If you're looking for a recommendation, then you have one from me.  The game is absolutely gorgeous, the quests are much better than Cataclysm (flow much better and have good story elements; I particularly liked being trained in a monastery), and it just seems like there is roughly five times the things to do at max level than in the past.

There are still "filler quests" inbetweens stories to get to the main parts, but there are 5-10 stories (with blues at the end) in each zone as opposed to one giant story you have to finish one by one to get to the next.

Quite honestly it has the exploration of Vanilla, the challenge of TBC (challenge modes especially along with justice items being less than heroic items again) and the ease of access of Wrath all rolled into one.

Originally posted by grimal

Wow.  I just launched up the game client (which I downloaded earlier yesterday).  The graphics look so dated.  I was playing GW2 earlier and WoW looks like Minecraft in comparison.

Uninstall.

that happened to me 2 years ago, but you get used to the WOW graphics after a day or two

for anyone on the fence,

I recommend downloading the free WOW stater edition -- roll a panda and make your own impressions

https://us.battle.net/account/creation/wow/signup/

Originally posted by grimal

Wow.  I just launched up the game client (which I downloaded earlier yesterday).  The graphics look so dated.  I was playing GW2 earlier and WoW looks like Minecraft in comparison.

Uninstall.

 

 

I question what this brought to the discussion; it either shows extreme ignorance or a trollish nature.

Oh, hey!  I judged a post by it's initial look.

that happened to me 2 years ago, but you get used to the WOW graphics after a day or two

for anyone on the fence,

I recommend downloading the free WOW stater edition -- roll a panda and make your own impressions

https://us.battle.net/account/creation/wow/signup/

The best way is indeed to try it.  Though I wouldn't call the pandaren starting area to be the best example of what the game has to offer.  Jade forest in general was fairly entertaining, as was Valley of Four Winds.  They encompassed what WoW is and how it's evolved, while also learning from past mistakes made in Cataclysm.   :3

Nah, it's not just you.  WoW in general is been there done that to me, no new race is going to change that......

Wait..... that's a lie.  If they introduce a TUSKAR playable race, I will once again pay homage to Blizzard royalty.

Originally posted by grimal

Wow.  I just launched up the game client (which I downloaded earlier yesterday).  The graphics look so dated.  I was playing GW2 earlier and WoW looks like Minecraft in comparison.

Uninstall.

 

 

Shallow judgment. WoW also runs a hundred times smoother, and basic animations are arguably better (jump, strafe, etc.) . Also they can't be measured graphically together, as WoW is over stylized and shouldn't be judge graphically, rather tastefully.

Minecraft shouldn't even be brought up, the game is a testiment to wonderful programming, proof that graphics are only skin deep. 

On topic:

No, I think it is a silly race to make play-able. However as an expansion aside from that, I think Blizzard took a big risk, and the expansion turned out great (SO FAR!). My only explantion of it is picture Nagrand, as a continent, and oriental themed.  Now throw in better story telling to the questing, and even funner quests and the leveling experience is fun.

I will not comment on the end game yet. As the last expansion was atrocious, lets see if blizz learned from it. Wotlk was great, but they did make the raids/heroics a bit too easy from B/C. Though Wotlk had some of the most interesting Lore-wise end game.

If you used to play WoW, but left because of the direction it was going, in terms of game design, then there is no reason to play MoP.  Blizzard is still simplifying it for the sake of attracting newer, younger, players.

If you liked the direction Blizzard was going, but felt they weren't taking it there fast enough, the MoP is probably a great expansion for you.

Originally posted by asmkm22

If you used to play WoW, but left because of the direction it was going, in terms of game design, then there is no reason to play MoP.  Blizzard is still simplifying it for the sake of attracting newer, younger, players.

If you liked the direction Blizzard was going, but felt they weren't taking it there fast enough, the MoP is probably a great expansion for you.

Yeah, gone are the days of Raid bosses taking months to be downed first. Now  it is hours. The talent system is also shallower, but I don't think the old system was too hard for newcomers... Anyone with google could figure out what to do. A side from Raids and Heroics though, the game is still very much the same. PvP is possibly more complex do to the balance of the years on PvP gear, and how it is obtained easier (leveling the playing field a bit more). 

I was tempted to buy the new x-pac and re-sub. I have 4 85s to level up, and was also contemplating leveling a Pandaren monk (You don't say). 

I decided against it for a multitude of reasons, mainly I'm just not interested in what was brought to the table in the expansion. I don't really care to go into detail as my reasons are mine alone and everyone is different, but it's just more of the same old same old.

Malibu Stacey has a new hat, if you're into The Simpsons references.

So to answer the OP, I wasn't hyped to play a panda or upgrade to MoP for that matter, maybe when things die down or over the winter when I get extremely bored, but not likely.

Originally posted by asmkm22

If you used to play WoW, but left because of the direction it was going, in terms of game design, then there is no reason to play MoP.  Blizzard is still simplifying it for the sake of attracting newer, younger, players.

If you liked the direction Blizzard was going, but felt they weren't taking it there fast enough, the MoP is probably a great expansion for you.

Man, I hear you. The thing is, the recent releases have simplified beyond WoW. Some newer games make WoW seem complex interms of option in how to approach and engage an enemy. Plus Wpvp is in pandaland, no joke.

Originally posted by Goll25

Shallow judgment. WoW also runs a hundred times smoother, and basic animations are arguably better (jump, strafe, etc.) . Also they can't be measured graphically together, as WoW is over stylized and shouldn't be judge graphically, rather tastefully.

That's not quite fair.  You absolutely can judge ANY game that chooses relatively low poly counts.  Blizzard artists do a great job with the limitations of the engine, but you can make stylized assets with much higher poly counts as well.  They have low poly counts because they want the game to work on low end machines.  The art is a byproduct of a design choice.

Personally I enjoy visuals in WOW, but I realize that a lot of people don't like the style and/or the relatively low poly count.

Its not the Panda's it the general down grading of WoW from being interesting and taking thought to a brainless "Bash this raid for a while before we make you obsolete and bash another raid for free gear" game. I don't mind the Pandas at all and its stupid to really do so. If your going to dislike it, dislike it for the fact that WoW is pretty much the big joke in the MMO world for making all the wrong decisions and ensuring any bit of good it has slowly dwindles away and the game kills itself. 

Its not a good thing when I feel Lotro is more appealing to me then Wow, and I dislike Lotro a lot and use to actually enjoy WoW a long time ago.

Originally posted by phantomghost
I am not hyped to play any game that the main focus of leveling is questing.

All I've been doing on my rogue is GANKING and GATHERING, and I've gained 2 levels.

On my druid, I alternated between healing/tanking instances. No questing at all, haven't even done the starting quest to get to the new continent.

Tried a few BGs as well, got more for completing that than for an instance.

So yeah, you're pretty clueless, huh?