Tuesday Morning Post: Cataclysm bombshell edition
by Daniel Whitcomb 
Sep 29th 2009 at 7:30AM
If spoilers aren't your bag, or you already know, don't fear, there's plenty more to keep you occupied as we wait out the 5 AM - 11 AM Pacific maintenance window. For example, you could read up on the week-old Patch 3.2.2 on our guide page. Here's a few more ideas for your browsing pleasure:
Hot News and Features
- Ghostcrawler was going to take a break from the forums, but luckily he decided to reverse his decision, sort of.
- Patch 3.2.2 went live last week, and we have the patch notes.
- Also, check out the latest in-game fixes as of September 22nd.
- Of course, Patch 3.2.2 has some known bugs yet, as well.
- Sorry, EU servers, local standards keep you from getting Wolpertinger and Pink Elekk quests for Brewfest.
- Fan of the Tankard O' Terror in game? The real life version is pretty sweet too.
- Blizzard dev team member Alex Afrasiabi has some pretty interest things to say about the Cataclysm and the origin of phasing.
- Who is the mysterious "B" anyway?
- Race changes are coming soon.
- Here's a look at the Patch 3.2.2 changes for Mages.
- Encrypted text looks at Rogue loot for Patch 3.2.2.
- A Warlock looks at Patch 3.2.2 and bug squishing.
- Rossi has a look at the Patch 3.2.2 Warrior changes.
- Of course, we didn't forget the Shaman Patch 3.2.2 changes either. Totem Talk went more indepth about Patch 3.2.2 for the Shaman as well.
- Here's a look at the Priest Patch 3.2.2 changes.
- We also have a recap of the Patch 3.2.2 Druid changes.
- The Light and How to Swing It looks at Patch 3.2.2. for Paladins.
- Hunter nerfs came in stealthily in Patch 3.2.2.
- Patch 3.2.2 brings up a revved up and ready to go level 80 tuned Onyxia. Need a plan of attack? Ready Check has you covered with our new Onyxia guide. Raid Rx also has tips on Onyxia from a healer's point of view.
- Patch 3.2.2 also brought some welcome changes to Trial of the Champions.
- Patch 3.2.2 brought some pretty massive bracket changes to Alterac Valley, apparently completely on accident.
- The Art of War(craft) looks at Season 7 for the Battleground PvPer. We also have analysis of how Patch 3.2.2 changed Battlegrounds.
- Blood Sport looks at Patch 3.2.2 from an Arena point of view.
- Patch 3.2.2 bought a nice surprise in a further lowering of flight training cost.
- WoW Rookie discusses investing in bags.
- Grunty the Murloc has arrived for BlizzCon stream and TV viewers.
- Turpster talks about getting a mount for your Squire.
- Swagdog has a pretty swank new design option for their famous guild shirts.
- 15 Minutes of Fame chats with Game Designer James Wallis.
- Check out episode 4 of season 3 of The Guild.
- Everyone's favorite Orcish metal singer did a pretty funny guest stint on Penny Arcade recently.
- Check our gallery of It Came From The Blog's Pirate Day festivities!
Filed under: Realm Status, Odds and ends, News items
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Johan Forn Sep 29th 2009 7:51AM
I don't understand all the crying and hurt Horde fanboy egos, concerning warchief Garrosh. Do you honestly want your faction to be super cool good guys, all noble and super duper awesome? We've seen that plenty throughout the lore already. Enough. Having a jerk stir things up can only make the story more interesting and refreshing.
Nathanyel Sep 29th 2009 8:04AM
Wait, who are you talking about now, Garrosh or Varian?
Tridus Sep 29th 2009 8:05AM
Unless you want to have a faction leader that you actually support, in which case it sucks. Garrosh is an idiot. Actually given a choice, I'd join the Steamwheedle Cartel in a heartbeat just to get away from him.
Badly written shallow characters are not good for the story. Bad characters are bad.
Radiophonic Sep 29th 2009 8:06AM
Besides that, I don't foresee him being the Horde leader for too long. I think they have some interesting twists in store for us.
Guildenstern Sep 29th 2009 8:06AM
That's like saying that your job would be so much more interesting and refreshing if it got robbed at gunpoint, or that your marriage would be so much more interesting and refreshing if you came home and found your husband sleeping with your mother.
