The new Horde

So, to step back into the WoW frame of referance, I want to mention Cataclysm.

My first impression is: Hey, lets fundamentally change the game on multiple levels, in ways that remake the platform and alter the main reasons people want to play on the horde side. Rebranding is a fad right now, it's time to jump on the wagon!

Let's introduce a race that offers a new experience but doesn't give anything to the horde side, while at the same time giving the alliance werewolves, a fun model that already has a hidden level of lore available.

There, now that it's out of my system, I will admit that this might not be a BAD thing. By bad I mean completely killing the game enough I won't log in to chat and play with family and friends. The changes to some classes seem reasonable, and possibly productive. The rebranding is a reasonable response to a changing game enviornment. Allowing races to branch out into new class templates is nice too, I admit that my first thought was to remake my paladin as a tauren.

But one thing I can't get over...Goblins? seriously?! I fail to see any attraction for the race. The Goblins are traditionally neutral, the idea that a faction would only come over piecemeal just seems shakey. Giving the Alliance werewolves, I can understand that, they need something.

Mostly, what upsets me is suddenly we have this new leader, one hellbent on destroying the alliance. I'm the first person to punt a gnome, but for me the driving force has always been to make a seperate peace, that the Horde was somewhat more noble than the alliance asshats that wanted to pick a fight. This all just sits uneasy for me, and I don't know how enthused I can be.

Luminas Reborn - Aion Templar

My second chance to participate in closed beta. This time I was able to approach it with my eyes just a little more open. I took the time to create a face I could live with.

I stayed with the Templar class, since I have found I enjoy being a tank.



The armor and graphics are beyond my expectations. In the first beta, I glimpsed some nice scenery, thought the avatar moved through combat pretty smoothly. This time around, I was determined to test it as only a WoW paladin tank could. What I found was that the terrain, towns, NPCs remained pretty much consistant, well rendered and smooth, which honestly I had expected.

By lvl 20 or so, your combat animations in most games start becoming re-hashed. Not so much with Aion. As soon as I picked up my lvl 19 skills, I was blown away. My group began to Oooh and ahhh like we were watching a fireworks display, and I'll admit I was startled when I first saw them. These weren't the movements of a tank?!
I felt like I was playing a DPS class, it was that fun.

Long story short; at the end of my second weekend of the closed beta, I am drooling for more. Made it lvl 22, and got my first taste of PvP through a comically introduced questline that has you wondering what the hell just happened. Stay tuned for more as information becomes available.