The Queue: Soon
by Alex Ziebart 
Mar 12th 2012 at 11:00AM
At this time tomorrow, I'll be headed to California for the Mists of Pandaria press event. By this time next week, you'll know everything I know. Get excited, people.
@Thyz asked:
How far along do you think Blizz is with Mists and what will they show this week? Alpha stage? Beta stage?
I would say beta. If there has been (or will be) alpha testing at all, it has been smaller and more exclusive than it ever has been before. Blizzard alpha tests tend to be as leaky as a faucet, so holding an extended alpha tends to be self-defeating. Everything in that alpha should be under NDA, but one way or another, that stuff ends up in front of the public anyway. I think the entire point of this press event is to get everything to the public in a clean, presentable way, and then move into a beta.
I'm sure Blizzard will show quite a bit. It's about that time for it.
smartazjb0y asked:
What exactly is the main reason for Worgen/Goblin not being monks? If it's really just that they don't want to add in animations for the new races, will there be Worgen/Goblin monks perhaps somewhere down the line, next expansion or after?
If I remember correctly, Blizzard did that for population balancing purposes. Worgen and goblins were the hot new thing in Cataclysm. It doesn't want worgen and goblin to continue being the hot new thing in Mists of Pandaria. If they were, those two races would outpace everybody else as far as population goes. Blizzard wants the focus on the pandaren to give those guys a chance.
I might be talking out of my butt there, but I'm pretty sure that's what was said at BlizzCon.
johan asked:
any news about the WoW movie?
None.
Nefrench asked:
Q4theQ: I'm living in the US but I want to play on EU servers. I know I need to buy a game code and time card because the EU Blizzard site rejects my US payment. Where can I but an EU time card and game code online legally?
I'm not European so I'm not hip on all of the European retailers, but that's where I would go first -- whatever the equivalent of Best Buy is over there. Hopefully, our commenters can help out with that. Otherwise, there's always Amazon. Amazon.co.uk seems to have exactly what you're looking for, assuming the PEGI 12+ rating on that time card accurately indicates that it's a WoW EU game card. Of course, both of those solutions are probably physical delivery, and you're looking for a code and not a card. Again, not being European, I honestly don't know what vendors are best for that, and hopefully our readers can help out in the comments.
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!
Filed under: The Queue, Mists of Pandaria
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 9)
Luotian Mar 12th 2012 11:06AM
Alex, I couldn't be more excited if I tried. That female model looks amazing, I cannot wait.
So, what are the best /silly and /flirts you guys can think of for Pandaren?
Klausse Mar 12th 2012 11:15AM
On a similar topic, what do you think the Pandaren "voice" will sound like? Asian-tinged accent? Something else?
zackwbrandon Mar 12th 2012 11:32AM
Hopefully nothing TOO stereotypical for any of the above. However, given the fact that Blizz races tend to beat their ethnicities into our faces, I would have to say expect the worst and then be pleasantly surprised.
Mycroft Mar 12th 2012 11:32AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=028qkDLiyp4
"I'd kiss you, but I've got puke breath."
"My dad, he was bi-polar"
"I can't breed in captivity~"
"*BUUUUURP* sorry"
While this was specifically for the Brewmaster unit in WC III, it'd be neat if one or two made it in, with others being similar in tone and/or accent.
Kar On E Mar 12th 2012 11:33AM
I'm expecting a lot of bear puns.
"You look so fine, I can bear-ly contain myself!"
"Wanna see the true meaning of Panda-monium?"
"Want something to sink your claws into?"
Etc, etc.
Luotian Mar 12th 2012 11:36AM
Ha ha! I love that Bi-Polar one XD. The Captivity is pretty funny, too.
Pyromelter Mar 12th 2012 11:43AM
Agree, the model looks akin to the quality of the female tauren model, which IMO is an absolutely fantastic model the blizzard completely got right, way back in vanilla wow.
Also, regarding the female pandaren, you have to figure that Samwise Didier had been sketching or rolling around ideas for what a female pandaren would look like, and likely for years - there is no way he is going to have anything but excellence in terms of all of the pandaren models.
Can't think of a /silly or a /flirt, but in terms of the accent, we already have one to go on, namely that of Chen Stormstout from WC3. A plain old tastefully-done-as-possible Chinese-accented English just like Chen's should suffice for most pandaren NPC's.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjH7ts8FA6I
Incidentally, Chen adopted the philosophy I had in college, which is "beer solves everything."
Shinae Mar 12th 2012 11:50AM
I'm sure we'll get more than a few food-based flirts and jokes.
"You're hotter than my gong-bao chicken."
Boobah Mar 12th 2012 11:50AM
The puke-breath and belch lines are both brewmaster rather than pandaren lines, so you can count probably those ones out.
johnthediver Mar 12th 2012 12:02PM
@Joerendous - Not sure why you were down voted. That was a perfectly acceptable Jack Black joke. I'm hoping since Blizzard has already had a business relationship (Blizzcon 2010) with Jack Black he will voice the Pandaren male. (I know he wont but how awesome would that be?)
Newchron Mar 13th 2012 11:50AM
I hope my Panda sounds like Russell Peters' asian accent. "Be a man!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qtrAMK7_Qk&feature=related
Luotian Mar 12th 2012 12:22PM
@johnthediver: Ugh, I hope not (and I even LOVE Kung Fu Panda and would be more than happy for a few in-game references). I would like a voice that's a little less jarring every time I click a Pandaren male.
Luotian Mar 12th 2012 12:41PM
@Kar On E: I'm going to cross my fingers for Panda-monium. My sister would giggle at that for hours XD.
whosavesthehero Mar 12th 2012 1:08PM
http://youtu.be/kqTWtVb-7nY
I'm just waiting to be able to /dance and have this going in my head.
snarkygoldfish Mar 12th 2012 2:27PM
As long as there's a Sifl and Olly reference *somewhere* I'll be happy. ;)
musicchan Mar 12th 2012 4:13PM
I expect the voice for the males to be deep and rumbly, maybe with a slight asian flair to it. I've always had this sound in my head for Bearn, from The Hobbit, and I guess I imagine the pandaren to be the same. Sort of Tauren-ish.
Draelan Mar 12th 2012 5:50PM
"Ah, alcohol... the cause of, and solution to, all life's problems..."
Schadenfreude Mar 12th 2012 8:46PM
after the daaaaaaark
the pandas staaaaaalk
nightmare creatures with black hearts
ravenous teeeeeeeth that glow in the dark
FEASTING ON BUMS THAT SLEEP IN THE PARK
like the shark, the panda has millions of teeth that it uses like a hacksaw to cut through bone, candy and pencils
Mummrah Mar 12th 2012 10:21PM
"Now you're endangered!" LOL
kulhanek.jeff Mar 12th 2012 11:06AM
Do you think there will ever be a change to rested xp gains and maximums? I can burn through max rested XP at level 65 in about 1.5 dungeons with heirlooms. I wouldn't care if they left it alone in the 1-60 content but by the time I get to outland and northrend I just want to get to 80.