Not that I think my thoughts are of any particular value but I do love to share them, also, I am lazy so I simply copy-pasted this from where I originally posted it. I will look into writing up something similar for the Goblin starter area too, hehe.


SPOILERS BELLOW


The world shook with thunder as the world was devastated in the fires of Deathwing. Though in Gilneas there wasn't much fire, more water actually. A lot of it too.

http://i804.photobucket.com/albums/y...r/SDC10542.jpg

Nostra's first impression!

Before sitting down with the Worgen starter area I wasn't very... ecstatic to having them join the game, but now I'm definitely looking forward to see them and the rest of their story.

The first thing I noticed as I took my inhuman wolfman form was that in Gilneas, everyone wears a hat. Everyone (at least those that count).
http://i804.photobucket.com/albums/y...r/SDC10544.jpg

The second thing that struck me was the distinct contrast from the old starter areas, there you were a nobody tasked to fetch cactus apples for the cook, in Gilneas you're the friend of kings and prince's, rescuer of damsels and a renown warrior (even though the demon at my side would indicate that I played a warlock) that have been afflicted by a terrible curse that changed the good man these people (NPCs/creeps) into a mindless beast bent on killing all things he could put his claws on.

A good thing then that there is a cure, or at least, treatments!

http://i804.photobucket.com/albums/y...r/SDC10543.jpg

Yes, it seems we've been captured together with what I presume is other members of your "pack", although the good doctor's assurances that everything will be all right a soldier marches in and orders the doctor (whatever his name now was) to stand aside, and then goes on about how there's no hope for my Nostrawolf and that the only thing to do is to be done with my poor, misunderstood puppy-toon. But it seems we're in luck, as I mentioned before we're a friend of kings, and so King Genn Greymane steps onto the scene with a rather indescriptive sword in hand and kindly asks the soldier to shut up and get out of his sight. He then tells the doctor to give Nostra a double dosage of the serum/treatment/brew/concoction- which works, I am myself again... or am I?

It seems that the treatment does work, it let's us control the curse to some degree, even letting us retain some part of sentience even when in Super Sayi- wolf-from. But any physical pain or psychological stress would force the transformation upon us. While in wolf-form nothing seems to be different, except you're a werewolf, you have the option to activate a special transformation that gives you a 60-70% speedboost for 10 seconds every other minute, they also have 1% bonus to attacks. But apart from that there are no other (game)"mechanical" differences from other races.

I am quickly put to work, it seems things are a little chaotic in Gilneas, there's constant earthquakes and many are afraid of the wild Worgen that still stalk the lands (we don't meet any though, which saddened me a bit). My first task is to find a casket of Mandrake Extract (or some such) which is used to produce the treatment for the sentient worgen. Finding the place were the casket is supposed to be I find it broken and next to it a corpse, with a long knife which's tip is crowned by a skull sticking out of it's back. As I get up from my little investigation I find myself under attack from a Forsaken Assassin, not much of a challenge for one of my caliber but some fun before we head back to report our findings. It is then that I notices something right over there, by the horizon.

http://i804.photobucket.com/albums/y...r/SDC10547.jpg

Forsaken warships at the shores!

Rushing back to deliver the news to the mayor we're ordered to join an old comrade, prince Liam Greymane who is defending the town from the Forsaken invaders with a handful of men. While a larger militia force fights its way down to the shore to take up a defensive position there. One thing he asks us to do is to find a few barrels filled with blackpowder and throw onto the heads of the abominations roaming around the town outskirts, gladly doing this I also have the joy of seeing Liam using his "trusted blunderbuss" to blow the Scourge creatures into tiny bits of green ichor and flesh that flew through the air around me. Seeing how I am the only one able to actually defeat the Forsaken I am sent down to find the militia force to see what I can do to help there.

As I get down to the shore I see lines of catapults firing at the few scattered houses lying amongst the fields.
http://i804.photobucket.com/albums/y...r/SDC10549.jpg
The kid there surprised me, but he's explained later, in game.
http://i804.photobucket.com/albums/y...r/SDC10550.jpg

For the militia we're given several quests, the standard go there do that, but one of them has a nice twist, we're to capture a Forsaken Catapult and use it to launch ourselves up on the warships to kill the captains, pretty fun stuff if you ask me! Even better is when we get to set these wardogs on the Forsaken commander.
http://i804.photobucket.com/albums/y...r/SDC10546.jpg

Gilnean Mastiff, reminded me a lot about Dragon Age there, hehe.

As we report our success to the militia leader a storm descends upon us, the world's foundations are shook and it is clear that this isn't just another earthquake. Heading out a devastated landscape meets our eyes.

http://i804.photobucket.com/albums/y...r/SDC10551.jpg

Being the kind (wolf)man I am I helped in finding survivors, dragging them to land and leaving them in the care of Liam, our angsty prince (he never shuts up about how he's failed his country once, and that he won't fail it again. Sidenote! Liam fights with bottles, for the majority of time I saw him fight he were throwing broken bottles at the enemy),
http://i804.photobucket.com/albums/y...r/SDC10553.jpg
http://i804.photobucket.com/albums/y...r/SDC10552.jpg

After all our valiant work we're sent off again! This time to report the cataclysmic (hurr) incident to the mayor, like she wouldn't have noticed. At any rate, this is where everything ends, since after turning in this quest there is nowhere to go! The road to Greymane manor was unfortunately closed off, so all I got was this:

http://i804.photobucket.com/albums/y...r/SDC10558.jpg

After playing it through I feel that the Worgen are portrayed pretty well, as I walk past a few guards they comment on my presence and it is obvious people only accept me there because they have no choice. Snide comments and such seem common enough and it is clear that the worgen aren't regarded as equals, even former friends mostly refer to us as beasts, although of course "their beast" and they don't seem to expect much sanity/sense to be left in the wolf-body we inhabit.

The gloomy atmosphere is perfect, top-hats and formal clothing is everywhere and the music is very haunting, reminds me a lot of the opera/theatre in Karazhan, everything is very "transylvanian" in style.

I really like how they've used phasing to reflect the progress of the area as you finish quests, one example is an orchard I walk by, at first dead with bare trees but a few quests later and I see leaves growing on them. A lot more interesting than the quests you did back in vanilla, which never really gave any change to the world even though your quest might have been to save it.

My only complaint is that the worgen look way to cuddly for their own good, they should have given them the fierce look of the Northrend ones, or even the old models. Spiky hair does not fit on a wolf by the way. It does give more of a Super Sayian look when you change form though.


Some random images!
http://i804.photobucket.com/albums/y...r/SDC10545.jpg
http://i804.photobucket.com/albums/y...r/SDC10555.jpg
http://i804.photobucket.com/albums/y...r/SDC10556.jpg

__________________
~Your friendly dead-guy.