Project Lore

At BlizzCon, we learned that parts of Azeroth would be reshaped as Deathwing broke the the Plane of Earth and shattered the world. Azshara, The Barrens, Ashenvale, Desolace, and several more were showcased, both in panels and in the trailer for Cataclysm released during the event. But that doesn't mean those are the only areas that would be greatly affected by the destruction, just because that's all we saw at the time. I think it's reasonable to believe that Blizzard only showed those that were farthest along in development at the time. Stranglethorn in all its (current) glory. Well, thanks to the most recent issue of PC Gamer UK, we now know that the oh-so-infamous Stranglethorn Vale is set to join the ranks of those zones receiving a substantial face lift in the next expansion. But, you might ask, what's wrong with Stranglethorn? Clearly, something. In his interview with Gamasutra, Lead World Designer Alex Afrasiabi mentioned that they've taken a hard look at every zone internally, giving each a rating depending on how happy they are with it currently. So, if Stranglethorn is getting reworked as drastically as implied, either the development team has a really big beef with its present incarnation, or the redesigns are important to the continuation of the story. Knowing that, I'd like to examine several possibilities for the Vale of the future. Right from the start, I think it's safe to assume that the zone will undergo the typical terrain changes. There's always the possibility of seeing volcanic ruptures tearing through the ground, just as they do in several of the other transformed zones. And with most of its landmass being coastal, we may see parts of Stranglethorn flood or be washed away by tidal waves (hey, it's happening to Southshore). By doing this, they could potentially eliminate some of the quest-lines and reduce the overall amount of time that you'll be spending here as opposed to the past. Sometimes streamlining means trimming the fat, and while the zone currently showcases a wealth of content, it both completely supplants leveling in other areas (like Desolace) and requires a lot of back-and-forth between those of the same band. Leveling zones in Cataclysm will usually be right next to each other. As an example, Horde players often have to split their leveling with far away regions like Thousand Needles, Arathi Highlands, and Badlands from 28-45. If we take a look at the slides from the Preview panel at BlizzCon, they show new leveling paths moving from one adjacent zone to the next, largely eliminating the ludicrous amounts of globe-trotting required in the game now. We'll still go to Stranglethorn, but I think the question now is "when?" That's a tough one. The zone has always been closer to Alliance territory, perhaps implying that it will now be more integral to their mid-range leveling experience, but at the same time, they've only ever had a meager presence in the area. One might argue that neither has the Horde, but now we have a bit of a wild card to consider -- Garrosh Hellscream. We already know that he's bent on not only fortifying the faction's capital, Orgrimmar, but also tightening the grip on Alliance lands. If Zoram'Gar Outpost in Ashenvale is set to swell in size and importance, it's not a huge jump in logic to think that the Grom'Gol Base Camp might, too. Going a bit farther, I have a feeling that it will also move more in-land, with the original encampment being overtaken by the sea. Figuring out which level band Stranglethorn might occupy in the future isn't easy, but I imagine it'll be a lot more homogeneous, requiring only one trip around the zone, instead of making the Northern and Southern halves effectively separate in terms of difficulty. But let's take it to the next level, beyond the fundamental changes that have become a part of the Cataclysm experience. What's been going on there the entire time? For one, the animals of have been experiencing a small-scale Cataclysm all their own. Hemet Nesingwary and his cohorts have been decimating the local wildlife population unchecked for the past few years. And what about D.E.H.T.A.? Though I was surprised that it took them until Wrath of the Lich King to react to his genocidal ways, perhaps they'll return here in the expansion to protect the rich floral and faunal habitat that is Stranglethorn Vale. If we combine the threat of new found ecological disaster (as well as an old one, if the Venture Co. sticks around) with the Nesingwary onslaught, I'd be astonished if they didn't show up once again. Whether they do or not, I fully expect a revamp of Nesingwary's (or Nesingwary Jr.'s, if they keep him here) quests to be more in line with those in Sholazar Basin. In other words, a lot less "grindy" than they are now. Something else I'd really like to see is an extension of the war between the Blackwater Raiders and the Bloodsail Buccaneers. After all, who doesn't want more pirate action? Undoubtedly, the local swashbucklers will find some way to exploit the chaos of the Cataclysm, whether that be open plundering or an escalation of their conflict. This could have dire consequences for Booty Bay. Though I fully expect it to remain a hub of transportation, I suspect that it will not survive the Armageddon unscathed. And then there are the Gurubashi Trolls and Zul'Gurub. Now that we'll be able to fly over it, will we see activity, or will it look barren until you jump through the portal, like most current outdoor instances? If I recall correctly, the Darkspear Trolls (the faction associated with the Horde) once lived here, and I think it's high time that we got a look at their story again. I would love to see them join the other Horde forces in establishing a greater presence here, perhaps reclaiming their homeland from their corrupted brothers and sisters. If anything can be said about the Cataclysm, though, it's that it has affected the world in completely unexpected ways, and that may be the case with Stranglethorn Vale, too. The expansion provides Blizzard with the chance to really move the existing story in each zone forward, but at the end of the day, there's no way to tell exactly what they have planned until they let us in on it. Let's hope that day comes sooner rather than later! In the meantime, please chime in with your thought on the future of Stranglethorn, and what things you'd like to see change from the current version!

