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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBreakfast Topic: Which race has the best starting zone?
by Olivia Grace 
Feb 27th 2012 at 8:00AM
I like draenei, I really do. I like how kooky they look, with their glowy eyes and their horns and hooves. Their racials are, well, just OK really compared to some of the other ones available on the Alliance side, but they look brilliant.
But, my God, I dislike their starting zone. It really is dreadful, in my book. I don't know if it's because I've played through it a few times, but I didn't like it on the first try, and I sure don't like it now. I regularly pay to race change characters into draenei once they've made it through their own starting zone; for example, my most recent 85 is a priest who began life as a gnome and race changed to draenei later on, just to avoid those pesky islands.
Maybe it's just the novelty of playing new content, but I really enjoyed the gnome starting zone. I have to say, though, the start zone that takes the cake for me is the undead one. I didn't play through it before Cataclysm, but I have done since ol' Deathwing did his thing -- and wow, it's amazing. I reckon it's the best one in the game so far, and haven't found any that even come close to comparing.
What's your favorite starting zone? Which do you consider the worst starting zone? And, of course, why?
But, my God, I dislike their starting zone. It really is dreadful, in my book. I don't know if it's because I've played through it a few times, but I didn't like it on the first try, and I sure don't like it now. I regularly pay to race change characters into draenei once they've made it through their own starting zone; for example, my most recent 85 is a priest who began life as a gnome and race changed to draenei later on, just to avoid those pesky islands.
Maybe it's just the novelty of playing new content, but I really enjoyed the gnome starting zone. I have to say, though, the start zone that takes the cake for me is the undead one. I didn't play through it before Cataclysm, but I have done since ol' Deathwing did his thing -- and wow, it's amazing. I reckon it's the best one in the game so far, and haven't found any that even come close to comparing.
What's your favorite starting zone? Which do you consider the worst starting zone? And, of course, why?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 5)
Cinnamilk Feb 27th 2012 9:01AM
The Tauren starting zone is my favorite.
I almost cried at Greatmother Hawkwind's funeral.
Luotian Feb 27th 2012 9:10AM
Tauren isn't my favorite, but I think the changes there are the best. It feels like that story progressed and didn't just change (like the NElf, Human, and Orc zones do). I really love Tauren, why don't I have one?
OUFanInKansas Feb 27th 2012 8:56AM
Best three:
#3 - Dwarf
#2 - Worgen
#1 - Goblin
Worst three:
#3 - Night Elf
#2 - Blood Elf
#1 - Draenaei
Honorable mention:
Best not-yet-released zone:
Pandaren
Fastest zone to level through:
Human
Chetti Feb 27th 2012 9:01AM
I love love love the undead starting zone, post cataclysm. I don't really know what it was like before. But I really enjoyed leveling my undead spriest through the starting zone and on into the following zones to where it kind of parallels the worgens and we get the other half of that story in gilneas. Its just awesome.
I've leveled a worgen (before the undead), and though the setting is nice, I wasn't really impressed by it. I thought I'd really enjoy it, but just.. no. I guess because the story just cuts off when they leave the city. That, and my female worgen looks like bambi - before the truck hits.
I've done the goblin starting area twice, not because I particularly like it.. I mean its decent, very creative and what you'd expect goblins to be (inventions and explosions and things). The first time through I enjoyed it, the second time through I had forgotten how incredibly LONG it is for a starting zone. To get the 100 quest achievement before getting out of the immediate area, its crazy.
Before cataclysm, I enjoyed the night elf starting area. I'm a little bias though, my first character was a night elf. But I thought the area was so pretty. I liked Darnassus and on into Darkshore (back when the bridge was there for the boats to SW and Exodar). I needed to know what happened to those areas once the shattering happened, so the first thing I did when I logged in on patch day was go visit darnassus and darkshore (and set out to get the achievement for seeing the places deathwing destroyed). Then, I leveled a night elf mage through all of it. I think she's level 33, still sitting in ashenvale. But thats ok, I saw what I wanted to see.
I've leveled 2 taurens, one before cataclysm and one after. The barrens is still long. So very long.
Redbeard Feb 27th 2012 9:05AM
I still like the BC races' starting zones the best. The Worgen zone could have been great, but like Cassandri said in a recent Hots and Dots post, it's incomplete.
