The Queue: Braggosh Day
by Mathew McCurley 
Mar 30th 2012 at 11:00AM
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Mathew McCurley (@gomatgo) will be your host today.
It's apparently Braggosh Day here at WoW Insider, where I just keep getting articles scheduled and keep including pictures of my orc warrior Braggosh as the title image.
Enjoy.
Twowolves asked:
1. Do beta mobs drop loot? I'm curious about the Cata to MoP stat jump. Although I hate having to wait until 80 to leave Northrend, the Cata gear that becomes available at 77 provide a crazy power and survivability boost.
2. Do we indeed have to wait until 85 to enter Pandaria?
3. Aside from monk, what other class do you think will be a big hit with the panda crowd?
1. Beta mobs do drop loot unless they are not itemized. I know, that's a cop-out answer, but it's true. Some mobs have generic loot tables -- like humanoids will always have gold, cloth, and some other items on their tables, and then rares and quest items are added into the mix. As for the stat jump, it's significant but, again, relative. For gear progression, in the limited time I've spent in beta, it feels as if you were entering Cataclysm zones with some pretty decent Wrath gear.
2. Yes, you will have to be 85 to enter Pandaria content, excluding the Wandering Isle, of course.
3. Pandaren warriors have some of the best warrior animations in the game, hands down. Ask Rossi. It's not an opinion -- it's fact. There will be many pandaren warriors. Also, pandaren rogues. Everyone wanted a tauren rogue for the fun factor, and here it is, ready for your consumption. Go forth and race-change, friends.
Fuzzl asked:
Does Ka Pao the Portal Panda mean Captain Placeholder is probably never going to come back? :(
Oh, I hope Captain Placeholder returns soon. However, Ka Pao the Portal Panda is growing on me pretty quickly. Who will write the first song about Ka Pao, hm?
Shrikesnest asked:
Do you think we'll see any updates to the riding profession in MoP? Or arewe riding and flying as fast as we're going to be?
I do not believe we will be flying or riding any faster in the near future.
Mattgibb asked:
How big is the Pandaren model compared to existing characters?
Pandaren are taller than orcs and shorter than tauren.
christopher asked:
As I understand it, a good portion of the quests for Pandaria are already completed. Does this include the Panda starting zone? I was thinking that when I get into the beta I could play through the starting zone and take my time and read quests. Then when it comes live, I could just blow right through it. Do you think the starting expereince will go through any drastic changes at this point?
The Wandering Isle starting area feels complete. There are tweaks and stuff, maybe texture things and quest flow or whatever, but it's ship-worthy. It's a whole lot more ship-worthy than some MMOs I've played in my lifetime, that's for sure. When I put my player hat on, that's what I like to do -- soak up the story when time isn't of the essence and plow through the stuff when launch hits. Less so these days, since I play much more casually, but that was our MO back in the day. You can certainly do that.
When you put on your tester hat, though, don't forget to stop, smell the roses, check them for bugs, and report your flower findings.
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 1 of 8)
Twowolves Mar 30th 2012 11:07AM
Perhaps this isn't included in the beta version, but will Pandaria have weather?
Shinae Mar 30th 2012 11:16AM
Good question! It's felt like there's been a distinct lack of weather effects in current and previous expansion content.
OK, it makes sense that Vashj'ir and Deepholme don't have weather, but where the random sandstorms in Uldum or showers in Twilight Highlands? ...Sometimes, I go to STV just to listen to and watch the rain make ripples in the sea.
Narayana Mar 30th 2012 11:57AM
I don;t think they have answered this directly, BUT they did mention whether when talking about scenarios. They mentioned a brewery scenario that is only available at night when it's raining. As such, there would have to be weather to support this.
Saikoujin Mar 30th 2012 12:03PM
I concur, this is an excellent question. I feel the game's weather conditions could use a graphical upgrade, in particular 'cloudy' weather. After all, weather really hasn't been touched since Vanilla.
One of the greatest gems for me, in Cata, was Blizz's implementation of clouds in Uldum. Not the pixelated, flat gray stuff you find across most of Azeroth's skies. No no. These are bonafied clouds, with particle effects (pretty good too, I'll add). You can fly through them!
