Tauren Plainsrunning Returns in World of Warcraft: Forever
The iconic racial ability returns with a powerful movement speed buff for players.
1The Return of Plainsrunning
World of Warcraft: Forever has reintroduced Plainsrunning, a unique racial ability for the tauren race that was originally scrapped during the game's early development. This ability allows tauren characters to increase their movement speed significantly over time, providing a distinct travel advantage that was previously absent in standard versions of the game.
2Historical Context of Ability
In the original beta version of World of Warcraft, tauren lacked traditional mounts at level 40 due to their large character models. Plainsrunning was initially designed as a substitute to help them traverse the world quickly. It was eventually removed and replaced with kodo mounts before the game's official public release occurred.
3Mechanics of Speed Stacks
The new version of Plainsrunning functions through a stacking system that rewards continuous movement. Players gain a two-percent speed increase every few seconds, provided they do not stop or enter combat. This gradual buildup allows tauren to reach a maximum movement speed increase of sixty percent after maintaining momentum for a duration.
4Significant Movement Speed Buff
The sixty-percent speed cap is equivalent to an apprentice-level mount, which is typically unavailable until level 40. By making this accessible at level 1, Blizzard has provided tauren with a massive mobility advantage. Players can now traverse zones like Mulgore much faster than other races during the early stages of gameplay.
5Impact on Exploration Pace
World of Warcraft is known for its vast distances and the necessity of traveling across entire continents on foot. While the game maintains a slower, deliberate pace that fans appreciate, the gradual nature of Plainsrunning ensures that the speed boost feels rewarding without undermining the core experience of exploring the game's expansive world.
6Strategic Travel Limitations
The ability requires uninterrupted movement to reach its full potential. Engaging in combat or stopping to gather resources, such as picking Peacebloom, resets the progress toward the speed cap. This forces players to balance their desire for rapid travel against the need to interact with the environment during their long journeys.
7Comparison to Modern Travel
Even with the various fast-travel additions introduced in WoW: Forever, players still spend a significant amount of time traveling across the map. The ability to activate this speed boost allows tauren players to optimize their travel time significantly. It serves as a unique racial perk that differentiates the tauren from other playable races.
8Future of Tauren Mobility
The reintroduction of this ability highlights how developers are experimenting with classic mechanics in the Forever version. By buffing Plainsrunning shortly before launch, the team has turned a historical fragment of data into a functional, high-value tool. Tauren players now possess a distinct mechanical edge that changes how they navigate the world.
Original article: Kotaku — Tauren Plainsrunning Returns in World of Warcraft: Forever