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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBreakfast Topic: We're doing what now?
by Matthew Rossi 
Dec 31st 2009 at 8:00AM
But I always had a terrible time understanding why I was running Maraudon. Okay, there's some centaurs, and they're... bad? I guess? And then there's one of Cenarius' two sons buried here, and he and an earth elemental named Princess Theadras had sex which, okay, I guess that's bad? And we're going to kill her for having centaur babies with him, and... there's a pretty decent set of plate legs in there? The instance itself isn't poorly designed, mind you, and there's a nice lore element when you bring Zaetar's seed to his brother Remulos in Moonglade, but in terms of why your characters run Maraudon at all, well, it's really hard to come up with anything like a compelling reason. Unless you're a tauren, I guess. Tauren don't need a reason to kill a bunch of centaurs. They just need to be told where they are.
This is always my biggest problem with Zangarmarsh and Coilfang: why are the naga stealing all the water? Just to have it? How does this benefit Vashj or Illidan? I don't really understand that part of the plan. I'm sure someone, somewhere explains it, but I guess I missed that part. (Dread Lord Ziebart hastens to mention that she does have a throwaway line basically saying 'Dudes need water, so we're gonna have all the water and then y'all will have to do what we say' but it conveniently ignores places like Nagrand and Terrokar.)
So now I turn to you, Breakfast Topic readers. What instance or quest most made you say "huh, why is this even happening" and why?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Breakfast Topics, Instances, The Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 7 of 8)
sikon Jan 1st 2010 2:23AM
My take is that just like the faction champions and Eadric/Paletress, these nameless NPCs are not supposed to actually die, but rather walk off the arena after defeat - Blizzard just didn't implement it, maybe out of time constraints. Apart from the unplanned Black Knight encounter, the Trial of the Champion was supposed to be a bloodless test of skill.
Nagi Jan 1st 2010 7:30AM
There are dozens of prior examples in the game where we see the death animation used for NPCs fainting, passing out, falling asleep, being knocked dizzy, getting stupid drunk, being wounded without getting killed, etc. As far as I'm concerned, the trash mobs in ToC, as well as some of the bosses, are just the latest examples of that.
ecwfrk Dec 31st 2009 1:45PM
Why can't the Darkspear Trolls reclaim their Island from a handfull of level 10s?!?
cantlogin Dec 31st 2009 1:49PM
I've always assumed that we go into instances like Maraudon because we're adventurers feeling adventurous. Instances are huge places filled with enemies, unknown forces, and mystery. SM has more of a practical purpose, as does BRD, but Mara, RFD, and some of the others seem more like we're saying "hey, this is an unusual place, let's check it out." It doesn't need explanation in terms of lore, but in terms of simple curiosity.
Honestly, I have a harder time wrapping my head around some of the quests we do. "I'm a great adventurer who has battled liches, dreadlords, insane religious zealots, undead quillboars, Dark Iron Dwarfs, and thousands upon thousands of murlocs. I've just passed through an interplanetary portal to a land ravaged by fel energy and demons. And you want me to dig through poo to help you find your keys. Gotcha."
IronMog Dec 31st 2009 2:14PM
What about Black Fathom Depths? I mean really, armpit end of no where, the only thing close is some little Horde beach party. It has like 0 to do with anything else ever. And its just full of satyr and naga. Few twilights thrown in for good measure. Having played a healer type since vanilla I've actually never run this instance for any reason other than to get the achievement. Also Razorfen Kraull always seemed rather pointless.
AudreyR Dec 31st 2009 3:58PM
If memory serves, BFD was about naga wanting something out of there and working concert with some cultists under the thrall of an old god. You go there to check it out, uncover the plot and have to stop it. Not really clear on the murloc angle, however.
Radicaldreamer13 Dec 31st 2009 3:01PM
I always assumed that the Naga were pumping the lake to build another well of eternity with the remaining vials. At least that's what I remember, I believe that information is somewhere, but where that place is I'm not sure.
splodesondeath Dec 31st 2009 3:46PM
When Archavon was released, Blizzard mentioned somewhere that he was guarding a vault filled with treasure. Therefore, we go in, beat him up and take it.
foodlegs Dec 31st 2009 3:50PM
Why is nobody mentioning Black Temple? It doesn't seem like we really had much of a reason to say "let's focus all of our efforts on destroying some old crazy guy who lives on another planet by himself"
Ringo Flinthammer Dec 31st 2009 5:04PM
Who is massing his fel armies on the far side of the now-reopened Dark Portal and who harbors millennia-old grudges.