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Slowly, but surely, Solidsagart has been progressing along the levels on her way to level 80.  With her XP busting in to the level 76 range I decided to take her to the one zone that Solidsamm skipped, Sholazar Basin.  The last bastion of (almost) untouched life by the Scourge was a wild ride of old quest design, new ideas, stellar writing and world traveling. I'm sure most players know of Sholazar as the new home to the greatest hunter of them all, Hemet Nesingwary.  That, and the presence of the Ghostfish, are about the only things I really knew about the basin before I decided to tackle its content.  Yea, you read that right, I wasn't aware that both the Frenzyheart Tribe and the Oracles made their homes in the Un'Goro Crater-esque zone.  I did figure that out soon enough. Sholazar starts off innocent, offering a cavalcade of quests that hearken back to the days of Stranglethorn Vale.  I was tasked with killing ten of these, eight of that, and then going for the leader of said species.  It's not until I begin tackling the big game that Nesingwary becomes interested in me, and my various feats.  Once I begin to gain a following in the zone, Nesingwary actually joined me in the hunt as I went for the really big game.  The interaction with such a well known NPC made me feel as if I was having some impact on the world; a great use of subtle phasing. Juxtaposing Nesingwary's incessant need for bigger, badder and more dangerous game is a Avatar of Freya.  The demigod is struggling to comprehend, and hold back, the Scourge that are pouring in from Icecrown.  She asks any who will listen to investigate their coming, and help in their destruction.  She becomes so desperate that she allowed me, a mere mortal, to travel to Un'Goro Crater to unlock a Titan weapon for use against the Scourge. I was told that if I managed to succeed she'd overlook the death I caused in her lands.  My spine tingled when I realized that she witnessed me laying waste to the wildlife, for fun and gold.  The antonymous and interweaving stories between the two hubs end up delivering a perfect opportunity for a moral question or mechanic.  Unfortunately, there was nothing along those lines.  A missed opportunity in my book. The most memorable part of the zone for me wasn't hunting game, or demolishing the Scourge.  It wasn't even the fun quests presented by the Oracles or Frenzyheart factions.  What stuck out in Sholazar Basin for me was the writing for the quests, and the story arcs.  As noted, the Freya/Nesingwary tandem made for some good, if one-sided, moral discussion, but the wolvars and gorlocs each had an entire language of their own.  And the language was used, with one quest giver as an exception, for each and every quest presented by the factions.  I actually enjoyed reading the quest text just for the nuances in the language.  The entertaining gameplay mechanics and actual story arcs presented by the faction dispute was simply a bonus. I can't say any other zone's quest dialogue can compare to Sholazar Basin's.  There are areas of the game that offer more jaw dropping revelations and unexpected twists of allegiance, but the basin had it all in one nice little package.  Hell, I even found the hatch from Lost while running around the lush lands. I highly suggest cleaning up any remaining quests you have in Sholazar.  If you haven't been there, you are missing one of the most integrated and self aware zones in the game.  Be sure to run the Frenzyheart/Oracle line to the end.  You'll know the end when you get there...

