The Queue: Everyone's sleeping ...
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Chase Hasbrouck will be your host today.
Yes, I went with the easy joke.
At the moment, the majority of my fellow writers are sleeping or have only finger nubs remaining from trying to liveblog, so the European team has been called in as relief. Admittedly, writing the Queue while half-asleep has never stopped Fox before, so I suppose there's a precedent.
Daynthebold asked,
Am I the only one who uttered, "Meh?" Seriously, completely underwhelmed by this announcement. 6 new zones? 6 new dungeons and three recycled ones? It just seems like we get less and less with each pack, starting with Cataclysm.
This is true (to a point), but I think the answer is just that Blizzard realizes it has a much more diverse player base now than it did four years ago. Dungeons and raids were pretty much the sole focus of endgame play in Burning Crusade, but the player base is much more diverse in its goals now. More attention is being placed on making the game suitable for both short periods and long periods of play, grinds are being removed, etc. Maybe it's just me, but I'll take quality over quantity in my entertainment any day.
Also, there's a good chance that Mists of Pandaria won't take nearly as long as Cataclysm did to come out, considering that there was already a playable version at Blizzcon.
sassa asked,
Where is Pandaria on the world map?
As of right now, we don't truly know. I suspect it will be like Northrend, however, in that it's "on the map" but you won't be able to fly yourself there.
Either way, I'm sure we'll see something in an upcoming patch about "an ancient homeland disrupted by the cataclysm" to begin to set the stage for it.
Puntable asked,
Are the MoP dungeons going to follow the Cataclysm model of difficulty?
No. As mentioned in the Dungeon and Raid panel, the developers thought the heroics were too difficult, and will be aiming for a shorter and easier play experience. If you want difficulty, that's what the new Challenge Mode is for.
yous95 asked,
Besides the Brewmaster from Warcraft 3, is there any actual lore behind the Pandaren and Pandaria? The lack of knowledge of these things makes this expansion feel less epic.
There isn't a lot of pre-existing lore for the Pandaren, true, but this gives Blizzard a chance to break new ground without feeling constrained. Having a "big bad" all the time limits your storytelling, especially if you want to turn the focus back on the Horde vs. Alliance clash. Cataclysm is the perfect example; it "tried" to work in a theme of renewed conflict, but it's been mostly set aside in favor of Deathwing stuff.
Everyone asked,
What will the new monk class column be called?
I have no idea. I'm partial to "The Secret Ingredient," myself. Commenters, what do you think? Let us know!
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!