Garrosh as Warchief just plain sucks, and there is no reason for any of us to be happy about it. Except maybe those who like killing faction leaders, in which case I say 'be our guest' and rid us of him.
Crash Sep 29th 2009 8:11AM
"Do you honestly want your faction to be super cool good guys, all noble and super duper awesome?"
No, I just don't want it be a total jerk and two-dimensional cut-out of a racist with nerdrage.
Johan Forn Sep 29th 2009 8:28AM
You people above don't get it. It's not so much the character itself that I'm talking about, but the fact that his unusual characteristics and placement result in a new, interesting and refreshing story/world. If it were up to you guys, nothing substantial would change.
Dragundam Sep 29th 2009 9:04AM
Except there's a million ways the story could be refreshing and interesting without dragging everyone down to Hell with ineptitude shackled to bloodlust. His first act as a leader in Northrend? See Garrosh's Landing. Everyone's dead and there are invisible, giant, kelp vikings everywhere. He said the Horde could take on the Scourge all by themselves. Yes. Things worked out so well for Saurfang the Younger. Okay, he did have a point about the Argent Tournament being a stupid time-waster, but then he went and ruined the moment by opening his stupid mouth again.
I like Thrall and everything, but let's face it, he lost the war. Varian's decided to do his own mouth-foaming, Jaina's not exactly helping, and Thrall's not likely to slap him in the back of the head and tell him to STFU a minute so everyone can see the bigger picture, namely the constant outside sources trying to KILL EVERYONE. I don't suppose the Horde can find a *BALANCE* between the two?
I hope to Grom Saurfang's got more spies and a short leash ready. Maybe one of those barking collars.
mtsadowski Sep 29th 2009 9:25AM
What bothers me about Garrosh's leadership isn't THAT he becomes leader, it's HOW he becomes leader.
If Thrall hands Garrosh the keys to the Horde, then Thrall is an idiot because he KNOWS how unpredictable Garrosh is.
But Thrall is set to be captured by the Alliance. If Garrosh takes control of the Horde BECAUSE of Thrall's absence, then that would make a WHOLE lot more sense.
There have been many leaders in history that didn't deserve it and messed things up. Seeing that in WoW is fine by me. What bothers me is that we - as players - don't have a voice in playing out our objection. Your only choice is do the quest or not. I wish that we could tell Garrosh that he's a dick and we're not going to follow him. That SHOULD be a quest choice.
Same goes for Varion. He's a tool, too.
perderedeus Sep 29th 2009 9:45AM
At least with Varian, he has his peoples' best interest at heart and he comes from a line of noble men.
Garrosh is the blowhard Varian is, and worse... he's disrespectful, unpredictable, and cares little for military tactics or planning. Garrosh's father was an orc whose claim to fame was screaming VERY LOUD and scaring people until they saw things his way. Altogether, Garrosh is not the kind of person I want leading a company of soldiers let alone an entire army, and forget leading an entire nation (the Horde).
Metzen has been a good storyteller to this point, but I really have to wonder what went through his head when he dreamed up this whole Garrosh scenario. I can only hope it ends with Saurfang killing the impudent little whelp.
mtsadowski Sep 29th 2009 9:51AM
@perderedeus
You nailed it. Anyone with even the basic knowledge of chess knows that brute strength isn't enough to win. Garrosh is only setting up himself (and the Horde) to fail.
snowleopard233 Sep 29th 2009 9:56AM
Garrrosh just seems to be a stereotypical one-dimensional warmonger; a tool blizzard threw into the mix to spice things up. There’s nothing really likeable or relatable about him, therefore making the idea that anyone would follow him seem ludicrous. I would have liked it more if he was a capable and charismatic warmonger, that albeit racist, angry, and headstrong, still yielded results and for that, was loved. Right now he’s neither. He’s created one failure of a military venture after another, leaving one to wonder why in a society that values actions more than words, any orc would follow such a green warrior and terrible general.
Overall, he’s both a poor hero and a terrible villain, showing none of the complexity or plausibility that makes for interesting drama.
Killchrono Sep 29th 2009 10:12AM
I don't mind the idea of a new Warchief. I don't mind a Warchief that declares open war on the Alliance. What I DO mind is a Warchief that has purely evil ideals that drive his motives. Argue whatever way you want, but it's becoming more and more obvious that Garrosh is leaning closer towards the dark side than pretty much any Orcish leader since Blackhand in the First War. His goal is total conquest - there's no just motive in his actions. What's more, he's turning on his own allies. The exile of the trolls is especially notable, since they've been the backbone of the New Horde with the Orcs and the Tauren since its inception.
