I’ve been a bit addicted to World of Warcraft for the past week thanks to Warlords of Draenor. On one hand I’m upset that it’s made doing homework more difficult. On the other, I’m happy to say that it’s a fantastic expansion.
There are a myriad of reasons that I’m enjoying World of Warcraft’s latest expansion so far. It’s a well thought out package, and one that I wouldn’t be surprised is ranked highly on lists when all is said and done. A few of the reasons are actually quite surprising. I thought I was prepared heading into Draenor, but I wasn’t even close.
Related: Ranking the Best Expansions in WoW History
Below you’ll learn about some of my experience with Warlords of Draenor and the things that have stood out as surprising during my first week of play.
Garrisons: Sort of a Big Deal
This is my brand new level 3 Garrison.
When Garrisons were announced I was actually disappointed that they weren’t a standard type of player housing. After spending more than 8 hours using the feature during the past week, I can say that my fears were unfounded.
Garrisons are a big deal for the game. Like Pet Battles, they add side content that is both rewarding and fun to consume. However, they go well beyond what Pet Battles have done for the game. The Follower Missions alone have rewarded me with things like gold and even gear upgrades through a strategy mini-game that has quickly become a favorite of mine. Amassing a list of Followers and leveling them up has made me feel like a Warchief, and that sense of leadership has been something World of Warcraft has needed for a long time.
Related: 10 Reasons I love Garrisons in Warlords of Draenor
The Garrison buildings have a lot of perks. For example, my Tavern offers me several dungeon dailies that have provided things such as an item that boosts all my stats by 200 for two hours. Meanwhile, my Stables provide me with side content that sends me out into Draenor to tame beasts that may potentially become rideable mounts. Choosing which Garrison buildings to not only plot but what ones to level up first is a big decision that has directly impacted my game experience.
What I like most about Garrisons are that they’re a place to call home. For 10 years I have logged out in random Inns all over Azeroth. Now I log out in a place that is mine.
Leveling: Fast and Fun
Ah, that new zone smell.
I hit level 100 on Sunday night, and was extremely happy with my experience through the 10 new levels that spanned five zones.
Although I had a couple issues with Spires of Arak’s design, for the most part each of the new zones are outstanding. Frostfire Ridge and Nagrand 2.0 stand out as two of the best leveling zones in World of Warcraft history. I found myself paying attention to what was going on thanks to the great delivery of cutscenes and main story missions. More importantly, how the quests are designed, and their dynamic rewards, have helped make it far more pleasant.
I found myself paying attention to what was going on thanks to the great delivery of cutscenes and main story missions.
Leveling is also fast. It sounded intimidating when I learned that I’d be leveling from 90 to 100, but each level took about three hours on average. Players hit level cap within a day of launch. Truthfully, this means that it will be easier to encourage friends to play the game and have them stick through the leveling experience to reach level cap.
Theme: Captivating the Audience
“Hey, I know you!”
I’ve played World of Warcraft at every point during its lifespan. I absolutely loved Vanilla, Burning Crusade, and Wrath of the Lich King, but I feel like I can honestly say that the Warlords of Draenor theme is my favorite of the bunch. I know it’s early to say that, but the Orc clans are simply fascinating.
Learning more about good guys like Durotan, and bad fellas like Gul’dan has been a joy. I’ve questioned who these guys are over the years without having the motivation to read through their 20 page long WoWWiki entries. After directly interfacing with most of them, I feel as though I have a strong grasp on what they’re about. I look forward to battling Grom Hellscream now that I’m more familiar with who he is.
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Draenor itself is a deeply interesting place. There are so many sub-stories, like that of the Arakkoa in Spires of Arak, that are intriguing. It’s easy to become lost in this new world, and that’s the best thing that can be said about anything in an MMO.
Audio: Ear Candy
The Auchindoun dungeon has great atmosphere thanks to its music.
A few days back I watched the Behind the Scenes Documentary that’s included with Warlords of Draenor‘s Collector’s Edition. What I learned more than anything is that a ton of time has gone into audio for this expansion. There’s more music and higher quality sound effects than ever before, and it’s benefited the game tremendously.
The music heard throughout the dungeons and zones are absolutely remarkable. The scores turn every day tasks like quest completion into something trailer worthy. Blacksmiths working on forges produce thunderous noise as they hammer hard metal, making me wonder what they’re crafting. Hearing the difference between running on a stone road and snow is something that wasn’t in the game before, but should have been.
The scores turn every day tasks like quest completion into something trailer worthy.
It might not seem like something substantial, but audio is an important part of a video game experience, and World of Warcraft has never sounded better. Not by a long shot.
Dungeons: Bring Your Own Crowd Control
The final boss of UBRS 100 was no slouch.
So far dungeons in Warlords of Draenor have been a great experience for me. There are some great boss fights even during the early dungeons, such as Iron Docks. There’s also less trash, and some mechanics to mix things up, such as using cover to avoid cannon fire.
If I had to describe them based on past experience, I’d say they aren’t quite as hard as early Cataclysm, but are definitely tougher than anything in Mists of Pandaria. As a tank I’ve had to take marking, communication, and calling out crowd control very seriously. Wipes happen a lot more frequently now. Some might give up, but those who don’t are treated to a real sense of accomplishment.
Although these dungeons are difficult, the reward makes up for it. It’s been a while since I’ve been excited for blue drops, but there’s just something great about using teamwork to down bosses and walking away with upgrades no matter what color they are.
PvP: Cataclysm
Payback is a B.
There’s a lot to be said about PvP in Warlords of Draenor. For one, gearing up is much quicker. The Strongboxes awarded for completing objectives or winning a battleground commonly contain blue PvP items, and make the grind for PvP gear less redundant. I’ve found myself motivated to win each battleground in order to earn Strongboxes.
The PvP balance is a bit out of whack right now. Feral Druids, DKs, and Retribution Paladins are god-tier at the moment, but that’s common when a new expansion drops. Blizzard is sure to tackle the issues in short order.
I’ve found myself motivated to win each battleground in order to earn Strongboxes.
What has affected me directly is how Warriors currently stand. Arms Warrior is an absolute joke. Not only is it not fun to play, but it’s countered by virtually every class in PvP. In its stead is a new spec called Gladiator, which is essentially a DPS oriented Protection Warrior. I’ve been playing this spec since I hit 100 and it’s a nice change of pace. My only problem is there are issues with dumping rage, which is frustrating.
The point to drive home here is that PvP is more consistently rewarding, and the balance has totally shifted, especially with the removal of abilities from each class. It feels like a brand new landscape.
Old Content: Godlike
Yogg-Saron? No problem.
Last night a friend and I headed to Ulduar to clear it for Transmog gear. We quickly learned two things: the item squish hasn’t impacted soloing old content, and level 100 players are ridiculously powerful. We were able to absolutely obliterate most of the bosses in 25 man mode, feeling a major difference between soloing content at 90 and 100.
Also See: Warlords of Draenor First Impressions
As someone who loves to run old content for gear and fun, this is a good thing. I feel like I’ll actually be able to solo Cataclysm content, and maybe even parts of Mists of Pandaria.
