I was casually playing the World of Warcraft Forever beta when I noticed something in the distance—far from the tauren starting zone of Red Cloud Mesa where I was questing. At first, I thought it was some kind of glitch, as the contours of the object made me think of something superimposed onto the background. But the more I looked, the more real it seemed. This eventually forced me to take the trip to Thunder Bluff ahead of time, since curiosity got the better of me; I needed a better look!
And of course it’s genuinely there, and not a visual bug. It’s actually the new zone of Mount Hyjal—a level 60 zone. What tingled my RPG senses was how massive this thing must be, even dwarfing Thunder Bluff from its highest point. Once I realized which area it was, it doubled my sense of wonder and immersion. It’s not only big; the area is also loaded with important lore, since it played a pivotal role in Warcraft 3—where the Burning Legion was finally defeated and the Night Elves lost their immortality.
Now, this is class A world-building! It’s almost like laying your eyes on Mount Doom from The Lord of the Rings for the first time, an overwhelming sight due to its size and its historical significance. Fulfilling quests and progressing your character under the looming shadow of this colossus of a tree is just brilliant. One day, when I’m stronger, I will visit that place. Talk about giving the player a great incentive to level up and eventually uncover the mystery of the giant tree. It sure as hell worked on me!
I felt I needed to share this moment (snapshot) as it truly impressed me and had me mesmerized for a few moments. More RPGs should learn from this simple trick of anticipation, and the importance of myth-building for the story. You just need to fill it with wild tales of evil or treasures beyond comprehension, and to explain why mere mortal men avoid it; the player’s brain will do the rest. Such a relatively simple thing, yet sadly, most of the time you are just dropped into a new location—this is where the mad dragon sleeps, good luck!
Thanks for reading.
– Thomas
