Topic: New World of Warcraft cinematic for Panderia

[Trystia]

I remember having a LOT more points than I have now.. (thank you Blizz for redacting so many of my achievements to Feats of Strength)

Yeah, I kept getting upset about the exact same thing, as well as getting upset when they removed the ability to gain Shen'dralar reputation before I managed to max it out, but then I took a long 5 month break and stopped caring. Right now, I just need a long enough break to stop feeling the need to obsessively complete all these tons of daily quests and farming things and such every day, especially when I'm putting in 10-12 hours of work each day, meaning I often have to cut into either eating or sleep to get everything done.

[Aiden]

It's all about that moderation, well I can' t really preach it since I have been sick all week and had lots of play time lately.

You aren't supposed to do all 49 in a day, I guess some people do. I am only doing it on once character and letting the rest gear up via dungeons and LFR, I don't care if my upcoming alts (which are weeks away, since I am in no rush) are not in rev shadopan, kalaxxi, epics.

I did recently hit exalted with tillers and Cloud serpent, having the cloud serpents is pretty awesome.

I'm a mount collector, I am 18 away from 150.

[Faust]

I did recently hit exalted with tillers and Cloud serpent, having the cloud serpents is pretty awesome.

Is it? They constantly move around... all the fucking time. I like the design of them, itīs awesome, but that one thing just bugs me so much xD
I guess Iīm just a fan of the original european-styled dragons



As to the topic of Pandaria in general. Initially (and after seeing that trailer - yes, I think itīs bad) I was afraid that the game will be too dumbed down and simplified, to attract a younger audience, get Blizzard more subscribers and thus also more money.

I feel I was partially right here... Some of the gameīs aspects are just too childish - for example the bouncy happy cartoonish pandaren, or the new "battle pet" (cough, pokemon, cough) system. But I can avoid that rather easily - I donīt have a Pandaren, Iīm not trying to "catch them all" and I avoid pet battles like the plague.
But on the other hand I like the instances, the boss encounters and the overall changes of graphics for the better.

So overall... meh, could have been better, could have been worse.

[TheGlyphstone]

People complain about the happy childish pandas, but in overall retrospect, I'd rather they got rid of the emo space goats first. At least Pandarens existed in the lore (albeit as an intended April Fool's joke that got completely out of control), rather than the shoehorned retcon mishmash of Draenei that were basically created from whole cloth just to give Burning Crusade an Alliance race paired against the Blood Elves.

They've got no excuse for the Pokemon battles though.

[Faust]

People complain about the happy childish pandas, but in overall retrospect, I'd rather they got rid of the emo space goats first. At least Pandarens existed in the lore (albeit as an intended April Fool's joke that got completely out of control), rather than the shoehorned retcon mishmash of Draenei that were basically created from whole cloth just to give Burning Crusade an Alliance race paired against the Blood Elves.

They've got no excuse for the Pokemon battles though.

You may have misunderstood me. I have nothing agains Pandaren in general. I know they were there for a long time, even before Kung-Fu panda, and I accept it. Iīm also not complaining about an expansion being dedicated to them. What I mind is the way they were portrayed. So far, the races and the conflicts were all serious (as much as a game can get), but the Pandarens just seem too happy and bouncy, compared to the other races. I think they could make a panda look a but more fierce if they wanted to.

And what I donīt get... modelling pandaria pandas after red pandas? Red pandas are more racoons than pandas... :/

[TheGlyphstone]

You may have misunderstood me. I have nothing agains Pandaren in general. I know they were there for a long time, even before Kung-Fu panda, and I accept it. Iīm also not complaining about an expansion being dedicated to them. What I mind is the way they were portrayed. So far, the races and the conflicts were all serious (as much as a game can get), but the Pandarens just seem too happy and bouncy, compared to the other races. I think they could make a panda look a but more fierce if they wanted to.

And what I donīt get... modelling pandaria pandas after red pandas? Red pandas are more racoons than pandas... :/

That wasn't really directed at you specifically, but the general ' Lol Kung Fu Panda Blizzard ruined WoW for teh kiddies and casuals' sentiment that proliferates.

