Yes, I know the world changed before the expansion came out. Shush. *Grin*
Ahem... anyway. So the last time I wrote in here, I was waiting for things to install and then for the switch to flip so I could get into this new World and see what was waiting for me. 20 minutes after 2 central, the login servers stopped being stupid and I got in. After a couple of character hops, I finally got to work using my Death Knight, and my first stop was Hyjal.
Oh. My God. The crowds. Alliance was flagging and camping on the NPCs, lots of kill stealing, and mass confusion, All the hallmarks of a release party, wouldn't you agree? The mass craziness honestly made things disjointed and disconnected for me, and I didn't get to really enjoy that first hour or so. It wasn't til I got to the Shrine of Goldrinn that I had my first real thrill. Lo'Gosh statue, so awesome. Heh heh.
Since then, I've managed to finally get to 85 with him, and his gear's progressing... not as smoothly as I'd hoped, but that's just because I haven't chain ran instances, and I haven't gotten any significant upgrades 'til yesterday and the day before(I'm a dual wielder at heart, and I was stuck with a 2h because it was better). I'm STILL using some tank greens because they were better than what I'd had, and of course I repurposed stats like Parry for things I need like Hit, thank you reforger man.
Considering I haven't signed into the game yet, today, I'm gonna cut this short and give a better zone comment later on, but this is what I have to say, in short.
Hyjal - Lorefest, slow to start, but when it gets interesting, it really hooks you. Lots of familiar names here, and really, though I'm not always a fan of Night Elves, the Guardians of Hyjal, Cenarion, and so on... they are THE shining example what happens when Alliance and Horde races set aside their factions and work together. Druid co-existence goes above and beyond faction leaders, and if anyone smart took a look at them for two seconds, they might stop being so hard against the other factions, in ways. I would rather not hate the Alliance, but they make it pretty difficult.
Vashj'ir - beautiful zone, lots of madness to the left and right, and definitely more action-oriented. I'm sorry to say though, it's confusing sometimes, and what's worse, it's buggy. I keep hearing people say Defending the Rift is a bugged quest, but I'm still stuck at Full Circle. Still, the Earthen Ring is another good example of co-existence. Oh and phasing is used, extensively, partly why it might be buggy, but when they iron it all out, it'll be amazing, more than it already is.
Deepholm - graphically amazing, lots to keep you busy, lots of work to unlock Therazine, and a miner's paradise. Before they nerfed the amount of ore you could farm there, it was insane. I leveled my mining in no time. It was shocking, and I'm still saving up elementium for my Paladin when I get to work on his Blacksmithing, and it's only gonna stay that way when I get my JC and engineering done on my priest. Sooooo yeah. Oh and... keep eyebleach handy when you meet the Queen. Strategically-placed purple locks, that is all.
Uldum - I've only done about half the zone at this point, haven't touched Harrison Jones, but the world behind the doors, behind the Tanaris mountains...? Oh God. And I'll just say this - there will have already been a few cutscenes you've dealt with in Vashj'ir and Hyjal at this point, but you haven't seen anything 'til you get into Uldum. It starts with a cutscene that sets the tone for everything else. Oh yeah, the Tol'vir are <3. They did a really good job of the Egyptian theme here, and things really don't disappoint. The only time I got annoyed was being killed by a mob underwater, and trying to get back to my body, only to get disconnected the moment I ghosted underwater. Hopefully that's been hotfixed since then.
Twilight Highlands - Another zone I've only done about halfway so far, but the drama factor's high here right at the start. It slows down later on, but it's still a really well-done area, and I'm looking forward to keep working on it. There are plenty of familiar faces here, including but not limited to Gurgthok and Wodin the Troll-Servant, which can only mean one thing - deathmatch! This time, it's the Crucible of Carnage. Frankly, this one is a little buggy too. People can tap your targets, there can be two bosses up at once... in my case, I got feared a step too far out of the door and was failed on the first boss, so I had to redo him. Ugh. In the end, there wasn't an immediate upgrade off this one, but I did take the 2h sword just in case.
The only annoyance I can state about dungeons right now is the fact you have to find each one before you can queue for them. Blackrock's a given, Throne of Tides is a shade of impossible(get summoned, believe me), Vortex Pinnacle isn't horrible, Stonecore is sneaky, Lost City of the Tol'vir is another gimme, Grim Batol isn't horrible, and Halls of Origination isn't tough if yer paying attention, unlike me.
20 minutes later, I finally finish once I say one simple fact - Blizzard took their knowledge from Wrath, and then set the bar a few stories higher. Say what you will, Cataclysm IS a whole new world. There will always be a foible here and there, but as a whole, there is always a new element to find to things in the next quest you do. If they can outdo this feat of gaming, I won't stop being impressed. I have high expectations for even the next patch, nevermind the next expansion(update the dang models!), and knowing Blizzard, they're gonna keep their money machine rollin' right on.
And now, if you'll excuse me...
~RJ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiEgOljqB1g
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