thoughts (and emotions) on 4.0.3a

[Sukurachi]

Well, here I am, being overly emotional.

First of all, it's goodbye to so many things that have been with us for years now.

1000 Needles, Desolace, the old Orgrimmar...

I was walking around Stonetalon Mountains, looking for those gorgeous new emerald birds (got one, tamed it, it's a beaut), and all around me, everywhere I went was... fighting, inter-faction, between beasts, etc...

There was something... well... creepy and off-putting about it.
Yeah, I know World of WARcraft. I play on on a non-PvP server. An RP server actually.

Well, I had left the "new" Orgrimmar, shocked by how strange and violent it seemed. It seems our new Warchief has decided that Orgrimmar needs to be more highly fortified. It's a veritable Fort Knox now. There was a feeling of martial law, of being, somehow, a stranger in my own home. Being watched from every corner. Every step I took was suspicious to some guard.

Then, while wandering through Stonetalon, I came upon a scene of carnage: Invading Tentacles, attacking the Alliance NPCs and the beasts in the area.

Suddenly, as I watched, one of those monstrous tentacles grabbed a poor Twilight Runner (those beautiful dark spotted cats). The horrible sickeningly glowing Tentacle wrapped itself around the poor cat's body, making it seem so tender and fragile... and it waved it in the air, smashing it from side to side. I couldn't help it. Seeing that poor innocent beast tortured in such a merciless way... I launched a volley of arrows into the monstrous tentacle... but I was too late. The poor cat fell to the ground, broken, dead.

I hate to admit it, but.. I cried for a few minutes.

Somehow, our World, even if it IS of Warcraft, became a sickening reminder of all that is wrong in our "real" world. Cruelty, hatred, intolerance, isolationism, barbarism.

It will take some getting used to, this "new" Azeroth.
I hope, in the long run, that we will be instrumental in bringing back some semblance of balance to it.
I hope that I will grow a thicker skin to fend off these terrible emotions that wracked my heart tonight.

Pixels that reflect.
Reflect a world we complacently allow to continue on its derelict way.
A way that surely leads to ruin.
A ruin in which we will have been complicit.

Shed a tear. And then, let your heart gain the resolve to change the world.

[Mania]

*hug* You're not the only one who cried about the Twilight Runners.

[Adam-Savage]

I have yet to see the new old world again cept storm wind. I had beta access so I already got to see it all. Stormwind confuses me now on a ground mount. I'm used to getting around on a flying mount in SW.

[Kryte]

It does leave me with rather mixed feelings. On the one hand, it's interesting to see what's become of the world since Vanilla, when I started playing. On the other... it's like saying good-bye to an old friend. I agree with you on how chaotic everything is, and how I find it more than a little discomforting. The new walls and NPCs and battles all over the place make things feel overly busy. And running around Elwynn and seeing all of the bandits in all the places they used to be... but without their Defias masks... somehow makes me feel really sad.

[Sarayana]

[quote="Sukurachi"]Somehow, our World, even if it IS of Warcraft, became a sickening reminder of all that is wrong in our "real" world. Cruelty, hatred, intolerance, isolationism, barbarism./quote]
WoW has always been a pure escape from me, just like books have been for my entire life. Something to slink into and forget when things just got too overwhelming and hard. Your words somehow unfolded WoW in my mind, brought it out into a much larger context (which I shouldn't have been oblivious to - literature and media always reflect and comment on life, after all) and wow... You brought a tear to my eyes in a way the in-game experiences haven't (yet - I haven't seen most of it yet).

[bloodysam]

Oh i do know one place that wasnt changed at all lol IF i guess the dwarfs didnt have the handy work of the Gnomes anymore lol

[Cerah]

There are some good things about the way the world has changed as well.

Cerah logged off the night before the world changed at her home in Shadowprey Village, Desolace. She's pretty much the only Orc who lives there -- even before the changes, she felt more confortable around the Trolls, her husband's race, and the Tauren, the race she grew up with. Now, with Garrosh's new policies, she's almost ashamed to be an Orc.

Anyway, she woke up in Maraudon. Unsure of how she got there when she "fell asleep" at the Shadowsprey Inn, she wandered out, Beauty, her loyal raptor, at her side. Nothing seemed different, still Centaurs and their ghosts haunting the place.

Returning home, Shadowprey itself was the same as well. Mounting her well-earned Kodo, (RP wise, she was awarded her Kodo from the Tauren for her work as a game warden in Desolace), she decided to travel to the Kodo Graveyard, to see how everyone at Ghostwalker Post was doing.

The first sign change was in one of the small animals wandering just outside the village. A new critter, called a Horny Toad, that looked suspisiously like a very small warpstalker. Cerah smiled, overcome by cuteness, and thought it would make a great non-combat pet.

Just past Mannoroc Coven, the desert landscape changed dramatically. The ancient Kodo bones now rested, not on desert dust, but on a soft, grassy plain. Colourful moths flited through the air (critters, unfortuately), and in the distance, fully-grown jungle trees sprouted from ground that days before had been desert. Cerah was so astonished, she forgot to take photos of the changes (too amazed to press Prt Scn).

