The Queue: Leaving on a Jet Plane

As you read this, I'm most likely on a plane to Anaheim. Well, no, probably not, because I know you guys. Most of you are reading this the very second the post goes live, and if that's the case, then I'm still sitting at my desk in Milwaukee staring angrily at the high wind warning that has been issued in my area. The beginning of my flight is going to be fun.
@rjwii asked:
Will the alliance become the dominant faction this expansion?
I've been trying to think of a kind way to say hell no, and the best I could come up with was a regular no. I don't expect that will happen. As an Alliance player, I have come to terms with the fact that we're likely to be the whipping boys forever. At no point in World of Warcraft has the Alliance been dominant, and the Alliance's victories are not victories so much as they are isolated events in which the Horde does not completely slaughter the Alliance. Blizzard does not really grasp how to write the Alliance at war. Blizzard is very good at writing the Horde at war, however. Notice how in Twilight Highlands, the #1 zone featuring the war between the Horde and the Alliance in Cataclysm, is a completely one-sided slaughter. The Horde is lok'tar-ogaring all over the place and rocking the Alliance's face in. The Alliance is busy holding a wedding.
I think Varian Wrynn embodies this somewhat. Blizzard is very much about the Horde and how they wage wars. It's into that so much that it gave the Alliance their king back, but they turned him into an Orc first. I don't dislike Varian Wrynn, but he's certainly not a bastion of humanity. He's Lo'gosh. He's the Ghost Wolf. The Alliance doesn't need a Ghost Wolf; the Alliance doesn't need an Orc in charge. The Alliance needs another Lion of Stormwind, but we're not going to get that.
Do I hope I'm wrong? Yes, absolutely. Swamp of Sorrows does have Joanna Blueheart, so at least one of the quest designers at Blizzard grasps how the Alliance rolls. If they can use her as their basis for Alliance warfare, we could have a great thing. Joanna is alone in her example, though. Things look ... bleak.
Andre asked:
Does the sword drop from the Horseman or the bag?
The bag!
Bellajtok asked:
So what do you guys unrealistically want from the next expansion? In other words, what's on your magical wishlist?
I want player/guild housing with a tremendous spread of decorative options that you can acquire and achieve in sub-raid content. Five-mans and solo are fair game. It would serve as a way to advance your character (or your guild) when you're at the level cap, and I think World of Warcraft desperately needs to get back into giving players something to work toward at the level cap that isn't just inflating your ilevel. Archaeology attempted to do this, but just grinding out fragments is not particularly compelling.
I think it would be incredibly fun to hunt down trophies, statues, armor racks, rugs, and so on to pimp your pad. I was on the fence about player housing for years, but after Cataclysm, I desperately long for something I can really strive toward on level-capped characters that isn't simply Blizzard pushing me back toward raiding. The Burning Crusade had a large amount of content like that, I feel. Wrath didn't have much and Cataclysm had even less.
Terrant asked:
What kind of parents name their kid Kel'Thuzad?
His name is actually Kelly Julius Thuzad, but since Kelly is a girl's name, he shortened it to Kel'Thuzad.
@peterchristy asked:
What are you most looking forward to at BlizzCon? Least?
I'm most looking forward to the WoW Insider meetup. Really, I am! BlizzCon is great and I'm excited about any WoW news that happens to come out of it, but the meetup is just unrivaled in the excitement department. We plan this thing off and on all year long, and September and October is when the planning comes together and coalesces into something real. We're all excited to hit the ground in Anaheim, prep our venue, and rock out with our fans and friends. I imagine it's how Blizzard feels about BlizzCon itself, except BlizzCon is a heckuva lot bigger.
What am I looking forward to the least? The lines. You always do a lot of standing in line at conventions, but BlizzCon is extra bad about it. All of the vendors are crammed into such a cramped space, and lines grow to be so long that all of the lines start wrapping around unrelated booths and intersecting with each other, and it gets to the point where you're not even sure you're in the right line anymore.
Filed under: The Queue
Patch 5.2 interview with Dave Kosak
Inside an old alt's vault
The latest patch 5.2 news
All of the latest Mists of Pandaria news





Reader Comments (Page 3 of 14)
Bellajtok Oct 19th 2011 11:12AM
What's your favorite Hallow's End pet?
The Dewd Oct 19th 2011 11:20AM
The box seems pretty awesome so far - but I haven't seen the cat on the broom yet (only heard about it).
ravyncat Oct 19th 2011 11:24AM
Kitty with a witch hat!!!!!
