BlizzCon 2009: Goblin Hands-On Preview
iTZKooPA on Sunday, August 23, 2009 - 33 Comments Tags: Lore, blizzcon 2009, cataclysm, cataclysm goblin preview, cataclysm hands-on goblin preview, cataclysm preview, goblin racials, goblin starting zone The World of Warcraft: Cataclysm demo started off with my goblin near death, or so the debuff explained. A shock with jumper cables didn't manage to awaken my heroic avatar – he saved the people around him – but accepting a quest revived his spirits. I quickly learned that my level 5 rogue, quickly named 'Asffda', arrived in his dire circumstances thanks to an explosive payload from the local Alliance navy. I was then tasked with rescuing my comrades from their escape pods. The escape pods exploded upon interaction. Miraculously, the diminutive greenskins inside are able to survive the blasts. Blizzard forgot to announce their other racial, Immunity to explosive, I guess.
Asffda then paddled ashore to tackle other missions. Missions of pure goblin bliss. I collected a trio of quests at the first hub, only one of which was cheesy. Everyone single one of them was along the generic lines of “Kill 10 foozles”, but they possessed some unique goblin twist that made them amusing. One had me collecting tools, while the other one had me tossing explosive banana bunches at the local monkey population. An incredibly effective method of pest control.
Due to the amount of people in the starting areas (hello WoW in late November 2004), I decided to break away from the pack after bagging those quests. I spent the rest of my time taking in the sights, soaking up the rays in my new home and greeting the locals. A few things became quite apparent. First off, the Alliance is definitely put in a position as the absolute enemy from the get go. For starters, their dastardly navy nearly killed me. Compounding one's hatred would be the incessant attacks by the local SI:7 who inhabit the tiny island. The instigators even randomly attacked the local Orc Camp while I was having my gear repaired and feeding the vendors. The audacity of those cretins! Down with the Alliance!
/me clears head
Goblin culture was also expressed in the very environments that I traversed over my sessions. In true goblin form, the inventive creatures managed to train the local monkey population to help in their mining operations. Although they had just made camp, the cave looked well mined, and operations were running smoothly. I highly expect Blizzard to focus most of the early goblin experience on the race's fondness for environmental...shall we say, "enhancements?" Supporters of Al Gore they are not.
Speaking of environments, the water in Cataclysm looks pretty amazing. Considering how wet we will be (underwater dungeons!), it's a good thing that Blizzard updated the dual hydrogen compound's effects.
What, you thought I forgot about the racials? Heavens no, I am simply saving the best for last. Rocket Barrage could be cooler, but it's pretty fun either way. The ability fires a single goblin-constructed incendiary device at your target. I forgot to check the range on it, but it may be useful as a pulling ability for melee classes. I just don't see it having much utility unless it scales to have multiple explosives. The Rocket Jump is where it's at. Triggering this spell on your utility belt will vault you into the air as your arc over some 20 yards. You can easily leap over foes in the way (I kept pulling aggro), vault to higher ground, across canyons or launch yourself out of the water. No matter what your end goal is with a lift-off, the character is beautifully animated with pyrotechnics, swinging arms and all. It's easily the most enjoyable racial in the game.
I really want to roll a toon for both of the upcoming races. Who else got to take a goblin for a spin? What'd you think? What class are you gonna roll? If I didn't already have a gnomish Death Knight, I'd rock that.
Reader Comments (33)
i think that the goblins sound quit interesting and that i would deff love to roll a toon for both sides. yet the thing is i wonder why alliance attacked the goblins any way?????????????????????????????????? we have no reason to fight them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
first
oops :P any way thats realy sick that you got to play at blizzcon...can't wate for the release!
For sure going to roll both to see how their starting zones are. Oh and big lawl at Gilanor for failing hard.
I'm just really curious about the worgen druid. The rest is the same thing with a different face so i'm not into that.
Also i already have a toon of every class so again what's the point?
But for sure i will take imense pleasure in taking out goblins in future battlegrounds and arena...
Bring the small green guys in. I'm Ready? I hope so...
And for benrob...
