Blizzard is currently deleting each and every forum post attempting to express how bad of an idea the planned mandatory use of players real names on the World of Warcraft official forums is. At the moment, a thread mentioning Real ID is unlikely to survive more than thirty seconds and the mods' ban hammers are being wielded liberally. Some of those fallen posts contained links to news coverage of Blizzard's poor decision and I was quick enough on my feet to reproduce them here. Enjoy!
BBC News - World of Warcraft maker to end anonymous forum logins
USA Today - 'WoW' studio Blizzard to require real names on forums
ABC News - Bye-Bye Trolls? Blizzard Forums to Use Real Names
CVG - Fans rage over Blizzard forum plans
PCGamer (UK) - Why Blizzard’s new forum plan is an epic fail
The Register - Blizzard exposes real names on WoW forums
About.com - WoW Real ID: A Really Bad Idea
Ars Technica - Blizzard: post about StarCraft 2? Use your real name
Gamespy - Blizzard to Require Real Names on Official Forums
Kotaku - Blizzard Forums Will Soon Display Your Real Name
Kotaku - Blizzard's Real Name Forum Policy Has Fans In An Uproar
Joystiq - Your real name to appear on Blizzard's official forums
Inc Gamers - Blizzard Going Too Far With Real ID?
MTV Multiplayer - Blizzard Cracks Down On Anonymity In Official Forums
TechEYE.net - Blizzard forces users to show real names: Internet security they have heard of it
Product Reviews News - WoW Real ID System: Security Flaw Found
ITWorld - Blizzard to share your name with angry video game nerds
Voodoo Extreme - Is Blizzard's Real ID Safe, Or A Playground For Sexual Deviants?
Voodoo Extreme - Blizzard Forums To Require Use Of Real Name, Rage Ensues
Examiner National - World of Warcraft Players WoWed by Blizzard's REALID announcement
EuroGamer - Blizzard forums to require real names
GameFocus - Blizzard To Kill Anonymity On Forums
Strategy Informer - Battle.net removes "veil of anonymity" on forums, real names used
HuskyStarcraft - Blizzard Forums: First and Last Names [VIDEO]
AusGamers - Blizzard Switching Forums to Real ID System
Australian Gamer - Blizzard decide to give out subscribers' real names
It doesn't exactly make for happy reading, but at least Blizzard now knows that not only the "small but vocal" population that uses the official forums thinks this is a bad idea.
Showing posts with label Forums. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Forums. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Fight Back Against Real ID on Warcraft Forums
Yesterday morning, a bomb went off on the official World of Warcraft forums in the form of an announcement that the use of players real first and last names would become mandatory on the forums. Though a handful of players agreed with the change, a massive tide of hate has been flowing towards Blizzard since the reveal. Feel free to check out the official announcement and the well over one 21,000 posts which have followed it to see the outrage for yourself.
Many speclate that this is a first step towards making the use of real life first and last names, or Real ID, mandatory in game. As a parallel, Battle.net started out as "optional" for World of Warcraft players, but now it is a prerequisite for play.
As players' frustration about the looming change grows many people are stuck as to what to do about it. Thankfully, there are a number of steps you can take to express your displeasure at Blizzard's decision about how to govern the use your personal information. First, consider lodging a complaint with the ESRB. All of Blizzard and Activision's major game related websites are Privacy Certified by the ESRB. If you feel the changes coming to the World of Warcraft forums run afoul of that certification, file a complaint using the ESRB's Online Complaint Form.
Second, voice your concerns on the official World of Warcraft forums. The change to using real first and last names has not happened yet and old posts will not be modified when the change occurs, so your personal information is not yet at risk should you post. The posts expressing outrage at Blizzard's proposal have likely already exceeded one hundred thousand, but each customer who posts makes it harder for Blizzard to argue that they listen to their subscribers and address their concerns.
