With each and every expansion we have some focal points. Milestones or goals – name it. As we got ourselves Patch 6.2. which brings us the last portion of content, it’s time to make a small review of my Draenor experience.
Let’s roll!*
*because you can’t fly.
Questing
A solid quest line, which was definitely one of the best in whole WoW so far. Multiple cutscenes, epic stories with epic climax, introduction of new zones, cutting old ends and maintaining main story.
Completed: Yes/No?
Yes. Moreover, all 11 toons eagerly completed all the main question lines with pleasure – again and again. The one left is Gul’dan’s “cypher” in Tanaan which will be done by all of them. My lore monster inside my chest was definitely happy. And look how epic it was! The siege of Karabor and narrow gronn ravine for starting zones. The battle at Iron Docks. The destruction of arakkoa Doom Weapon. The battle with Annihilan in the middle of nowhere and siege of Shattrath. The justice of Thrall. Let alone the very start of the expansion with this mad escape from the Dark Portal. You can blame Draenor for many things, but questlines will not be one of them.
PvP
Ashran, the new battlefield. It is rumored that you have many interesting zones in the island.
Completed: Yes/No?
No. I may have occasionally joined a battleground or two before, but it was often for achievement purpose only. And not the ones which are PvP only. I’m not into PvP and I don’t think I ever see Ashran by the end of xpac or further.
Establishing and Upgrading Your Garrison
Garrisons, which started as a new feature and later turned into some boring browser mini-game, still gained to bring some interest in the beginning. Developing Garrison and doing new buildings was fun, you saw your base grow and flourish. Until it became your dull routine (which happened very fast).
Completed: Yes/No?
Yes. I’ve upgraded every single building with my alts to Tier 3 (except Gladiator Sanctum). It was fun. I got all building achievements. I got cool bases… to get bored in.
Garrison Followers
These guys, of historic value or not, were joining you along the campaign. It was a pleasure when they joined you and when you met them within your base. But when it comes to the missions table, suddenly they don’t matter anymore. They could be violet, blue and greens circles with abilities.
You also feel that epic cool guys like Rulkan is too important to send her to kill some ogre, and some of them don’t even matter. Bruma?… Errhh… Is she a dwarf? Forget it, she won’t be there in the next xpac.
Completed: Yes/No?
Not yet. I never used a tavern to hire some guys except a single gnome rogue once. I already have this solid batch of followers with each toon who can cope with all missions I want. All the folowers are of “violet” quality. At least 10 followers per toon are 675. Still, I feel the need to upgrade all of their gear at max and do whatever missions valuable: resources, gold and raid loot for mogging.
Shipyard
When we’re talking Garrisons, we’re talking Shipyard. You build a wharf: it’s ship missions bound to upgrade it. It definitely finds some use out of this shipwreck which was there for 8 months. And shipyard is a beautiful place, not to mention adding convenient way out of your Garrison, which was blocked after it was upgraded to Tier 3.
Completed: Yes/No?
Not yet. 20/25 missions with my main to upgrade to Tier 3. Luckily it will be the last big waste of G.Resources.
Ships
As with followers, you get some ships and send them to missions. Bad thing: even with success chance of 95%, they could be destroyed, which is not good. Your mission is to build and upgrade as many ships as you need to complete Epic Ring questline. You also need some equipment to use. Make your way to Tanaan and kill special rares. Ships are not much fun now, and they won’t be fun at all after a while. In the next xpac they would have been very good, especially if it were sea-themed. Nowadays, as a new routine added to Garrison, they suck. And they have no lore explanation too. We destroyed the Docks and Foundry. Why the hell we need any ships NOW when all the remnants of Iron Horde fled to Tanaan?..
Completed: Yes/No?
That’s my main focus now. The major problem is I’m lacking oil, but eventualy I’ll upgrade them all. My most urgent thing today is getting all the equipment for all toons. Yes, I need those small chests with Tier loot and I need the epic Ring questing.
Reputations
Gaining reputations in Draenor was a surprisingly stupid grindfest. And you need 3 new factions to Revered to fly.
Completed: Yes/No?
To make long story short, I didn’t make it to Exalted with 90% of them and I don’t think I will. Dailies – I can do that. Grind only – NO. The only exception was Arakkoa Exiles, which allowed me to get Tavern Tier 3. They got a solid rep boost through questing and these marvellous 2500 rep tokens (luckily BoA). With 3 new factions, at least I do them to Revered obviously (2 left). Compare to Pandaria: I have 90% Exalted there.
