Why no SSRA? Or are we getting a Part 3...

Much to the surprise of many, the next expansion will not have SSRA temple as one of the zones (spoiler alert). I am curious if anyone knows exactly why they left out one of the premier zones from Luclin in the next expansion.

Unless, as the title says, we are getting a Part 3 in 2023. I mean, there is enough leftover Luclin zones from the 20 year old expansion that hasn't been used in the current and next one. Maybe we are?

Discuss.

I've not seen any info yet on next expansion, where are you getting a list of the zones we are getting from?

SSRA just doesn't really fit the story unless they wanted to do a mayong + emp ssra team up or something (since hes a god killer to help against luclin or something)

Some zone files were pushed with the latest test update.

I want to know why there are 2 "city" zones? Well at least they pretty much were in original Luclin

Many of adventurers' depredations are ephemeral. The boss just repops, the threat is ongoing. But also a lot of our victories are treated as canonical as regards the story. Activating Mayong's ascension in Darkhollow, chasing him across the demiplane of music to the sun and so on has been one of those lines. Rediscovering Tsaph Katta's near-corpse held in stasis under the ocean, fixing him with the Lifestaff then assisting in reestablishing the Combine on Kunark was another. I think the victory over Emperor Ssraeshza was one of those. I think he's canonically gone. The Ssraeshza temple is probably controlled now by Vhyz`Dra - we experienced that wacko's vision of empire in "New Chelsith" - but the only reason to go back to the Temple would be if he comes in conflict with the larger world again. Maybe the New Sillysar sneks "have feelings" about his ascension, or maybe a revelation regarding the source of Greenmist shakes things up? who knows.

Ssraeshza isn't included in Nights of Shadow because the expansion's business doesn't involve the shissar.

I would love an expansion where we would assist the Alarans, journey back home to their original world and reclaim it from the Discordians, or whoever lives there now

It's all Frogloks now

With the decline of shissar, the need to send vahshir to the moon waned. Sure, there was a brief population growth of the vile cats for a time, but with no snakes to eat, vahshir fell into extinction.

I approve.

In other words, the food has triumphed.

While I don't really have anything constructive to add I am disappointed by this news. I was looking forward to some snake slaying

I wouldn't worry about Snake slaying, just worry about the 24hr Spreading Crud that does 400k/tick

missed opportunity, IMO. Story stuff aside, story has never been the big draw for EQ. Fun zones like SSRA should have been a no-brainer.

…?

lol

There won't be a third chapter I think. TSoL was a big expansion and the high end zones were spread over a big area. The devs had to choose two out of three hotspots and there have to be raid zones inside them. For the next expansion they had to decide between Akheva Ruins and Ssraeshza Temple and their neighborhood zones.

• The first hotspot you can see in ToL which is centered around Maiden's Eye with the two TSoL high end raiding zones Vex Thal and Akheva Ruins. The raid targets in the Umbral Plains did come handy.
  
  
• The second hotspot would be centered around the Grimling Forest and the Tenebrous Mountains with the high end zone Acrylia Caverns and a little surprise because a second raid zone would be needed. Maybe Katta Castellum.
  
  
• The third hotspot would be centered around The Grey with Ssraeshza Temple. The second raid zone could be The Deep.or Grieg's End but both are suboptimal. That and the quirky neighborhood zones should be the main reasons why Ssra will be left out. And the Shissars already had appearances in TBS and RoF.

Which zones have we got?

Disappointed about no Ssra.
No matter if its matching lore or not to go back there, this was a legendary zone.
Hope we can get something in Sanctus Seru then, one raid down in the arena and one up in Lord Inquisitor area maybe.
Always liked the look of Sanctus Seru zone

I want a raid set in The Nexus.

North Karana - The players entry point
adds teleporting in from:

The Great Divide - Maids and Butlers from TOFS
The Dreadlands - Drachnids, and Drolvargs from Venril
Greater Faydark - Vampires and Werewolves from Mistmoore
Toxxulia Forest - Heretics from Paineel

Kind of sad about not having a remake of the temple.

Especially when it could still be done, lore-wise, even without the snake-folk. Just have it inhabited by whoever took it over, problem solved