Getting to know escorts
by Elizabeth Wachowski 
Feb 1st 2007 at 3:14PM
No, not those escorts. Escort quests, which are ubiquitous in the Outlands.
Escort quests used to be my least favorite of all kinds of quests. First you had to fight your way to some guy, usually under heavy guard. Then he would give a long explanation of why he was there. Then you would have to fight your way out, with this weak, inefficient little guy that you have to protect despite the fact that he keeps running out of his way to aggro things and then yells for help. Hordies will recognize the Barrens quest where you have to escort a pirate out of Northwatch Hold as one of the more aggravating of these quests. You walk this guy all the way to Ratchet while being attacked by soldiers, pirates, and probably some jerk naked level 60 Alliance who has decided today's the day to gank in Ratchet. And don't even start on the Razorfen Downs escort quest, which I've still never successfully completed.
But in the Burning Crusade, escorts seem to be a little more sophisticated. This past week, I escorted an injured Mag'Har orc from a camp of Broken, and helped a cursed bird get revenge on some Arakkoa. A few things appear to have been fixed from the escort quests on Azeroth. First off, the escortee usually has the ability to defend him- or herself. One escort even healed himself, which made me very happy. Secondly, the escort doesn't run off and attack random things and then scream for your assistance. They have a set path, and will usually only attack what you attack or what attacks them. And finally, if the quest ends with you getting jumped by three angry elites, the quest text will actually suggest you bring more people, instead of leaving it as a nasty surprise.
Have you noticed that escort quests are easier in Outlands, or are they still the same pain they've always been for you?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Quests, The Burning Crusade
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Matt Feb 1st 2007 4:15PM
There is one escort quest in Netherstorm that is a total WTF moment the whole way through.
You are in a Kirin Tor ghost town. Some ghost guy asks you to find his cow, Bessy, who as you might assume, is also a ghost. The weirdest thing so far is that it suggests 2 people for the quest. Why do you need 2 people for this quest? Because, for some reason, all the other ghosts in this town hate Bessy. A lot. There is no explanation as to why they attack Bessy, they just do. Weirdest quest ever.
Heyasuki Feb 1st 2007 3:36PM
The first quest in Cavern's Of Time, with Thrall was a lot of fun breaking him out. Man oh man I'll never complain about NPC's being slow again he runs like a MAC truck! I'm a squishy rouge and the Shadow Word: Death = HELP! ME!!!!! oh yeah CoS FTW!
James Feb 1st 2007 4:01PM
Thrall is great, he doesn't break sheeps (until it's the last one) and he runs like crazy.
He almost runs too fast, our priest was popping potions like mad.
Gist Feb 1st 2007 4:08PM
Yeah... that "jerk 60 alliance" couldn't hurt you unless the "noob 19 horde" tagged yourself, first.
Ocsrep Feb 1st 2007 4:10PM
The escort quest from Northwatch Hold to Ratchet still makes me want to scream. OMG if that NPC didn't run 100 feet out of his way to fight! And long? That has to be the longest escort quest, or it's close to the one in Feralas with the chicken.
The Outlands escort quests are not as painful thank goodness.
Sylythn Feb 1st 2007 5:08PM
The real question is - do they still plod along at a WALKING pace, or are the smart enough to RUN when escaping?
Kyle Feb 1st 2007 4:48PM
By far the best escort quest I have done thus far (haven't gone to the CoT yet) would have to be escorting the draenei during Ending Their World on Bloodmyst.
When I first saw what it would entail on my draenei, I groaned. "Another escort? Bleh." But I went through with it.
First and foremost, the draenei shaman you escort is elite. He heals himself, he heals you, he puts down totems.
In the end, I realized that it was far easier just letting him tank and I'd provide backup. Easiest (and most fun) escort I've ever done.
Wreckless Feb 2nd 2007 10:58AM
Maghar orc attacked an alliance unprovoked when I was walking him out of the broken town last night. So I presence of mind/arcane power/trinked the alliance just like he was another mob and on we went lol.
P.S. Thrall is a bad ass, but he rides a non epic mount.
Wasyl Feb 1st 2007 7:02PM
Escorts usually result in cursing and screaming "WALK FASTER DAMMIT!!" at the computer. I find them as annoying as ever, why can't the escortee just put a little hustle in their step?
Genius Jones Feb 2nd 2007 8:45AM
First of all, you have to be kidding about the Razorfen escort -- it's so easy. I've only failed that once, with a PUG.
Number seven, I had the same question when I started the escort quest in Ghostlands (the Blood Elf starting area) escorting the Blood Elf back to the Farstrider Enclave. I was happy to see that even though she walked most of the way, at the end when we were approaching the enclave she burst into a run.
RogueJedi86 Feb 1st 2007 5:51PM
One thing that's annoying for me in WoW(non-BC) escort quests is how the escortee will run 200 feet ahead, at lightning speed, to engage an enemy, then the second the enemy dies, he runs back 200 feet to that EXACT spot he was at before engaging the enemy, and starts walking at mind-numbingly-slow speed again. Have they at least fixed that? Maybe let the escortee keep walking from the spot he ran ahead to?
Krianna Feb 1st 2007 11:37PM
#3-- BS. My first escort quest-- as alliance-- was slaughtered by a hordie. The SOB killed the guy we were escorting.
My mage sheeped him. We keep him around-- palis take a long time to die, so she ran back-- until the big guys showed up, and he was slaughtered.
Point being, they CAN mess up your escort quest, worse than a mob.