New Zone Types you'd like to see?

[Vephriel]

World of Warcraft has a plethora of beautiful zones scattered across both Azeroth and Outland. You're almost guaranteed to find a mimic of just about any real world location or habitat within the in game world, but there's always room for more!

I was curious if anyone else ever speculated on new zone types or what they'd like to see. Personally I think Blizzard has done a wonderful job giving us such a rich variety of places, but one that I feel is missing is an Asian mountainous region.

I can picture a reclusive place high up in the mountains surrounded by forests of bamboo. I think it would be just breathtaking with small waterfalls, perhaps some red foliage, and trails of mist meandering through the area. Wildlife could include tigers, cranes, and perhaps even large panda bears among some small monkeys.
Examples: Picture, Picture, Picture

I even found an official WoW Desktop Wallpaper featuring the Pandaren Monk that seems to illustrate this concept wonderfully:
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/download ... 24x768.jpg

It would also be a feasible zone to make as perhaps they could uncover the mystical Pandaria. Though many Night Elf architecture has an Asian flair to it, I think it would be even better if they really focused on that style for a Pandaren populated region.
http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/wowwi ... illage.jpg

That is the one zone that I am hoping to see at some point in the future. How about you all?

[Saturo]

I'd like a completely underground zone. I heard that Blizz would be adding Azjol-Nerub in WoTLK, but alas...

Cata, however, might add one in the form of Uldum. Yay.

[Vephriel]

Ooh, and underground zone would be awesome. Networks of caves with luminescent spots in the walls....that would be amazing!

[Bulletdance]

Nagrand and Grizzly hills are my two favorite zones. I'd like to see one that's half water half mangrove swamp. They came close with that one zone (I'm terrible with zone names) lol Shcolzarr where Krush spawns, but I think they could have pushed it more. Imagine the huge tree roots sticking out form the water and you could climb on the trees maybe give a few villages on the canopys. I like a lot of greenery. I'd also love to see a huge increase in the amount of critters used. Fields with butterflies or something more akin to the wild horses roaming in grizzly hills.

[Jakkra]

I think I heard that they're already doing this, or something like this, but...

I'd love to see a completely underwater zone, if it were done right. Like, a whole coral reef area. I know there have been bits of stuff like this in the game (like if you dive into the water by Winterfin Retreat in Borean Tundra). But, I've also heard something about swimming mounts (I think?), and then it would be just perfect. Something like this picture. There could be little secret nooks and crannies that open up to caves with air pockets or something.

I'd be all for the bamboo mountains and underground zone, too :3

[Bulletdance]

Zomg bamboo mountains would be sooo cool! We could have monkeys and pandas. And pretty Asian themed villages. Hot springs and kimono outfits drops I'd be all for.

[Rhyela]

I love Grizzlemaw, and though it isn't a zone, it's something I'd like to see them expand on. I love how the furbolgs there made their homes in the actual tree itself. I suppose a good way to illustrate it would be in Star Wars Episode VI - the Ewoks live up in the canopies of trees. I know an entire zone would probably not be possible up in the trees, but I'd at least like to see something where entire villages are in the trees. I'm talking inns, shops, bridges made of vines going from one tree to the other, the whole nine yards. Darnassus is kinda close in that the entirety of the city/zone is on the giant tree Teldrassil, or perhaps even Telredor in Zangarmarsh (the town on the giant mushroom), but that's still not quite what I'm talking about. Imagine all the neat wildlife you could find in an area like that - monkeys, birds, sloths, reptiles, bugs...and the flowers and leaves, too.

[VelkynKarma]

I'd like a completely underground zone. I heard that Blizz would be adding Azjol-Nerub in WoTLK, but alas...

Cata, however, might add one in the form of Uldum. Yay.

