Mists of Pandaria

I hope its warcraft 4.Had so much fun in war3 with singleplayer and tower def maps.

Tinfoil Conspiracy Theory Mode Active!

What if Blizzard are now releasing content people are unhappy with, deliberately, so that we all go to SWTOR and become happy with space-based MMOs so that when Titan comes we will all be more willing to jump to that?!

:OOOOOOOOOOO

Get ready for a GIANT post. Because this thread really made me cringe. Many times.

Note to any mods who might stumble across this post: I'm terribly sorry about using this as a workaround, but I needed some sources to back up my debunking, and can't paste links to the actual sites themselves. So, I've put the links into a pastebin, and when I've got more posts under my belt, I'll come back and edit with links. The pastebin is at pastebin DOT com/bLSkn8nB

Reading through most of the Mists of Pandaria topic, I've come across the same posts multiple times, each one having much vitriol, but little substance. I figured I'd step up to the plate and address every last one of them.

Starting with...

1. LOL PANDAREN AREN'T REAL
It's true that the Pandaren started out as a bit of a joke. A cute drawing that slowly morphed into an easter egg in WC3. But in the years hence, Blizz has out and out confirmed that Pandaren are officially part of Warcraft lore. (There used to be an interview with Samwise Didier on the old WoW site, part of it discussing the Pandaren, even hinting at their future appearance; it seems to have been lost in the Cataclysm, though. The old link is Link 1, and you can read an archived version of the interview at Archive of Link 1)

Some have said "well we haven't seen them in game, so they obviously aren't real loludumb". As one poster pointed out, we hadn't seen draenei before BC (un-Broken, un-Lost One), so they're obviously not real either OH WAIT.

In addition, there have been several subtle references to the Pandaren. Chen's Empty Keg, found in the Barrens, is a good one. The Fantasy Portrait from Dalaran fishing dailies is another. The Pandaren Monk pet is another one. And hell, Brewfest is basically THE Pandaren holiday. If you need any more confirmation that Blizzard does consider Pandaren legitimately part of lore, you're clearly either ignorant or a bit messed in the head.

Speaking of something not right in the head...

2. DEY CANT DO PANDAS BECUZ CHINA
No, no, no. This is wrong. So wrong.

Let me break this one down. Supposedly, Blizzard can't put Pandaren into WoW because pandas are SO sacred to the Chinese that you can't even kill one (or something that looks like one) in a video game. And since China is a good bit of subscription income, they wouldn't dare do something like that and get their game banned! This rumor gains steam whenever someone points out how they had to change undead so much that WotLK got delayed for years before being released.

Now, the debunkery:

It's true that China had a bit of a problem with Pandaren, but it wasn't because they could get killed. No, the truth is much simpler. Quoting what someone on GameFAQs said:

THERE IS NO LAW IN CHINA AGAINST VIRTUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST PANDAS OR ANYTHING SIMILAR

The Chinese Government originally opposed Pandaren because the original concept art had them in Samurai armor (Japanese Armor). Now, China HATES Japan. To them it was the equivalent of having Uncle Sam dressed as a terrorist screaming in Arabic as he bombed the World Trade Center.

Blizzard rectified that and put Pandaren in more "chinese" clothing.

PANDAREN WERE IN WC3 IN CHINA

YOU CAN PLAY AS HUMANOID PANDAS IN GAMES IN CHINA (Perfect World for example)

THERE IS NO LAW IN CHINA AGAINST VIRTUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST PANDAS OR ANYTHING SIMILAR

To confirm this, check out Link 2, a panel transcript detailing the EXACT SAME THING.

And to people pointing out the undead thing: Yes, China did have a problem with that, but the story is much more complicated than just censorship. Read up at Link 3 if you want to know more.

So, we've covered that Pandaren are official lore, and that China would not have a problem with them being playable. Let's move right along to...

