This news actually convinced my to resub. I figure, if the panda's drives off all the kids that are concerned about WoW no longer being cool enough for them to play, that just means less of these annoying brats running around clogging up barrens chat and dancing on mailboxes. Things are looking up for WoW.

Still wish WoW would impliment housing so I could tell these brats to stay off my virtual lawn.

1.Ethereals

2. Ogres

3. Naga

4. Murlocs

5. Panadreans

Pandareans were not the most asked race to be playable by any measure.  Don't buy the spin.

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Originally posted by Hoplites
1.Ethereals
2. Ogres
3. Naga
4. Murlocs
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5. Panadreans
 
Pandareans were not the most asked race to be playable by any measure.  Don't buy the spin.
 
 

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Right, because if there is one thing Blizzard is infamous for it's not pandering to the masses. Ethereals are the only other decent choice and pandas are still better than space goats.

Originally posted by azmundai

 

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Originally posted by Hoplites
1.Ethereals
2. Ogres
3. Naga
4. Murlocs
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5. Panadreans
 
Pandareans were not the most asked race to be playable by any measure.  Don't buy the spin.
 
 

---

 

Right, because if there is one thing Blizzard is infamous for it's not pandering to the masses. Ethereals are the only other decent choice and pandas are still better than space goats.

I don't know... female Draenei or female Pandaren... I've got to go with the...ahem....space goat.

They have cows, why not pandas???

This is an awesome idea. I want to preorder it now!!!

Originally posted by VikingGamer

This news actually convinced my to resub. I figure, if the panda's drives off all the kids that are concerned about WoW no longer being cool enough for them to play, that just means less of these annoying brats running around clogging up barrens chat and dancing on mailboxes. Things are looking up for WoW.

Still wish WoW would impliment housing so I could tell these brats to stay off my virtual lawn.

You imply WoW was ever cool to play. :D

Originally posted by Ceridith

1. They're not standard fantasy

2. They were originally introduced as a joke

3. Kung-Fu Panda has given the general public the perception that kung-fu wielding anthromorphic pandas is very silly, childish, and meant for five year olds... which I tend to agree with.

That fits with my understanding as well.

And on the side topic of "hate", I don't hate WoW.  However, from a players perspective, I can't say that I'm pleased with the direction that management has taken with it.  It's their game and they do with it as they please.  I'm sufficiently adult to understand that.  That doesn't mean I have to play it.  It seems that every recent "improvement" just takes it one step further away from that game that I used to enjoy.

Originally posted by VikingGamer

This news actually convinced my to resub. I figure, if the panda's drives off all the kids that are concerned about WoW no longer being cool enough for them to play, that just means less of these annoying brats running around clogging up barrens chat and dancing on mailboxes. Things are looking up for WoW.

Still wish WoW would impliment housing so I could tell these brats to stay off my virtual lawn.

I don't think playing WoW was ever considered "cool" if anything it was already long considered being the most uncool thing. (unless you're amongst WoW players).

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Originally posted by idgarad
.... I wouldn't have minded but the fact both sides get them just makes this, well, dumb. Give alliance the Panderans and give the horde the Naga or Murlocks.

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All the silliness of the panda's race could have been somewhat avoided if Blizzard had just added a counter balance race that was more serious & lore based aswell. They decided to try to give 1 race and 1 class this time instead of 2 races or 1 class as they had been doing in previous expansions.

The direction they are taking WoW in seems more kiddie than ever & also an attempt to cater for the Eastern market. They really needed to give the older, loyal, members of their game something more solid in this expansion, which they clearly havn't, hence all the negative posts all over the internet, including why MMORPG.com is asking to put all the opinions on it in one place. Heck, WoW youtube channel with the trailer has nearly 50% dislikes in that video.

The people who make the decisions at Blizzard are either really stupid for miss-judging the mood & reaction MoP would get (which I actually doubt myself) or they know exactly what they are trying to do, they've done their math & know the target audiences they are going for & to hell with all the negative fallout they would get cause in the end it'll still bring in the $$$.

Originally posted by theniffrig

... or they know exactly what they are trying to do, they've done their math & know the target audiences they are going for & to hell with all the negative fallout they would get cause in the end it'll still bring in the $$$

Yes.  And the timing was perfect to rain on SW:TOR's media hype generation.  A publicity stunt to prove they are still a (the) major player in the industry.

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Originally posted by Corehaven

I'll also go ahead and say I kind of like returning to WoW every couple of expansions or so.  So its about time I jump back into it.  I like to do this because that way, there's more to do when I return.  I wont be returning now.  Ever.  At all.  Even if I concede to your point that WoW has some goofy elements, I guess you can say this for me was not the staw, but the log that broke the camels back.  Sure there was already some goof piled on there, but this is too much as far as Im concerned. 


Maybe you are right in the end and Im just getting to the point I want a little more drama (the good kind) and a more serious take on my gaming.  So maybe Swtor or GW2 is more for me. 

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Go go Po!

Originally posted by Corehaven

Originally posted by VirusDancer

You might see walking talking Pandas appear in some kind of fiction like The Never Ending Story.  But you would never see it in Lord of the Rings.  WoW had a good western fantasy "lord of the rings" style vibe going for it.  Not anymore.  And thats very unfortunate. 

So... Hobbits anybody?

Little a meter tall guys with furry feet that are good just for farming, brewing and dancing? Basically English country bumpkins in your High Fantasy world filled with dragons, high elves, knights etc?

