Hindsight is always 20-20, as the saying goes, and what’s true in life is also true for MMORPGs. With the Shadowlands expansion still unfolding just days after its release, World of Warcraft is changing yet again. Although reviews so far are positive, there is some information players just have access to now that would have been even more useful before the expansion was released.
That’s not to say these are mistakes or oversights on the part of the developers or Blizzard itself. Some of this information was part of the new lore and storyline, and couldn’t be revealed because of spoilers. Other facts and figures were readily available but lost in the sea of pre-release hype and beta-testing madness.
10 Beauty Versus Function
The graphics of every new expansion have to showcase what the new technology can do, giving developers and designers a chance to flex their creative muscles. On the other hand, feedback on the quests themselves, which seem to lead players through a pre-determined pathway through each new zone, has been less than stellar.
Shadowlands delivers when it comes to aesthetics, giving players and critics something to rave about when it comes to visuals. The flip side of this, however, is that this is supposed to be a game, so can we play it when we’re done looking at it?
9 How To Choose A Covenant
It helps that each character gets a brief introduction to each Covenant during their first play-through. Players learn about the different benefits of each, from new abilities and soul binds to raid buffs. It’s also possible to change factions according to future balance fixes, which a player can opt to do if they don’t mind switching around. For others, however, it’s better to choose a faction that has quests you like or an environment that you enjoy as opposed to something that feels temporary.
8 More About Torghast
Welcome to this revolutionary new dungeon. Learn what the word “roguelike” means because it’s the word that you’ll see describing Torghast, Tower of the Damned. Like instances in dark games like Diablo that touch on the survival horror genre, Torghast is always changing, and it’s the first instance in WoW to do so.
The story behind this hellscape is that it’s the Jailer’s special prison for the most troublesome or dangerous souls. It’s not just the layout that’s always changing, but also the bosses and the loot, along with certain materials that only drop from mobs in this next-level instance, such as Soul Ash.
7 Where To Find The Runecarver
Once you’re ready to start crafting legendary items in the Shadowlands, you’ll have to visit the Runecarver. It’s not exactly a hidden zone, but it helps to know where you’re going.
After finishing the quest chain that begins in the Maw and ends with unlocking Torghast — which is not an attunement, by the way — and entering the dungeon. There’s a portal that leads directly to the Runecarver’s Oubliette, and you have to make sure you have the required mats and have already learned the recipe before crafting anything.
6 The Book “Shadows Rising” Existed
As the story progresses, the lore mushrooms along with it, so by the time we get to this expansion it’s turning into a convoluted mess. There are a few books that fill up some of these plot holes and dropped threads that the transition between expansions often produces. Written by Madeleine Roux, Shadows Rising goes into the details of several important events that took place between Battle for Azeroth and Shadowlands.
5 It’s Time To Farm Gold
Let’s be practical about this. It’s something that many players already know, especially those playing Classic WoW, that there’s profit to be had during wartime. It takes some research and a will to break from the crowd, but if you look into what mats are important as each expansion opens, you can prepare in advance and make a fortune.
While everyone else is drooling over new storylines or quests, you’re looking over the new recipes and farming the mats. The prices start to drop as soon as the expansion drops, so the further in advance you can farm, the better.
4 Prepare For Profession Changes
This is related to taking advantage of booming auction house prices immediately before and after opening day, but instead of making gold, this is for your own benefit. You might not be able to collect everything you need in advance, as some special materials, resources, and recipes aren’t available until the expansion is live. It’s still worth collecting what you can so you can get that new gear, buff food, or reputation buff that much faster.
3 The Level Squish Doesn’t Matter
To put it more accurately, it doesn’t have to. Players who won’t mind investing a bit more cash in the new expansion can buy the Heroic or Epic editions of the game and get a level boost that will take the character of their choice back up to max level anyway. Granted, the max level is now 60, but you still don’t have to play through the grind if you don’t have time. Or you could just go play Classic.
2 Players Will Meet Their Previous Victims
We were prepared to see famous dead heroes like Bolvar and Uther, maybe even Arthas, so the awkward detail about causing their deaths isn’t the sticking point. What about raid bosses like Ragnaros and Nefarian? Now that we know Elementals can die, isn’t that what this means?
That’s the problem with bringing everyone back from the dead. That has to mean everyone. Do the Barovs or Redpaths belong to a certain covenant? This might not be a warning for the players as much as the writers.
1 More About Exile’s Reach
Why do all the news and excitement about the latest expansion have to be about endgame content? Newbies need love, too. The endgame always sucks the air out of the room before we can talk about anything else. Expansion time is also ideal for rolling new characters since most folks are crowding into higher-level areas and experiencing all of the new stuff available for lower-level players. Think of that before jumping on those Epic or Heroic expansion deals just to get the level boost when it’s time to invest in that upgrade.
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