Mists of Pandaria

[Baldr]

I've been playing the Beta since early April and just wanted to make my observations about this.

I've been playing World of Warcraft on and off since the middle of the Burning Crusade. I agree Cataclysm wasn't that great of an expansion.

Lets start off with the whole Pandaren controversy. What WoW has been missing is more of Eastern Philosophy/Storytelling influence, and yes I use to read the suggestion forum(before Blizzard got rid of it), Pandaren were the #1 topic as a suggested race. Pandaren pre-dating WoW with Chen Stormstout in Warcraft 3 and Mangix - The Pandaren Brewmaster in DOTA. I think Pandaren are a good fit for Warcraft at this time as it fulfills these two things.

The thing I don't like about the Pandaren are maybe too stereotypical Chinese, but I do like how they separated the two main Pandaren factions. Those from Pandaria and those from the Wandering Isle. Panadren players being from the Wandering Isle.

This is about as Disney as they are going to get:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM8R6NrpT6o

I love the Mogu, My opinion it should have been them as a playable race for the Horde and Alliance get Pandaren. (No I don't care for Ogres)

Pandaria is some of the best looking Continents in the game. However it is more monotonous in terms of looking than other expansions. It not like going into Hellfire Peninsula and then the next zone over is a totally different Zangarmarsh, you would hardly know your crossing into another Zone in Pandaria besides geographical features. Overall each zone in Pandaria is unique enough.

Talents are another hot topic. I like the new talent system, I do think it gives more freedom and choice. I am shadow priest, the only talent tree use to have mandatory talents for PvE and mandatory talents for PvP and if I didn't go into a fight with them I would be seriously handicapped. Now I can use the same choices for both, well they might not be the "best", but still useful talents. Plus it makes me mad, I want both level 60 Spectral Guise and Angelic Bulwark, but I can only choose one. I hate having choice now.

Scenarios are fun, they just replaced the group quest sitting around having to spam everyone in the Zone to team up. Now queue up and do these short mini-dungeons.

So what if Pet Battles are exactly like Pokemon?? All the bad aspects of Pokemon having nothing to do with most the actual gameplay, which many many people praise, why not use it? Plus they added 400 new pets into the game. It still doesn't have the depth of the Pokemon games, but it is a very nice addition to the game.

The Raid bosses are sometimes a hit and miss, some of the new mechanics are enjoyable, other a pain, it not a drastic change from previous expansions. I do have a problem with the World Bosses, anybody can dis-spawn by flying into them(they don't want people chain killing/kiting them)

Legendary Weapons for all classes. Still don't know exactly how this is going to work yet, if everybody gets the quests items when defeating bosses, it could be ok, if only one party member gets to have the quest item for the legendary, all it is going to do is start fights within the group as to who get to complete their legendary first.

Level 90 daily quests, there is a ton of them. They dropped the 25 daily quest limit, so you can do all of the them. I think there are about 100 available each day(actually only about 50, but it seems over hundred), over 300 different level 90 daily quests total. Kinda sucks because I hate to do dailies most days. I just started the Windrider dailies, most involve secondary professions (cooking, fishing, first aid, archaeology), so at least it a good way to level those skills up.

The Loremaster faction has a lot to do with Archaeology, they have give out good stuff for doing archaeology daily quests and makes it not as bad to level. To bad it is only for level 525-600.

Overall I think it is a much better expansion over Cataclysm. Oh forgot about the music, best music in WoW by far, I always hated most of WoW's music. I think I may buy the soundtrack when it comes out. Reminds me a lot of Jade Empire.


TLDR: Much better expansion than Cataclysm, still a couple problems

 

[sanquin]

I would actually like it better if they reverted back to TBC. Better class balance (at the end), 25 man raids as 40 took a TON of effort to organize, and heroic dungeons. The leveling zones kinda sucked, but otherwise TBC was the best expansion for me.

 

[Vegosiux]

I don't play WoW anymore. I just see Pandaria as a joke expansion that's setting the game up for a free-to-play, microtransactions model. There was a time when Pandas were the butt of April Fools jokes and regardless of your positive take on events the only thing that would ever bring me back to WoW would be a complete and utter revert to Vanilla WoW, stripped of all stupid group finding mechanics and with 40 man raids back in.