Lastly, if you are incredibly passionate about the issue, you may need to vote with your wallet. I do not plan on canceling my subscription, I will simply forever forgo posting on the official forums. Should, however, Blizzard decide that my real first and last name ought to become a part of my actual game play, I will immediately walk away. I also will be forced to leave should my inability to post on the support forums prevent a technical issue from being timely resolved. You may feel more strongly than I do, however, and decide that either the decision itself or the direction it indicates Blizzard is taking is contrary to your preferences. I know a couple of my in game and online friends decided enough was enough and are in the process of cancelling their subscriptions. As a heads up, many of them have reported that the cancelation system is backlogged because of the announcement.
In light of the overwhelming criticism this decision has been buried with, it will be amusing to see if Blizzard cares enough about its forum community and player base to back pedal. I do not suspect they will. At this point, I can only hope that the mandatory use of players' real first and last names on the official forums will be the only terrible decision Blizzard makes in the near future.
Many speclate that this is a first step towards making the use of real life first and last names, or Real ID, mandatory in game. As a parallel, Battle.net started out as "optional" for World of Warcraft players, but now it is a prerequisite for play.
As players' frustration about the looming change grows many people are stuck as to what to do about it. Thankfully, there are a number of steps you can take to express your displeasure at Blizzard's decision about how to govern the use your personal information. First, consider lodging a complaint with the ESRB. All of Blizzard and Activision's major game related websites are Privacy Certified by the ESRB. If you feel the changes coming to the World of Warcraft forums run afoul of that certification, file a complaint using the ESRB's Online Complaint Form.
Second, voice your concerns on the official World of Warcraft forums. The change to using real first and last names has not happened yet and old posts will not be modified when the change occurs, so your personal information is not yet at risk should you post. The posts expressing outrage at Blizzard's proposal have likely already exceeded one hundred thousand, but each customer who posts makes it harder for Blizzard to argue that they listen to their subscribers and address their concerns.
Lastly, if you are incredibly passionate about the issue, you may need to vote with your wallet. I do not plan on canceling my subscription, I will simply forever forgo posting on the official forums. Should, however, Blizzard decide that my real first and last name ought to become a part of my actual game play, I will immediately walk away. I also will be forced to leave should my inability to post on the support forums prevent a technical issue from being timely resolved. You may feel more strongly than I do, however, and decide that either the decision itself or the direction it indicates Blizzard is taking is contrary to your preferences. I know a couple of my in game and online friends decided enough was enough and are in the process of cancelling their subscriptions. As a heads up, many of them have reported that the cancelation system is backlogged because of the announcement.
In light of the overwhelming criticism this decision has been buried with, it will be amusing to see if Blizzard cares enough about its forum community and player base to back pedal. I do not suspect they will. At this point, I can only hope that the mandatory use of players' real first and last names on the official forums will be the only terrible decision Blizzard makes in the near future.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Next Warcraft Expansion: Cataclysm?
The World of Warcraft community is on fire following the release of some "leaked" information regarding the next expansion. According to a post on MMO Champion, the next expansion will be titled Cataclysm and will center around a catastrophic event which will dramatically alter Azeroth's geography. Along with two new races (Goblins and Worgen) and a level 85 cap, the expansion will supposedly largely involve a retooling of old world content for endgame. Check out the full article here, though be warned that if it is accurate it contains some serious spoilers.
Keep in mind that his sort of Pre-Blizzcon speculation is common and often wrong. Hopefully everyone remembers that the Southshore Worgen were practically confirmed as an Alliance race by many bloggers prior to the release of Burning Crusade. Whoops...Draenie! On the other hand, MMO Champion is far from a fly-by-night operation. Also, there is some loose evidence in the game already that may lend credence to the "leaks."
For more speculative goodness, check out MMO Champion's response to the initial backlash as well as some semi-interesting forum posts on the topic here, here, and here. Again, be mindful that many of these discussions are riddled with potential spoilers. Here's looking forward to the curtain being lifted at Blizzcon this weekend.
Keep in mind that his sort of Pre-Blizzcon speculation is common and often wrong. Hopefully everyone remembers that the Southshore Worgen were practically confirmed as an Alliance race by many bloggers prior to the release of Burning Crusade. Whoops...Draenie! On the other hand, MMO Champion is far from a fly-by-night operation. Also, there is some loose evidence in the game already that may lend credence to the "leaks."
