Area 52 is not a reference to Area 51

Community General Discussion
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I recently made a character on Area 52 for MoP Remix.

Hadn’t ever really thought about it before, but I believe it’s actually making a reference to Area 52 of Neveda Test and Training Range. Known as Tonopah Test Range, which includes Nellis Air Force Base.
The area in WoW features an NPC named Experimental Pilot having a conversation with an Engineering Crewmember in regards to testing a new aircraft. Nellis Air Force Base is home to the USAF Warfare Center (was USAF Tactical Fighter Weapons Center) which also performs operational testing and evaluation on aircraft.

tldr; Google Tonopah Test Range and Nellis Air Force Base (Area 52)

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if i recall it was never a referenced before
the only thing i found was this

  • The town’s name is a reference to Area 51, a US military base which has strong pop culture ties to extraterrestrials and their space-faring technology.
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The devs just tried to be cheeky, not having a clue the actual place existed. Guarantee none of them would even know what S4 is, either.

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I think of Area 52 as a reference to both places and events that have happened there and may still be happening.

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A lot of people (maybe a lot, Idk) don’t seem to be interested in more recent history so I think Area 52 Test Range gets overshadowed by Area 51 notoriety.

I still think it’s a reference to both, though.

What I’d like to know is exactly what have they been building with all that money they’ve (DoD, Pentagon) been given over the years?
It’s over trillions by now, so much they tend to “lose” some of it and seems every time there’s an attempt at an audit something else somewhere else blows up.
I may not live long enough to find out.

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The rocket they are building wasn’t enough?

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It’s a reference to the goblin city Area 52 in Netherstorm, which is itself a reference to Area 51

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I know the realm name is referring to the city. I’m saying that the name Area 52, is a real place. And the gobin town has a lot of similiarities with the real Area 52. Area 51 is just way more publicized.

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Area 52 is a goblin base on Netherstorm.

Pop-culture references

Area 52 has a number of references to the outside world in it, primarily in relation to aliens and space:

  • The town’s name is a reference to Area 51, a US military base which has strong pop culture ties to extraterrestrials and their space-faring technology.
  • The town being mainly inhabited by goblins may be a play on little green men.
  • Many of the goblins working on the X2 Nether-Rocket are clad in Star Trek-inspired uniforms.
  • The conversation between the Experimental Pilot and Engineering Crewmember borrows several lines from Elton John’s “Rocket Man”.
  • The rocket’s name is a reference to the X-plane, the experimental U.S. airplane/rocket program.
  • When going through the doors, players receive a short “debuff” (with no apparent effects) from the A-52 Neuralyzer, which says “The flash of light you did not see did not erase your memories.” In the film Men in Black, agents were issued a device, also called a Neuralyzer, that wiped people’s memories with a flash of light whenever they had any contact with aliens.
  • Innkeeper Remi Dodoso’s name in Area 52 spells out the notes ‘Re’ ‘Mi’ ‘Do’ ‘Do’ ‘So’ in the solfege scale. This is a reference to the musical theme used in the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind to communicate with the aliens which have landed on Earth.
  • Area 52 and the X2 rocket periodically get attacked by Negatron, a reference to Megatron from the Transformers series.

Source: https://warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Area_52

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11

generally speaking, when you see a reference, it’s more likely to refer to a popular and well-known thing than to a less-known thing. occam’s razor of references, if you will.

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12

So there is an added bit with the Fire Marshall named Bill. I saw somewhere that the NPC is a reference to a Jim Carrey character. Coincidentally perhaps, Nellis Air Force Base ( in Area 52) was named after Wlliam “Billy” Harrell Nellis. I may have misspelled his middle name.

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Feel free to update the wiki with your sources and then change all references from Area 51 to the real Area 52!