Ulduar far more interesting than ICC

[SolidSnake]

I really feel that the designers put more effort into Ulduar than ICC. Not only is ICC more or less staring into one bland room compared to the extreme variety that Ulduar had just by moving from room to room, it just seemed like another ToC - another instance to buy time until the expansion. Ulduar had this certain feel to it, of just pure epic-ness that Icecrown really doesn't. Even with ToC going out as early as it did, they still couldn't make Icecrown surpass or even come close to, in my opinion, Ulduar standards.

What do you guys think?

[Achilles]

I know what you mean, but they still did a good job on ICC , even though i did enjoy Ulduar much more. We need more raids like that!

[Snowulf]

every expansion gets a lil worse, raiding wise.

[Sir.QuackAlot]

I really feel that the designers put more effort into Ulduar than ICC. Not only is ICC more or less staring into one bland room compared to the extreme variety that Ulduar had just by moving from room to room, it just seemed like another ToC - another instance to buy time until the expansion. Ulduar had this certain feel to it, of just pure epic-ness that Icecrown really doesn't. Even with ToC going out as early as it did, they still couldn't make Icecrown surpass or even come close to, in my opinion, Ulduar standards.

What do you guys think?

You have a very valid point and I do share your general opinion on how Blizzard put alot more effort into the construction of Ulduar.
Basically I'd say the design of Icecrown is just as fascinating with a slight twist in the negative way. The way of moving around Icecrown was taken from Ulduar which was a great idea, although It did seem a bit, misfit, into the whole Scourge Stronghold theme.

Ulduar was a brilliant raid instance and will probably stay my favorite, however I won't say that Blizzard didn't put alot of effort into the making of Icecrown.
After all, Icecrown was the final goal for us to take in order to "end" the saga of the Lich King.

[Seanconneri]

Though I've definatly enjoyed Icecrown, I can see your point. ICC is the final stand and such, yet...almost feels like the actual place should have more "epicness" if you will. The fights, the trash even? I don't know.

[SolidSnake]

I think part of the problem is that in Ulduar more or less every boss you kill was working toward the end goal of stopping the corruption of Yogg whereas in Icecrown every fight seems detached, having no link to any other fight in there other than being a minion of the Lich King. Not to mention Algalon was incredibly well done and was probably the most interesting fight of the xpac.

[Mordoran]

Tbh blizz should make a wack'a'mole type boss where you get stripped from your gear and all you got is a training sword.

OT, i rather enjoy icc compared to ulduar. And tho ulduar had some interesting new combat mechanics, in my view ICC does it better.

Now i know youll go "meh you dont have any compelling arguments blablabla" and quite honestly i dont need to. we all have our opinions on content after experiencing em, and mine is obiously different from yours. Now as to you feeling its a ToC clone, i can only wonder why you would come to such a conclution. ICC got trash, ToC dont. The ammount is roughly the same as ulduar, so i dont see where you get that from. Also ICC is very well designed and the fights have alot of new interesting game mechanics.

[Deleted]

Well I agree that Ulduar was more Epic but we have to understand that Ulduar was a Titan Stronghold built thousands of years ago. It is afterall the Home of the Gods while Icecrown Citadel was built from nothing like 5 years ago. Also Icecrown Citadel is a Domain of Scourge, Necrotic beings, meaning they do not care for art or looks or anything. It's a monument that represents all that is ... basicly dead.

Although still siding with ICC!

Lich King FTW!

[SolidSnake]

Tbh blizz should make a wack'a'mole type boss where you get stripped from your gear and all you got is a training sword.

OT, i rather enjoy icc compared to ulduar. And tho ulduar had some interesting new combat mechanics, in my view ICC does it better.

Now i know youll go "meh you dont have any compelling arguments blablabla" and quite honestly i dont need to. we all have our opinions on content after experiencing em, and mine is obiously different from yours. Now as to you feeling its a ToC clone, i can only wonder why you would come to such a conclution. ICC got trash, ToC dont. The ammount is roughly the same as ulduar, so i dont see where you get that from.

I don't feel that it's a ToC clone, I just thought it felt rushed to buy time for the xpac because at that point, since they released ToC before most guilds were done with hard modes in Ulduar, it was getting very stale. Already I find myself being bored with the majority of the fights in ICC, save maybe Putricide and the Lich King. The only relation I thought it had to ToC was that it felt rushed.

