Posts with tag mists-of-pandaria-screenshots

The Jade Forest has been reopened on the Mists of Pandaria beta servers, and it's had quite the face-lift in a few key areas. Two new giant mogu temples are now at either end of the zone, and the Alliance and Horde have claimed them in the names of their respective factions. As a result, the starting quests for each faction have changed significantly from what they were before the Jade Forest was closed for its renovations.

Because of this, beta testers who were well past the zone when it was closed may want to copy another character over to the beta and give the new version a play-through. It seems that both Alliance and Horde have received significant changes in the opening portions of the zone; however, later quests outside of the starting areas seem to be unchanged. In addition, there were several model updates with the current patch. Pandaria's wildlife now seems to be suitably diverse from the rest of Azeroth's creatures.

So what's changed? Well, quite a bit, actually. Take a look at the before and after in our galleries for a peek at the changes, and follow after the break for some impressions from the new Mists starting experience.

Beta testers have been getting a peek at what Mists of Pandaria has to offer for a few months now. The quest chains, storylines, new features and individual rewards in Mists of Pandaria are amazing enough, but what really sets this expansion apart is the scenery. Pandaria is nothing like anything we've seen in Azeroth to date. While it doesn't have the stark, alien landscapes of Outland, Pandaria's got the kind of lush green scenery I love to see, offering a much more relaxing quest backdrop than Cataclysm's shattered landscapes.

The first zone both Horde and Alliance players will encounter is the Jade Forest. Unlike the prior two expansions, players of both factions will start in the same zone, albeit at opposite ends. Don't worry about being cramped, however; as you can see from our gallery, the Jade Forest is huge. Featuring dozens of new quest areas that stretch the length of the zone, the expansion presents players with little problem being drawn into the first arc of Pandaria's story -- nor, as evidenced by the small smattering of images in our gallery, will players have a lack of incredibly beautiful things to look at.



I don't know about you guys, but there is something so foreign yet so familiar to Pandaria that I can't help but fall in love. I haven't gotten to level in a lush green area since Sholazar Basin, so I'm terribly happy with what I've seen so far, and I can't wait to play through it once it's released.

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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!

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Mists of Pandaria is absolutely beautiful. Though beta players cannot access Pandaria at this time, they can still visit the pandaren starting zone and level through the experience. The Wandering Isle is home to the descendants of Pandaria who chose to leave the main island generations ago, instead wandering Azeroth on the back of a giant turtle.

If Pandaria is anywhere near as visually stunning as the starter zone, we're in for a treat. Check out the gallery below for shots from The Wandering Isle as you play through from beginning to end. It's a breathtaking bunch of scenery and a uniquely beautiful zone, the likes of which we've never seen before.

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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!

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