World of Warcraft - Mists of Pandaria

Mists of Pandaria (5.0) Following the events of Cataclysm and the fall of Deathwing, the Alliance and the Horde are more than ever on a war footing. A naval battle breaks out in the Southern Seas in which Anduin Wrynn, son of Varian Wrynn, the current king of Stormwind and therefore leader of the Alliance, is involved. Survivors land on an unknown island covered in mist and hitherto inviolate. Immediately, the two factions dispatch their best units to take possession of this new territory. They then meet the indigenous people, the Pandarens (anthropomorphic pandas), but also their hereditary enemies: the Mogu (a dominating and enslaving people) and the Mantids (an insectoid race living on the other side of the Wall). Generalities The Pandarens The Pandarens are the new playable race of the expansion. A civilization much older than that of Humans, the Pandarens experienced the Great Sundering during the reign of Shaohao and saw their continent shrouded in mist and disappear from the eyes of the world. Courted by the two factions for their incredible martial abilities, they remain a peaceful people, close to the earth and cultures, often acting with philosophy. Only a few adventurous Pandarens have tried to leave the island; this is why almost no one had met a Pandaren before. Their past is tumultuous: slaves of the Mogu warlords, they later suffered the full brunt of the first demonic invasion and the Great Sundering that followed. Neutral race at the beginning of the game, the Pandarens start on the Wandering Isle (actually a giant turtle) and are led once the area is completed to choose one of the two factions without the possibility of return. They benefit from bonuses related to cooking and food ("epicurean", "gourmand"), an experience bonus when rested (to encourage players to create a new character), reduced fall damage by half, and a stun spell. They ride Dragon Turtles and are great beer lovers. Pandaria The misty continent, located south of the Maelstrom, is divided in two by the Great Wall, erected by the Mogu with the help of Pandaren arms, in order to protect them from the Mantid threat. To the east lie the protected lands: The Jade Forest, the first zone of the expansion. Here you can find the Temple of the Jade Serpent, a dense forest and many ruins. The Valley of the Four Winds: the granary of Pandaria with its famous Storm Brew brewery. The wild expanses of Krasarang and its scattered ruins, its bluish vegetation and its many tropical islands. The Kun-Lai Summit, evoking the Himalayas. The Vale of Eternal Blossoms, the central area of the ancient Mogu power and the two factions. This is also where the Golden Lotus Pandarens gather. To the west, the wild areas: The Dread Wastes, populated by the many Yaungol tribes. The Desolate Ruins, the desolate bastion of the Mantids and the final zone of Pandaria. The Monk New class, added with the expansion, the Monk is not only available to Pandarens, but also to old races. The Monk uses "Chi" as a resource that can be combined with another resource depending on the specialization. It is capable of taking on all roles, DPS, Healer or Tank thanks to its three specializations: Brewmaster, very solid, it uses energy to "tank". Mistweaver, the healing specialization, capable of dealing damage at the same time and staying in melee. Windwalker, the melee DPS specialization practicing martial arts. The monk wears leather armor and can perform rolls to move faster. It also gains a daily experience bonus. Major Innovations Scenarios Scenarios are an intermediate between quests and 5-player dungeons. A group of 3 players is confronted with a series of objectives to be accomplished in a linear manner, serving to advance the storyline of the expansion, the equipment obtained generally being much less interesting than that obtained in dungeons. It is in fact a scenario ("The Fall of Theramore") that opens the story of Mists of Pandaria. The adventure lasts an average of fifteen minutes, with a group search system being made available to the player. The difficulty is not really present, the objective being more narrative. Pet Battles An unexpected novelty that pushes the player into pet battles, captured beforehand. This is reminiscent of Pokémon, both in terms of capture and in the fights, with a system of type and weakness. Pets have 6 spells that unlock as they level up, the maximum level being 25. However, only 3 of these abilities can be used in combat. They also have a rarity level that directly affects the attributes (hit points, speed and attack). Players can duel each other, thanks to a combat search system, or face pre-defined trainers requiring a strategy. Challenge Mode The 5-player dungeons being reputed too easy, even on heroic mode, the challenge mode offers a much more challenging challenge to satisfy the bravest players. In the same 5-player instances as in normal mode, but with much tougher monsters and bosses, the group must finish as quickly as possible to obtain the gold medal, or failing that the silver or bronze ones. To keep the challenge viable, even at the end of the expansion, the equipment level is locked and the bonuses related to the legendary quest removed. No equipment can be recovered in this difficulty mode, the latter being there mainly to offer an occasional challenge. Talent System Overhaul The old 41-point talent tree system is abandoned in favor of a tier system. Every 15 levels, the player has a choice between 3 talents that modify the way certain abilities are used. Class specializations still exist but are no longer tied to talents. Irion's Legendary Quest Throughout the expansion, a series of quests is unlocked, allowing the player's story to evolve in parallel with that of the surrounding world. Mainly focused on PvE (raids and dungeons) but not only, this series of quests allows to obtain extremely powerful equipment upgrades. Black Market Working on a principle similar to that of the auction house, the black market allows its wealthiest clients to afford equipment pieces that are now inaccessible or even very rare mounts. World Bosses The appearance of bosses outside of raids is making a comeback with this expansion. Requiring around forty players, there are two at the release of the game: The Sha of Anger and Galleon. This has the consequence of crystallizing PVP (player versus player combat) around the spawning areas. Other Innovations Mounts, pets and achievements are now account-bound. Cross-realm regions allow players from different servers to meet in the least populated areas of the game. Zone loot allows you to collect the loot of all the enemies killed around you with a single click. Appearance of the BattleTag to replace account names and facilitate the addition of contacts. Player versus Environment (PvE) Scenarios "Annihilation Arena", a series of 5 fights with a random final opponent. "Crypt of the Forgotten Kings", purify a ruin of the residual corruption of a Sha. The "Brewmoon Festival" asks to help the villagers of Binan so that the festivities go well and to stop a Yaungol invasion. "The Fall of Theramore" makes us experience the destruction of an important human city in Kalimdor. "Greenstone" is a village under the assault of an elemental. "Thunderbrew", a very short scenario asking to protect a master in the art of brewing. "Unga Ingoo", an infiltration session on an island held by the Hozen in the wild expanses of Krasarang.