tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7563653272708826682.post1244490129125634490..comments2023-10-17T08:35:27.492-07:00Comments on Ixobelle (archived): Design Test: Favorite Zone and Why?Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01024497755617725448noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7563653272708826682.post-18227246423809247922010-03-22T11:01:02.559-07:002010-03-22T11:01:02.559-07:00I agree with your assessment of Howling Fjord.. As...I agree with your assessment of Howling Fjord.. As Alliance for the first time it was epic to be sailing on this boat between these HUGE glaciers and deep dark waters that housed some life you could see swimming around.. and you would see clusters of penguins just hanging out on ice bergs. It was awesome the first 50 times I saw it. XD. Not sure how you get rid of the familiarity problem. (Oh yeah, blow the fricken world up!)<br /><br />Another epic zone to me the first time I saw it was the Gate to Outland. I was a n00b who never had been to this Outland. Someone told me I had to go through the badlands to get there. So here I am walking in this zone and it's dark and creepy and bolts of electricity are going off and this huge glow comes into view and I am like WTF is that? OMG I am so going to die! HELP! So I creep up on it watching out for the doom hammer to slap me down and go over the crest to see this giant rift in the fabric of space time and this encampment of people before it. I thought it was a very good introduction to Outland. The crazy topsy turvy world of Outland itself was sorta meh.SirFWALGManhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01310209706844541719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7563653272708826682.post-88797905722281338842010-03-11T07:56:54.555-08:002010-03-11T07:56:54.555-08:00HF is by and large my favorite zone in both looks ...HF is by and large my favorite zone in both looks and effectiveness combined. The quests, especially when arriving as alliance to Valgarde, really do feel like you are assaulting the lich king's territtory. And subsequent quests further the storyline, very few being true "kill ten rats" style.<br /><br />From a strictly visual perspecitve, I think Duskwood takes the cake. HF and GH are both very nice, but the stark contrast that this zone has to the surrounding zones, as well as this being one of the few zones that actually have this sort of "downtrodden dark" feeling make it really stand out, and in a good way. The webs hanging from the trees help immensely :) Our guild always throw's a halloween party in this zone.<br /><br />From a design perspective, I would have to agree with Hatch, ZD is way up there. The whole zone just flows from one part to the next. The story is omnipresent, and one of the best quest lines, including a lichiepoo encounter, is in it. Though, I have to say that Elwynn/northshire valley is a close second. I know, I know, a bit cliche? But think about it. It really does set the quintessential tone of that whole first "vanilla" wow. The quests follow the zone well, and they arent too grindy.Firespirithttp://lightsfury.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7563653272708826682.post-91000095202093293332010-02-26T13:05:41.018-08:002010-02-26T13:05:41.018-08:00I can't speak to a favorite area (though Mulgo...I can't speak to a favorite area (though Mulgore is pretty cool, I'm more of a "snow and ice" kinda guy, and I've not explored Northrend) in WoW, but I'll wholeheartedly second the notion that those cliffs need to be useful.<br /><br />I saw a teaser for a new MMO titled TERA. At one point, the characters are literally climbing a rock wall (not just running up a narrow path carved into the cliff). That struck me as pretty dang cool, and I'd love that sort of mechanic in WoW. Let me climb the cliffs and see what's up there... and make something interesting to see up there while you're at it.Teshhttp://tishtoshtesh.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7563653272708826682.post-86247150037932675512010-02-26T12:06:17.247-08:002010-02-26T12:06:17.247-08:00Grizzly Hills is the most beautiful zone in WoW, b...Grizzly Hills is the most beautiful zone in WoW, but the game design there isn't so great.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the game design in Zul'Drak is excellent. I love the level design with the road/staircase leading across the entire zone to the temple. The Ebon Blade vs. Undead Troll questline is probably one of my favorites in all of WoW. The questlines where you do favors for the animal demigods is also great. So I'd have to say Zul'drak. The only problem is that it could use a little more variety and beauty. The zone would be more effective if the base of it leading in from crystalsong and grizzly hills was greener and more verdant, and then you saw the decay grow as you moved further into the zone.<br /><br />The background lore in that zone is also quite good. You get a feel for the losing battle the native ice trolls have been fighting against the scourge (though I would like to see this in more explicit detail) and come to understand the sacrifices they are making of their own gods in the name of defeating the scourge. Then you have the ebon blade and the argent crusade both battling the scourge in their own way (EB uses espionage while AC uses direct assault).<br /><br />So I surprised myself here...zul'drak is my favorite zone in wow!<br /><br />Duskwood is a good candidate too, but the old world just can't compete with northrend in terms of design.Hatchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03615033343005638291noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7563653272708826682.post-53757782922859572712010-02-26T09:39:30.203-08:002010-02-26T09:39:30.203-08:00azshara man ... azshara ... its amazing there to j...azshara man ... azshara ... its amazing there to just sit on one island or something or just stroll on the beach and listen to the magnificent soundtrack ... and the setting is so tranquil ... so escapist ...