Post by Chadness on May 25, 2006 12:55:58 GMT -5
I know we had a huge discussion in another thread about WoW vs. FFXI. I still think the overall story design is better in FFXI, but WoW is starting to gain some ground.
Last night I was on the test realm to test new features from the upcoming 1.11 patch. The world event in that patch will be the Scourge Invasion. The Scourge is both a disease and and it referrs to the army that Arthas sent into the former kingdom of Lordaeron in the game Warcraft III. In WoW that area that the Scourge invaded is everything on the northern half of the Eastern Kingdoms continent - Arathi Highlands, Hillsbrad Foothills, Alterac Mountains, Tirisfal Glades (undead starting area), Silverpine Forest and the two Plagueland zones. In fact, you fight against the Scourge to some extent in the Stratholme and Scholomance instances in the Plaguelands.
However, with this new patch, the Scourge will extend its reach all over the world - down to Stormwind and Ironforge, over to Thunder Bluff and Ogrimmar, even up to Darnassus.
In many zones, randomly spawned undead will appear on regular intervals, as well as weather effects that make the zones gloomy looking, and random Scourge symbols being burned into the ground of these zones.
When I was on the test realm last night running through Elwynn Forest, a group of scourge spawned. They were levels 12-17, more powerful than the entirety of that zone so they pose a real threat to the players leveling up in that zone. Anyway, I killed them, but something I didn't expect to find was a letter.
See, what the Scourge does is take human beings and infect them with this disease that turns them into the undead - not the undead race, but a huge army of undead weapons that Kul'Thuzzed (one of Arthas' henchmen) is using to try to wipe out life as we know it on Azeroth. This is also all part of the Burning Legion, as well.
Now, onto my point. On one of the Scourge-infested individuals I killed, I found this note. It was obviously written by him before he was overcome with the Scourge and forced to kill instead of protect. Here's what the note said:
Dear Pamela,
Tomorrow we make our stand in Andorhal, and I fear this will be my last letter to you, my love. The Undead are unfatigued and we, I fear, are only human. We cannot hold out against them. But fret not, for although we are sure perish, our hope stays strong. The Light will prevail!
And, my dearest, I take comfort knowing that, as those dark terrors storm our walls and crash over us, my last thoughts will not be of death. I will think of you in my arms, and I will know peace at last.
Christoph
It nearly brought a tear to my eye to read that. Its little things like that that have huge impacts on the players and contribute in a small way to the huge, overall story that is unfolding as this world event will take place once the patch goes live.
Just thought I should point this out, because WoW is starting to have larger, complex, interconnected story development much like FFXI does, instead of just smaller, individual stories which eventually lead to the overall story of what is happening in the world.
Last night I was on the test realm to test new features from the upcoming 1.11 patch. The world event in that patch will be the Scourge Invasion. The Scourge is both a disease and and it referrs to the army that Arthas sent into the former kingdom of Lordaeron in the game Warcraft III. In WoW that area that the Scourge invaded is everything on the northern half of the Eastern Kingdoms continent - Arathi Highlands, Hillsbrad Foothills, Alterac Mountains, Tirisfal Glades (undead starting area), Silverpine Forest and the two Plagueland zones. In fact, you fight against the Scourge to some extent in the Stratholme and Scholomance instances in the Plaguelands.
However, with this new patch, the Scourge will extend its reach all over the world - down to Stormwind and Ironforge, over to Thunder Bluff and Ogrimmar, even up to Darnassus.
In many zones, randomly spawned undead will appear on regular intervals, as well as weather effects that make the zones gloomy looking, and random Scourge symbols being burned into the ground of these zones.
When I was on the test realm last night running through Elwynn Forest, a group of scourge spawned. They were levels 12-17, more powerful than the entirety of that zone so they pose a real threat to the players leveling up in that zone. Anyway, I killed them, but something I didn't expect to find was a letter.
See, what the Scourge does is take human beings and infect them with this disease that turns them into the undead - not the undead race, but a huge army of undead weapons that Kul'Thuzzed (one of Arthas' henchmen) is using to try to wipe out life as we know it on Azeroth. This is also all part of the Burning Legion, as well.
Now, onto my point. On one of the Scourge-infested individuals I killed, I found this note. It was obviously written by him before he was overcome with the Scourge and forced to kill instead of protect. Here's what the note said:
Dear Pamela,
Tomorrow we make our stand in Andorhal, and I fear this will be my last letter to you, my love. The Undead are unfatigued and we, I fear, are only human. We cannot hold out against them. But fret not, for although we are sure perish, our hope stays strong. The Light will prevail!
And, my dearest, I take comfort knowing that, as those dark terrors storm our walls and crash over us, my last thoughts will not be of death. I will think of you in my arms, and I will know peace at last.
Christoph
It nearly brought a tear to my eye to read that. Its little things like that that have huge impacts on the players and contribute in a small way to the huge, overall story that is unfolding as this world event will take place once the patch goes live.
Just thought I should point this out, because WoW is starting to have larger, complex, interconnected story development much like FFXI does, instead of just smaller, individual stories which eventually lead to the overall story of what is happening in the world.
