I guess I can bend my knees enough to bow down to Blizzard’s glory. The Burning Crusade is one hell of an expansion. I’m sure the success of this will only cause their heads to explode and we can expect even more of their often times arrogant behavior. How’s that for a compliment and slap at the same time? LOL I can’t help myself. I simultaneously love and hate Blizzard.
What can I say other than, “Wow!” My jaw dropped when I walked through the Dark Portal for the first time. And even though I’d seen my fair share of videos and screenshots from the beta, none of it – absolutely none of it, compares to experiencing it yourself. The area on the other side of the Portal in Outlands, is the frontlines of the Burning Legion’s incursion. There’s an on-going battle at the bottom of the staircase being manned by NPCs. I didn’t know what to do to get passed them the first time and was so flipping anxious catch up with what everyone else had been able to see, that I mistakenly ran forward and was promptly squashed. Rather than figure out what you’re supposed to do I just rez’d at the Spirit Healer and went about my business.
As I expected, the starter area was packed with players, as was the Alliance starter city, the Honor Hold. The Hold isn’t much to look at, but as it harkens back to the cities like Hillsbard, Goldshire and Nethergarde, which are among my favorites, I like just being there. I’ve posted before about my preference for the small human towns so this is no surprise. Things were a little laggy but not enough to diminish the experience. It was also fun to be in a populated questing area again. You don’t see that too much anymore in Azeroth, where most people are tucked into instances and dungeons.
I mounted up to take a tour and I was just stunned by the scenery. I have to say that the greatest compliment I could give is for the first time ever, I was reminded of roaming the world of Dereth in Asheron’s Call 2. The graphics are still WOW-stylized but with a more mature tone – not quite so bright, the hues are subtler and the creativity employed to realize these landscapes is amazing. Everywhere I went there was something astounding to see. And even though many of the mobs are ones we’ve seen before, they’ve been dropped into a breath-taking landscape.
I know now that Outlands is a place where I will want to see everything, and from every vantage point. I’ll include some images but you’ve got to see these places for yourself. If you’re not level 60 yet, RUN, don’t walk to get there. Coming from someone who doesn’t race to level, that’s saying a lot. If you’re lovin’ Azeroth, you have no idea how much fun is waiting on the other side of the Dark Portal. Role-players and explorers get ready to fall in love with WOW all over again.
I want to say more about game-play, quests, usability changes, etc. and will soon, but right now I just have to get back online!
P.S. I started a Draenei. Why I don’t know. I know I shouldn’t have, but I couldn’t resist seeing the starter city and that was all she wrote.
Both Azuremyst Isle & Bloodmyst Isle have been such a great breath of fresh air that I have stayed there leveling my Shaman to 16. I just love the place & happy that I quest here from the start. Strangely it feels like home more than even Goldshire/SW ever did.
Posted by: DM Osbon | January 28, 2007 at 05:48 PM
Looks beautiful, while I personally am in no rush to level right up there (my gals are in the 20's and the ones I've put on hold for now in the late 40's) I don't even know where the 'portal' is.... yes, I'm that clueless to the game some times *chuckles* I'm sure I'll find my way eventually though, I've been having a blast playing my blood elves.
Posted by: Stargrace | January 29, 2007 at 08:21 AM
@Star - The Dark Portal is in the Blasted Lands. You get a flight point to that area in Nethergarde Keep, then you ride south and you'll run into a crater. The Portal is down in the crater.
A couple of times I leveled toons in to the 40s one after the other. Don't think I'll do that again because you end up questing in the same areas back-to-back which for me, made it feel too much like grinding. I ended up abandoning one of them because I just couldn't stomach doing the same quests anymore. Now I make sure to leave like 20 or more levels in between so that when I got back to that toon it doesn't feel so much like I'd just been there.
Posted by: Saylah | January 29, 2007 at 08:43 AM
BC for me has been a blast as well! My friend and I are taking the casual route this time around, instead of flying through the content as fast as possible.
I dinged 61 yesterday, and when my friend said he was going to log for the night, I promptly tried to bribe him with a weeks supply of coffee in exchange for him staying logged in until 3am. it didn't work... lol
I especially like the bombing quests as it is fun to rain death down upon mobs that can't possibly touch me. :) On a side note, I have a new enemy that I can't wait to stomp on: Fel-Reavers.... Grrrr.... I haven't hated a mob this bad since the Devilsaurs out in Ungoro Crater.
Posted by: wolfgangdoom | January 29, 2007 at 11:44 AM
I see you've been to Hellfire Peninsula. This is the "boringest" of all the Outland zones (imho).
I'm geeking in anticipation when you come to see:
Zangarmarsh
Terrokar Forrest
Nagrand
And the city Shatthrah
-- Minor Spoiler --
I can't wait for your views when you are asked to use a trampoline to get to the quest item eggs... :)
Posted by: AimedShot | January 29, 2007 at 04:20 PM
@ Aimed...If Hellfire is the most boring then I can't imagine what's in store. I usually dont quest much. I just kill everything around me and if it happens to be part of a slay quest all the better. Anything that's not, get's abandoned. I hate running in circles for crap. But I haven't been doing that with BC yet. They've clustered so many quests in the same zone and the objective locations are nearby so I've been doing a ton of quests.
I've been to Shattrath to get an easy FP to portals. But I didn't want to take pictures yet because it's way out of your the leveling sequence. I had to hold myself back from running of the roads on the way there to see the little villages, enclaves and camps I saw along the road. Terrokar Forrest looks wonderful. I can't wait until it's time for me to be in that zone.
Posted by: Saylah | January 29, 2007 at 05:55 PM
@ Wolf...I also dinged 61 already and am more than half-way to 62. I'm not rushing. I just can't stop playing. :-) But I'm out of rest bonus xp so I'll probably park my priest tomorrow and spend some time on my Shaman.
Posted by: Saylah | January 29, 2007 at 05:56 PM
I also made a Draenai and I don't know why but I will say that the visuals for the blood elves and the draenai are absolutely breathtaking.
Posted by: Deshuzz | January 30, 2007 at 11:25 AM
@ Deshuzz...I really do like the Draenai starter area. Can't wait to see what's up the road. I think my new favorite thing to kill is going to the Blood Elves. They are annoying beyond measure. *Smile*
I used to love putting the smack down on Defias and Pirates. Pirates will probably still be at the top. However, my pointy-ear brothern will be favorite victim #2.
Posted by: Saylah | January 30, 2007 at 04:17 PM
P.S. I considered doing a BE if I ever wanted to replace my Warlock. But I don't think that's going to happen now. That place gives me a headache! I can't take the bright colors and there's something about shocking orange that makes my eyes bleed. After 10 minutes I was squinting like there was a persistent glare. I hated that place.
Posted by: Saylah | January 30, 2007 at 04:20 PM
Your Night Elf is soo hot.
Posted by: Vorgaak | August 26, 2008 at 04:46 AM