Breakfast Topic: Sightseeing in Pandaria
by Matthew Rossi 
Apr 2nd 2012 at 8:00AM
I don't know if you've heard, but there's something like 300,000 people in the Mists of Pandaria beta at the moment. While this means yay, more people get to experience the beta (and it probably also gives Blizzard a really good idea of how much stress the servers can handle), it also means there are around 30 people trying to kill the same quest mob at any given time. So while I certainly have every intention of being a good beta tester and reporting all sorts of dastardly bugs, if I can't finish a single quest, there's not much I can do on that front.
What I can do is ride around in the sidecar of my wife's chopper and check out the simply astonishing scenery Pandaria has to offer. Last night, we basically explored the entire zone, checked out the new flora and fauna, stopped by monastery and temple, and in general, got our full on sense of wonder rolling. The zone is gorgeous. While it's clearly not entirely there yet, what is there is magnificent. I'm really looking forward to playing through this content. I'm also desperately trying to figure out a time to log on so that I can actually kill some hozen and finish the quests so that I can report on them.
So now I ask you: Do you ever just stop and look around the world when you're in game? In the beta? For a game heading toward eight years, this expansion really holds up visually, do you ever stop and enjoy it?
It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!
What I can do is ride around in the sidecar of my wife's chopper and check out the simply astonishing scenery Pandaria has to offer. Last night, we basically explored the entire zone, checked out the new flora and fauna, stopped by monastery and temple, and in general, got our full on sense of wonder rolling. The zone is gorgeous. While it's clearly not entirely there yet, what is there is magnificent. I'm really looking forward to playing through this content. I'm also desperately trying to figure out a time to log on so that I can actually kill some hozen and finish the quests so that I can report on them.
So now I ask you: Do you ever just stop and look around the world when you're in game? In the beta? For a game heading toward eight years, this expansion really holds up visually, do you ever stop and enjoy it?
It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!Filed under: Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Arrowsmith Apr 2nd 2012 8:08AM
Ever since I upgraded from a crappy 2006 laptop where I was lucky to get 15 fps with everything on low to a $1300 beast that I cap at 40fps on Ultra (it can go over 100 but capping it helps my video card's health), I can most definitely say yes. I absolutely love to just fly around and look at the world now. It's like playing a completely different game!
When I did my first Dragon Soul raid after the transition, my guildies and I made a running gag of what new discovery I would make next. Some of the highlights: Deathwing is actually flying around Wyrmrest Temple and lobbing fireballs at it; Yor'Sahj and Zon'ozz stand in shallow pools of water; it actually rains during Hagara's lightning phase; Deathwing is really really big during the Madness fight; and there's apparently more to the Ultraxion fight than zooming all the way in, staring at the floor, and praying that your framerate doesn't stutter too much. Who knew?
hwacha Apr 3rd 2012 10:16AM
One of my guildies recently got a new machine also. He was amazed that Healing Rain was actually rain and not just a blue circle xD
joolien Apr 2nd 2012 8:11AM
The twin hair buns(?) on the 2 Panda females(?) could easily be mistaken for something else. When is my Beta invite so I can verify its is hair buns?
Puntable Apr 2nd 2012 10:33AM
I can verify that it looks like they are wearing a bra on their heads, and it's a popular hair style in beta.
Nina Katarina Apr 2nd 2012 8:12AM
That's what archeology has done for me, and to a lesser extent that's why I like fishing. My favorite de-stressers are either to take a long flight path at sunrise or sunset, or to head for my favorite fishing spots. There's a place just by the lake in Uldum that's my current favorite, although occasionally I'll go up to the riverside in Hillsbrad, if I'm feeling very stressed.
andrey.pkk Apr 2nd 2012 8:14AM
I curiously did it yesterday.
I decided to play fully though some Alliance Zones, so i hopped on my Warlock.
After ultimately finishing Redridge Mountains arc, while going back to tell the mayor that you succeeded in defating the Blackrock Orcs -which, while in victory it's kinda sad that all members of Bravo Team just died- i stopped, looked above and saw a beautifully night sky dotted with stars.
I don't know why but i just stopped there for a while and took my time.
Gosten Apr 2nd 2012 8:14AM
I got a beta invite, but it'll take me a few weeks to finish downloading 18 gigs of beta client. I try to spread it out a bit so my internet service provider dosn't flag me as an excessive user and throttle my internet access. Yes, they do that even though they don't tell you they do.
So only 299,998 other people are competing for your quest mobs.
Alexis Apr 2nd 2012 8:14AM
Absolutely! I'm that guy that no matter how many times i do it, I love admiring the new water graphics. Every time I level a new alt I find another place that just looks better with the new shadows/water graphics. So you can imagine how I'm going to feel about Pandaria. I didn't have that new zone feeling that I had with Northrend and Outland, and I eel that this is coming back with a vengeance in mist! =)
Knob Apr 2nd 2012 8:15AM
I've always stopped and admired the scenery while playing WoW, right from classic and through every expansion. Blindly completing quest after quest without reading the quest text and rushing to the level cap can really put a dent in your fun. Actually reading the quest text, soaking in the atmosphere of the zone you're in, and just looking around the environment can really draw you in. Not to mention the sounds....from the music to the little ambient sounds, Blizzard always does a terrific job of making you feel like you're in this other place.
