TalonBot
09-15-2009, 01:22 PM
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.wow.com/media/2009/09/outlandpicturemqs.jpg
Borex brings up a question I've heard ever since Blizzard first announced they were going to tear up Old Azeroth (http://www.wow.com/2009/08/21/world-of-warcraft-cataclysm-announced/) in Cataclysm (http://wow.com/cataclysm): what's the deal with Outland? Up until now, continuity throughout the game has worked more or less the way it should: new content gets added on to the end of the game, so anyone leveling up sees the story as they're supposed to (more or less -- there have been a few elements that have had to be "dealt with" (http://www.wow.com/2008/10/13/one-last-chance-to-run-onyxias-key-quest/) for sure, but for the most part Blizzard has just wiped those clean). But obviously, if Deathwing (http://wow.com/tag/deathwing) returns and starts messing with players right away at level 1, the whole continuity will get shaken up. Hence Borex's question: why will level 60s be bothering to go out to Outland and deal with the Burning Legion (http://www.wow.com/2008/02/24/know-your-lore-the-story-of-the-burning-crusade/) when, in the world Deathwing invades, the Burning Legion is no longer considered the most pressing threat? Is it logical for level 60s to leave the world, head to a distant planet, and then come back to Azeroth at level 70? Shouldn't they stay and fight?
Bornakk's reply hints that Blizzard will probably just gloss over it as best they can -- they're not going to build a whole new 1-85 experience involving Deathwing. When you constantly update a five-year-old persistent world game like this with new stories and content, something's got to give somewhere. My guess is that Blizzard, being the perfectionists they are, will probably come up with a quest or two that gives a lore reason to go out there ("Hmm, you're too green to face the power of Deathwing, but our companions in Outland need help holding what's left of the Burning Legion at bay!"), and leave it at that. They may increase the XP and get you out of there even quicker (http://www.wow.com/2008/09/04/60-70-xp-changes-coming-in-3-0-2/), but going to Outland at 58 (http://www.wow.com/2007/03/13/level-restrictions-on-the-dark-portal/) is still a gameplay necessity (Northrend shares the problem at 70, but of course we don't actually know what's going to happen with the Lich King quite yet). It's likely the lore will just have to deal.
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.wow.com/media/2009/08/ah082409catswipe1.jpgWorld of Warcraft: Cataclysm will destroy Azeroth as we know it. Nothing will be the same. In WoW.com's Guide to Cataclysm (http://wow.com/cataclysm) you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion. From Goblins and Worgen (http://www.wow.com/cataclysm#races) to Mastery and Guild changes (http://www.wow.com/cataclysm#latestnews), it's all there for your cataclysmic enjoyment.Filed under: Analysis / Opinion (http://www.wow.com/category/analysis-opinion/), Odds and ends (http://www.wow.com/category/odds-and-ends/), Blizzard (http://www.wow.com/category/blizzard/), Instances (http://www.wow.com/category/instances/), Expansions (http://www.wow.com/category/expansions/), The Burning Crusade (http://www.wow.com/category/burning-crusade/), Leveling (http://www.wow.com/category/leveling/), Alts (http://www.wow.com/category/alts/), Cataclysm (http://www.wow.com/category/cataclysm/)
The problem of Outland in Cataclysm (http://www.wow.com/2009/09/15/the-problem-of-outland-in-cataclysm/) originally appeared on WoW.com (http://www.wow.com) on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).
Permalink (http://www.wow.com/2009/09/15/the-problem-of-outland-in-cataclysm/) | Email this (http://www.wow.com/forward/19162226/) | Comments (http://www.wow.com/2009/09/15/the-problem-of-outland-in-cataclysm/#comments)
More... (http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WowInsider/~3/lWkiyYr2phQ/)
Borex brings up a question I've heard ever since Blizzard first announced they were going to tear up Old Azeroth (http://www.wow.com/2009/08/21/world-of-warcraft-cataclysm-announced/) in Cataclysm (http://wow.com/cataclysm): what's the deal with Outland? Up until now, continuity throughout the game has worked more or less the way it should: new content gets added on to the end of the game, so anyone leveling up sees the story as they're supposed to (more or less -- there have been a few elements that have had to be "dealt with" (http://www.wow.com/2008/10/13/one-last-chance-to-run-onyxias-key-quest/) for sure, but for the most part Blizzard has just wiped those clean). But obviously, if Deathwing (http://wow.com/tag/deathwing) returns and starts messing with players right away at level 1, the whole continuity will get shaken up. Hence Borex's question: why will level 60s be bothering to go out to Outland and deal with the Burning Legion (http://www.wow.com/2008/02/24/know-your-lore-the-story-of-the-burning-crusade/) when, in the world Deathwing invades, the Burning Legion is no longer considered the most pressing threat? Is it logical for level 60s to leave the world, head to a distant planet, and then come back to Azeroth at level 70? Shouldn't they stay and fight?
Bornakk's reply hints that Blizzard will probably just gloss over it as best they can -- they're not going to build a whole new 1-85 experience involving Deathwing. When you constantly update a five-year-old persistent world game like this with new stories and content, something's got to give somewhere. My guess is that Blizzard, being the perfectionists they are, will probably come up with a quest or two that gives a lore reason to go out there ("Hmm, you're too green to face the power of Deathwing, but our companions in Outland need help holding what's left of the Burning Legion at bay!"), and leave it at that. They may increase the XP and get you out of there even quicker (http://www.wow.com/2008/09/04/60-70-xp-changes-coming-in-3-0-2/), but going to Outland at 58 (http://www.wow.com/2007/03/13/level-restrictions-on-the-dark-portal/) is still a gameplay necessity (Northrend shares the problem at 70, but of course we don't actually know what's going to happen with the Lich King quite yet). It's likely the lore will just have to deal.
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.wow.com/media/2009/08/ah082409catswipe1.jpgWorld of Warcraft: Cataclysm will destroy Azeroth as we know it. Nothing will be the same. In WoW.com's Guide to Cataclysm (http://wow.com/cataclysm) you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion. From Goblins and Worgen (http://www.wow.com/cataclysm#races) to Mastery and Guild changes (http://www.wow.com/cataclysm#latestnews), it's all there for your cataclysmic enjoyment.Filed under: Analysis / Opinion (http://www.wow.com/category/analysis-opinion/), Odds and ends (http://www.wow.com/category/odds-and-ends/), Blizzard (http://www.wow.com/category/blizzard/), Instances (http://www.wow.com/category/instances/), Expansions (http://www.wow.com/category/expansions/), The Burning Crusade (http://www.wow.com/category/burning-crusade/), Leveling (http://www.wow.com/category/leveling/), Alts (http://www.wow.com/category/alts/), Cataclysm (http://www.wow.com/category/cataclysm/)
The problem of Outland in Cataclysm (http://www.wow.com/2009/09/15/the-problem-of-outland-in-cataclysm/) originally appeared on WoW.com (http://www.wow.com) on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).
Permalink (http://www.wow.com/2009/09/15/the-problem-of-outland-in-cataclysm/) | Email this (http://www.wow.com/forward/19162226/) | Comments (http://www.wow.com/2009/09/15/the-problem-of-outland-in-cataclysm/#comments)
More... (http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WowInsider/~3/lWkiyYr2phQ/)