alt="Warlords of Draenor" />

We know now that Warlords of Draenor is
the next expansion coming to World of Warcraft. While some of my
fellow writers believe that this expansion is doomed before it even
begins, I believe that Draenor has a chance at
success. Not only will Blizzard need to do everything perfectly in
this expansion, they also need to ensure that some key elements are
present to make this expansion something to be remembered.

Below you will find my top 5 picks for
things that need to be present in Warlords of Draenor for it to be a
success. Read onward and see if any of my picks line up with yours:

Memorable Characters

One thing to note about Warlords of
Draenor is that we already know many of the main players. Grom
Hellscream, Killrogg Deadeye, and Durotan are all names we recognize.
However, despite our feeling of already knowing these characters,
Blizzard really needs us to get involved with them. Instead of being
just legends, we need to get to know them on a personal level. We
need to love them, hate them, feel something towards them. In
Warlords we need to get into the nitty gritty of these characters and
have all their various facets revealed to us. If the main players in
Warlords of Draenor are not something special, not something we will
remember, this expansion will be doomed to fail.

Outlands Outta Here

One of the major complaints of players
about the Warlords of Draenor expansion is that it is basicallytaking us
back to a world we have already visited. While that is
somewhat true, Draenor is supposed to be vastly different from Outlands.
Convincing us of this is where Blizzard can either shine or
fail. When we walk into Draenor it needs to smack of a new place,Outlands
needs to be a thing of distant memory. Draenor needs to be
fresh, unique, and feel like something we have never seen before,much like
when we walked into Outlands for the first time. While we
can expect some similar zones, Draenor cannot be Outlands 6.0. If Blizzard
fails to sell us on Draenor being a place separate from
Outlands, this new expansion may be doomed.

alt="Draenor vs. Outland" />

Lore Galore

In order to make the newest WoW
expansion a success, Blizzard will need to play on something that
they already have; lore. Draenor is steeped in old school World of
Warcraft lore and if played right this could be a major attraction
for many players. Even those not usually interested in the lore
behind the game could be drawn into this aspect if it is done right.
The lore in Draenor should be always a part of the story, not in your
face, but there enough that players will know it. Blizzard will want
to do their homework as well, major deviations from the lore in a
place like Draenor could cause a BlizzCon red shirt guy avalanche the
likes of which we have never seen.

Compelling Storyline

One of my biggest laments about the
Cataclysm expansion was that I never felt pulled into the storyline.
Even with the excitement of the world being wrecked and Deathwing, I
just never felt connected. Draenor needs to pull us in and make us
want to find out what happens next. We need to feel the urge to play,
feel the urge to pick up that next quest or explore that hidden cave.
With a set up like Timeless Isle, I believe this expansion is already
off to a good start. With that being said, Blizzard can't stop there.
Much like the characters, we need to become emotionally invested in
what comes next, we need to want to see it and be a part of it. If
players adopt an attitude of indifference, then this expansion may be
on the straight track to failure.

alt="Draenor Ogre" />

Epic End Battle

While it will be awhile before we get
to face off against the big bad guy (who is not Garrosh) awaiting us
at the end of Warlords of Draenor, when the battle finally arrives,
it needs to be nothing short of epic. Everything in each expansion
leads up to to the final battle. Every quest, instance, and raid up
until the final instance is releases preps us for this. Anticipation
is always high and in this expansion really needs to deliver.

In Cataclysm, Deathwing fell a little
short of the mark. For such an opposing foe, he wasn't really that
scary. The end fight was a bit boring and didn't really feel like the
epic end to an expansion. With Mists of Pandaria and Garrosh things
got better. The fight was intense and at the end you felt satisfied
you had wiped a great evil from the world. Warlords needs to capture
the best of end boss fights and more in this expansion. If players
don't find themselves exulting in their victory and going “wow
what a fight”, then it simply wasn't good enough.

That concludes my top 5 picks for
things that I believe need to be present in the newest World of
Warcraft expansion in order for it to be successful. Do you agree
with my picks? What things do you think Warlords of Draenor needs to
be successful? Or do you believe this expansion is doomed from the
start? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!