WoW: Burning Crusade First Impressions

Slacker · Post by **Slacker** » 2007-01-17 02:58pm

Ooooooh yeah. Every one of 'em.

And I'm liking it so far. Hit 61 on my warrior, about a third through 60 on my lock. Zangarmarsh is a really nice area, if you're dealing with quest camp issues in Hellfire head over there. Ramparts is quick and fun. The Citadel gives me a real Scarlet Monastery feeling, which was the intent, and I love SM.

Quadlok · Post by **Quadlok** » 2007-01-17 05:09pm

Sriad wrote: Yea, and it was. I felt bad for they guy in front of me, he had 35 splinters of Atiesh when the expansion came out.

If Thottbot is to be believed, you shouldn't feel bad for him, because it looks like Atiesh will still be basically the best staff in the game at least until they start with new content again. Instead feel bad for those who devoted so much time to getting Sulfuras or Thunderfury, which are barely better than current 60 purples as it is and loose out to low 60s blues.

Post by **Ghost Rider** » 2007-01-17 05:33pm

Quadlok wrote:
Sriad wrote: Yea, and it was. I felt bad for they guy in front of me, he had 35 splinters of Atiesh when the expansion came out.
If Thottbot is to be believed, you shouldn't feel bad for him, because it looks like Atiesh will still be basically the best staff in the game at least until they start with new content again. Instead feel bad for those who devoted so much time to getting Sulfuras or Thunderfury, which are barely better than current 60 purples as it is and loose out to low 60s blues.

Sulfuras, yes. It's a shiny weapon that got outclassed by Naxx gear.

Thunderfury? No. Thunderfury rules for one reason, and one reason alone. It's proc is insane aggro on MULTIPLE mobs. Nothing except and outgeared the wazoo prenerfed Bear Tank even compares. I've tested the amount of aggro I get on that proc, and it is equal to one and half Sunders, and it does it for around 20-25%(which is a nerf of the original's 40-45% of the times). The weapon proc added with it's speed makes it the best Protect Spec tanking weapon.

Slacker · Post by **Slacker** » 2007-01-19 01:19am

We gave the Sulfie to our blacksmith after the poor bastard crafted all our Dark Iron gear.

T-Fury and Atiesh have staying power, you'll get your money worth out of Tier 2 and above. Sure, you'll replace individual items, but unless you're an off-spec, or a warrior that wants to accomplish anything solo, you'll have your Tier 2 to near-70 because of the set bonuses.

It gets *close* at times, but *shrug*.

White Haven · Post by **White Haven** » 2007-01-19 09:52am

...god, I'm not looking foreward to replacing Reactive Fade. With anything.

Crown · Post by **Crown** » 2007-01-19 12:19pm

<----- 62 Warlock loving all my new minions!

Regards to all the Horde on the EU Alonsus server who let me test out all the new abilities of the demons in Hellfire Ridge on them!

Bwwahhahaha!

Also, as someone who only reached 60 really close to the release, and who doesn't have even one piece of epic/dungeon/raid gear (Except Robe of the Void which I obviously made myself), I LOVE the new rewards, and the things I can make with tailoring. I went from 2.8k HP to 5k HP in 1/2 levels and with quest rewards/mob drops and tailored items.

I would imagine if I had spent months running AQ20/40 for my Felheart stuff, I'd be a little pissed at that ... but I'm not!

White Haven · Post by **White Haven** » 2007-01-19 01:05pm

If you'd spent months trying to get Felheart to drop in Ahn'Qiraj, I'd be giggling at you.

That said, there's always something, better, all the jump to BC gear does is even things out. T2 and T3 still takes hella long to replace, especially with set bonuses.

Crown · Post by **Crown** » 2007-01-19 01:12pm

White Haven wrote:If you'd spent months trying to get Felheart to drop in Ahn'Qiraj, I'd be giggling at you.

It drops from somewhere else doesn't it?

I said I was a newbie to this whole lvl 60 thing! Where from, MC?

White Haven wrote:That said, there's always something, better, all the jump to BC gear does is even things out. T2 and T3 still takes hella long to replace, especially with set bonuses.

That's true enough, the set bonus FTW. Although for those of us who had just reached 60, TBC =

White Haven · Post by **White Haven** » 2007-01-19 01:51pm

Yeah, MC. Sorry, but that was too good a poke to give up.

