The Queue: The fate of Sky Captain Swayze and Ka'anu Reevs
by Mathew McCurley 
Dec 5th 2011 at 11:00AM
My two new favorite NPCs in World of Warcraft are Sky Captain Swayze and Ka'anu Reevs of the Kor'kron Air Command. In the past, I have been very vocal about my disdain for "lazy NPCs" design in which a clever name that just replaces letters or flat-out names the NPC after the pop culture reference is created for content. Haris Pilton is the queen of all lazy NPCs, for instance, because it's not even a joke on Paris Hilton -- it's just her.
Sky Captain Swayze and his best orc buddy Ka'anu Reevs, however, are stalwart heroes, best friends, and champions in the highest regard. Whatever happens to them after that fateful jump and subsequent tentacling, I hope they survive. I hope they live on. In the name of freedom. I want Sky Captain Swayze and Ka'anu Reevs to be surfing off the shore of Pandaria for years to come.
You're about to jump out of a perfectly good airship, Reevs -- how do you feel about that?
mord asked:
Is raid finder too easy with 372 gear? I think Raid Finder was tuned for ilvl 365. I can understand why they decided to initially set it to 372, but I have a hunch it will eventually drop to 365 in a month or two. Have blues hinted at this possibility?
The Raid Finder will never be "too easy." People are completely missing the point of the Raid Finder if you ever think that it is "too easy." The Raid Finder is not meant to be difficult. Yes, it's meant to pose interesting challenges to players who are running it, but by no means is it meant to challenge you on the level of normal mode or heroic mode difficulties.
The reason the Raid Finder is built the way it is boils down to the fact that as a game mechanic, raiding is a pretty poor one. Think about it -- content is difficult, it used to be extremely time-locked and artificially gated, and it's logistically difficult for the everyday player. These are not people who needed to learn to play but rather people who just didn't have the time.
The Raid Finder's difficulty is to give all of those people the chance of at least seeing the encounters and being a part of the grand story without the traditional traps and gates of raiding in an MMO. MMO raiding is this weird anomaly that exists as game content moves toward accessibility over exclusivity. For people who legitimately feel threatened by the Raid Finder, I just feel like I'm at a loss for words sometimes. Why are you threatened by the Raid Finder? Because it's easy mode? Because someone could say, "Well, I defeated Deathwing and saved the day!" and did it via the Raid Finder? What the hell does that matter to you if you beat the fights on a harder difficulty?
As for whether or not they will lower the difficulty or, rather, lower the ilevel required to raid, I think they keep it up high to increase the chance of success each LFR group has of completing the raid wings. They would rather require higher ilevels to get in and have more innate successes than to lower the ilevel and have too many frustrating encounters and experiences. It will probably stay where it is.
razion asked:
Okay queue-goers, let's brainstorm here for a minute. What is the quickest way to do the quest "Test Your Strength"? Alternatively, what is the most AMUSING way to do so?
As usual, my go-to spot for farming experience-yielding mobs are the ghosts and undead in Icecrown due north of that awful area where you do the stupid jousting with the commanders. They die extremely fast and give you a grisly trophy. The most amusing way is PvP in the Darkmoon Free-for-all Deathmatch because that thing is a joke. Remove players from groups in there, in my opinion.
Darkseid asked:
Okay, so Blizzard introduces the Raid finder... Then makes none of the Rogue legendary quest or items attainable through the raid finder....
But... because of the Raid finder, you never see anyone forming PUG raids.
So the question is...
How are any Rogues who aren't already part of a raiding guild supposed to have ANY shot at completing or even starting the Legendary dagger chain...
Seems like piss poor planning on Blizzards part. Or, a ridiculous continuation of what they started with Cata, of basically trying to force everyone into a guild.
Legendaries are intended for players who are part of a guild in which the time, dedication, and logistical work is more difficult than your average encounter or quest. Not everyone is meant to have legendaries, as they represent one of the highest echelons of rewards in the game. PUG raids will form in time as players get geared up from Raid Finder and get more familiar with the fights. It just so happens that right now, there is an easier way to PUG raid, and it's Raid Finder.
Hal asked:
I understand Blizzard giving reforging duties to the ethereals... in Stormwind and Orgrimmar. Why in blazes did they take reforging out of the other cities?
I had literally no idea there were reforgers in other cities.
Have questions about the World of Warcraft? The WoW Insider 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!
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Reader Comments (Page 2 of 13)
Bellajtok Dec 5th 2011 12:58PM
When we killed Deathmagic, it caused an extemporaneal draconic metacrisis, reverberating back through the timeways, rewriting and shifting things. As the people closest to the center of the timesplosion, those who killed Deathwing are the most strongly affected, and the people close to them are also affected. The result is that things go just a little bit wrong- over and over again, like the same people in different lives doing nearly the same things that they did before. Death becomes unpermanent, and more so for some, especially the very powerful beings of the world and those adventurers who were closely affected by the timesplosion. Things don't always make sense- people act without motivation, or change their personality suddenly. People move back and forward in time, seemingly at random, but always near the same points in their timeline that those things would have happened before.
TL;DR: Time travel broke continuity and created WoW.
TL;DR:(v. 2) Wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey... stuff.
Xantenise Dec 5th 2011 1:07PM
So on one hand, you have people complaining about the discontinuity...
... but on the other, you have people complaining about the lack of end-game.
People, there's less end-game because the earlier game got revamped. If Blizz are constantly revamping old content, they won't be able to pour as much effort into end-game.
Nijel Dec 5th 2011 2:07PM
Tinfoil Hat Theory:
Remembering back to the first quests alliance side heading into Vashj'ir. Before you jump on the ships to ride out to the battle this conversation is had by the troops on the dock:
Stormwind Soldier says: I think I can just make it out from here. Right on the edge of the horizon.
