New Zones & Instances in the expansion (Karazhan preview)

Kasi · 09/01/06, 5:42 PM

There has been a lot of talk about the class changes, talents and specs, but not a huge deal about the new zones. Just caught this gem over on FOH. A walkthrough of Karazhan.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...urning+crusade

For a 10 man this place is just massive. The scale of this stuff is huge. Looks pretty amazing to me. The scale between this place and somewhere like UBRS is just staggering. If anyone else has any videos or screenshots of the instances in the expac (especially videos) please do post them.

Edit: Library and Chessroom both were nice standouts. So was the Opera House. Would be sweet if the Chessroom had a special boss encounter where it was based like a chess match.

DeeNogger · 09/01/06, 5:49 PM

its hard for me to visualize a new instance's feel without the mobs being in it. will the opera house be the next suppression room? etc. etc.

looks amazing though. my one concern is that new boss encounters will be too easy. or, if they are difficult, that you would have to reclear the fast respawning trash over and over just to get to your current boss challange.

Garcian · 09/01/06, 5:55 PM

I think it would be awesome as well if they had a chess-based boss encounter.

I think the size speaks for itself. Look at the player running around. Then imagine how big a molten giant or something similar in size to one would be compared to her. Then place the giant in the room. It seems to me that any boss currently in the game could fit easily in some of the more impressive places in the video. Maybe the large rooms that stand out are for bosses.

It also makes me wonder how long it would take to clear if there were a large amount of mobs in each room. I think it would take quite a while since it took the player around 16 minutes to run through the whole place.

Prumpy · 09/01/06, 6:05 PM

The chess part could be like in the first harry potter book/film. The whole instance looks amazing!

Groglox · 09/01/06, 6:09 PM

That place is HUGE. For a 10 man I am really impressed.

Brando · 09/01/06, 6:10 PM

Don't forgot that he was only going upwards. Unless it was scrapped the tower had an exact duplicate going down.

Illian · 09/01/06, 6:11 PM

Wow, that place is huge and those were just the aboveground areas.

I wonder if they are still going to put in a flight point and "save" points on it like it was rumored?

Biodome · 09/01/06, 6:35 PM

Hopefully, 10 hours? Jesus.

Nite_Moogle · 09/01/06, 6:36 PM

That is goddamn awesome. But I saw very few horse heads :(

Pater · 09/01/06, 6:36 PM

The chess board does have a special encounter. Check out the spell database.

mutagen · 09/01/06, 6:43 PM

I'm pretty sure that Blizz CMs have said that the chess board encounter won't require you to know how to play chess ...

But what do they know?

OzX · 09/01/06, 6:50 PM

Originally Posted by mutagen

I'm pretty sure that Blizz CMs have said that the chess board encounter won't require you to know how to play chess ...

But what do they know?

That's too bad. Having some cross-over to real world knowledge/skills is always nice, imo. As I recall, the old MSX version of Metal Gear and had actual Czeck dialog in it relevant to progressing. You could translate it directly or through some in-game alternative.

henaki · 09/01/06, 7:06 PM

Originally Posted by mutagen

I'm pretty sure that Blizz CMs have said that the chess board encounter won't require you to know how to play chess ...

But what do they know?

Who says it won't help though? Couldn't they just design the encounter around eliminating pieces, and after say, X turns, the enemy pieces would just attack your group outright?

Trey · 09/01/06, 7:13 PM

Huge is an understatement. It looks like Medivh knew how to live. I can imagine so much variety and lore that could be involved in that instance, it's almost insane. I'd think that (especially in the library) there would be a ton of little books you could read through, and little levers and switches to open rooms. NPCs that aren't just there to kill you, but tell stories and recount tales of their life and death. The theater and the chess room look like they could offer some -very- original and intersting fights. If the mobs are numerous and placed as they are in the current instances, it'll take about a week and a half to clear. Hopefully Blizz won't fill it so full of trash that it gets monotonous.

Emeraude · 09/01/06, 7:15 PM

That place is supposed to be epic, it was the home of the Last Guardian after all. :)

I do wonder if the instance is gonna be on a 3 day timer or a 7 day timer. This place is basically supposed to the MC of BC(I originally thought it would be the UBRS, but I've changed my mind about that).