Next World of Warcraft Expansion: Warlords of Draenor

JestersGrind writes with news that Blizzard has announced the next expansion to World of Warcraft, titled Warlords of Draenor. This expansion raises the level cap to 100 and introduces a new world/continent full of zones: Draenor. They're also introducing 'Garrisons,' player-built bases on Draenor that individual users will be able to customize and upgrade. Your garrison will have followers which you can send on missions, and you'll be able to invite other players over to visit and trade. The expansion will also revamp a number of aging character models. Blizzard is also making it so new and returning players can immediately boost one character to the current level cap (90), so they can immediately jump into the new content.

Comments

I guess I'll see

[xevioso]

Do you still have to grind to get anywhere? If so, I won't be back.

Re:I guess I'll see

[JustAnotherIdiot]

Has there ever been an MMO where grinding wasn't a requirement?

I won't be back

[acehole]

I played from launch up until just after BC came out and returned shortly just before CATA was released and left shortly after never to return.

The game I loved is long dead, the soul was sucked out of it. You once knew all the people on your realm and could make 'friends' and contacts. Once they introduced the cross realm instancing it all stopped.

The 40 mans were great fun and it was a sad day when they announced they were being removed from game. There were just things here and there that they streamlined the game for but it just well... didn't feel right.

Purples used to mean 'epic' then part way through BC and most of WotLK it became the new green.

Sorry Blizzard, you won't get me back.

Re:I won't be back

[Anonymous Coward]

I never understood the "dumbing down." The game mechanics are better now than they have ever been. There are more abilities to juggle, more decisions to make about when to use them, and more complicated situations than ever existed in Vanilla or BC.

I hear people say things like the game is dumbed down because purples are easier to get. That the color of the text of an item could possibly have any value to the mechanics of the game is completely absurd.

Clearly there's more content for casual players now. That does not mean the game is dumbed down. The only thing I can get out of all this is that some people felt a sense of elitism because much of the game's best content was reserved only for people who spent their entire life playing and they felt special for getting to see it.

Let me give you an example of how far the game has come: I have played a Rogue since beta. Originally, as a combat rogue you would stand behind the enemy, spam backstab, keep slice and dice up, and eviscerate in between.

Now, I have two main attacks with the way I have chosen to specialize, which actually makes a difference in play style instead of requiring a cookie cutter spec to maximize the numbers: I have sinister strike to push a 3-tier buff cycle forward and shuriken toss to deal more damage and combo points for energy. The first two tiers: 10% and 20%, can be extended by avoiding spamming sinister strike, while the final 30% buff is one time only before it resets. I have to balance moving the buff cycle forward with exploiting shuriken toss. I use adrenaline rush strategically to push the buff cycle forward faster and shadow blades to build combo points during the extensible mid-buff period in which I can use shuriken toss until the buff is about to expire and refresh it with sinister strike. I also have buffs like smoke bomb to shield my group from damage or tricks of the trade to boost damage or offload threat. Managing this wisely enables me to outdamage everyone I have played with, and a few missteps can push me far behind, so it's important to pay attention and play skillfully. That's just getting started with the rotation complexity and doesn't even factor in the complexity of boss battle mechanics.

WoW has come a long way from its origins. The mechanics have been expanded and perfected to a degree that no other RPG, online or offline, which I have ever played has achieved. It includes content for all types of player, from casual to hardcore, and that is not to its detriment.

Re:5 man content

[meta-monkey]

But the thing is, only bads ever got their talent builds wrong. They still won't know how to not stand in fire, but at least now you don't have to worry about them showing up in your LFR group with points evenly distributed in every tree.

Re:5 man content

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't feel enough of a different from the choices I make.

As opposed to WoW before Mists, where you noticed a difference from your special-snowflake talent build in the form of (sometimes-dramatically) lower DPS? The "muh unique build" argument never had any credibility in a game where the measurement of performance is objectively quantifiable.

Meanwhile, Team Fortress 2 fans complain about new weapons making the game's classes too customizable.

Back in my day, you played video games because you wanted to have fun, not because you wanted to complain.