What were you surprised to like (or dislike) in Shadowlands?

In Shadowlands, there were aspects I was looking forward to, and aspects I was not. Now there are features I am pleasantly surprised with, and others I am not enjoying as much.

I thought the Queen’s Conservatory was going to be like the farms in Pandaria, but with souls instead of crops. This is the planting of Wildseeds in Ardenweald. I had imagined putting seeds into the ground, tending to them like Ara’lon in the Afterlives: Ardenweald video, pulling weeds, or chasing away vermin. And then in the end, I would bring back to life a new person, that I would see return to Azeroth. However, all I do is click a seed, wait three days, and then a cloudy puff of smoke gives me 10 pieces of leather for my trouble. Where are my chores?

On the other hand, I had no interest in Abominable Stitching in Maldraxxus. I thought it would be a minigame of putting dead bodies together. That isn’t it at all! You collect material to create a new body for a soul, that patiently waits their turn. Then you receive a weekly quest from them. When you do, or even after the quest is complete, you can take them on as a body guard. Different body guards can do different things. One lets you switch places, so they are the main character, and your character is the bodyguard.

You can even dress up the bodyguard, such as put a pirate hat on them. They have different personalities. I won’t post a spoiler, but if you want to click the link, Chordy is the best. The spirit is in an undead body now, but what the person was in life — this little bit made me so happy, it alone was worth joining Maldraxxus.

I was looking forward to the Queen’s Conservatory, and not at all Abominable Stitching. And yet, these two different Covenant games proved just how much my expectations could be wrong in Shadowlands.

What in this expansion has surprised you? What has changed your opinions? Has a Covenant risen higher in ranks in your opinion than you thought it would?