The ‘World Of Warcraft’ Restores The Magic With ‘Mists Of Pandaria’ Expansion

The recently released Mists Of Pandaria expansion has restored the old magic to the internet’s most popular subscription based online game. There is no simpler or better way to describe the impact Mists Of Pandaria is having on the ten million gamers who gladly pay $14.99, month after month, to enjoy World Of Warcraft.

The game achieved an almost legendary status in the online gaming community and it is considered the standard by which all other MMOS are judged. World of Warcraft attracted 12 million subscribers at it peak, and with the success of the new expansion, the numbers are slowly climbing back to record setting levels. The game celebrates its eighth anniversary on November 23, 2012 and shows no sign of slowing down.

The new expansion sends players to the mysterious continent of Pandaria, introduces the playable Pandarian race with the new Monk Class, raises the level cap to 90, adds tons of fresh quests, unveils challenging new world bosses, and offers new dungeons, raids and PvP zones.

All the new content is excellent and imaginative, but what makes this expansion so effective are the improvements to the system for joining raids and dungeon groups. Now everyone has an opportunity to fight all the end game bosses; from the most hardcore raider to the most casual player.

The heart of the system is Looking For Raid (LFR) and it is just what the doctor ordered to take WoW to the next level of player immersion. Just click the I key on your keyboard and bring up the Looking For Raid interface. At present, there are three instances, with three bosses each, available in LFR. Players join a random group of 25 from across the battle group to face a toned down version of the various raid bosses.

The gear is the same as the loot given in normal raids, but instead of 496 level gear, it is 476 gear. The bosses are much easier but they provide a wonderful opportunity to learn the fights for regular raiding and gain some awesome armor, jewelry or weapons.

In order to keep things from getting too easy and making a joke out of end game raiding, level 90 LFR has gear restrictions. The first two raids require a 460 gear level and the next one requires 470. As each new instance is added to Looking For Raid, the gear level requirement will increase.

If you are looking for something really new and different, you can even try the Battle Pet System making its debut in the expansion. This new feature brings Pokemon style pet combat to World Of Warcraft. Blizzard described the Battle Per System in detail:

“For years, your faithful companion pets have followed you on countless adventures. They’ve provided you with comfort, company, sometimes even with entertainment and hours of fun. Maybe you only have a handful of pets you really love, or maybe you have made it your quest to capture as many of them as you can. The fact remains, heroes love their little companions… and in Mists of Pandaria, they will take the spotlight in a brand-new way.”

“You can teach your pets unique abilities and attacks, and they will use these abilities when battling other pets. As they fight and win battles, your pets will gain experience and level up, which makes them tougher and may even unlock new abilities. Venture out into the world, collect pets wherever you find them, and train your pets to help them reach their maximum potential!”

“What’s more, you will also have a brand-new way to add more pets to your collection. In addition to purchasing pets or getting them as item drops, you can now also encounter and capture pets in the wild. If you run into one of these pets, you can have your own pet challenge it; if you manage to defeat the capturable pet, you will capture it and add it to your collection! Those capturable pets have stats that vary, so you may end up catching an exceptionally powerful pet. Keep your eyes open!”

Mists of Pandaria is loaded with new features, new factions, new vistas and exciting new bosses. There is so much to do and explore that you will never run out of things to do and goals to achieve. The expansion is everything a dedicated WoW player could ever asked for, all rolled up into one exciting package. Be sure to play Mists Of Pandaria and discover the joy of World Of Warcraft.