Karazhan is one of the greatest masterpieces of Blizzard. no raid ever will give me the same feeling, it just felt so... NATURAL, you know? there were SO MANY rooms, secret passages, hallways, balconies that you didn't need to enter (but COULD enter, no invisible walls) in order to progress, they were just built in there to make this huge castle feel REAL and ALIVE. for example, remember the library's secret balconies that had books that gave you a buff? they don't make 'em like this anymore.
I don't play wow anymore but I did for 6 years and Karazhan will always be my favourite, I used to barely be able to hear the guys on vent because I would have the music so loud :) xx
*shivers* After all the time this music is still awesome! Adds so much to the great atmosphere of Karazhan. I remember back in BC this was my first raid ever. We didn´t have a clue what we did, but noone cared, we were just awed to be there. :D Went to many raids since then, and love many, esp. Ulduar and ICC, but Kara will always be special to me ...
Although it got frustrating to spend hours in there every weekend, some of my fondest memories of 10 man raiding is in Kara. I remember my guild wiping on Shade for nearly 3 weeks straight. When we finally killed him it was such a huge achievement for my close group of real life friends who never really started gaming until WoW. Although none of us play anymore I'm glad we have those memories. Cataclysm end game doesn't look like something that would draw me in as much as TBC.
I wanted to stealth the instance through with my rogue, and wow... I was so excited. The place had this gothic feeling and the how the people danced... the music... It was like another world! I so wish that there would be an opportunity to RP inside the halls of Karazhan...
Karazhan is for me a master piece. The best raid in game . In tbc i farmed it like milion times and i never got bored of it. When it came out it looked like nth before but every raid since karazhan had a piece of karazhan in it imo . WoW was most played game in TBC expansion just because this kind of raids... after all every WoW player who has a 5+ years xp in this game will say that TBC was the best work of blizzard. It was genius.
I remember playing the Warcraft 1 demo and doing the mission to kill Medievh back in 1995 as a 7 year old child....never could have imagined wow and Karazhan then, glad someone else did.
@NamelessATM Thank you for describing it almost perfectly. Easily one of my favorite raids, some of the best gaming memories I have are from there back in TBC.
@Vildasnaga Actually, in lore there is suppose to be an upside down version of Kara from the novels. The Crypts in the back was speculated to be the Upside down entrance but it was son never used. The main area (after curator) can be flipped and the ceiling looks as if you can walk on it without a problem.
One day my parents were raiding with their guild (yep they're that awesome). My brother started to cry and my mom had to go help him. She looked at me and said "Play for me while I am gone"... The chess boss and I danced like old friends that night and that was the day Blizzard pulled me in.
Reminds me of the times when Karazhan was actually progression content for us, some of my guildies would drink during raids, it'd be a riot in Vent chat, aw I miss those times
@NamelessATM Probably because it was in development for so long. IIRC this was supposed to be one of the earlier raids in Vanilla, possibly connected with the Atiesh quest chain, but it had to be significantly re-worked architecturally, which got it pushed back to TBC. The good news is that it goes down aswell as up, so we've got another journey into the inverted Karazhan to look forwards to.
Karazhan was my first real raid as a player. During Vanilla, I was an enhance shaman, I didnt get to see much of the raid content. I played during the time when Stratholme was a 10 man, druids had to cast to shapeshift and the game was more eye opening and expansive. I got to PUG MC, original Naxx and Ony but my first real experiences that made me a better player were made here in Kara. Love this raid, Loved this expansion and will play the future ones too hoping to see a remake.
As an avid RPer and someone who obsesses over lore, the Pandren WERE worthy, much moreso than the fully explained and detailed Emerald Dream. Pandaria's lore and story has been fantastic, and I am fully immersed.
Yep, he, he apprentice Khadgar, his stewart Moroes (who is a boss there) and his cook. He lived there untill he was killed by the Armies of Stormwind because he was the one who brought the Horde to Azeroth.
