Patch 5.3 interview with Ghostcrawler
Mystery of the Unborn Val'kyr
The latest patch 5.3 news
All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBreakfast Topic: Could you possibly be more excited for the Lunar Festival?
by Fox Van Allen 
Jan 20th 2011 at 8:00AM
To be honest, it took me a while to figure out just exactly what holiday the Lunar Festival was. Most holidays in Azeroth mirror our own, but I don't really celebrate Chinese New Year. So of course, being the uncultured (though handsome) dolt I am, I assumed the holiday was inspired by the canceled CBS drama Ghost Whisperer. Apparently, though, the Chinese New Year is a pretty big thing. Especially in China. Go figure!
For those who don't know, the Lunar Festival is a three-week-long super-holiday that involves running around the world to meet and "honor" all sorts of elders. If the whole thing tingles the same obsessive-compulsive part of your brain as it does mine, you'll find yourself one-manning all sorts of old instances, trying to honor some inconveniently located, long-forgotten spooks for a handful of gold and some holiday-only currency. If you want more information about it, it's all here in The OverAchiever: Guide to Lunar Festival 2011.
It's one of the most brutal travel-heavy holidays out there, but if you're interested in scoring that 310% mount from the What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been achievement, it's required. But is it worth it? Will you be celebrating the Lunar Festival holiday across all your alts? Are you excited about corpse-hopping your way through the opposing faction's capital cities?
I already made my rounds last year, so I think I'll just take it easy myself. Maybe order in some Chinese and catch a Camryn Manheim film festival instead.
Working on achievements? The Overachiever is here to help! Count on us for advice on Azeroth's holidays and special events, including new achievements, how to get 310% flight speed with achievement mounts, and reputation factions and achievements. Filed under: Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 4)
Nina Katarina Jan 20th 2011 8:51AM
I'm wondering if they'll revamp the elders this year, since so many of the cities and towns have changed. Maybe they already have too much on their plate, but it'll be interesting to see where the elders land this time around.
I've only really seen the horde-side zone changes, so this will be a good opportunity for me to visit Westfall and Elwynn. I'm just hoping that it will be easier to with sneak into Darnassus - I remember that being incredibly buggy and frustrating before flight in Azeroth was phased in. Corpserunning across the bay watching the fatigue bar slowly fill - not my idea of fun.
Noyou Jan 20th 2011 10:49AM
Heh. One of my goals was to get my rogue to 85 so he could withstand the pummeling a little better (probably not) once he lost stealth. Another was to get my hunter up to 85 so he could exact a little revenge for him). Hey what better holiday than the Lunar Fest which mirrors the Chinese new year. Karma. Yin yang. Priceless. Yep. And there will be some hard knocks on both sides mostly meted out by the beefed up guards.
spac3rat Jan 20th 2011 8:52AM
Honestly, I couldn't care less about the in-game holidays.
Narayana Jan 20th 2011 8:56AM
I hate this holiday with a passion.
Suite Jan 20th 2011 8:59AM
There are so many hyphens in that post its kind of scary. So, so many.
On topic though, I can't bring myself to running around the world honoring any elders, except for little Ezra in Thunderbluff. I don't do the holiday, but every year I go to honor that little boy.
Blayze Jan 20th 2011 9:02AM
I was going to abuse it to cap out my Alliance rep, but that's finished with and I have my Ribena drake. Nothing left to bother with.
osteenq Jan 20th 2011 9:10AM
Not be a Negative Nelly, but I'm not really that stoked about the in-game holidays anymore. They ALL need a major overhaul. I've only been playing since some time after the release of TBC, and I still feel like I've done all of the holiday stuff so many times that I'm sick of it.
Bring on some new stuff already.
Abbadon Jan 20th 2011 10:34AM
Yea, that about sums it up...
I've done the whole shebang on 2 toons, and that's enough for me. I just couldn't muster up the energy to do it more on other toons. I knew old world flight would make it easier, but then they introduced the "buy 310 flying" feature. I gladly dropped the change on all the alts to get faster flying - so much easier than dealing with all these long drawn out holidays!
The only thing that keeps me coming back is the chance at the holiday mounts. But like another poster up above, I did the HH event every day on 5 toons and didn't see a single mount. Looking forward to seeing the same results next month with the Love Rocket...