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Outside of boss fights, PvE encounters are rarely challenging. That is, unless you really want them to be. If you've been following my Mage's progress, you'd already know that I'd been traipsing around Stranglethorn Vale for the past few levels. I was 38 then, I'm 41 now. And... still stuck in that balmy, tropical death pit. But I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I'm raring to cross the finish! My last round of quests involves the final in the line that Hemet Nesingwary Jr. tasks you with, Big Game Hunter. While all previous missions have requested that you simply go out and depopulate the local fauna, the fanged white tiger Bangalash proves to be a more devious foe. I'd tackled him before on other characters, so I knew that when the wily feline had lost about half of his health, he'd summon a pair of panthers to assist in the beatdown. On top of that, Bangalash is an Elite, which means he packs more of a punch than usual. A clothie like me could be toppled by the mere tickle of his whiskers! I wanted to get this over and done with before I left Stranglethorn, though, and was determined to use the most of my elite wizardry to take him down. The rewards, primarily for Huntards, meant nothing to me (but there was a sweet Achievement -- The Green Hills of Stranglethorn -- to be had upon victory). Setting off from Grom'gol on my Emerald Raptor, I traveled south-east towards the mound that the devilish terror calls home. I often had trouble remembering precisely where it was on other characters (and Nesingwary is of little help), but this time I found it in short order. Just off the road, roughly west of the Ziata'Jal Ruins, if you were curious. As Bangalash stalked the crest of the hill, I went about picking off the mobs, one by one. In the frantic battle to come, I couldn't afford to deal with anymore critters than the ones I knew he'd call to his side. Eventually, it was just me and the cat, mano a gato. I conjured a Mana Gem and refreshed my Ice Armor and Arcane Intellect just to be sure, before sitting down to replenish the mana I'd just spent. After my energizing snack, I backed off as far as I could. Mages are at their best when distant from the enemy, and this fight was no cause for exception. In fact, I was depending on it. The objective, of course, would be to minimize the number of times Bangalash could get close enough to swipe me. It took me far too long to get this shot. We circled eachother like two members of Fight Club ready to bleed. When I hit max range, I let the first Frostbolt fly. His attention immediately turned towards me, a menacing gaze in his eyes even as my chill effect slowed him down. He narrowed the distance, but three casts later (one a crit), and he was at least a thousand health the lesser. A quick Frost Nova was enough to stop him in his tracks. I took this opportunity to toss up a Mana Shield (a decision which I actually would come to regret) and continued my icy assault. By this point, Bangalash had yet to touch me, but he was about to pull his Ace. Two protectors appeared by his side and immediately went in for the kill. With three mobs on my butt, normal spell-casting was an impossible venture. With my Nova on cooldown, I decided to reverse, Blink, and kite them all to the other side of the mound. Another Mana Shield kept me from dying before I could fire off my second Frost Nova. Bam! All three frozen in place, I felt that it this would be good a time to release a Blizzard. The regular crits reduced them all to low health, with Bangalash only several hundred points from death. But suddenly my mana was gone! I clicked on my Mana Agate and a Minor Mana Potion that I still had in my inventory from so long ago. Though a bit was restored, and Lifebloom provided some reprieve, the attacks from all sides were proving too much. I called on the few instant spells I had to clobber the ferocious felines. I was close to death, but so were they! Having used up even my reserve energy, I switched to my wand. Bangalash's health went from around 70 to 29 and then.... a miss! My last ditch effort had failed, and there was no longer any option for preventing the incoming damage. The panthers' final swipes did me in, my troll gurgled with death, and then I found myself in a nearby graveyard. It was time for Round 2! As I ran back to my corpse, I wondered what could possibly have killed my mana so quickly? Despite belly-aching about energy problems in my last post, things had vastly improved since then!  My thoughts quickly ceded as I was face-to-face with Bangalash again. I can't say that my strategy changed a whole lot this time, but I did correct a few of my missteps. First of all, the Mana Agate I had in my inventory was from a lesser rank of the spell and, therefore, restored less MP. Had I only a few more on the first attempt, victory could have been mine. Likewise, I was going to save my Frost Nova for when the adds popped, instead of blowing it right away on the single mob, even if it meant eating a few hits. Thankfully, that didn't prove to be a problem. I managed to completely freeze my foe twice before he even reached me, allowing for several critical Frostbolts to break him down. The panthers, as expected, came out much faster this time and the Nova + Blizzard combo proved equally as effective. They did manage to catch up to me after that, but once again Mana Shield saved my kiester. That is where I noticed my problem. I had overused Mana Shield on my first attempt, and it had completely killed my pool! How could I have been so naive?! I was aware of the spell's effects, but didn't think that they would be so drastic. Nonetheless, I was getting lucky this time, and with my second Frost Nova and a couple of instant spells, Bangalash's corpse lay motionless before me. I was low on health and mana, but not critical. I looted the head and trotted merrily back to Hemet Nesingwary Jr. to complete the quest. The promised Achievement popped up on my screen, and I can report that my victory tasted, very much, of happy. When your average Mage fight consists of Frostbolt spam, it was immensely satisfying for me to use a wider range of my skills on a battle like this. Sure, I could've skipped Bangalash and come back to it many levels later just like I had on other characters, or I could've scouted for partners over chat, but that wouldn't have been any fun! As I push forward into the wilds of the Hinterlands next, I certainly hope that there are opportunities for another good workout. Got to keep those finger muscles nice and loose, after all! How about you folks, though? Ever encountered a non-instance fight that truly taxed your abilities? Was it for fun or did you haphazardly wander into a situation and end up fighting for your life? Let me know whether or not you successfully bested your enemies or met your untimely end!

