Blizzard have certainly had their share of complaints about the changes made to the levelling game for Cataclysm - a fair number of people seem to have voted with their feet and decided the game is no longer for them, and that's fine if they're not enjoying it. I have to say though that lately, I have been enjoying the game more than ever.
My baby Druid on Azuremyst, Aoifen, has just made it to level 58. Sadly this marks the end of her journey through the Shattered World for now, but what a journey it has been.
Aoifen hasn't taken part in that many dungeons yet, as I can't really commit large chunks of time at the moment, but each of the revamped zones she has quested in have been amazing. Sure, the "fetch me 10 rats" quests are still there, but they are usually part of a much larger zone-wide storyline that keeps you wanting to play the whole way through the zone. Many of the quests have made me laugh out loud with their jokes or whimsy, while others are very serious so that you feel like you're really helping to save lives or progress world events. The linear progression through zones didn't bother me as much as I thought it would, but I do wonder if my casual playstyle is now exactly the kind of demographic the Shattered Azeroth was designed for. In any case, I enjoyed myself and that's what counts, right?
Now, if only they would do something to ease the monotony of Outlands...
Here is a collection of some of my favourite bits of Aoifen's journey to the Dark Portal. Click to make bigger!
First things first - Aoifen meets Deathwing for the first time.
Helped the Effers to a feast,
Listened to tall tales around a campfire in the Badlands (and punched that Dragon in the face),
Hitched a ride with Fiona and her Paladins in the Eastern Plaguelands,
and wondered about Keeshan's state of mind in the Burning Steppes.
Onwards...