<br />in fact u can escape from reality when you are somewhere in azshara... and there are not so many ppl there which only contributes to the objective. u can have a rest from a busy or hard day ... just sit and chat... or just sit and observe ... <br />besides the place is not like any other zone in WOW... <br />The other place with a similar effect is the Twisting Nether ... just sit on some flying boulder and enjoy the ambience, soundtrack and lightning showkangaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12294567107640849248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7563653272708826682.post-90672013514709943542010-02-26T07:46:30.046-08:002010-02-26T07:46:30.046-08:00Revamping any old instances just cheapens the memo...Revamping any old instances just cheapens the memory and it's never as good as the original, even if it looks the same.Kyirnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7563653272708826682.post-10530611167529970892010-02-26T01:17:16.220-08:002010-02-26T01:17:16.220-08:00Ahn Qiraj 40 was very impressive. Especially up th...Ahn Qiraj 40 was very impressive. Especially up the stairs where you kill Prophet Skeram, there is a fantastic desolate landscape view with a dawning/setting sun. <br /><br />Sadly few people have actually been to AQ like pre WotLK Naxxramas. I would definetly revamp this as a 10 man dungeon. And in my opinion when they are revamping a dungeon, add something more. I mean if you are reviving Onyxia dungeon, put a small story to it. Like I don't know one of her brood takes up residence and you kill it.Silkwormnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7563653272708826682.post-69248473815945205662010-02-25T23:20:19.404-08:002010-02-25T23:20:19.404-08:00Don't know about the Horde side, but I remembe...Don't know about the Horde side, but I remember how special the arrival was as an alliance... The mighty entrance with the gigantic fjords first of all. And then, the very stumbling quests you're taking out of town, you're facing waves of crazy wolves, coming in waves, running around. Tons of them. I even died! Puh. It set a certain pace and atmosphere somehow.<br /><br />And I'm SO glad things are moving on a bit. I will be so proud once you succeed, knowing that I never was one of the nay-sayers.<br /><br />Good to hear from you! cheers and hugs!Larísahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05769822260333419777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7563653272708826682.post-18105748114037388292010-02-25T22:39:38.572-08:002010-02-25T22:39:38.572-08:00I do love Howling Fjord, it isn't just the geo...I do love Howling Fjord, it isn't just the geography so much as the quests, the look, the exploring, the towns all add up to reinforce the overarching themes and general gothic-ness of the whole place. It's an amazing introduction to Northrend. I also love how the instances are in a huuuge fortress in the middle. You won't see it at first, but as you explore you'll notice it in the distance, and then finally end up there yourself.<br /><br /><br />The other zone I love at the moment is Lothlorien in LOTRO. It's so perfectly designed to feel like a respite after having slogged through Moria -- not just the graphics, the quests as well.Copperbirdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00100865526015929517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7563653272708826682.post-21977968027959797222010-02-25T20:38:01.585-08:002010-02-25T20:38:01.585-08:00I never much liked the zones in WAR, but I loved t...I never much liked the zones in WAR, but I loved the Greenskin camps. They did such a good job of capturing a war machine that was barely holding itself together, yet had such inexorable momentum.Juzabanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7563653272708826682.post-82588014394308706842010-02-25T18:07:21.150-08:002010-02-25T18:07:21.150-08:00Also, I like Black Rock Mountain personally. Despi...Also, I like Black Rock Mountain personally. Despite housing four (or five, depending on how you count LBRS and UBRS) excellent instances, I always thought the level design was awe inspiring. I remember the first time I went in and saw the giant rock suspended in the middle and thinking "Wow, I really wish I could get more then three feet before dying".<br /><br />I also remember being level 60 and thinking "Gee, killing all these people entering with the rest of my zerg is really fun."<br /><br />Oh the memories.Kyirnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7563653272708826682.post-22020045922453504462010-02-25T18:01:59.350-08:002010-02-25T18:01:59.350-08:00Kiryn, we have some quest where we have to get eag...Kiryn, we have some quest where we have to get eagle feathers which then let us farsight up to them.<br /><br />Or maybe that's Grizzly Hills.<br /><br />Huh.Kyirnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7563653272708826682.post-22354498774250462772010-02-25T17:50:39.787-08:002010-02-25T17:50:39.787-08:00From an Alliance perspective, there's a quest ...From an Alliance perspective, there's a quest where some guy teaches you falconry, and you control this little tiny falcon as it zips around the cliffs stealing the eggs of larger birds.<br /><br />I haven't seen the zone from the Horde perspective, but it saddens me that they don't have something like this involving those beautiful cliffs. Thinking back now, it was probably my favorite quest chain in the zone.Kirynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13868901474885427449noreply@blogger.com