I've always viewed Uldum's clouds as sort of a 'dry run' as to what Blizz might have in store for future xpacs. It's not something that immediately comes to mind, but clouds- or for that matter, particle effects- really do add an amazing amount of depth and realism to the game world.
Kar On E Mar 30th 2012 12:08PM
Narayana is completely right, I remember hearing about that as well. Additionally, I do recall them stating that there would be some pets for the pet battles only out in specific weather. For instance, a pet that would only spawn at night amidst the rain.
ued_zoar Mar 30th 2012 2:36PM
there are random sandstorms in Uldum and random rainstorms in Hyjal that much i've seen don't know about Twilight Highlands
Possum Mar 30th 2012 7:27PM
It may just be me but I swear we used to have more weather in Wow. I remember being in Stanglethorn Vale with my sister once and it raining so hard that we couldn't see. Now it rains and I barely notice.
tulipblossom Mar 30th 2012 8:24PM
I actually feel the same way; I could swear I remember there being more weather, back in the day. I love it when I'm out in the world and it starts to rain. It's such a cool feeling.
Philster043 Mar 31st 2012 5:51AM
There are actually sandstorms in Uldum. I remember looking for the camel and suddenly wondering why I couldn't see at all - I had flew into a sandstorm. I was actually kind of pleased by it. I admit, though, it seems somewhat rare.
It still rains in Stranglethorn Vale, but I agree that it seems like it used to be more heavy (and annoying).
Swifteye Mar 30th 2012 11:08AM
Regarding the first question, I seem to recall an image from a very recent WoW Insider article that showed vendor items with a quest reward item highlighted for comparison.
If memory serves (because goodness knows I'm too lazy to, y'know, go look it up), the vendor items were ilvl 378 greens and the quest reward was an ilvl 384 green.
If these ilvls survive beta it will be quite nice, as these are what we're using now! No ridiculous 50+ ilvl jump, no "How the crap did this random starting-zone mob 3-shot me??", yet still a great-feeling upgrade (though not insurmountable by any stretch of the imagination) for someone coming straight from Cata questing in ilvl 333-ish.
Fingers crossed!
Puntable Mar 30th 2012 11:17AM
Currently all the beginning Pandaria quests reward i272 gear. The one exception for me was a i404 weapon. I made it to level 86 and about half way through the first zone.
Nyold Mar 30th 2012 11:21AM
I hope you mean 372 and not 272....
but yes, by the time MoP hits, most people (the vast majority of players) will be in mixed 378 and 384, but people questing from 1-85 would find themselves in 319/333 mixed gear.
Puntable Mar 30th 2012 11:34AM
sorry i372 typo
Puntable Mar 30th 2012 11:49AM
For all the complaining about the new quest reward system, one thing it does right is address this problem. Not every quest will reward gear, but if it does, you are guaranteed to get gear that your class can use. This means you will have almost a full set of quest gear within an hour of landing on Pandaria.
Luotian Mar 30th 2012 11:59AM
You mean I won't go the whole effing zone without the one piece I need to get into dungeons on my Shaman? I'mma lookin' at you, Hyjal, bane of my leveling alt existence.
Matheus314 Mar 30th 2012 12:40PM
You got to remember, then, when you level up your new monk after MoP hits the live servers, that you'll not do heroic dungeons at all to level up, so I'm guessing your average ilvl will be around 330 by the time you hit leve 85 and be able to sail to Pandaria. Thats about 40 ilvls lower than the first greens there... yeah, I think you'll feel the difference.
Boven Mar 30th 2012 11:09AM
Regarding Pandaren size, the males are around shoulder height to a female Tauren. I only got around to doing a comparison screenshot with Tauren the other night The conveniently placed trainers in Org let me get one with both male and female Tauren and the Pandaren male: http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/2169/pandacomparison.jpg
Ronin Mar 30th 2012 1:54PM
"How big is the Pandaren model compared to existing characters?
Pandaren are taller than orcs and shorter than tauren."
OK... any reference points for us Alliance players? How do they compare to Draenei and Night Elves?
Red Hawk Mar 31st 2012 6:00AM
Female Pandas are about the same height as female night elves
Knob Mar 30th 2012 11:11AM
Why was there no Wowinsider Show this week? Do you know the kind of internet hardship it caused? How my weekly fix for your japery was not satisfied and how I'm itching all over now? I demand retribution, compensation, and a whole bunch of other "tions"!