Response to Blizzcon 2009

So before I even start, I just want to say this entire post is my (Nick Fox’s) opinion ONLY!  Mariana has other opinions and I’ll let her post them.

Blizzcon 2009 was last Friday and Saturday, and we saw the offical announcement of the third expansion set “World of Warcraft: Cataclysm”.  I’m very excited about this.  Now, I didn’t attend blizzcon nor did I buy the $40 direcTV or online stream of the convention, but I did follow a few live blogs from the convention floor and I have been watching the panels for free on youtube now.

My first impression of this expansion set: AWESOME.

My second impression of this expansion set: WOW I’M NOT IMPRESSED WITH GOBLINS.

Seriously blizzard…Goblins?  The one dimentional new yorker rip was funny for the occasional blimp ride or vendor in booty bay…but now I have to share my cities with them?  Yuck.  Now, I think their lore is okay, and I know some people don’t like the “there are neutral goblins and now there are Horde only goblins” and I know there are also Deathwing only goblins (they’re there, read “War of the Ancients” trilogy), but I can look past all of that and see these poor, islandless islanders looking for a home.  And c’mon, they’re green, orcs are green, some undead have green hues in their skin, and some trolls are also green…they fit right in!

Worgens on the other hand….completely awesome.  Between the old timey Jekyll and Hyde feeling of Gilneas (fitting) and the ability to switch between human and worgen form out of combat…it’s all great.  Alliance get a sweet new city, and Horde possibly get a ruined Undermine, but probably not, since the Isle of Kezan isn’t even one of the zones being introduced…sigh.

Now when it comes to old world Azeroth getting offically messed up, I’m very happy.  There are only a few portions of a few zones that I really like…and even if I don’t like the new cataclysm’ed zones, I’m really happy Blizzard is taking a bold step in terms of map reforging.  MMO’s by definition are an evolving world, so things you knew five years ago, shouldn’t stay the same just to stay the same.  Sometimes, a huge, angry, black dragon aspect rips through the very fabric of your mortal plane and tears the world asunder.  It happens, and if you don’t like it, play single player and don’t get the downloadable content!  I am especially happy as a Horde member to finally take Southshore for ourselves (see our pre-Blizzcon wishlist) and that the Alliance town in Darkshore gets completely ruined.  My Horde heart swells with joy!  Plus, Orgrimmar gets steel!

Better get Loremaster and The Explorer titles now before everything changes!