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Armory Stats - Character Item Level Distribution
Today we are taking a look at the item level distribution of Level 90 characters. There are 5.5 million characters and 2 million accounts that were active after November 1, 2013 that make up this sample. Main character is defined as the highest item level character on an account. The All Characters category has been scaled down to 37% of its true value to be easier to compare to Main Characters.

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Addon - Timeless Answers
If you are still doing the lore question daily quest (A Timeless Question) on Timeless Isle, the Timeless Answers addon may be helpful. It will automatically select the correct answer for you!




Blue Tweets
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
Classes
I'm so sad you are leaving. However unbalanced things are,I must thank you for making my paladin viable after TBC's horror.
Things are pretty balanced. It's fine for players to like BC class design, but it wasn't balance they liked. (Source)
things are not balanced at all what even
They are balanced enough. You can play any spec and progress meaningfully in PvE or PvP. (Source)
it's true but you have to walk a fine line between balanced and unique I felt classes lost a lot of unique sadly
We do too, and that's one of the advantages of a larger mythic raid size. (Source)
The alternative was some specs were just never going to get brought to a group, esp. a 10 player raid. Maybe would be better? (Source)

I know correlation isn't causation, but when came in, Frost was relegated to PvP, and as he leaves it's strong in PvE.
It was a philosophy change. Early on some specs were intended for PvP or PvE. I have no real objections to that model either. (Source)

I never understood after dual spec was added why you guys didn't stop trying to balance pve and pvp and just have a pvp spec
Some Frost mages and Sub rogues want to PvE with that spec. Not saying that's the best design, but that was the motivation. (Source)

I thought it was added because bosses were winding up with some needing 2 heal and some needing 3.
Dual spec was added because at the time, tanks and healers were terrible solo. That is less true today. (Source)

Is it possible for stacked CDs give diminishing returns, so that stacking CDs has higher burst, but lower dps? Unintuitive?
That is one solution. Another is just shared cooldowns. (Source)

Real question, so don't laugh. You think they will ever let hunters/locks gear pets, example collars with stats ?
Would there be sufficient gameplay there though? Wouldn't you just stack haste or int or your best stat? (Source)

Making some classes deliberately subpar was not a great thing, but some old mechanics were better
We're always happy to discuss old mechanics that you miss. I don't think it's e.g. short term blessings or Shadowbolt spam. (Source)

Why is this argument acceptable for some things and unacceptable for others? The issue of ability bloat, for instance.
Well for example, we changed talents and lost some players who preferred the old model. Same would be true of a large spell purge. (Source)
Yes, but, in theory if the change was actually better for the game you'd recoup any subscriber losses with gains, correct?
Theoretically. But hard to argue that cutting 20% of abilities (for example) would directly lead to many new or returning players. (Source)

Hunter (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
Mana was never a issue and MoP hunter model was the worst yet. I think the LK/Cata hunter was much more fun
I prefer the MoP hunter, but obviously it's subjective. (Source)

Priest (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
I made a twitter account just to ask one question: do you not see a problem btwn Holy vs Disc. HPriest here.
Disc is too versatile, esp. in 10s, and Atonement is too good at healing for no real mana cost. I've said that for awhile. (Source)

Dear Greg.. buddy... from Hpriest to another Hpriest, let's do something about our mana regen
I think it feels about right TBH. Mistweavers and Disc can get away with too little regen. (Source)

g/f keeps telling me holy is terribad compared to disc. what makes you stick to holy? ps. armory link?
Holy is fine. CoH and Divine Hymn can do things that Disc can't. I would agree Disc is too versatile, esp. in 10s. (Source)

Rogue (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
not sure this is your dept but why are rogue combo points still unique to the target and not the rogue like pally holy power
Target switching was always seen as a skill test for the rogue. You can argue it's archaic, but that was the design. (Source)

UI / Addons
along with millions of others, thanks! One if the best game additions ever.
Transmog needs a better UI and collection mechanic, but it will get one eventually. (Source)

Have you considered making "fire" in raids easier to see like static neon circles/boxes where it would/is happening?
Putting too many UI elements right in the world takes away from the world itself. It can look ugly. (Source)

PvE
Any plans in WoD for improving the endgame for people who don't like organized raiding?
It's something we discuss a lot but coming up with something fun and challenging has proven difficult. (Source)

Misc
Currently its raid or die.. while there is a lot more the game should be about. Low level content was abandoned too early
You mean like someone would go play a new level 40 dungeon? Or that leveling should be slower and less focused on finishing? (Source)

Have Blizzard ever thought about releasing a sequel to an expansion? Like 'Wrath of the Lich King 2' ?
It's always a balance between revisiting things players remember fondly and avoiding that rehashed feeling. (Source)

Dark Legacy Comics - #418
DLC #418 has been released!

