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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 4 of 7)
vocenoctum Mar 26th 2012 12:47PM
Just as a side note: TOR lacks ewoks and gungan. :)
(though I wish it lacked Ugnauts too, I hate them!)
Jawa's and Ortolan are still cute enough, though not fuzzy at all, and they have rifles and missile launchers, so they're a Manly Kind Of Cute.
Suzaku Mar 27th 2012 12:29AM
Re: SWToR -- Bioware Austin is behind the game, not Bioware. New studio that was formed specifically for ToR.
Also, I'm not a KoToR fan, but all my friends who were are pretty disappointed with the story of ToR, particularily the retcons.
Luotian Mar 26th 2012 8:10AM
As someone with a ridiculous collection of stuffed pandas and three different incarnations of Panda hats....I'm still super excited for them. Probably even more so, since I can be a red panda with pig-tails. I'm completely stoked, to say the least, and really really want my beta invite.
Falthaniel Mar 26th 2012 8:11AM
Was a huge fan from the start. Seeing the models and their antics only make me that more excited for Pandaria to arrive! :) They've never been a joke race to me, and I'm thrilled that I'll be able to play one...or two.
Emma Marie Mar 26th 2012 8:12AM
I will say they are animated pretty well, and they look damn nice. As for my opinion...they are interesting I suppose but I imagine they will get as much as play as my worgen. Starting area done, and then abandoned.
Emma Marie Mar 26th 2012 8:14AM
Oh, I meant to add I am excited for the rest of the expansion. Don't take it as I'm a hater on Mists or anything.
MikeLive Mar 26th 2012 8:13AM
Yes.
I was excited for them. Now I'm super excited for them.
Adegan Mar 26th 2012 8:26AM
I really didn't like the Panda female model when they first released it, but after seeing it in action I'm sold.
Firiel Mar 26th 2012 8:41AM
Sorry to all the panda lovers out there, but the whole Panderen/Asian influence thing doesn't do anything for me. Blah :(
Luotian Mar 26th 2012 8:53AM
That's fine. Saving the world from the zombie king isn't super compelling for me, either.
Nina Katarina Mar 26th 2012 8:44AM
Well, my reaction to pandas was always colored by the fact that we were only being shown the male of the species, and I was quite afraid that Blizzard was going to screw things up like they did with the female worgen; that women were an afterthought in their world.
But, for me at least, they hit it out of the park with the pandaren women. They're cute, they're round in the right places, they've got wonderful animations. I hadn't been planning to play a panda besides the obligatory runthrough of their starting zone. I may have changed my mind. Depending on their voice (the main reason I stopped playing my goblin lady) I may level one all the way to 80.
Lariko Mar 26th 2012 12:59PM
Some friends and I have been wondering about partially completed achievements like exploration and Loremaster. Does anyone yet know what'll happen if, say, you have Loremaster of Eastern Kingdoms and Loremaster of Kalimdor but lack one or both of the others when the updates happen? Do they reset, give credit, something else?
Mong Mar 26th 2012 8:45AM
I think pandaren are ridiculous, and I hate the oriental feeling of the new expansion, once my annual pass is expired I hope to find a new game where to waste my time...
eirinefrostblade Mar 26th 2012 9:00AM
Why in God's name would you sign up for the Annual Pass, which was announced *at the same time* as Mists, if you weren't planning to enjoy the new expansion? And don't claim it was the lure of a free copy of D3, because you could have spent the money you wouldn't be spending on the sub to buy Diablo...
slim1256 Mar 26th 2012 9:20AM
Yeah - this totally smells like a troll.
I mean - I understand (though don't necessarily agree) that some people aren't keen on Pandas... but MoP is shaping up to be exactly what they were selling at BlizzCon when they announced Mists, as well as, oh yeah, the Annual Pass.
And - frankly, if you look at the totality of MoP (i.e., as more than just a vehicle to introduce Pandas to the game and ruin your "SRS BSNSS game") we're getting a boat-load of improvements and new, fun things to do.
Sounds to me like someone just wants to hate.
vocenoctum Mar 26th 2012 12:51PM
Seriously, I have a friend that has the Annual Pass for WoW, though he is barely playing it. I had already quit WoW and told him such and he actually said "yeah, but I like Diablo and get a free copy of that, so it makes sense". I didn't try to dissuade him, I think he did the Annual Pass just so he could keep complaining about the game. (He is a decent player but always had to be dragged to stuff or he'd just sit in SW and moan about not raiding.)
Then he went and joined me in TOR, though I told him he'd hate it there. (I enjoy it, but the quest-boss fights can be a pain, and he's the type that hates dying, at all, ever. He won't do battlegrounds because he dies "too often")
So, some people just like complaining. :)
Kodiack Mar 26th 2012 8:48AM
I can't wait to play one tbh, and I agree with that statement, the hate torwards the Pandaren is just silly, what's so wrong about Pandas if you already can play a Female Tauren wich is basically a two legged COW!?
razion Mar 26th 2012 8:53AM
My opinion has not changed--that is to say, ever since I saw Chen back in WCIII, I've loved them, and will continue to do so. Chen Stormstout played a huge role in my perception of the race for a long time, and with all my replays of WCIII, I grew to appreciate the guy's antics.
They're a delightfully chill and zen people, and I find their culture nothing short of fascinating. I'll definitely be creating a Pandaren and going through their starting zone, but time will tell if their aesthetics will match my personal preferences enough to become a main character. Honestly the only negative grievance I have with the Pandaren at this point is that they have such better models than races that have been in the game for over seven years--and that's not really something worth my ill will or malcontent (although certainly envy).
Some would label Pandaren as childish. I would label such people as ignorant. The Pandaren are so much more than that: they're zen and they know how to enjoy life (and, on that note, good ale). They feel emotions just like we all do, and any endeavor they put themselves into they go in full-force--they don't do -anything- half-baked, and that's something I can respect.
They're a breath of fresh air into the game. And sure, they're different, but I'm not really afraid of change. I embrace my new allies and I look forward to learning more about them. That my fellow Pandaren can tear a man's head off with his jaws alone is just a plus in my book.
blancester Mar 26th 2012 4:37PM
No, no, no, you got it wrong
"they are Super zen." -Chris Metzen
Chetti Mar 26th 2012 8:53AM
I missed the whole panda april fools thing, but I was told about it by someone who was playing the game at the time. When I first heard about the Pandas I was more in the wait and see camp. It was never a game breaker or anything, I was more curios about the monks, and the pandas being able to choose their faction. I'm always worried about the female models, all of my toons are female because well, I'm female. I have nothing against people who play opposite, it just never occurred to me to do so. The worgen females look like Bambi waiting for the truck to hit. I like the goblin female. I've always been a fan of the tauren female, so I was glad to see that the pandaren female is going along the same route. She's got shape, they look really well done. I was kind of up in the air about making a panda, not because of any aversion to them, just because it took me so long to settle into my main that I know once the expansion comes out that will be where my focus is.
I played through the worgen starting zone and the goblin starting zone (twice actually), so i guess I knew eventually I'd get around to the pandas. After seeing them in action though, I am really glad to have that 11th spot because I'll be making the panda sooner rather than later. Now, the class remains up in the air. I'm thinking about monk, but I'll see how they play in beta before settling on that.. and I'd imagine 90% of the pandas out there will be monks, so I may just go with something else.