By Bixyl Shuftan
(Note, the article has some spoilers about what happens in this World of Warcraft adventure)
The biggest Multiplayer Online Game, World of Warcraft, recently went though a few changes in the form of a "patch."
Patch 5.3,
also known as "Escalation." There are four new scenarios players can
play out, two of which are aimed at one of the factions, one Horde, one
Alliance. Two new battlegrounds for player vs player action. There's new
PvP gear and some Pet Battle and Brawler's Guild Tweaks. But the
biggest feature is the Darkspear Rebellion.
For
those who don't remember much about the game in it's earlier days, the
Horde used to be led by Orcish Warchief Thrall. Thrall valued peace with
the Alliance and the freedom of the Horde's peoples. But when Azeroth
was threatened with being torn apart in the Cataclysm, Thrall steped
down to help stop it as a shaman. In his place, he appoints
Garrosh Hellscream
as the new Orc and Horde leader. But unlike Thrall, Hellscream sees
little need to negotiate for what can be taken by force, and refuses to
listen to the Orcs' allies. His brutal ways lead to increased conflict
with the Alliance, and the alienation of the other peoples of the Horde
who see him more and more as a tyrant.
With opposition against him increasing, Garrosh brands the the Trolls of
the Horde, the Darkspear, as traitors, rounding up those still in the
Orc capital Ogrimmar and moves against them elsewhere in the province of
Durotar (the home province to the Orcs and trolls). The Troll leader
Vol'jin responds by declaring open rebellion, dubbed the Darkspear
Rebellion.
Both
Horde and Alliance players can take part in quest chains,
Horde players as part of the rebellion, and Alliance players aiding it.
Level 90 players will get a letter in the mail from Lorewalker Cho, and
upon entering the Vale of Eternal Blossoms in Pandaria will see him
waving at them from Mogu'shan Palace. Talking to him, the player hears
about actions concerning the Alliance and the Horde, and sends out the
player in two scenarios via his "dream brew" on a nearby table: "Blood
in the Snow," and "The Warchief and the Darkness." Normally playable by
just one faction, in this case the opposite one can do so as well, Horde
players in "Blood" disguised as humans, and Alliance ones in "Darkness"
taking on the guise of Goblins.
Following the revelations, Cho
will send the player off. For Horde players, they head to Duartor and to
Sen'jin Village. Vol'jin is there, among with Chen Stormstout and
Thrall. Thrall has finally had enough of Hellscream, and is aiding the
effort against him.
Speaking to Vol'jin, the player hears about
the rebellion, and will be asked to gather resources from the Northern
Barrens to help supply it. These resources are in camps set up by
Hellscream's Kor'kron, once elite soldiers of the Horde now Hellscream's
personal army, loyal only to him and determined to carry out his will
(see later in the article on more how to get the resources). After the
player returns to the village, the place is attacked by the Kor'kron.
After
the player helps defeat the assault, Thrall heads off to convince some
Orc leaders to more actively support the rebellion. Vol'jin will launch a
counterattack north to Razor Hill. There, the player has to free
several captives (dissident Orcs are among the Trolls), in addition to
defeating three elite NPC enemies, a gunman, a shaman, and a Lvl 92
axe-wielding melee fighter. Speaking to the NPC Zulu de Voice just
outside the town will provide a healing buff that without defeating them
single-handed is nearly impossible. Even with it, players may need to
team up to defeat them.
After the battle, Horde players will see a scene between Vol'jin and the
Tauren leader Baine Bloodhoof, discussing the future of the rebellion.
For Alliance players, they can take a shortcut to Duartor via a
teleporter at the upper level on the Summer Terrace (the Alliance hub in
the Vale of Eternal Blossoms), which takes them to the town of Ratchet
in the Southern Barrens. Flying to above the defenses south of Ogrimmar,
they'll see two Alliance agents, who will ask them to help scout for
intelligence. Once they find out just how badly Hellscream and Vol'jin
have fallen out, the player is send as an emissary to contact them.
After talking to the Troll leader, the player is offered a chance to
show his good intentions by getting some supplies from the Kor'kron
camps in the Barrens and delivering them to the insurrection.
Following these quests, both Horde and Alliance players will be asked by
Chen Stormstout to return to Pandaria to Mount Neverest in the Kun-Lai
Summit to talk to an old seer about some answers to questions about
Pandaria's situation. Meeting up with him, he accompanies the player up
the mountain. Once they reach Seeker's Point, the seer will reveal his
true identity, why Pandaria was hidden from the world, and how that is
relevant to the current situation, "Only by working together can we
overcome the darkness."
Horde and Alliance players can continue to gather supplies in a weekly
"Battlefied: Barrens" quest. The player needs to gather 150 units each
of lumber, stone, oil, and meat. These can be gathered at four camps in
the Northern Barrens. Players can gather them by clobbering Kor'kron
guards or the workers helping them or swiping crates and slabs of meat
there. One can also get meat from slain wolf mounts.
There are two quicker ways to get resources. One is by escorting
caravans of goods. Multiple players are needed to ensure the caravans
survive the attacks by Kor'kron raiders. Once it reaches it's
destination, the player gets rewarded with surplus supplies. You can
also get supplies by taking down elite Kor'kron commanders, but they're
too tough to fight alone. It takes a team to defeat them. One can also
get supplies by overturned Kor'kron caravans, announced in Barrens chat
when these events happen. But only if you can get them before they're
recovered.
Rewards include new titles, "Darkspear Revolutionary" for Horde Players,
and "Hordebreaker" for Alliance, some high level gear from some of the
quests, and the "Radical Mojo" rewards from the weekly Barrens quests
can be combined with "Latent Kor'kron armor" you get either from battle
or the Darkspear Quartermaster into items with "randomized stats that
may have some unexpected results that you won't be able to get from
other gear."
The Darkspear Rebellion won't last forever. Eventually another patch
will close these events, "where the story will continue beyond the
Barrens and take the next step toward what could be a historic shift in
power."
So players of WoW, whether you're "For the Horde" or "For the Alliance,"
get into the action while you can in this turning point in Azeroth's
history.
Sources: Blizzard, Wowpedia
Bixyl Shuftan
This
game starts off darker than any game I have ever played before. You
get to see your wife and child sacrificed by getting their throats
cut right before your eyes, then yours is cut as well after the first
bloody battle at the gate, then each mission is one bloody fight
after another. I have recorded the opening and first mission.
You
have plenty of zones with plenty of missions in each one and with a
wide variety of side mission to play through. Then you have the DLC's
as well. There is a LOT of action, a LOT of blood and a LOT of dark
memories to go along with them. We even get to meet the one that
murmurs, “My Precious”. Yes, you get to meet Galum and interact
with him throughout the story line as you try and find memory pieces.
The elf that is stuck within you can remember how to break your curse
and free both of you.
Once
it played past the opening, I started to enjoy the game a bit. I am
not one to shy away from a violent game, and I gave it my best shot.
Even though I have played it a few times, it is not one of my
favorite games, but not the worst in my library.
