I just finished my first run through of Ardenweald, the first campaign not the covenant campaign, and that was excellent. For the first time the story department matched the art departments work. That final procession to the heart of the forest and Ysera’s rebirth was beautiful. I loved going through Ysera’s lady moments and her rebirth was emotional.
Now I wonder just who the Winter Queen’s sister is? I don’t think it’s Elune, and apparently Ysera has a new voice actor. Can’t wait to go back for the covenant campaign.
I think this is whole expansion so far is some of their best work. Bastion was eh, Maldraxxus was more enjoyable that I expected but Ardenweald was amazing. Let’s see what Revendreth will be like.
Oh and no spoilers please, I only got back online this past Sunday.
It feels forced to an extent, the zone was basically made for her people, so of course she is going to be there, but just because she is nature related because she is green, not because you know… She is a Dragon.
Where are the other dragons anyways? I know there is a Dragonkin in revendreth but that is more humanoid.
My biggest complaint in general about the zone and its storylines is that it feels so… Bland.
The storyline that is it feels like some childrens cartoon show. Like something a 3 year old would think “yay they lived happily ever after this is so wholesome and sweet the world is a joyous place” etc I get the thing, but it feels so anti warcraft (not WARcraft btw I am talking about in general its aspect) It feels more like a disney princess movie than the monk campaign felt like a lame stupid idiotic plot. and that plot was basically a popeye episode. “Dude just drink the monster-… STORMBREW ORIGINAL NOW AVAILABLE IN STORES NEAR YOU AND KILL YOUR ENEMIES”
Ardenweald just feels like such a /eyeroll zone because of the juvenile feeling you get from it, I would rather it be that on the outside but when you get into it, its something else.
Ardenweald is the Nature Zone and Ysera is the Nature Dragon.
Alexstrasza is the Life Dragon so her mate should be in the Monk Afterlife since Monks delve into Life Energies or into the Mage Afterlife since he is a Mage.
My big issue with it is that it’s got very little to do with the actual natives.
A chunk of the plot is dedicated to hammering the Night Elf plot further, then you’ve got some random weird Bwonsamdi/Loa plot before it just goes “oh, right. I guess the Drust are a thing” and ends up there.
It’s less that you’re Night Fae but more that they’re just the people who hang out with you before you do typical Azeroth stuff.
The Night Fae are Natives to Ardenweald like the Stewards while the Souls that come there are Wild Gods and the Mortals taking the form of Blue Sparkly Animals!
The Campaigns are about the Mortal Spirits not the Natives!
The Green Dragonflight is essentially the Nature-themed one. They spent most of their time in the Emerald Dream working with the Druids who stationed themselves there by dreaming. Ysera was the Aspect up to the point where the Aspects were depowered.
I mean, I feel like he only ever comes on these threads to rain on parades. Its rare enough that we get these nice little positive posts popping up once in a while, but the guy seems to make it a point to always come in to them specifically to try to turn them negative.
And OP, I’m glad you enjoyed Ard! Its a beautiful zone, and I hope you get a kick out of Vamp land! Hope you can find your right little temp SLs home after that.
I feel like they didn’t do enough work with the Night Fae covenant story, in that you’re more or less stuck on a collision course with BFA nonsense if you’re a Horde player, when they could’ve just made a separate path that focuses more on Bwonsamedi, but, aside from that, I think Ardenweald’s put together well enough.
Let´s rain moar on the dwarf´s parade: I´m a woman and I actually rolled my eyes so hard they almost came out of their sockets at the whole Ysera Reborn cinematic. Ardeweald felt to me so useless I basically banned it from my covenant options (heck, Night Fae IS the BiS covenant for Mut rogues and I STILL rather stay in the bottom of the dps table than to subject myself to the Fairies and their nonsense.
What Finninbas doesn´t realize is that the whole appreciation/despise on the covenant stuff has nothing to do with gender and everything to do with particular tastes, period. I´m more of a dark humor person ergo I liked waaay more Venthyr and Maldraxxus than the other 2.
this is so wholesome and sweet the world is a joyous place” etc I get the thing, but it feels so anti warcraft (not WARcraft btw I am talking about in general its aspect) It feels more like a disney princess movie than the monk campaign felt like a lame stupid idiotic plot. and that plot was basically a popeye episode. “Dude just drink the monster-… STORMBREW ORIGINAL NOW AVAILABLE IN STORES NEAR YOU AND KILL YOUR ENEMIES”