Exploration and Treasures
Exploring Draenor was easy. Doing your main questlines, you would have opened most of the map, and you have maybe 2 or 3 spots to go to discover the rest. Even without flying mount it was easy and fun. At Tanaan it’s even better: on your introduction quest you open the WHOLE map except a rangari post. Treasures were both success and disaster. I like discovery, I like some effort to get somewhere. But if you need to waste 20 minutes for a treasure… NO.
Completed: Yes/No?
Exploration – of course. I think I finish all Draenor blank spots with all toons before leaving, and of course my exploration was completed for micromantica long ago. She also gathered like 157 treasures before it was announced you need 100 to fly.
Professions
They introduced some stupid ways to craft your stuff. You need herbs for jewellery now. You need 5 elephants to cook a sausage. Why, when have we started to eat that much? And you need a thousand rolls of cloth to sew some gloves or 100 stones to craft a necklace. Not to mention blood and blight.
Completed: Yes/No?
Yes and no. I’ve upgraded all main professions for all 11 toons, and that’s it. I don’t craft a shite for long, long time. I never had enough blood or fel blight mats enough to upgrade an item, and I never farmed it. 640 is my cap. I love professions, but in Draenor they were disasterous.
Archaeology
In your Garrison you have this cool room to place relics. The idea of Pandaria is developed, and it’s so good. The scheme of collecting is the same, and it’s perfect. There are also toys, weapons and pets to collect.
Completed: Yes/No?
Yes and no. After I have my flying, Micromantica will do the relic room. I already have many pristine objects, but more to go.
Fishing
You need to fish out 100*6 big-big fishes in every zone to upgrade fishing shack to Tier 3.
Completed: Yes/No?
Not yet. I have Frostfire and Gorgrond to nail. Pools there are rare and a disaster to get to. Right after I get my flying.
Pets
Millions of new pets introduced in Draenor! It’s a vast field for new achievements.
Completed: Yes/No?
No. For all my toons and 8 months, it’s only 20 pet battles in Draenor. Maybe I have some desire to upgrade some pets, but as for now?… Not really. Not my thing.
Raids
There’s one more thing everyone must like about Warlords. The raids are very different and so cool: the design, the bosses, the encounters, the lore. I like everything about them. The merry Highmaul which grows grim by the end. The NES-like Blackrock Foundry. The diabolical Helfire Citadel with everyone we know to make all ends meet and finish the story. The worst thing about the raids that they placed Cho’Gall into Mythic difficulty. Did you know he died at Imperator encounter? I did not. Dudes, you give us LFR to see the story and hide this HUGE CHARACTER of Cho’gall behind Mythic difficulty. Everyone beyond Mythic is sure he’s hiding and preparing some plans now…
Completed: Yes/No?
Yes by all means. I ran Highmaul and Blackrock Foundry so many times that I already puke. Well, not until I rest a bit and have some nostalgy. I got full sets from both raids for all toons. I can successfully kill all bosses with no mistakes. Well, all raid armor and weapons sucks in Draenor, but still… My next goal is Hellfire until I do all Epic Rings and all sets.
Epic Ring
You have this epic storyline, considering Khadgar. He’s your guide, he reveals big pieces of story, and due to lore, it’s something I must do. I don’t care much about rings (715? Oh wow, it must be cool). I care about epic storyline. I care about what happened to Kairozdormu, Garona, Killrog and Guldan. And you can’t blame Blizzard that they hid some key plot beyond Epic Ring because – well, you can use LFR to get quest items, and well, your followers bring them to your bed with your morning coffee.
Completed: Yes/No?
Yes. All my toons set foot into Hellfire Citadel for their next step of Epic Ring quest and Shipyard epic part. I totally love the epic story and it’s cool to replay it again and again.
Something New
There are many classes and specs, and tank/heal roles that I haven’t played yet properly. It’s always a room to try something new. Thanks to my love Yrel in questline, I couldn’t help myself to start a Draenei, and it was my 5th attemp to play a Death Knight which proved to be successful at last. Melaris was born on February and now she’s equal to all others. She’s dressed at BRF and has Hellfire to run for Epic Ring.
Gnomecore 