Zanathos Dec 31st 2009 5:05PM
The reason the alliance and horde went to outland was because demons started popping up in Azeroth and being a nuisance. Also the draenei/blood elf storylines both tied in with heading there. Once you got there, Illidan was the head of pretty much every type of hostile force you encountered.
Zephrian Dec 31st 2009 4:05PM
Why would the Lich King install transporters in his Citadel making it more convenient for people to get to him?
Ringo Flinthammer Dec 31st 2009 5:05PM
Because that's how his lieutenants (and presumably him -- you've seen how slowly he walks) get around, too.
Al Dec 31st 2009 4:31PM
Zul'Farrak. Something about a goblin wanting troll sweat (to drink, evidently) and a hydra lurking in a lap pool. "You can has Carrot on a Stick!"
And the other goblin. "A group went in earlier, with my trinket. However, that place is certain death and I'll never see it again... How about you go get it for me?"
Vaulkner Dec 31st 2009 5:11PM
I agree with those saying Blizz dropped the ball on Illidan/Kael/Vashj back in bc. "They've gone crazy" seems to be the reason we fight 9/10 villans these days.
There should have been a lot more compelling and clearly stated lore for most of the events in bc, but instead to the average player, the reasoning appeared like this:
SSC -
Illidan: "Hey Vashj, remember that time I kicked Arthas' butt in front of the frozen spire? Aren't I a badass?
Vashj: "That's not how it happened."
Illidan: "Eh, what do you know - go drink a lake!"
Kara-
Violet Eye: "That's one spooky tower, someone should check it out...321-Not it...
Btw the parts of the key are randomly strewn throughout hostile strongholds in outland for some reason, have fun!"
ZA-
Random hicks: "Them trolls has sum treasure, and bears!"
Gruul's lair-
Gruul: "Rawr, I'm big and mean - fight me too!"
Sunwell Isle-
Adventurers: "Hey, Kael is back for some reason! *kill again* Well, time to head ba--hey there's some fighting going on over there, let's check it out!"
Possum Dec 31st 2009 5:56PM
Actually upon reflection I've figured out that the why of anything is actually
a) Because they are under the thrall/trying to summon an Old God or
b) Because they are under the thrall/trying to summon a demon/s
Thats pretty much what all of the dungeons etc. boil down to, demons and gods, gods and demons. Barely anybody does anything because they are simply bad people, even the Scarlet Crusade was being lead by demons in the end (twice!).
In the Cataclysm we'll probably find out that the defias are actually a death cult and Vancleef is their high priest, they worship the death god Hogger and are trying to bring about the Hoggercaust.
B1ue Dec 31st 2009 9:00PM
Isn't the Burning Legion itself a creation of the Old Gods, or at least a side effect of their influence?
Farproc Jan 1st 2010 6:01PM
In the beginning there were the Titans. A space faring race that went around creating life on planets. The Titans have always been at war with demons, who seek to destroy the life they create. So they selected one of their champions, called Sargeras, to fight the Demons. Sargeras destroyed and imprisoned demons for milennia until his constant exposure to their singleminded destructive tendencies made him doubt they could ever be defeated, doubt himself, and all the titans have done. He went mad, released the millions of demons he had imprisoned creating his burning legion. the burning legion is a universe, or galaxy wide phenomenon. They have destroyed many worlds.
The old goddes however... When the Titans first encountered Azeroth, about 150,000 years before WoW, the surface of Azeroth was inhabited by 8 or so old gods, and elementals. The elementals were commanded ultimately by the Old gods. The Titans, who wanted to put life on Azeroth, fought a war with the Old Gods and their elementals, and imprisoned the whole lot under ground in a variety of metaphysical and physical prisons. The elemental planes were made by the titans to imprison the elementals who were allied with the old gods. The old gods, and the elemental planes, are a feature local to Azeroth.
Draenor, now the Outlands, has elementals, but they wander around on the surface. this might be because of the breakup of the planet, more probably its because the Titans never imprisoned them on that planet.
Terethall Dec 31st 2009 6:44PM
You know what I hate just as much as "HURR DURR FIRST!1!!" posts?
"HURR DURR STOP SAYING FIRST !11!!!1" posts. Downranked both of you. Neither of you contribute anything useful, and both of you are just spam. Please stop, both types of people.
JC_Icefox Dec 31st 2009 11:50PM
Mmmmm...delicious Irony.