From what I've been reading about me and my blog, I'm apparently good at generating lists of things. So, today we have another list of sorts.
There are things in the game that I've accepted just because that's the way it is. But it doesn't mean that I don't wonder about them. Actually, I usually don't wonder about them right away, but instead later it strikes me that something is not quite right. For example:
- Silverleaf and Peacebloom are well known as "starter herbs." These are the things that all beginning herbalists harvest. But exactly what kinds of herbs are these. Think about it, they grow in Durotar--an almost desert like zone. They also grow in the lush forests surrounding Stormwind. They grow in the rolling temperate hills of Mulgore. They grow in the perpetual wintry mix of Dun Murogh. They even grow in the area of an active starship crash that has mutated much of the life around it. How hardy are these plants? And are there any "real world" plants that show this kind of fortitude?
- Dun Murogh as mentioned above is in constant winter. Granted it's located in the mountains. But if you've flown from Ironforge to Searing Gorge, the mountains don't look to be that tall. Certainly not tall enough to account for the volcanic zone right next to a permafrost zone. What kind of magical physics is going on here?
- Just what are the Scarlet Monastery dudes doing in there. Real world monasteries would have the bulk of their residents performing some manual labor or at the very least praying. It seems to me that everyone inside the monastery is just standing around waiting to be killed. Sure, there are books and places to pray. But no one actually seems to be engaged in that. And another thing, during pulls I can clearly see the guys at the end of the hall. I have to assume they can see me and my party as well. And they must see us killing their buddies. So why is it they only object when I try to kill them DIRECTLY? Don't they care at all for their buddies? And this isn't only SM. It's just about any instance.
- I can fly to from Skettis to Blade's Edge on the back of a nether ray (because they like me just that much). I can practically fly through a dragon doing that and the dragon pays me no mind. However, the moment I get on my own (flying) mount, the dragon takes great offense. What kind of cloaking technology are these Shatari Skyguard using. And when can I get the same kind of tech?
- Finally, the quest for 225 cooking culminates in Gadgetzan. What kind of master chef lives in a town that doesn't even sell the needed materials for cooking? C'mon guys, give me at least a spice vendor down there!
4 comments:
I posted some answers over at my site!
All valid point but seriously would you really want mobs in this game to RUSH to the aid of others it sees in peril. I think not. Also the sky guard "cloaking" tech will be mine, in hopes that it also works for the boming runs. I smell a new trinket for engineers.
I can at least answer the first question, which is to say, yes, there are numerous plants which are highly adaptable and ubiquitous and also have useful qualities. Grumpy people call them "weeds".
Dandelions, for example, are widespread dynamic accumulators. In a stressed soil system, they establish themselves quickly and bring up massive quantities of useful molecules from deep underground using a deep taproot. They're crazy healthy too, you can braise the leaves or grind up the root to make a crappy coffee substitute.
Speaking of beignets, chicory is also pretty hardy and has all the same qualities as mentioned above. Chicory root + coffee + beignets = delicious.
Just to build on Neshura's response, those type of hardy plants are called "pioneer plants". They root in poor uninhabited soil, eventually making way for other plants that choke the pioneer species out. That's why if you have a pile of soil just sitting around, dandelions start growing on it almost immediately. It's also why people have dandelions and clover on their lawns. The grass is not healthy enough (because it's constantly being chopped and maimed) to overcome the dandelions; and the clover grows in nitrogen-derived soil, nitrogen being a key nutrient for plants.
At least I learned something from two years of university biology. :)
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