The Shattering came yesterday and my how things have changed! Rather than just ramble profusely, here are five things I’ve noticed since the realms came back yesterday:
1. Orgrimmar is HUGE
I never checked what the city looked like in any of the Beta spoilers, but flying into it this morning was jaw dropping. Every time I thought it would end, it just kept sprawling outward and upward. It definitely feels like the major capital of the Horde now.
2. Alliance LOVE having a different Shaman
Honestly, I reserved Egwydorian so long ago because I felt Dwarves should’ve always had a Shaman (rather than Rogues to be honest). I was excited when the news of this particular combo came out. I didn’t think others were nearly as excited. I did a “who” for Hunters, Warlocks, Mages, and Shamans last night. There were 11 Mages under level 20, and that easily beat out Hunters and Warlocks. Shamans? 19. I can’t even tell you how many new ones I saw after I did that search either.
3. I Miss Magni
It sounds odd, but seeing three seats in Ironforge instead of one is tough to get used to. Of course, Moira talks about planning to rule when you talk to her, so that doesn’t help. The first thing I always did with my Dwarves was head to the throne, but I just don’t feel the duty to do so.
4. Safety pre-level 5
So long as you don’t wander far, you’re pretty safe. Almost everything is Neutral. Even the old Trolls in Coldridge don’t attack you. I guess it gives new players a chance to get a feel for things before they need to be afraid. I can understand it, but it still feels odd.
5. Little Changes
Blizzard did some things that you don’t even notice until they happen. For example, when you receive a quest for a named character, a 3D portrait of them actually pops up. That’s a subtle thing that I appreciated but didn’t change gameplay. Same with making the old world zone maps the same as Outland and Northrend. Again, it’s the little things.
There’s many other things I could discuss, but for now I’ll keep it to those little tidbits after my first day of the new Azeroth. I will give an honorable mention to flight paths and the drastic increase in how many there are, though. What about you?
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