And I'm pretty excited, actually.
MMO-C has a write up, interview transcripts, and lots of screenshots to share about the MoP Press conference. The information's nicely varied with info about PvE, the direction the game will be moving, images of the new continent, info about the new 5 mans and raids, female Pandaren pictures (at last!), mini-game additions. They're up front about the fact that there's finally a departure from "the big bad boss" at the end of the expansion - the entire theme isn't run solely on anticipation of defeating the one bad guy who's been dogging your steps since the expansion's release (a la Arthas and Deathwing, and to a lesser extent, the Burning Legion). They claim they're going back to their roots and removing the focus from a single pinnacle enemy and basically returning to, "Pick the evil you'll adventure against today."
And I'm pretty excited, actually. Click the post title to continue reading :)
First, I just want to say that I'm over all pleased with how the female Pandaren appear to have turned out. I'm hoping they don't do much (any?) further tweaking of their faces, they way they did with the Worgen. Granted, I absolutely hated the original female Worgen faces so they DID need the help, but prolonging the agony only raised my hopes with them, and the final product was still a disappointment so I almost wish they'd left the pathetic originals alone (the doe themed ones; if there was a more aggressive, respectable face that was very temporarily tested it doesn't count in this argument). The Pandaren female faces are slightly less chunky than I'd like, but I dig their bodies and am content with how their faces have turned out. Rather than tweaking them and becoming sharper (oh God, the Chihuahuas and Vixen face horror TAT), I'd prefer to keep them as is right now. I'm also intrigued at the thought that you'll be able to choose a fur color other than the assumed Black & White combo. The brown and white reminds me of Red Pandas a bit. So cute!
Other points of interest: AE looting (AT LAST, I've wanted this for years and Rift proved that it was "possible" [I suppose there was never doubt, but it was nice to see devs willing to give it to us]), I think the farm plot idea seems like an interesting way to carve out a part of the game world to be your own - sort of a tentative step toward something kind of like player housing, but rather than a storage thing it'll be a personal space that's not about being a pack rat - it allows us to move forward and sustain ourselves without having to compete with other players if that's how we would rather do things. Having the option is kind of a big deal.
Not being harassed by a single entity or faction for the entirety of an expansion will be nice, as well. Making an expansion based around a single "big bad" encouraged players to believe they could beat the game, when that's pretty much not what [I consider] MMORPGs to be about. MMORPGs are for adventure, they're about choices, they're about being a hero and then getting back out there to save even more people - they're not about months upon months of anticipation followed by toppling the one big bad ... and then setting down your sword or staff and retiring because you've done your one good deed for the world. You're done.
...that's not what a hero does. Where there's distress, the hero will ride in! Not just for a title and a flashy mount that shows "I did the only thing that matters in this game... but can you rez me now? I don't know how to get back into the instance without a rez."
Having a variety of destinations, a number of people who need saving - that a player wants to save them all seems more like what a hero would do. Yes, sure, there should/will be a reward at the end of each bout of saving, but since the game started centering around a single goal, I've been less and less interested in it. Because really - once I've cleared the final raid instance in it's entirety and downed that one last boss, I'm done for the week. What else is there for me to do until the week's lock outs are re-set? I've already "beat the game." No! I want to be able to do more! I want to be able to look forward to logging in!
I haven't posted in MONTHS because Cata just hasn't much spoken to me. There's little to no connection between so much of the new content; don't get me wrong, old world WoW needed the update. I was willing to deal with the lack of cohesion just for that, and I did. But I'm really looking forward to what the dev team has been able to put together when their resources aren't spread between both updating all of the original content, as well as trying to cobble together something new for the end game.
MoP has lots of new art, from models to textures to landscapes. It's exciting, it's new, and we won't be bombarded with the end game goal from the moment we step onto Pandaria.
And I'm pretty excited, actually.
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