This. I was SO disappointed to learn that the underground zone just got turned into two instances. I love the designs of the dungeons themselves, I just hate most of the bosses Especially the last one in Old Kingdom....such a pain in the butt to try and do on my hunter X_X

~VelkynKarma

[Vephriel]

Yeah, I agree about the instances. They're absolutely gorgeous, and the first time I went into Old Kingdom and Azjol-Nerub I was stunned by the beauty (especially the glowy fungus in the background and down below, I love where Amanitar is). I absolute hate both of them though for running. -.- Volazj is such a pain in the ass as a hunter....all you can do is pitifully melee your friends and hope you live through it. =S

[Saturo]

Especially the last one in Old Kingdom....such a pain in the butt to try and do on my hunter X_X

~VelkynKarma

If you have dual-spec, you can switch to your BM, and run around with a tenacity pet. It will gimp your DPS tough

[Anansi]

Back when Wrath and it's content were rumours, and then when it was confirmed that Northrend was the setting with lots of snow zones, I was so excited. I love snowy regions - the harsh environment, the isolation, the mystery, the magnificent vastness, the sense of being in a forbidding area rife with magic, danger and a primitive timelessness - I couldn't wait.

But for all the grandeur of Northrend, I felt the snow zones fell terribly flat and never conveyed any sense of cold, of harshness, of isolation and size. At worst it felt like a slightly cold snowy day out on the farm. I think Blizzard (ironically?) failed to deliver with Icecrown and the Storm Peaks.

So, I still want a *proper* snow zone fulfilling my above criteria.

But for other areas, I definitely want a more Nerubian content. I love the Nerubians, and delving into Azjol'Nerub and Ahn'Kahet is still something I enjoy even after running those instances dozens of times. And I guess I'm in the minority here but I love Harold V, kiting and burning down my team-mates in that phase brings me great joy
Maybe the cataclysm will crack open another Nerubian lair or even full city. As a Troll, I enjoy the lore that exists between the two races.

I also want a fully functioning Troll city, not a raid or spot to kill other Trolls, but a Horde-friendly Troll city. It'd be great to see something like Zul'Gurub, Zul'Aman or Zul'Drak populated and not ruins.

I guess there's nothing that does not exist in the game that I would like, but rather improvements on what is already there.

[VelkynKarma]

Especially the last one in Old Kingdom....such a pain in the butt to try and do on my hunter X_X

~VelkynKarma

If you have dual-spec, you can switch to your BM, and run around with a tenacity pet. It will gimp your DPS tough

Well I run dungeons exclusively as a BM hunter, so no worries there. I always have trouble trying to burn down the healer though, and everything I've been told/read tells me to go for the healer first I end up usually just kiting the players around until somebody else can come help me kill them.

~VelkynKarma

[fatman]

Although I love Thunder Bluff and Freewind Post, walking on those rickety bridges give me vertigo. I still want more of those high, vertigo inducing places, please! When I first played WoW, I thought Darnassus would be filled with tree houses and rickety bridges connecting them. Blame it on my D&D background.

A nice snow environment would be the like one we see the dwarf hunter and his bear traveling through, in the first WoW cinematic, lots of snow and the sound of the wind whistling in your ears.

I wonder if they're going to make Gilneas a foggy city, where your vision extends only up to 20 feet. All colors would be muted and everything outside 20 feet will be greyed out.

[Karrosh]

I like the idea of a largely Asiatic themed zone. Something akin to coastal Vietnam, or perhaps the mountainous regions of inland China would be lovely.

I also have to agree with Anansi regarding snow zones. Outside of Dun Morogh and Winterspring (which is smaller than I'd like personally), there isn't another zone that really has the same harsh winter feel. Despite Northrend being a "frozen" and "inhospitable" region, in general I don't think any of the colder looking areas come across as being such.

That isn't to say I dislike the new zones, but Dragonblight and the Storm Peaks just don't have the same feel to me personally. The Storm Peaks are a little too disjointed to get the right feel; you travel ten seconds and there is a massive mountain, or Titan construct, or something of the sort. There isn't much sense of vastness. Dragonblight has a bit more of a sense of vastness, but there are still pockets around that break it up. Icecrown itself has almost none of the feel I expect from a frozen area. I look at it as more of a dark, ominous, zombie-land... with a chance of snow showers.