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The literary form of anime isn't a hot topic in the greater WoWverse, if the number of comments left on the previous manga post are anything to go by.  I entirely understand that not everyone is going to want to purchase the collection of Warcraft inspired novels, let alone the higher priced manga titles, but we were talking free stuff! I for one took the opportunity that Tokyopop offered us and caught up on my manga.  Heck, I enjoyed them so much that I picked up Volume 2 to add to my collection even though the entire book is still available online.  You don't need to read the previous volumes to get into the manga - aside from the reoccurring Richard Knaak storyline - but I highly recommend it since they are very entertaining.  That trend only continues in Volume 3. Fiend: Numerous readers have pointed out in other Novel Posts that I don't particularly enjoy Knaak.  I am not going to deny that.  For that reason, you may expect me to badmouth the third Trag Highmountain tale, but for the first time in the series, Knaak's story is not the worst in a particular volume.  Unlike the previous two installments, Fiend moves the storyline along, rather than being focused on a single event.  Both Fallen and Fear previously hinged on one happening, causing Trag's story to barely move at all.  In conjunction with the progressing storyarc, Knaak unveils multiple sides to Trag, compassion, comradely and thanks, that we hadn't seen since the Lich King began speaking to the tauren. Crusader's Blood:  For me, this tale of the Scarlet Crusade's unabashed hatred for anything and everything undead takes the number one spot for the volume by far.  Dan Jolley, in Alan Moore fashion, presents the readers with multiple sides of the struggle, not the black and white discussions we are used to.  At the forefront is the plight of the Forsaken versus the blind faith of those who follow the Scarlet Crusade.  But amongst these ranks we are shown the morally gray side of things.  Do all undead, Scourge-bound or not, need to be vanquished?  Is the Scarlet Crusade infallible?  Does this taste rotten to you?  The best story of the bunch. I Got What Yule Need:  Christie Golden's tale of Winter Veil certainly seems oddly placed in a book that was released in mid-March.  Even money on the story originally being slated for Volume 2, which was released in November.  The story, and the art accompanying it, is meant to be a feel good holiday tale complete with Greatfather Winter, robots, big-eyed children and happy endings.  Scheduling issues ignored, Golden delivers an iconic children's story set in the Warcraft universe that could easily be mistaken for a Pixar pitch.  After all it offers entertainment for the whole family and I'll be damned if Fala isn't the cutest character ever. The Thrill Of The Hunt:  Most of the stories presented in the Legends series are based on unheard of adventurers like you and me.  Nameless people who are just living their day-to-day lives in Azeroth, doing their best to provide for their factions and friends.  This is not one of those stories.  Breaking from tradition, Troy Lewter was given permission to add some backstory to the best known - and dressed - hunter in all of Azeroth, Hemet Nesingwary.  The story starts off with Hemet calling out a traveler for a bogus tale, before he launches us into a flashback on the seedy underbelly of hunting, poaching.  Nesingwary's adventure is by no means an original piece of work, but who wouldn't want to read about the dwarf going Rambo on a group of cub hunting, elf killing poachers? Initially, I wasn't expecting much from the Legends spin-offs, but reading the three installments in quick succession have turned me towards the darkside.  The quick and dirty stories of unknown travelers, adventurers or plain citizens add a complexity to Warcraft that no other form of the universe, extended or otherwise, has previously attempted, let alone accomplished.  Consider me a guaranteed purchaser of Volumes 4 and 5.  I highly recommend that you give Legends a chance.  Again, they are free so what are you waiting for?

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