3. PANDARIA NO I DON'T WANNA GO
Some have brought up that they don't want an entire expansion set on Pandaria. That it's a dumb idea and you're retarded for thinking otherwise. They say there's not enough lore there to justify an entire expansion.

To which I reply: How do you know?

Note that Pandaria has never been shown in-game. In any game. On any map. Hell, it could take up half the other hemisphere and you wouldn't know (I'm not saying it would, that'd be a bit ridiculous). It could be a continent as rich and diverse as any of the ones we've had before. It could be one of many islands to explore! Remember, we've got such diverse places as Zandalar, the Broken Isles, Kul Tiras, Tel Abim, Plunder Isle, Kezan (and I mean real Kezan, including Undermine), Azshara, Nyarlotha, and perhaps more.

I like the idea that's been brought up that the expansion will be the rumored South Seas expansion. In my mind, that seems like something a bit more light-hearted, to show us that it doesn't have to be SUPER SRS GROUCHY DEATHWING FACE all the time.

Speaking of that!

4. THIS IS FOR KIDS GAWD I HATE IT BRB QUITTIN WOW
Okay look seriously. If you think that adding in Pandaren is going to make WoW "kiddie," I think you need to take another look.

Because, let's face it: you do some pretty juvenile stuff all the time.

Whether it's a quest to chase down chickens, or blow up an outpost with a crazy huge goblin explosive, or just running around ganking lowbies, the game is full of things that players of all ages can enjoy. Because it shows you that you can have fun with it! You can do something remarkably silly, then laugh at the end result!

Sure, WoW has its serious moments. It has moments that almost make you wanna cry. Moments where you want to throw your monitor out the window. But that's what makes it good. The mixture of serious and casual, just like its playerbase.

The game doesn't take itself too seriously. Neither should you.

Oh, and while I'm at it:

5. WHUPS LOOKS LIKE THE B-TEAM FUKKED THIS 1 UP LOLTITAN
I've had it with this. Seriously.

There's another rumor that just won't die, that isn't based on even one scrap of actual evidence, just baseless conjecture. And that is that all the "good" devs who made WoW originally have moved on to the new MMO project Titan, leaving the "bad" devs who are RUNNING THE GAME INTO THE GROUND GRR I AM SO MAD.

Time to shed some light.

It's entirely possible (and actually likely!) that some of the devs who worked on WoW have moved to Titan to help them along. You act like this is a big deal, when it really isn't.

You see, game developers are some of the most fluid professionals I can think of. They can work on one game for several years, then when it ships move on to the next without skipping a beat. If they have to be let go, they'll usually find a job elsewhere, because every company needs those creative people to get their work done. And in a project like an MMO, it's going to be inevitable that some of the devs will leave before the MMO has run its course.

Let's face it: WoW started development in what, 2000? 2001? Several years before its 2004 debut. Can you IMAGINE working on one game for a decade? Okay, Duke Nukem Forever jokes aside, I couldn't. Eventually I'd worry that my ideas were becoming a bit stale, so maybe I'd apply to work on another project. Keep myself fresh, keep the good ideas rolling.

The fact that you insinuate that there's a supposed "A-team" and "B-team" is insulting to all devs at Blizzard. They've worked hard for YEARS to give you a game that's fun, engaging, and worth the cost of admission. And you basically flip them the bird and tell them they're not good enough.

Yeah, they'll DEFINITELY make games for you!

The truth of the matter is, Blizz has hired MANY more people since WoW started. Some went to WoW, some to Starcraft, some to Diablo, some to Titan. Devs have moved between these projects, because it's what they do. They see that their talents can be used elsewhere, and they go do it. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if someone who was working on Titan goes to work on WoW later (I can already hear the "B-team" accusations flying!).

So don't act like it's a big deal. This is how game companies work.

Not related to the last point, but anyway:

6. ROADMAPS CONFIRMED OMGOOMOGMOGMOGMG
For starters, that person posting the supposed "expansions list" from "2004" is lying to your face.