It would be much easier for the Alliance if we just didn't attack the goblins. This way we would have 6 races against four in the fight.
Worgens and Goblins for the Alliance?Easy win for sure
Ofcourse Goblins are Horde. THey are small, green, ugly and smell badly. How more Horde could they be???
Bring them in. I'm ready to kill some goblins...
Horde ftw. Itzkoopa, I'm sorry, but I hate you now. Gnome death knight...
What About the Worgens? ...Oo?
Asffda. Rofl.
Time to make a Goblin rogue...
i hope the new x pack lets u have more then 10 players on 1 realm bc i have 6 80s a like 2 70s and 2 like lvl 40s, sucks if im going to have to delete two of them to make a Worgen and a Goblin
10 lvl 80s here, if they dont give me another slot, it would be like getting kicked in the balls
Goblin Warlock?
('''\(O.o)/''') < Rawr!!!)
While originally I was going Death Knight, as that is what I play currently, I feel that playing a DK as one of the new races is cheating.
You'll start at 55, while the other 80% of Worgen/Goblin are starting from level 1. Just doesnt seem fair.
Also, Im a pretty heavy Roleplayer. While I felt that a Death Knight has tons of potential in it, I have made my choice to roll WorgenWarrior.
Getting back to my roots...
@ benrob/Keltoroq, the alliance didn't mean to attack the Goblins. I'm not sure exactly, but I think the Goblins got caught in the crossfire between a fleet of alliance ships and a single horde ship. Because they were being fired at (not on purpose of course), they fought back and saved the horde ship which happened to have Thrall on it, thus securing them a place in the horde.
btw, someone correct me on the bits of that I got wrong, but that was how I understand Blizzard got the Goblins into the horde.
Anyway, I'm not sure whether I would get to roll a Goblin since my main is alliance and I don't really want to start all over again with no guild, gold, or people to play with etc. But I expect I will be able to convince some guildies to try it. It won't be our main raiding guild though I would expect. Even if we do get to 85.
i hope they get goblin hunters thats what i want
if you have 10 80s and your complaing about extra character spots for the new races dont because its not blizzads fault you dont go outside...
@ benrob
Allies attack everyone that's not part of the Alliance because they have no honor and Varian is a douche.
I'm ready to slaughter some wolfmen.
before blizzcon i was upset cos i thought the worgen were so much cooler than goblins and as a die hard hordie I was going to have to change for a bit. However i have totally changed my mine, the goblins look kick ass and the worgen is bascially another human for the alliance. (seriously the alliance is made up of 4 types of humans - humans, pointy eared humans, small humans and smaller humans) I do think it's a bit of a cop-out tho on blizzard's side to give the worgen the ability to change back in humans. Bascially makes them human's with a trinket.
Goblins are gonna rock!
Awesome race and the racials sounds really nice. Thou im gonna go both sides in this expansion ill prolly give the goblin more time.
And if i know myself correct it will become my new main even :D
@Octaviax
i read somewhere (may have been here somewhere) that blizzard said they may change it so Goblins and Worgen cant be DKs...i really hope that happens...wrath was the DKs coming out party and i dont think the new races should be able to be them....of course it makes sense lorewise that they could be DKs because goblins and worgen have been around as long as everyone else but it kinda defeats the purpose of havnig the new starting zones....sort of lol
but yeah enough of my rambling lol im stoked for this expansion to come out....alliance ftw!
Rolling Worgen priest. Can't wait to get my DK to 85 and do the new raids with cataclysm. Bah and the new guild system sounds amazing too!
Did I missunderstand you, or do Goblins (and presumably Worgen) start at level 5? Building these great new leveling zones and then consciously shortening our time in them? Not too sure that's a good thing.
@Raethos
No, they were pre leveld to lvl 5 to keep the beginning stuff a secret. :)
I'm glad they animated the race so well. Makes me happy that they didnt use that piece o crap npc "goblin with a dwarf skeleton" model.
When Race Changes within faction becomes available, I'm going to roll my current undead death knight to a goblin.
I'm also obligated to make a goblin rogue and perhaps a worgen druid. Should be fun. I can't wait for the expansion.