While i wouldn't say Pandarens were an April Fools joke, they did start out as a joke to found as an easter egg by players in Warcraft 3 missions. For example there was that massive Panda in the Barrow Deeps and Pandaren mobs (smaller version of Panda model). With TFT came the Pandaren Brewmaster but even then not much was said about its origins, the notable one was Chen Stormstout who was playable in the orc campaign and later appeared in name only in Vanilla WoW (Chen's missing Keg). New Para
@NearSW I miss Vanilla WoW, TBC and early WotLK. The entire questing experience was awesome. It wasn't until the raiding and changes came that I lost the will to continue.
I can explain that. Medivh was killed after the First War if I am correct, and it was his "spirit" (he was good himself, he was just corrupted by Sargeras) who wanted to make good for all his bad deeds and thuse he guided Jaina, Thrall and the King of Lordaeron (even if the last one refused) and some more people to victory over the Burning Legion.
Goblins were mainly a gameplay feature to get zeppelins, not something very realistic or serious. Pandaren were "introduced" in WCIII. That's what Blizzard thought. The players were the ones who said they were actually cool and who demanded more lore for them. They were even considered to become a playable race in vanilla.
I went to scholomance or however it's spelt and the last boss used to teleport everyone to different rooms. I was looking forward to that, but it changed. It's now SUPER EASY. Like everything. I thought traveling to instances was super fun. The entrances were often amazing. I loved getting to blackfathom deeps for example. But now you just warp inside the dungeon.
2005* The Bag of Fishing Treasures (reward from Marcia Chase's fishing dailies) has a chance of dropping an item called Fantasy Portrait. The item's icon is a picture of a Pandaren's face, the art of which was created for the 2005 April Fool's Pandaren Xpress.
This instance was the cause of both why I started and stopped playing this game. I started, because the moment I heard this soundtrack I was dragged into it. I stopped because no one wanted to go there with me any longer. None of the later instances were as perfect and excellent as this one. I hope one day Karazhan Days will be back... and the forsaken will haunt it once more... For Sylvanas!
I don't recall those balconies. Of course, the raid was big enough that nobody wanted to waste time going outside the main paths. Still consider this and Ulduar the two best raid in the game. I did run this one enough times that I really don't want to see it again - aside from Netherspite, who I for some reason only got to see once or twice - but it was a damn good raid that showed that smaller groups could still have tough content designed for them.
you know this makes me yearn for tbc again...so many good things back then...kara...the best raid in exsistence....armor sets were amazing...cept the pally ones...but who cares about them...heroics were harder and required quite high lvl gear to do easily....and the gear was actually hard to get back then....so not everyone and their mom was walking around in highest tier gear...and i just kinda miss ol in general
Karazhan is one of the strangest and scariest place of WoW. What the hell is behind this all corruption and insanity? What is doing the legion there sending a Eredar prince? Why are the dead servants doing his job after being dead? Why is the Maiden of Virtue there? Its an amazing instance, so mysterious and scarefull.... love it!
I'd love to see a Kara Adventure in Hearthstone, or any of the big BC raids. Sunwell and Black Temple plz... or if they don't go with BC either Icecrown Citadel, Ulduar, Siege of Orgrimmar, or Throne of Thunder... for a shorter one I guess Firelands would work... maybe Molten core for old time feels... and how messed up would it be if they brought in AQ40? Can only beat Viscidus with a Freeze mage deck lol.
To be fair it's sort of always been like that. For as "serious" as Naxx and BRM were as adventures, they still had the comedic aspect of KT and Nefarian narrating the whole thing
Karazhan, although i farmed the crap out of you with my guild, I still think you are one of the most epic instance in the history of WoW. I miss the days of The Burning Crusade.
As arms dealers yes. But then again they really were a comic relief. Things like goblin sappers or the Temple of BOOM! doormats on their observatories were rather funny. It is funny how people suddenly judge the Pandaren childish, made up and dumb, even though Gnomes, Worgens, partly even the Draenei and many others were simply pulled out of a hat when they were introduced.
