Phasing and you: Blizz' new trick, coming with WotLK

[Benggal]

Just thought I'd give you guys a little heads up on something else you can expect when WotLK is released and you delve into Northrend.

Blizz has been highly touting their "phasing" technology during the entire development period of this expansion, and they've implemented it heavily throughout Northrend, most notably in Icecrown and the DK starting area.

"Phasing" is basically this:  You take a quest and go out and fulfill the requirements, then come back to the quest-giver to complete it.  Upon completion, you become "phased" to a new version of a particular area, so that whatever you accomplished during that quest become evident the next time you visit that area.

*very minor spoiler*

For example, one quest chain in Icecrown asks you first to gather some building materials and turn them in, and then go to a site on a hilltop, plant a banner and defend it against Scourge forces for a period of time.  Once you've accomplished this, you go back to the quest-giver and turn in the quest.  Upon completion, when you head back to the hillside later, you see that they've constructed a base there using the materials you gathered for them, and that becomes a new quest hub.

*end of very minor spoiler*

Now obviously this doesn't happen with every quest you do.  90% of the quests are the same type you're familar with.  Gather these, kill those, explore there (although in the expansion this is made a bit faster/easier in that most of the time you're sent somewhere to do one of those things, other quest-givers near the original will give you other quests to do while you're there, eseentially killing two-or more-birds with one stone).  But it is very much a part of the expansion.  Outside of Icecrown, where it happens with nearly every quest chain, there is at least one instance of "phasing" in just about every zone.  In a couple areas you have to help build a town or flight point before you can use it.

This tech isn't new to WoW, however.  Anyone who's collected power cells for the Shattered Sun quest has experienced a form of the phasing technology (where you have to get the Bash'ir phasing device and phase to a different reality).  And in a few other areas in Outland you're asked to eat or use something that enables you to see certain NPC's (the ancestors in Nagrand comes to mind).  But with this expansion they've really taken the tech and run with it, and it brings a whole new level of immersion to the game.  It really takes your breath away to see your actions having an effect on the world.

[papalovebear]

about damn time.  I work hard to save people and do quests then I come back a little later and their back to where they were before I escorted them and the damn zepplin's demolished still. ..

[Kruella]

Way COOL!!! 3 of my 70s can see the dead Mag'har ancesters walking around in Nagrand and 2 cannot.. so neat to see this and now more than ever I cant wait to see the new stuff.. BTW.. log in so I can get some adamanite stingers from you.. you beta playing hiding sneaky guildie you!!! lol

[Mortimage]

Thats awesome but the pne thing i wish they will fix is when you get a escort quest and the npc says "we must hurry". well they better drag there sry butt or blizz should at least make them attackable so i can kill em when they tick me off by going so fast a npc sheep freakign pass's them