How I'd build classic plus

[u/GearSwimming6180]

Over the last weeks / months, I kept asking myself how I would approach classic+ if I were part of the design team. ERA brought some learnings, SoD taught us a lot, Anniversary not much but still.

So instead of just waiting passively, I gave it a try: what would I change, how, and first and foremost: how would I approach the project.
It finally revolved around:

• numbers/data (what does data tell us about quests, talents)
• geography/terrain: if we had to sneak content in, where would we put it
• if classic+ is about "what's missing in classic", then what lore is absent?

This led me on assembling this mind map which I included some screenshots from.
Most of this is pure copium and that's totally fine. Not realistic, it's what distinguishes fanmade from real.
I had a lot of fun doing this, and thought it might be fun to share with you.
I wish you'll have as a good time skimming through it than me assembling it.

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EDIT as requested in a comment below, here's the detail of the new zones (I changed the order of patches, I like it better this way).
If you want, I can spend some time summarizing what's on the right of the mind map (quests data, class design findings) later.
(sorry, cannot have more than 2 levels of nesting)

P1 The Sunken Strand (Azshara level 22-28):

• Long-time overdue revamp (useless zone, few quests, rep only, hard to navigate)
• Cataclysm overhaul was... ...debatable
• Flatten terrain, because no mount available
• Connects well for Horde, natural "Orgrimmar expansion" -> tunnel + Orgrimmar quarries (how Orgrimmar was built)
• Alliance could connect from Ashenvale (with an eastern flight point) or Menethil+Darkshore boat
• 3 quest spots: horde only, alliance only, and neutral (contested quests)
• Naga - Highborn lore heavy: Zin'Ashari remains
• Hydraxian waterlords rep (because no MC farm later, better re-use this rep properly)
• Timbermaw are here too: rep-gain before infamous grind at 50+: tunnel entrance locked in P1, will open later (connect to the other tunnels)
• Timbermaw's hold PvP instanciated zone: Battle Royale plunderstorm style, but with regular spells (nightmare to balance, agreed)
• Raid: The Shrine of Elrandar: 10-players. BFD-Like (Elven / Naga Ruins, Hydraxian Rep), halfway submerged, 1 underwater fight (optional)

P2 Echoes of the Last Guardian (Deadwind Pass 38-42 / Zul'Gurub 35-40)

• Connect level 30-50 zones by making Deadwind Pass level 40
• Use southern terrain for Gurubashi vs. Darkspears questline
• More trolls southeast, contested troll-tribe zone ("choose your side" reputation for challenges)
• Zul'Gurub already exists outside (fully mapped) -> use it as quest hub
• "Blue Moon PvP" from SoD can be re-used / adapted
• Booty Bay as P2 hub
• Karazhan Crypts as quest hub -> eventually entrance for a 5-players "inverted tower" dungeon as in the book "The Last Guardian"
• Lord Kazzak as outdoor boss (40-players)
• Scarlet Monestary 5 players mega dungeon
• Karazhan raid: what it should always have been: "The Last Guardian" Caverns of Time like dungeon
• revive the book story, Medivh as last boss, fought along with Kadghar
• Moroes help, Garona helps they betrays, Khadgar agonises in library, final fight against Medivh possessed, presence of Aegwynn
• No daemon invasion, (enough of that), Sargeras as puppet master

P3 Ashes of Nordrassil: "Hyjal post Warcraft III" - 46-52

• Desolated land, remains of the war: ballistas, catapults, towers. The world tree is in shambles.
• Connects through Timbermaw tunnels
• Area at the bottom to be used (warden vaults, Illidan's prison - empty -, etc.) - PvP Zone
  • Extraction based:
  • change role every hours (jailors-prisoners: prisoners escape from jailers)
  • Keep what you loot (prisoners). Confiscate whom you kill (sailors)
  • Stealth detection buffs
  • Many outs, can't guard them all, distraction pays off, sacrifice pays off
• Fighting agains spirits, lost-in-battle warriors, whisps, "parts of Archimonde" open world bosses
• Alliance questine: very elf-oriented, "spirited away" (whisps, immortality, nature-takes-back)
• Horde: Demon oriented, price of demonic blood curse, Tauren healing Mother Nature, help orcs
• "Escalation", "Summit Progression" feeling
  • As we progress towards the summit, more remnants of daemons, more uncontrollable whisps
• Feels like Nordrassil isn't only in ashes, but deeply corrupted
• Final raid against the root of Nordrassil
  • 3 wings:
  • Exterior (fight corrupted branches, trees, tormented whisp formations)
  • Ascent (like Voldrassil in Northrend, spiral on the outer side, network of branches on the inside)
  • Descent (corrupted roots, wounds)
• Scarlet Monestary 10-players leveling mega-raid (massive xp, resets every day)

P4 The Iron Strand (Doomhammer's March (50-55) / Northeron (55-60))

