The story of WoW: Battle for Azeroth is well received by players. But one crucial aspect is missing: the actual war. The patch 8.1 is supposed to deliver that.
For about a month now, World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth has been live, and even the more casual players have reached the maximum level of 120. In addition to much praise for the stories and the beauty of the individual areas, there are also criticisms. Some players miss the main point of the expansion: the war.
Most criticism seems to stem from the fact that the exciting cinematics (Siege of Undercity and the Saurfang cinematic) have little to do with the actual expansion. While the addon starts with the battle for Undercity, thereafter there is little mention of the war.
Starting content is practically without war
Instead, the expansion revolves around the following, as Reddit user deadcloudx puts it:
- One solves some ghost problem in a forest
- The thing with the spiny livers
- Some people have tentacles on their boats
- Turtle people
Some comments suggest that all of this is just the beginning to push the war between Horde and Alliance forward. There will surely be more content in upcoming patches that reflect more direct war actions.
This has now also been confirmed by Ion Hazzikostas, the Game Director. In Patch 8.1 Tides of Vengeance, the war between Horde and Alliance takes center stage. There is even a raid dedicated to the war.
The war campaign also receives criticism: Many players felt that the war campaign was too short. It felt like a series of disjointed attacks on enemy outposts. Although there was a rough storyline, it did not feel like actions that could decide a real war.
Players are particularly annoyed that the war campaigns play “past each other” and that the Horde’s actions have no impact on the Alliance and vice versa.
Here too, it seems that Patch 8.1 will offer redemption from the horizon. The war campaign will continue and presumably this story will lead to the siege of Zuldazar.
It seems that Patch 8.1 will quell many of the community’s concerns and fulfill wishes. One can only hope that the update can also deliver what it promises and finally bring the “war” to Warcraft.
How do you feel about all of this? Do you also miss the “war” in World of Warcraft? Or are war fronts and the campaign enough war story to justify the title of the expansion?