Goblins were originally a comic relief as well. But they both have evolved into something better over the years, both lore-wise and in credibility. Pandaren have come a long way from walking bears with beer kegs on their backs. Emerald dream would be a huge project, one Blizzard won't undertake as of now since they are busy working on Titan; their next MMO. I too would have liked to see something more dramatic and grandiose for a while, but I still think an Asian-themed race is a nice addition.
Ignore the pandaren... the expansion is about the discovery of a new continent, its exploration and the conflict over it between Horde and Alliance, with the natives (happen to be pandaren) stuck in between.
The reason I stopped playing was because the raids were becoming too easy. And there was no storyline anymore. Well, there was... But it's not like anyone really cared anymore. Karazhan was, in my opinion, the greatest creation in the game. The whole place is beautiful. The beauty of Kara and the difficulty of the Sunwell. I'd like to see that one day.
@wayne62682 Missed quite a bit. Oh, Prince Malchezzar... and the hidden alcoves all over.... Fun doing that place through the first time. Moroes is still my favorite boss there.
Let me just add that Mists of Pandaria is not even remotely about the Pandaren race... It's mainly focused around Alliance vs Horde... I will gladly come back and elaborate if anyone want me to.
Karazhan is one of the greatest masterpieces of Blizzard. no raid ever will give me the same feeling, it just felt so... NATURAL, you know? there were SO MANY rooms, secret passages, hallways, balconies that you didn't need to enter (but COULD enter, no invisible walls) in order to progress, they were just built in there to make this huge castle feel REAL and ALIVE. for example, remember the library's secret balconies that had books that gave you a buff? they don't make 'em like this anymore.
The harpsichord since 7:25 is totally awesome :)
"the giant rook watches from the dead trees. nothing breathes beneath his shadow"
you always remember your first raid ... I wasn't using any addons and just casting fireball
man i remember farming this raid so much, so many good memories. the music and the atmosphere is just amazing, one of my favorite raids of all time
I actually just did this raid for the first time yesterday, I love it, especially this music.
Awwww soooo much memories, so much emotions, such good game time
i had never done this raid before, so i tried solo it and i can say, it's like no other raids i've done, it's really special and this music too
So epic. One of the best instances of all time. Nostalgia - damn I miss this.
7:30
This is my current garrison's theme
Fxxking loving it
I loved Kara... such amazing times. The music is amazing as well, probably one of the best in the entire game.
Brilliant music! Unreal! Unparalleled!!!!!!!!!!
Takes me away in another dimention everytime I hear to it!!!
I don't play wow anymore but I did for 6 years and Karazhan will always be my favourite, I used to barely be able to hear the guys on vent because I would have the music so loud :) xx
*shivers* After all the time this music is still awesome! Adds so much to the great atmosphere of Karazhan. I remember back in BC this was my first raid ever. We didn´t have a clue what we did, but noone cared, we were just awed to be there. :D
Went to many raids since then, and love many, esp. Ulduar and ICC, but Kara will always be special to me ...
Although it got frustrating to spend hours in there every weekend, some of my fondest memories of 10 man raiding is in Kara. I remember my guild wiping on Shade for nearly 3 weeks straight. When we finally killed him it was such a huge achievement for my close group of real life friends who never really started gaming until WoW. Although none of us play anymore I'm glad we have those memories. Cataclysm end game doesn't look like something that would draw me in as much as TBC.
I wanted to stealth the instance through with my rogue, and wow... I was so excited. The place had this gothic feeling and the how the people danced... the music... It was like another world! I so wish that there would be an opportunity to RP inside the halls of Karazhan...
Even though the song is 10 minutes long, I still have to re-press the play button over and over!!
