oneCof5#1879One of the aspects of this expansion is the seeming departure from a focus on the "end game". Not that it's not there anymore, but that there are other things to do besides the end game. My guild mates are in LFR, but I'm not. I'm a freshly dinged 87 hunter. Or a freshly dinged 21 pandaren monk rolling his way through leveling.
Unlike the Wrath and Cataclysm expansions where it felt to me that nothing good happened until you hit max level, in Mists I have so many choices of stuff to do that I am perfectly content dabbling in each area a bit at a time.
Simply stated: I have ample choices on just what the heck I wanna do in the game.
The impact? Well, I missed Brewfest and I'm gonna miss Hallow's Eve. Meh, been there, done that, gotten the mount. The recycled holiday content is not compelling to me. Sure, it's been updated a bit, and it has shiny new uber-high-item-level drops, but that's not alluring for me.
What is alluring, however, is the totally new stuff:
- Pet Battles
- Farming
- Food Network (Pandaria)
- Archaeology (two BoA blues so far)
- Progression Questing
I'm completely preoccupied with the inane yet entertaining aspects of the game. I have no focus on leveling as quick as possible, getting a iLevel up for LFR, or getting any kind of server first. I'm simply enjoying playing the game for the game's sake.
The game has completely captured me and it has yet again become this alternative universe that I can immerse myself into and simply disappear into that world for brief interludes. Contrast that to Wrath: during non-raid time I farmed for gold and mats to supply raiding needs. Cata: log in and PVP on my way to 25,000 kills. Mists? Choices, baby! Choices! And I totally friggin' love it.