Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne

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Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne
Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne cover
Developer(s)Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher(s)United States Blizzard Entertainment
Japan Capcom
Platform(s)Windows, Mac OS and Mac OS X
ReleaseUnited States July 1, 2003
European Union July 4 2003
Japan February 27 2004
Genre(s)Real-time strategy
Mode(s)Single player, Multiplayer

Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne is a real-time strategy computer game developed for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS and Mac OS X by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the official expansion pack to Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, requiring the ownership of Reign of Chaos to play. Released in stores worldwide in multiple languages beginning on July 1, 2003, it includes an additional hero for each race and two to three new units per race, four campaigns, five neutral heroes (an additional neutral hero was added April 2004 and 2 more were added in August 2004), the ability to build a shop and various other improvements such as the ability to queue upgrades. Blizzard Entertainment regularly releases patches for the game to fix bugs, add new features, and balance multiplayer play.

Storyline

Set a number of months after the events of Warcraft III, The Frozen Throne continues some of the loose ends of the original game, and also spins off some new plots of its own and paves way for the new conflict of World of Warcraft. The storyline follows a different order from the first game. The first campaign is that of the Sentinels (Night Elves), followed by the Blood Elves (formerly High Elves), and finally the Scourge (Undead). The Orc mini-campaign follows a different storyline, which explores their lives after the war against the Legion, and sets up the story for the next game.

Template:Spoiler

Sentinels campaign: "Terror of the Tides"

The Warden Maiev Shadowsong pursues the former prisoner Illidan Stormrage across Azeroth. Illidan was met by the demonlord Kil'jaeden, who orders him to destroy the Lich King. He gains the allegiance of the Naga, former Night Elves who were transmuted by Sargeras, Kil'jaeden's master; after their city was blasted beneath the sea 10,000 years before. But the Nagas do not stop Maiev, who pursues Illidan from Kalimdor to the Tomb of Sargeras. There, Illidan takes the Eye of Sargeras and collapses the tomb in an attempt to kill Maiev. However, Maiev survives, and gains the assistance of Malfurion Stormrage and Tyrande Whisperwind to pursue Illidan all the way to Lordaeron. She aids Prince Kael'thas against the undead, and Tyrande is swept away by a river while defending the retreating elves. However, Maiev holds a grudge against Tyrande for releasing Illidan in the first place, leading to her lying about Tyrande's fate to Malfurion to provoke him to move aggressively against the Naga rather than spend time searching for her. Around this point in time, Illidan attempts to use the Eye of Sargeras to melt away the polar icecaps around the Frozen Throne and hence destroy the Lich King. Furion and Maiev successfully prevent Illidan from completing the spell, but in the process, Maiev's treachery comes out, and the Stormrage brothers join forces to save their mutual beloved. Against Maiev's will, Malfurion then pardons Illidan, though he does not revoke his exile, and Illidan departs... with Maiev moments behind him.

Chapter 1: Rise of the Naga
Chapter 2: The Broken Isles
Chapter 3: Tomb of Sargeras
Chapter 4: Wrath of the Betrayer
Chapter 5: Balancing the Scales
Chapter 6: Shards of the Alliance
Chapter 7: The Ruins of Dalaran
Chapter 8: The Brothers Stormrage

Heroes - Maiev (Warden), Tyrande (Priestess of the Moon), Malfurion (Keeper of the Grove), Illidan (Demon Hunter), Magroth the Defender (Rescued Paladin from The Ruins of Dalaran).

Enemy Heroes - Illidan (Demon Hunter), Naga Sea Witch (from Wrath of the Betrayer), Lady Vashj (Naga Sea Witch), various Undead heroes (from The Brothers Stormrage).

NPC Heroes - Kael (Blood Mage).

Alliance campaign: "Curse of the Blood Elves"

The Alliance campaign follows the adventures of Prince Kael'thas, leader of the Blood Elves, a group of High Elves that survived the invasion of Quel'Thalas by the Scourge. Originally helping the Alliance, the Blood Elves are imprisoned by a racist human Dark Knight, Lord Garithos, for accepting aid from the Naga (after Garithos pulled all of Kael's non-elven troops to the front line) and eventually rescued by Lady Vashj and her Naga. Vashj then takes Kael'thas to the Outland, the remnants of the Orc realm Draenor, to meet (and free) their master, Illidan; who has been recaptured by Maiev. After fending off Maiev (again) and gaining the allegiance of the native Draenei, Illidan is able to conquer the Outland, where he hopes he will be safe from his failure to use the Eye of Sargeras to destroy the Frozen Throne. But his master, the Demonlord Kil'jaeden, catches them nonetheless, and the episode ends with Illidan renewing his vow to destroy the Lich King.