For more speculative goodness, check out MMO Champion's response to the initial backlash as well as some semi-interesting forum posts on the topic here, here, and here. Again, be mindful that many of these discussions are riddled with potential spoilers. Here's looking forward to the curtain being lifted at Blizzcon this weekend.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Crusaders' Coliseum Q & A
Blizzard has released a slightly less than comprehensive Q & A about the new Crusaders' Coliseum instances to be released in patch 3.2. Feel free to check out the questions and their respective answers here.
One of the more interesting pieces of information shared is the magic number for tribute run attempts. According to the development team, heroic raiders will be capped at 50 attempts per reset to reach the post instance loot cache. The less of those "wipes" used, the better the loot. It is an interesting system, especially in light of the new instance reset delay feature as guilds will need to choose between using attempt number 20 to try to push past boss number 3 or allowing the instance to reset and starting at boss 1 with a fresh 50.
Unfortunately, the Q & A fails to address one of the most confusing elements of the instance which the developers have alluded to on the forums. Supposedly, different bosses will be introduced to the Coliseum on different weeks. Thus far, the community has been left in the dark as to how this will work and what it means for progress focused raiders. Here's hoping things get cleared up before 3.2 drops later this week.
One of the more interesting pieces of information shared is the magic number for tribute run attempts. According to the development team, heroic raiders will be capped at 50 attempts per reset to reach the post instance loot cache. The less of those "wipes" used, the better the loot. It is an interesting system, especially in light of the new instance reset delay feature as guilds will need to choose between using attempt number 20 to try to push past boss number 3 or allowing the instance to reset and starting at boss 1 with a fresh 50.
Unfortunately, the Q & A fails to address one of the most confusing elements of the instance which the developers have alluded to on the forums. Supposedly, different bosses will be introduced to the Coliseum on different weeks. Thus far, the community has been left in the dark as to how this will work and what it means for progress focused raiders. Here's hoping things get cleared up before 3.2 drops later this week.
Friday, July 24, 2009
The Devolution of PvP
I was trolling the forums this afternoon when I came across a rather interesting thread about the changes in PvP from Vanilla Warcraft to now. The original poster, Legz from Skullcrusher, wanted to know why fewer players take PvP seriously today than back before Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King. The posts that followed drifted around the question and, although there were some interesting responses, few followups actually addressed the questions posed. I will attempt to do so here.
Back when Warcraft was young, PvP combat was only about two things: pride and fun. There was no honor system of any kind until patch 1.4 and the first battle grounds were not in place until patch 1.5. Players engaged in PvP because they enjoyed it and to build up personal notoriety on their servers. Even once rewards were implemented in Vanilla WoW, attaining them was more a matter of status than performance. The rewards were good and exceptionally shiny, but not by any means necessary for rocking other players.
In the shadow of Burning Crusade and again in Wrath of the Lich King the honor system grew more complex and due to mechanical tweaks PvP loot became both more distinct from PvE gear as well as necessary for PvP performance. PvP equipment was no longer a status symbol, but was instead a means to an end, a key to the gates of "endgame PvP." This transformed most PvP into a gear grind and established a system in which only those who had completed the gear grind were truely "competing." This transformed all group PvP except top arena competition and duels into the equivalent of PvE PuGs.
This devolution has left the majority of World of Warcraft players in a spot where winning in PvP is only important in that it shortens the grind needed to gear up for more "serious" PvP. Only a select few finish the grind and ever get to the point where taking things seriously provides any more returns than mindless que and spew. That is why few players take PvP seriously any more, and I honestly cannot blame them.
Back when Warcraft was young, PvP combat was only about two things: pride and fun. There was no honor system of any kind until patch 1.4 and the first battle grounds were not in place until patch 1.5. Players engaged in PvP because they enjoyed it and to build up personal notoriety on their servers. Even once rewards were implemented in Vanilla WoW, attaining them was more a matter of status than performance. The rewards were good and exceptionally shiny, but not by any means necessary for rocking other players.
In the shadow of Burning Crusade and again in Wrath of the Lich King the honor system grew more complex and due to mechanical tweaks PvP loot became both more distinct from PvE gear as well as necessary for PvP performance. PvP equipment was no longer a status symbol, but was instead a means to an end, a key to the gates of "endgame PvP." This transformed most PvP into a gear grind and established a system in which only those who had completed the gear grind were truely "competing." This transformed all group PvP except top arena competition and duels into the equivalent of PvE PuGs.
