This is going to be short and sweet–probably.
I just wanted to give props to the quest and writing teams this time around. All the little extra chats throughout the story on various characters was probably one of my favorite things about this expansion. I felt like I was in an old-school RPG–where if I wanted to sit and click on characters or chat with them about all kinds of things, I actually could. Just for that, this expansion is amazing.
I love all the little various books and lore tidbits being thrown into the mix, as well, and the new modes allowing players to experience all of the story is just phenomenal. I’m seeing the dungeons for the first time, in a lot of cases, in story mode, and I absolutely love that I can just wander about and look at things and complete quests. This extends to the story mode for the raid, as well.
I think what might have made this even better would be to have had named NPC’s showing up in the Dornegal halls for each faction (the Alliance and Horde Embassies). It would be neat to meet new characters that might later be important to the story in some way, or to listen to older and more well-known characters telling stories or talking about their loved ones, etc. It’s a way to continue the story without having to have a quest to do so and encapsulates that RPG feeling once more. Plus, it could change from day to day. Maybe there’s a two week rotation so that various characters get time to shine in their own right. I especially love the idea of meeting new characters that may later become companions in future expansions. It’s a great way to introduce them to players and allow us to get to know them.
I also am really enjoying delves, though two-player delves have been…a lot. Me being a healer and my friend being a mage makes things…rather challenging–especially on Zek’vir. I feel like I’m doing one of those old challenge-modes from the Pandaria cloak quest. It’s not awful, mind you, but it’s also not as enjoyable as it might otherwise be. And sure, I -could- do it alone, and likely easily, but … I want to play with my love; so, …here we are.
The thing I love about delves is that they offer another element to the story, and I really am looking forward to seeing more of these moving forward. They’re a lot of fun, though I do hope we get more story in them as the system continues–nothing too important, or people might start complaining that they HAVE to do them.
Last, but not least, it’s really nice to see all these side characters we’ve met throughout our journeys helping out around Khaz-Algar. There are characters I remember from all the way back in Legion, and then some we just met in Dragonflight. I love that we have climbing quests and cataloguing quests again, and I’d love more of those quests that explore the flora and fauna of this new place–but I know I’m asking for a LOT with that; so, I’ll bide my time. I’d love more books in the game, too–and maybe a tab to hold them all in so that I can go back and re-read them if I want? Maybe like a portable library? THAT would be so amazing. I’d run around collecting every Azeroth book and note again just for that. (Make it Warband accessible, please!).
All in all, this has my hopes set high for the future and what more can and will be added as the game moves forward. I always was a sucker for stories, and this expansion shows me that my love for the RPG in this game is warranted. So please, keep up the good work. I’m loving all the attention to detail that makes a world feel well and truly lived in–that I can get lost in.
One last tidbit before I’m done. The other day I was wandering around Mereldar and thought to myself: This is a beautiful city, but it’s not home. Still, I was enjoying the feel of the city so much that it brought that very thought to mind–and that tells me everything I need to know about how much I love and felt immersed in the game.
So thank you to all the Blizzard teams. You’re doing a wonderful job. Please keep iterating on that RPG feel. It’s really hitting home and making me love this game all that much more.