I mean hell, if you just thought about it for maybe five minutes, you'd realize it. But since I have to spell it out:

a. Why would Blizz spoil THE ENTIRE DIRECTION OF THEIR GAME back in 2004? People wouldn't be shocked by any of the expansion announcements back when they were, because everyone would be like "OH SO THAT RANDOM BLUE POST WAS RIGHT" and then why announce anything anymore?

b. Though a casual glance would say "OMGAD IT'S TRUE LOOK IT LINES UP," looking closer shows that no, it really doesn't make sense. For instance, expansion three (Cata) going to 90, then X4 going to 100, then X5...staying at 100? Just more difficult? Huh? No sense in an expansion if no level cap being raised. Not to mention the lack of Kezan/Gilneas as starter zones. The Elemental Planes were explored in Cata. The South Seas stuff would be in X4 if anything.

Oh and c. The creator of that list admitted it was a fake. YEARS AGO. As helpfully pointed out by Resheph up there! Thanks for filling in the info I was missing.

The other roadmap I want to discuss is the "leaked" Blizz product slate. Now again, using this as "proof" of anything means dead kittens. So far, yes, things have basically been in-line. D3 and Heart of the Swarm are expected either late this year or early next, and WoW Brazil was just announced. Just because things line up, doesn't mean you can take it all as truth. Cata might go on until late next year, or maybe they could throw a complete curve and release it tomorrow (exaggeration, but yes)! Plans CAN change, so don't think that this is all 100% fact. Until the events happen, it's not. It's CONJECTURE.

Finally:

7. WAAAAAA I WANTED EMRLD DREEM WAABAWW
You REALLY think that the Emerald Dream could support an entire expansion? What?

There are many things wrong with this, most of which are tied to lore. So heeeere we go.

a. The size of the Emerald Dream is positively staggering.

In lore, the Emerald Dream is essentially a duplicate plane of Azeroth in its most natural state. Before any race decided to take an axe to a tree, or a knife to another's back. A veritable paradise. This also means that the Sundering caused by the implosion of the Well of Eternity never happened, so Kalimdor is still in its supercontinent form.

Do you realize how much effort it would take to make that?

Imagine it like so: Copy and past the entirety of Eastern Kingdoms, Kalimdor, and Northrend. Smush them all together so they're touching. Erase the literal MILLIONS of touches of civilization. Fill in the gaps in the center with more land. Put trees EVERYWHERE. Hell, spray paint the whole thing green! Congrats, you've got the Emerald Dream!

The devs spent years remaking the entirety of Azeroth. They're not going to effectively do the same again, but this time basically starting from scratch.

b. What would we fight?

Now think about it. What's in the Dream? Oh sure, the Nightmare's there, but apart from that. What are you gonna fight, baby deer? Squirrels? Go to Northrend and club baby...I think I'll stop there, D.E.H.T.A.'s watching. I'm pretty sure we'd get tired of doing nothing but fight the Nightmare for a year or two. Continuing, what bosses? N'zoth, maybe, but it seems more difficult to fight in the Nightmare. Probably easier to just, y'know, go to Nyarlotha and kill him there.

c. You'd break a million rules to get there, let alone stay for any length of time.

Sure, we've been sent into the Dream once or twice. A quest in Moonglade sent us there for a few minutes, and Valithria ported us there to gain the power to heal her. But these are very short-duration jumps between the planes. Only druids possess the ability to travel into the Dream, and it takes a good deal of concentration to stay there for any good length of time. Furthermore, their body remains in the physical realm, while their spirit makes the jump to the Dream.

If for some reason Blizz actually DECIDED to go ahead with this idea, they could either keep the lore in consideration and block anyone but druids from entering, eliminating the vast majority of their player base from experiencing the expansion, or they could burn the lore down and just let people jump in and out of the dream willy-nilly. I know some people think that the lore has been butchered to death already, but really, think about it. Blizz is not going to do an about face on this. No rogue is gonna just pop into the dream, backstab a rabbit, then run off and do it again. Nor would they force you to roll druid to experience the expansion.

