astranaar

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  • Breakfast Topic: Will you miss the Old World?

    by 
    Daniel Whitcomb
    Daniel Whitcomb
    08.27.2009

    So when I first heard about the Cataclysm, I actually sort of figured Blizzard would use a sort of phasing system on the old world: You'd start in the current old world, and at some point, you'd do a quest series that would phase you into the new, Deathwinged Azeroth similar to the way one progresses into Icecrown in Northrend. However, the word has come down: When Azeroth burns, it'll be changed for good. There's no going back. Even those who don't buy the expansion will still find themselves in Deathwing's new world.While we're told some zones will remain relatively unscathed, almost every zone will be touched in some way, whether it be simple storyline changes or more massive shakeups from rivers of lava or shrunken coastlines or war, or even more greenery thanks to shifting water sources. So here's my simple question: Will you miss it? Will you be nostalgic for a desolate Desolace or the massive Barrens? Will you mourn for fallen Astranaar and Auberdine? I'm sure some things will be missed more than others, but then again, change can be good. Being able to move on to new challenges and new excitements has me pretty psyched all told. But then again, what if they get rid of Lakeshire Bridge? I have been waiting a long time to see that done. When the Cataclysm comes, what will you miss? What will you be glad to be rid of?

  • Father's Day in Azeroth: A salute to the fathers of Warcraft lore

    by 
    Daniel Whitcomb
    Daniel Whitcomb
    06.15.2008

    So it's Father's Day, the time when we all pay homage to the fathers or father figures in our lives, and thank them for all that they do. While we can't say for sure if they celebrate Father's Day in Azeroth, too, there's a lot of people in Azeroth and Outland who have reason to think back on their dads today. Many dads of Azeroth have affected their children's lives or been affected by them. The ramifications of the interactions of these fathers and children have then in turn affected the lore and story of Warcraft in ways great and small. Therefore, in honor of the holiday, let's look at 10 famous and not-so-famous dads of Warcraft lore (listed in no particular order).

  • What WoW should learn from certain quests in and around The Barrens

    by 
    Daniel Whitcomb
    Daniel Whitcomb
    04.29.2008

    So I've been thinking a bit about questing lately as I traverse Outlands on my latest project, a level 61 Blood Elf Paladin, working on the Outlands quests. I think my favorite part of playing a lowbie hordeling is how many quests there are to "stumble upon" in the oft-maligned Barrens. Technically, they're all very basic "find and kill these dudes" quests, but the presentation is such that I always get a big rush from doing them. They really do make me feel like a mighty hunter.

  • Phat Loot Phriday: Dartol's Rod of Transformation

    by 
    Mike Schramm
    Mike Schramm
    12.09.2006

    Blood Elves and Draenei haven't shown up in the game yet, but today's piece of sweet loot lets you play that other new race, the Furbolg.Name: Dartol's Rod of TransformationType: Quest ItemDamage/Speed: NAAbilities: Transforms you into a furry, angry looking Furblog for three minutes Furbolg form even has its own animations for fighting and casting spells. As long as you don't take any damage, you could run raids looking just like the picture above. So far, I don't believe a dance has been implemented yet, but no matter where you are, everybody loves a Furbolg! One minute cooldown - taking damage will interrupt the spell Unlimited charges! How to Get It: Sorry Hordies, this one's Alliance only. Around level 28 or so, Alliance can find a Night Elf named Raene Wolfrunner in the inn in Astranaar. She starts off a long quest chain that ends with a mission where you are given this rod, and told to use it to speak to a Furbolg (the local population has been cursed, and you're supposed to find out why). But via a nice little loophole, you don't actually have to turn in the quest, and the quest item never expires, so after completing the chain up to the point you recieve the Rod, just never talk to Raene again. She'll get over it (she's got two big cats to talk to), and you'll get Dartol's Rod.Fun, completely unnecessary lore fact: Dartol apparently was a Wizard interested in druidic magic. He hung around Astranaar for a while trying to figure out why, you guessed it, the Furbolg had gotten corrupted. He created this rod to move among them and speak to them, but unfortunately, tragedy struck when he was found out.... and killed by the Furblog. But hey, now you've got his Rod, and you can run all over Azeroth looking just like his murderer!Getting Rid of It: Well, you could just turn in the quest (seeing as it's a quest item, it's unique, soulbound, and vendors won't take it). At the end of the chain, you've got your choice of a nice green axe or mace, but seriously-- how are you going to choose a standard quest reward over an item that you can use again and again all the way to 60?