WRUP: We're all playing Hearthstone
As we've mentioned before, your intrepid WoW Insider staff actually starts planning our weeks around Thursday. And so we start asking them what they're playing on Thursday. It ensures everyone has a chance to answer before the weekend actually lands on us. So, on a rare occasion, we answer one way early Thursday...
... and then the Hearthstone beta gets announce late Friday afternoon, and we all have to change our answer. So, we're just warning you. While our bonus question was "What did you think of the trailer?" and we were all playing different games, our unanimous answer is actually, "We're playing Hearthstone."
Anne Stickney (@Shadesogrey) I might be raiding this weekend, not really sure yet -- I may just spend it writing, painting, and playing a bit of Animal Crossing. The trailer was AWESOME -- I loved that Taran Zhu finally said that one thing to Garrosh that I've been dying to see someone say to him all expansion, and Garrosh's reaction to it was perfect, although I almost had a minor heart attack when I thought Garrosh had put an end to my favorite crusty, difficult-to-impress, no-bullshit ninja panda, as Sally so eloquently put it. I've been a fan of Taran Zhu since he first showed up and bawled us out for wrecking what his organization had been protecting and keeping in balance for ten thousand years. On the one hand, I would have loved to see Anduin or even Varian standing there and facing off with Garrosh -- on the other, what Garrosh was doing was clearly something that the Shado-Pan had been guarding against for so long, and it was only appropriate that Taran Zhu be the one to point it out. Still crossing my fingers for some sort of epic Varian/Garrosh face off, however! They need that round two of the Ulduar fight.
Dan Desmond (@Antigen_) I have a couple raids to attend where I may or may not get to see Lei Shen in all of his heroic fury. I hope we can down him before the patch, that would just be the bees' knees.
One thought I had the entire time I watched the trailer was, "Wow, Garrosh is being really inappropriately emotive. He looks almost silly." I feel bad for admitting it, but he doesn't quite look the hardened, crazed warrior that we've come to know.
Daniel Whitcomb (@danielwhitcomb) I've gotten back into ME3MP. I kind of want to get Best of the Best before absolutely no-one else is playing, so I'm working my way through the achievements. I'm thinking Earth mastery is my next target. I only need a few more good rounds with a Piranha-wielding Demolisher to finish that one.
As for the trailer, I think it was masterfully done from a technical standpoint, but I admit to being tired of the story, and this trailer reminded me exactly why that is. I play Alliance. I love the Alliance. I am really not looking forward to playing yet another Horde story, redemption or otherwise. But that is pretty obviously what we're getting in patch 5.4.
Addendum: Haha, yeah. I think my game plans just changed to Hearthstone, Hearthstone, and more Hearthstone.
Dawn Moore (@dawnwow) Writing, writing, writing, and then some raiding on Sunday. I don't foresee myself having a chance to do much else, but if I do get a chance to game it will be a contest between Plants vs. Zombies 2 and one of the betas I'm in.
Trailer: Definitely the best looking patch trailer I've ever seen. My only issue is that Garrosh just isn't a very interesting villain. If he was going to be the final boss of this expansion, he should have been given some of the treatment Arthas received in WotLK. As it is, we don't currently understand him, his motivations, or how much of his actions are the result of corruption from the sha. Words to write by: a story is only as interesting as its villain.
Elizabeth Harper (@Faience) The new weekend is night? :|
I keep thinking about starting a new priest and playing it up using only the dungeon finder. Healer leveling FTW! Maybe I'll actually get around to doing that this weekend.
Elizabeth Wachowski (@leeatwaterlives) Boy, I don't know. I was dreaming about warlocks last night, so it might be time to end my WoW break. But I've also got Skyrim:Dragonborn and Borderlands 2 on my plate. Oh, and work.
Joe Perez (@lodurzj) Still leveling my Monk, having a blast tanking on her. Also leveling my Tauren Pally, also as a tank. It may actually be my second calling after healing.
As far as reaction to the trailer. I like the fact that Garrosh is not just stark raving mad / lunatic all of a sudden. It's more calculating and cold, which I like better than just "corrupted and crazy" While some will argue it is a bit repetitive, I think it actually sits well on Garrosh. I also loved how Taran Zhu got an awesome zing in on Garrosh while fighting. He is by far my favorite neutral NPC of all time.
