Muffins Presents Cataclysm Part 2: Eastern Kingdoms
Muffins released a 2nd video preview of Cataclysm, it focuses on the Maelstrom/Eastern Kingdoms and is as good as the first one posted a few weeks ago.





Grim Batol Screenshots and Dungeon Loot
Grim Batol is now active on beta servers and players can explore the instance as they wish (flying mounts work there apparently), here are a couple of screenshots from this dungeon.


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Now that all dungeons are now active on beta realms (more on that later), a lot of items have been discovered on PTRs. I cannot sort them by instance yet but lvl 85 normal instances are definitely dropping ilvl 333 loot. Couple of issues with the new in-game cache format, we'll stick to screenshots for the moment.

Models aren't implemented yet.





Blue Posts
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment

Death Knight (Forums / 3.3.5 Talent Calculator / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Beta Skills/Talents)
Pestilence
We're starting to think that the ship has just sailed on Pestilence. As I said, our original intent was that Blood Boil be the main AE attack, but now we're considering making Blood Boil more for tanking, letting Frost use Howling Blast and letting Unholy use Pestilence, because, you know, diseases.

That is a really great idea. Have you given any thought as to how you would implement it? Like would Unholy be the only spec that could spread full strenght diseases?
Something like that. Full strength might be too powerful, but we'll see. Unholy still has a few too many talents like Improved Icy Touch and Corrupting Strikes, so this might be a good replacement (though likely deeper than those two examples). (Source)

Paladin (Forums / 3.3.5 Talent Calculator / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Beta Skills/Talents)
Retribution Mastery
We have actually changed Retribution's mastery. Having both it and Inquisition boost Holy damage was giving too much power to things like Exorcism (over which you have very little control) and not enough to things like Templar's Verdict (which is supposed to be the centerpiece of your rotation). The new mastery will emphasize Templar's Verdict more. (Source)
Warlock (Forums / 3.3.5 Talent Calculator / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Beta Skills/Talents)
Warlock Pets
While we generally still want to adhere to the goal of Felhunter = Affliction, Felguard = Demo, Imp = Destro, we want everyone to use their other demons sometimes too. That involved making a lot of changes.

For starters, their damage and survivability will move closer together. We want the decision to be more about utility of their abilities than dps or squishiness. Under the new scaling model, the Imp and Succubus have health, mana and armor not too far off from the Felhunter.

We tried out the Imp doing friendly damage when he dispelled because we thought it was interesting for the demonic feel, but we have already removed it. We also tried an ability to knock allies out of CC that break on damage, but we now think that would be too powerful. Currently the Imp still does a dispel on allies.

We wanted to split Devour Magic into offensive and defensive components or else we felt like the Felhunter would always be the obvious choice for PvP. Now you can choose between having an off-the-GCD silence / interrupt and an offensive dispel / purge -or- having a defensive dispel, increases health and an escape tool.

Like everything else in beta, these are subject to change. We're close to being able to get more max-level PvP feedback and will buff or nerf abilities accordingly. (Source)
This article was originally published in forum thread: Cataclysm Part 2: EK, Grim Batol, Dungeon Loot, Blue Posts started by Boubouille View original post
Comments 74 Comments
  1. Matik's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by pbean View Post
    If those stats resemble the general direction of stats on gear in Cataclysm, I'm definitely going to stop playing. Those stats do not look exciting at all. Everything is mastery, plus strength or agility, plus stamina, plus hit or dodge. Nothing else on it. The stats on items on Wotlk and TBC were way more exciting. I think the simplification of stats is really going to kill it for me.
    Pretty sure some of it is placeholder, including the trinkets.
  1. Gudgid's Avatar
    I wish the spell sword wasn't a sword, or that shaman could equip swords in Cataclysm.
  1. Frozenbeef's Avatar
    1500 spell power from one item....imagine that in wotlk :P
  1. Leftineus's Avatar
    That video was awesome!
  1. mmoc7a7ff5695d's Avatar
    We should be very close to a release date considering that all dungeons and zones are in beta!
    Can't wait anymore!
  1. Sollace's Avatar
    Om nom DK weapon
  1. Yazus's Avatar
    Anyone noticed they changed the Mastery for Pallies?
  1. Cyfoeth's Avatar
    I'm -loving- that staff. And yeah, that's much better than current gear, though I'm not ICC-geared. Right now, my weapon+offhand give around 700 spellpower w/Enchants. That gives (if the Int :: Spellpower ratio is 1:1) 1800+. Wow.
  1. Rakkam's Avatar
    So retribution will be fecked up the ass even more then it is allready?
    Instead of a mastery that increases the damage of holy wrath, exo, conc, judgements, wich was only half our damage, it will now benefit just Templars Verdict? A move usable after 12 seconds of combat? A physical move that is mitigated for 60% by tanks and 40 % by other plate users while DK's get masterys that bypass armor.

    Blizzard, For fecks sake, you really want every retribution pala to reroll huh, well Im going to FF14 you can kiss my money goodbye.
  1. Smolderthorn's Avatar
    Rakkam stop being such a drama queen >.>
  1. Strafer's Avatar
    Them stats.

  1. jangkun's Avatar
    so lvl 85 dongeon rops lvl83 items?
  1. Envojus's Avatar
    Remember that weapons will be much more important for casters than before, making a bigger gap between tiers in spellpower in weapons, to make spellcaster weapons just as important as melee weapons for melee clasess.
  1. Vasz's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by jangkun View Post
    so lvl 85 dongeon rops lvl83 items?
    Because its a normal dungeon. I would think the HC version will drop lvl 85 gear.
  1. Vashdakari's Avatar
    That video was amazing. I was quite saddened when i saw the remnants of South Shore But then i saw Redridge and Westfall and all was well again; almost.
  1. jangkun's Avatar
    I always though lvl70 and 80 dongeons dropped same lvl gear and higher quality for H but after verifying you're totally true
  1. Jonin's Avatar
    Damn that video was nice. I want to play this now!
  1. hazzy's Avatar
    I thought they were getting rid of expertise and spell power on items?
  1. Throrion's Avatar
    So wait, level 85 normals drop level 83 loot?
  1. mmoc9253cef1ab's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by furydeath View Post
    What's wrong with a melee mage? They have melee hunters.
    Remember Jaina in HoR?

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