With Thanksgiving upon us, this seemed like a nice time to reflect and think about the content in Warcraft that I’m grateful to have. Playing through Mists of Pandaria, this is what I’m thankful for in World of Warcraft:
Farming in the Valley of the Four Winds.
Being able to grow ingredients to level our cooking is nice, but the fact that we can raise mats for crafting is incredible. I don’t see how this isn’t more widely regarded as a necessity, along with all the other Dailies everyone feels compelled to do. Once your farm is big enough, you can start harvesting roughly one Song of Harmony per day. Until they stop being soulbound, this is probably the easiest way to gather them.
An intriguing story that will be advanced in patch 5.1.
Without giving spoilers, we’re going to see some major characters interacting with each other in some surprising ways. This is really all thanks to. . .
Scenarios.
Not only is Blizzard using them to allow players to live the story and interact with major lore characters, but they are also fun. Also, they are quick enough that you can fit one or two in as part of your weekly valor point activities. Plus, due to their instanced nature, they can be set anywhere in the world. The scenario Theramore is not the Theramore that exists while leveling. I get the feeling some other cities are in for a similar change in the future as well. Blizzard now offers content for one, three, five, ten, and twenty-five person parties. Just about whatever size social group you are comfortable in, there is content for you to experience.
Cinematics.
Not just the amazing opening cinematic for Mists of Pandaria, but all the cutscenes present throughout Pandaria. Blizzard learned their lesson from Uldum, where they succumbed to the temptation to let us experience an Indiana Jones movie by forcing us to watch a Harrison Jones movie. Now, when the camera pulls away, its done sparingly, and to great effect. The stories told in Krasarang Wilds and Valley of the Four Winds are great examples of how cinematics can be astounding. Plus, they give us amazing out-of-game content like this. Thank YOU for 8 years, Blizzard!
He’s settled down some now that the initial rush of being thrown to the wolves is over, but it’s still a great source of information. Really, in the promotional lead up to the launch of Mists of Pandaria, the developers were especially accessible, giving interviews to just about everyone they could. People may complain that their class is nerfed or not getting buffed and the devs are ignoring them, but Blizzard has gone out of their way time and time again to keep an open line of communication between themselves and the fans. Just look at how they handled the talent-tree redesigns for Mists. Last year, Blizzard put up forum requests looking for people to cite specifically what changes they would like for their classes. Then Blizzard went and did as much as they could to make them come true. From a hunter perspective, we lost the dead-zone between melee-range and minimum-range, and we got the Stampede ability we had been looking for. Their track record isn’t perfect, but Blizzard takes care of their classes.
An amazing game with an amazing player base.
If the only interaction that occurs between players occurs in-game, then your MMORPG is failing. WoW is amazing because there is so much content that people are contributing out-of-game. From forum posts to class guides to in-character blogs. World of Warcraft has captured more than just my fascination, and I’m glad that there is an entire World outside of Warcraft to interact with and discuss the game.
Bonus: Everyone reading this.
Thanks for delving into my thoughts on WoW and have a great Thanksgiving!
WoW! Blurbs!
Pilgrim’s Bounty is upon us. I’m thankful I already have my Pilgrim title. http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/7810829/Pilgrims_Bounty_is_Here-11_18_2012
WoW and all the Blizzard games are on sale this week. Now you can afford that second account for multi-boxing! http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/7916590/Retail_Black_Friday_Offers_%E2%80%93_Save_BIG_on_World_of_Warcraft-11_20_2012\
Arena ratings over 2200 are being reset. I would have just made this season’s title reward an asterisk. http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/7118303086?page=14#276
