (or at least having set things in decent enough order for now), the Alliance and Horde turn their heads northward to the continent of Northrend, where a terrible threat has gone unchecked for far too long: that of Lich King and his undead army, the Scourge. On the day Wrath of the Lich King launches, players will be able to set sail from various points in old Azeroth and join the fight against Arthas Menethil.
New Continent: Northrend
Having learned a valuable lesson about funneling 8.5 million players into once single starting zone with The Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King lets players pick a zone on either side of the continent to start from: Borean Tundra in the west or Howling Fjord in the east. Each zone has level-equivalent quests (appropriate for approximately level 68 through 72) and one Hellfire Peninsula-style instance hub with multiple dungeon wings for level 70 characters, level 80 characters, and raiders. While Northrend immediately calls to mind ice and snow, Blizzard doesn't want to make those themes dominate Northrend completely-expect as much variety as ever, only not quite as weird and wild as Outland.
Northrend's indigenous inhabitants include a Viking-like race called the Vrykul: 15-foot-tall humanoids with a strong Norse influence. Most Vrykul you encounter will be your enemies, as they've been in Northrend so long that the Lich King holds a lot of sway over them. Another friendly race -- the walrus-like Tuskarr -- will serve as a cute little counterpoint to the lumbering undead-loving oafs.
New Zone Type: Outdoor PVP
One of Northrend's 10 new zones (final count still tentative) is an outdoor PVP zone that introduces the concept of siege weapons (Meat Wagons, Steam Tanks, etc.) and destructible buildings. Blizzard describes the outdoor zone as basically a "non-instanced Battleground" where completing objectives earns world-wide bonuses for your side (Think Spirit Shard buff in Auchindoun instances). The PVP zone is entirely avoidable (if you're the carebear type), and seige weapons won't be useable outside their designated PVP area.
New Hero Class: Death Knight
World of WarCraft's first Hero Class is a plate-wearing tank/DPS hybrid that works a little something like this: When players hit level 80, they'll be able to embark on a quest (similar in difficulty to the Warlock's epic mount quest, back before the level cap was raised to 70) that unlocks the ability to create a Death Knight character. The Death Knight starts at a high level (somewhere around 60 or 70, though Blizzard isn't certain yet), so you won't have to grind your way back up all over again. It's intended as an alternative, advanced class for end-game use only.
Rather than using rage, energy, or mana, Death Knights have a special "rune sword" displayed beneath their health bar, onto which the player can etch six different runes (choose between Frost, Blood, and Unholy). Different abilities require different mixes of runes, and using abilities consumes the requisite runes until a cooldown timer causes them to be available again. Stuff like talents, spells, and other specifics are still being finalized. So are key questions like what races can be a Death Knight (start a Gnome petition now) and whether unlocking the Hero Class on one server means you can create a Death Knight on any server.
New Profession: Inscription
Wrath of the Lich King will introduce a new profession called Inscription that will let players customize individual spells and abilities in their spell book -- to change the cooldown timer on a Fireball, for example, or alter the crit rate of a healing spell.
There's lots more in the upcoming September issue of Games for Windows: The Official Magazine, on sale in the next couple weeks, including candid insight from the developers, details on some of the new dungeons not shown at BlizzCon, and word that The Burning Crusade ain't over yet...there's more BC content coming beyond Zul'Aman.
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Sounds cool to actually be able to explore northrend. As long as they don't give ugly looking greens again, I don't mind. The way where they re-used the level 10 armor looks was just bad.
As a matter of fact, I think it would be time for a new profession "fashion designer" as well, similar to the entertainer class in SWG (the old one). Would be nice if you could customize your character more and even tailor some custom clothing (instead of having to find RP clothes that fit together). That would also eliminate all the similar looking RP'ers.
Also, maybe it would've been a better idea to make incremental content updates instead of a large expansion with everything in it (and make the expansion cheaper in itself). E.g. the new profession could be put in with a larger patch and the new continent + level 80 cap could be a cheap add-on.
What could be a bit worrisome though is something that also happened to the old swg. Introducing a hero class and one that lots of people have been craving for as well (an evil paladin, the ultimate bad roleplayer), might end up in the same fiasco as the jedi class in swg. Since everyone wanted to be force sensitive and ultimately a jedi (screw the professions that actually made swg a fun game), after a while you only saw supposedly force-sensitive people and jedi running around, screwing up the whole idea behind jedi of being rare and hunted if they show themselves to be jedi in public.
Everyone will be wanting to play a death knight and, even though lorewise they'd be very rare, you'll see masses of them running around in stormwind and orgrimmar before you can finish the sentence 'I wonder how long it would take to level to 80 and get a death knight'.
Hopefully, after the first hype, people will come back to their balanced and varied characters. At least it killed swg.
As a matter of fact, I think it would be time for a new profession "fashion designer" as well, similar to the entertainer class in SWG (the old one). Would be nice if you could customize your character more and even tailor some custom clothing (instead of having to find RP clothes that fit together). That would also eliminate all the similar looking RP'ers.
Also, maybe it would've been a better idea to make incremental content updates instead of a large expansion with everything in it (and make the expansion cheaper in itself). E.g. the new profession could be put in with a larger patch and the new continent + level 80 cap could be a cheap add-on.
What could be a bit worrisome though is something that also happened to the old swg. Introducing a hero class and one that lots of people have been craving for as well (an evil paladin, the ultimate bad roleplayer), might end up in the same fiasco as the jedi class in swg. Since everyone wanted to be force sensitive and ultimately a jedi (screw the professions that actually made swg a fun game), after a while you only saw supposedly force-sensitive people and jedi running around, screwing up the whole idea behind jedi of being rare and hunted if they show themselves to be jedi in public.
Everyone will be wanting to play a death knight and, even though lorewise they'd be very rare, you'll see masses of them running around in stormwind and orgrimmar before you can finish the sentence 'I wonder how long it would take to level to 80 and get a death knight'.
Hopefully, after the first hype, people will come back to their balanced and varied characters. At least it killed swg.
By reading this and loking back on my past with game experience from other games, specific; Dark Age of Camelot. - The Deathknight abilities how to use spells and abilities with those runes as cooldown etc.
The class remind of me the Warlock from that game, since it was the same kind of methode the class worked like, and made it extreme powerpul, which also ended up getting some degrades in its abilities as the class was able to kill anything that touched it within a few second if all preperation was made.. I am sure the same will happen to this class by the look of the description.
And from my own view of it, I am not very fond of the idea of "Deathknight" sure it is a nice creative idea to add a new class to the game, to make us want it or try it.. but Deathknight? .. nah.. Blizzard sure is screwing up on their own lore.
The class remind of me the Warlock from that game, since it was the same kind of methode the class worked like, and made it extreme powerpul, which also ended up getting some degrades in its abilities as the class was able to kill anything that touched it within a few second if all preperation was made.. I am sure the same will happen to this class by the look of the description.
And from my own view of it, I am not very fond of the idea of "Deathknight" sure it is a nice creative idea to add a new class to the game, to make us want it or try it.. but Deathknight? .. nah.. Blizzard sure is screwing up on their own lore.