So no, an Emerald Dream expansion would not be as amazing as you think it would be. It would be too much work for not enough reward. Plus I think we'd all get tired of seeing green everywhere after a month or so.

(Full disclosure: I would actually like to see the Emerald Dream. But apart from a pet project from some devs that happened to be worked into the game as an easter egg, I don't see it happening.)

Adding in new sections as I think of them! Starting with...

8. PANDARIA IS TITAN SO OBVIOUS
Except it's not.

There's been repeated confirmation that Titan is not WoW-related. Nor is it SC-related, or Diablo-related. Titan is NEW IP. As in, a completely different story universe. Pandaren are a Warcraft thing, and thus can't be included in Titan. Nor would it make ANY sense to make an MMO based on solely Pandaria that for all we know isn't scheduled to come out for several years yet. It's honestly a bit too early to get any good ideas of what Titan is going to be.

One thing's for sure though: Mists of Pandaria is definitely NOT Titan.

Okay, so that was a very LONG post. I may have rambled. I'd appreciate if you read the whole thing, and be sure you comprehend it, but the major points to take away from each section:

1. Pandaren are part of the lore. This has been confirmed by Blizz repeatedly. It's not a little easter egg race anymore, and arguably it never was.
2. The "China doesn't want pandas in WoW" thing is a complete myth. The brouhaha about the Pandaren came from their original attire being more resemblant of samurai armor.
3. Pandaria could be any shape or size. The expansion could contain many of the various South Seas locations. Don't think there's not enough lore there when you don't even know how big the place is.
4. Just because they're pandas doesn't mean they're for kids. WoW is not a kids' game, nor is it becoming one. It has moments for everyone. Don't focus on stuff you think you're not going to like.
5. There is no such thing as an "A-team" or a "B-team" at Blizz. Not all the "best" developers left to work on Titan. Chances are some have, but this is normal at a game company, especially when you consider one that makes MMOs.
6. That "blue post" from "2004?" A fake. The "roadmap" leaked a few months ago? So far, plausible. But don't blindly accept it as fact. It's still conjecture until someone confirms it as legit.
7. To anyone complaining about the next expansion not being set in the Emerald Dream: stop and think. Would an expansion set there really be a good idea? A lot of work, with a small payoff.
8. Mists of Pandaria is NOT Titan. Titan is unrelated to any existing Blizzard IP.

Please, I invite you to discuss any of the points I've made. I've done my best to debunk some of the more prevailing notions, and hopefully people will stop spouting rhetoric and start having a bit more constructive discourse. Granted, this is the internet, but I HAVE HOPE.

Speaking of, my thoughts!

Personally, if this IS the forthcoming expansion, I'm VERY excited. Seeing Pandaren in-game will be a fantastic treat. When I first found out about their, I immediately wanted to track them down and meet them! Disappointed I never could. (Pandas have always been one of my favorite animals, ever since seeing them in a zoo when I was really young.)

My hopes for the expansion (again, if this is true):
-Level 85-90
-Pandaria finally revealed, as well as various other islands in the South Seas (Zandalar, Tel Abim, Plunder Isle, Undermine, Nyarlotha, and more!)
-Pandaren as a neutral playable race: choose your faction upon finishing your starting zone! (Can you IMAGINE the QQ if Blizz made them only available to one side? Also fits with their neutral stance in lore.)
-Maybe a new class? Only if it can be balanced properly with the others. Monk would be cool, as would BREWMASTER YEEEEEAH
-Dealing with Azshara in all her squiddiness, perhaps Benedictus, and the defeat of N'zoth (if we don't end up dealing with him in Cata; perhaps another Old God in Nyarlotha?)
-End of the expansion setting us up for the fifth, where we'd travel to Argus and face down the Burning Legion once and for all

Wild dreams here, but I've thought quite a bit about it, and that's what I want to see.

