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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBreakfast Topic: What you hope survives the cataclysm
by Allison Robert 
Nov 4th 2009 at 8:00AM
Personally, as dumb as I know this will probably sound, when I think about old Azeroth my mind immediately returns to a tiny quest called Until Death Do Us Part. It's started by a bitter Forsaken who wants you take a pendant to her husband's grave at the Sepulcher. If you only wanted to look at it in terms of game mechanics, then it's a Fed-Ex quest designed to get you across the ocean and questing in Silverpine, but even with all the improvements to questing today, it stands apart. It's a very long journey for a young character, and when you finally arrive at the Sepulcher and find the husband's grave, you realize you've come all this way to deliver a worthless trinket to someone who threw his life away on a hopeless cause. You turn it in and...that's it. There is no follow-up. There is no happy ending. There is, however, the feeling that there's more to the savagery of the Forsaken than meets the eye.
Blizzard is actually trying to move away from quests that emphasize text over cool visuals, and it makes me a little sad just because Until Death Do Us Part was, from a writing standpoint, a masterpiece of effective writing and quick exposition. I'm hoping that, out of all the quests that stand to get axed in Cataclysm, this little gem survives.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Breakfast Topics, Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 5 of 9)
Aaron Nov 4th 2009 12:29PM
Westfall is one of those zones I do every single quest on all my toons. I remember leaving that zone, going back many levels later and killing those Dust Devils over and over and over. LOL! Westfall was like a home to me when I didn't have a clue what I was doing. I've taking my main and screencapped the most meaningful areas. =D
Cho Nov 4th 2009 9:06AM
@OP
I remember that quest as well and thought it was a long journey to ask of a new adventurer but I found it macabre and fascinating as well.
A rogue fit my playstyle well because I always found myself exploring zones I had no business being in whatsoever. Still, I usually hated the cross continental quests but at the same time I loved the exploration of the new zones.
No matter what Blizzard has in store, it will no doubt be incredibly interesting, beautifully illustrated and engaging. And people will complain about it.
As to the Breakfast Topic, I would like to see Ravenholdt developed in to a haven for rogues, something like the Ebon Hold for DKs. THAT would be awesome.
heath Nov 4th 2009 9:09AM
The tortooga escort in Tanaris. This is the only escort in the game where you can justify the crazy slow walking speed of the NPC you're escorting. ...and, even putting justified speed aside, its one of the better escorts imo.
Jason Nov 4th 2009 9:08AM
I'd like the class quests to survive. They add a little something to the experience of playing your class - that first pally weapon (warhammer or ranseur), Dreadsteed of Xoroth, Paladin Charger. One of the non class quests I enjoyed was the one that started with Test of Faith (http://www.wowhead.com/?quest=1149) in Thousand Needles. Another one I enjoyed was the "It's a secret to everybody" quest chain starting in Un'goro Crater and ending with us killing Blazerunner.
I have to agree with other posters - the Battle of Darrowshire was a great questline.
Darky Nov 5th 2009 2:57AM
Or add new ones, I'd be happy if they added new and epic class quests, I mean look at the Death Knight starter chain, arguably one of the best quest lines in the game.
Brock2525 Nov 4th 2009 9:47AM
Nothing. I want NOTHING to stay the same. Change EVERYTHING. I've been playing this game for FIVE YEARS and leveling new characters is STILL painful (I've never had more than one toon at the level cap), the quests are BORING and the zones are OLD and played out. CHANGE EVERYTHING.
kermit05 Nov 4th 2009 9:29AM
I have so many favorite quests. I'm more worried about Old World factions. I'm a big Timbermaw rep fan and dread what will happen to my favorite snowy zone.
NathanTB Nov 4th 2009 11:20AM
Stalvan Mistmantle.
Favorite chain ever.
Trance Nov 4th 2009 9:24AM
I'm going to hate to see Tarren mill, and southshore go or change. I've had so much fun with my guildies when things are slow heading over to tarren mill killing everything then waiting for the level 70 to 80 show up.Then the war erupts and it's on!!
DT75006 Nov 4th 2009 9:32AM
I agree. I'm Horde and I've always loved Tarren Mill. It's just such a peaceful place. And the quests that take you to Hillsbrad Farms to kill the mobs in the orchards and inside the town hall, I loved those and did them on four different toons. I actually loved all the quests in Hllsbrad foothills, I'd always get excited when I'd be leveling a new toon and I'd get that first quest that took me to Tarren Mill for the first time. Good times, good memories.
Luci Nov 4th 2009 9:29AM
I have to agree with most people in the everything class related aspect. My first character and main was a druid, and there is so much lore and class-specific content surrounding the druid that when I played my next character I was disappointed because I thought they would all be like that! Back in the days where you had to WALK until lvl 40 you really got to know Azeroth; now I feel like I am just QH-ing my way through it, and I don't mean to, the lvling is just so fast. I plan to roll a Paladin, and go for Loremaster on one of my toons before it all ends. One last salute!
Pemberton Nov 4th 2009 9:33AM
Keep Elwynn intact. Pretty zone!
Burn Ashenvale down.
Explodedsheep Nov 4th 2009 8:09PM
There's so much WoW content to think back to, I'm having trouble deciding what I'd want kept; most of the stuff I can think of I would like changed, at least.
One thing that I want kept the same is Moonglade. It might seem to be a rather boring place with no herbs to gather, monsters to fight, or anything else to do unless you're a druid or its the lunar festival. But I like that. I like that there's at least one place with no horde/alliance conflict, no danger of being attacked - it's just peaceful.
Dileth Nov 4th 2009 9:40AM
I hope that Duskwood/Darkshire sticks around, was always one of my favorite lower level zones. I love the ambiance there. Really conveys an uneasy feeling the whole time you are there.
Cath Nov 4th 2009 9:50AM
If Arthas really dies in 3.3, than the entire plaguelands will have to change. It would be very anticlimactic if the leader of the Scourge is vanquished, but the plaguelands remain the same. Although I would miss the current atmosphere very much (I love the Redpath questline and the old Tirion questline of helping his son in Hearthglen), I'd love to see a new Lordaeron in the midst of recovery and rebuilding. There could still be some rogue zombies running around, but at least the humans there wouldn't be fighting a lost cause anymore.
breaklance Nov 4th 2009 9:40AM
I hope Cairne Bloodhoof and Basic Campfires don't change, they may be the only leaders of the horde left!
ilikebeef Nov 4th 2009 9:50AM
I really hope Timbermaw Hold is staying, or maybe even get a bigger role in Mount Hyjal or something.
illhealzu Nov 4th 2009 9:47AM
Ironforge its the best alliance city made by the strongest of the alliance
Frank Nov 4th 2009 9:50AM
i agree that any of the class-based questlines should stay. in fact, i want to see MORE that carry through the entire leveling process. just because i'm an 80 (someday 85) level mage doesn't mean there can't be some epic class-based quests i could do.
it would be interesting to have some class-based questlines that suddenly become active XX-number of in-game hours after you reach max level.
Muse Nov 4th 2009 11:25AM
And hoping the under-represented classes might get some class quests. I've played both a Priest and a Warlock, and it's like night and day difference between how much class-specific stuff you do. And priests do even LESS now that they no longer get to learn the racial spell.