As for replacing loot...MC loot suffered from 'The devs didn't know what as good yet, and just threw stats at items randomly' syndrome, so honestly thouse aren't hard to replace.

Crown · Post by **Crown** » 2007-01-19 02:11pm

White Haven wrote:Yeah, MC. Sorry, but that was too good a poke to give up. As for replacing loot...MC loot suffered from 'The devs didn't know what as good yet, and just threw stats at items randomly' syndrome, so honestly thouse aren't hard to replace.

Hehe, having said that though; I'm getting those horns one day ... oh yes!

Post by **Ghost Rider** » 2007-01-19 04:38pm

Crown wrote:
White Haven wrote:Yeah, MC. Sorry, but that was too good a poke to give up. As for replacing loot...MC loot suffered from 'The devs didn't know what as good yet, and just threw stats at items randomly' syndrome, so honestly thouse aren't hard to replace.
Hehe, having said that though; I'm getting those horns one day ... oh yes!

Yeah, when you and three buddies decide that Ony needs to pay up or shut up.

So far, on my Tier 0 Mage, I've upgraded virtually everything.

On my Tier 2.5/3 warrior? Not as much, but I have new trinkets to screw with and alternate sets to replace my FR/NR/FrR/SR gear.

White Haven · Post by **White Haven** » 2007-01-19 05:48pm

Just remember not to ever get hit by Deep Breath, and you're fine.

...It's a shame the old raids are dead, I was about to start denying loot to anyone who died in a deep breath, given how preventable it was. The whining would have been legendary.

Crown · Post by **Crown** » 2007-01-19 08:23pm

I've only raided ZG ... I'm such a raid virgin!

Post by **Ghost Rider** » 2007-01-20 10:55am

Crown wrote:I've only raided ZG ... I'm such a raid virgin!

Strangely that isn't that much of a raid virgin given ZG came out after MC

.

Still the gear upgrades from TBC are enough for me to get a new cloak for tanking and DPS, and the drops are really nice for some guildies who weren't out the wazoo equipped as well as alternate sets.

That and instances are fast. No more Stratholme 4 hour jaunts to get mediocre gear.

Knife · Post by **Knife** » 2007-01-20 11:12am

Heh, having just hit 60 last week, I love the expansion. It's fun to get green gear better than my blues. So I'm happy. I've also made a mint undercutting the AH with selling my lower tier gems and metal for the JC's. Prices went nuts on my server.

Oh, griffon bombing runs are too fun to stop.

Slacker · Post by **Slacker** » 2007-01-20 12:34pm

Ghost Rider wrote: That and instances are fast. No more Stratholme 4 hour jaunts to get mediocre gear.

Yeah, I'm absolutely loving these hour or less clears. So much better on my sanity.

And I really love ZG...going to eventually get a few people together when we're 70 and 5 man the place for rep, because we want exalted.

Crown · Post by **Crown** » 2007-01-20 03:04pm

Slacker wrote:
Ghost Rider wrote: That and instances are fast. No more Stratholme 4 hour jaunts to get mediocre gear.
Yeah, I'm absolutely loving these hour or less clears. So much better on my sanity.

And I really love ZG...going to eventually get a few people together when we're 70 and 5 man the place for rep, because we want exalted.

I was thinking that the other day; when I reach 70 what are the bosses in ZG going it have in their portraits? Are they still going to be little skulls, or is it going to be a 69-70?

But things have gone up the wazoo on my server, prices have plummeted for items that used to go for 50g (say Mooncloth bag), now Neatherweaves are at 20g (were 30g) and will probably drop more. The bad thing though, is us Warlocks who just turned 60 are a bit screwed since it is friekin' impossible to get a P.U.G. for Scholomance and Dire Maul for our Dreadsteed!

There's like 5 of us who are just going to do it in an all-lock party, since trying to find other people is impossible. We are just waiting so that we all complete the quests at the same level so we can all get our new horsie at once!

Mind you though, I'm 63 at the moment, and pretty soon I would be able to solo most of Dire Maul myself (killed Lethtendris Solo, Hydrospawn, junk mobs aren't a problem - if they're aren't too many adds that is)!

