The Queue: Happy birthday, Chris Metzen

Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Anne Stickney (@Shadesogrey) will be your host today.

See that dude up there? Without that dude, the game people have been playing for nine years as of this weekend (Happy birthday, Warcraft!) wouldn't exist. Or maybe it would, but it wouldn't look anything like it does today. Chris Metzen took Warcraft's story to places it had never been, places it may have never reached starting all the way back with Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness. It's his birthday today. Happy birthday, Chris!

Speaking of Warcraft, let's get down to some questions.

gazaa asked:

Observing expansion trends from WoW, I've seen World > Demons > Zombies > Revamp > World > Demons my Speculative Q4tQ is this: Do you think 7.0 will have revamped Northrend story? like the Alliance and Horde finally Shake Hands and declare Peace while the Forsaken says "NO PEACE!" and becomes "The New Scourge" or whatever they decide to call themselves.

That's ... doubtful. The thing is, Warlords took many different faces before it was finally settled on to use Draenor as the new land we'll be exploring. In the latest episode of WoW Source, they discussed just how that came to be. Originally, the expansion was going to be about Garrosh rounding up all the mongrel races around the world -- the troggs, the kobolds, the centaur -- and using them as his army. Then the discussion about the old Draenor heroes of the past popped up, and whether or not Garrosh should resurrect them -- and then that morphed into Warlords. So this isn't really a revamp, it's just a visit to a place that Garrosh has altered significantly.

I don't think we'll see a revisit to Northrend any time soon. I think we'll be much more likely to be dealing with some sort of fallout from what happens on that strange time-bubble of Draenor, instead.

Puntable1 asked:

Which did you like better, Timeless Isle or Thunder Isle?

I can't really give a straight answer to that question, because I really liked both, but for very different reasons. I loved the story behind the Isle of Thunder, and I liked how that story progressed through solo scenarios -- I even liked a majority of the dailies, although my favorite were the jumping saurok variety by far. I liked seeing the Isle progress over time, and I liked the grand finale at the end. I liked how the legendary quest tied into it with yet another solo scenario -- and I totally loved the treasure room scenario. I still go back and do it, because it's free gold and it's fun!

But Timeless Isle is fun in an entirely different way. While I was keenly interested in the stories over on the Isle of Thunder, Timeless Isle is fun solely from the virtue of that whole free-form aspect of not really having a story to guide it. You just travel there, explore the island, and beat up a lot of things. And collect a heck of a lot of loot in the process. I like all of those things! The only small regret I have with the Timeless Isle is that Kairoz's visions end on a pretty abrupt note. I wish we'd see more of that!

Puntable1 also asked:

What one animation do you really hope they change when they do the new models?

Oh my gosh if they make it so female night elves don't do that silly idle bounce/chewing of cud that they do currently, I'd be happy. It never, ever, ever suited their race as it had been written since Warcraft III. It looks dumb. Swap it out for something a little less silly.

BadAndyMk3 asked:

Q for the Q: Which Warlord of Draenor are you most excited about? Personally, I'm looking forward to Blackhand and Gul'Dan. Gul'Dan because he's like the Emperor Palpatine of WoW and Blackhand because he was the first Warchief. He doesn't seem to get the same kind of respect/badass cred as your Grom Hellscreams.

I have to say dude, the second I saw Grom Hellscream come riding over that hill in the announcement trailer, I was ready to throw my money at the screen. He's a classic. But as BlizzCon went on, the stories behind the other clans were revealed, and they're totally cool. I can't decide between Kargath Bladefist, or Kilrogg Deadeye. Both of them come from clans with these really brutal backgrounds that just sound so barbaric and so badass that I can't wait to see what they're both up to.

jealouspirate asked:

To try and put a positive spin on the no flying thing... What ground mount will you be using to level in Draenor with? Have a favourite you're going to dust off? I'm kind of a traditionalist, and am very happy to have my Dwarf ride his Ironforge Ram around.

I'm thinking either my Swift Zhevra mount, or one of the talbuks. I spent almost all of Burning Crusade using a talbuk mount, because I really liked the model. What about the rest of you guys?

ScottLeyes asked:

Any chance that blizz will upgrade the wimpy portal model on our (Azeroth) side?

I don't think so. That was part of the awe of Burning Crusade -- going through a menacing, if fairly small portal on one side, and being chucked out of this massive, looming structure on the other. But if nothing else, that green glow will be altered to red!

Dakos asked:

QftQ: Given that we're going to be on Draenor, far away from Azeroth, how is Blizzard going to shoehorn in a troll-related content patch?

The Zandalari Council for the Prevention of Cruelty to Trollkind has been quietly running an ad campaign to prevent their species inevitable extinction for at least an expansion, if not two. Haven't you seen the commercials? They got Sarah McLauchlan to sing and everything.

Iblis asked:

Qftq: How do you think Guldan will react to seeing player Deathknights? Sounds like he hasn't gotten around to creating his yet in the timeline we meet him in.

I doubt he'll realize exactly what they are. But I bet he would find them fascinating.

puppybrother asked:

What do we know about Ordos? Why is he on the Timeless Isle, and what kind of god is he, any way?

Ordos was a yaungol who wanted very, very much to be a demigod. The Fire Lords said that they could grant that, if he set himself ablaze as a sacrifice. So he did. Yaungol aren't especially bright. Now he's a demigod, but he's ablaze for an eternity of suffering and torment -- which is what you get for making deals with Fire Lords.

RyanDerringer asked:

One thing I wonder about the whole WoD story is: If Garrosh succeeds in stopping the Orcs from drinking the blood, what is their motivation for forming the "Iron Horde"?

That hasn't been 100% explained. However, the moment that Garrosh returns is a moment in which the old warlords of Draenor were about to drink the Blood of Mannoroth and bind themselves to the Burning Legion. But instead, they have an orc show up -- an impressively strong, brutal orc -- who says he can get them all the conquest, all the glory, with none of that demon stuff on the side. Why wouldn't they side with the orc? Especially since he's brought all kinds of amazing technology with him that gives the orcish race the upper hand.

Have questions about the World of Warcraft? The WoW Insider crew is here with The Queue, our daily Q&A column. Leave your questions in the comments, and we'll do our best to answer 'em!