Previously, we have spoken on the topic of the new Player Achievements systems which will be coming out with Wrath of the Lich King. To recap this new system ….You will be able to achieve a variety of goals in such areas as
- excellence in professions
- successfully completing a number of quests
- gaining tabards and other whimsical items
- Most importantly to Off the Beaten Path is the achievement of “World Explorer”.
Even some achievements, such as world exploration, will be applied to your character retroactively.”
PLACES TO SEE
So let’s continue clearing those maps with a few way-out-of-the-way but fascinating places to see in WoW.
This out of the way spot resides behind the hills of Stormwind on the Western coastline which is only accessible by swimming from another zone. It is basically a wooden dock with a landmark sign that reads “Newman’s Landing.” There is a table with lanterns and drinks, and sunken boat in the water below. The accommodations are sparse as the only residence is an old slat building with the remains of its previous owners inside. But there are no monsters or creatures in the area.
I first traveled to this spot by jumping into the northern ocean from Westfall and swam all the way north until I reached it. When swimming, stay close to the coastline so you don’t get fatigued.
It should be noted that if you stand in Newman's Landing, you leave all zones in Azeroth. A shift-click on a person's name will show them in the location, "Unknown", and for the location next to a character's name in a guild roster, there is simply a blank space. I ventured again to the location before this segment and click on my name in the guild menu and my character had a blank indicating the zone she was in. Neat!
As to why this place exists…There was a rumor that early in Warcraft, while new players were watching the opening scenes playing of their character’s race, their new character would briefly appear in this location before entering their respective newbie zone.
I was not able to verify if several sections on the map get cleared by coming here (like Coldridge valley for example) as I had already visited this location before. One of our listeners will have to travel there and write to us to let us know.
I traveled back to this outpost to see if any changes have been implemented to it, but its still just as peaceful and serene as the first time I encountered it. I am not sure that any map clearing happens at this location, but if you are looking for an out of the way role-play spot, guild party, or mystery dinner theatre, this is a great one.
You can reach this location by two methods, WoWwiki recommends heading west along the coastline from
Thank you Aideyn for writing to us. Thank you Kynas for showing me this incredible place the first time.
UNUSUAL QUESTS
In addition to the world exploration achievement, don’t forget that there are also achievements in questing. So here at Off the Beaten path, we mention the unusual or out of the way quests.
On the coast of
It starts with Zorbin Fandazzle who stands on the western shoreline of Feralas near the dock. He is also an engineering vendor and is affiliated with the Steamwheedle Cartel. Zorbin insists that his shrink ray uses Superior Goblin technology in its construction, so you do not need to fear being blown up by using the device even if you aren’t an engineer. So for all those meandering monstrous elite sea giants, you can simply zap them with Zorbin’s provided shrink ray, and voila! They are no longer elite and are tiny. The completion of both these quests allows you to access Zorbin’s engineering wares.
Accessing Zorbin’s goods and gaining Steamweedle faction, basically that’s it -- other than the sheer fun of zapping and smacking giants. Since the quest is repeatable, why not host a wacky guild event or a competition with players running amok all along the coast shrinking giants. Fun times!
Role Playing Tips
FlagRSP2
I have mentioned that many Role-players tend to utilize the mod FlagRSP2 when venturing into the realm to role-play. This mod allows players to create unique surnames and character descriptions that other players with the mod can read when targeting each other. This is a fascinating idea and one that is already implemented inside of other MMOs such as in City of
When writing up one of my player’s profiles for FlagRSP2, I was slightly struck with what to write, or how to know when I have too much or not enough. To amend my lack of a profile, One of my role-play friends reminded me to use it more for a basic physical description not a character’s entire history. He also suggested the following:
Keep the description short and simple. People usually want to get right to the role-play not read three pages of character descriptions. You can save more in depth character biographies for the forums. My friend also mentioned that you should include the threes, list one physical trait, one emotional demeanor or mood, and one subtle but obscure or interesting thing that would cause other people to notice. An example would be this description of a mage below:
“A dimensional traveler and collector of artifacts and relics, this High Elf Elementalist searches the varied worlds for objects of power to study and safeguard. His manner seems focused and he speaks with low cautious tones --language and the elements are his sword and shield. His eyes are hard but shimmer with a poorly hidden note of sadness.”
In this short paragraph you know the character is a mage, a blood elf, a traveler, is educated, and has endured something grave. The “poorly hidden note of sadness” draws you in and makes you want to walk up and ask, “I noticed that you seem a little sad. Can I ask why?” --and suddenly you are role-playing.
