Among the general excitement that accompanies any big World of Warcraft content patch, the upcoming 11.1 update, Undermined, also brings with it an all-new ground mounting system. Aptly titled DRIVE, players will have access to a new vehicle to traverse the Undermine zone, the long-awaited goblin capital inspired by the labyrinthine streets of their Cataclysm starting zone.
DRIVE could be the last piece of the puzzle for a truly dynamic experience Wow zones. Historically, Wow zones were designed with a specific mode of transportation in mind. With both travel modes finally having updated mechanics, now is the perfect time to start a zone philosophy that could see more dynamic creations which could work perfectly well both in the air and on the ground.
What is unity
Travel in style
DRIVE is an upcoming Undermined update feature coming in 11.1 along with new raids and dungeons. Players will receive a customizable mount that can be augmented in a variety of waysmany of which are more commonly seen in driving games like Strength or Gran Turismo. This includes features such as drift, acceleration and speed, with the mount itself already demonstrated as one of the fastest modes of travel ever. World of Warcraft.
Currently, DRIVE is only scheduled to be used in the next Undermined patch. However, as seen in Dragonriding, It wouldn't be a big surprise if the mechanic ended up losing its exclusivity. Dragonriding, which started as a one-time experience Dragon-fly feature, was eventually expanded to all of Azeroth with its new moniker Skyriding. DRIVE could certainly follow suit, gradually expanding into existing and future zones.
WoW zones have lost their sense of connection to Skyriding
Ground mounts have become useless
Wow zones have normally been designed around a unique way of traveling. Starting with Warlords of DraenorFlying was made to be extremely difficult to unlock, a choice made because of the zones designed around ground mounts. In Dragon-flythis philosophy changed with the introduction of Skyriding, creating highly vertical zones perfect for flying mounts.
With The war within Continuing with this choice, there was a sharp decline in the cohesion of the zone. The speed at which players move now limits land travel, making it a resource only really used during active missions in an area. Zones now have more of a theme park feel, where players enter a themed sub-area, do missions, and then move on to the next. Compare this to something like the Barrens, a huge plain where traveling along the Gold Road was essential to avoid enemies and threats.
Skyriding's success can be seen with the popularity of Wow expansions centered around it. Skyriding has massively increased the scale and detail of zones. However, many areas within modern Wow the zones are completely inaccessible from the ground, which completely removed any focus on land travel from the game. In Legionthe climb to Alta Montanha was one of the most engaging hikes in Wowwith climbing ropes and a winding path, and was rewarded with a view of the entire continent, a journey that can no longer exist in WoW.
How DRIVE could work together with Skyriding
Bring immersion back to travel
DRIVE can provide a solution to this problem. Skyriding, as a mechanic, has fundamentally modernized Wow zones, and although the loss of cohesion was felt, it was largely compensated by the creative possibilities of verticality. However, with DRIVE, which is perhaps as fun to use as Skyriding, there's no reason future zones can't capture both fantasies.
Just as some areas are inaccessible with ground mounts, DRIVE can be used in areas inaccessible for flying. Theme park subzones could once again be connected by roads and trails, which could perhaps be quicker to travel on the ground in some cases. A dynamic linkage of air and land routes could be combined to create more fluid transitions between zones and subzones, which can now be done without sacrificing the new scale of modern zones.
With The war within looking like a stellar expansion, DRIVE could be a lasting remnant of that success. That small decision – should I fly or drive to my destination – is a choice that would reward familiarity and knowledge of the world. All in all, it would be a win for immersion and could help create a dynamic zone level design that has never been seen before. World of Warcraft zones.