This devolution has left the majority of World of Warcraft players in a spot where winning in PvP is only important in that it shortens the grind needed to gear up for more "serious" PvP. Only a select few finish the grind and ever get to the point where taking things seriously provides any more returns than mindless que and spew. That is why few players take PvP seriously any more, and I honestly cannot blame them.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
No Triple Specs on the Horizon
In a thread posing some design questions to resident WoW developer Ghostcrawler it was revealed that Blizzard has no intentions of expanding the functionality of the Dual Specialization feature to include additional specs. Check out the thread here. The occasionally coy Blizzard poster opined that spec is supposed to be a long term commitment and not akin to swapping gear.
I am a huge fan of Dual Specializations. Anyone who spends any significant amount of time in the looking for group channel knows that filling every role in a budding group can be a huge pain in the neck. If each hybrid class you recruit can fill two different roles, it makes assembling a pick up group all the easier. It also allows dedicated role classes the chance to spec for PvP and PvE meaning the inconvenience and expense of a respec is never a limiting factor in terms of what content a player chooses to engage.
Even while being grateful for the new feature, in the back of my mind I secretly wanted more. My Druid and Paladin couldn't help but imagine a World of Warcraft in which they could heal, dps, and tank all without a respec. Unfortunately it seems as though additional specialization tabs are simply not to be. Isn't the investment of time and resources needed to cultivate an entirely new armor set a sufficiently "long term comitment" to a particular spec? I would say yes. Consider me slightly disappointed.
I am a huge fan of Dual Specializations. Anyone who spends any significant amount of time in the looking for group channel knows that filling every role in a budding group can be a huge pain in the neck. If each hybrid class you recruit can fill two different roles, it makes assembling a pick up group all the easier. It also allows dedicated role classes the chance to spec for PvP and PvE meaning the inconvenience and expense of a respec is never a limiting factor in terms of what content a player chooses to engage.
Even while being grateful for the new feature, in the back of my mind I secretly wanted more. My Druid and Paladin couldn't help but imagine a World of Warcraft in which they could heal, dps, and tank all without a respec. Unfortunately it seems as though additional specialization tabs are simply not to be. Isn't the investment of time and resources needed to cultivate an entirely new armor set a sufficiently "long term comitment" to a particular spec? I would say yes. Consider me slightly disappointed.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Druid Class Q & A Drops
Blizzard has continued its class based Question and Answer series by turning its sites on Druids. Check out the Druid Q & A here.
To give a quick overview of the information provided, I thought it might be helpful to separate the more interesting tidbits by what they reveal about the past, present, and future of each Druid role.
The Past
In terms of the history of the Druid class, Restoration has been the only spec to maintain endgame PvE viability since release. Bear tanks joined them in Burning Crusade with kitty dps pouncing into the party in Wrath of the Lich King. Balance Druids made great strides in Burning Crusade and have continually improved in terms of endgame PvE performance, but they have still yet to find a solid place to call their own.
As for PvP, although Feral has always been a viable option, Restoration became king with the advent of Burning Crusade and never left its throne. Though Balance has gained many PvP tools during the evolutions which preceded the release of Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King, things have never quite come together the way the developers and players would like.
The Present
The Q & A highlighted several strengths and weaknesses for the Druid class as it exists today. In terms of strengths, Feral dps and tanking roles are both well defined and viable. Though kitty dps is complicated, it is hitting a nice target and fills the needs of players desiring a more involved dps role. Bears are also tanking on par with other tanking classes. Restoration Druids are also excelling, able to fill a wide range of PvE healing roles and hold their own in the Arena.
As for weaknesses, Balance rotations have become boring as a result of the similarities between Wrath and Starfire and Eclipse not cutting the mustard in terms of keeping things interesting. Moonkins are also generally poor performers in PvP. Restoration Druids are apparently spending too much time in Tree of Life Form. Additionally, though the developers are largely happy with Tranquility and Healing Touch, they are not especially pleased with the spells' prominence in the Restoration talent tree.
