Breakfast Topic: What zones have been shattered for the better?
by Dion Cooper 
Dec 2nd 2010 at 8:00AM
Astride my tauren paladin's newly obtained Sunwalker Kodo, I headed toward the Mor'Shan Rampart and into one of my least favorite zones, Ashenvale. It was supposed to be a contested zone in the old world, where Horde and Alliance vied for control of the zone. Instead, all I remembered was running from Splintertree Post to the Zoram'gar Outpost and avoiding Astranaar, the only possible point of PvP (since I'm on a PvE server). This was all prior to mounts being available at 20.
Needless to say, even with the shattering of the world, I expected more of the same. Needless to say, I was wrong.
At the Rampart, where before you would walk right through the main entrance (or slip through the hole in the gate if you were Alliance), there is intense combat between Horde and Alliance. The first few quests of new Ashenvale throw you directly into the fray. I thought, "Wow, this is the way this zone should have been all along." Questing throughout the zone only serves to enhance this feeling, and I must give props to Blizzard because its ability to tell a story, no matter how short or long, has improved since the beginning of Wrath, let alone the life of WoW. Ashenvale has been transformed from one of my least favorite zones to one of my favorites.
Fellow citizens of Azeroth, what zones for you have been shattered for the better?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics, Guest Posts
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 8)
natas.k Dec 2nd 2010 8:05AM
only got to 30 on ma gnome priest so the new starter area and Loch Modan both way more fun than they used to be. If they're all as good as those two then levelling is gonna be hella fun!
Rakah Dec 2nd 2010 8:22AM
I found silithus to be about the same as before, though they nerfed some mobs. winterspring is better though.
Natsumi Dec 2nd 2010 10:42AM
Having leveled a Gnome Priest to 48 on the PTR (and being in the process of doing so again on live) and crushing the quests in Kalimdor on my Main at 80 (hey, I have to do them some time to get Loremaster, not to mention the surprise bonus pets :D ) I have to say that most zones have improved as far a quest flow, story, and design as well as leveling experience. HOWEVER, several zones are far more annoying than they used to be. Darkshore pops to mind with its ridiculous smashed and flooded roadway (several parts take a couple minutes to get past, having to run or jump down, then swim to the next small segment, climb back up, then repeat the process in 10 feet).
Arathi is on my BAD list as far as changes go for the simple reason that what was once one of the most epic contested zones is now Horde only. I've played on multiple servers and you could start a Southshore v Tarren Mill war in about 5 minutes on any of them (the RP server responded even faster than the PvP server) and that loss is one of the worst. I haven't seen a single zone that would have the same feel as Arathi did. Goodbye epic world PvP, you shall be missed.
As for the zone that has changed for the BEST, I'd have to say Badlands has 3 amazing quest chains for Alliance and should definitely be a top contender. All I'm going to say is "I'M GUNNA PUNCH THAT DRAGON IN THE FACE!!"
Gaurisk Dec 3rd 2010 5:22AM
Seconding the love for Dun Morogh and Loch Modan. The overhaul to the 1-20 experience there might be one of the quieter successes of this expansion, but I absolutely adore Safety Warden Pipsy.
Roasterz Dec 2nd 2010 12:07PM
Agree!!!
Kaz and loch are fun. Dwarf shammy and gnome priest... Oh yes! love gnomer music!
Also
Love darkshore, feels epic with malfurion. and thank you Garrosh Hellscream for invading ashenvale, thank you. I had a blast with my nelf kitty (prowl n ravage! prowl n ravage!) also felt epic.
Human starter was nice but, needs to phase from quest to quest though and change the land scape a bit. it lacks an imersive quality. Elwyn was a disapointment and changing Defias wizard to Rogue Wizard is lame. west fall and redridge are great as is dusk wood.
penguinairsauce Dec 2nd 2010 12:18PM
@natsumi
your thinking of hillsbrad not arathi, although arathi is supposed to be one of the worst zones in cata.
why would they keep hillsbrad the same anyway? it was always the top ganking spot in vanilla because all the alliance were 10 levels higher than the horde that went there, and the zone has been pretty much been dead for the better part of TBC and WotLK.
Wallert Dec 2nd 2010 8:03AM
All of them. Seriously, the worst I can say is Arathi has stayed the same. Every other zone has improved to a greater or lesser degree.
Bossy Dec 2nd 2010 8:17AM
I played through Westfall and Redridge mountains.
(spoiler) All I can say is that both zones has a fantastic questing line and the landscape changed according to what you did.
I think the quests with the B-company is the best questline I ever saw in game.
Already had the urge to play my wargames of WW2 again.
Elwyn Forest was a let down, I wonder why they let it slip, because those others are magnificent.
Questing will never be the same again.
I now hope Blizzard's next MMO will something be futuristic. I can see them doing it with the questing seen in that B-company quests.
