This is something I shared back in November in a similar thread, but will repost it here and expand on a few sections.
A lot of these subjects are poplar and recurring, and have been relevant across more than a few roleplay servers over the years. I drafted these Discussion Topics back in November and based them on conversations I have been party to during my time on Argent Dawn EU, Moon Guard US, and Wyrmrest Accord US.
Each bullet point represents a unique Topic.
Mechanical Content Topics
1)
Improvements to community communication and accessibility tools. This would include a discussion about a Community Feature Overhaul, In-game calendar updates with more customizability and more space for listing event details and the option to link WoW Forum threads directly to in-game calendar listings and/or add in-game calendar listings as direct 'join' links to WoW Forum posts.
2)
Open a conversation with regard to updating and overhauling Guild systems in-game, including: member and officer permissions, custom guild graphics for guild tabards, consideration of new systems to encourage community interaction such as guild-forged Custom Achievements or Quests (for PvE, PvP or RP) with direct rewards supplied from the Guild Bank.
3)
New consideration; guild website domain hosting through Blizzard Entertainment with relevantly themed graphic templates and direct links to community forums and server-specific forums. Website information can include things such as custom Guild graphics, guild rules, members, events, achievements, quests (-etc).
4)
Roleplaymode. Now that phasing tools like Warmode exist, what are the odds of something like a Roleplaymode coming to fruition? Interest and populations fluctuate on most roleplay servers, and sometimes it can be challenging to locate roleplay out in the world for a variety of reasons (time of day, server population, zone - etc). A Roleplaymode feature could be implemented to assist roleplayers with locating roleplay more easily. This mode should include a Character Profile, where players can share their character's full name, display earned titles, and a brief description about their character that can be viewed by anyone using this feature. Live, open-invite roleplay events could be listed with this feature as well.
RPG Content Topics
1)
Continually Improving Customizations, and Communication about them. For a long time, Blizzard has kept their new content very close to the vest. That is largely for security purposes (so concepts aren't openly advertised until they are actively in progress for publication) and for PR; but communication regarding new customization content, which is a highly sought after feature as WoW continues to age, is something that needs recurring spotlight time and open and direct communication from the creative teams to the community. This includes any manner of customization that could ever be added to the game, from character creation, transmog, tabard design, and maybe (someday) even player housing.
2)
Delivery of story content, or lack thereof, between novels, comics and the in-game world. Obviously, they cannot fit an entire book into an expansion. But finding ways to present new lore and content from novels in an up-front way (such as resolutions on territorial disputes between Horde and Alliance) and to make it accessible and available in-game is essential to the upkeep of world-building and resolution of storytelling.
3)
Paying special attention to what makes every race/faction* in World of Warcraft unique, and striving to add layers to this with each new expansion. This does not all need to be waffled into the game on the release day of each new expansion, but characters and the involvement of characters from each player race/faction* is an important aspect of storytelling and world-building in-game. We want to know what our favorite factions* are doing, and how they are involved in the conflicts and adventures of this growing universe.
4)
New Suggestion: Player's Choice Class Customization. What I mean by this are things such as Class/Race identity combinations; maybe some troll shamans want to develop a Witch Doctor aesthetic that's unique to their race/class, or perhaps a night elf priest wants to tinge her spells from gold to silver, to better reflect her devotion to Elune.
This could be a fun and new way to reintroduce class trainers and make them relevant again, and a easy insert to add new and old lore that is unique to various race/class combinations. A visit to a night elf priest trainer may enlighten you about the importance of "Balance" and "Harmony" while providing your class abilities with some unique new aesthetics related to Elune. Or perhaps you can venture to a draenei paladin trainer to learn about the philosophies of the Light as taught by the Naaru, and update your generic Hammer of Wrath to a crystalline vindicator's hammer. This does not need to alter every spell, and this does not need to be race-locked. It can be something set behind the Reputation barrier shared by the player factions, similar to faction* mounts, where all members of the Horde or Alliance can choose to train under any Horde or Alliance faction* class trainer they wish.
5)
New Suggestion: Upgradeable and Instanced Housing Options. We all know the Warlords of Draenor Garrison was fun and unique while it lasted, but it didn't quite hit the mark here. I believe that linking a system of this nature to things such as game progress, achievements, professions, and the guild/community features will provide all types of players a space they can use to engage with their past achievements, practice professions or simply relax with friends.
Player housing is also an opportunity to make old content and professions relevant again. Players could expand old and new content, enjoying their favorite aspects of the game across multiple expansions, to unlock incredible new crafting recipes and items to decorate their homes.
For Guilds, these instanced houses could potentially be upgraded via the Guild Bank and converted into Guild Halls instead, which any guild member can visit at any time. I feel that the implementation of a system like this will add value to the achievements, equipment and more that players earn during 'live' expansion content, and will bring back relevant and old content for those eager to acquire specific items from past expansions.
* When I say “Faction” I am specifically referring to all race-related factions, Darnassus, Stormwind, Orgrimmar, Darkspear - etc.
. This is obviously a major topic though, GD has a number of large megathreads requesting various races to be playable. Adding in new playable races adds depth to the game and the player experience, and creates new storytelling opportunities. In particular, there are a number of highly requested races already established in the game and lore. It would be easy to add these races given they already have a backstory and a in-game model to work off of. Adding in highly requested playable races would go a long way in earning goodwill and increasing time played metrics. I know when Mag’har came out I spent so much time running around doing WoD questing as one. I wasn’t looking for achievements or transmogs or anything, I just wanted to be a Mag’har in Draenor.