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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsThe Queue: EVE
by Alex Ziebart 
Jul 19th 2010 at 11:00AM
I made an "oops" and missed out on this past weekend's edition of WRUP, so what better place is there to blather on about what I did this past weekend than The Queue? There is none, so here I go! I decided to check out EVE Online this past weekend and I was utterly shocked at how many other WoW players there were in the rookie areas of the game. Heck, they even had names like TheAshbringer and Kaelthas Starstrider. I'm really curious whether the overwhelming number of former WoW players is normal for EVE or if it's a recent thing. It's always interesting to see just how many WoW players there are in other MMOs.
Now with that out of the way, on with the show!
TAD asked:
"Have the level 20-60 quests in the newly-revamped Old World been updated with the newer mechanics brought in with BC and WotLK? Bombing missions, vehicles, etc. I know there's some of that in the new starting zones, but I wonder if it's been extended to the rest of the game up to Outland."
Those mechanics aren't used as heavily as they are in Northrend, but they most certainly are there in the old world. Every single zone has received some sort of attention in Cataclysm, and many zones have received complete rebuilds from the ground up. Every zone is much closer to being in line with Blizzard's quest design of 2010 rather than the design of 2004.
TAD also asked:
"What's the story impetus now for players to even bother going to Outland or WotLK?"
Outland and Northrend are in very strange places now that they've revamped the "old" world in Cataclysm. There's an immense disconnect in the story between levels 58 and 78 now. The quests you do in those areas technically take place in the past as far as the story goes, and you just have to roll with it and pretend it's perfectly normal. There's very little story impetus. None at all, really. It's just a victim of the fact that Blizzard is already rebuilding most of the world, they can't rebuild another at the same time. Maybe next expansion will see an Outland revamp that sets the story right. I won't lie, I loved Outland. Most people didn't, but I did. Zangarmarsh remains my favorite zone in the game even after seeing the Cataclysm beta. I'd love a reason to go back there.
tgrhawke asked:
"With Darkshore and Auberdine destroyed in Cataclysm, how do the draenei and the night elves get from their islands to Kalimdor?"
The night elves still have an encampment in Darkshore. After Auberdine's destruction, they moved further north. To actually answer your question though, you sail into Rut'Theran now, off the coast of Darnassus. Then you take a flight down to Darkshore.
Rezai asked:
"You know the thing where you complete a quest, and you can turn it in right there and get the next quest instead of going back to the quest giver? Does anyone know if that has been implemented for BC and Wrath content?"
I think people are misunderstanding this feature. Not every quest gets that treatment. Not every single quest completes automatically in the field and lets you pick up the new one in the middle of nowhere. This is only for specific quests and quest chains. The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King's content has been touched very little, so you most likely will not be seeing that in any quests in those areas. Only very specific parts of the new Cataclysm content have received it.
Have questions about the World of Warcraft? The WoW.com crew is here with The Queue, our daily Q&A column. Leave your questions in the comments and we'll do our best to answer 'em!Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, The Queue, Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 9)
Hatchette Jul 19th 2010 11:10AM
interesting
bobikinbobwalker Jul 19th 2010 11:15AM
Ex-Wow players are pretty normal for Eve, from my experience. Eve has a very nice community to start with - in high security space, most everyone is nice and watches out for the newbies. Descend into lower security space, and you'll find the most cutthroat community in any MMO. The fact that the game world is so large that it can house different communities on a just a single server is what makes the game appeal to me, despite the fact that traveling through very similar environments over and over can get boring. The problem is that you really have to know someone already playing EVE to get into it. For newbies that don't know anyone, and are looking to try the game, I would recommend the corporation Eve University. It's a player-run university dedicated to showing players the ropes on various professions, and it can be found in most regions of high-security space (i know for sure that they exist in Gallente and Caldari space). Also, if anyone starts playing, do your best not to get sucked into mining and mission running. Play WoW for your PVE content, play Eve for your PVP.
bobikinbobwalker Jul 19th 2010 11:16AM
Just some information if anyone else is interested in trying the game.
Here's the latest trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ms95NKFnhCU
Drakkenfyre Jul 19th 2010 11:21AM
The problem is that the majority of the space is space. It's easy to store "nothing", so to speak. A few random meteors and asteroids. Separating people by defining the distance between them in the space.
Not disparaging your game, but just the "all on one server" aspect isn't that impessive given the kind of game it is. That combined with the fact that the population isn't as large.
jokerdurham Jul 19th 2010 11:27AM
Also if anyone wants to see a pretty funny video about EVE you should check out this. http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/208-Eve-Online
bobikinbobwalker Jul 19th 2010 11:28AM
That is actually one of the problems I have with the game, Drakkenfyre. I was going to include it in my OP, but I figured I'd droned on long enough already. The serious problem I have with EVE is that everything just looks the same. Taking my products and loot in to Jita to sell (Jita is the main hub star system for most buyers and sellers in the game) doesn't take long, but it's extremely painful nonetheless, because you're spending forever traveling through space without any real scenery. The community is pretty great, though - my small corp is currently locked in a war with a pirate corporation that keeps shooting down our ships, and my friend's corporation is in the middle of a desperate manhunt for the guy who infiltrated them and then robbed them blind. Dealing with the politics and strategy is fun, but running around in bland space is not.
havitech Jul 19th 2010 11:13AM
The time-line is the only thing that gets me with Cata: players will go through Western and Eastern Plaguelands doing quests to "clean up the remains of the Scourge after the defeat of the Lich King." Then at 68, they go to Northrend where they do quests to...help defeat the Lich King. I can definitely see new players scratching their heads at that one.