Karazhan is for me a master piece. The best raid in game . In tbc i farmed it like milion times and i never got bored of it. When it came out it looked like nth before but every raid since karazhan had a piece of karazhan in it imo . WoW was most played game in TBC expansion just because this kind of raids... after all every WoW player who has a 5+ years xp in this game will say that TBC was the best work of blizzard. It was genius.
I remember playing the Warcraft 1 demo and doing the mission to kill Medievh back in 1995 as a 7 year old child....never could have imagined wow and Karazhan then, glad someone else did.
Long awaited weekend Karazhan raids ftw.. good times. Epic music for an epic dungeon.
Karazhan, Ulduar and Sunwell are my favorite Raids.
They were beautiful, the bosses fitting and the music awesome.
@NamelessATM Thank you for describing it almost perfectly.
Easily one of my favorite raids, some of the best gaming memories I have are from there back in TBC.
Agreed, Karazhan is the best raid in WoW. I miss it. Sitting on a friday night with some friends, trying to complete Karazhan. Good memories :-)
@Vildasnaga Actually, in lore there is suppose to be an upside down version of Kara from the novels. The Crypts in the back was speculated to be the Upside down entrance but it was son never used.
The main area (after curator) can be flipped and the ceiling looks as if you can walk on it without a problem.
I always remeber this as the one raid that people didn't make excuses and actually were eager to spend ours clearing content
One day my parents were raiding with their guild (yep they're that awesome). My brother started to cry and my mom had to go help him. She looked at me and said "Play for me while I am gone"... The chess boss and I danced like old friends that night and that was the day Blizzard pulled me in.
Thanks for posting these! I loved the harpsicord (I think that's how it's spelled) at the end in particular. :)
That damn crow! It wants my soul! I know it!
+Corthez Blake
"Quoth the Raven >>Nevermore!
That harpsichord at the end gives me chills.
@Boromir26, Yeah. I like the originality in Ulduar too.
7:25
Reminds me of the times when Karazhan was actually progression content for us, some of my guildies would drink during raids, it'd be a riot in Vent chat, aw I miss those times
I absolutely love Karazhan...The dark gloomy deserted castle..My lord..My first raid.. i love it so much..I'd live there if I could.
I started playing during cata, but I have to say, kara is the most original piece of content blizzard ever made.
@NamelessATM
Probably because it was in development for so long. IIRC this was supposed to be one of the earlier raids in Vanilla, possibly connected with the Atiesh quest chain, but it had to be significantly re-worked architecturally, which got it pushed back to TBC.
The good news is that it goes down aswell as up, so we've got another journey into the inverted Karazhan to look forwards to.
Done this place so many times back in the day. Kara
Karazhan was my first real raid as a player. During Vanilla, I was an enhance shaman, I didnt get to see much of the raid content. I played during the time when Stratholme was a 10 man, druids had to cast to shapeshift and the game was more eye opening and expansive. I got to PUG MC, original Naxx and Ony but my first real experiences that made me a better player were made here in Kara. Love this raid, Loved this expansion and will play the future ones too hoping to see a remake.
strange...nobody disliked this master piece...it is so rare to find a video where there is no dislikes...
this is epic as my sandvich of doom
This sure brings forth old memories...
@EnvoyOfFabulousness
Last Guardian is a Warcraft book that revolves around Karazhan and its owner, Medvih
I felt the chills the entire way through.
Over and over.
Oh how I miss TBC ;_;
As an avid RPer and someone who obsesses over lore, the Pandren WERE worthy, much moreso than the fully explained and detailed Emerald Dream. Pandaria's lore and story has been fantastic, and I am fully immersed.
this raid was the best raid ever its like walking into the haunted mansion in disneyland
Karazhan was and always will be one of the coolest raids... I wish they would make a 85 version of it...
It true, none of the new instances gave off the feeling that Karazhan and this music did, this is how dungeon are supposed to sound.
This reminds me of a Demon Lord i made for D&D named Balfuzar and his apprentice Hedis Crin
Yep, he, he apprentice Khadgar, his stewart Moroes (who is a boss there) and his cook. He lived there untill he was killed by the Armies of Stormwind because he was the one who brought the Horde to Azeroth.