Stormwind Recruit says: Make what out, exactly?
Stormwind Soldier says: The new island - just surfaced after the last earthquakes.
Stormwind Soldier says: It's what we're fighting for. On this front, at least.
Now sure there is a small island out there but I always felt it was kinda lame, nothing going on. But could this small chunk of land be just a small island off the coast of Pandaria? Since it just "surfaced" after the last earthquakes would it be too much of a stretch for it to just have the veil of mists removed from it?
We were heading off to a naval battle maybe some troops fell to the bottom maybe others washed up on the shores of Pandaria. That would make the next expansion run almost concurrently with (or at least shortly after) the Cataclysm. That would help with the whole time travel thing.
lilywillylover Dec 5th 2011 2:10PM
Everyone acts like Cataclysm screwed up the timeline not remembering Burning Crusade starting zones and the Death Knight starting zones.
BC starting zones both happened after Vanilla yet after level 20 both Draenei and Blood Elves still go through the Vanilla zones.
DK starting zones happened after BC yet they still go through some Vanilla zones before hitting BC zones.
Save yourself the confusion, don't go by levels to determine the timeline. Go by release dates, it's the most accurate and headache free way to go about it.
Vanilla 1-60 > Draenei/BE 1-20 > Outlands 60-70 > DK 55-58 > Wrath 70-80 > Cata 1-60 > Cata 80-85 > Panda 1-10 > Mists 85-90
trefpoid Dec 5th 2011 11:06AM
I did all my reforging in Undercity. The NPC is quite a character. I can't go to Orgrimmar due to my PC being 7 years old, so Blizzard really made me sad when all other reforgers were gone. I hope a few Ethereals can make their way to other cities at some point..
rapsam2003 Dec 5th 2011 11:33AM
Maybe you should just get a new PC?...
Kole Dec 5th 2011 11:50AM
@rapsam2003
You paying for it? Cause if you are I'd like to get my name on the free, can handle Org/SW lag PC list too...
trefpoid Dec 5th 2011 12:02PM
I think one of the reasons WoW has so many subscribers is because you can access the game without a needing to have the best machine in the market. That broadens the audience a lot and they make a great game with beautiful graphics without leaving people like me behind. I don't have money to spend on a new PC when I have to pay bills, so I can only thank Blizzard for making the game playable on my computer, even if I have every setting set on low, I still enjoy the game and this keeps me a Blizzard customer :)
Manawa Dec 5th 2011 1:42PM
You can maybe try going to less popular parts of Org for what you need. I spend most of my time in the tauren district for bank, mail, AH. Hope it helps =/
Ringo Flinthammer Dec 5th 2011 2:26PM
Yeah, I reforge in Ironforge, which is great, since it's a super-convenient city and empty of 99 percent of asshats now.
I don't get the "we think there's too much clustering in Org and Stormwind" statement at Blizzcon being paired with "oh, hey, we're going to make more services exclusive to each city."
Berree Dec 5th 2011 11:10AM
Do you think Wow is giving up on its adult casual gamers? It just seems to me they are moving towards younger audiences with candyla- oops i mean pandaland.
mintyfreshj Dec 5th 2011 11:18AM
theres nothing cutesy about a drunk-ass kicking panda. they are not cute and fluffy. theyre alcaholics that bash your face in.
Sinthar Dec 5th 2011 11:23AM
I disagree - panda's ARE cute. Ask any 6 year old and they will tell you that - even after watching kung fu panda, or even during. (I mention 6year old as that how old my niece is - tis not a 'comment' about any ages of anyone else, nor implied as any form of insult or insinuation that that is the playing age of anyone).
Matt P Dec 5th 2011 11:26AM
Since Warcraft III, the series has been more fantastical and silly in its design than similar games. It's cliché to say at this point, but was the need for realism or extreme severity ever sated in a game with talking, anthropomorphic cows and highly explosive short people?
Sinthar Dec 5th 2011 11:28AM
Oh and btw I dont agree Blizz are 'giving up' Adults CAN like cute things too - theres no law against it!
Shinae Dec 5th 2011 11:31AM
There will be plenty of bloodshed and scary things in Pandaria, troll.
Things like the Sha, the Mogu and the Mantid.
Heck, even the rabbits there are not cute but creepy (search Verming).
Pandas will be just as fierce as any other playable race.
Your thoughts are clouded by your own lack of imagination.
loop_not_defined Dec 5th 2011 11:40AM
Sinthar, have you seen Dora the Explorer? Bears, trolls, and alligators are all cute-capable. Nothing's sacred.
Devin Dec 5th 2011 11:45AM
Ugh, give it a break.
Tirrimas Dec 5th 2011 11:46AM
Personally, I enjoy WoW's sense of humor and relative lightheartedness. It's gotten to the point where, if a game takes itself too seriously, it's unplayable for me.
In a way, it makes sense to go after a slightly younger demographic. (Hear me out.)
The game's almost ten years old. The hardcores that started out with it are starting to have families, which severely cuts back on their gaming time. A new generation is coming up who grew up with Pokemon and other anime. These are your future gamers.
Personally, I think WoW's due for an infusion of lighter stuff before it goes all heavy again. We've been dealing with some pretty damned serious sh-tuff lately. Let's go to Gallywix' and party for a while, eh?
MattKrotzer Dec 5th 2011 12:04PM
"theres nothing cutesy about a drunk-ass kicking panda."
I think you meant "drunk ass-kicking panda." A drunk-ass kicking panda then begs the question of "How does that match up against a drunk-ass punching panda?"