3.1 Vs RP, Round One.
New content is a double edged sword. On one hand, we all benefit from shiny new fun – game mechanics have changed, a new dungeon is offering new epics, and look, an Argent Tournament PvP . . . thing! Will this facilitate new RP opportunities? Absolutely! The problem ( for me at least) is - When?
Being part of a raiding guild means top priority on learning encounters and hashing out the small details that make the encounters run smoothly. This means I research things beyond my regular 8 hours of raiding. I read Bosskillers, I read MMO Champion, I follow the threads on my guild’s website. I end up on ventrilo talking about the raid for sometimes hours on end. My time for RP will go down considerably because I have twenty some odd other people looking to me and my fellow officers for guidance. I know a lot of my core friends will have the same issues. It’s sad to say, but if you raid at all, new content is both the greatest thing ever and at the same time, the toughest thing to deal with because it distracts people from stories that may already be in the works.
How will I deal with this? I’m going to make sure I put at least two nights aside to RP so it doesn’t get lost in the shuffle. I already have people asking me about ten man Ulduar, and if I think I can swing an In Character run with it, I likely will. Yva would have fun with Yogg Saron, and integrating my two favorite things (RP and raiding) will likely take some of the OMG OVERWHELMED stigma off of 3.1. I always get nerved up with something brand new on the docket. The trick is not letting it go too far. Making sure I keep the rp alive as a “detox” will help considerably. It always has in the past.
I’m not going to go into what I know of Ulduar from the PTR or my regular websites because I understand that some people want everything to be a surprise. Hopefully, you’ve managed to catch the trailer. If not, here it is for your viewing pleasure.
I don’t have the epic story-bug feel with this dungeon like I did with Naxxramas, but that may just be ignorance on my part. I did some background checking on the lore, though, and I think it’ll grow on me as time goes by. The movie did little for me simply because it’s back to Varian’s horde-hate which has irked me since the Wrathgate cut scenes. It’s that whole thing about time and place for faction warring when there’s A Giant Undead Army Outside.
At any rate, I wish everyone luck with Ulduar and the new content, and I’d be interested to hear what folks have to say about how the new content will affect RP for you and your character. In the meanwhile, Ta!
Filed in World of Warcraft 5 Comments so far
Aleros on 14 Apr 2009 at 4:39 pm #
Admittedly, Garrosh started that fight. There is the whole Varian hates the Horde thing, but that really was all Garrosh.
As far as Ulduar lore (stop reading here if you don’t like spoilers), Yogg-saron is deeply embedded in every part of IceCrown. While Naxx may have had a bigger RP bug for you than Ulduar does, that’s because Naxx was step 1 towards the Lich King which is the main focus of Northrend.
Yogg-Saron’s presence can be felt everywhere as you level up. He literally is everywhere. Saronite is a biproduct of his presence (I imagine specific details will be explained what the link between him and Saronite is) and there aren’t any zones where Yogg-saron’s presence isn’t somewhere. In Fjord the possessed dwarves and the whispering gulch, in Dragonblight it’s the bug kingdom (which actually just extends beneath the entirety of northrend), in Grizzly Hills it’s Grizzlemaw and the corrupted World Tree, in Zul’drak “something” is driving the trolls to kill their Gods. Icecrown his presence is beneath Arthas’s citadel, and Storm Peaks is kind of obvious.
He drives anyone insane who has prolonged exposure to him, save for maybe the strongest of will, so that anyone who spends any significant amount of time in Northrend (not in Dalaran) will start to go a little bit crazy.
Anna on 14 Apr 2009 at 5:03 pm #
For Aely, Ulduar is a matter of curiosity and dread – she doesn’t like what she’s hearing, and she’s pretty sure it’s going to be bad… but she also finds the Watchers to be pretty spiffy and cool (esp. Freya’s avatar).
Annorah this will hit a little harder – she hates undead like the rest of the place, but Ulduar has a very earthy, elemental feel to it that will bring so much of what she really cares about to the forefront. Also, being really super connected to the earth when the earth is tormented by an Old God gone Batshit provides interesting opportunities for madness and degeneration. I hope she gets to see some of the content so I can poke at her brain a little more than I’ve gotten to do with Naxx.
I agree with Aleros though, Garrosh started that fight, though I’m pretty sure Varian was quite eager to join in. Neither side is free from the stupidity.
Hey – maybe that’s Yogg-Saron too! >.>
Itanya Blade on 14 Apr 2009 at 5:50 pm #
For Dorri, any trip to Ulduar will be shaky.
The whispering gorge and the Saronite mine completely creeped her out. (Keltyr too)
Garrosh and Varion should get married and then kill each other in a wedding dance to the death!
Bricu on 15 Apr 2009 at 10:45 am #
For Bricu, I think the Tourney is going to be a big thing. As for ulduar… I hope to get into a few runs, but I truly doubt I’m geared for it .
Mommacow on 20 Apr 2009 at 8:10 pm #
Belated, but Rashona is going to be ALL OVER Ulduar…she’s a total history nerd and was filled with glee when she started running across signs of the Titans in Northrend. (Storm Peaks: “Oooh Titans…waitaminute, this means there’s going to be dwarves around, doesn’t it?”) The tourney…not so much. “Why are you trying to beat each other up when you’re surrounded by a handy supply of undead for target practice?”