Ah yes, those times were great. When druids only existed to give priests mana, when half of your raid could be asleep and turning encounters into a sluggish affair, when you spent more time grinding outside of raids than actually raiding,...

...good times. Now I agree that WoW lost direction, but vanilla really wasn't that awesome either (and it certainly was better than anything that happened after 3.1). The difference is that vanilla mishaps can be excused since it was a new thing back then. It's like Steam problems when that came out first. The current WoW mishaps are more like...Origin problems.

My opinion? The community makes or breaks an MMO. If it's too elitist and snobby, it's bad. If it's too focused on instant gratification, it's bad. Sure you can mainly ignore those who you don't really play with, but the shifts in the community are quite apparent whenever they happen...

That said, my WoW times are over, have been for a while. What do I miss from it? A couple individuals. Not the epics, not the kills, not my position in the rankings, but a few people who were really pleasant to be around.

 

[Sp3ratus]

Ah yes, those times were great. When druids only existed to give priests mana, when half of your raid could be asleep and turning encounters into a sluggish affair, when you spent more time grinding outside of raids than actually raiding,...

...good times. Now I agree that WoW lost direction, but vanilla really wasn't that awesome either (and it certainly was better than anything that happened after 3.1). The difference is that vanilla mishaps can be excused since it was a new thing back then. It's like Steam problems when that came out first. The current WoW mishaps are more like...Origin problems.

I agree with that a lot of the people lamenting and wanting vanilla backs looks at it through rose-tinted glasses. Having said that, however, I really liked vanilla, but I think the primary reason for that is because I had so many good memories from that time, owing to it being new and still have that sense of a grand adventure in a big, big world. While the world was smaller than it is nowadays, it felt bigger, because of no flying mounts and only getting mounts at 40, compared to 20 now.

I still think the best expansion was TBC and I admit that it might still be rose-colored glasses, but to me, WoW has declined in terms of my enjoyment with every subsequent expansion pack. I'm still playing WoW right now, but I rarely log in, mostly just for our 1 or 2 raid days a week and I think it'd be the same, if I decided to buy MoP. That's not a guarantee though and will depend heavily on how GW2 turns out and whether it'll fill my MMO needs or not.

As for the music, while I mostly listen to my own music and have WoW muted, I think there's some great music in WoW:

Spoiler: Elwynn Forest

and this one:
but to each his own.

 

[Phasmal]

Drifting away from WoW and towards Guild Wars 2. (Yeah, I caved and bought it thanks to dudes on the escapist getting me all excited about it. But I really loved the beta weekend that just went by).

I wasn't around in vanilla WoW, boyfriend was (he's always going on about how I missed out, I joined in Wrath), but I do hope that Pandaria will be enough to pull me back for a bit.
I will for sure be trying Monk healing, maybe tanking too, but I'm a much more solid healer.

I think the biggest problem I had with WoW is that most of the people in random dungeons are thick as shit.
I was in one at level 80 with a tank that wasn't taunting, so I told him to taunt and he said `I'm a paladin, we don't have a taunt!`. I facepalm'd so hard.

 

[Khazoth]

They fired their good writers a long, long time ago. I loved Warcraft for its world and story but with firing their good writers, everything involved in the Burning Crusade, and what they did to Arthas and the Scourge in Wrath of the Lich King? Blizzard isn't trying anymore.


Blizzard Entertainment's writing staff was replaced by brain dead monkies a long time ago. Remember when they were masters of story? How effective the Warcraft 3 cinematics were? Or how about how atmospheric and engrossing Diablo 2 was? Between World of Warcraft: Care-A-Lot and Diablo 3: Sunshine i've lost faith in Blizzard.


But who else but me cares about story? No one. It'll still play like Warcraft so Blizzard won't have to care much once it sells a million copies.


Also, its really cute that you think World of Warcraft will ever be free to play. Their going to make you pay 15 a month and still have their micro-transactions. (Like they do now)

 

[Gamergeek25]

I don't play WoW anymore. I just see Pandaria as a joke expansion that's setting the game up for a free-to-play, microtransactions model. There was a time when Pandas were the butt of April Fools jokes and regardless of your positive take on events the only thing that would ever bring me back to WoW would be a complete and utter revert to Vanilla WoW, stripped of all stupid group finding mechanics and with 40 man raids back in.

EDIT:

All that said you're due mad props for taking the time to write this lovely post.