Of course, I can't blame Blizz; there's no easy fix. The best solution I can think up is to make the "current" Northrend part of the Caverns of Time and make a "new" Northrend for Cata that is exactly the same, minus quests, hostile NPCs, etc. (So at 68, you're rushed off to CoT to help ensure the defeat of the LK for 8-10 levels.) And then tweak Outlands just enough to recon those events to have occurred after the cataclysm.
Clydtsdk-Rivendare Jul 19th 2010 11:21AM
Well, defeat is not permanent. In the PL we really only beat the scourge off EK--then we went for northrend.
bobikinbobwalker Jul 19th 2010 11:24AM
I've worried about this too. Having a solution like that would probably just complicate things further down the line, though. In the end, Blizzard will have to redesign both Outland and Northrend to fit the current timeline in order for it not to be confusing as hell.
epsilon343 Jul 19th 2010 11:29AM
I understand a lot of the concerns people are having with the timeline between the three expansions, but I think this is one of those things that people should probably just shrug off and accept as being wonky. Six years after the release I think that new players could spend a few minutes reading a page or two describing the story while the game installs.
That's just my view on the subject. I've never been one to expect the storyline to just be handed to me on a silver platter so I've always had a hard time seeing why developers/writers/directors/etc. should be required to bring everyone else up to speed.
VSUReaper Jul 19th 2010 11:41AM
There was a Blue disscussion about this issue a few months back (cant find the damn link now) - basically they said they know its a disconnect, and it bums them out, but they dont care enough to fix it. Maybe later on, they might try, but right now nothing.
I know one thing that was suggested and received positively, was a portal in COT that would take you to OL and Northrend, so technically you are going back in time to help out... There would be a small atunement quest, basically explaining why you have to go back, and then you go. You would have the option of skipping the whole COT thing and just go there like normal, or you could follow the cookie crumble-trails to COT.
Muse Jul 19th 2010 11:50AM
Or just add a voice-over while you're on a boat that sums up "Several years ago, the Lich King struck Azeroth, prompting the armies of the Alliance and the Horde to take the battle to Northrend. This is then." or summat.
Amaxe-1 Jul 19th 2010 11:52AM
Seems they could edit parts of the quest text to indicate a collapse of the Scourge into a group of lich-led or Vrykul-led splinter groups which needed to be mopped up. Perhaps a tie-in of seeking to weaken these groups so they can't ally with the Deathwing stuff.
Likewise, TBC could be edited to weaken the Burning Legion groups from allying as well.
I'm sure there would be some things which don't make sense of course, but it would be less jarring than a throwback.
GiveBite Jul 19th 2010 12:43PM
What I want to know is why this is such a big deal. How does it break the game at all? Currently you have TONS of instances where the timeline is "broken" how about the argent tournament? The Lich King is already dead, just look at the statue in the middle of Dalaran celebrating the victory. Why does the Argent Crusade (exist instead of the Ashen Verdict) still come into Dalaran and tell everyone to come down and fight to be the ones to kill the Lich king?
Frank Jul 19th 2010 3:24PM
phasing? anyone?
Powerstar Jul 19th 2010 3:41PM
We're all missing the obvious solution. Wavy lines on the bc and nr loading screens.
icepyro Jul 19th 2010 6:37PM
I personally plan on leveling a Goblin and seeking out every quest that sends me to or from Garrosh and the before/aftermath of the Scourge. I may even level in Ghostlands for some BC wtf moments. I fully intend to do the quests in Nagrand that involve emo-daddy issues Garrosh. I will then go to Borean Tundra and the Argent Tourney with Commander Garrosh.
I will gladly do any other asynchronous quests I can find.
My goal is purely to have the most chronologically screwed up leveling experience possible. I can't wait to learn more in the Beta to see what kind of questing roadmap will make the least sense. I may even have to indulge some RP desires to question reality and curse the Bronze dragonflight for making time so screwed up.
I may even name him Bill or Ted. It will be an excellent adventure. *smiles at all the groans*
jbodar Jul 19th 2010 10:40PM
"Let's do the Scooby-doo ending... DEEDLE-LEEDLE-LEET, DEEDLE-LEEDLE-LEET, DEEDLE-LEEDLE-LEET!"
Mike Jul 19th 2010 11:15AM
Do Kezen and the Lost Isles appear on the world map so you can select them and view their maps?
Cephas Jul 19th 2010 11:43AM
No, not at all. In fact, when you're in those zones you can't zoom the map out.