plot-and-lore
Latest
Know Your Lore: The final boss of Mists of Pandaria
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft. We've heard various and sundry conflicting tales about Mists of Pandaria, tales of various pandaren groups, tales of faction warfare, tales of a warchief's downfall. But in and among all of the tales, one theme pervades, one thing stands out as something people point to in dismay. This thing is the lack of a final boss that is a powerhouse in Warcraft lore, something that we've had with every prior expansion. Illidan, Kil'jaeden, the Lich King, and Deathwing were all prominent figures in Warcraft lore before we rose up to defeat them. They were terrible threats to our world, threats that had to be dealt with. But in Mists of Pandaria, we don't have the reassuring face of a villain to charge after. We don't have a major lore figure to take care of. We have no idea what we're facing other than some rumblings about the warchief's downfall -- and even then, we're not sure if those rumblings are correct. For the first time in World of Warcraft's history, we don't have an easily recognizable, high-profile figure to contend with. Or perhaps we do. We have to deal with one of the greatest threats we've ever seen. We just aren't looking closely enough.
Last Week on Massively: WoW-related stories
Regular columns dominate this week's listing of WoW-related content on our sister site Massively. You can click on the links below or subscribe to a special WoW-only Massively feed.Behind the Curtain: Immediacy in PvPCraig Withers likes to PvP in a tabletop game, but not WoW. Why not? Read his current Behind the Curtain column to find out what's lacking in Blizzard's version of mortal combat.WAR vs WoW: Keen and Graev compare Keen and Graev's blog has started early in the comparison of World of Warcraft and the upcoming Warhammer Online. See what our own Kyle Horner has to say about what's sure to be a hot topic this year. Another rumor regarding Blizzard's love affair with consolesA recent demo of a new console game resulted in a comment leading to speculation: is WoW coming to a next-gen console near you?Behind the Curtain: More Plot PleaseHow much plot is needed to make an MMO enjoyable? Chris Chester poses that question, and his own answer in his weekly column, Behind the Curtain.Building a Better MMOusetrap: Adventures in babysittingGuilds are an essential part of every MMO. In his Building a Better MMOusetrap column, Dave Moss explores ways that Blizzard and other game developers can make guilds even better.As the Worlds Turn: Ramblings of a mad manAdam Schumacher uses this week's As The World Turns column to present his wish list to Blizzard and other MMO developers detailing what he'd like to see this year in MMOs.MMOGology: Keep it simple, stupidMark Nottke has been playing a lot of Dungeon Runner. In his weekly MMOGology weekly column, he compares the simplistic quest, interface and content to WoW's system and you may be surprised at his conclusions.
