Legion: My First Impressions

I will be quick today, just mentioning the general highlights of the first launch days. There’s so much stuff in Legion that I will need separate posts for most aspects. Besides, I have many yet to discover and explore.

TL;DR – the new expansion looks and feels like work on the mistakes, and a successful one. Legion is awesome.

Launch Days: Getting Started

Night 1: Well, the launch itself was the main issue, especially in Draenor. This time it was… perfect. There was not a single, no, not a single delay or unexpected logout. There were no clogs in quests as far as I’ve noticed.

Legion started for me with my goblin shaman Schlitzchen – because she’s new to Elemental, and I wanted to explore this playing style. I got my quest 4 minutes before launch time – people got them during a 15 minute range, which was also a clever plan I guess. I transported into Dalaran, went for 15 minutes more while exploring the city to let the players wash away from the zone starting quests.

I did an artifact quest chain and got into my Class Order Hall. Beside the common stuff like artifact upgrade and mission table, there was a totem game played on the floor, and I played one round. It was fun :) Then I picked up a quest to Highmountain and went there. Did the first leg of questline there. Again, questing was totally possible. Mob tagging makes it easier, and there were no queues, delays, logouts etc.

Then it was three o’clock in the morning, and I decided to  do a pair of other artifact chains for other toons. By 5 a.m. I acquired two more artifacts, and went to bed.

Day 1

…was dedicated to acquiring artifacts for my Ultimate Team. I’ve acquired 12 artifacts in whole, and my head nearly exploded. Lore overdose. Oh my. There was so much information to process that I literally felt dizzy. Now I know there can be too much lore pressed into too little time.

After acquiring all artifacts I went for questing with Micromantica, the Ice Mage, my achievement toon. Not until she sets herself into daily level cap routine I’m touching any other toons. I need to experience all the lore and explore every corner.

On Day 1 I’ve completed the lion’s share of Aszuna questing and went to bed.

Day 2

…was dedicated to proper leveling. As I planned, I am not in a hurry. I’m doing every main quest line – obviously. I’m doing the corresponding fill-the-bar quests and also the extra quest hubs in the world corners. Finally, I’m not forgetting to return to Dalaran profession quarters and pick up quests for my professions (btw, they are awesome, but I’ll talk about it later).

So far I made it through Aszuna (loremaster and explorer), Valsharah (loremaster and explorer), Highmountain (loremaster). Micromantica got herself to level 107 (almost 108), and she has yet many things to do in the said zones. As for dungeons, I am doing them only after the zone leads me there. It’s just plain amazing how a questline leads you right to the dungeon entrance! So, I did only two dungeons so far, and I have Neltharion’s Lair saved for tonight to acquire my third Pillar of Creation.

I got used to the new Garrison things. It’s basically a Garrison, but improved ten times fold. Very easy to grasp, and yes, I admire the few follower thing. They must be few. They must matter. I must remember their names. Missions are rare which is also a good thing.

Good Things in Legion:

• Questlines
• Zones are beautiful
• Lore overdose is awesome – you even have to take a break to process all that
• Many little things to do even while leveling
• Professions and profession missions
• Revamped garrisons
• Scaling, choices
• Treasures and elite mobs

Questionable Things in Legion:

• As a frost mage, I don’t feel powerful anymore. I need an effort to kill a plain mob on my own. I miss the times when my strongest spell could take off half a mob’s health – now I can’t do that. Every fight is – well, a fight, and it’s a bit tiresome. Yes, it’s a nod to vanilla – mobs do pose a challenge again. Yet I finish a quest hub covered in sweat and hands shaking.
• Terrain is complex. I’m getting lost. I’m dying. But it may be for the first time. You must know, that if you have to climb some cliffs or swim the rivers to your next quest hub, you’re doing it wrong. There is always a convenient path – a road to get there safe and sound.
• Nights. They are really dark, and it’s harder to do quests. With my playing time scheduled around 10 p.m.- 1 a.m. it could be a problem.

Bad Things in Legion:

There’s one certainly big drawback. Yes, I understand the artifacts are all the same in Legion, and they are the only weapon. But there’s no variety in questing gear looks among the zones.

Through leveling you get only one look – recolored from zone to zone, and that’s discouraging. My mage got this set from Azsuna questing – it was oh wow! Mage-y, and answering the zone style: magic cloths and fish scales.

Coming to Val’sharah, I’ve expected something new… Twigs, leaves. At Highmountain – hides and furs. Suck it. When you replace you gear in Val’sharah, you just recolor Azsuna set from white to greenish. Val’sharah to Highmountain – from greenish to goldenish. And the models are all the same.

Meh.

Many more specific posts are coming in a few days about professions, artifacts, classes, class order halls, leveling etc. I’m so excited about my starting experience! And more things are to discover yet.