The Human forces in this campaign are very different from the ones used in the multiplayer game. Instead of the full Alliance, only the High Elven units are available, with the addition of a few new units and a Blood Elf hero added to the expansion pack, as well as the Naga forces(and a few draenei). The single exception is the first mission of the campaign, which takes place before Garithos recalls Kael's non-elven troops such as human Knights and Footmen, and dwarven Riflemen and Mortar Teams, all of which are available during that mission.

Chapter 1: Misconceptions
Chapter 2: A Dark Covenant
Chapter 3: The Dungeons of Dalaran
Secret Mission: The Crossing
Chapter 4: The Search for Illidan
Chapter 5: Gates of the Abyss
Chapter 6: Lord of Outland

Heroes - Kael (Blood Mage), Lady Vashj (Naga Sea Witch), Lady Serpentra (Naga Sea Witch), Illidan (Demon Hunter), Akama (Elder Sage).

Enemy Heroes - Maiev (Warden), Magtheridon (Pit Lord), Lord Garithos in The Crossing(Dark Knight), ghosts of Dalaran (Archmagi), Dalvengyr (Dreadlord from A Dark Covenant), multiple Fel Orc Blademasters (from Chapter 5 and 6).

NPC Heroes - Lord Garithos (Dark Knight), Kil'jaeden(Cinematic) (Warlock), Illidan (non-demonic) (Cinematic), Akama in Gates of the Abyss (Elder Sage).

Scourge campaign: "Legacy of the Damned"

In the blighted lands of Lordaeron, now known as the Plaguelands, a civil war is taking place within the Scourge. The Undead forces are splintering into three major factions: Arthas and Kel'Thuzad, who are loyal to the Lich King; the Forsaken, led by the Banshee Queen Sylvanas Windrunner; and the Dreadlords (Nathrezim), who are still loyal to the Burning Legion, but are unaware of Archimonde's defeat on Mt. Hyjal. The campaign switches between Arthas' journey to Northrend to assist the Lich King, and Sylvanas' war against the Dreadlords for control of the Plaguelands. In the end, Sylvanas emerges as the nominal ruler of the Plaguelands, while Arthas travels to Northrend to defend the Lich King, meeting the subterranean Nerubian race, and eventually defeating Illidan in a one-on-one duel. He then ascends to the Frozen Throne and becomes one with the Lich King. What will become of this unholy meeting will presumably be addressed in an expansion to World of Warcraft.

Chapter 1: King Arthas
Chapter 2: The Flight from Lordaeron
Chapter 3: The Dark Lady
Chapter 4: The Return to Northrend
Chapter 5: Dreadlord's Fall
Chapter 6: New Power in Lordaeron
Chapter 7.1: Into the Shadow Web Caverns
Chapter 7.2: The Forgotten Ones
Chapter 7.3: Ascent to the Upper Kingdom
Chapter 8: A Symphony of Frost and Flame

Heroes - Sylvanas Windrunner (Dark Ranger), Arthas (Death Knight), Anub'Arak (Crypt Lord), Varimathras (Dreadlord), Kel'Thuzad (Lich), Lord Garithos (Dark Knight).

Enemy Heroes - Baelgun (Mountain King), Lord Garithos (Dark Knight), Kael (Blood Mage), Illidan (Demon Hunter), Lady Vashj (Naga Sea Witch), Varimathras, Detheroc and Balnazzar (Dreadlords), Dagren the Orcslayer, Halahk the Lifebringer and Magroth the Defender (Paladins of the Silver Hand).

Horde mini-campaign: "The Founding of Durotar"

The Orc mini-campaign is a departure from the rest of the game. It has features more like an RPG similar to Diablo, featuring a Beastmaster named Rexxar as he helps the Orcs defend and develop their new home of Durotar from various enemies. The Orc mini-campaign was created because the game designers felt that the Orc storyline didn't fit naturally into the main plot of The Frozen Throne. The mini-campaign allowed the designers to move away from standard real-time strategy conventions and explore new level design and gameplay concepts. (This campaign was extended by two more chapters through patches of the main game [1].) It also established plot and setting details in preparation for Blizzard's MMORPG World of Warcraft. Completing the other campaigns is not a requirement to play the mini-campaign as the menu immediately allows the player to choose between the campaign missions and the mini-campaign.

The player controls a group of two to four heroes, primarily Rexxar and a Troll Shadow Hunter named Rokhan. The player can also gain permanent control of a Pandaren Brewmaster named Chen Stormstout and Tauren Chieftain Cairne Bloodhoof, and temporary control of Orc Far Seer Drek'thar, Jaina Proudmoore, Orc Blademaster Samuro, and Cairne's son, Baine Bloodhoof. Maps are interconnected, with each one being set up as various areas of Kalimdor, such as the Orc fortress city of Orgrimmar, and a Human city on the Theramore Isles.