I do like the revised Tauren zone, however, which gets my vote for best upgrade.
liliornin Feb 27th 2012 9:14AM
I have leveled so many times since early BC when I started through every single area....Pre-Cata I HATED the Tauren starting zone. Post-Cata it's much better, but still not my fave. My very first toon was a Night Elf and I loved the colors and forest and music of the area, one thing that bugged me was not finding the poisoned guy. I remember so many people running around trying to find him "hey where is....". I too, went through the death run from Teldrassil to Stormwind--Crocs and Raptors were well fed during those times.
I have played every new area now since Cata hit, and they are all fun and neat in their own ways. The Undead area is fun--I just love that phrase "I'm dead? Oh yes, an Orc cut off my hands and left me to die. My hands....THESE AREN'T MY HANDS!" Kind of goes with the female UD joke, "Yes, they're real. They're not MINE, but they're real".
The Worgen and Goblin zones are very neat with totally different looks and styles of quests, however, I hate that you are locked in until you finish everything out there and are around lvl 14.
I love the revamped Human starting zone. It has to be my new fave. It flows so well. All the Human areas flow so well now. So much better than they did pre-cata. I love the horse they put you on to ride to Eastvale Logging Camp (or the bridge just before it). I want one. To me, the Human area shows more "cata-like" content than the other areas. I really like how the gear rewards are set to your gear type, that is so nice. I also really like the new Gnome starting area. Going through the detoxing is silly, as is the music, but very fun.
zazumel Feb 27th 2012 9:14AM
On the Alliance side, for me it's a toss-up between the Dwarf and Gnome starting areas. On the Horde side, I like the Blood Elf and Tauren starting areas.
nonentity Feb 27th 2012 9:20AM
Worgen. No contest.
Imo it's the most atmospheric of all the starting zones. The Goblin one is fun the first time around and the Lost Isles look stunning even the n-th time but Gilneas just works better.
puffcake Feb 27th 2012 9:25AM
My favorites are still the undead and blood elf starting zones. I liked Tirisfal before Cata, but now it's even more fun than before, and as far as Eversong, I love the fact that the leveling is faster, entry level herbs and ore are plentiful, and the landscapes are really cool. Extra flight paths have made these even better, if only we could fly in Silvermoon...
Alliance-side I liked the human and night elf starting areas, but not as much as the Horde ones.
Honestly, I can't stand either the worgen or goblin starting areas, I think they're too long, isolated, and sparse in regards to profession leveling. I also wish there were more separation between gnome/dwarf and troll/orc starting zones, despite the Cata changes. The overlap makes it kinda mind-numbing to roll new alts from those races.
Pam Feb 27th 2012 9:28AM
I can't pick a favorite.
I did enjoy the Worgen starting zone, except that you are stuck phased out for almost 15 levels. That was fine the first time around, but I just couldn't handle doing it again.
I rolled an undead just to see the other side, and that was a blast. I took my time making sure to read every bit of text, every quest. Amazing experience.
I have leveled DK's if only to see the starting zone again and again. (Then I end up deleting them hehe).
Goblin and Troll were amazing too. Fantastic stories, graphics.
Most of my toons are NELFs....and even after Cata, that beginning zone is..ok. Maybe I have just done them so many times....and I always lose the quest line in Ashenvale somewhere....
I do remember when a friend of mine and I started a troll/BELF combo on a different server for a while. We were totally amazed at how exciting and fun Azahara was, and Stonetalon Mountains too. Ok, not starting zones, but, yea, lots of fun quest lines.
Sedna Feb 27th 2012 9:32AM
Tauren starting zone will always be my favorite, I think. Both for sentimental reasons (started my first toon ever there) and because it's just beautiful. Run through those grassy plains in the moonlight and tell me Mulgore doesn't look like a part of heaven. The Cata changes made it even better- from the death you mourn at the beginning (and I cried a little there) to the showdown with the Grimtotems and Baine at the end. Awesome.
Kelly Feb 27th 2012 9:36AM
Not the Taurens.... Other than that, they're all about the same
ravyncat Feb 27th 2012 9:44AM
My favorite level 1 starting zone is the Night Elf one. I love Teldrassil and when I just want to make a baby toon I always make a Night Elf.