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2007-01-20 03:36pm

I'm such a weekend wower

My highest character is in the 20s

edit I just got it yestarday (freakin post office delays.)

Sriad · Post by **Sriad** » 2007-01-20 04:23pm

Ghost Rider wrote:
Quadlok wrote:
Sriad wrote: Yea, and it was. I felt bad for they guy in front of me, he had 35 splinters of Atiesh when the expansion came out.
If Thottbot is to be believed, you shouldn't feel bad for him, because it looks like Atiesh will still be basically the best staff in the game at least until they start with new content again. Instead feel bad for those who devoted so much time to getting Sulfuras or Thunderfury, which are barely better than current 60 purples as it is and loose out to low 60s blues.
Sulfuras, yes. It's a shiny weapon that got outclassed by Naxx gear.

Thunderfury? No. Thunderfury rules for one reason, and one reason alone. It's proc is insane aggro on MULTIPLE mobs. Nothing except and outgeared the wazoo prenerfed Bear Tank even compares. I've tested the amount of aggro I get on that proc, and it is equal to one and half Sunders, and it does it for around 20-25%(which is a nerf of the original's 40-45% of the times). The weapon proc added with it's speed makes it the best Protect Spec tanking weapon.

Well, his problem is that convincing anyone to set foot in Naxx is going to be impossible for months, and finishing Atiesh requires full Naxx+AQ clears, so odds are he'll never get it.

Thunderfury will continue to be awesome until lord knows when, probably some place in the level 70 25-mans, there really won't be anything better for aggro until tanks get another big-proc weapon. White damage just isn't going to close the gap, even with 80dps one handers.

Poor old Sulferas was looking less shiny by the end of BWL though.

Knife · Post by **Knife** » 2007-01-20 06:41pm

Hehehe, it's funny listening to the guys who've been sixty for a long while. Lol.

loomer · Post by **loomer** » 2007-01-21 11:39pm

Mmm. New game smell.

But what's this? I need to install from like, a billion discs? Have they not heard of DVDs over in Blizzard? Do they still use USB 1 ports?

Ironically, me and a bunch of other hardcore RPers are rolling Blood Elves for some classic 'high fantasy'. Not to look pretty... Because Blood Elves are ugly. Draenei look prettier.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2007-01-22 05:19am

I have a talent for tweeking the game's appearance settings.

My gnome warlock looks exactly like Guy Fawkes. My bloodelf looks exactly like a certain villian from the final fantasy series.

Rye · Post by **Rye** » 2007-01-22 06:42am

Well, I've not done much in outland since a) it keeps crashing and b) my friends all raced to make Blood Elves on a new server, so I followed suit:

and here's some screenshots from when the gate opened:

The server booted us all back to the flgiht path shortly after this when we all started doing AoE spells.
Lots of people
FPS check - behind the gate looking at a wall and a few people running about.
Looking at the sea of people.

Post by **Ghost Rider** » 2007-01-22 09:46am

Zuul, is very nice Rye. A good reference few gamers get.

As for new stuff....well, PvP will be interesting with everyone sporting 5K+ HP on the mage level, and while damage is up....it is not THAT up. When people still screech I got two shotted, that's a few very high crits.

And oh yeah, Spell reflection is the funniest fucking ability ever for tanking. The Aggro one gains from some mobs is enough to make bears cry "NERF!!!". Course, the amount of aggro needed with some teams is insane.

Rightous Fist Of Heaven · Post by **Rightous Fist Of Heaven** » 2007-01-22 10:24am

Have had it for a week now and thus far I really like the new content. Altough I wasnt too fond of Hellfire Peninsula as an area, Zangarmarsh I like a lot and doing quests and leveling up isnt as painfull as I first expected it to be. The new instances rock, I disliked the old 5 man instances where it could take upto 3 hours to get relatively lousy stuff, while now its possible to complete an instance in an hour and get really awesome loot.

However, the server problems are the dark side of the expansion. Ever since last tuesday, Emeriss (EU) has experienced daily server crashes and insane lag which has resulted in slow leveling, now missing 200k from 63. It has now become a trend that I will see the World server is down message atleast once a day, and it happened three times during Saturday. Its a real pain in the ass, especially when it happens in the middle of an instance run.