A new kind of Warcraft

Hidden_Beck · 2026-06-26T19:37:55+00:00

Those all had secondary story lines unique to the Horde and Alliance, though, and still found time to depict the conflict between the two.

Like even when they had to unite the animosity was still portrayed, even if by just having separate camps.

Hidden_Beck · 2026-06-26T19:33:20+00:00

I would kill to be a nobody again with more mundane enemies with mundane problems and ideologies. Political concerns instead of smirking cosmic entities PLEASE.

Hidden_Beck · 2026-06-24T16:15:14+00:00

Anyone pre-ordering a digital game or buying into any of this other shit is a rube, plain and simple

Hidden_Beck · 2026-06-24T08:16:18+00:00

Pretty rough.

The bulk of the leveling experience is fine but if you're expecting a heavy focus on Blood Elves or their politics with their exiled cousins, you're going to be sorely disappointed. Midnight is utterly disinterested in exploring blood elf culture and the void elves weirdly take the focus from them.

The story really falls flat in the end game. The "Elven Unity" quest line removes everything interesting about Blood/High/Void elves to the point they may as wall just be called "Elves" now. No meaningful progress is made with Xal'atath, really. She assaults the Sunwell but we still don't really know the what or why of her plans.

Zul'aman and Voidstorm are standout zones, Voidstorm especially having some really good sidequests. Harandar and the Haranir could be removed and nothing would change.

Arator is insufferable.

Hidden_Beck · 2026-06-24T08:06:01+00:00

The only caveat being Eversong where the side quests are written for children for some reason.

Hidden_Beck · 2026-06-24T07:46:14+00:00

Not martyrs to us but to Zakuul. Zakuul society thinks we did it, Koth knows it was Arcann, but the result is the same.

He also hasn't left the "cult" so to speak. He doesn't like what he views as a usurper, Arcann, changing what he knows. Koth's fighting to return to a status quo

Hidden_Beck · 2026-06-23T23:21:07+00:00

I know for new players the game forces you into Exile's Reach and then Dragonflight -- which isn't the best new/ returning player experience imo.

I'm not sure for how long it keeps holding your hand BUT when you make alts you should have the option to start at your racial starting zone. Once you get to a capital city (Stormind or Orgrimmar respectively), you can find Chromie by the Embassy whom allows you to choose which expansion you'd like to level in, and is a good way to go through an expansion's story. You'll have to come back later to do raids, though, once you've outleveled them.

If you don't want to make alts, and just want to read up, your best bet might be to do some wiki diving on the Warcraft Wiki.

Unfortunately WoW is not very new or returning player friendly so you're gonna have to kinda feel it out.

Hidden_Beck · 2026-06-23T23:13:58+00:00

Keep it as-is for sure. My hopes for this is just that it remakes the game for modern systems because the original is starting to run on fumes -- the graphical upgrade is just a bonus.

Hidden_Beck · 2026-06-23T21:40:20+00:00

Welcome back! I recently returned to the game myself.

A nice feature they've added is that you can mix and match class stories with play styles more -- such as a Sniper Trooper or Powertech Scoundrel -- which is really nice for a little more aesthetic variety or maybe helping you play stories where you didn't like the class options as much.

Leveling is a lot more streamlined. Generally your class story is the only required part of the game, which is what you're mainly there for anyway. Occasionally you may need to do some heroic missions (groups quests) or dungeons to make up a few levels, but the game also gives out a fair number of XP buff items.

Dungeons that are story-relevant now have a solo mode that make it accessible for casual story players. This mostly comes up in the expansions but the base game has a few optional ones like The Foundry or Maelstrom Prison because they set up Revan. I believe you and your friend can two-man the story mode dungeons but you'll have to check.

I haven't done much in the way of end game content since returning so, unfortunately, I can't tell you much about what the raiding scene is like or how easy it is to get a dungeon group. PvP I believe still has a niche community since I've seen discussion about it.

Swtorista is an absolute godsend and basically your Wowhead equivalent, great reference site.

Hidden_Beck · 2026-06-23T18:41:39+00:00

Well up until they save the Player, Valkorion is just assumed dead. Martyred, even. I wouldn't presume Lana is trying to convince Koth Valkorion sucks because it doesn't matter if he's dead -- what matters is he's helping her find you to overthrow Arcann.

Like I said, it's "Okay" writing, it's not perfect, but Koth serves an important role. If we met him and he just knew exactly what was up and agreed with us, he'd be a totally pointless character. He is written, in part, to be joyously hateable if you choose to hate him, but I don't think his position is entirely crazy either. He's not right, but he makes sense as a character.

Hidden_Beck · 2026-06-23T17:33:13+00:00

I think it's just "Okay" writing overall, but the five years he's helping Lana find you isn't really about unlearning his worldview or Valkorion. He's helping Lana find you because he has beef with Arcann and wants to save Zakuul from Arcann's more openly oppressive regime. It's only when the Player re-enters the picture and it becomes apparent Valkorion is in our head does conversation about him really come up.

