The seventh expansion to World of Warcraft, Battle for Azeroth , is released today. I'm excited, but I also feel a bit retrosp...
The seventh expansion to World of Warcraft, Battle for Azeroth , is released today. I'm excited, but I also feel a bit retrospective and even sad. This marks the end of Legion , the previous expansion that has become one of my favorite moments in the history of the 14 year online multiplayer multiplayer game.
Legion was released on August 30, 2016. All fans knew that this would be a crucial expansion. Her predecessor, Warlords of Draenor, was a young woman. Its intricate story included time travel and alternate dimensions, and its final content seemed sparse, with few forays and dungeons that didn't give enough rewards. Warlords of Draenor has also focused on a new garrison system that allowed you to build and maintain your own base. But he had little room to personalize his citadel, and new excavations also separated him from the rest of the world. Visiting players were rare at best. World of Warcraft is a multiplayer game, so it doesn't seem inappropriate to have a good, isolated look at the system.
Warlords of Draenor worked so badly that Blizzard focused on the next early expansion, which means we lost a full raid and other Warlords of Draenor content to help Blizzard Legion get out faster. It was a good idea because Legion made World of Warcraft exciting.
Above: The demon hunter.
There is so much to do that it is new
On the first day, Legion offered more than Draenor. As usual, you had the new upgrade areas. We also had a new class for the first time since Mists of Pandaria's introduction of the monk in 2012, while Legion added the demon hunter, an agile fighter with a focus on mobility. It's also an easy-to-play class, which makes it a great place to start for new players.
However, Legion's biggest contribution came with the new Mythic + system. Dungeons have always been part of World of Warcraft, but Blizzard struggled to find a way to keep them relevant throughout the long life cycle of an expansion. This was another pain point in Warlords of Draenor. Your dungeons became unusable when you started creating group content because the dungeon rewards could not compete.
Mythic + makes dungeons stimulating and enriching. These are more difficult versions of the standard races that offer better elements but are also flexible. Players receive keys that can further increase the difficulty of Mythic + Dungeons. It also gives you an even better team if you beat them. And if you win, you get a new keystone that unlocks an even more difficult Mythic + dungeon. You can still try more difficult content and earn rewards. The system is a skill test that offers players an alternative way of getting powerful equipment in addition to attack.
Above: the Paladin classroom.
In a good tone
The story of World of Warcraft generally focuses on its two factions: the Horde and the Alliance. While part of this conflict was part of the Legion's first conspiracy, the player's journey focused on his class identity. Each of the 12 World of Warcraft classes had its own order space. These locations served as the center. Everyone had an appearance that was adapted to the imagination of each class. The hunters brought home the True Shot Lodge, a beautiful hut on a mountain top. Paladin is hidden in the Sanctuary of Light, a hiding place under a church. Each class also won unique story missions and content, as well as specific class rewards.
I loved this emphasis on class fantasy. Being a Legion hunter didn't just define your skills. He gave his experience a specific aesthetic. The halls of the order also served as a further development of the idea of the garrison. As with your garrisons in Warlords of Draenor, you can send students on missions. After a certain time (usually hours) you will receive a reward. It's not a super interactive system, but it gives you an excuse to keep coming back into the game. The system was dominant at Draenor, but Blizzard made it a bit smaller in Legion. He felt more manageable and less consumer-oriented.
Most importantly, you can see other players in the class. Unlike the garrisons, they didn't feel like isolated prisons.
Above: How to get your artifact weapon.
Everything didn't work
The Legion had new ideas that weren't as successful as the order rooms or Mythic +. Each specialization in each class had its own artifact weapon. I would get this weapon first and use it throughout the expansion. You can increase the power of your artifact weapon by getting artifact power and relics from missions, dungeons, and gangs. It was nice to have a new sense of progress beyond leveling, and these weapons continued to expand into class fantasy with stories and background designs. But you also felt connected to your artifact weapon, and it seems to be a job to cultivate the large amounts of artifact power needed to increase your strength.
The Legion also introduced a new legendary equipment system. After you have achieved certain goals, e.g. For example, defeating a boss or completing enough global missions gives you the opportunity to earn a legendary item. These are the most powerful pieces of jewelry, rings and armor that you can find. They were so strong that if you don't get a chance to get serious, you'll be at a disadvantage compared to other players. Even worse, you would get a random legendary item when you finally got it. Legion had a big difference between the best and the worst legendary items. If you have one of the weakest, it has become an exciting time in disappointment. The system has left too much of your accidental progress.
I also didn't like the science fiction leadership that was involved in the expansion. The Burning Legion is an army of demons, but this expansion has made it a kind of space force. The last major patch, 7.3, added a lot of content, but the last raid was largely based on spacecraft, lasers, and other ideas that felt out of place in the knights and knights fantasy world of World of Warcraft. World of Warcraft has always been a collection of ideas that blended traditional fantasy races like orcs and trolls with tentacle monsters from Lovecraft and Chinese mythology. But the spaceships are too far away.
Above: City of Suramar.
Thanks Legion.
Overall, Legion was one of the best expansions in World of Warcraft. It started with a lot of new content, frequent fixes ensured a constant flow of tasks, and the Mythic + system made dungeons an important part of the experience.
The struggle for Azeroth has a lot to do. Bring back some of Legion's innovations, including Mythic + Dungeons. Artifact weapons have disappeared, although we have a new necklace that does a similar function (this is equipment that you are constantly expanding and cultivating resources to make them stronger). New ideas are also being added, including new content for three players, Island Expeditions.
And for the first time, the Alliance and the Horde will have different level missions and locations.
There is something to be happy about. Maybe Battle for Azeroth could be another great expansion. But if he succeeds, he owes the Legion a lot.
