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Re: Theramore goes live 17 sept afternoon server time
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 6:20 pm
by cowmuflage
Still I found the Horde side too be way better than the alliance side.
Re: Theramore goes live 17 sept afternoon server time
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 6:29 pm
by Lisaara
Kalliope wrote:A little blunt, but Ziarre is right - Blizzard isn't calling this a true opening event and even said as much publicly in the days/weeks leading up to this preview. (Sorry, can't find a link to any of the posts offhand, since searching just turns up the numerous complaint posts.)
At any rate, the lack of an event wasn't a surprise for those who were staying on top of WoW news - but for the majority of the playerbase/ex-playerbase, it came as a disappointing surprise. It's natural for the preview to blend in with the lack of an event, since the preview replaces the event that could have been.
One of the major complaints about the scenario itself is that it's not epic enough, even just as a scenario itself. We have the complete and total annihilation of a major alliance city; there should definitely be more storytelling woven into the scenario - especially after seeing well-executed instances drowning in lore, like The Well of Eternity. Whether the scenario is meant to be an event replacement or not isn't even the issue here; it's a question of the depth expected of the scenario due to the subject matter. Even at 90 as a regular scenario, it should have that. Another miscalculation and one that I'm sure Blizzard will take very much to heart in future development.
TL;DR: I don't think people are complaining about the scenario only because they were expecting a real event.
P.S. My druid got that staff, glee! <3 It's a bit disappointing that the helms lack meta slots.
Yup yup! You nailed it, Kalli. Granted, most complaints I've seen were just 'this event sucks' when it's not actually an event. But there are, of course, some valid complaints, such as the storytelling being rather lackluster. I was hoping to see Jaina almost drown Org but Thrall stopping her with the help of Kalec(like from the book) and....well I don't wanna spoil the rest of that juicy scene. You get the idea!
Mine did too! x3 I was like "zomg it'll match with my golden uld set!!!!"
Re: Theramore goes live 17 sept afternoon server time
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 6:32 pm
by Ziarre
Here you go, Kalli--it's in the middle of the whole page since it's a reposted tweet, but it's there:
http://www.mmo-champion.com/content/293 ... -Heroic-DS
Re: Theramore goes live 17 sept afternoon server time
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 6:38 pm
by Kalliope
Thanks! I knew it existed.
Re: Theramore goes live 17 sept afternoon server time
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 6:51 pm
by Lisaara
I remember reading over that.
Re: Theramore goes live 17 sept afternoon server time
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 9:13 pm
by Ziarre
Ah, and here, too.
http://www.mmo-champion.com/content/293 ... eloper-Q-A Not long after the beginning of the Future/Past section.
Re: Theramore goes live 17 sept afternoon server time
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 9:30 pm
by Wain
To reiterate, it wasn't meant to replace a true pre-expansion event, though I'm surprised they didn't see this coming. It certainly created the expectation that it would be like that.
However I was really more concerned about addressing a different angle.
If you haven't played the beta and this is your only experience at a scenario, please don't let it turn you off them. Scenarios aren't meant to be epic, but I found this pair (both Horde and Alliance) to be unusually... "hollow" compared to the ones I've run on beta.
Of the ones I've run, all but one had an NPC present at the start to guide you on your way and drive the story a little. The Theramore events had nothing. It felt like you were just slapped there out of nowhere and had to work out why the hell you were even there.
I thought this was pretty sad given that this one is devoted to the most dramatic and epic change to the story, and is the driving force behind what comes after. Hell, even just an NPC at the start, adding some drama and giving you orders, would have helped.
Anyway, please don't think they're all this run-of-the-mill in style. As I said, they aren't meant to be epic, but they usually are better than this. Some are really fun too and have some fun/silly activities to perform.
Re: Theramore goes live 17 sept afternoon server time
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 9:31 pm
by Kalliope
I think that's the quote I was thinking of, thanks, Ziarre!
I agree 100% with Wain on this as well! The scenarios I did on the beta were tougher and better-thought-out than the Theramore versions.
Re: Theramore goes live 17 sept afternoon server time
Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 3:34 am
by Ziarre
Well, there is some dialogue, but unless you're RIGHT THERE as the first person to reach the NPC triggers the dialogue by proximity, you may not catch it as the dialogue doesn't seem to be visible at a very large distance at all. For instance, I didn't realize until a few runs later (when I clipped through the cinematic and triggered the dialogue myself) that the ship the Alliance players get there on is the 'normal' Theramore boat--you were going to Theramore for whatever reason and arrived in a sort of 'wrong place, wrong time' scene.
Re: Theramore goes live 17 sept afternoon server time
Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 3:41 am
by Kalliope
Ziarre wrote:Well, there is some dialogue, but unless you're RIGHT THERE as the first person to reach the NPC triggers the dialogue by proximity, you may not catch it as the dialogue doesn't seem to be visible at a very large distance at all. For instance, I didn't realize until a few runs later (when I clipped through the cinematic and triggered the dialogue myself) that the ship the Alliance players get there on is the 'normal' Theramore boat--you were going to Theramore for whatever reason and arrived in a sort of 'wrong place, wrong time' scene.
Yep, they're all there, even the cabin boy! The weird thing is taking the real boat to Theramore with the NPCs on the Menethil side and having them disappear mysteriously on the Theramore end.
Oh, and for anyone wondering (like I was), mages can still port to Theramore, but you come out in midair and drop several feet to the ground. It really drives home that the tower is gone. :/
Re: Theramore goes live 17 sept afternoon server time
Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 4:26 am
by Ziarre
Yeah, I don't believe the camp that the portal will spit you out at exists yet? I think that's what was planned, anyways--I was just discussing that with a friend after he ported me and wtfery ensued. The amusing part was the pair of skeletons on the ground nearby, as though someone had taken the portal with low health...
