Around Azeroth Beta Edition: Whale shark week
by Elizabeth Wachowski 
Jul 19th 2010 at 10:00AM
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Filed under: Around Azeroth
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Fletcher Jul 19th 2010 9:34AM
You'd think Ghostcrawler, being a marine biologist, would have caught this one ... whale sharks only eat plankton - and their throats are too narrow to swallow anything else. The worst they could do is maybe gently gum you.
Mind you, real orcas don't have four tusks, real crabs don't have four legs, and real sea lions don't have manes. So perhaps we can chalk it up to "eh, it's Azeroth" while we swim for our lives.
Swifteye Jul 19th 2010 10:08AM
I was thinking the exact same thing.
However, due to the wording of the post (i.e., ripping aggro from AoE getting too close to the enormous hitbox, rather than merely bumbling past a little too close), I have to assume that these mobs are neutral until actively provoked.
So yeah, while I don't know how a whale shark could actually hurt you (aside from possibly dislocating every bone in your body with an errant flipper thrust), I do have to give kudos for Blizz for at least knowing enough to not make whale sharks outright hostile. And that alone keeps them from being in the same class as the Fel Reavers and those blasted ninja Devilsaurs, at least in my book.
Knob Jul 19th 2010 10:12AM
No, they aren't neutral. But you'll have to actually go chasing one in order for it to aggro you; they're way above the normal questing areas.
Cimadx45 Jul 19th 2010 10:19AM
Really...You're really going to complain about ghostcrawler on this one? C'mon it's a freakin' game, with ORC'S, FLYING DRAGONS, & SHAPE SHIFTING DRUIDS ...reality is gone!!!
sephirah Jul 19th 2010 10:21AM
They're whale shark, not shark whales, you insensitive clod!
Knob Jul 19th 2010 10:37AM
They're way bigger than Thrym, and much more wide. But again, don't expect to run into them when you're questing, you'll have to actively pursue them to engage them.
snowleopard233 Jul 19th 2010 11:08AM
Just like the orcas with horns on the end of the heads, I’m going to assume that these have some fantastical differences from their real life brethren. They seem more like a hybrid of different real world species, sort of like the gazelle-giraffes in the barrens or the elephant seals that have actual manes like lions.
Rubitard Jul 19th 2010 11:55AM
In World of Warcraft, YOU are the plankton, noob!
Noyou Jul 19th 2010 12:10PM
I'm with you on the Whale Shark thing. I am a bit of a shark geek (shark week August 1st)
and was leery when I heard these will be in game. They look like some kind of sea bass (I'll tempered for sure) hybrid. At least the Zebra's were called Zhevra. I'd have less of a problem if they named them something else I guess. I suppose if you aggro a whale shark in real life it could probably crush you without much effort.
Grovinofdarkhour Jul 19th 2010 1:31PM
Deathwing: You know, I have one simple request. And that is to have whale sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads! Now evidently my quadoptic colleague informs me that that cannot be done. Ah, would you remind me what I pay you people for, honestly? Throw me a bone here! What do we have?
Cho'gall: Rockscale Cod.
Deathwing: [pause] Right.
Cho'gall: They're mutated Rockscale Cod.
Deathwing: Are they ill tempered?
Cho'gall: Absolutely.
Deathwing: Oh well, that's a start.
Dreyja Jul 19th 2010 3:09PM
@Noyou - I hear you. I've actually informed my guildies that I'll be less available during Shark Week. X-p I hope they have some good new shows this year.
Even in real life a whale shark could smack the hell out of you if you "aggro-ed," it. I kind of hope that they smack rather than bite because they've got the mouth right in these pictures. XD I'm geeking out over so much of the marine stuff in Cata. :)
TUBE WORMS!!! TTUUUUUUUUBBBEEE WWOOOORRRRMMMMSSSS! ;-p
Dreyja Jul 19th 2010 3:57PM
Awhh... I take it back. From the videos it appears they've put weird, jagged teeth in the mouth. Really, there are so many things out there that don't need teeth to EFF you up. :)
The nice thing is that it doesn't even need to be facing you. It's like WHAM - DEAD! X-p
The quotes from the videos are priceless: "Why is it SO HUGE?" "It's right there," "Where? AAHH!! Oh ____.," "It's so DEADLY! Oh ____ it's freaking out." It's more amusing to me because of the British accents. ;)
Kevin Jul 20th 2010 4:49AM
Also, crocodiles don't really have six legs (they did have the courtesy of calling them croco"lisks" at least)
Iirdan Jul 19th 2010 10:04AM
SPRRRRROOOOIIIINNNNNNNNGGG
Oh god, not more Fel Reavers!
AudreyR Jul 19th 2010 2:03PM
To make matters worse, from what I understand. There are no shakes or noises. So they're even stealthier than the Fel Reavers! I'm not even in beta and I'm already afraid to take a dip in the ocean.
Darkharmony Jul 19th 2010 4:27PM
You're correct, but they move as slow as a snail so if you miss this bad boy on the horizon you deserve to be killed. They are bigger then fel reavers look at that picture and then imagine you're in the picture. You would probably be the size of one of its eyes
Possum Jul 19th 2010 6:24PM
I love the Fel Reavers and Devilsaurs. Nothing like a like "Hmmm, I need 3 more livers for this queaaargh! AAAAAARGH AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGH"
To get your heart pumping.
Evelinda Jul 20th 2010 8:19AM
and come on, going back there once you've outlevelled the jerks is just so satisfying... though not nearly as exciting as getting jumped by one (and i've only managed this with the devilsaurs) and somehow managing to kill it. standing over the body of an elite devilsaur 4 levels higher than you is a good, good feeling :)
Evelinda Jul 20th 2010 8:24AM
ok, reading the comments on the amount these things hit for... maybe that wont be happening here :(
Susano Jul 19th 2010 10:10AM
Why do they look like helicopters O_O