Though as far as the happy and bouncy nature goes, I'm willing to hold off judgement on Blizzard for that, because the rumors/hints are that it's going to change - one of the big themes of MoP is supposedly how the Alliance-Horde war is basically going to ruin the crap out of Pandaria - if they do it right, that happy-bouncy nature actually becomes important in an 'Innocence Lost' type of way. If they botch it, though...

[Trystia]

Regarding Pandaren, Draenei, etc... I will proudly admit that the race I wish I could play in game is the Tuskarr.

[TheGlyphstone]

I'm still holding out for Murloc.

[SinXAzgard21]

I'm still holding out for Murloc.

+1

[Question Mark]

Draenei are my all time favorite race.  They have the best animations (with the exception on male night elves), the best theme (I'm a huge fan of the whole walking in the light, eternal war against the Legion, pious and pure thing they've got going), and some of the most interesting lore.

I just wish they'd DO something.  At least the BElves are getting exposure in 5.1.  Now if only the Draenei could too.  :(

Regarding Pandaren, Draenei, etc... I will proudly admit that the race I wish I could play in game is the Tuskarr.

Theory of a Death Knight Wants to be a Tuskarr

[Chris Brady]

FYI, I have NOTHING against furry races, I don't mind the Tauren, I have a Worgen Warrior (yeah, I know a theme I beat to death, but at least the class gives me the big sticks to do it with.  ), I'm more against shoehorning in a new race of Oriental and Martial Artists into a primarily Western setting.

I mean, I love Kung Fu Panda, Po is really cool, but...

You know, the more I think on it, the more I think that one of the planets in BC's sky (go and check Hellfire Pennisula's skyline, just go through the portal and look up) could have been better used for it.  THEN, I don't think I'll have that much of a problem.  And WoW is kinda lucky for MMO spaces.  I mean, most fantasy stories have a middle and end, very few have mutliple protagonists that operate at the same time.

Star Wars is the only other universe out there that can do MMOs, mainly because it's not limited to one planet (which only has so much space for exploring and cultures) and over the last 40+ years has had a lot of material (most of which is canon) and heroes and places to explore and see.

World of Warcraft managed to escape that by having Draenor available.  Not to mention the Time Stream that the Bronze Dragons protect, and the Emerald Dream.  They also have two separate 'big baddies' that they haven't completely tackled yet:  The Pantheon (not so much bad guys, as factions and interests) and The Burning Legion.  Hell, the BL has been a running theme through out the entire series.

They corrupted the Orcs, they created the Scourge, Sargeras (a former Pantheon groupie) is one of theirs, not to mention the mess they left behind in various times of Azeroth's history.

So much potential!

[TheGlyphstone]

Be honest, you've already got steampunk/electric/nuclear technology alongside rather blatantly ripped-off Native American symbology alongside Medieval European knights/castles/wizards alongside neo-gothic punk alongside some New Age crystals alongside awful Jamaican stereotypes alongside Tolkein elves in purple face paint. Adding in Oriental trappings and martial arts isn't really diluting the setting any more than it already has been.

[Trystia]

I'm more against shoehorning in a new race of Oriental and Martial Artists into a primarily Western setting.

Except, Azeroth is an entire planet. Pandaria is an entire continent. Why is it an issue to people that there would be an entirely different culture present there? Pandaria is supposed to have been isolated from the rest of the world for over ten thousand years, which is far longer than it took to develop distinct cultures here on Earth.

[Question Mark]

Be honest, you've already got steampunk/electric/nuclear technology alongside rather blatantly ripped-off Native American symbology alongside Medieval European knights/castles/wizards alongside neo-gothic punk alongside some New Age crystals alongside awful Jamaican stereotypes alongside Tolkein elves in purple face paint. Adding in Oriental trappings and martial arts isn't really diluting the setting any more than it already has been.

All those characeristics makes the setting unique, and sets it apart from the typical fantasy genre.  There's been an unfortunate trend that started in Wrath: homogenous ripoffs of cultural cliches with little or no effort to make them unique or believable within the universe.  It started with the vrykul, which ripped off the Barbaric Nordic Viking cliche.  Then Cata introduced a whole load of bullshit, like Uldum (Egypt and Indiana Jones), Gilneas (Industrial England, complete with tophats and accents), Twilight Highlands (Scotland), and Kezan (ridiculously over the top parody of American consumerism).  And then Pandaria takes the cake with an entire expansion based off of the Western Stereotype of Feudal China, complete with anthropomorphic pandas.