I really love the music in here!
Best raid in the game. I remember being in Karazhan for 5 hours and falling asleep at one point.
While i wouldn't say Pandarens were an April Fools joke, they did start out as a joke to found as an easter egg by players in Warcraft 3 missions. For example there was that massive Panda in the Barrow Deeps and Pandaren mobs (smaller version of Panda model). With TFT came the Pandaren Brewmaster but even then not much was said about its origins, the notable one was Chen Stormstout who was playable in the orc campaign and later appeared in name only in Vanilla WoW (Chen's missing Keg).
New Para
@NearSW I miss Vanilla WoW, TBC and early WotLK. The entire questing experience was awesome. It wasn't until the raiding and changes came that I lost the will to continue.
I can explain that. Medivh was killed after the First War if I am correct, and it was his "spirit" (he was good himself, he was just corrupted by Sargeras) who wanted to make good for all his bad deeds and thuse he guided Jaina, Thrall and the King of Lordaeron (even if the last one refused) and some more people to victory over the Burning Legion.
8:20 Eargasm all the way
Goblins were mainly a gameplay feature to get zeppelins, not something very realistic or serious. Pandaren were "introduced" in WCIII.
That's what Blizzard thought. The players were the ones who said they were actually cool and who demanded more lore for them. They were even considered to become a playable race in vanilla.
I went to scholomance or however it's spelt and the last boss used to teleport everyone to different rooms. I was looking forward to that, but it changed. It's now SUPER EASY. Like everything. I thought traveling to instances was super fun. The entrances were often amazing. I loved getting to blackfathom deeps for example. But now you just warp inside the dungeon.
i miss this place so much
2005*
The Bag of Fishing Treasures (reward from Marcia Chase's fishing dailies) has a chance of dropping an item called Fantasy Portrait. The item's icon is a picture of a Pandaren's face, the art of which was created for the 2005 April Fool's Pandaren Xpress.
This instance was the cause of both why I started and stopped playing this game. I started, because the moment I heard this soundtrack I was dragged into it. I stopped because no one wanted to go there with me any longer. None of the later instances were as perfect and excellent as this one. I hope one day Karazhan Days will be back... and the forsaken will haunt it once more... For Sylvanas!
I don't recall those balconies. Of course, the raid was big enough that nobody wanted to waste time going outside the main paths.
Still consider this and Ulduar the two best raid in the game. I did run this one enough times that I really don't want to see it again - aside from Netherspite, who I for some reason only got to see once or twice - but it was a damn good raid that showed that smaller groups could still have tough content designed for them.
My first real raid experience, and the best. RIP Vanilla and TBC, the real WoW.
mobs through walls...
This would be the only raid I would like to see rehashed but only as a raid.
you know this makes me yearn for tbc again...so many good things back then...kara...the best raid in exsistence....armor sets were amazing...cept the pally ones...but who cares about them...heroics were harder and required quite high lvl gear to do easily....and the gear was actually hard to get back then....so not everyone and their mom was walking around in highest tier gear...and i just kinda miss ol in general
Love the part from 7:30 that Piano like instrument is amazing ( have forget the name ) ...creepy with a medieval touch.
This is the best time of my wow career....
Tbc was golden, I miss it :(
Kara music was fantastic!
We meet again, Karazhan.
MoP is not dedicated solely to Pandaren, and even managed to expand on the lore surrounding the Old Gods.
Brings me back to my first raid evar... epic moments :)
This is the best song ins wow, i love it.
@darkangelle
Alright, good work guys, we got him. Did he drop the damn pocket watch yet?
@Orcraider94 I adore: "Now, where was I? ...oh, yes...."