Sure, there are some Horde players who may like the no-morals, conquest-driven path, but the majority don't want to play in a faction that's clearly becoming evil. Morally grey has always suited the new Horde more than anything else, and I personally would like to keep it that way.
I also get sick of these accusations of people saying people like me don't want story development. If anything, I love story developments, and many of the ones in Cataclysm I'm liking. But that doesn't mean I like Garrosh both in character and conception. Blizz could have created an Orc character with the same amazing charisma, strength and insight of Thrall, but with ideologies that conflict with his. This theoretical new Warchief could've pointed out how he thinks Thrall is too reserved, just like Garrosh did, but with less thoughtless intent. He could justify the war on the Alliance by saying Varian Wrynn declared war first. All these possibilities for a respectable character with strength and wisdom, but still hostile to the Alliance...instead we get Blackhand/Gul'dan V2, with a touch of Grom Hellscream's thoughtless rage.
Kylenne Sep 29th 2009 10:41AM
@Killchrono:
Co-signed. Really, this isn't terribly hard to understand. Story progression is not what people are complaining about, here. Change in the Horde is not what people are complaining about. What we're complaining about is all the complexity of the Horde since WC3 being tossed aside in favor of one-dimensional comic book villain BS. Which is something the vast majority of us didn't sign up for.
Amaxe Sep 29th 2009 11:36AM
I might be wrong, but I wonder if this is leading up to the idea that the orcs *weren't* freed from the bloodlust and Garrosh is coming under the sway of it.
Of course if I understand my lore, his tribe didn't drink the blood of Mannoroth so maybe not.
Whether or not this is a good thing depends on the story Blizz wants to tell. Having an evil leader for the Horde would be interesting... so long as it was not done from a HURRR one dimensional approach.
Of course seeing the hostility of the players here for the new leader, I wonder if Blizz should have allowed faction changes which involved quests and keeping your race. It would be interesting to see how many Horde voted with their feet...
RichardCyphr Sep 29th 2009 1:38PM
I really think that a lot of people are looking to far ahead without thinking about the immediate future. If Thrall stepped down today and Garrosh took over right now, then yes, he would be a horrible choice; however, we still have a MAJOR content patch coming out. 3.3 is sure to be filled with story development, and maybe there will be a change in Garrosh, that will make him more fit to lead the Horde come Cataclysm.
Much like in real life, fictional characters are allowed to change, and I'm hoping for either a major change in Garrosh, or at least a good reason that he was thought of as best to lead the Horde. One thing I've learned about Blizzard is that they wouldn't do something this drastic, unless they knew that in the end it would make the game more enjoyable for their players.
Tolkfan Sep 29th 2009 8:17AM
Don't compare Garrosh to Varian:
http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/1292/garroshvarian.jpg
mtsadowski Sep 29th 2009 9:31AM
Okay, you made your point about Garrosh and Varian.
However, you bring up another point for arguing. Shoulder armor... how big can Blizzard make it before it's TOO big.
perderedeus Sep 29th 2009 9:50AM
Wow. I've been reading right along that the comics are trash, but that excerpt speaks volumes about the character of both Garrosh and Varian. I never thought I'd say it, but I'm liking the King of Stormwind more and more.
Muse Sep 29th 2009 10:28AM
More importantly: Anduin gets to be his own character as well, not just the unattackable-guy-in-the-castle. Alliance leadership is looking up, having gone from, "Who's our boss? Humm, lessee, that Bolvar stand-in guy? Nah, he's just keeping the throne warm. Magni? No, he's just the king dwarf. How about Staghelm (NO!) or Tyrande? Nah, elves too busy being elves. Jaina, I guess, but she's not a ruler..." etc etc to having one specific guy we can point at and go "That's our boss. I might not like him, but he's the guy."
Because Thrall wouldn't go to allout war with the alliance, and the alliance with no leader couldn't exactly declare allout war on the horde. With Varian Hothead and Garrosh Hothead both on the thrones... war is inevitable. So in a way Garrosh is serving a purpose of interest by being a mulehead.