But the idea of having the maps firmly settled allows for more “internal” plots.
Examples:
Horde
What does Troll reunification look like?
Would the Vulpera be interested in maybe living in Zul’Farrak, since it is similar to their home?
Would the Taunka and Tuskarr want to help the Frost Trolls re-settle Zul’Drak?
How do Orcs who grew up in slavery deal with the return of Clan identity? Do they pick and choose what Clan they wish to join? Is there a magical ritual that could determine this?
Alliance
How do the Peasants and Nobles deal with each other? Is the Defias growing or shrinking? What kingdoms are stable, what aren’t?
How do Draenei deal with Xe’ra’s actions? What are the tensions between the Normal Draenei, the Lightforged, the Shamanistic Krokul, and the Voidforged Krokul?
How are Night Elves dealing with Highborne re-integration? Do the Shen’drelar and Moonguard get along?
In fact your entire post is even worse than Cataclysm in terms of just how badly the Alliance gets screwed and when it comes to Kalimdor and the EK you seem to have no ideas beyond “Horde gets more territory and neutrals love them, add more Goblins, Alliance is in shambles and falling apart with bad relations with everyone”
Which I guess isn’t a surprise since you have a history of openly holding Humans in contempt. Might as well just propose the Eastern Kingdoms sink into the sea
I was going to make my own map but then I realized that I basically agree with Baal’s map. Only adjustment’s I’d make is to have Undercity/Capital City be an international zone that’s jointly administered and to keep Darnassus destroyed, moving the Night Elf capital to Hyjal.
The Horde holding Swamp of Sorrows and Stranglethorn is a bit of a headscratcher in terms of logistics but it can be made to work. A vestigial Horde presence in the Southern Eastern Kingdoms within marching distance of Stormwind seems like it’d be a hard sell diplomatically but it could be part of an agreement where the Alliance cedes Stranglethorn/SoS to the Horde in exchange for the Horde accepting the Alliance’s reclamation in Lordaeron.
“Switch the game’s genre from High Fantasy to Situational Comedy” is a bold and radical suggestion I’ll give you that, but that’s pretty much what we got in Cataclysm and it sucked.
I mean, most people online have more in common with the gnomes than the actual humans, so they could just remove humans and replace them with gnomes to be more realistic.
How does a new Forsaken government establish itself without Sylvanas?
Do the Blood Elves seek peace with the Amani after so many years of war and what does that peace look like?
Do the Tauren consider wearing shoes?
How would the Forsaken repopulate without warfare; methods such as freeing additional Scourge forces or alchemical creations are some options?
Alliance
The issues of which construction project to focus on first could lead to some interesting stories with Gilneas, Stromgarde, the Loch Modan Dam, Gnomeragan, and Nethergarde all needing work?
What assurances do the Night Elves need to remain apart of the Alliance?
Will the Worgen wage war on fleas?
How will the Dwarves seek to explore the mysteries of their origins and the rest of the world with all that has been revealed?
Baine was getting visions of Pandaria because Niuzao was calling for help (in canon Baine’s visions are never explained to developed)
Niuzao is the Father of Yaungol and thus the Grandpa of Tauren/Taunka
Also Tuskar are also Tauren but they were drowning because they refused to subjugate the elements like the Taunka so Oacha’noa turned them into walruses/Manatees (we lack female Tuskar in-game so imo they could be manatees, allowing for “Sea Cow” meta jokes)
I think it’s dumb they didn’t confirm the Yaungol as children of Niuzao.
Humans and Pointy Eared Humans together make up something like two thirds of all characters in the game.
When it comes to selecting their avatar it’s very clear that most people would prefer to play something grounded in reality that they can easily connect with.
Humans and Elves are like the two groups in WoW that absolutely cannot be ignored when theorycrafting the game’s future whether we like it or not.