@WHATYOUSAYWHITEBOY thats why i like Karazhan, in Roleplays i use it as a haunted area, or use it for Murder Roleplays. its fun
Karazhan is one of the strangest and scariest place of WoW. What the hell is behind this all corruption and insanity? What is doing the legion there sending a Eredar prince? Why are the dead servants doing his job after being dead? Why is the Maiden of Virtue there? Its an amazing instance, so mysterious and scarefull.... love it!
Because this video brings nostalgia of a better time for Azeroth.
Karazhan, in my opinion the best instance ever. blizz should bring it back
If you liked Karazhan, I recommend reading "The Last Guardian". It's a really good book despite being a Warcraft title.
I hope Hearthstone does a Karazhan expansion. :)
I'd love to see a Kara Adventure in Hearthstone, or any of the big BC raids. Sunwell and Black Temple plz... or if they don't go with BC either Icecrown Citadel, Ulduar, Siege of Orgrimmar, or Throne of Thunder... for a shorter one I guess Firelands would work... maybe Molten core for old time feels... and how messed up would it be if they brought in AQ40? Can only beat Viscidus with a Freeze mage deck lol.
I was hoping to God the League of Explorers announcement was gonna be Karazhan
+Rouge2k8 Well there is the Blackrock Mountain expansion
Nnnnope. I'm kind of disappointed at how silly Hearthstone is getting. Oh well.
To be fair it's sort of always been like that. For as "serious" as Naxx and BRM were as adventures, they still had the comedic aspect of KT and Nefarian narrating the whole thing
Oh Kara, my 1st raid.
Karazhan, although i farmed the crap out of you with my guild, I still think you are one of the most epic instance in the history of WoW.
I miss the days of The Burning Crusade.
@opalen903 his cook was called "Cook" xD thougght you may wanted to know :P
1 person didn't wait for the instance to finish loading.
As arms dealers yes. But then again they really were a comic relief. Things like goblin sappers or the Temple of BOOM! doormats on their observatories were rather funny.
It is funny how people suddenly judge the Pandaren childish, made up and dumb, even though Gnomes, Worgens, partly even the Draenei and many others were simply pulled out of a hat when they were introduced.
Goblins were originally a comic relief as well. But they both have evolved into something better over the years, both lore-wise and in credibility. Pandaren have come a long way from walking bears with beer kegs on their backs.
Emerald dream would be a huge project, one Blizzard won't undertake as of now since they are busy working on Titan; their next MMO. I too would have liked to see something more dramatic and grandiose for a while, but I still think an Asian-themed race is a nice addition.
Moroes is fucking awesome!!! This brings me back to the good old days man, how i miss BC days : (
Ignore the pandaren... the expansion is about the discovery of a new continent, its exploration and the conflict over it between Horde and Alliance, with the natives (happen to be pandaren) stuck in between.
I miss it :'(, return time :(
best instance best music... making it the best raid AND music in all of games :)
Actually... Kil'Jaiden was defeated at "Fury of the SunWell" Patch.
But Sargeras might actually be a good idea for the next patch.
The tower of Medivh has been abandoned, once again...
It only took a friggin year to implement music to KZ!
The reason I stopped playing was because the raids were becoming too easy. And there was no storyline anymore. Well, there was... But it's not like anyone really cared anymore. Karazhan was, in my opinion, the greatest creation in the game. The whole place is beautiful. The beauty of Kara and the difficulty of the Sunwell. I'd like to see that one day.
Excellent music, dark and weird.
@wayne62682
Missed quite a bit. Oh, Prince Malchezzar... and the hidden alcoves all over.... Fun doing that place through the first time. Moroes is still my favorite boss there.
Let me just add that Mists of Pandaria is not even remotely about the Pandaren race... It's mainly focused around Alliance vs Horde... I will gladly come back and elaborate if anyone want me to.
It's funny i remember the music to karazhan wasnt added before long after i had finished the place
Kara, Prince, Chess, R&J >_
My favorite Raid,so atmospheric
Did you reaid karazhan before WOTLK?man oh man..so epic
Then i read The last Guardian and returned, TWICE as epic.