In the new jungle grove, the Cenarian Circle had set up a small settlement, to watch over the new life. Here, Tauren and Night Elves still worked together, regardless of increased faction hostilities, to protect what was really important, the work of the Earthmother herself. Cerah always liked the Cenarians, and resolved to help them, even though Desolace was now way below her experience level.

So while Deathwing may have brounght more war, more conflict and strife to most of Azeroth, some good came as well. New areas of life and peace, that I'm looking forward to exploring.

[Sukurachi]

Cerah, thank-you for the beautiful perspective on life.


This is just one of those moments where "real life" has intruded on WoW-life, and made me overly emotionally sensitive to changes and events. My husband and I spoke at length last night about the events that lead to my mini-breakdown. He asked if I wanted to leave Azeroth. I don't think I could do that. But I would so love for him to come exploring with me. Sadly, real life intrudes in his world as well, and work pulls him away from any real free time in Azeroth.

Cerah, I will take your advice and go explore the now not-so-desolate Desolace. I am sure that it will take my mind off the horror of the countless drowned, dead centaur in 1000 Needles - enemies for a while, but pointless deaths, nonetheless.

[Eldanalune]

Sukurachi,
Maybe I can help put some more things in perspective for you. Not that you can't see things now...but...from my characters' perspective.

Vlentana is, well, to put it plainly, a battle mistress. War is her life. Has been for a long time. When the Shattering happened, even though she hates every race on Azeroth, she took the time to help the less fortunate escape Azeroth. The world was tearing apart before her eyes (of course this was all while I was sleeping ). Her adopted daughter Siarysa was also helping. When all was said and done, both returned to the Shattered Azeroth.

Siarysa is a dragon adopted. Learned from the Life Binder. Life is precious and to see what happened. To see Orgimmar in a state of marshal law, as you stated. Yes, it is heartbreaking. But seeing the Overgrowth, seeing Desolace now, gives both of them hope. Seeing how life is coming back. It's wonderful. Evil will win minor battles. But that is why the good survive and life goes on. If the "good people" give up, then Azeroth will surely fall.

In the words of Optimus Prime: "I rise, you fall"

(Good being a manner of perspective.)

[cowmuflage]

Every one knows centuars can't swim. Go to barrens Its all green now and nice apart from the aliiance attacking cows and tentacles attacking cows that is.

[Cerah]

Cerah, thank-you for the beautiful perspective on life.


This is just one of those moments where "real life" has intruded on WoW-life, and made me overly emotionally sensitive to changes and events. My husband and I spoke at length last night about the events that lead to my mini-breakdown. He asked if I wanted to leave Azeroth. I don't think I could do that. But I would so love for him to come exploring with me. Sadly, real life intrudes in his world as well, and work pulls him away from any real free time in Azeroth.

Cerah, I will take your advice and go explore the now not-so-desolate Desolace. I am sure that it will take my mind off the horror of the countless drowned, dead centaur in 1000 Needles - enemies for a while, but pointless deaths, nonetheless.

I'm happy I could cheer you up, even if just a little.

I think we all have to do a little more exploring before we can judge the new world of Warcraft. I mean, reading about the changes from the Beta and PTR are one thing, but actually going out and seeing them with your own eyes on Live, is just, well, something else entirely.

I'm sure if we just look, we can find a lot more good things about the new Azeroth as well.

[Sukurachi]

It's so strange that, I've spent years not batting an eyelash at killing various forms of life, and peoples, within the Azerothian environment.

Then I tried my experiment of leveling off ONLY herbalism with one of my characters (Haimon, level 76, who is actually my very first serious Horde character, but is still not my "main" at this time). I started "feeling" a great deal more for the creatures around me.. pixels or not, they took on a life of their own as I moved among them.

But then, seeing that Monstrous Tentacle pluck that hapless Twilight Runner, now a non-aggressive beast, and shake it back and forth, then drop its lifeless body to the ground, I was just... shocked. It was so pointless and monstrous. I hearthed back to Dalaran, then logged out and sat quietly on my sofa and cried.

I think that that single event was a catalyst of sorts, that allowed me to free the pent up emotions of awaiting The Shattering, then finally seeing the cataclysmic events begin to unfold. The simple sight of an "innocent" being brutally and senselessly murdered (for that was what this was... a real crime against Nature), left me in profound shock.

Part of this has an RP element to it, but a large part of it really is a strong emotional reaction on my part.

[Ana]

I love the new wow. I accually want to start a new char in order to experience all the new things going on.
Yes there is chaos and meyheim out there, but it feels entriging to me. Kinda like " here at the ends at all things" momenet (LOTR) and you just know the eagles isnt to fare away to safe you.
I love it, my heart beats away and im bound to the screen

[Mustafah]

I kinda agree with you. Garrosh Hellscream seems like a war monger who will lead us the horde to more war in my specific server, people say really bad stuff about Garrosh, seems like they hate him. But focusing on the negative side is always wrong and not fun. look how many new pets we got: foxes, wolves, an awesome core hound and i found finally THE pet, one of the new crockolisks, basilisks like. So as an advice, its true we are going to a huge war, but still, focus on the right side. =)