Nynaeve Oct 19th 2011 11:44AM
I loved the Creepy Crate ... until I got a Kitty in a witch hat that flies behind me on a tiny broomstick.
Tabasa Oct 19th 2011 11:52AM
The kitty FLIES?!
Oh god. I need it even more now.
Pam Oct 19th 2011 12:04PM
25 people getting gripped into roots by Domo on the first Alysrazor pull, with 25 creepy crates lagging behind to catch up...most awesome scene ever.
Eyhk Oct 19th 2011 3:48PM
Did you guys notice that the creepy crate will literally just eat the black cat?
Mortenebra Oct 19th 2011 12:51PM
I nearly wiped the raid last night because I was too busy laughing at my crate catching critters and eating them... AND licking its "lips." Flying kitty sounds awesome and cute... But lip-licking, flipping, critter-catching crate rocks my socks.
Natsumi Oct 19th 2011 1:25PM
Creepy Crate, then Sinister Squashling, then the Cat in the Hat. Flying on a broom is cute, as is the hat, but the Crate EATS critters, flies, and reminds me of a horror flick I saw years ago about a crate that was possessed and ate people.
Greg Oct 19th 2011 1:33PM
I just read that the cat flies. I'm resubbing right now.
How Blizz- how do you know me so well!?
Noyou Oct 19th 2011 1:59PM
Squashling. I like pets that do something. Anything. Egbert is my favorite over-all. Squashling I think I would put in my top 5. Just wish we could trade the extra ones we get in for tokens or something. Sucks to have to delete them.
Wowcoholic Oct 19th 2011 2:20PM
The Creepy Crate critter kills count toward your guild's critter kill achievement. :D
TimR Oct 19th 2011 11:12AM
When during the panels do you expect the next expansion to be announced? The WoW preview panel early the first day seems the likely spot to me.
Rezai Oct 19th 2011 11:14AM
I think they will announce it at the opening ceremony, give us a trailer then move on. I don't think we will get any juicy info until the WoW preview panel though.
Didax Oct 19th 2011 11:16AM
I'm very interested in when the new expansion will be announced as well.
I need to know if I need to take an hour or two off from work Friday to be able to watch it on the stream.
-----------------------------------------------
On a slightly related note: anyone have suggestions for food for my blizzcon stream-watching party?
Task Oct 19th 2011 11:26AM
@didax
It ranges from alcohol and soft drink/juice to fried, fast food/take out.
It comes down to whom and how many are coming over.
And if your friends are planning to drink, tell them that their car keys are to be turned over upon arriving. Better than seeing them hurt or worse.
Task Oct 19th 2011 11:28AM
@didax
It ranges from alcohol and soft drink/juice to fried, fast food/take out.
It comes down to whom and how many are coming over.
And if your friends are planning to drink, tell them that their car keys are to be turned over upon arriving. Better than seeing them hurt or worse.
Daedalus Oct 19th 2011 11:40AM
I'm 100% confident saying the reveal will be in the opening ceremony. That's where it's always been before, and that's just where it makes the most sense. It's really the only part of Blizzcon where attention isn't divided between multiple things; all eyes are on the main one. Then, the panels can delve deeper into pieces like raids, lore, artwork, etc.
In fact, I'll go one step further in my prognostication: it'll be the last thing they announce. My guess is they'll open with Diablo, since that has the least amount of stuff that's still secret. Maybe a release date, or some kind of trailer. Then, they'll move onto a reveal for Heart of the Swarm; maybe gameplay footage, a peak at the story, and a tease about new units. Then, they'll build to a crescendo with the expansion release, since that's the biggest question mark, and that's probably what most people are most excited to hear about.
lownwolf Oct 19th 2011 11:44AM
I haven't been to a blizzcon where they announced a new expansion yet. But, looking at the schedule, the opening ceremony is from 11am-12 and at 12:30, on the same stage, is an event called "World of Warcraft Preview"
So I'm guessing they'll either announce it during the opening ceremony and get more in depth in the preview, or save it all for the preview.
So those looking to block out time to pay attention to the stream, i'd say 11am-2pm (the end of the "Preview") would be your best bet.
Lynyrd Oct 19th 2011 11:47AM
Odds on a potential leak(s) of expansion info before the announcement on Friday? Also, is it surprising to others that there has not been peep about the expansion (besides the pandarian stuff)?