The Future
In terms of changes, Balance Druids were presented as being the most in need of some help. Unfortunately, it also seemed as though very little changes were on the way. Though there were some hints at shaking up the Moonkin rotation, the developers seem to have no clear road map for making that happen. Some more prominent distinction will ultimately be made between Wrath and Starfire, but it remains to be seen what form that distinction will take. Also, Moonkin PvP survivability needs fixed, but Blizzard doesn't want to simply retool mage spells and doesn't have the time to create something unique. Oh well.
Restoration Druids will likely find themselves shaken out of Tree of Life Form in the distant future. Though Blizzard seems committed to having the form in the game, they do not like that there is little to no incentive for Resto Druids to be in caster form. Possible fixes included beefing up the form and putting it on a cooldown or splitting healing spells between Tree of Life and Caster forms. It is also likely that some PvP nerfs might be hitting Resto in the foreseeable future.
Feral Druids seem to be in a relatively good spot as far as the developers are concerned. Bear survivability will be high in 3.2 and cat form is performing as intended in both PvP and PvE. Likely no significant Feral changes will be coming down the pipe any time soon.
More generally speaking, throughout the entire interview, Ghostcrawler frequently bemoaned the fact that Druids are not shifting often enough and hinted that mana free and perhaps global cooldown free shifts might ultimately be the solution. There were also hints that new art for Travel Form and Aquatic Form may be in the works. Blizzard also intends to stay the course in terms of itemization and keep all Druids in leather whenever possible.
All in all, the Q & A was interesting and promising for everyone except Balance Druids. Here's hoping the future isn't quite as dire for Moonkins as it may seem.
To give a quick overview of the information provided, I thought it might be helpful to separate the more interesting tidbits by what they reveal about the past, present, and future of each Druid role.
The Past
In terms of the history of the Druid class, Restoration has been the only spec to maintain endgame PvE viability since release. Bear tanks joined them in Burning Crusade with kitty dps pouncing into the party in Wrath of the Lich King. Balance Druids made great strides in Burning Crusade and have continually improved in terms of endgame PvE performance, but they have still yet to find a solid place to call their own.
As for PvP, although Feral has always been a viable option, Restoration became king with the advent of Burning Crusade and never left its throne. Though Balance has gained many PvP tools during the evolutions which preceded the release of Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King, things have never quite come together the way the developers and players would like.
The Present
The Q & A highlighted several strengths and weaknesses for the Druid class as it exists today. In terms of strengths, Feral dps and tanking roles are both well defined and viable. Though kitty dps is complicated, it is hitting a nice target and fills the needs of players desiring a more involved dps role. Bears are also tanking on par with other tanking classes. Restoration Druids are also excelling, able to fill a wide range of PvE healing roles and hold their own in the Arena.
As for weaknesses, Balance rotations have become boring as a result of the similarities between Wrath and Starfire and Eclipse not cutting the mustard in terms of keeping things interesting. Moonkins are also generally poor performers in PvP. Restoration Druids are apparently spending too much time in Tree of Life Form. Additionally, though the developers are largely happy with Tranquility and Healing Touch, they are not especially pleased with the spells' prominence in the Restoration talent tree.
The Future
In terms of changes, Balance Druids were presented as being the most in need of some help. Unfortunately, it also seemed as though very little changes were on the way. Though there were some hints at shaking up the Moonkin rotation, the developers seem to have no clear road map for making that happen. Some more prominent distinction will ultimately be made between Wrath and Starfire, but it remains to be seen what form that distinction will take. Also, Moonkin PvP survivability needs fixed, but Blizzard doesn't want to simply retool mage spells and doesn't have the time to create something unique. Oh well.
Restoration Druids will likely find themselves shaken out of Tree of Life Form in the distant future. Though Blizzard seems committed to having the form in the game, they do not like that there is little to no incentive for Resto Druids to be in caster form. Possible fixes included beefing up the form and putting it on a cooldown or splitting healing spells between Tree of Life and Caster forms. It is also likely that some PvP nerfs might be hitting Resto in the foreseeable future.