(On a final note, holy hell, I wrote almost 3000 words about people being wrong, taking almost three hours to do so, sign up to MMO Champ, make some posts, and format it all multiple times. I need a life.)

it can be a game for facebook or mobile phone.. think in it .

Maybe it's a mobile game based on Pandaren? Sounds like someone at Blizz got a good idea for a pandaren game with mobile devices in mind =o I'm actually interested in seeing what Blizzard could do on a decent phone. Hardware's getting better relatively fast and there is some fun to be had, plus it's a lucrative market - they are a business after all.

http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...sse-Blue-Posts ....


ok not 20%.... but 600k subscribers is massive....other games didnt even reached that ammount of playerbase....

so it just looks quite logic to me when they come up with a new expac

Some attribution for the original poster wouldn't hurt: www . mmo-champion.com/threads/949761-Mists-of-Pandaria-!

Originally Posted by Essenji

I wonder what the new Horde race will be... Because Pandaren are known to have a connection with the alliance.

Pandaren will not be a playable race. Pandaren will be an NPC race.

Also, people stop assuming this will be all about the race pandaren. it is called "Mists of PANDARIA", not "Fury of the Pandas" or anything like that. The word there is the name of the CONTINENT. Pandaria, like Kalimdor and Eastern Kingdoms and Nortghrend will be a vast continent filled with all sorts of stuff, a wide variety of zones and races, sentient and non-sentient ones.

Remember when WOtLK was leaked (also through a trademark registration)? Lots of people prematurely facepalmed saying "LOL how can they make an entire xpac based on a continent that is just ice ice ice". Yet when it came out there was tons of variety. Same thing now, Blizz can do anything they want with the CONTINENT named Pandaria, and they will.

That would be kinda cool I also wonder where we find Pandaria... Since it's said to be an island, but I don't know if a new island can fit on the current world map... Perhaps to the south of Kalimdor and Eastern Kingdoms?

It is located on the "other side of Azeroth", east of Eastern Kingdoms and west of the west coust of Kalimdor.

@Dblbaconator: thank you

Ok....So we went from killing Nefarian/C'Thun/Kel'Thuzad into Outland and killed Illidan. Then we went to Northernd and killed The Lich King. Now our goal is to kill Deathwing.Next target will be....Pandas?At which point did Blizzard turn into pussies and retards?Lets at least hope we can kill and fucking skin the pandas to extinction.

Wasn't Pandaren against Chinese policy? Or has Blizzard plans to skip this exapansion there, like they almost did with WotLK?

Originally Posted by Dblbaconator

(post cut out because of length)

Man, so true. We need more people like you.

I find it Low that you do not give credit to the guy who found it first.. :PBut pandas seem really cool indeed, anybody care to link me some lore about then?

Originally Posted by lekein

Wasn't Pandaren against Chinese policy? Or has Blizzard plans to skip this exapansion there, like they almost did with WotLK?

why people still think of chinese policy here? Warcraft 3 has been out for almost 10 years, there are pandaren monk hero in it, and china has the best WC3 progamers. And movies like Kung Fu panda is also very popular in China, and not banned. Why would you think China will do something that would actually promote the image of its local animals?

Originally Posted by Duallegend

I find it Low that you do not give credit to the guy who found it first.. :PBut pandas seem really cool indeed, anybody care to link me some lore about then?

Pandaria is a legendary place of bambus forests and the mysterious pandaren of the Pandaren Empire.Pandaren hail from the distant island nation of Pandaria, which non-pandarens have never seen or ever visited to this day.^[1][2][3]

The Pandaren Empire was founded before the Great Sundering of the world, and is believed to be just as old as the kaldorei civilization. It shared and traded resources, goods, ideas and mystic knowledge with the haughty night elves of central Kalimdor in the years before the War of the Ancients. As the night elves' obsession with the forces of magic drove them to the brink of madness, the gentle pandaren severed ties, withdrew and closed their borders,^[4] and left the night elves behind forever.