They're either scraping the bottom of the creativity or just not bothing to invest the effort into creating unique areas/races that not only fit within the universe's themes but also can stand on their own without being called "China/Scotland/Egypt/Vikings/Cockney in WoW!"  Or maybe they're just doing both.  Regardless, the blatant thematic ripoffs have absolutely killed my suspension of disbelief (I don't see Pandaria, I see China).

It can be argued (and has been many times) that this is nothing new, after all WoW has moomen!  It's a false comparison.  Tauren are a new and interesting take on the traditional fantasy minotaur.  Same with trolls and voodoo/Africana, dwarves and archeology/gryphons/shamanism, night elves and their unique fusion of Japanese and Indo-Asian aesthetic, and so on.  It was that unique aesthetic that drew me to WoW, and it's the abandoning of that unique aesthetic that has driven me away.

Blizzard is a corporation now, not a video game company.  They're focused on making money over making good games.  If they can reap in the cash with shoddy storytelling, asinine pop culture references, and lazy ripoffs, then why invest the extra effort to restore the game's authenticity?  It's that careless treatment of the universe I love that made me quit WoW.

If this is what I can expect from Blizzard now, fuck 'em.

[SinXAzgard21]

Cool then I guess we can end the age old discussion of how Blizzard is just out to make money and how Pandas are not allowed and you can't argue about the spacegoats because they where in game first. 

So anyone playing a Monk and using the buff notice it is bugged out and lasting at least 30 minutes longer?

[Question Mark]

Cool then I guess we can end the age old discussion of how Blizzard is just out to make money and how Pandas are not allowed and you can't argue about the spacegoats because they where in game first.

My problem isn't with the pandaren (they've been established in the lore since 2001), but with the way Blizz handled them.  So much potential, but nope, China funland is what we got.

You can argue about draenei until the cows home, but I believe they are one of Blizz's best creations.  Not because they were there first, but because they were handled properly: rich history, unique aesthetic, interesting elements from several IRL sources (gypsies, Arab, dab of Mongolian, etc.), and nice cohesion with the Warcraft universe.

[Chris Brady]

Question Mark makes a good point.  Most of the races are a mishmash of cultural of references that are melded from several differing sources, except the Panderan, and one could argue the Gilneans.  Although the Druidic touch was cute.

[SinXAzgard21]

"Okay." - Rammus.

[TheGlyphstone]

Question Mark makes a good point.  Most of the races are a mishmash of cultural of references that are melded from several differing sources, except the Panderan, and one could argue the Gilneans.  Although the Druidic touch was cute.

Well, they originally wore Samurai armor, but the Chinese screamed bloody murder and the visuals got changed. My 'dream Pandarens' are a mismash of multiple Asian cultures.

[Question Mark]

"Okay." - Rammus.

Who's Rammus?

[Chris Brady]

Well, they originally wore Samurai armor, but the Chinese screamed bloody murder and the visuals got changed. My 'dream Pandarens' are a mismash of multiple Asian cultures.

yeah, Samwise loves his Samurai Panda, which is where the whole 'meme' started.  For those who don't know, he's the artist that always puts one in his WoW art somewhere.  Sometimes it was cleverly hidden.

[SinXAzgard21]

Who's Rammus?

Rammus isn't important it is the way the "Okay" is meant.  Those that play LoL will understand it.

[Aiden]

I got it, I Laughed!

[Question Mark]

Rammus isn't important it is the way the "Okay" is meant.  Those that play LoL will understand it.

How is okay meant?

[Naiah]

My problem isn't with the pandaren (they've been established in the lore since 2001), but with the way Blizz handled them.  So much potential, but nope, China funland is what we got.

You can argue about draenei until the cows home, but I believe they are one of Blizz's best creations.  Not because they were there first, but because they were handled properly: rich history, unique aesthetic, interesting elements from several IRL sources (gypsies, Arab, dab of Mongolian, etc.), and nice cohesion with the Warcraft universe.

So agree, granted I didnt know about the Pandas being in the lore for so long, but damn, did they have to make it so Kung Fu Panda? I mean its like they dumbed it down to appease the really young kids. Far too cutesie for me. Dang give us badass Valkyr's any day!