I really wish Blizzard would introduce some sort of Holiday Currency - either specific to each holiday or something generic for all of them. This way, you could be rewarded for participating even though the RNG hates you. 4 years of no HH drop? This wouldn't be a problem if there was currency and you could just buy the mount by getting enough tokens after a couple years of failed attempts. Same for the pets and other holiday exclusives... These once a year events are brutal on some players when it comes to relying on the RNG. It would be great to have our time and dedication rewarded with a way to finally get some of these rewards other than the RNG.
Ice Jan 20th 2011 11:29AM
They were exciting back in the day when I had either no idea what to do or the holidays were about HOLIDAY or FESTIVITY and it was fun breaks while levelling first char so they were totally new to me.
Now after 4 or so years? I got achievements done when wrath brought them, so I know that I've done "everything" about them, the game basically tells me that there is nothing new to be achieved or done since "I did it last year". Theres very few personal goals to be had with the holidays unless its "Must get RNG mount!" which is hardly goal since, well, RNG. You get it or you dont by mere luck.
And now everyone just runs around and does stuff "for achi!1"
Yeah yeah, "back in the day. Uphill in snow" but geez
Moorit Jan 20th 2011 9:14AM
Every time you honor an elder you get a little more rep with all capital city factions. This holiday was how I got my Ambassador title in the first place two years ago. I'll probably hit enough elders to impress Gilneas this year and then chill.
Josin Jan 20th 2011 9:18AM
I certainly couldn't be LESS excited for the Lunar Festival... that's for sure.
themightysven Jan 20th 2011 9:20AM
And remember Hordies, to get the Darn, Dolanaar, azure watch, Blood watch, and Exodar Elders you have to go to Stormwind and take the southern boat, there's no more boat from darkshore.
Forreststump Jan 20th 2011 9:56AM
I assume you're referring to under-60 characters that cannot fly?
Forreststump Jan 20th 2011 9:57AM
(Referring to Darnassus and Dolanaar ones)
Noyou Jan 20th 2011 10:58AM
I don't remember ever seeing a < 60 toon trying for it. Heck if I do I will just /salute. OF course you know there will be many [ substitute for douchebag]'s who wouldn't think twice before ganking. Honestly I think this year it will be tough for most people (especially loners) to try and pick up the elders of [either faction]. It was tough at times last year (for some reason my hunter seemed to garner the most aggro from guards) and that was when guards had about 50-60% of the average healthpool at lvl 80.
Ronin Jan 20th 2011 12:03PM
Forreststump, he's obviously referring to how to get from Eastern Kingdoms to Darkshore.
Heather Jan 22nd 2011 1:50PM
Yeah, now there's no boat from Darkshore to Teldrassil or Exodar, only an Alliance flight point. You need to take a boat from Stormwind to Teldrassil, then a boat from there to Azuremyst Isle.
I would be tearing out my hair if I were Horde.
Heather Jan 22nd 2011 1:51PM
Oh, and fatigue kicks in if you try to fly to Teldrassil from Darkshore, is why people would have trouble that way
Hraklea Jan 21st 2011 2:58PM
These events are cool, but I don't worry that much them. There are better things to do that travel looking for elders, like playing the games I bought on Steam during the Christmas sales XD.
I might get the clothes from the Festival, they look nice and aren't hard to get, but in general, I don't give a damn for those events. I play the game for it's gameplay, nothing else.
SamLowry Jan 20th 2011 9:51AM
This holiday was the first one where I really hated Blizzard for wiping partially-completed achievements. Two years ago, I attempted this and had everything but the elder in UP, who is right past Skadi. I put together six pugs but not a single one could get past Skadi, so I couldn't get the achievement or the meta and I thought, "Better luck next year." Skadi was nerfed afterward so it was much easier to get past him, but when the following year rolled around I discovered I had to go through all the dungeons all over again.
Yay.
Oh, and their wiping routine becomes laughably idiotic when you realize I had to completely redo both parts of Sinister Calling even though I had a Hallowed Helm in my bank. I put it on and still didn't get that part of the achievement, and Blizzard stonewalled every complaint to fix the issue. I had to loot ANOTHER helm, which I couldn't even pick up until I deleted the first one, to finally get the achievement.