Compared to the PvP panel from earlier in the morning, the Raids and Dungeons panel at BlizzCon 2008 was packed, with attendees crammed shoulder-to-shoulder to get a glimpse at what's in store in World of Warcraft's upcoming expansion. Judging from the crowd reaction, most of those in the hall were hardcore raiders, hungry for more raid content, more challenges, and even bigger loot.

But Blizzard is focused on engaging a whole spectrum of players, and that means creating compelling five-man instances as well for the (relatively) casual players. To that end, Lead Level Designer Cory Stockton walked attendees through two unique new dungeons featured in the expansion and the design team's thinking behind them.


The Halls of Lightning

First up was the Halls of Lightning, a level 80 dungeon nestled high in the Storm Peaks. In the Lich King expansion, players will be learning more about the Titans who created the world of Azeroth. This is a central part of the lore, and Stockton explained that the design team is trying very hard to integrate all of their new dungeons with the history and backstory of Azeroth to help make the world feel more cohesive.

Accordingly, the Halls of Lightning is a Titan dungeon, and it's built on an immense scale. Stockton explained that the team wanted to create "a feeling of epicness ... like nothing you've ever felt before." The creatures are all huge and the environment is immense. Gilded gold ramps wind throughout immense chambers, some of which are filled with Titan statues lined up in even rows like a Chinese terracotta army. Big boss battles are foreshadowed -- you can see one Titan construct looming above you, working away at a forge. Only later in the instance can you make your way up there to do battle with him.


As you'd expect from a race of superbeings who sculpt planets, there's a celestial grandeur to the Halls of Lightning. Particularly stunning was a room of shimmering statues constructed of stars -- these are Azeroth's constellations, laid out in a glimmering golden art gallery. Another chamber is filled with models of planets swirling in the sky, some with translucent rings. Players can walk out onto balconies to breathe in breathtaking vistas of the surrounding Storm Peaks.

Naturally every instance wraps up with a climactic boss fight, and Stockton stressed that the World of Warcraft team is taking extra time to custom-create models just for these fights. One such example awaits players on a golden throne at the end of the instance: His name is Loken, and this colossal figure was once a messenger to the Titans. It should be a spectacular fight. As Stockton puts it, "Epic Lore + Epic Gameplay = Awesome."