Also, I asked "What do you guys think?" I'm not gunna criticize you just because you have a differing opinion =P

[Paulosio]

I enjoyed the bosses in ICC just as much as the Ulduar 1s for the most part but ICC lacks the depth Ulduar had artistically. I'm also a bit disappointed that the idea of having different boss settings wasn't used in ICC in the way it was with Yogg, Sarth, iron council or FL. I thought multiple activateable (if that's a word) boss settings was a really interesting idea which added to the replayability of Ulduar. There also wasn't that many interesting achievements to do in ICC compared to Ulduar... ok some of the Ulduar 1s were a bit pointless but they did give you something to achieve when you were in there for about the 20th time.

[Horrify]

Firefighter and Algalon are the two most fun fights I've ever done in WotLK. Everything in ICC is just "meh," even Putricide.

[Giotto]

I feel the same, but the reason is obvious; Blizzard had a restricted hand on designing ICC. It has to be a spire, the major themes of the Lich King had to be present, and the architecture had to be gothic to fit the theme. On the flipside, Ulduar was completely free to be absolutely anything and the designers went nuts. And the result was great. Of course, those kinds of raids also probably utterly exhaust their resources, so I wouldn't expect them to make every raid that way. It'd be nice but unrealistic.

[magpieman679]

i personally see ulduar as blizzards way of saying " were sorry" for naxx

[Waterisbest]

ULDUAR IS THE BEST RAID EVER. It will be hard to overcome the awesomeness of Ulduar.

ICC is a very good raid as well. It does not compare to Ulduar because:

1- ICC is not as big as Ulduar (14 bosses > 12 bosses).

2- most of ICC's focus is on LK (a little on Saurfang/Sindagosa/San'layn), while Ulduar had almost equal focus on keepers as Yogg (through quests in Stormpeaks). So most fights felt epic.

3- Algalon made Ulduar even more epic. ICC lacked an 'Algalon.'

4- Ulduar's design is very refreshing, very live, and tells about the history of Azeroth. While ICC's theme is death and suffering, not a favorite.

5- HM activation in Ulduar was very interesting. ICC HM activation does have that.

6- Lot of Ulduar fights were almost equal in difficulty, FF/KKKoW/Yogg0/Algalon/Vezax. While LK makes all the fights (except PP/Sind) look like child's play.

ICC is still one of the best raids and LK25hc is still the toughest boss in WoW.

[drulz]

People said that Ulduar was fucking terrible when it came out and now its the best thing ever? Shit confuses me ???

[pkusa]

Idk why, ICC is just depressing. Even the HM's, it's just bad. There's like 3 challenging HM's.

[Zedodel]

I think that everyone was expecting something REALLY hard.. after "brainlessly" farm Naxx10/25 wich was a delusion.. and far worse than the original naxx40 we all knew from pre-TBC..

Icc is still quite a challenge if you're progressing the hard-modes.. I agree that Ulduar beats Icc in every aspect.. especialy the way you trigger the hard modes.. and that's also the majo flaw in Icc..

[Xylense]

Well, Ulduar was a city / prison / place where Titans actually lived. Icecrown is just a home. The Scourge don't need light or couches or anything to sleep on. They're scourge. Of course, we did ride in tanks and blast open the gates of Ulduar so it was kind've obvious we arrived.

ICC felt more like we were sneaking in, almost like the others were all "Meh, Marrowgar will take care of them." Heck, we even attacked Deathwhisper in the middle of her "sermon". I think ICC is fine. Feels kind've like Ganon's castle in Ocarina of Time.

[SolidSnake]

Feels kind've like Ganon's castle in Ocarina of Time.

Wow, that's a very good point. Although comparing the two games is almost ludicrous, the dungeons themselves do have quite a similar layout.

[SPC7R0]

Not only is ICC more or less staring into one bland room compared to the extreme variety that Ulduar had just by moving from room to room, it just seemed like another ToC

What do you guys think?

you only did 4/12 that is what i tink =p
have you seen the spire? the bloodqueen quarter? the lich king zone? Ulduar was epic but ICC has its own feeling


i only tink that WoTLK lacks things like that spire leading to Kil'Jaeden after M'uru, i remember the first time i went there it was an awesome feeling =D
or the opening of the illidan doors, or that huge statue with a million mobs around it after supremus

the only thing that can relate to that in wotlk is having the lich king at 10% and all the raid dead then his father revives us and we all kill him while magic forces hold him in the air, that was the most awesome moment i have ever seen in wow for sure