Kristin Marshall (@kristin) I *finally* finished leveling my monk, so I'm hoping to get in a few heroic dungeons and whatnot. Perhaps a bit of housework, too!
As far as the trailer - wow. Well done!
Lisa Poisso (@lisapoisso) Painting, which takes over your life so there will be no gaming this weekend. Bonus question: Energizing! Not sure it energizes me to follow the story, specifically, but it does energize me to hop onto my Horde character and act badass.
Matt "Matticus" Low (@matticus) I've been on a flight sim kick. Mostly playing some Ace Combat and Tom Clancy's HAWX. Must be a result of all that time flying in game and not being able to shoot at other stuff in the air. I'm also going to get in some games of volleyball over the weekend, assuming the weather holds.
Trailer: Wow! What a movie! I mean how about that Taran Zhu, huh?! Quite an Oscar nominating performance! Like, what would the New York Times say? And don't get me started on Garrosh. The make up team and the special effects team really did a number on him for sure! I'm sure Blizzard is going to be in talks with his agent and try to get him involved with Siege of Orgrimmar 2. I wouldn't be surprised if Siege of Orgrimmar gets best picture of the year! Move over Pacific Rim, there's a new big and bad monster in town! This ain't no class 5 Kaiju, that's for sure!
Matthew Rossi (@MatthewWRossi) We finished raiding early this week so I'm taking it easy - hope to run ICC heroic for more shards and mog gear, otherwise not doing much.
My trailer reaction is exhaustion at other people's trailer reactions. I find the whole "Garrosh is acting out of character" thing absolutely baseless and exhausting. Because he kills things that get in his way? This strikes me as his behavior ever since he told Saurfang to solve the Horde's problem with supply lines by killing the Alliance. I also find the reaction of a subsection of Alliance players about 'boo hoo we're not in the trailer' equally exhausting. Really, up until the fans spoke up, I was enjoying the trailer. I got to make a few jokes about it on twitter even.
I now imagine that Garrosh's original plan for dealing with Theramore was to dunk the Mana Bomb in water.
Matt Walsh (@Rhidach) I'll probably be playing some Skyrim this weekend. I'm finishing up the Dawnguard DLC at the moment. As for the trailer, I really didn't care for it. It was well done, and interesting to watch, but from a writing perspective Garrosh seems like more of a caricature than ever. The story for Siege stills doesn't really grab me at all.
Olivia Grace (@oliviadgrace) I suspect there will be a healthy mixture of arenas on my terribly undergeared baby shaman on the US side, and Worms: Clan Wars. I'm not sure yet which will win out, but suffice it to say I can happily waste hours upon hours upon hours on arenas, or Worms.
My reaction to the trailer? Well it was pretty good. I was really hoping that Taran Zhu would actually pop his clogs, as we say over here, but no, god forbid Blizzard should grow a pair and start killing prominent characters. Don't we remember how upset people got about Bolvar?
Robin Torres (@cosmiclaurel) I'm leveling my mage via pet battles and wishing my phone wasn't too ancient to play PvZ2. Bonus: I liked how up close and personal the trailer is. I'm even more excited for the patch now.
Addendum: Change "I'm leveling my mage via pet battles" to "I'm playing Hearthstone" please. :)
Sarah Pine (@ilaniel) I'm raiding and then I'll be continuing to slaughter Booty Bay Bruisers and civilians because I'm finally going to do the Insane achievement. You heard it here first, folks.
As for the trailer? Loved it. I was particularly impressed with the mouth animations for Garrosh and Taran Zhu, you could see them forming each word, it was wonderful. Taran Zhu's crack about Grom was perfectly executed on all fronts, and I think I said "OH, BURN" out loud when he said it, haha. I seem to be one of the few people I know who is pretty firmly in line with Zhu's point of view regarding both factions, so I'm relieved to know we get a chance to rescue him in the final raid. I like crusty, difficult-to-impress, no-bullshit ninja pandas, okay.
The weekend is the perfect time to kick back, relax and enjoy some game time. Are you an achievement junkie? Can't get enough raiding? Rolling a new alt? Considering taking the leap into roleplaying? Whatever your favorite way to play World of Warcraft, let us know in the comments what you're playing this weekend!
