RIP Scholomance

[Teigan]

I ran the new lowbie Scholo. It was more than disappointing. Remember the lovely, elegant feel (ok, aside from the rotting corpses) it had, the storyline, the variety of bosses, the beautiful if PITA sets to collect for mogging?
All gone. There are, if I'm remembering right, now 4 bosses total. Aside from Gandling, they all appeared out of nowhere. The trash all looks too epic, like ICC crossed with Cata. Which I guess it is. Its completely lost the vanilla elegance it had. If you wanted any of those beautiful sets from Scholo, its too late now. They are gone, along with the bosses that dropped them. The Barov Servant Caller is also gone, as it was a quest reward from a quest that is gone.
And the story of House Barov and Eva and Lucien Sarkhoff has been erased. There is the barest mention of suffering, but the only quest giver NPC other than a brief appearance by the Baron at the end is a "talking skull" that doesn't explain anything. That terrible, heartbreaking story Eva told, along with her spirit are gone without a trace of explanation. Its very 1984. "They do not exist. They never existed." And the talking skull? You have to follow it around.
Its just another lore-less monster-fest now.

Oh, and I ran the new Scarlet Monastery too. Lets just say if you don't like dogs being tortured you won't like it. My Ajax, who I tamed before they starved them and chained them to the wall, gets lots of loves, pets, and snacks now. The old bosses and, apparently old loot, are gone. Herod and his crazies are no more, so if you didn't get the Scarlet tabard, its too late. And the graphics actually made me lag.

[Vephriel]

Scholomance was always my favourite Vanilla instance. When I heard about the revamp I ran through it in beta, but I was personally really pleased by it. The new updated textures look phenomenal and really do it justice. The atmosphere is still there, and I feel like it encompasses that school of necromancy feel. I'll always be nostalgic for the originals, but as for myself I had no issue with the new version.

[cowmuflage]

Eh I like it.

[Teigan]

Maybe I'm a bit more nostalgic since I ran it for 10 1/2 hours the day before they changed it trying to get the Bloodmail pants to complete the mail set! I was actually in there when the servers shut down for the patch. Those pants are the only piece I never got and now they're gone. I hadn't heard about the change until that day and thought I had until MoP to try to get them.

[Vephriel]

Hehe, trust me, I know the feel. I was running it over and over and over to complete that set. I missed out on the gloves and the shirt though which never dropped for me. >.<

I definitely get the attachment to the old version, I always adored it, but I think the updated version just blew me away with how wonderful it looks and how much more fitting it seems. I know that's just my personal opinion, not trying to change anyone's minds, but I really love the new look. (added some of the screenies I took to my previous post)

[Teigan]

I don't deny it looks good. Its just not Scholomance. They should change the name while they're at it!

[Chimera]

Maybe I'm a bit more nostalgic since I ran it for 10 1/2 hours the day before they changed it trying to get the Bloodmail pants to complete the mail set! I was actually in there when the servers shut down for the patch. Those pants are the only piece I never got and now they're gone. I hadn't heard about the change until that day and thought I had until MoP to try to get them.

I am devastated to lose the pants. All my male worgens transmogs used those pants but being on a server where im alone and guildless (i have a couple servers i go to when i dont want to talk to anyone) and i couldnt get enough runs through by the time i got hint that they might very well be vanishing from the game. I first thought we'd have till MoP launch, i didnt know the dungeons were being revamped in 5.0.4 and there was no warning given to any of the places i visit for WoW info (no i dont go on MMO champ, i cant navigate the site so i depend solely on petopia and blizz's website for all my info).

He's only like.. 43 or something so its not like he's terribly high lvled but ive put a lot of work into him. A lot of care and a lot of work and love. Theres hundreds of pieces of gear in the game but none of them spoke to his personality. If i cant find a transmog using the gear we'll see in MoP, then well.. he's gone. Transmog is a huge thing to me, i dont like being in mix-matched gear waddling around like a bum. I go all out when i transmog and it has to fit my char to a perfect T.

Anyways, as for the dungeons as actual dungeons, i havent been in either of them yet cause i dont have any chars that can que for them (i cant even bother to look at my worgen anymore till mogit gets fixed >_>) and ive been lvling a char to try and hit 85 and gear before MoP release but thsoe screenies, scholo looks absolutely amazing. Im excited to see the new graphics of it now for sure.

For scarlet halls, yea, if they're torturing animals, its probably going to be a minimal love. Because its a game i'll be able to just ignore it, but i dont like how games do that in the first place cause it marks an impression on players and yea, its just a bad message all around. Just because its a game doesnt mean that its not doing any harm. Infact things like that are probably contributing to the harm done in RL.

[cowmuflage]

It's meant to make an impression on the players >.>

[Chimera]

It's meant to make an impression on the players >.>

Um, imparting an impression of torturing animals in a game that is supposed to invoke awe and excitement and the desire to continue playing is not really the sort of impression i feel the world needs.. Its practically telling people that are indeed easily impressed upon (be it because of a disorder or they dont know any better) that if its ok in the game its ok in RL..

(disregard if i made the mistake of thinking you were talking about the animal torturing or the dungeons themselves graphic-wise. I may of not completely made sense in what i was directing the 'impression' bit to.)

[cowmuflage]

It's meant to make an impression on the players >.>

Um, imparting an impression of torturing animals in a game that is supposed to invoke awe and excitement and the desire to continue playing is not really the sort of impression i feel the world needs.. Its practically telling people that are indeed easily impressed upon (be it because of a disorder or they dont know any better) that if its ok in the game its ok in RL..