40 man raids are you nuts, those raids were insane as in headache centeral. Trying to coordinate 39 ppl, and then trying to get them online at once, and dont forget smaller guilds. Theres no way in hell a small guild would survive. The large guilds would snip the smaller guild members. Spending two hours looking for the last two members to do part of a dungeon then having to find another one as someone leaves. You really need to take off the rose tinted glasses. In vanilla WoW was a grind fest, and annoying one too. Try to level a shadow priest, and be taken serious or a feral druid in molten core. Heck try fire mage in molten core. They stopped doing 40 man raids so smaller guilds could have a chance instead of insanely huge monster guilds that would consume smaller guilds. You might have never been in a smaller guild, but many smaller guilds had trouble with monster sized guilds taking their members.

This is my response to the notion of bringing back 40 man raids http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FopyRHHlt3M

 

[White_Lama]

I joined WoW about halfway through WotLK, and have only been told by friends about some of the good stuff in vanilla.

But through research on my own I can say that the positives I'vdoesn't exactly overwhelm the negatives I've heard.

I like most of the changes they are doing to Pandaria and will still play it since it looks awesome and looks fun, which is what I want from a game, fun.

EDIT: Also, I don't think Blizzard is making WoW free to play until people won't pay for it. And let's face it, there are alot of people that will always pay for it.

 

[Waaghpowa]

I'm hoping that this expansion at least gives me enough reason to stay. The reason I'm not playing right now is because it's sooooo boring. Basically nothing to do but the same old shit over and over and over and over.

Cataclysm just stinks by comparison to the other expansions.

 

[Gamergeek25]

I'm hoping that this expansion at least gives me enough reason to stay. The reason I'm not playing right now is because it's sooooo boring. Basically nothing to do but the same old shit over and over and over and over.

Cataclysm just stinks by comparison to the other expansions.

Well with cataclysm most of the development was to fix up the lvling zones 1-60, and really ran out of time. This expansion has a lot more end game variety.

 

[Worgen]

Drifting away from WoW and towards Guild Wars 2. (Yeah, I caved and bought it thanks to dudes on the escapist getting me all excited about it. But I really loved the beta weekend that just went by).

I wasn't around in vanilla WoW, boyfriend was (he's always going on about how I missed out, I joined in Wrath), but I do hope that Pandaria will be enough to pull me back for a bit.
I will for sure be trying Monk healing, maybe tanking too, but I'm a much more solid healer.

I think the biggest problem I had with WoW is that most of the people in random dungeons are thick as shit.
I was in one at level 80 with a tank that wasn't taunting, so I told him to taunt and he said `I'm a paladin, we don't have a taunt!`. I facepalm'd so hard.

Did you play a norn in the gw2 beta? I've been wondering how their animal form things work but I haven't found anything online that really showed or explained them.

 

[Waaghpowa]

I'm hoping that this expansion at least gives me enough reason to stay. The reason I'm not playing right now is because it's sooooo boring. Basically nothing to do but the same old shit over and over and over and over.

Cataclysm just stinks by comparison to the other expansions.

Well with cataclysm most of the development was to fix up the lvling zones 1-60, and really ran out of time. This expansion has a lot more end game variety.

I welcome the variety, and I think it really needs it. I've played WoW since release. Still have the same character and have been on the same server. This is the first time ever I've been bored and stopped playing. I think that says a lot about Cataclysm.

 

[Eddie the head]

They fired their good writers a long, long time ago. I loved Warcraft for its world and story but with firing their good writers, everything involved in the Burning Crusade, and what they did to Arthas and the Scourge in Wrath of the Lich King? Blizzard isn't trying anymore.


Blizzard Entertainment's writing staff was replaced by brain dead monkies a long time ago. Remember when they were masters of story? How effective the Warcraft 3 cinematics were? Or how about how atmospheric and engrossing Diablo 2 was? Between World of Warcraft: Care-A-Lot and Diablo 3: Sunshine i've lost faith in Blizzard.

I never thought they had awesome writing. I mean it wasn't bad in WC3, but I wouldn't say it was good. It had a nice world, but I can't remember any of the characters. And I don't know what the main idea of the story was. We all have to work with each other or something? I don't know and the true is I don't care.

