Patch 5.4 patch notes
Virtual Realms feature revealed
The Proving Grounds are coming
The latest patch 5.4 newsZeppelin on its way to Thunderbluff?
by Mike Schramm 
May 22nd 2009 at 11:00AM
That's right, when a player suggests that maybe a zeppelin should be flying around the Tauren city of Thunderbluff, Kisirani says only, "Okay." So, a zeppelin is coming to Thunderbluff? Certainly seems that way.
Makes a lot of sense -- Tauren originally had Plainsrunning, and if you've ever made that jaunt through their starting area, you'll know just how many plains you have to run across (of course, they didn't actually get it until level 40, so it wouldn't have helped them much there anyway, but still -- it's a run). And while you can pretty quickly fly into TB from Orgrimmar, it wouldn't hurt to have another point of departure. Kisirani doesn't say where the zepp will go, but maybe a flght up to Northrend wouldn't be out of the question either.
Wow, we got all that from "Okay." Behold the power of Kisirani! Maybe it doesn't mean there's a zepp on the way, but if that's the case we'd be happy with just a cow-tapult.
Makes a lot of sense -- Tauren originally had Plainsrunning, and if you've ever made that jaunt through their starting area, you'll know just how many plains you have to run across (of course, they didn't actually get it until level 40, so it wouldn't have helped them much there anyway, but still -- it's a run). And while you can pretty quickly fly into TB from Orgrimmar, it wouldn't hurt to have another point of departure. Kisirani doesn't say where the zepp will go, but maybe a flght up to Northrend wouldn't be out of the question either.
Wow, we got all that from "Okay." Behold the power of Kisirani! Maybe it doesn't mean there's a zepp on the way, but if that's the case we'd be happy with just a cow-tapult.
Filed under: Horde, Tauren, Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Blizzard
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 4)
Tumleren May 22nd 2009 11:18AM
Well, actually he doesn't just say "Okay", he elaborates on page 3:
"The Zephyr is getting set to transport players between Orgrimmar and Thunder Bluff in an upcoming patch."
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=17345934557&sid=1&pageNo=3#42
Bubsa May 22nd 2009 11:17AM
Never really found it that long but, meh, when in rome.
Can't wait to see the Zeph's name :P
whack May 22nd 2009 11:23AM
what is the zepp you have photoshopped into the picture?
Mike Schramm May 22nd 2009 11:46AM
No one recognizes? It's one of my favorite game airships.
Yeng May 22nd 2009 12:16PM
FF IX
Kylenne May 22nd 2009 12:48PM
It's the Hilda Garde (specifically Mark III) from FFIX. Though if we're going there, I thought it was one of the uglier ships in the game. The Red Rose was much nicer looking IMO.
I think the Falcon from FFVI looks a lot more like a WoW zepp, though. All you'd need to do is paint it some kind of crazy goblin colors.
Hoxnr May 22nd 2009 2:06PM
Looks kinda like the Hilda Garde 3 from Final Fantasy 9. Could be wrong though :P
Sargenus May 22nd 2009 2:44PM
Mike, I love ya EVEN more for using Hilda Garde III!
Final Fantasy IX was my favorite game and, I have to admit, Hilda Garde III was my favorite airship out of all the Fantasies.
DNightish May 22nd 2009 11:31AM
Does this mean that the tram from Iron Forge to Stormwind might also get extended to Darnassus?
mattarin May 22nd 2009 11:51AM
Thats retarded. It would have to go underwater or under kalimdor to get there. The gnomes and alliance goblins could make a zepp go there probably.
Yeng May 22nd 2009 12:17PM
Yeah, the tram could never possibly go under water or land....
Pemberton May 22nd 2009 3:31PM
Before they switched the boats around (worked great) I wanted them to extend the Deeprun to end at Menethil to make life easier for us Alliance.
Kylenne May 22nd 2009 1:03PM
You must be Alliance if you think your awesome transport options aren't enough. You already have a boat that puts you all but on Darnassus' doorstep. More so if you have the FP at Auberdine, which every NE and Draenei should have before level 20. The two harbors at Stormwind and Auberdine literally connect all the Alliance capitals.
OTOH, Thunder Bluff is completely isolated from everything else. Tauren literally have to hoof it halfway across a continent to get to Orgrimmar, which incidentally they HAVE to do in order to get to any other Horde capital, because that's where the closest zepp tower is. And the same is true for Orcs, Trolls, Forsaken and Blood Elves that want to go to TB (something that is very common, there are a lot of low level instance quests to get from there).
Horde have always had a harder time getting around, though. Yes, Alliance may lack FPs in Kalimdor as compared to Horde, but compare that to Horde trying to get around EK.
