What happened to the Pandaren?

[Arrashi]

Im too really disappointed by lack of Pandaren presence in current wow. Mists of Pandaria gave us many unforgettable characters like uncle Gao, uncle Gus and of course Mudmug who could really enrich current story. Alas devs seem to be too focused with cheap fanservice characters like Jaina or Anduin.

[username993720]

You want Pandaren to be badasses? show the Pandaren revolution and Zandalari Wars:



or better yet, use the freaking Shado-pan more:

[Garretdejiko]

I like having them in game, seeing one or two every month is a reminder on how disliked they are. I only managed to level up one, a monk. When I had the itch to play the class, boosted a Maghar instead with the SL boost. Now the panda is rotting there, wasting a slot space. The only worst thing than hatred, is oblivion

[FelPlague]

Remember this?



The orc and the human fighting, and then the new guy shows up.. wtf. who is this... MAJOR NEW PLAYER

It kinda felt that Warcraft would now be Orcs, Humans & Pandaren - especially as they were the only race in both factions.


But they just seemed to vanish.. They've played no major role in anything since.. didn't you guys hope for better post MoP development of Pandaren?

why would they play a major role more then any other race? most races have played no major roles then maybe "1 patch" pandaren atleast got an entire expansion.

Can you really tell me what major role dwarves played? not much really since the old days.

[shise]

They are a race based on a joke based on a self insert, being forgotten is where they should be.

They were part of the Warcraft lore. So you are wrong.

----------------

Nothing happened. The thing is that MoP had an amazing marketing and the game turned out to be super good. But it ended there.

[exochaft]

As with many expansion features, the Pandaren are basically ditched and forgotten when the next expansion comes around.

Last interesting thing that occurred with them was in Legion, but it was mostly attached to the monk class hall. I have no doubts that Blizz could work them in, but we're basically playing "cameo of the day!" with the content we get nowadays. I'd call it fan service, but I feel that's giving it too much credit. It feels like a desperate attempt to cling to what was popular in the past and milk it for all it is worth... and traveling to the realm of Death is probably going to end up being a mistake (in terms of sending the story there) in the long run. Some things are better left a mystery or unexplained, and some dead horses should be left alone.

[Mic_128]

the concept art...

Ohh, sorry, skipped that. Though, it doesn't really matter since Pandaren had clearly been changed since to monks and not samurai.

i'd love if blizz return to classic era roots and value lore a lot more and make them lorewise pure alliance only so they can advance

If you mean classic lore, then they should have been Horde, since the only Pandaren seen in lore had assisted the Horde in fighting the Alliance, and founding the Orc's capital city.

[Beloren]

As with many expansion features, the Pandaren are basically ditched and forgotten when the next expansion comes around.

Last interesting thing that occurred with them was in Legion, but it was mostly attached to the monk class hall. I have no doubts that Blizz could work them in, but we're basically playing "cameo of the day!" with the content we get nowadays. I'd call it fan service, but I feel that's giving it too much credit. It feels like a desperate attempt to cling to what was popular in the past and milk it for all it is worth... and traveling to the realm of Death is probably going to end up being a mistake (in terms of sending the story there) in the long run. Some things are better left a mystery or unexplained, and some dead horses should be left alone.

I know right, it's such a waste by blizzard.. but then if they never intended to do more than provide a 2y ear game material, it is there's to waste.. but it's frustrating to fans. i hope they realise that.

It would do them much more good to make far better use of these races and their well thought out presentations in an animated series, or race campaigns or something.


All that lore each race has, with their unique sets etc, could easily make great 1hr long seasons of series - the history of the Pandaren up to current can make a really good television series, so can every other race.. blood elves, night elves, etc etc, they all have decent and detailed stories and histories.

some, like the War of the Ancients are movie-esque.. like you do a 2 hr animated movie to kick off the night elf one, then one on the Long vigil including Satyr war, war of the shifting sands, long vigil ending inwC3 night elf perspective. they could animate the older wow storylines too: Fandral Stahelm storyline showing the return from isolation, Teldrassil, DIre Maul, catalcysm night elf perspective then Legion up to the Nighthold.

for Thalassin elves: the Exile journey so the first part is mostly night elven, following Darth'remar and the journey and change to high elves, then the next is founding and building of Silvermoon and the squabble that arises with the amani - they can write a great story there. Then we do the massive Troll invasion, and the call for aid to the humans, with elements showing how the elves and humans establish Dalaran, the Order of Tirisfal and a lot of the Eastern kingdom history.. this will be told via the high elf perspective.. the humans story would focus more on WC1-3, this will lead to the orcs invasion of Silvermoon in WC2, and show a lot more about that story, before switching tot he destruction of the Sunwell via WC3 events, from a high elf perspective, the change to blood elves, then do a story on the TBC events from a blood elf perspective, involving Kael'thas the scryers, the Naaru, return of the light etc, and ultimately the climax in the Sunwell plateau.

[justandulas]

They should never have been added to the game. They, and vulpera, are both wildly out of place within the wow universe and their very existence throws them WoW universe out of balance.

Look at how far WoW has fallen since pandas hit the scene

[username993720]

They should never have been added to the game. They, and vulpera, are both wildly out of place within the wow universe and their very existence throws them WoW universe out of balance.

Look at how far WoW has fallen since pandas hit the scene

I don't agree fully.
Although Pandaria felt out of place, you need some asian fantasy if you want to play as a kung fu monk or play as a samurai blademaster.

[justandulas]

I don't agree fully.
Although Pandaria felt out of place, you need some asian fantasy if you want to play as a kung fu monk or play as a samurai blademaster.