Feral Druids seem to be in a relatively good spot as far as the developers are concerned. Bear survivability will be high in 3.2 and cat form is performing as intended in both PvP and PvE. Likely no significant Feral changes will be coming down the pipe any time soon.
More generally speaking, throughout the entire interview, Ghostcrawler frequently bemoaned the fact that Druids are not shifting often enough and hinted that mana free and perhaps global cooldown free shifts might ultimately be the solution. There were also hints that new art for Travel Form and Aquatic Form may be in the works. Blizzard also intends to stay the course in terms of itemization and keep all Druids in leather whenever possible.
All in all, the Q & A was interesting and promising for everyone except Balance Druids. Here's hoping the future isn't quite as dire for Moonkins as it may seem.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Changing Factions in World of Warcraft
Well, it is finally in the works. Yesterday, Blizzard announced that a system which would allow players to switch from Alliance to Horde and vice-versa is in the works. Though it was made clear that this change was still early in the development cycle, that has not stopped an explosive response from the Warcraft player base. Check out the official announcement thread here.
From the sound of things, this will be a for cash service similar to server transfers rather than an in game mechanic like the Barber Shop. Though I understand Blizzard's desire to accommodate players who are isolated from their friends dueo to poor faction planning, I believe this change will do more harm than good.
Many servers currently suffer severe faction imbalances not only in terms total of population, but also in terms of the active raiding population. Though paid faction changes may not appreciably contribute to general population imbalance, it will almost certainly add to differences in active raiding populations. Currently, many hardcore players use paid server transfers to escape a server where there faction is inferior. Those who stay either simply do not want to pay for a character transfer or have no desire to abandon their server. Paid faction changes will add the latter to an already marked faction based skilled player exodus being experienced on many imbalanced servers.
Obviously there is plenty of time for Blizzard to craft its new feature to combat this unfortunate effect, but considering the transfers will be paid there is little incentive for Blizzard to burden its use. As a faction on a particular server falls further into the gutter, more players will pay for transfers which increases the profitability of the new system. With the world PvP currently being nearly non-existent and instance based PvP being based on Battle Groups, players on the overwhelmingly powerful server will have little to complain about. Hopefully this service gets canned before it is released, but considering it has already been announced I am far from optimistic.
From the sound of things, this will be a for cash service similar to server transfers rather than an in game mechanic like the Barber Shop. Though I understand Blizzard's desire to accommodate players who are isolated from their friends dueo to poor faction planning, I believe this change will do more harm than good.
Many servers currently suffer severe faction imbalances not only in terms total of population, but also in terms of the active raiding population. Though paid faction changes may not appreciably contribute to general population imbalance, it will almost certainly add to differences in active raiding populations. Currently, many hardcore players use paid server transfers to escape a server where there faction is inferior. Those who stay either simply do not want to pay for a character transfer or have no desire to abandon their server. Paid faction changes will add the latter to an already marked faction based skilled player exodus being experienced on many imbalanced servers.
Obviously there is plenty of time for Blizzard to craft its new feature to combat this unfortunate effect, but considering the transfers will be paid there is little incentive for Blizzard to burden its use. As a faction on a particular server falls further into the gutter, more players will pay for transfers which increases the profitability of the new system. With the world PvP currently being nearly non-existent and instance based PvP being based on Battle Groups, players on the overwhelmingly powerful server will have little to complain about. Hopefully this service gets canned before it is released, but considering it has already been announced I am far from optimistic.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Totems, Totems, Totems!
A new interface modification for World of Warcraft's Shamans has been announced on the WoW forums: the Totem Bar. Though you can check out the official announcement thread here, the followup thread here lays all of the changes out and provides additional information on the bars mechanics.
The Totem Bar will appear similar to a Druid's shapeshift bar, but will be customizable and able to hold up to one of each of a Shaman's elemental totems. It will also have a button for Totemic Call which is being renamed Call of Earth. The most interesting feature of the bar, however, is a button tied to a new Shaman ability: Call of Fire.
Available at level 30, Call of Fire will drop all totems on the Shaman's Totem Bar at once on a single global cooldown. The mana cost will be the same as if each totem were cast individually and any totems on cooldown will simply be skipped. New abilities Call of Water and Call of Air will also be trainable at higher levels and will function the same as Call of Fire. This will allow an endgame Shaman to design three preset totem dumps and call on them at will without blowing a ton of cooldowns.
