Cataclysm – You Know Too Much

You watched the Cataclysm trailer this weekend didn’t you?

I have to say it looks pretty exciting. However it sometimes seems to me a pity that we can become so much in the know about future WoW events before they ever happen, from a story-telling point of view.

There’s a strange irony to how we approach this RPG. We strive to know tactics before we step through the door of an instance. Almost certainly we know the potential loot! Of course it varies from person to person, but often players have enormous amounts of information about challenges before they are undertaken, and not to have that information is failure.

Does this foreknowledge fly in the face of immersive roleplay, or would the heroes of old have indeed gathered as much information as possible before heading off to kill that Minotaur? You decide.

Aragorn: ‘Okay when Frodo draws his sword about 100 orcs are going to come charging out of the woods. I want the Hobbits to draw as much aggro as possible and start running to where Boromir will tank the main group. Legolas, Gimli and I will deal with any adds, dps like crazy, and then run down to the others. I’ll off-tank the main boss while the rest of you finish off the mobs.’

Frodo: ‘How do you know all this stuff anyway?’

Boromir: ‘I still think we should wait for a healer. Ask Guilds.’