Having seen a few beta livestreams (including Wowinsider's Pandaria run-through, that was awesome btw! Need more! :P) and lots of screenshots and videos, it makes me kinda sad that I'm not experiencing it at this moment since I don't have the beta, but I also know that experiencing it for the first time when the expansion does go live will be great. Can't wait for MoP to go live, it looks to be quite the visual and aural treat.
eirinefrostblade Apr 2nd 2012 8:16AM
One fun thing to do when I'm irritated (be it with someone or something in game, or in real life) is to hop on a flying mount, zoom all the way into first person, and hide my ui. I can't recall where I got the idea from, although it was probably an article here, but it really reestablishes my immersion in the world, and makes me appreciate the beauty of the world Blizz built.
MikeH Apr 2nd 2012 12:06PM
I totally LOVED the water/iceberg scenery in Northrend and my comments even appeared in an article about the Northrend Scenery :) So to my amazement I set foot in Pandaria and felt that rush or a new area and the temples, ocean side and hills were breathtaking. I didn't really take my time in the Panda starting area for the most part, I intend on doing another panda and to just sit back and take my time and relish the conversation AND the scenery to it's fullest!
tstar2000 Apr 2nd 2012 1:34PM
There is, on top of a mushroom in NW Zangermarsh, a skeleton resting next to a hooka. It's little touches like this that i love in this game. I play a lot around dawn and it FEELS like dawn in the game...the lighting is soft and the air starting to fill with bird song. One really does need to stop and smell the roses sometimes in this game.
Jem Apr 2nd 2012 9:13AM
I spent last night exploring the Jade Forest zone, it is absolutely lovely.
ravyncat Apr 2nd 2012 9:21AM
I always tend to stop and look around the world while I am playing the game. It still isn't old to me even after a few years.
Yesterday I was leveling my baby Horde paladin through Howling Fjord and I was running up the mountains just to look around. I love going into every house/hut/building I find and looking around even if there is no real reason to explore it.
I run on foot a lot when I quest so I can see the scenery.
(Not to say I don't fly to avoid dense mob packed areas in between pretty spots. I definitely do, but I do spend a lot of time hoofing it as well.)
I love how pretty Azeroth is. ^^
I get frustrated in dungeons because I want to go slow and stop and look at everything and no one else ever seems to do that. That is why I prefer to solo them, because then I can stop and take as much time as I want to explore and take screenshots etc.
I am not in the beta yet (boo!) but I suspect I will do the same there.
Philster043 Apr 2nd 2012 9:48AM
Some of my greatest memories in dungeons have been when I'm doing them with 4 friends and can just slow down and enjoy the scenery, as well as our own chatter. I understand why a team of strangers rush these dungeons - everybody has different objectives at times, and there's some anxiety about whether the people would actually get along or not in the end. But when you're out just to get some dungeon achievements with friends and in no rush, it definitely makes for some memorable experiences.
I still remember that night in Maraudon when friends and I got lost for about four to five hours and just had to figure our way around while we were doing all the quests. Same thing happened in Blackrock Depths into the wee hours of the morning. (The Sunken Temple and Blackrock Rise were more tedious experiences though.) In all cases, though, they actually felt like genuine adventures. It's almost a shame that most players will never really take the time to do something like that, and I consider it a borderline tragedy that Blizzard is trying their best to take the possibility of that happening out of the game altogether.
Batleth Apr 2nd 2012 9:36AM
I haven't gotten a beta invite yet, so I can testify regarding Pandaria, but I've been playing this game for many many moons, and I always find or see something I've never encountered or don't remember. One of the beauties of the game...
Twowolves Apr 2nd 2012 9:36AM
I just got into the beta and haven't explored much yet, but, thanks to my new laptop, what I have seen of Pandaria on Ultra settings is incredible.
Philster043 Apr 2nd 2012 9:41AM
I usually do stop and look around. I play for the love of exploring a strange new world and learning about it more than anything else. And Blizzard did a tremendous job in creating a very accessible world.
robsmith77 Apr 2nd 2012 9:44AM
Yes, on a regular basis. I really love flying to the top of mountains or tall buildings and then just admiring a 360 degree panoramic view - in the early evening things can look stunningly beautiful.
slythwolf Apr 2nd 2012 11:11AM
I love to just wander around in game looking at things. I don't have a lot of time to do it anymore, since I'm a full-time student with a job, but if someone in my guild is rambling in chat about some out-of-the-way area that would be awesome for a guild party or event of some kind, that person is usually me.