I'm questing in Drustvar for the very first time and I am VERY impressed so far

[Vaedan]

You know, personally, I hated BFA. I'd even personally rank Shadowlands higher. But most people I've spoken to in-game actually have pretty good stuff to say about BFA. I think the BFA hate might mostly be a forums thng

BFA had zones which are more in line with traditional Warcraft setting, Shadowlands are more experimental, otherworldly, so people does not feel so connected to the story. BFA introduced Kul Tiras and Zandalar, two countries established in the lore for the long time, which people wanted to see for years.

I hated BfA for it's systems, Azerite gear and Corruptions are possibly the worst thing which got implemented. Island expeditions were mess, Warfronts boring AFKfest. Visions were even more frustrating then Torghast. In comparison, Shadowlands offer better gameplay.

[CalamityHeart]

BFA had its problems, but zone design was not one of them. I thought all of the BFA leveling zones and their stories were very engaging, both on the Alliance and the Horde side.

[micwini]

Drustvar was great. The only beef I had with the zone story was that it was very, very predictable. Even early on.

[Romanthony]

I still say that was was meant to have a Drust raid in shadowlands but it was removed due to them rushing through the expansion just seems odd, they have a major pressence specially in the night fae campaign to pretty much go no where

[thilicen]

Kul Tiras in general is great, Drustvar is indeed fantastic.

[Aurabolt]

Tiragarde Sound and Drustvar were the best zones in BFA. I'll give it that. However, playing WoW for story? Man, idk. You can't get the rest of the story for those zones or BFA without doing the raids and stuff.

Sorry not sorry but if you're not playing an RPG for the story, there's no reason or need to play it at all.

Cataclysm did a much better job of showing the correct order story content in WoW should be done in: Zone, Scenario and then Dungeon or Raid. There's only so much you can get if you skip right to the Dungeon/Raid without doing to zone content for context. The tie-ins were nicely done in Legion from the Pillars of Creation to the Tomb of Sargeras to Antorius. Doing Tol Gor after finishing Tiragarde Sound's main storyline explains why you had to go back to the very prison you escaped from when you first arrived in Kul Tiras. Doing the Freehold Dungeon after you do the zone storyline makes you feel like you're there to do more than just get loot and EXP.

Dungeons and Raids are where the chapter of the story is resolved. If you can't do it while it's current, at least go back when you're able to solo it. That's what I do anyways =P

- - - Updated - - -

Lady Waycrest WAS batshit crazy before the Gorak Tul affair. We find out that she is a bitch in the chapel area where she had her daughter's fiance killed. Always understood that her priority was retaining the power of being Lady Waycrest, not her husband. As for the rest there are many different stories showing how individual women fell into witchcraft.

When it comes to witchcraft as part of the lore it's possible that witches occured in Drustvar at different points in time, uncovering small bits of Drust lore but never to a similar extent which is why the locals have stories.

The breadcrumb that drew me to Drustvar was the end of the quest chain out of the lumber mill in Tiragade. The owner's wife is revealed to have dabbled in Witchcraft to stop her money-hungry husband from exploiting his employees. The lore around the Drust also helps explain why Kul Tirans can be Druids. I assume Gilneans have practice similar lore traditions but the Worgen curse changed things. I find myself wondering how Gilnean Druids would look as non-Worgen. We already know Celestine of the Harvest was Gilneas' keeper of the old ways pre-Worgen curse.

[Lochton]

It's obvious they did their homework with the zone's design and storylines. I can see where the inspiration for a LOT of stuff came from. Well played.

I know it's a soon to be two expansions-old zone but like I said, I'm going through it for the very first time (I did Tiragarde Sound first, will do Stormsong Valley third).

I'm the kind of person who doesn't like to skip story content I haven't done yet. I haven't done Zandalar yet either and I plan to do that and unlock the BFA-era Allied Races before I move on to doing Shadowlands (I unlike the Legion-era Allied Races over the last two months). I'm in no hurry. Kul Tiras first though =P

Drustvar was a.. need the right words.. glorious? Awesome? It was a great zone. That, and Vol'dun were my top ones.

[Aurabolt]

Drustvar was a.. need the right words.. glorious? Awesome? It was a great zone. That, and Vol'dun were my top ones.

