Breakfast Topic: One night In Gilneas

There was a time when we leveled in zones that were part of the world. After Wrath of the Lich King and the Death Knight starting experience, that seemed to have changed for new characters. Goblins, Worgen, and Pandaren have all started out in unique leveling zones that tell a much more focused and racially specific story than the Human, Orc, or other Vanilla and Burning Crusade leveling zones do. I mean, if you want to, you can take your Tauren to Silvermoon and do the Blood Elf starting zones, but you can’t go to Kezan — that’s Goblin only.

On the one hand, this allows for a much more focused experience for the player. One of my favorite moments in the Gilneas experience is when you’re standing next to Crowley and the cutscene happens, detailing how the Worgen swarmed you, your own descent into that state, and Godfrey’s little speech to you while you languish, caged and feral. You couldn’t do that with someone who wasn’t playing a Worgen. It wouldn’t make sense.

On the other hand it does mean these zones tend to be only part of the game for a short time. Kezan is gone — you can’t get there, can’t experience it except by rolling another Goblin. Same goes for Gilneas, although you can actually fly over it now, you just won’t get to see much of anything. The Wandering Isle? Nobody can go back there. I find that strangely wasteful.

How do you feel about starting experiences? Should we have them just for classes like DK or Demon Hunter, or for new races as well?