[WoW] 4.0 - Cataclysm

[Roa]

Originally Posted by Kuro

Wasn't there some shit about not being able to put in Pandarens due to china going berserk if you let panda-looking-things get killed?

Make the pandas brown/black and say they're Kodiak's from space. Problem in China solved.

[Runnen]

Originally Posted by Pyksel

The pandaren are an independent race and any encountered outside the Barrens are wanderers and travelers, belonging to no affiliation. Their outlook meshes well with the Alliance, and most pandaren in Kalimdor are found in the company of Alliance races. Pandaren are eccentric, however, and some feel more at home around the Horde.

Not that I disagree since I still believe Blizzard will introduce them (along with Worgen) as an independent faction but what type of reasons do you see the Pandaren as Horde and not Alliance?

While you are correct in saying that the Pandaren are a neutral species and do not take sides in the war, you seem to imply that the Pandaren are from the Barrens area. The Pandaren originally hail from the mysterious island of Pandaria, which is rumored to be impossible to find unless guided by a Pandaren. However, there is an even wilder rumor of a hidden Pandaren settlement in the Stonetalon Mountains, which would be where Chen Stormstout came from when he met Rexxar and Thrall. Another Pandaren was also encountered by Shandris Feathermoon and Tyrande Whisperwind during the flight from the Tomb of Sargeras, on the Broken Isles close to the Maelstrom. This might indicate that Pandaria is one of the many isles surrounding the great whirlpool.

[Pyksel]

Originally Posted by Runnen

...you seem to imply that the Pandaren are from the Barrens area.

Negative, I was quoting the wiki in regard to their relations and movement through Kalimdor. I guess I should have quoted the paragraph prior to the one I did:

"All of the races that reside on Kalimdor view the pandaren with interest. Claiming to come from an island named Pandaria, which no one has ever visited, these gentle beings bring their love for beer ..."
Pandaren - WoWWiki - Your guide to the World of Warcraft

[Malakie Torsade]

Playable Pandaren and the notion that China "blocked" their inclusion was brought up at one of the Blizzcon panels. Chris Metzen definitely made it sound like the rumors of it's being China's fault are true. He seemed to be irritated by the Chinese block and I got the impression that he wants to get them included at some point but he never came right out and said it. He gave some corporate BS line about keeping the large Chinese consumer base happy, etc etc though he didn't seem to actually agree with any of it.

Also, Chris Metzen looks like Ringo Starr.

[Believe]

Just make Pandaren look like Grizzly bears for the China version, they made model changes for them before...

[Zhaun's_Shade]

I guess I don't understand the obsession with Panda-people. There are plenty of good races available: Quillboar, furbolg, centaur, gnolls, naga, ogres and probably a few more I can't think of.

[Bixxby]

White nerds + japanese samurai bears = ???. All those other choices blow except for Ogres.

[Cybsled]

WOTLK still hasn't been released in China, due to the content issues with that expansion (oh noes! SKELETONS!! NOOOOOOOO!!!), so Blizzard may just release the Pandarians regardless as to the stance of the Chinese Government. Afterall, they're just gonna have to change everything for that market anyways!

[Malakie Torsade]

Skettis in 2010!!! I want to constantly fill vent with "Mmmmmmm...... MMMmmmmmmm....MMMMMMmmmmmmmm." My dream to roleplay the Chamberlain lives on!

[Glaive]

Originally Posted by Believe

Just make Pandaren look like Grizzly bears for the China version, they made model changes for them before...

Exactly. I don't get what the issue is. They've said things that imply that the whole "China won't allow Panda-people" rumor is bullshit and other things that suggest it's true. I was under the impression that there were existing Chinese games that included playable Pandas, so that would seem to be a contradiction, but whatever.

Regardless, even if playable/killable panda-people was indeed the problem, it could be solved with little more than changing the skin to make them look like regular black or brown bears. The same exact model could be used. If the Chinese wanted to get really shitty and complain about the name it seems like it wouldn't be terribly hard to plug in some other name instead of Pandaren into the Chinese version of the game, but maybe I'm wrong there.

It just seems like there would be some easy ways around it, moreso than what they're already having to go through with all the WotLK content (including removing DK's entirely from what I've read), and releasing an expansion with playable Pandaren would doubtlessly bring in tons of new players from NA, Europe, and Japan.

Adding Pandaren seems like a no-brainer from a business standpoint. Just look how fucking excited people got about playable Frogloks in EQ.

[Araxen]

Originally Posted by Glaive

Exactly. I don't get what the issue is. They've said things that imply that the whole "China won't allow Panda-people" rumor is bullshit and other things that suggest it's true.

It's far from a rumor...a Bliz dev said at the last Blizzcon that this is case.

[Dyscord]

I'm glad pandareans aren't in, nor will they ever be in. Lets face it, Pandarean are a spectacularly silly race, that really don't belong. They're a joke race. Fat panda samurai who like beer.

Then again, thats pretty much blizzard's 'creative' process.
Animal + human culture = race.
Cow + native american = tauren.
Troll + jamacian = darkspear
dwarf + scottish = Bronzebeard
goat + spaceship = draeni.... ?


If pandarean ever make it in this game, I'll probably quit, unless the alliance race is a group of Ninja, Pizza loving turtles.

[Qhue]

After the success of Kung Fu Panda I'd wager that Actiblizzard will rethink the inclusion of Pandaren. Besides Brewmaster is just a kickass Hero Class concept hehe.

[Glaive]

Originally Posted by Araxen

It's far from a rumor...a Bliz dev said at the last Blizzcon that this is case.

He said "there are issues with pandas in China," which certainly suggests a connection but it not explicit. Blizzard Devs have also said that it was "just a rumor" before (Google and you can find it) which is why I specified that they've said things that could be used to support either side of the argument.

Also, the Pandaren are based on China and not Japan. They were originally more overtly samurai, but apparently the Chinese got pissed off that their national animal was "mis-labeled" as Japanese and Blizz changed them to make the Chinese happy.

[Dyscord]

So to make the chinese happy, in consolation the next race should be a bunch of sombrero wearing, tequila chugging eagles?