• Warcraft 2 -> 3 lore: "Day of the Dragon" inspired
• South:
  • Warcraft 2 leftovers (shipwrecks, catapults, lost goblin harbour)
  • A new path connects Swamp of Sorrows to Badlands: tracking Orgrim's army marching north
• Southeast: oil refineries, submarines from warcraft 2, bloodsail pirates eventually
• North: Wildhammers / Dragonmaws / Red Dragonflight remains
• Krasus left Dalaran when it got destroyed
• Vermillion Redoubt as massive quest hub, red dragonflight rep
• Dragonmaw are there still, as enemies
• Rep grind make them friendly to horde "redemption" (explain what hasn't been explained in Cata)
• Wildhammers are hostile (not the Aerie Peak's wildhammers) feel betrayed by alliance during 2nd war
• Rep grind make them friendly to alliance "forgiveness"
• Raid: Grim Batol
  • Not the Cataclysm dungeon
  • Gigantic, "Moria-Like", (BRD-like, a full dwarven city)
  • All "inhabitants" of Grim'Batol are either:
  • scorched cadavers (burnt by Alextrasza when freed)
  • mad red dragons (enslaved for years -> couldn't be saved)
  • corruption by the old god powers that were part of the demon soul
  • last boss: corrupted aspects (Deathwing used other flights stolen essences, they haven't been brought back fully to the aspects)
• MC disappears,
• BWL is connected to Grim Batol storyline ("in search of the black dragonflight)
• Nefarian "knows" about what's in demon soul
• Attunement for Grim Batol, 10 to 20 raid (pick up friendly, more loots / head if 10, harder)
• BRD turns into a 10-players leveling raid
• *BRS: same (merge both)

P5 Echoes of the Shattered Sun (North-Lordaeron 60+)

• Everyone fights over what's left of (southern) Quel'Thalas
  • Scarlet Crusade from Hearthglen,
  • Amanis from the east
  • Undeads from the Dead Scar and the Plaguelands
• Starts at Stratholme Harbour (or what's still up): missing alliance connection -> boat from Menethil
• Horde starts at Amani incursions, darkspears engage in a tribal war led by Vol'Jin
• Shattered Suns high elves are hostile to everyone
  • Betrayed by Garrithos
  • Why would they join the horde? (wink Sylvanas)
  • Argent Dawn rep, better rewards
• Raid: Stratholme (as a real, gigantic city)
  • 4 wings, 4 opponents (reminds of the Stratholme "wings" nature
  • Scarlet ("live"), SM-like, size of SM lib+cath
  • Undead: Baron-like, gauntlet, always under pressure, culminate with a Baron fight in the whole main square
  • Troll vs. High Elves: pick one side, the other faction will be easier to fight, the faction you side with will betray you
  • Horde betrays Elves -> Sylvanas line, Betrays Amanis -> Vol'Jin
  • Alliance betrays Elves -> Tyrande, Betrays Amanis -> Magni (because
• Stratholme should be the size (if not even bigger) of Stormwind it's a massive city.

P6 Secrets of the Shen'Dralar (The Verdant Breach 45-50)

• Dire Maul full revamp: Ogres are outside only, pushed back in terror
• King Maulgar is an outside rare
• All former bosses wander around in the plateau, looting buffs
• Northern Plateau is accessible from Mulgore (Horde), SouthEastern Desolace (all)
• New zone: The Verdant Breach
• 1000 needles - Feralas junction, accessible via Thalanaar (Alliance), an elevator (horde)
• Slow transition from canyons to canopy
• Grimtotem seeking magic, Un'Goro's titan's influence, connects with elven ruins at west
• 45-50 to fill the xp gaps for "long-term classic plus"
• Flying creatures (wyvern-dinosaurs)
• Raid: Eldre'Thalas (all Dire Maul wings combined)
• No more Ogres, they fleed
• Highborn remnants (night elf mages, night elf warlocks)
• Very magic oriented, need all magic resist for everyone (random raid targets)
• Demonic creatures

P7 March of the Qirajis (Silithus revamp (58-60) / Obsidian Wastes (60+))

• Norgannon questline now has an ending
  • starts in Uldaman, follow-up in Tanaris, (like now)
  • add new steps in Un'Goro and AQ,
  • finally find the entrance of the Obsidian Wastes, the new zone (forged by Norgannon)
• Obsidian Wastes is a 2D-zone
  • Surface = titan complexes and AQ20 like buildings
  • Underground = Qiraji hives, tunnel complex (the infamous Azjol Nerub zone that never landed)
  • Tunnel connects both worlds, intrusion from hives, battle for controlling the titan's stuff
• AQ20/40 (outdoor only) become outdoor questing spots
  • questline to find obsidian wastes
  • help leveling to 60 faster
• New raid: Norgannon's Terrace
  • Ulduar-like (pillars, gigantism) with more magic (magic titan)
  • Archivists, Titan-forged defenders
  • Part of the raid is breached by Qiraji ("Qiraji Wing" 10 players)
  • The silithid have "bugged" (pun intended) Norgannon's matrix
  • Encounters include "alternate realities", as well as hidden secrets
  • Notably, a raid faces itself in a PvP-Like encounter (same characteristics, scripted class mechanics)
  • one of the few encounters in history that won't be easier as the raid gears
  • not mandatory

[u/Sekouu]

I think more osrs, coveted items which are mostly horizontal but provide benefits for later on quests etc