My first forray into Drustvar? Meeting Abby Lewis. The outcome was predictable but it really drew me into Drustvar. A shame she wasn't used more in the zone though.

The Alliance forray into Vol'dun is quite interesting too. They're breadcrumbs to the Horde version of that zone which I assume delves into more detail on what's going on. I also remember some speculation Voldun may have been originally intended to be across-faction quest zone.

[Varodoc]

Not surprising.

I'm fairly certain that Kul Tiras was the best received questing zone ever, even more than Suramar. Because even though Suramar had cool aesthetics and storyline, people hated the gating at the time. Meanwhile, Kul Tiras had no gating. It also didn't have the obnoxious mountain problem that Zuldazar had, where Horde players were practically begging to overhaul their hub because it was such a pain to navigate.

For all the flaws BFA had, Kul Tiras and its storyline were one of the high points of that expansion.

As a side note, the Horde zones of Zandalar were so depressing and horrible. Here's one jungle with obnoxious mountains, here's an ugly swamp, and here's a literal desolate wasteland. Kul Tiras was so much better-looking.

[Nerph-]

I absolutely loved Drustvar. The quests were fun, the aesthetics were great and the music was top tier. I think that and Howling Fjord are my favorite zones.

[oldgeezer]

I'll add a word of appreciation for Boralus, which is a fantastically well-designed zone. The level of detail (and cohesion) is staggering.

[Dastreus]

Sorry not sorry but if you're not playing an RPG for the story, there's no reason or need to play it at all.

You misunderstand me. I care deeply about stories in RPGs. The problem is the way WoW does story content is only those in raiding guild get to experience it with any sort of relevancy. By the time the final LFR wing releases, everyone knows what happened third hand and don't get to truly experience it, just know. On the flip side, doing it years later means you already know what happens after, robbing some impact of events during and after the raid you would have had, had you ran said raids in their early days. The structure of storytelling in WoW is abysmal compared to single player games or FFXIV. This was an acceptable model when raids only contained enough story as "you did it you killed the bad" but that's not how it works, anymore.

So while Drustvar and the Sound were good for micro stories, the overall arching story of WoW is one that's been an increasingly disastrous train-wreck since at some point (perhaps when Dragon Soul was split into more than 1 wing), notably, when they started inserting huge story and lore stuff into the raids and books, instead of content everyone does. Though, it was still somewhat minor in MoP until the final patch, that's about when it started to become noticeable. Until eventually, in Legion the final LFR wing wouldn't even come until over a month after it released.

I know immediately what some will reply. "LFR trash", "just get a raiding guild", whatever else. After BC I was a casual player. Finding the time to coordinate with others is too annoying. I at least, gave it my all in LFR 99% of the time when I played, despite yes a lot of them will just troll or sit on their ass. FFXIV proved to me that storytelling in an MMO can be done without leaving out the casuals who might want a challenge on their own time. 8 man content can be difficult and still rewarding, same with 24 man content, and then the savage, ultimate, and extreme content is for those seeking the hardcore way. I still get to experience the story as it's current. Every ounce of it.
It was one thing that hit me in BFA when I finally did join a raiding guild again, and it fell apart in November before we could down G'huun (spelling?) That it was so much bullshit just to let myself experience the story that'd come after these zones I had gone through. To see their archs advance or conclude in some ways. So as great as some zones are - such as Drustvar and Tirigarde Sound - they are stained by knowing I will be hearing the rest of the story in third hand ways in trade chat. Of course, you could youtube it while it's new, but it's not the same as experiencing it. Then, it's just a movie - and not something you are actively engaging in - which is the very thing that makes video games unique as a narrative vehicle.