Re: Theramore goes live 17 sept afternoon server time
Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 4:31 am
by Kalliope
Ziarre wrote:Yeah, I don't believe the camp that the portal will spit you out at exists yet? I think that's what was planned, anyways--I was just discussing that with a friend after he ported me and wtfery ensued. The amusing part was the pair of skeletons on the ground nearby, as though someone had taken the portal with low health...
If that's planned, then nope, it's not there yet. Just the empty crater.
I would love to see Theramore rebuilt in stages over the course of the expansion. It's something positive, as well as thematic.
Re: Theramore goes live 17 sept afternoon server time
Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 4:39 am
by Ziarre
I'm not sure the camp will be IN the ruins, due to lingering arcane fallout. I think they simply haven't yet flipped the switch to move the portal location to where it should be post-scenario.
Even if I'm just imagining the camp thing, the rest still stands. XD;
Re: Theramore goes live 17 sept afternoon server time
Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 10:07 am
by Boven
Wain wrote:To reiterate, it wasn't meant to replace a true pre-expansion event, though I'm surprised they didn't see this coming. It certainly created the expectation that it would be like that.
However I was really more concerned about addressing a different angle.
If you haven't played the beta and this is your only experience at a scenario, please don't let it turn you off them. Scenarios aren't meant to be epic, but I found this pair (both Horde and Alliance) to be unusually... "hollow" compared to the ones I've run on beta.
Of the ones I've run, all but one had an NPC present at the start to guide you on your way and drive the story a little. The Theramore events had nothing. It felt like you were just slapped there out of nowhere and had to work out why the hell you were even there.
I thought this was pretty sad given that this one is devoted to the most dramatic and epic change to the story, and is the driving force behind what comes after. Hell, even just an NPC at the start, adding some drama and giving you orders, would have helped.
Anyway, please don't think they're all this run-of-the-mill in style. As I said, they aren't meant to be epic, but they usually are better than this. Some are really fun too and have some fun/silly activities to perform.
Yeah. It doesn't give a good impression of scenarios. I can see why Blizz wanted to get a Theramore scenario out first, but as a taste of what to expect in the ones we'll encounter later it kind of isn't a good example. As has been said a lot, just some kind of flavor text explaining why you're there would help. Shoot, I'd love to have had a breadcrumb quest from Big Chief Tiny Head giving some sort of reasoning behind blowing the place up and telling me I'm being sent to help with the mission.
It took me a little while to figure out how I felt about the scenario. I think it feels kind of like doing the quests in AV: "Hey this lady wants the blood I looted off Alliance players. Oh look, now she wants to summon an elemental. Okay."
Re: Theramore goes live 17 sept afternoon server time
Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 12:31 pm
by Lisaara
Wain wrote:To reiterate, it wasn't meant to replace a true pre-expansion event, though I'm surprised they didn't see this coming. It certainly created the expectation that it would be like that.
However I was really more concerned about addressing a different angle.
If you haven't played the beta and this is your only experience at a scenario, please don't let it turn you off them. Scenarios aren't meant to be epic, but I found this pair (both Horde and Alliance) to be unusually... "hollow" compared to the ones I've run on beta.
Of the ones I've run, all but one had an NPC present at the start to guide you on your way and drive the story a little. The Theramore events had nothing. It felt like you were just slapped there out of nowhere and had to work out why the hell you were even there.
I thought this was pretty sad given that this one is devoted to the most dramatic and epic change to the story, and is the driving force behind what comes after. Hell, even just an NPC at the start, adding some drama and giving you orders, would have helped.
Anyway, please don't think they're all this run-of-the-mill in style. As I said, they aren't meant to be epic, but they usually are better than this. Some are really fun too and have some fun/silly activities to perform.
Agreed 100%. Even GC said the Theramore event was poorly presented. Unless you read the book, you kinda had no idea wtf was going on.
Re: Theramore goes live 17 sept afternoon server time
Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 12:36 pm
by Bulletdance
I wish they would've done more with it too I was expecting a wrathgate-like scene for her hair to turn white or something,but nope. I hope its not an indication of how MOP will be.
Re: Theramore goes live 17 sept afternoon server time
Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 5:12 pm
by Akycha
It took me 2 polearms, a helm and numerous empty goodie bags before I finally got the gun. Hopefully the issue with the polearm being on our loot table won't expand to other loot by class things.
Re: Theramore goes live 17 sept afternoon server time
Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 3:05 pm
by Ziarre
Bulletdance wrote:I wish they would've done more with it too I was expecting a wrathgate-like scene for her hair to turn white or something,but nope. I hope its not an indication of how MOP will be.
That would have been difficult with the scenario as-is, because it happened as she was being shoved the hell OUT of Theramore--so they'd then have to explain how she got back there. This is covered in the book, but I think it would have been clunky to excecute in-game. I do wish they could have done more with it, but in the end I'm happy with a Super Special Pre-Expansion Item and playing a part in the events.
Although if the Archmage's Staff doesn't drop for my mage, I will cut someone. NEED FOR TRANSMOG. NEEEEEEEED.
Re: Theramore goes live 17 sept afternoon server time
Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 8:38 pm
by Wain
Bulletdance wrote:I wish they would've done more with it too I was expecting a wrathgate-like scene for her hair to turn white or something,
I'm gonna wash that mana right out of my hair....
Re: Theramore goes live 17 sept afternoon server time
Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 8:41 pm
by Kalliope
Wain wrote:Bulletdance wrote:I wish they would've done more with it too I was expecting a wrathgate-like scene for her hair to turn white or something,
I'm gonna wash that mana right out of my hair....
There is a certain part of the WoW population that wouldn't mind seeing this, no doubt.