This article was originally published in forum thread: Armory Stats - Character Item Levels, Timeless Answers Addon, Blue Tweets, DLC #418 started by chaud View original post
Comments 87 Comments
  1. Alternategray's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by corebit View Post
    The bump in the 56x region doesn't mean there are more Heroic raiders. It simply means most people upgrade their Normal gear which becomes 561, and Ordos gear and Legendary cloak helps to bump the total ilvl up as well.

    So even a Flex raider with upgraded items, Cloak, plus some luck from the Celestials and Ordos would put him/her at 560+ item level easily.
    It would take a little bit more than that, you'd have to have some normal items in there as well; I believe it's impossible to break 560 without doing normal SoO. With 4 559 Ordos pieces, 2 553 tier from celestials, the legendary cloak, and everything else flex (and with all gear upgraded) the ilvl would be 558.

    Edit: nevermind, I was assuming you'd stick with 4-pc tier over Ordos. If someone went balls-to-the-wall Ordos gear, 1 553 tier gloves, legendary cloak and the rest Flex they'd be at 561. Although that's gonna be fairly rare I imagine.

    I agree that you're probably right about the heroic raiding; I'd think the bump is probably people hitting the Normal gear cap. Complete set of upgraded Normal gear plus cloak is 564. Assuming most raiders are missing a piece or two and have a warforged here or there, it works out.
  1. Shudder's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Mormolyce View Post
    Facepalm.

    That's not the total subscriber count, that's the sample taken for this survey.
    Um. Awkward. You do realize 4-5 million play in china right? So 2-3 million is the actual sub count for the west.
  1. Shaede's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Shudder View Post
    Um. Awkward. You do realize 4-5 million play in china right? So 2-3 million is the actual sub count for the west.
    Source on that?
  1. Shudder's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Cipero View Post
    Source on that?
    /facepalm
    10char
  1. Alzalad's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Kromus View Post
    PvE
    Any plans in WoD for improving the endgame for people who don't like organized raiding?


    For real? They added LFR precisely for that genre of player, who wanted more endgame content. And in the process created the WORST feature I've experienced in the game. Absolutely terrible. People walking into raids with no knowledge, idea of their class and abilities nor the bosses, and expect to be carried and handed loot.

    I wish they would go back to the way things used to be. You got max level, you went to raid, or in later additions, you went and PVP'd. Maybe you enjoyed dungeons, maybe you made gold.

    If none of it appealed to you, you stopped playing the game and went to something else.

    Blizzard need to stop morphing the game to cater to everyone, and put resources into what made the game grea,t and that was endgame raiding. They need to stop catering for every level and everyone. If people arn't willing to organise a raid, put the hours in, or even research a boss, they shouldnt be raiding, end off.
    Here, let me help you with your own words: If LFR doesn’t appeal to you, stop doing LFR and go to something else. If people aren’t willing to put up with LFR raiders, put the hours in (for the learning! for the wipes!), they shouldn’t be doing LFR, end off.

    You seem to assume every LFR raider is automatically a clueless moron, which is moronic in itself. Do you wanna tell us anything about the times you tried LFR?

    TL;DR: Don’t like it, don’t do it.

    I for one could care less about the item level race post last raid, so LFR suits me just fine. You can’t assume because of that that I don’t care for playing my class properly or reading up on the encounters beforehand.

    As for “catering to everyone”: like it or not, WoW is a business. With all this talk of it losing subscriptions, do you honestly think it would be logical for Blizzard to try to attract less customers? As the current trend doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, I’ll use your words again: if the game in its current state doesn’t appeal to you, you stop playing the game and go to something else.
  1. seebs's Avatar
    how do they know which characters belong to which account?
  1. Emily314's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by seebs View Post
    how do they know which characters belong to which account?
    Not sure where they get their info from, but when you look someone up on wowprogress it tells you what other characters that person has.

    This is how our raid check people out when they say...my main has done such and such

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