Ulduar has something in it for almost anyone that resides in a decently-populated server. The encounters are varied and dynamic, with many of them including multiple levels of difficulty and reward. The zone itself combines linear and non-linear formatting - some boss encounters are entirely optional (Ignis, Razorscale, Assembly), others can be done in any order deemed fit by the guild heading in (Hodir, Thorim, Freya and Mimiron), and yet some others must be faced in order to continue to advance in the instance and serve as checkpoints (Flame Leviathan, XT-002, Kologarn and General Vezax).
Combined, these factors allow many guilds - more than in any previous raid - to successfully progress through the dungeon at their own pace. There's enough room in here for the "casual" and for the "hardcore" raiders simultaneously. I believe this is one of the best raids Blizzard has ever developed, and I hope they keep this model for progression in mind while designing Icecrown Citadel and other future raid instances.
Cheese, on September 28, 2009 08:28:02 (edited once)
Although the teleports are cool and useful, they tend to 'break' the feel of progression.
basically we're not running through a dungeon anymore, we're just porting from one boss to the next.
I miss the runs through the jungle of ZG or the stairs of Kara. Used to take time to look at the background and landscapes, now it's boss boss boss :-/
This is one of the best raid instances blizzard has created. Not only was it large enough to keep everyone busy, it had many fun and challenging encounters with the avid of "hard modes", so that both casuals can see the content, and hardcores are given a challenge with better rewards.
Morrinkt, on October 14, 2009 07:21:45 (edited once)
A very well done instance. I didn't like Naxx as much as it's 70 counterpart, kara. However, this raid really did show that Blizzard can still attract the hardcore crowd as well as the casuals.
Maybe there should be separate entries to rate the hardmode and easy mode of these encounters, just like Sarth vs. Sarth +3. Some of them are really awesome in hardmode and really lame in normal mode.
Most definitely the best of all raids, imo. Beautifully Epic in appearance. Constant variation in encounters. Freedom of choice to progression. Generally creative encounter dynamics. Reasonable gear-checks (and reasonable ability expectations following gear checks). Real nice variation on graphic surroundings as you progress (plus a few interactive surprises), sorely needed in most other Raids. Relatively sensible gear progression (depending on your class). Hard modes abound (for my money I prefer the more organic approach to enable hard mode here, as opposed to the simple interface switch happening in IC). Defeating legendary bosses to enable their assistance vs a world dominant foe makes a lot of sense. And who doesn't like kickin' it off in a vehicle, blasting away?
Great stuff.
If I had a complaint it would be neglecting the intertwined lore. The immersion could certainly be helped via Karazhan like quest drops. Send me back out into the static world to accumulate more knowledge, weave my dungeon progression into the world around me. Open up new NPC's I've never quite been important enough to truly interact with before, etc. They definitely dropped the ball on that opportunity, given the colorful lore progression I'd had while leveling... still scratching my head why that wasn't implimented.
Forque, on October 23, 2009 09:23:34 (edited 2 times)
Along with Uldum and Uldaman, there exists a third base of the titans called Ulduar. A fourth base, Maraudon, is the location of Terramok, an ancient titan vault. A fifth base is located under Bael Modan. Ulduar is located in The Storm Peaks of Northrend.
Ulduar is a mysterious subterranean realm of ice and stone. This was once the storm giants' stronghold, but they didn't build it. Brann Bronzebeard believes it to be a titan city (it is also production facility and a prison), as it matched the design of the two temples in Northrend, and other ruins dwarves found elsewhere (and because it contained the word "Uld"). Massive buildings protrude from the tops and sides of mountains, many hundreds of times taller than a human. When Brann Bronzebeard first explored the area, a section he discovered was covered in rock and ice. He thought it was an amazing place but couldn't tell from outside, because it was completely hidden to him. The exterior he saw looked like the other peaks to him: a jumble of rock and ice cut at angles only nature would have produced. The entrance he discovered was well-hidden and heavily guarded by crystal golems. However large sections of the facility are now visible aboveground.
Inside, Ulduar is a profusion of tunnels and stairs and balconies. The entire place appears to be carved out of a massive cave, and many of the levels are natural ledges. It has the feeling, as if nature were improved upon rather than replaced or recreated. The surfaces are a strange mix of smooth and unaltered stone and ice, as when a master sculptor works in stone and lets the material’s natural texture add depth and beauty. It shows where the dwarves got their skill in stonework, but judging by Ulduar they're still a long way from matching their creators.
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Combined, these factors allow many guilds - more than in any previous raid - to successfully progress through the dungeon at their own pace. There's enough room in here for the "casual" and for the "hardcore" raiders simultaneously. I believe this is one of the best raids Blizzard has ever developed, and I hope they keep this model for progression in mind while designing Icecrown Citadel and other future raid instances.
basically we're not running through a dungeon anymore, we're just porting from one boss to the next.
I miss the runs through the jungle of ZG or the stairs of Kara. Used to take time to look at the background and landscapes, now it's boss boss boss :-/
Great stuff.
If I had a complaint it would be neglecting the intertwined lore. The immersion could certainly be helped via Karazhan like quest drops. Send me back out into the static world to accumulate more knowledge, weave my dungeon progression into the world around me. Open up new NPC's I've never quite been important enough to truly interact with before, etc. They definitely dropped the ball on that opportunity, given the colorful lore progression I'd had while leveling... still scratching my head why that wasn't implimented.
Ulduar is a mysterious subterranean realm of ice and stone. This was once the storm giants' stronghold, but they didn't build it. Brann Bronzebeard believes it to be a titan city (it is also production facility and a prison), as it matched the design of the two temples in Northrend, and other ruins dwarves found elsewhere (and because it contained the word "Uld"). Massive buildings protrude from the tops and sides of mountains, many hundreds of times taller than a human. When Brann Bronzebeard first explored the area, a section he discovered was covered in rock and ice. He thought it was an amazing place but couldn't tell from outside, because it was completely hidden to him. The exterior he saw looked like the other peaks to him: a jumble of rock and ice cut at angles only nature would have produced. The entrance he discovered was well-hidden and heavily guarded by crystal golems. However large sections of the facility are now visible aboveground.
Inside, Ulduar is a profusion of tunnels and stairs and balconies. The entire place appears to be carved out of a massive cave, and many of the levels are natural ledges. It has the feeling, as if nature were improved upon rather than replaced or recreated. The surfaces are a strange mix of smooth and unaltered stone and ice, as when a master sculptor works in stone and lets the material’s natural texture add depth and beauty. It shows where the dwarves got their skill in stonework, but judging by Ulduar they're still a long way from matching their creators.
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