The Queue: Soloing, cross-realm raiding, and technology
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today.
Monday has come again. Let's do this thing.
dsgdchucktown asked:
Will we be able to easily handle the Cata raids and dungeons once we hit lvl 100?
Absolutely. Most players can already demolish Cataclysm raids in Mists of Pandaria. While Warlords of Draenor introduces a number squish, it also introduces a mechanic that allows you to deal way more damage to mobs lower level than you are. That includes boss mobs. Players have thrashed pretty much everything on the beta. A level 100 in a lower level raid zone will be dealing more damage than they are pre-squish at level 90 in Mists of Pandaria. Possibly much more.
bushkanaka86 asked:
Is cross realm raiding going away completely with 6.0 or with WoD, or only going away for mythic level? I have a couple of raiders on my team from a different server and wondering how soon they need to transfer.
It only applies to Mythic raiding. You're fine for everything below that.
Smartazjb0y asked:
Does the presence of stuff like magic, demons, dragons, and elemental spirits halt the progress of technology? Besides maybe Warhammer 40K, it seems that most fantasy settings have these sentient humanoid races existing for thousands of years yet the technology is pretty slow to grow. Basically, why aren't there Orcs that have iPhones in their jean pockets by now?
That's a good question and one that isn't easily answered! It's going to differ depending on the setting. Sometimes there's a reason and sometimes there isn't. For example, when magic is in play, you have to consider whether they would develop the same way we did technologically. When magic is abundant, do they have the same needs? Do they need machines to help them get from place to place or carry heavy loads around when mages/wizards can open portals or levitate objects? If people can easily send messages long distance by whispering on the wind or whatever, do they need telephones? If someone invented the telephone, would society have a use for it? Would they adopt that technology or laugh at how stupid it is that they'd make an expensive machine to do what they can already do easily without any outside help at all? Do you need computers if you can summon an infinite number of intelligent spirits/elements that can do your calculations for you? Would someone even consider building a computer or going down the technological path that leads to one? Or would they research magical ways to conjure better constructs?
Some settings have other in-world reasons for a lack of technological advancement. If it's a truly wartorn place, it's possible no great thinkers had the opportunity to excel and create. Maybe they all die young. Maybe they're given a sword and shield and are forced to fight their entire adult life. Maybe machines are considered dark sorcery and forbidden. Maybe those engineers are put to work making better siege engines and don't get a chance to make something more practical. Maybe the author of the work doesn't want to worry about that technology business and just want to have fun in a world with really big numbers but still rely on sword and sorcery.
Warcraft in particular is a weird one, because they've introduced all sorts of modern technology but don't work it into the narrative at all. We have submarines, helicopters, missiles, and guns. But the setting still leans on swords and axes above all else. Warcraft has also established that the gnomes have created the radio -- ye olde buzzbox quests display that fact. Azeroth, then, has broadcasting technology. That fact alone would totally change how war is fought, but we ignore it. Azeroth is Blizzard's sandbox. They don't really care about a logical progression of technology. If it's cool, they do it, and damn the consequences.
Personally, I like it when there's some explanation for the technology levels in fantasy, but I've played Blizzard games long enough. They do whatever they want and don't think too hard about it.
@arcane_wonder asked:
what if the Draenei drank the blood of manoroth?
That's kind of what Kil'jaeden and friends did, isn't it? I don't know if they actually drank demon blood (if they did, they got it straight from Sargeras), but they were given great demonic power. The draenei we know, the ones in the Alliance, are the ones that didn't sign up for demony badness.
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!
