Getting to know escorts
No, not those escorts. Escort quests, which are ubiquitous in the Outlands.
Escort quests used to be my least favorite of all kinds of quests. First you had to fight your way to some guy, usually under heavy guard. Then he would give a long explanation of why he was there. Then you would have to fight your way out, with this weak, inefficient little guy that you have to protect despite the fact that he keeps running out of his way to aggro things and then yells for help. Hordies will recognize the Barrens quest where you have to escort a pirate out of Northwatch Hold as one of the more aggravating of these quests. You walk this guy all the way to Ratchet while being attacked by soldiers, pirates, and probably some jerk naked level 60 Alliance who has decided today's the day to gank in Ratchet. And don't even start on the Razorfen Downs escort quest, which I've still never successfully completed.
But in the Burning Crusade, escorts seem to be a little more sophisticated. This past week, I escorted an injured Mag'Har orc from a camp of Broken, and helped a cursed bird get revenge on some Arakkoa. A few things appear to have been fixed from the escort quests on Azeroth. First off, the escortee usually has the ability to defend him- or herself. One escort even healed himself, which made me very happy. Secondly, the escort doesn't run off and attack random things and then scream for your assistance. They have a set path, and will usually only attack what you attack or what attacks them. And finally, if the quest ends with you getting jumped by three angry elites, the quest text will actually suggest you bring more people, instead of leaving it as a nasty surprise.
Have you noticed that escort quests are easier in Outlands, or are they still the same pain they've always been for you?
