Bored Druid ThreadFollow

I'm looking forward to that. I'm currently holding off on upgrading my computer. I want to but there really isn't a need. If D3 doesn't run awesomely, then I'll upgrade at that point.

I can't help but notice how big of a confirmation it is, though, of the fact that they don't really have a design plan in store anymore. At all. They are completely overhauling core systems way too often, which makes me think they aren't really spending the time to consider long term implications. They put all this work into breeding the war between the Alliance/Horde, and the next expansion has them working together again (and without a real Big Bad to foster that). So what happens when the next expansion is Kil'Jaedan or something? Why spend so much time fostering conflict between the groups if you are going to turn around and create a story that requires cooperation against the bigger evil?

It just doesn't seem like they are approaching the overall story with a plan anymore. It felt like they did up through Wrath. After that... meh. Hell, just making the Pandaren the focus of a whole expansion is super odd from a story perspective. Their stance had always been that they were put into WCIII as a fun little side-thing. All of a sudden they are the central theme of a whole expansion, placed beside Arthas and the Scourge; Illidan and the Burning Legion; and Deathwing with his elemental armies?

That's just weird.

Idk, as their ability to tell a story has increased, it's brought with it a very unfortunate/significant drop in story quality, from what I've seen. And a decent part of that is that they seem to be targeting a completely different audience from when they were one or two expacs in.

And I get it. I do. That's where they'll continue to make money as the game ages and new quality MMOs (or just general life) slowly siphons off their players. Still doesn't keep me from thinking about what could have been.

[EDIT]

Plus, I can't shake the feeling that in the board meeting where they were debating the content of the next expansion, some intern just went, "Guys! Guys, guys, guys, guys, guys... and gals... I've got it. *meangingful pause* PANDAS! *cue spirit fingers*".

Edited, Mar 19th 2012 1:32pm by idiggory

I'm sure there was more to it than that. Kind of like "Guys! Guys, guys guys, guys, guys ... and Betty ... I've got it. My son loves Kung Fu Panda, so ... *meaningful pause* ... PANDAS! *cue jazz hands*"

HAHAHA, I'm so happy that I'm somehow tuned into webcomic culture.

Also, Pandas cannot go extinct because of this:

I'm not, I'm just including the natural selector for adorableness, which is in our power to promote. :P

[EDIT]

The lecture I'm in right now is on the Rise of the Dutch Empire. Oh goody, an hour and a half worth of reasons why Aeth is an elitist ***. XD

Edited, Mar 19th 2012 2:57pm by idiggory

Huh, didn't know that. The Dutch were the second European group to "discover" the New World. First were the Vikings, which we now have proof of (in the form of extremely old maps that include accurate depictions of the Northeast). But we are almost positive that Dutch fishermen reached the Northeast long before Columbus arrived in the Caribbean. But, as they were fishermen (not royally-sanctioned explorers/tradesmen a la Columbus), they didn't really care, nor did anyone back home think it was worth investigating.

Knew the Viking part. Didn't know the Dutch part.

My university has a statue of William the Silent in the mall, about 50 feet away from where I'm sitting, actually. Rutgers (then Queen's College) was founded by Dutch clergy in the early 1700s.

Ha, you're welcome. It's better than what I'm doing (trying to connect to ME3's multiplayer, getting angry that the servers are down, and getting angrier that I can't find any information as to why anywhere).

I don't have any beer.

I could actually go for one right now, though. It's ridiculously nice out today--75 F (23.8 C) and sunny.

Or some nice, chilled wine. Or Sangria...

It finally let me log in. I can kill things instead. :P

I've been writing reports all day for my professional engineering certification. I hate reports.

I'm going to have some of this. http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/14078/32366

It's an amazingly good beer.