What’s east of the Eastern Kingdoms?
You’re not yet ready for the answer to that question.
Now something to consider is that the questions were made by Blizzard. Thus it leave the question… what is East of the Eastern Kingdoms? Shall the Dragon Isles, previously assumed to be placed in the area off to side of Northrend and above the Eastern Kingdoms, end up there? Or is it Blizzard teasing that there is still room on Azeroth for continents, with the door open for the other side of Azeroth to be explored?
I think they’re setting up for the other side of Azeroth. I’m pretty sure the Dragon Isles are in the spot it was originally going to be in, which is between the Eastern Kingdoms and Northrend.
I am pretty sure they were being facitious with that particular answer. They have already said we have mapped out most of Azeroth and pulling another Pandaria is getting to be too much. Heck, they are doing it again with the dragon isles.
I wonder what it would look like if Blizzard releases the first continent on the other side of the map. Will it just be alone in the middle of an empty sea until later expacs reveal more?
One way Blizzard could go about it is crashing some place onto Azeroth. if Argus or Outland are pulled onto the other side of Azeroth by some magic. Maybe Yrel crash lands a huge chunk of AU Draenor (maybe including Farahlon?!?) on the other side of Azeroth, as her forces escape their dying reality.
I was thinking about it and instead of the mists or shielding used to hide Pandaria and the Dragon Isles, it coukd have just been to dangerous to visit other continents. For example, the ocean could be rather violent with howling winds ensuring ships and zeppelins stay away or dont return. Or theres just seemingly no safe way to land by ship and none of the factions have had the time to fund an expedition via airships.
It’s really wild how little maritime exploration gets done in this setting.
Mechagon was this land shrouded in myth many believed to be merely a legend. And it’s just off the coast of Kul Tiras - a civilization who revolves around navies. And they never bumped into it.
For comparison IRL finding a completely uninhabited island usually meant it was either in the middle of nowhere or just not conductive to sustained human activity. Because people found islands in longboats by just following sea birds.
Part of me what want the otherside of Azeroth to have islands/continents occupied by lost groups of Elves, Trolls, Humans and Dwarves. Maybe even communities founded by lost sailors who sailed into the unknown. Could even have that ocean be another bastion of the Naga. I really hate how we just sort of wiped the floor with them in BFA. They had so much potential to be a bigger and more interesting threat.
It is really weird and honestly wasted potential with the lack of seafaring themes. Even in BFA where 2 seafaring powers were the main hubs. As for the Kul Tirans apparently never bumping into Mechagon, i still think it’s ridiculous it took us until BFA to even go to Kul Tiras. It’s almost hard to believe how little they were referenced throughout all of WoW until that point.
Revisiting Classic was interesting as I’d completely forgot about the Kul Tiran subplots there and only dimly remembered the Zandalari turning up for the STV raid.
Better part of 2 decades before those paid off, and I’m still shocked we’ve had no real high seas adventure expansion. Seems that may’ve been the rough draft for BFA. And I really wish the Expeditions had been expanded on. A naval BG/EBG could’ve been fun. And boats would solve the demand for guild halls pretty easily. Don’t have to worry about where theyd logically fit into the world if they’re just out to sea somewhere. Or perhaps an island fort somewhere where you could chose from various biomes and build it up like a collective stronghold from WoD.
Then maybe build off that aforementioned naval BG to have guild battles for those that are interested.
Could be fun.
Instead I got scottish rock candy yelling at me about wooonds as I tried to sort out the Fox, Chicken, Worm puzzle that was Azerite armor.
I’ve always thought (before BFA) that even if we didnt go to Kul Tiras they could have at least had some of their Marines/Sailors show up. Even if it would have been some of them working the ports at say a base in Northrend. Better late than never but still.
As for the naval stuff, it would have been nice if there was some type of mini game that you could have to play out naval warfare. I know some people have suggested that the table missions should be like a “top down” type of mini game where you control your heroes/followers. If something like that could have been implemented, i think that would have been a good way to control ships and use them in that scenario. It would have been something at least.
I think that is an interesting idea. An aesthetic to try and match Eastern Europe. I imagine it a bit more grim and sardonic than Stormwind. I just think it would be a hard sell, given the situation in Eastern Europe. Seems fraught for controversy.
Some might get upset if , say, Russian themes are glorified. Especially while themes of other nationalities, like maybe Polish, are used as innocuous yet possibly offensive jokes.
Or if someone gets the bright idea to lean in to some Ukraine tributes. Who knows how that might age, depending on what happens a few years down the line .
Between Third and Fourth Editions of D&D WOTC had some real estate swap between Toril and it’s companion world Abeir. It was undone for Fifth, but it’s not unlike Azeroth’s map hasn’t been redone before. Azeroth has at least two moons to play with in this way.