Though this change doesn't address Shaman concerns about the survivability of totems, it sure goes a long way to help Shaman mobility without sacrificing the existing totem mechanics. I also would not be surprised if the Totem Bar that is introduced in the Public Test Realms will be a different creature than the one which ultimately drops in Patch 3.2 or beyond. Regardless, it is enough of a buff to make me revisit my Shaman alt. Frost Shock!
The Totem Bar will appear similar to a Druid's shapeshift bar, but will be customizable and able to hold up to one of each of a Shaman's elemental totems. It will also have a button for Totemic Call which is being renamed Call of Earth. The most interesting feature of the bar, however, is a button tied to a new Shaman ability: Call of Fire.
Available at level 30, Call of Fire will drop all totems on the Shaman's Totem Bar at once on a single global cooldown. The mana cost will be the same as if each totem were cast individually and any totems on cooldown will simply be skipped. New abilities Call of Water and Call of Air will also be trainable at higher levels and will function the same as Call of Fire. This will allow an endgame Shaman to design three preset totem dumps and call on them at will without blowing a ton of cooldowns.
Though this change doesn't address Shaman concerns about the survivability of totems, it sure goes a long way to help Shaman mobility without sacrificing the existing totem mechanics. I also would not be surprised if the Totem Bar that is introduced in the Public Test Realms will be a different creature than the one which ultimately drops in Patch 3.2 or beyond. Regardless, it is enough of a buff to make me revisit my Shaman alt. Frost Shock!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
3.2 Profession Changes
Every World of Warcraft profession will be getting a bump in their related perks with the release of patch 3.2. Check out the announcement thread here.
Blacksmiths will have new epic gems to fill their bonus sockets and both Toughness and Master of Anatomy will receive numeric bumps. Enchanter's ring enchants will also be getting a stat boost while Jewel Crafters will see increased returns on their Dragon's Eye gems. The Inscription profession will see a bump to their exclusive shoulder inscriptions while Tailors will have access to improved embroidery options. Engineering glove enhancements have also been targeted for improvement.
Alchemists and Herbalists will see the most involved changes. For Alchemists, Mixologists will be able to get more out of Northrend flasks. A new profession specific recipe for a PvP flask will also be available for purchase. Lastly, in a semi-debuff, Endless Healing Potions and Endless Mana Potions will be more potent and have a shorter cooldown, but they will also be banned from the Arenas. Sorry Alchemists.
Herbalists, on the other hand, will see a new and much improved Lifeblood which scales with maximum health, doesn't trigger a global cool-down, and has a higher base heal. Congratulations Herbalists.
Obviously it is hard to gauge the effect of these changes before specific numbers are available, but aside from Alchemists (sorry again) there is certainly nothing to worry about here.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Mount Changes Confirmed
Bornakk's hints have rather quickly matured into cold hard facts regarding mount changes coming up in the next major World of Warcraft content patch. Check out the thread detailing the changes here.
Long story short, mount required levels and prices have been dropped across the board. Regular mounts can now be purchased at level 20 for a total cost of 5 gold (for training and the mount itself). Epic mounts can be bought at level 40 for 60 gold. Flying mounts are available at level 60 for 650 gold. Lastly, epic flying mounts can be purchased at level 70 for 5,100 gold. Faction discounts also now apply to flying mounts.
There have also been some tweaks to flying mount speeds. Regular flying mounts now increase speed by 150% in the air and 60% on the ground while epic fliers clock in at 280% and 100% respectively. Obviously Druid flight form and Paladin/Warlock mount summoning spells have also had their minimum level requirements reduced. You will also be able to mount up in 1.5 seconds rather than 3.
This should make the leveling process much more painless post 3.2. Though many have thus far focused on the benefit to players level 20-30, I would imagine the biggest difference will apply to characters from level 40-70. Being able to go at 100% speed from level 40-60 will make the longest leveling haul in the game much more bearable. Also, being able to fly the moment you set foot in Outland is certainly nothing to scoff at.
