WoW Wars

Like half the world, I was in Azeroth at the launch. And I had a blast, despite frozen zone-in screens, login servers that didn't log me in, and being in a gyrocopter where I couldn't see what I was shooting at because of the number of other gyrocopters on top of me! You just had to laugh.

But it drove home to me something that's been bothering me about WoW lately. It seems to be moving a little away from being a mediaeval fantasy world, and edging towards World War two. Parachutes. Gunships. Submarines. Gyrocopters. Bombs. The flying gunships first appeared during Wrath of the Lich King, though behaving like naval warships from the age of discovery.  Their weaponry seemed poor. Cannon. I can fly on  a magic carpet, or a dragon's back. That seems a better platform than a gunship; and wouldn't it be interesting if we could fight from the back of a mount? And I've got better weaponry, too! Arcane Blast!

Parachutes: During the fight with Deathwing, we parachute from the back of drakes into the pit wherein Yorsahj dwells. I don't need a parachute. I'm a slowfalling M.A.G.E. I'd like to play my class. Besides what's with the parachuting anyway? Can't you drakes just fly into the pit? My gryphon can.

Again, boarding a skyship and parachuting onto the back of Deathwing? No thanks, I can fly there on my magic carpet, and land on the target rather than throw myself at it.

And the final chapter in the Cataclysm: the M-bomb is dropped on Theramore.

The introduction to Mists of Pandaria sees Blizzard's developers again back to gunships, bombs, rockets, helicopters and parachutes. Eh, guys? Did you want to work on Call of Duty? These gimmicks are a bit of fun in moderation, but I'd like to adventure as a MAGE now, please. If I'd wanted to be a para or a marine, wouldn't I have rolled those classes? In another universe?