I liked it before Cataclysm and I still like it. Just a nice zone.
A close second is the Blood Elf starting zone. I love it and I love the Ghostlands. I love that they have cats and books everywhere. ^^
Silvermoon is the prettiest city in the game too.
I guess I just like elves of any flavor.
Honorable mentions are Draenei, new Troll and and new Forsaken zones. I like all of those just as well.
Luotian Feb 27th 2012 10:14AM
I always get the shivers thinking about the nelf starting zone. My first toon was a nelf (still have her, largely unchanged, and just got her to 85) and that stupid tree kicked my butt repeatedly. I could NOT get up it without /following my siblings.
Mind you, I'm *still* a keyboard turner. I can't grasp turning with a mouse.
ravyncat Feb 27th 2012 10:53AM
It is hard to do, but after a lot of practice I finally learned to mouse turn. As a primarily melee character I had some issues before I mastered it.
I started playing WoW on a laptop without a mouse and played that way almost a year so I understand about keyboard turning.
I still play on a laptop, but it is much easier with a mouse!
I fell of the tree too a few times. And by tree I mean Teldrassil as well as the various tree buildings in all the towns. XD
BellaMuerta Feb 27th 2012 9:46AM
Before Cata, I would always start a Draenei and then hoof my little level one toon all the way to Teldrassil, I did Azure and Bloodmyst maybe two or three times. I can't stand any of the other starting areas except the NE one (on the ally side). I don't mind the BE area, but like a lot of people, the Undead area is my favorite. The new Worgen area is fantastic, but I find their accents insulting, nails down a chalk board insulting. It really kills the experience for me. They're just so awful. Who ever did the voices, female especially, needs to be given a stern talking to over a cuppa PG Tips. The worst one now is Goblin. I couldn't get past the part where you start driving around with your "crew" or whatever. I find all the other areas have their own flavor, imagination and they're unique to WoW in a lot of ways. The Goblin area is like being stuck in that Jersey Shore show. They just took too much from it and there's no... I don't know... oomph to it. There's very little imagination.
Can I also say how disappointing it is that you can't take your toon to another racial starting area because a good portion of the quests aren't available? So frustrating.
neder Feb 27th 2012 9:54AM
Totally undead. Awesome variety of quests, lots of lore, meeting important characters....just amazing zone.
Duerma Feb 27th 2012 9:54AM
Goblins > all. The entire experience just cracks me up. I so wish it were possible to go back and play through it again as other characters.
Shizukera Feb 27th 2012 10:15AM
Based on the ones I've played so far:
Favorites: Worgen for the emotion and depth of the story, death knight for immersion and execution.
Least favorite: Goblin. The themes of greed and general ickyness just...eeeeh. The quests had some fun mechanics, but the story just didn't do it for me. I deleted my goblin at level 7.
kirkehoey Feb 29th 2012 6:39PM
Before Cata came out, my preferred starting zone was the Blood Elf area, since it was obvious that Blizz had made huge strides in their quest progression design and it made it all the more easier to level, followed up by Ghostlands for all the phat greens that you didn't get in *shudder* Crossroads or Silverpine at the time... and frankly those were your only options at the time.
Now... things are different, and while I haven't tried all the starting zones yet, I can definetly say I enjoy the Troll 1-5 area and all of Tritsfall most. Trolls because well, it's a wonderful change from the "you're-same-as-the-orcs-now" bit. The Valley of Trials is still the same old drag no matter how you cut it, but Durotar is on a whole vastly improved (and still has all that coppery goodness). The Forsaken finally have a zone that doesn't send you in opposite directions for everything, and has a consistent and over-arching story.
As for the Goblin and Worgen starting zones... well, that's complicated. Kezan and the Lost Ilses were, let's face it, truly awesome and hilarious... on the first run through. Subsequent attempts to start up new goblins have proved... well, lackluster. It's more of a chore the second time round. The worgen suffer from similar problems, particularly with phasing... something that my computer has issues with and drove me nuts for about a week until I finnaly fixed the problem.
Post-level 10.. again, I haven't tried all of them yet, but Horde-side the Barrens is actually something I enjoy now (Barrens chat has evidently migrated to Trade)! The Human zones of Westfall and Redridge are, let's face it, awesome (the parodies of Horatio Caine and Rambo really made me a happy panda).