Blizzard got together with Twitch earlier in the day and filmed an hour-long interview delving into the upcoming World of Warcraft expansion Warlords of Draenor. Designer Cory Stockton and Lead Narrative Designer Dave Kosak sat down and answered questions from the audience about all things Draenor with Josh 'Lore' Allen.
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Warlords, the fifth expansion to the world's most popular MMO, once again changes up the gameplay. They are not simply adding zones, they're changing the way you play the game. In addition to increasing the level cap from 90 to 100 (and offering players an instant boost to 90 so they can experience the new content right away), one of the major features coming this November are Garrison, which are player controlled bases.
Past MMOs have had guild houses and player spaces, but the Garrisons are semi-instanced fortresses that is unique to each player who ventures into the shattered world of Draenor. Cory addressed the challenges in creating "not just a building", but rather a growing entity, where as soon as you build something, an NPC is there to send you on a quest.
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The team strived to create more than just a building, but rather a home. The garrisons should hopefully feel more like they belong in the world, rather than just some random eyesore on the countryside.
Players can also establish outposts in different zones. They can pick from any number of building types, each of which offers a unique bonus buff. The best part is that when you reach max level, you can swap out your building perks at will.
The designers are also looking at rejiggering the max level areas in zone, as to keep the hardest of the core occupied while waiting for a raid. They're offering new encounters, not necessarily 'daily quests' that you can choose from. The key is variety, there will be plenty to do no matter where you are.
The Q&A also showed off some in-game footage of the new zones, such as the Spires of Arak, dungeons like the Iron Docks and a newly redesigned Auchindon.
Fear not, travel between worlds will be easier. No need to go back and forth through the Dark Portal. Oh, the glory days...
You can watch the whole Twitch feed below. The Q&A begins at about 30 minutes in, but there are some World of Warcraft videos beforehand to keep you occupied. There's a lot of content, including story elements and more talk of the Garrisons, so check it out when you have the time.