Buuuut in the end, this long meandering rant could also admittedly be stained with the bitterness I have about the devs absolutely shitting on the main narrative ideas since Legion ended. Chronicles were advertised as definitive lore books, and later "lol just kidding, it's the Titans' perspectives", and "well the night elves got their revenge for Teldrassil already", and "the night elves won't be present for 7.2 because they got enough focus this expac" despite 7.2 being their long-time villain.
Let's not forget the hinting that'd been done since cata that N'zoth was nothing to underestimate. The mounting evidence that built through MoP and Legion that Old Gods consume those defeated to gain in might, and N'zoth used to be the weakest, but most cunning. Ergo, being the last Old God, he should have been a monumental strength requiring an expansion or two to defeat. Instead, he was reduced to a raid background, a living bit of carapace, and a head not even all that big in a circular arena. A completely wasted mega villain so they could push their decidedly worse narrative ideas that they had for Shadowlands. Even more interestingly, at the same time, Sargeras's sword had spilled the blood of a titan. How it didn't even do anything to the kind-of dead C'thun or the various titan prisons that it leaked into was also frustrating.

And you know I am just touching the tip of the iceberg with all my lamenting how poorly they handled the old gods.
I mean, my god there was so much potential. Squandered.

[Sariengrey]

Like EVERY previous xpac as time goes by you find more and more people talking about how "it wasn't that bad" or "they really liked that xpac" or " I don't get the hate" etc etc. The vitriol is way high during the xpacs but soon enough the rose tinted glasses come out. I see people talking about Cata and WoD now in positive manners which at the actual time you never saw nothing but hate mostly. This exact scenario plays out over and over, been here since the launch of the game it's the same thing every time. In 2 years people will be saying "how great" SL was or how " I don't understand the hate for that xpac,it wasnt that bad" etc
Always plays out the same, give it time

[deenman]

You know, personally, I hated BFA. I'd even personally rank Shadowlands higher. But most people I've spoken to in-game actually have pretty good stuff to say about BFA. I think the BFA hate might mostly be a forums thng

the bfa hate comes from the shit systems they did and the irational restrictions,the rng with boe and extreme corruption procs,no1 hates on bfa because of the art or quality of raids themselves

[Lochton]

My first forray into Drustvar? Meeting Abby Lewis. The outcome was predictable but it really drew me into Drustvar. A shame she wasn't used more in the zone though.

The Alliance forray into Vol'dun is quite interesting too. They're breacrumbs the Horde side of that zone which I assume delves into more detail on what's going on. I also speculation may have been originally intended to be across-faction quest zone.

Vol'dun had a great introduction for Horde side. Those two zones are where you truly saw the nature of WoW's art and Story team.

[Neuroticaine]

the bfa hate comes from the shit systems they did and the irational restrictions,the rng with boe and extreme corruption procs,no1 hates on bfa because of the art or quality of raids themselves

Incidentally, most of the praise I hear is from when they lifted the gating on Corruption gear and everyone was just having a blast with Twilight Devestation, lmao

[Katchii]

IMO the actual leveling experience of nearly every expansion is pretty amazing. Starting fresh, not knowing the story and experiencing that sense of adventure as you embark on the journey has always felt good to me. At worst, the stories can be middling to meh, but in some cases the stories are pretty great. Drustvar is one I felt was awesome. BfA as a whole, from a leveling experience and zone story telling perspective, was very enjoyable.

That said, the Alliance got the better end of that deal in BfA, their zones were great. Horde, was meh, Nazmir the first time through was pretty awesome though.

[Soikona]

The three alliance zones were amazing. Especially compared to the horde ones, which were just god awful.

That is were the good if BFA ends though.

[deenman]

Incidentally, most of the praise I hear is from when they lifted the gating on Corruption gear and everyone was just having a blast with Twilight Devestation, lmao

well yeah,atleast everyone was more equel in the rng mess then before,still sucks when a dice role makes 1 person pop off wile the other does nothing,just cuz reasons

[Aurabolt]

The three alliance zones were amazing. Especially compared to the horde ones, which were just god awful.

That is were the good if BFA ends though.

Island Expeditions need to be tweaked so you can actually do them solo at 45-50. Either buff players or nerf mobs especially AI Horde Mobs. It's like pulling nose hairs and is annoying AF trying.

Haven't done Battlefronts yet but from I've heard they're like Wintergrasp: You need to find people to win share just to do them. Clearly Blizz didn't look at them longterm and more so given the third planned Barrens Battlefront was cut at the end (despite references to it after the fact).

Hmm...I'm doing Kul Tiras with a level 50 Pally (Leveled, no Character Boost). When/where do I get the intro quest for Mechagon? I figure I ask in advance.