The Official Cinematic for World of Warcraft’s next expansion, Legion.
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Warcraft Trailer 2
The second trailer for Warcraft was released earlier this week, this time with more dubstep. Thank goodness. I knew something was missing, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Turns out it was techno-tunes.
But music or not, the question is – did it work? Did this trailer generate more interest in the movie than the first trailer did? Time will tell, but from the reviews I’ve been seeing, the answer seems to be a non-emphatic shrug.
For WoW fans, the reaction ranged from “OMG LOVE” to “WTF!” In other words, typical WoW players reaction to anything Blizzard does. For non-players, ie the general movie-going crowd, I don’t think they’re exactly chomping at the bit to check this out. Even if Blizzard sweetens the deal by giving away free gametime (as is rumored but highly unlikely), I don’t see these trailers drawing in people who are unfamiliar with the story.
I’m a WoW player, so maybe I’m trying to be more forgiving. But I’m not a lore guy, not by any stretch of the imagination, so I’m not hip to the nuances that might be on display in the trailer. I am, however, a movie fan. And as a movie fan, I look at this trailer and see “that dude from the Vikings tv show(?)” walking around in what looks like impractical costume armor, fighting the CGI offspring of Hulk and Van Helsing’s Mister Hyde.
Will Warcraft be a success? I’ll say this – if the $100 Million budget is accurate, then worldwide I’ll predict it’ll probably make its money back. Normally the rule of thumb is to double the budget to account for marketing, but Warcraft will bank on WoW players to spread the word online and everywhere else. They should be able to keep the numbers on the more conservative side.
But the players won’t be able to carry this movie themselves. Warcraft needs the public to want to see it. And I don’t think that’s too likely to happen.
As a player, I hope I’m wrong.
Warcraft will be in theaters June 10, 2016.
Playing For Both Teams
I’d been mulling over the idea of taking an Alliance character through WoD. Why?
– I paid for the entire expansion. I therefore wanted to see the entire expansion. At least, the starting zones. I think I want to see a garrison that isn’t swamped in snow. I. Hate. The. Cold.
The “ugly” races get the “ugly” weather? Thanks Blizz!
– There are some cool folks who play on the Alliance side, and at some point I may want to have a toon ready to rock and roll with them.
– I dropped a chunk of gold and upgraded a number of heirloom items to 100.
The problem was time. Specifically, that I was leaving home for two weeks and would not have access to WoW by any means other than mobile desktop on my phone. That was fine for my follower’s garrison missions, but not for anything else.
If I was going to be AFK for two weeks, I wanted this character to start amassing garrison supplies as well as potential gear from follower missions. He could also get XP, gold, and various other goodies that came from patch 6.1.
Also, being the master of time management, this decision came the night before I was about to leave. That meant between packing my tooth brush and phone charger, I had to squeeze in leveling a character to the point where he had a garrison and at least one follower.
There was only one practical solution: level up a Horde character, then faction swap him once I got back.
It made sense. I’d run the Horde starting zone five times already, so I knew how to do it quickly. I wouldn’t be distracted by anything new on the Alliance side. Plus, I had an Orc DK that I wasn’t planning on doing anything with anyhow. He had professions that could make him some gold once he went to the Blue and Gold.
Ninety minutes later, my DK was standing in his garrison sending two (soon to be three) followers off on missions. He didn’t have many resources, so I’m hoping resource reward missions will be coming soon for him. But for the next two weeks, I’ll have something extra to work on.
Iron Horde World Event Blitz
Thralls Balls.
I’ve now run the Iron Vanguard “World Event” questline three times. I’ll probably be doing it twice more. Maybe I’ll take my time during the final run, but until that point I just want to tear through it. I’ve never been one to read the quests. Generally speaking, I just don’t care that much. My apathy must frustrate the questgivers after awhile.
* * *
Thrall: The Iron –
Okay, got it.
Where are you – Oh. You’re back. Good, I guess.
Yeah, I blew up tanks and killed some pale orcs. I dig their armor. Very Punisher-esque.
Why would you dig – nevermind. It is time to – wait! Now where are you going?
Something something executioners, blah blah battle plans.
No that isn’t –
Can’t talk! Running!
… does no one read quest text anymore? Oh look. You’re back. And so quickly.
I am. Here, this is for you. Battle plans, and some weapons or something.
Or something? Do you even know what you –
Yeah whatever. I planted flags in Nethergarde too.
But that isn’t even –
I’ll go deal with the Ogres now. Like, right now. As in I’m already done. Poisoned their food, killed a bunch that were standing around too.
How very heroic of you.
I know, right? Should I go talk to Vol’jin now?
Are you even going to talk and there he goes.
Orgrimmar portal surfing!
Greetings mon. You been busy I see.
I get paid by the quest, not by the hour. I’m here to knock this thing out faster than Damacio Page took out Brian Hall.
I don’ know ‘ow you did dat but –
Thanks for the Iron Ball pet-thing. Yoink!
* * *
Rinse and repeat.
Monk vs Monk Leveling
My Human Monk, Merculees, has been put on hold at Level 35. He returned to Stormwind, put on his (soon to be) transmog gear, and shipped his heirlooms off to his Horde counterpart, an Orc Monk named Rokk.
That’s right, imma say it loud and proud: Finally The Rokk has come back to Azeroth.
Once upon a long time ago, I had a Death Knight (shocking, right?) named Rokk. But his people needed him or something, so he climbed in his rocket ship and rocket-server transferred. Consequently, he lost his name on both the server he left and the server he went to. Thanks to some generous GM intervention (Thanks Blizz!) I got the name back for my Orc Monk. When I first logged in on him I found a bunch of my macros were still live for the DK. Needless to say, changes were made.
Monk Rokk started off a little differently than his Human counterpart. I still wanted him to PVP, but unlike Merculees he wasn’t going to be starting off in a Call to Arms scenario (which meant no honor point or xp spike.) It was a much slower leveling grind, slogging through Battlegrounds. Which also meant he got his ticket punched much more often. But it also allowed for some great matches. Highs and lows for sure. I don’t know how some people can say one faction is more dominant than the other in BG’s. I’ve seen both sides do some stellar things, as well as some stupid things.
For yet another change of pace, Rokk quested in Eastern Kingdom rather than Kalimdor. I haven’t really leveled a Horde character on that side of the world, so as soon as he reached level 10, Rokk hopped a blimp and relocated. Again, it was a new and different grind. There were different questing storylines to experience. I was seeing zones that I hadn’t seen since before the Cataclysm, if at all.
Thanks to the Zygor Leveling Guide helping me along, Rokk thundered along to level 35 as well. Now I’m stumped. Do I continue to level my Orc Monk, or does the Human get called back up to the mound? Alliance, or Horde?
Alliance
Horde
So… who advances? Merculees or Rokk?
Rokk Talk 