Monk shouldn’t have been added either. Necromancer should have been that class

While I don’t hate monk, it doesn’t fit into WoW lore as well as something like a necromancer

And panda people are a joke. Sorry, they are nothing but a cheap transparent play for Asian dollars at the expense of their previous audience

I believe the term is “sell out”

[rated]

Player backlash is what happened.

please, there's player blacklash about everything in this game.

[justandulas]

please, there's player blacklash about everything in this game.

True but the backlash came from their intended audience. They wanted MoP to appeal to Asia and sold out to make it as Asian centric as possible, only for that to backfire specifically with Asian gamers as the cheap ploy it was.

They expected to be praised and this and that, and were mocked by their very intended audience.

Thus, why it feels like blizz slunk back to CA hq with their tail between their legs and never mention panda land again

[username993720]

Monk shouldn’t have been added either. Necromancer should have been that class

While I don’t hate monk, it doesn’t fit into WoW lore as well as something like a necromancer

And panda people are a joke. Sorry, they are nothing but a cheap transparent play for Asian dollars at the expense of their previous audience

I believe the term is “sell out”

What the hell does Necromancer has to do with it? not everything needs to be an edgy, dark archetype in game. Not to mention you have Death Knights already.

Monks fit WoW as well as they fit Diablo. It is a common RPG class. Are you expecting to have only death-based classes?

Pandaren may have been a joke in WC3. I don't see them as such in WoW. If you don't want to play a martial art master, then i don't know what kind of games you even like.
You have a better idea for an asian-based race?

[justandulas]

What the hell does Necromancer has to do with it? not everything needs to be an edgy, dark archetype in game. Not to mention you have Death Knights already.

Monks fit WoW as well as they fit Diablo. It is a common RPG class. Are you expecting to have only death-based classes?

Pandaren may have been a joke in WC3. I don't see them as such in WoW. If you don't want to play a martial art master, then i don't know what kind of games you even like.
You have a better idea for an asian-based race?

"asian based race" there lies the problem, they aren't going around trying to bend over backwards for anyone else on earth. Transparent pandering is always kinda disgusting, and they were especially hated in asia because of this... they aren't stupid, they know what that was.

Necromancer fit into the dark aesthetic of WoW at the time, and then comes kung fu panda and ever since the game is practically a fashion show. The pandaren may have been an april fools joke, but the irony is they helped turn WoW into a joke themselves.

[Pakheth]

"asian based race" there lies the problem, they aren't going around trying to bend over backwards for anyone else on earth. Transparent pandering is always kinda disgusting, and they were especially hated in asia because of this... they aren't stupid, they know what that was.

Necromancer fit into the dark aesthetic of WoW at the time, and then comes kung fu panda and ever since the game is practically a fashion show. The pandaren may have been an april fools joke, but the irony is they helped turn WoW into a joke themselves.

Because the gnomes, kobolds and goblins weren't silly already? Please.
Just because you didn't like the Pandaren doesn't mean other's didn't. Stop speaking for everyone else.

The Warcraft universe has always had a humorous fun side. Not everything was edgy like WC3. It isn't and wasn't ever Diablo and I wish people like you would stop pushing that narrative just because you wish it was.

Also don't forget it was Cataclysm that added the transmog option, and that expansion was edgy af with death and destruction everywhere.

If they should have added necromancer they should have added it in Wotlk which they didn't, instead fusing it into the Death Knight, probably because necromancer would be too similar to warlocks, just with zombies and skeletons instead of demons. Death Knights also absorbed the rune master class.
Also Pandaren were originally set to be released in TBC, but they decided instead on the Draenei and Blood Elves, the latter apparently affected by the request for a 'pretty' Horde race by a lot of Asian players, so you can say it already started then.

[username993720]

"asian based race" there lies the problem, they aren't going around trying to bend over backwards for anyone else on earth. Transparent pandering is always kinda disgusting, and they were especially hated in asia because of this... they aren't stupid, they know what that was.

Necromancer fit into the dark aesthetic of WoW at the time, and then comes kung fu panda and ever since the game is practically a fashion show. The pandaren may have been an april fools joke, but the irony is they helped turn WoW into a joke themselves.

You're upset because they based a race on an ethnic group? dude, have you even noticed what races you play? Native american Tauren would be one example.

Necromancer fit at the time? are you suggesting that every expansion is adequate to introducing them? You just seem like too much of a hardcore fan to be taken seriously.

[justandulas]

Because the gnomes, kobolds and goblins weren't silly already? Please.
Just because you didn't like the Pandaren doesn't mean other's didn't. Stop speaking for everyone else.

The Warcraft universe has always had a humorous fun side. Not everything was edgy like WC3. It isn't and wasn't ever Diablo and I wish people like you would stop pushing that narrative just because you wish it was.

It's the opposite. WoW was always edgy.... see Warcraft 1-3. WoW. TBC. WOTLK.

It wasn't until it embraced the goofier side that WoW took a nosedive in quality. While not as dark as Diablo 1-2, let's not pretend it was this fun light hearted series either. I mean now it's practically "Disney presents WoW" but that wasnt always the case with warcraft. WARcraft.

[username993720]

It's the opposite. WoW was always edgy.... see Warcraft 1-3. WoW. TBC. WOTLK.

It wasn't until it embraced the goofier side that WoW took a nosedive in quality. While not as dark as Diablo 1-2, let's not pretend it was this fun light hearted series either. I mean now it's practically "Disney presents WoW" but that wasnt always the case with warcraft. WARcraft.

I get what you're saying. Especially the disneyfying of the game. I expressed my feelings about in the now closed thread about Danuser. But, that doesn't mean it only needs dark themes like diablo. That's what separates it from that game. Not the silliness or the goofyness, but the wider concept of fantasy (other themes than just demons and undead).

[Daedius]

Maybe due to them being 'neutral' where the player chooses their faction, so it's essentially a race without a faction to identify with in WoW's Horde vs Alliance.