(disregard if i made the mistake of thinking you were talking about the animal torturing or the dungeons themselves graphic-wise. I may of not completely made sense in what i was directing the 'impression' bit to.)

Sheesh I meant that it's meant to make an impression that they are bad people and so what you are doing is right.

Really if you want to ban animal cruelty in games you are going to have to ban people tameing pets to use as meat sheilds! aka hunters

[Chimera]

-_- i play hunters, i talk about hunters, i browse a hunter based website, i post on said hunter based website. If i thought hunters were commiting animal cruelty by having animal companions to defeat foes then this conversation wouldnt be had.

Argument invalid

Personally hunters in WoW remind me of the days when we rode animals with predator companions to sniff out and kill prey animals in which to eat and use all assorted body parts to eck out a way of life. Its a natural thing. No cruelty commited in my eyes.

Gameplay obviously always outrules the concept so you cant really make an argument on a hunter having their pet slaughter things to make a safe place to afk for a moment or to herb/mine/skin/archey or any other number of assorted things that prevents your character from dying at the cost of the pet or just plain out to prevent yourself from dying.

Anyways, yea, aside from what i already said in my first post in the thread about desperately missing the bloodmail leggings and commenting on how nice the school looks now, i got really nothing else to comment until i have a chance to see it for myself so i'll just wander away now and stop derailing xD

[TygerDarkstorm]

Pretty sure this isn't the thread to discuss animal cruelty in games. Take it to PMs or move it to another thread and let's stay on track here, please.

OT: Teigs, I'm sorry you didn't like the new dungeons. I have not seen them yet but after reading your post I might swing by there on a higher level character just to see what they look like.

[Kalliope]

For what it's worth, a pair of gloves that was previously only available as a quest reward is now in the Scholomance loot list (both heroic and normal versions), so hopefully that means that the old Scholo gear will turn up someplace else.

[cowmuflage]

Or they will show up in the Darkmoon faire as a transmog thing. Not a real loss.

[Teigan]

Or they will show up in the Darkmoon faire as a transmog thing. Not a real loss.

Well, not a real loss to you. To me, to Xakaal, to those that wanted those sets it IS real loss. 99% of the gear sets in Scholo were unique in appearance. Just because you won't miss them doesn't mean it isn't a loss to those who had their hearts set on them for mogging.
I'm glad one pair of gloves turned up. That is good news. But one glove does not 4 sets make. And maybe they'll turn up at the Faire, but that is a really big maybe. So far its only Teir stuff replicas at the Faire and the Scholo sets are not Teir.

[Kalliope]

Or they will show up in the Darkmoon faire as a transmog thing. Not a real loss.

Well, not a real loss to you. To me, to Xakaal, to those that wanted those sets it IS real loss. 99% of the gear sets in Scholo were unique in appearance. Just because you won't miss them doesn't mean it isn't a loss to those who had their hearts set on them for mogging.
I'm glad one pair of gloves turned up. That is good news. But one glove does not 4 sets make. And maybe they'll turn up at the Faire, but that is a really big maybe. So far its only Teir stuff replicas at the Faire and the Scholo sets are not Teir.

The point is that Blizzard seems to be moving in a direction that means gear appearances aren't lost, just shifted around a bit. I fully expect the Darkmoon Faire selection to expand dramatically in the future to keep those dailies and such relevant.

[Kurasu]

Scholomance is... interesting, in the 'story' sense, but not really in the 'running' it sense. Scarlet Monastery as well.

The part of Scholomance that made me a little sad is the loss, potentially, of the Lifestealing enchantment. I got mine (and extras while I was running for my pants), but I rather doubt everyone did.

And the Scarlet Mail? A friend mentioned that it looks as if it might be gone as well. That *really* makes me sad. I wanted to see more people running around in their Scarlet dress-up.

[Teigan]

Scholomance is... interesting, in the 'story' sense, but not really in the 'running' it sense. Scarlet Monastery as well.

The part of Scholomance that made me a little sad is the loss, potentially, of the Lifestealing enchantment. I got mine (and extras while I was running for my pants), but I rather doubt everyone did.

And the Scarlet Mail? A friend mentioned that it looks as if it might be gone as well. That *really* makes me sad. I wanted to see more people running around in their Scarlet dress-up.

I can't confirm its gone, but its very likely. All I needed was the boots and chest from the Scarlet mail

Also I wonder if the pattern for Robe of the Void will drop in new Scholo or that is a lost pattern? I have 6 of them sitting my bank, even after selling 3 of them, so its not lost to me! But I hope it turns up.

[Smyelmdar]

I agree with you Teigan. Sholomance and Scarlet Monastery has always been my favorite dungeons. They are not my favorite dungeons anymore. They're not the same.
I mean, they look great and all, but they're not the same...

I was lucky to get the Cadaverous set for my rogue, and the Deathbone for my warrior, but I never finished the Bloodmail and Necropile sets. And I practically lived there for a long time, farming and farming.

I wish they would add those old dungeons that they have changed, to Caverns of Time, so we could go there if we wanted.
It's not just these two, but also The Stockade, Deadmines, Shadowfang Keep and the old Ragefire Chasm.
Not to mention Zul'Gurub, and Zul'Aman.

But well.. I guess we can buy those item sets from Scholomance on the black market auction house for 83408039486346 gold. Yay.

[Sigrah]

Well, I had no particular love for the armor sets from there, but I am going to miss not being able to get Sawbones Shirt for my monk or other future toons from here on out. Glad I was able to get it on the toons I did though.