The Queue: Braggosh Day

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.
Filed under: The Queue
Patch 5.3 interview with Ghostcrawler
Mystery of the Unborn Val'kyr
The latest patch 5.3 news
All of the latest Mists of Pandaria news





Reader Comments (Page 2 of 8)
rasmall Mar 30th 2012 11:40AM
I'm also wondering this, and I've seen a few others asking the same. The podcast is part of my weekly routine :-)
Hope everyone involved in producing it is OK.
HappyTreeDance Mar 30th 2012 12:02PM
My commute to work sucked noticeably more without the WoW Insider show to listen to. ;)
evoxpisces Mar 30th 2012 12:15PM
I was wondering the same, and I really look forward to the show every Tuesday (or sometimes Wednesday) and it really helps get me through the work day. But I figure everyone is really busy with PAX east coming up and with the Beta, so all is forgivable. :)
Catsmeow Mar 30th 2012 12:21PM
But now you have more antici..........................pation.
/ducks
hwacha Mar 30th 2012 12:48PM
SERIOUSLY GAWD
Also, Braggosh is kind of adorable for an orc. Possibly because I believe you captured him mid-dance.
Vorken Mar 30th 2012 2:21PM
The strangest part is Mat answered questions today, and if there was a legitimate reason, as the stalwart of the show you'd think he'd quash all the speculation.
Sally Bowls Mar 30th 2012 2:23PM
Inquiring minds want to know!
More shows please; I love them!
/troll [sarcasm=max] Is it because you know nobody will be playing any other MMO once GW2 ships?
Pyromelter Mar 30th 2012 5:41PM
Show just got posted... jeez you people are impatient and needy. Must be MMO players!
Shinae Mar 30th 2012 11:11AM
"Pandaren warriors have some of the best warrior animations in the game,"
They sure do!!! (from the beta videos I've seen.) I'm so tempted to race-change my warrior, even though I'm rather attached to my troll.
I wonder how long it'll be before we can race-change to pandas. Wasn't there a delay after Cata's launch before we were allowed to race-change to goblins or worgen? (I didn't take advantage of that, so I don't remember.)
Knob Mar 30th 2012 11:31AM
No, there was no delay. As soon as the expansion went live, you could race change to worgen/goblin provided you had the expansion added to your account.
Shammwich Mar 30th 2012 11:38AM
No delays, I race changed my warrior and one of my druids to worgen immediately at launch.
Edymnion Mar 30th 2012 11:48AM
The big crunch will be that a LOT of people will be wanting to race change to pandas when it hits, so the translation crew will be very busy.
To get around this, put in a race change request BEFORE pandas unlock and then just sit on it.
Basically, a human has to flick the switch to put you back on the race selection page, but you can pick whatever you want after that (you don't select what you want during the actual race change request, just who is going to change). So, if you get it done early, you can have yours waiting on you ready to go as soon as pandas go live while everybody else sits in the queue.
Shinae Mar 30th 2012 11:48AM
Ok, thanks for for helping me with my faulty memory. :)
erik Mar 30th 2012 12:26PM
In a perfect world , I would have made enough money on Diablo 3 AH to pay for a race change.
vincentmagius Mar 30th 2012 1:02PM
That I remember, you could race change almost immediately. You just didn't count for server first Worgen/Goblin.
shivcrank Mar 30th 2012 7:31PM
@vincentmagius realm-first race achievements where eliminated in Cata, I remember that they tried to keep it in-game with a meta (goblin/worgen has to be leveled from their starting zone) due to the new race change/ faction change service, but later changed to realm-first class achievement.
Ullaana Mar 30th 2012 11:15AM
Ka Pao the Portal Panda? KaPow? Hahahaha!
Winwinchindin Mar 30th 2012 11:39AM
He'll punch you into the next dimension.
Derrek Mar 30th 2012 1:09PM
He'll Rising Sun Kick you into the next dimension ( always proccing a third kick, of course ).
zfrazier929 Mar 30th 2012 11:16AM
Not beta related, but question: I've noticed that in random groups, I can't whisper anyone from a server with a space in it, such as Area 52 or Steamwheedle Cartel. I realize the why, since a space in the slash command indicates that you're ready to begin talking, but is there any workaround or word about this?