How did people feel about pandas when they first came out?

Community General Discussion
61

That was a hot topic argument on the forums – many people felt it was scraping the bottom of the barrel and infusing a world with orientalism-based anthropomorphic animals.

It was about as nasty of an argument as you see with people raging over new Blizzard store mounts and many rage quit saying that Pandaria was too silly of a concept to take seriously.

Personally I thought it was a serious stretch but it was hardly make-or-break point for me – I grew a bit more fond of them after it launched with all the storylines in Pandaria and many NPCs grew on me.

62
63

I tried to play a panda hated it.
Love the monk class, it’s really well designed.
The mop zones are breathtaking, kudos to the art department

64

They were not added as an April fools day joke. Pandaren were created as a holiday card by one of the art deca for his family, and the idea of them took off from there. They were added to WC3 as a bit of an Easter egg for the playerbase. The rumor of them being an April fools joke was started by a few players who didn’t like the idea of them, and as rumors do, it snowballed out of control to the point that the truth was lost.

65

People hated it.

They didn’t know about the Pandaren brewmaster that was in WC3 so they all thought that for some reason Blizzard was ripping on Kung Fu Panda.

66

I wasn’t playing WoW, but I heard about MoP when it was announced. My overall reaction was basically that Pandaren were a cool idea, Exploring Pandaria was a good idea since it was this whole unexplored continent…but then I saw how cutesy their models were and was a little disappointed, given the concept art made them out to be much more serious.

I think the main thing was that they just wound up feeling a bit off-key for WoW.

67

Well it took about 3 months to convince the community that MoP wasn’t a April fool’s joke…

68

The only rumor here is the one you just created.

https://wowwiki.fandom.com/wiki/Pandaren_(April_Fools)

69

not a fan of playing them.
nor of pandaria…
but i do enjoy the people that role play as a pandaren, always either full of spirit and or weird folks who know how to make a laugh…
except for the creepy ones…

70

I liked them. I like them in WC3 too. Plus the intro cinematic was entertaining.

1 Like
71

At the time they were called racist insults to the Chinese culture. Blizzard employees watched Kung Fu Panda and instead of adding a MUCH MORE serious version they created this joke race.

If you play MoP dungeons you feel like you are playing a Disney game. It is extremely childish content designed for a much younger playerbase.

hurrr hurrr alcoholic pandas are funny because they are drunks hurrrrr hurrrrr

2 Likes
72

A lot of people were whining on the forums, but there was mostly indifference. People warmed up to them as the expansion went on.

Some went on anti-panda tyrades, but that’s hardly the majority.

I was mostly an undead/blood elf player before deciding to try a panda monk. Now it’s my main race. :stuck_out_tongue:

73

Was ambivalent. Played one during Mists. Now that character is a night elf.

74

I didn’t like the concept. Still don’t. But the expansion overall was very good. Even though, as with all expansions there were parts that were meh. And, with every expansion, I didn’t stay until the end. :smiley:

Tried a panda monk… didn’t like the playstyle.

75

Didn’t care for them in this game.

76

This. Chen was awesome and I always joked about wanting Pandarens (I did want them but thought “lol no way they’ll implement”). I think they implemented them well as I’m one of the seemingly few who enjoyed Mists.

77

I was one of those watching Blizzcon via Virtual Ticket, having no idea what the next xpac would be about. Then when seeing Pandarens as a playable race I bust up laughing, thinking it was a joke. As time went on I was like, “Wait, they’re serious about this.” I have a couple of Pandaren toons and find them fun to play. Not as a main by any stretch, but for a fun break from the norm. Still love that video on Oxhorn Movies ‘The Panda Exterminator’ though.

1 Like
78

All of these poor pitiable sourpuss. I wonder how things would have turned out if Blizzard had gone with the original plan for Pandaren; they were too be an Alliance race in The Burning Crusade, while the Horde got the Draenei.

Oh, the Pandaren are just a mere sketch though, a laugh track after thought, yes? Despite plans to add them as early as 2006. Do try and learn some history, my loves. Relying on hyperbole and falsehoods makes you look so uncouth.

/tentacleflip

1 Like
80

OMG - the smell, I forgot to comment on the smell

81

I think they’re fine.

I also think that Jadefire Masters was a perfect opportunity to add in another Pandaren boss fight, but instead we got a Draenei (if you’re Horde) or for some inexplicable reason a Mag’har Orc, from alternate reality Draenor, who for some odd reason can summon the powers of spirits of Pandaria.