 

[Gamergeek25]

I'm hoping that this expansion at least gives me enough reason to stay. The reason I'm not playing right now is because it's sooooo boring. Basically nothing to do but the same old shit over and over and over and over.

Cataclysm just stinks by comparison to the other expansions.

Well with cataclysm most of the development was to fix up the lvling zones 1-60, and really ran out of time. This expansion has a lot more end game variety.

I welcome the variety, and I think it really needs it. I've played WoW since release. Still have the same character and have been on the same server. This is the first time ever I've been bored and stopped playing. I think that says a lot about Cataclysm.

HEres your choices.

48 out of 300 dailies

heriocs and raids

pvp with new pvp bgs two differant game modes unique completely

pet battles, for casual play

Scenario which are 5-10 minute dungeons, and other stuff as I havent tested all

 

[Waaghpowa]

HEres your choices.

48 out of 300 dailies

heriocs and raids

pvp with new pvp bgs two differant game modes unique completely

pet battles, for casual play

Scenario which are 5-10 minute dungeons, and other stuff as I havent tested all

Not to mention leveling the Pandaren monk that will replace my fury warrior as my dps main.

 

[VoidWanderer]

Since you stil probably have to grind heroics until your eyes start to bleed, just so you can get the gear to get you into Raids...

Thanks, but no...

 

[Padwolf]

I have been playing WoW since Vanilla and I have to say that Vanilla didn't seem to be as awesome as everyone makes it out to be. Since the expansions I have finally been able to raid and do heroics when I couldn't in Vanilla. Vanilla had some great things, like how it made you work hard for the quests. I know you can turn the quest arrow thingy off though and play it like you could in Vanilla, by reading the log and just travelling around til you found what it was you had to do. Having the arrow that shows you where to go made it all too easy.

I haven't played in a few months now though. I use my dad's account and he doesn't really want the expansion and may be cancelling our subscription. We thought that WoW has just become the same thing over and over again really. The Battlegrounds seem to have lost their way, I just can't quite put my finger on why, but they just don't feel as great as they used to. Maybe it's because now when you do BG's it's so easy to continue doing them and just get EXP from them. Cataclysm was an interesting expansion and I enjoyed the last quest and exploring the areas that were changed. But I hate how you have to spend hundreds of gold on getting a license to fly everywhere in Azeroth. And paying that much to get to fly in cold places.

Also I feel like the community has kinda lost it's way. Maybe it's because I haven't been in a decent guild for about 4 years, but I feel like most of the community have suddenly become elitist. When I'm in a heroic and I don't quite understand certain parts about the boss and I ask, I get called a noob for not knowing and I get told that I shouldn't be there if that's the case. Yet before Wrath and Cataclysm. it was never like that.

The music and environments are still as beautiful as always though. Also I'm upset with how they made Hunters! I remember being strong enough to take people down, but now I can barely do that, even when I am a BM Hunter, or any other kind of hunter I still feel weak as hell.

 

[saruman31]

Drifting away from WoW and towards Guild Wars 2. (Yeah, I caved and bought it thanks to dudes on the escapist getting me all excited about it. But I really loved the beta weekend that just went by).

I wasn't around in vanilla WoW, boyfriend was (he's always going on about how I missed out, I joined in Wrath), but I do hope that Pandaria will be enough to pull me back for a bit.
I will for sure be trying Monk healing, maybe tanking too, but I'm a much more solid healer.

I think the biggest problem I had with WoW is that most of the people in random dungeons are thick as shit.
I was in one at level 80 with a tank that wasn't taunting, so I told him to taunt and he said `I'm a paladin, we don't have a taunt!`. I facepalm'd so hard.

Did you play a norn in the gw2 beta? I've been wondering how their animal form things work but I haven't found anything online that really showed or explained them.

They are elite skills that have a big cooldown and short duration. They transform you in the form you chose and give you specific abilities.
@OT I play wow since it first came out(not continuously) and i find this to be the worst expansion ever. Sure, Warcraft had pandas in it but they were more of an inside joke. But to be fair, i don`t think wow can do anything to impress me anymore. It`s just to old. Now on with the starcraft expansions, the diablo expansion and give me warcraft 4!

 

[Terminate421]

I played at the start of burning crusade, I found that it was rather...difficult getting to level 40 even. I quit.

Then my friend made me get onto cataclysm and I find it entertaining, at times it's sluggish but now Its still relatively okay to get.