Long story short, mount required levels and prices have been dropped across the board. Regular mounts can now be purchased at level 20 for a total cost of 5 gold (for training and the mount itself). Epic mounts can be bought at level 40 for 60 gold. Flying mounts are available at level 60 for 650 gold. Lastly, epic flying mounts can be purchased at level 70 for 5,100 gold. Faction discounts also now apply to flying mounts.
There have also been some tweaks to flying mount speeds. Regular flying mounts now increase speed by 150% in the air and 60% on the ground while epic fliers clock in at 280% and 100% respectively. Obviously Druid flight form and Paladin/Warlock mount summoning spells have also had their minimum level requirements reduced. You will also be able to mount up in 1.5 seconds rather than 3.
This should make the leveling process much more painless post 3.2. Though many have thus far focused on the benefit to players level 20-30, I would imagine the biggest difference will apply to characters from level 40-70. Being able to go at 100% speed from level 40-60 will make the longest leveling haul in the game much more bearable. Also, being able to fly the moment you set foot in Outland is certainly nothing to scoff at.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Incoming Mount Changes?
Blizzard poster Bornakk tipped his hand ever so slightly today revealing that some sort of mount change for lower level players is on the way in the relatively near future. Though he remained tight lipped on any of the details, he did very clearly assert that an announcement regarding mounts would be coming soon. Check out the thread in which he let's things slip here.
The safe bet would be to assume another drop in minimum mount level from 30 to perhaps 20 or 25. The fact that the change is at least buzz-worthy, however, means that low level World of Warcraft players may be in for a very pleasant surprise. Could epic mounts soon be available at lower levels? Consider me and my many alts incredibly interested.
The safe bet would be to assume another drop in minimum mount level from 30 to perhaps 20 or 25. The fact that the change is at least buzz-worthy, however, means that low level World of Warcraft players may be in for a very pleasant surprise. Could epic mounts soon be available at lower levels? Consider me and my many alts incredibly interested.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Great Post: Kologarn and Yogg-Saron
I came across a great thread in the Warcraft General Discussion Forums earlier today and wanted to share it with everyone. It is a hypothetical discussion between Kologarn and Yogg-Saron discussing the need to guard the Shattered Walkway. I find it hilarious and it is definitely worth a quick read. Well done Crawford of Gorefiend.
This post simply begs for a machinima adaptation. I'll be crossing my fingers that someone will run with it.
This post simply begs for a machinima adaptation. I'll be crossing my fingers that someone will run with it.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Healer Friendly UI Mods on the Way?
Last night, Ghostcrawler, one of Blizzard's more active blue posters, hopped into a thread griping about Warcraft's default User Interface. Though he did not address any specific changes or even confirm that changes were incoming, he did mention that the default raid UI is something Blizzard is "discussing a lot right now." He also indicated that he wanted to get additional feedback on using the default UI specifically with regard to healing. Feel free to check out the thread here and share your concerns.
The ridiculous number of UI mods floating around has always been a testament to the inadequacy of Blizzard's default, but really, that is no surprise. Azeroth is a complicated place and Blizzard has many, many mechanics which require scrutiny and attention. Of course dedicated fans who are limited as to what they can modify and have unlimited time will be able to produce something more sophisticated and in line with player desires than Blizzard can ever hope to. Even if Blizzard modifies the UI to be more accommodating to raid healers, I would expect that changes will suffer from Equipment Manager syndrome. Sure it will be better than what we had before (nothing), but it will still be an inferior product to the add-ons Blizzard tries to copy in the first place.
The ridiculous number of UI mods floating around has always been a testament to the inadequacy of Blizzard's default, but really, that is no surprise. Azeroth is a complicated place and Blizzard has many, many mechanics which require scrutiny and attention. Of course dedicated fans who are limited as to what they can modify and have unlimited time will be able to produce something more sophisticated and in line with player desires than Blizzard can ever hope to. Even if Blizzard modifies the UI to be more accommodating to raid healers, I would expect that changes will suffer from Equipment Manager syndrome. Sure it will be better than what we had before (nothing), but it will still be an inferior product to the add-ons Blizzard tries to copy in the first place.
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