Compared to the PvP panel from earlier in the morning, the Raids and Dungeons panel at BlizzCon 2008 was packed, with attendees crammed shoulder-to-shoulder to get a glimpse at what's in store in World of Warcraft's upcoming expansion. Judging from the crowd reaction, wow making gold most of those in the hall were hardcore raiders, hungry for more raid content, more challenges, and even bigger loot.
But Blizzard is focused on engaging a whole spectrum of players, and that means creating compelling five-man instances as well for the (relatively) casual players. To that end, Lead Level Designer Cory Stockton walked attendees through two unique new dungeons featured in the expansion and the design team's thinking behind them.
First up was the Halls of Lightning, wow gold a level 80 dungeon nestled high in the Storm Peaks. In the Lich King expansion, players will be learning more about the Titans who created the world of Azeroth. This is a central part of the lore, and Stockton explained that the design team is trying very hard to integrate all of their new dungeons with the history and backstory of Azeroth to help make the world feel more cohesive.
Accordingly, the Halls of Lightning is a Titan dungeon, and it's built on an immense scale. Stockton explained that the team wanted to create "a feeling of epicness ... like nothing you've ever felt before." The creatures are all huge and the environment is immense. Gilded gold ramps wind throughout immense chambers, some of which are filled with Titan statues lined up in even rows like a Chinese terracotta army. Big boss battles are foreshadowed -- you can see one Titan construct looming above you, working away at a forge. Only later in the instance can you make your way up there to do battle with him.
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