Oh yes, the characters in the lord of the rings kick some serious ass, but they are definitely NOT your average Hobbit are they?

They also live isolated from the world, know nothing of the external world and have their unique, very food and drink oriented culture so much so that an Hobbit Brewmaster is a cheerished member of society.

And their difference from Pandarens? well, they do not know Kung Fu.

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Originally posted by ActionMMORPG

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Originally posted by theniffrig

... or they know exactly what they are trying to do, they've done their math & know the target audiences they are going for & to hell with all the negative fallout they would get cause in the end it'll still bring in the $$$

---

 
Yes.  And the timing was perfect to rain on SW:TOR's media hype generation.  A publicity stunt to prove they are still a (the) major player in the industry.

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Originally posted by grawss

I'll just copy and paste my previous post here, because I really want people to see how horrible Blizzard is compared to other games. Pandas? Oh please.

 

GW2 for example would never do this to us. They gave us Asura, which are clearly badass! Observe:

So epic. Try giving candy to that little girl. She'll rip out your eyeball. And that defensive posture she's in; no homework for her god damnit.

And what about TERA? More like TEARs, because all the 8 year olds can't have their cute, cuddly bear race. TERA knows what the mature, masculine hardcore players want:

Damn, don't you just shiver in fear when you see that Popori dude? It's like I'm in a stare-down with a savage wolf and if I back down, his pack will devour me. You try scritching his belly, and you'll end up dead mang. Dead.

And what about the Elins? The Elins aren't your average five year old girls. They'll shin-kick you into oblivion if you so much as mutter "immature" around these rock'em sock'em death machines:

That's no frisbee on her back, I'll tell you that.

Everquest knows better than anyone what players want. Frogloks are the epitome of Harley-driving, tattoo-wearing hardcore badassery. My proof?

It's like Ninja Turtles meets The Incredible Hulk.

Ogres? Yeah baby, the testosterone pumping out of a player of one of these is like a visible wall of masculinity. We're not just talking Mature, we're talking Bi-Winning Mature:

I was at a job interview when I read this. Cracked up all over the place. need clean up

Originally posted by Corehaven

Originally posted by VirusDancer

I believe it is the perfect example of what is wrong with the MMO genre's playerbase.

For how many years have players of WoW been asking for the  Pandaren?  BC, LK, Cata... they've been asking for them.

Now they're getting them and...

...outrage.

Developers should never give players what they want...it never works out well.

 

I really believe the people asking for them are probably elated. 

 

Meanwhile I think just as many didnt only not ask for them, but think the idea is rediculous.  And thats where the massive hate they are getting is coming from. 

 

Im not sure the motivations for wanting them in the game, but a lot of players take their medieval fantasy game pretty seriously.   As Ive said before, if Im a Paladin riding a horse in a world filled with orcs and dragons, the last thing I expect to see is a Panda Bear walking around carrying a sword. 

 

In the Western fantasy genre, this sort of thing doesnt generally fly.  There are gobs of fantasy books.  A huge plethora.  Ive read my share in my time.  Ive read about elves, dragons, orcs, dwarves, knights, etc etc.  But in none of those books did I ever read about walking talking Panda bears. 

 

WoW had a pretty solid take on the Western fantasy genre, until now.   Thats really the problem.  The game had enough of that Western fantasy vibe that adding something so silly and nonsensical that doesnt fit in that traditional mold breaks the illusion.  There's no way I think I could ever be immersed in WoW after this.  If Im playing a Warrior, and Im in a valley fighting orc mobs, and I see a group of pandas run by carrying staffs and swords, that just shatters the world I was involved in. 

 

You might see walking talking Pandas appear in some kind of fiction like The Never Ending Story.  But you would never see it in Lord of the Rings.  WoW had a good western fantasy "lord of the rings" style vibe going for it.  Not anymore.  And thats very unfortunate. 

dude/lady

you are forgetting that Warcraft is its own Fantasy IP. using your logic, Warcraft 3 wasnt fantasy since it had flying Tech, and robot mechs and stuff which WoW also has.....

Pandas are awesome!! Any furry cute race is epic win compared to boring generic ungly males or slutty females with 5% armor so it can attract the 13 year old virgins, at least pandas look cute and are not slutty xD, plus they are animal so they are epic win!

I would consider playing wow just for them xD, too bad last time i wasted 15$ on sub i got bored of the game in 30 mins in higher level bg... We need some actually good innovative game that has pandas, something that 1 mistake is lethal and there is a 4 sec cooldown teleport, now thats awesome, teleporting pandas fighting around xD

Kung fu pandas are epic fail; with that said I quite wow already so my opinion is fairly worthless here. :)

I'm neutral about pandaren, I don't love nor hate them, however if I had to side with one group it would be lovers, as the hate seems silly to me.

I think Pandaren will end up being a good addition to WoW, it's nice to see Asian themes show up because I'm sick of every Western MMO being European Medieval fantasy, and what a better game than WoW to put it in. WoW is a mixed fantasy, with steampunk, space, all kinds of cultures.

I don't see Pandaren as childish, I know some people do, but only adults that dislike Pandas for whatever reason or adults that can't think for themselves will stop playing because of that. Just because some people think it's childish doesn't mean it is, as some think games are childish and even more think Fantasy is childish.

In the end of the day, even if all the haters leave, WoW will do just fine and other elements of MoP will be a stronger determining factor in MoPs success, as liking or disliking Pandaren is a pure opinion.