I suppose I'm just used to playing outside in blizzards and pretending I'm on Hoth. That's the sort of thing I want out of a snow-themed region. If they choose to insert a tauntaun style mount (http://www.universeguide.com/Pictures/Tauntaun.jpg) all the better...

I was going to write some more, but I've had a not awesome day so I'm gonna end it here and I may come back to this with some actual original thoughts on the morrow.

[Saturo]

Actually, my tip is to burn down the DKs first. They are incredibly annoying. Death Grip and Ice Shackles (or whatever it's called) are the banes of hunters. That said, try shooting off a Frost Arrow under the healers feet. He'll be pleasently surprised. It should also give you enough time to burn down the other mobs.

[Chrizesu]

Actually, my tip is to burn down the DKs first. They are incredibly annoying. Death Grip and Ice Shackles (or whatever it's called) are the banes of hunters. That said, try shooting off a Frost Arrow under the healers feet. He'll be pleasently surprised. It should also give you enough time to burn down the other mobs.

Miss-post?

Anyway, who's excited about Hyjal like I am?

HYJAL LIKE ACTUaLLY RUN AROUND HYJAL
without the no man land's debuff + with mobs

[Saturo]

Yes, Hyjal will be quite nice.
It was a reply regarding the strategy on the last boss in OK.

[VelkynKarma]

Actually, my tip is to burn down the DKs first. They are incredibly annoying. Death Grip and Ice Shackles (or whatever it's called) are the banes of hunters. That said, try shooting off a Frost Arrow under the healers feet. He'll be pleasently surprised. It should also give you enough time to burn down the other mobs.

Ah..good point. I'll have to try that next time I get unlucky enough to get stuck in that instance >>;

~VelkynKarma

[Vicario]

I think I heard that they're already doing this, or something like this, but...

I'd love to see a completely underwater zone, if it were done right. Like, a whole coral reef area. I know there have been bits of stuff like this in the game (like if you dive into the water by Winterfin Retreat in Borean Tundra). But, I've also heard something about swimming mounts (I think?), and then it would be just perfect. Something like this picture. There could be little secret nooks and crannies that open up to caves with air pockets or something.

I'd be all for the bamboo mountains and underground zone, too :3

Does this answer your request?

I dunno what I'd want to see other than stuff that just spontaneously appears in my head.

Spontaneous ideas:

-Fire/Ice mix zone

-Some attention for Felwood, Azshara, and all the other forgotten places

-A massive fortress area, kinda like how Zul'Drak is all one big ziggurat.

-A high-level Night Elven area. The ones that exist are forgotten.

-A floating island zone that actually has vegetation, unlike Netherstorm. I'd prefer if the floating islands were tiered, too.

-Underground area themed like a dark, quiet underworld

[Epicfail]

I'd like a multi-atmospheric zone. Not sure if they would make an instance like this in WoW, but its something I really think would be awesome to see.

I've always been fascinated by the layers of atmosphere, hydrosphere (ocean/watertables) and lithosphere (earth).

3 "zones" interconnected. The "ground layer" would be a very dense layer of atmosphere, breathable and swimable. The "Middle layer" would be "sitting" ontop of the ground layer (you'd walk on top of it like a jelly(cloudish) surface). The atmopshere here is less dense, but allows for "slow fall" instead of straight jumping. The Upper Layer would be sparely oxigenated, so the higher you go, you get a "breath" bar that if it empties, you'll suffocate/"drown".

Connecting all three zones are these Gynormous Trees with ruins built all over the place. The ground layer would be very dark as the jelly "cloud ground" of the middle layer blocks all but only a few places, causing beams of light to shine down. The middle layer would be kinda stormy and would mimic a lot of the physics of being in the middle of a thunderstorm cloud. The upper layer is all flying mount and platform territory across the leafy branches of the trees.

If youre going to dream, dream big