In the wilds of Kalimdor, Rexxar comes across Mogrin, an Orc messenger who is being attacked by Quillboars. Despite Rexxar's rescue, the Orc is mortally wounded, and passes on his message to Rexxar before he dies. Rexxar completes the Orc's mission, giving the message to Thrall, the warchief of the Horde. He stays in the city of Orgrimmar for a while, performing a number of duties for the Horde to earn his keep. Eventually, he discovers that a force of Humans is planning an invasion of Durotar, led by Grand Admiral Daelin Proudmoore, who has seized control of the Theramore islands from his daughter. Rexxar is sent to gather allies for the Horde, old and new, and leads the assault on the islands to end the threat to the Horde. The Admiral is slain, and the Orcs leave the island in peace, but the truce between the Horde and the Alliance seems to be forever strained by the battle.

Act 1: To Tame a Land
Act 2: Old Hatreds
Act 3: A Blaze of Glory

Act 2 and 3 are not included in the game directly, and must be downloaded.

Heroes - Rexxar (Beastmaster), Rokhan (Shadow Hunter), Chen Stormstout (Pandaren Brewmaster), Cairne Bloodhoof (Tauren Chieftain), Drek'thar (Far Seer), Jaina (Archmage), Samuro (Blademaster), Baine (Cairne's Son).

Enemy Heroes - Paladin at the Samuro Mission, Paladin next to Proudmoore at the end, Archmagi, Mountain Kings, Admiral Proudmoore, Draenor Champions, Bosses of Side Caves in Act Two.

NPC heroes - Chen Stormstout (Before you complete his quest), Cairne (Before you complete his quest), Thrall (Far Seer), Drek'Thar (Far Seer).

Additions

In multiplayer mode, The Frozen Throne adds several new units and buildings for each race, in addition to a single new hero per race.

1. Human:

  • new units - Spell Breaker and Dragonhawk Rider
  • new buildings - Arcane Tower and Arcane Vault
  • new hero - Blood Mage

2. Night Elf:

  • new units - Mountain Giant and Faerie Dragon
  • new buildings - Ancient of Wonders
  • new hero - Warden

3. Orc:

  • new units - Troll Berserker(A purchasable upgrade from Troll Headhunter), Troll Batrider and Spirit Walker
  • new buildings - Voodoo Lounge
  • new hero - Shadow Hunter

4. Undead:

  • new units - Skeletal Mage, Obsidian Statue and Destroyer
  • new buildings - Nerubian Tower and Tomb of Relics
  • new hero - Crypt Lord

5. Neutral (new):

  • heroes - Naga Sea Witch, Dark Ranger, Pandaren Brewmaster, Beastmaster, Pit Lord, Goblin Tinker, Firelord, and Goblin Alchemist.

Most of these also appear in the single player campaigns, along with many others.

Development

On May 29, 2003, Blizzard announced that the expansion set, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne had "gone gold". There have been many patches, and Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne is now at 1.20e, which some consider to be the most balanced patch so far.

System Requirements

The minimum specifications for Windows 98/ME/2000/XP are as follows:

The minimum specifications for Macintosh OS 9.0+/OS X v10.1.3+ are as follows:

  • 400 MHz G3 or better
  • 128 MB RAM
  • 16 MB ATI or nVidia chipset 3D video card
  • 550 MB HDD space (+ Reign of Chaos install)
  • 4X CD-ROM drive

The recommended specifications are as follows:

  • 600 MHz
  • 256 MB RAM
  • 32 MB 3D video card

The requirements for multiplayer are:

  • TCP/IP connection
  • 28.8 kbit/s or faster

Trivia

  • Chapter 8 of the Scourge Campaign, A Symphony of Frost and Flame, is very likely a reference to George R.R. Martin's fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire.
  • Chapter 3 of the Scourge Campaign, there is a Bandit Lord that goes by the name "Blackthorn", which is an obvious reference to an old SNES game (the game in question also being produced by Blizzard Entertainment).
  • Chapter 6 of the Alliance Campaign, a large abomination called "Butcher" is guarding an item called Wirt's Other Leg, where Wirt's Leg is familiar from Diablo II (Blizzard Entertainment). Additionally, there is a quest in Diablo to kill a large demon called "The Butcher". When "The Butcher" is found in Diablo he says "Ah, fresh meat", and when this monster is located in The Frozen Throne the same sound clip is played.

External links

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