The pandaren clans, or shao'dins, traveled far across the seas and established crude but beautiful cities of stone and sturdy bambus reed on an island they named Pandaria.^[5] In time they built a new empire on the island. For ten millennia, the world had forgotten pandaren. Shortly after the Third War, though, a few reappeared — perhaps roused from their isolation by the Burning Legion, whose catastrophic coming shook the world.^[6]

Pandarens have chosen to keep the location of their island a secret and most are content to remain there, with only the rare few pandaren choosing to leave and see the outside world.

A splinter group of pandaren arrived on Kalimdor in the aftermath of the Third War and has established a settlement in the Stonetalon Mountains ofKalimdor,^[1] but the location remains as secret as that of their island homeland.

Contents [show]

Pandaren societyEdit

Pandaren society has changed from its origins. Where once the pandaren were a mighty empire, standing proud beside their night elf allies, now they are a simple people who want only peace and a safe home. Yet the world is a dangerous place, and only through an acceptance of the violence that comes with life can the pandaren continue to prosper.

Pandaren society is, in many ways, compartmentalized. At their core, the pandaren treasure peace and creativity. Most pandaren are poets and singers, and the craftsmen of their culture are truly revered. The danger of their lives, however, has necessitated the evolution of a class of warriors to defend those ideals — it is these warriors, from the simplest pikeman to the great shodopans, who ensure that Pandaren culture survives.

Even the lowliest pandaren is capable of defending himself, using the fangs and stubby but needle-like claws that are a natural part of his body. All pandaren can use these natural weapons to fight and hunt, as pandaren grow up playing rough and tumble games meant to hone their abilities while learning the admonishments of their elders that such things are a last resort. In general, pandaren prefer to use the weapons they craft, feeling that their natural weapons hearken back to a primal time.

Pandaren are bipedal creatures, but their ursine forms allow them to move at tremendous speed on four limbs. When a pandaren drops down to all fours, his speed increases greatly. He must have nothing in his hands to use quadrupedal movement.

Gems of PandariaEdit

Pandaria is apparently known for its gems (which are apparently magical). The red dragons believed that three crushed gems from Pandaria are one of the components needed to rejuvenate the Sunwell.^[7]

Mists of PandariaEdit

28.7.2011, Blizzard Entertainment registered the trademark "Mists of Pandaria", with international codes 009 and 041 which appear on online games. Nothing else is known about the title as of yet.

Hmm, the Pandaren expansion can only mean one thing..

..the Care Knight hero class!

Originally Posted by UR1L

Ok....So we went from killing Nefarian/C'Thun/Kel'Thuzad into Outland and killed Illidan. Then we went to Northernd and killed The Lich King. Now our goal is to kill Deathwing.Next target will be....Pandas?At which point did Blizzard turn into pussies and retards?Lets at least hope we can kill and fucking skin the pandas to extinction.

/facepalm hard... Adventuring into Pandaria =/= killing pandas.

when you are adventuring in kalimdor/EK, you are not killing all the local habitants.

First off, thanks for the positive response. Makes writing that whole thing feel not in vain. <3 you guys already.

Second, I wanted to add on an additional thought I had, relating to my third point. We don't know exactly what Pandaria is, right? Pandaria could refer to the entire collection of the South Seas islands, in much the same way that Oceania refers to the large collection of islands in the Pacific. Thus, Pandaria could very well be more massive than some people are giving it credit for.

And a quick edit: Yes, Pandaria does refer to the Pandaren homeland. Doesn't stop place names from meaning multiple things, in real life and in game (Kalimdor refers to both the original supercontinent and the current continent, for example). So yeah, just a thought.

@lazerbrain thanks man

Sounds more like a patch to me than an expansion. You know... sort of like "Rage of the Firelands". All I'm saying is don't get your hopes up. Panderan are unlikely to be playable characters simple because which ever faction doesn't get to play them will moan and rage and cry relentlessly.