Hagen May 22nd 2009 4:43PM
Kylenne said:
"You must be Alliance if you think your awesome transport options aren't enough. You already have a boat that puts you all but on Darnassus' doorstep. More so if you have the FP at Auberdine, which every NE and Draenei should have before level 20. The two harbors at Stormwind and Auberdine literally connect all the Alliance capitals."
Way to join the Alliance 4 years late. The harbor was added to Stormwind with 3.0. Prior to that, Alliance had to run across a L20-30 zone (Wetlands) to get to Menethil Harbor to go to Kalimdor. Or you had Night Elves going from Auberdine to there and having to run to get to a lower level zone.
Horde had an easy transit point to GromGol from day 1, which meant you had a north and south FP in STV, Alliance only had one until sometime what...during BC when they added the Rebel Camp FP? They have had to add a lot more FPs to the Alliance side and completely swap around our ports to have easy transit everywhere.
"OTOH, Thunder Bluff is completely isolated from everything else. Tauren literally have to hoof it halfway across a continent to get to Orgrimmar, which incidentally they HAVE to do in order to get to any other Horde capital, because that's where the closest zepp tower is. And the same is true for Orcs, Trolls, Forsaken and Blood Elves that want to go to TB (something that is very common, there are a lot of low level instance quests to get from there)."
Welcome to being a Night Elf or trying to head to Kalimdor as a Human, Dwarf or Gnome prior to 3.0.
"Horde have always had a harder time getting around, though. Yes, Alliance may lack FPs in Kalimdor as compared to Horde, but compare that to Horde trying to get around EK."
So there's an easy FP for Alliance to get up to Scarlet Monastery? Oh right, we fly to Hillsbrad (on the other side of a L30+ zone) and then run thru Silverpine Forest before we get to the Undead zone. When we're higher level we can fly to WPL, which is a shorter ride, but suicide if you are of level for running SM.
You have a city right on the edge of Searing Gorge/Badlands (Kargath I think) and they had to add Thorium Point for us late in vanilla WoW before we had any route into the zone other than running thru the Badlands and questing to complete the key in from Loch Modan.
I can keep providing examples if you like.
Eh? May 23rd 2009 5:45AM
"You have a city right on the edge of Searing Gorge/Badlands (Kargath I think) and they had to add Thorium Point for us late in vanilla WoW before we had any route into the zone other than running thru the Badlands and questing to complete the key in from Loch Modan."
What, you mean flying into Lakeshire and running up through Burning Steppes was so incredibly out of the question for you? But, oh dear....we have to go QUESTING to get a key , feh.
Kargath may have been in the Badlands, close to an entrance of Searing Gorge, but it was also a 10min or so flight from UC, or a 6-7min flight from Grom'gol, with NO connecting lands friendly or even neutral to the horde, same thing with Swamp of Sorrows.
It was less than a hop-skip-and a jump from EITHER Ironforge or Stormwind comparatively.
Swamp of Sorrows, mid lvl 30's zone quest-wise (I was usually there around lvl 36), you had to run through Duskwood, and the only road that went to SoS went through Darkshire, meaning that unless you wanted to try to hug some cliffs or ninja around the place, you had to deal with a group of guards that all wanted a piece of your hide, and usually got it. That goes even more so now since BC and all the guards being upped to lvl 65 due to the proximity of Karazhan.
While the Night Elves had the longest run of all the races to connect the capitol cities, only the horde had 2 zones which were (and still are) completely separated from other horde-friendly zones except by air.
Maever May 22nd 2009 11:24AM
Good! I hope they'll be using the Zeppelin in the middle of Orgrimmar, the mere presence of that thing is getting annoying, what the hell is it for ? Thrall's Airforce One ?
I might be wrong, but didn't Thunderbluff have a zeppelin in the manga?
Alchemistmerlin May 22nd 2009 12:28PM
It's actually stuck. It WAS supposed to be part of the "Ogrimmar Day" celebrations one year, but they tied it up, and in drunken stupor all fell off of it. Now none of the zep operators can get back up there, so it just floats there.
Sometimes they take pot shots at it to try and get it down but it's REALLY well made.
Catiya of Feathermoon May 22nd 2009 11:26AM
What are you talking about..? All the blue said was "Okay." x_x
Tumleren May 22nd 2009 11:37AM
No, he specifically said it will be in an upcoming patch.
Catiya of Feathermoon May 22nd 2009 12:03PM
Unelss you're simpy being sarcastic, I honestly see that nowhere. xD Checked the blizz tracker and all.