A pity the world designer didn't coordinate to well the experience gains. To have a challenge going you really have to quest with experience shut down half of the time.
Hint Blizzard: include a button on the character "experience on/off", so we can enjoy the ride for those who want it. Everytime going on and off to SW (or Ogrimmar) to pay 10 gold to activate or deactivate the EXP is duh...
Josin Dec 2nd 2010 8:29AM
I can honestly say that Hillsbrad Foothills did not change for the better. Aside from that, I agree with you.
When they put a highly-anticipated quest chain (Plants vs. Zombies) in the center of the zone, it's pretty weak that Alliance has to travel so far to get to it.
Hoof Dec 2nd 2010 8:36AM
An Alliance member has no right to judge a Horde zone Josin. Hillsbrad has definitely improved. The new version is a thousand times better than the old. Sorry your faction got kicked out.
Narshe Dec 2nd 2010 9:00AM
Arathi and Silithus are the same, I dont get it.
Saeadame Dec 2nd 2010 9:22AM
@Josin - I agree that a quest for both sides that was as highly anticipated as the PvG one should have maybe been put in a contested zone, but for Horde players, the PvG quests are definitely NOT the centre of Hillsbrad. The quest chains there - especially once you start reading the npc's names - are very clever.
Josin Dec 2nd 2010 9:57AM
Being that it WAS a contested zone, I have EVERY right to judge it. The topic was about changes you liked or didn't like. I don't like the change in Hillsbrad. Nothing wrong with saying that.
dpoyesac Dec 2nd 2010 10:33AM
@Josin
Better != What you like.
What you like or dislike is in your own head. It is what them college-edjukated guys would call 'subjective'. But the HIllsbrad storylines are clever, fun, engaging, and (most importantly!) give Horde players a reason to want vengeance on Vannar Dorkpike and the dwarves in AV. That makes Hillsbrad OBJECTIVELY better than it was before, since the zone now does what is is supposed to do BETTER than it did before.
Oh yeah, and we find out that all male BE hunters are named Jenny Awesome. That makes Hillsbrad the Best Zone Ever.
Josin Dec 2nd 2010 10:41AM
@dpoyesac
How would I know any of that? I'm Alliance. To me, Hillsbrad is NOT better. Sorry. It's my point of view. All points of view are subjective, as you stated. I wasn't aware that "better" was an objective term...
veil Dec 2nd 2010 11:08AM
BETTER © copyright 2004 - 2010 by Veil World Domination Corporation. VeWDCo is also a trademark of Veil World Domination Corporation. All rights reserved. Contact VeWdCo for license requests. The usual copyright notices and disclaimers. Except for search engines or link listing, no part of this term, including derived information, may be republished without express written permission and payment of fees.
Toggle Dec 2nd 2010 11:13AM
Words like clever, fun, and engaging are also subjective. This entire topic is subjective. They took out all alliance questing out of the zone, I think he could be justified in saying that he liked the zone better the way it was before. There is no way to get an objective critique of a zone, because each person gets a different level of enjoyment from different elements.
veil Dec 2nd 2010 11:14AM
on topic...i've only played thru a few (horde) revamped zones on an alt. and from that, azshara is unequivocally the biggest improvement from my experience. it went from a dead and dull leveling zone with minimal activity to a full-on starter zone with some of the best quests i've played since ever. i fed a stone giant a laxative, helped a genius raptor escape the world on a rocket, rode a mouse, rocketed across the landscape, and called in goblin airborne priests corps.
Sinthar Dec 2nd 2010 11:27AM
@ dpoyesac & Josin
Guys - the question is valid for every zone for both alliance and horde imho. The question did not say what zones are better/worse from the perspective of . However It may be appropriate to say 'from my point of view (as )'.
@dpoyesac
Your use of the word 'objectively' is completely wrong in this context, you cannot be objective basing your reason on one sides quests lore etc- esp when you are saying that alliance cannot have an opinion on that region - this makes your opinion entirely subjective (as are all opinions). And yes I am university educated, so ill use the words as i see fit (cos i did maths not english).
Lastly my opinion is :-
I think hillbrad is worse that before - from the alliance point of view - as we do not have any quest hub, flight point or even any lore to pick up from there now - but I personally love the mini game - and I am considering buying the actual game now. I hadnt heard of it before -and I now have the sunflower pet on all my toons that can get it. Graphically I think it is superior, but I wish Blizz had put some alliance (and horde) quests in areas they were losing (phased ofc) so you could play out how your side was losing the ground and learn the lore as to why how etc.
Josin Dec 2nd 2010 11:45AM
@Sinthart
Couldn't agree more. ANY sort of explanation for the Alliance as to what happened to Southshore would be welcome. Its a shame to have to rely on out-of-game resources to know what's going on. Even a quest to fly over and survey the damage would be awesome. Just something to illustrate the events.