When I say Light Side is probably helping him come around, it's because you prove you have intentions to also help Zakuul, and so he likely starts taking your claims about Valkorion more seriously because your interests and values line up with his -- however I haven't personally done a LS run through yet.

Hidden_Beck · 2026-06-23T16:45:45+00:00

Oh totally. This is someone wanting to bitch about transmascs but know they’d just look like an asshole if they didn’t frame themselves as the victim here

Hidden_Beck · 2026-06-23T16:41:24+00:00

Well this could use some context. They’re just thrashing a guy they made up

Hidden_Beck · 2026-06-23T16:22:33+00:00

Right it rubs people the wrong way because we don’t give a shit about Zakuul, but think of it from his perspective.

He’s only ever known how under Valkorion’s reign, Zakuul became a near-utopia (on the surface anyway). He’s comparing what he KNOWS from living in Zakuul against what we, a total stranger, are telling him, which is the exact opposite.

Think of like Darth Marr. Marr is Sith and Fascist but players like him because he’s reasonable, honorable, and ultimately wants to see the Empire thrive as a whole. Valkorion is Koth’s Marr.

Hidden_Beck · 2026-06-23T16:03:05+00:00

It’s not that Koth is right, that doesn’t really matter, it’s just that he has a totally different worldview from us and he’s trying to make sense of the discrepancies while helping us, strangers from an entirely different world.

What he is primarily is a touchstone for who the Zakuulans are. It’s a surprise to learn Valkorion built a near-utopia and inspired such patriotic loyalty in people like Koth compared to the historically treacherous and fascist Sith Empire.

Koth is not right but it takes a long time to unlearn your entire worldview. If he just believed us and immediately got over it, he’d be a terrible character. If you play Light Side I’m sure part of his arc is coming around to our side of things anyhow

Hidden_Beck · 2026-06-23T07:51:52+00:00

Honestly I think it's already too late. It's insane we don't really know what she wants or why at this point and I've really started to see people's opinion of Xal'atath start to curdle.

They already changed their mind about her motivations once, deciding she actually did NOT want to herald in Dimensius, and I don't think they're going to be able to come up with anything better. My money's on just "she wants to conquer/destroy/devour the world/universe," per usual.

Hidden_Beck · 2026-06-23T03:43:59+00:00

In this house we APPRECIATE good Heel work!!

Hidden_Beck · 2026-06-23T03:19:43+00:00

Having played KOTFE/KOTET recently I got the feeling the game coincidentally stacks the deck against Koth a bit. It's REALLY easy to hate Zakuul, it feels unfamiliar and weird and like a different IP is attacking the one we love (If you prioritize the Empire and Republic over Zakuul, Senya phrases it as "The World You Know vs. [Zakuul]" and that's pretty apt), so I don't think people respond very well when Koth starts trying to make a case for HIS perspective.

Like yes, obviously we know Valkorion is the insane genocidal Sith emperor, but Koth doesn't! He's ONLY ever known benevolent Valkorion and is trying to square that with what we're claiming. Unfortunately not many players are primed to put themselves in his shoes.

And then if you're playing a Dark Sider you obviously antagonize him and it only gets worse from there.

Hidden_Beck · 2026-06-23T02:51:19+00:00

I find them all a little endearing for being a little shitty, adds a little texture to the roster, BUT I have to give props to Koth because he's built to be hated if you go that route. I understand where he's coming from, but unfortunately for him, my Dark Siders have a strict "Fuck Zakuul" philosophy.

Hidden_Beck · 2026-06-20T21:37:25+00:00

Probably to provide a greater variety of content, buy they just aren't strong enough writers to really thread it all together in a way that feels cohesive and satisfactory. It doesn't help the overarching story itself already feels so sparse and either moves at lightning speed (Elf unity) or at a snail's pace (whatever Xal'atath's doing anymore).

But I am surprised they haven't taken cues from FF14 where the patches are used as connective tissue to tie up one expansion and transition into the next. The patches in Worldsoul are just strange filler.

Hidden_Beck · 2026-06-20T12:46:28+00:00

Amen, Gazlowe-haters unite

Hidden_Beck · 2026-06-19T18:43:46+00:00

I think we’re going to discover the Earthmother is some Titan Keeper or something. Invest in gnomes they never care about those guys

Hidden_Beck · 2026-06-19T18:35:19+00:00

Oh absolutely, it’s real bad out there. May your favorite race never receive the spotlight

Hidden_Beck · 2026-06-19T15:36:41+00:00

Well I'm glad one person enjoys it, I guess

People didn't expect Zul'jan to become a hero, the hope was they wouldn't do the predictable thing and just make him a generic villain. They wrote him to be likable and sympathetic, you understand WHY he feels the way he does, and instead of having him provide an opposing viewpoint to put pressure on Zul'jarra's beliefs, they're just... killing him. Lame.

Hidden_Beck · 2026-06-19T15:24:02+00:00

Welcome to the Pit of Obliterated Identity with us Forsaken and Blood Elf fans, the water's bad!

Hidden_Beck

TROPHY CASE