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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBreakfast Topic: Has your opinion about the pandaren changed?
by Mathew McCurley 
Mar 26th 2012 at 8:00AM
While not the strongest supporter of the pandaren in the beginning, I was of the mindset that it wouldn't be the most ridiculous thing added to WoW, so I wasn't going to complain. In a world where cow people walk side-by-side with the living dead and green linebackers from outer space, panda people didn't seem like too much of a leap of logic.
Actually seeing the implementation of the pandaren, though, changed my mind about them -- the realization of the idea rather than the idea itself is what allowed me to accept the thing.
Now that the pandaren are out in the wild, has your opinion about them changed? Were they once a jokey race now elevated to nod-worthy status? Do you need more time to see where Blizzard develops the pandaren story? Have pandaren not moved on your radar?
Filed under: Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 7)
Dreyja Mar 26th 2012 7:38PM
Let's face it. The only real thing we have to blame here is a little movie named Kung Fu Panda that has nothing to do with it at all. However, people have chosen to "see" the movie in the Pandaren. It's too bad because the Pandaren are SO MUCH COOLER. ;D
It's a tough association to get over in the public consciousness, even if it's silly. :)
I for one can't wait to make my FemPanda :D
brckshaw Mar 26th 2012 8:08AM
Wouldn't say my opinion about Pandaren have changed; I'm still not gonna bother rolling one. My opinion has changed on the game as a whole however. I cannot wait for MoP to come out now. The music, scenery etc look breathtaking.
Greg Mar 26th 2012 8:09AM
I say if people think the Pandaren are too 'cartooney', they need to take a look at the Night Elves.
callanyeates Mar 26th 2012 8:14AM
Or Gnomies. >.>
Rezai Mar 26th 2012 10:24AM
I'd be good with out Night Elves, Gnomes, all the other alliance races. Ohh and the goblins too.
Khoonda Mar 26th 2012 1:35PM
@ Rezai
You would choose Hair salon loving Blood elves over goblins?!
you are NOT true horde...
...Traitor
viciouspen Mar 26th 2012 8:08AM
Yes it has.
Dramatically.
To thinking that they're even MORE awesome!!!
On a related note I was going to roll a worgen warrior ( I love worgens) and level him, but now after seeing the panda warrior animations in your stream you had posted I'm going to make my warrior a panda.
Revnah Mar 26th 2012 8:21AM
This!
I was one of those who unanimously cheered when the Pandaren were announced at BlizzCon (admittedly, in front of my computer at home) and I have been looking forward to seeing them in action since. And yet, actually playing a pandaren in the Beta now blows me away even more than I expected. Great animations for all classes, a GORGEOUS starting area, I love absolutely everything about it.
MoP might just turn out to be my favourite expansion ever.
Helston Mar 26th 2012 8:39AM
Completely agreed. What did it for me though was the first time I saw the image used as this article's header.
Seriously. You can see both models work well individually or side by side, and they both look like they're about to kick some serious arse.
wow Mar 26th 2012 8:52AM
@viciouspen: If you've never rolled a worgen before, I'd still do it and level to at least the end of the starting zone, which is excellent. You can do it in a couple of hours, and there's probably still a few months to go before you need to abandon/delete it in favour of your new, cuddlier furball.
eliascarlos90 Mar 26th 2012 8:09AM
i remember when wowinsider dedicated like, a whole week based on "hey, how funny would it be if pandaren were a race!? ROFL!!!!"
at first I thought they were goin to be all cartoony, cute and silly (like the real pandas) judging from the screenshots they do have serious business... and its the first time blizzard doesnt screw the female model since blood elf females
Sinister Mar 26th 2012 8:13AM
From what ive seen and read it looks good , now if blizzard would just start their next round of invites , i could judge it first hand for myself .. I dont see why the panda race wouldnt fit in , after all , if undead can wear used torn clothes even tho you just bought it from a vendor , anythings possible
mattdogsuperdude Mar 26th 2012 8:10AM
Nope, I will not be playing MoP. The game has turned to cartoonie and fuzzy , it's too focused on Raids and Gear and any type of story or lore in the game is based on some NPC and not my Toon.Even when I actually did Raid a couple of years ago you spend all that time and effort to finish the Raid and some NPC that I dont even care about gets all the credit.
Im sticking with Swtor. I love the story , the RPG elements, and the fact that they make my character feel important.Everything else will come in time.
callanyeates Mar 26th 2012 8:17AM
"The game has turned to cartoonie and fuzzy"
One word, sir: Ewoks.
dpchrist Mar 26th 2012 8:21AM
"I love the story"
Because if anyone knows how NOT to screw up a great story that person is George Lucas.
Thanks,
Jar Jar Binks
MikeLive Mar 26th 2012 8:22AM
@callanyeates
Ewoks TOTALLY ruined Star Wars for me. So much I couldn't even watch Episodes VII-IX (except Han and Chewie's wedding in VIII - I'll remember that til the day I die!)
Revnah Mar 26th 2012 8:26AM
Way to go for giving an answer that doesn't match the question at all...
callanyeates Mar 26th 2012 8:34AM
@dpchrist
Actually, Bioware is in charge of the game, and they know how to make stories, so...
Wait...what's this about a Mass Effect 3? O.o
Helston Mar 26th 2012 10:18AM
"Nope, I will not be playing MoP. The game has turned to cartoonie and fuzzy , it's too focused on Raids and Gear and any type of story or lore in the game is based on some NPC and not my Toon.Even when I actually did Raid a couple of years ago you spend all that time and effort to finish the Raid and some NPC that I dont even care about gets all the credit."
"The game has turned to cartoonie and fuzzy", yet "it's too focused on raids and gear". Last time I checked raids and gear were not cartoonie and fuzzy. What's more, MoP is about putting the WAR back into World of Warcraft. One of the faction leaders will even be a raid boss (eventually), as one of the capital cities is attacked! WoW is about to be thrown back into a massive conflict.
"Any type of story or lore is based on some NPC and not my toon." Mostly, that's because World of Warcraft had an established RTS storyline based on specific characters well before it was an RPG, and most new characters help tie together existing plotlines.
What's more, we ARE heavily involved in the storyline. WE cleared Naxxramas, Ulduar and TotC (re-killing Anub'arak). Arthas' plan was for to turn US into the ultimate undead champions, and he came within a whisker of succeeding. WE cleared BoT, TotFW and BWD. WE (as well as almost everyone else on Azeroth) helped defend Hyjal, and helped take the offensive back to Firelands. WE defeated Murozond in End Time, gave the Bronze Dragonflight the opportunity they needed to take the Dragon Soul from the War of the Ancients and escorted Thrall to Wyrmrest Temple (ultimately saving him from the crazed Archbishop Benedictus). WE defended Wyrmrest from Mor'chok, Zon'ozz, Yor'sahj (and with Zon'ozz and Yor'sahj, Go'rath and Shu'ma, the things that we fight them in), survived the trap laid in the Eye of Eternity, stopped Ultraxion (Deathwing's creation that would truly end the world), ripped the plates off Deathwing's back and with the help of the Aspects somehow managed to take him on.
And yes, NPCs do come in and take the credit, but it makes for a better story than just "a group of adventurers killed him/her/it" all the time. The best example of that sort of thing is Onyxia, where her death is completely retconned to having been caused by Varian Wrynn.
Vinyl Mar 26th 2012 12:01PM
Bye bye.