Thread: Tier 10 Priests & Paladins, 3.3 Tutorials, Blue Posts

Tier 10 Priest - HD Preview
It took some time but the multi-race screenshots for the Priest set are now available. Just like all the preview, the resolution is stupidly high.

Tier 10 Paladin - Preview
Oh Paladins ... You took away so many hours of my week-end ... Time to explain a few things!

The screenshot of the Tier 10 Paladin set I posted a few days ago had pants, and a pretty pink helm. I displayed this version of the set because it was the only one where the models/textures were linked to actual in-game item (even if they aren't implemented yet). I checked the files more carefully and had to figure out a few things.

The Pink helm
The pink reflection on the helm is obviously a bug, check the blue version of the set if you want to see how the helm looks like.

Robe or not ?
A few NPCs already use the Tier 10 Paladin set .... with a robe! I decided to use this model until Blizzard reveals if the final version of the set will use a robe or not. The legs just look strange and I'll just try to forget about them for the moment.

Multi-race ?
Not gonna happen. The set is in early beta and I don't want anyone to think it's the final version, for the time being enjoy the new screenshots!

Patch 3.3 - Tutorials and Lag Report
The latest PTR Build greatly modified the tutorials on new characters. They're now much more useful and it will probably make the life of new players a little easier.

A new button was also added to the interface, it will let you report lag issues faster to the Gamemasters.

Hallow's End Achievement Issue
[blizzquote="Bornakk;http://blue.mmo-champion.com/20/20566358390-hallows-end-achievement-issue.html]We have recently applied a hotfix that should no longer cause certain Candy Buckets to affect a character's ability to complete the Trick or Treats of Eastern Kingdoms, Kalimdor and Outlands for Hallow's End. Characters are now free to get candy from any location they have not yet gathered from and can complete the achievements. [/blizzquote"]


Blue posts

Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment

Skipping Crowd Control in Raids
Not many people were skipping CC for Ulduar when it first launched. Now if you're overgearing content, you're overgearing content. ToC doesn't have trash, though if you are ignoring CC for heroic champs, I'd be interesting in seeing it. Yes, the CC has PvP-like DR, but that makes smart CC an even bigger component of the fight, not something to be ignored lightly. Icecrown is a traditional yet massive and epic instance. There will be trash. (Source)

Icecrown Hard Modes and Trophy System
As other players have pointed out, the "medium" difficulty comes at doing some of the easier bosses in heroic mode. ToC only has 5 encounters, so there isn't a ton of granularity. Icecrown has more (though not 31) so we can provide more granularity.

I also have a hunch that some of the bosses on normal mode are going to be more challenging than the final boss of ToC normal for the same reason.

We have a couple of tweaks to the trophy system for Icecrown that we think capture the best of both the Ulduar and ToC systems. (Source)

Icecrown "harder" than Trial of the Crusader
They are harder in an absolute sense because they hit harder and have more health. They are not harder (for the most part) in a relative sense because you probably have better gear now than when you first went into ToC. Our goal is not to let players raid all the up until Icecrown and then throw a gate in front of them that says "Must be this elite to ride this ride."

Now, if you are that elite, Arthas heroic says hi. (Source)

Death Knight
Scourge Strike
We're not going to let an attack that ignores armor do the same damage as an attack that is reduced by armor. The problem is that when armor gets reduced, a physical attack hits for more while a magical attack does not. The answer I keep reading is "Just buff Scourge Strike." No. It can't do more base damage as long as it bypasses armor.

Armor pen as a stat on gear is going away. The concept of reducing armor (through say Battle Stance or Sunder Armor) is not going away. It's entirely possible a spec or two might improve their armor pen through the Mastery feature. Even if it was going away, magical attacks still can't hit as hard as physical attacks. There would be no reason to have physical attacks.

At a very high level there are two options: Scourge Strike hits at X damage but respects armor, or Scourge Strike hits at X*0.5 and ignores armor. Talents etc. can modify this, but they all have their individual budgets too. (Source)

Druid
Feral Druid changes on PTRs
We made the change to discourage a very specific form of gameplay. Specifically, this was:

1. Get the proc, but don't use it.
2. Build up 5 more cps on the target.
3. Now Cyclone before you do another finishing move.
4. Let your energy fill to full.
5. As soon as the Cyclone ends, unleash a huge Ferocious Bite with 5 cps and full energy.

Aside from the very high damage of an almost unpreventable Ferocious Bite, this way of using the proc worked counter to what we were trying to encourage. It's often easy for melee classes to get tunnel vision and just unleash every attack on the same target rather than switching targets or otherwise responding to what is going on in the fight. We'd rather see the proc get used to Cyclone say a healer or someone chasing your teammates.

In short, the intent was to give cats more team utility, not to give them a delivery mechanism for guaranteed full Ferocious Bites. With this change it will be risky or impossible to sit on the proc for long. (Source)

Nature's Grace
I agree Nature's Grace is a big part of the problem here. We changed Gift of the Earth Mother for pretty similar reasons. However, Nature's Grace is a Really Big Deal. We honestly keep talking about changing it, but we're also paranoid about screwing it up because Balance dps is dependent on it. NG is probably an overbudget talent, but in this case if we nerfed iit, we'd have to mess with Balance in a lot of other areas to compensate. We'll almost certainly do it at some point, but I worry about messing with it for 3.3. (Source)

Comics
Dark Legacy Comic #211 and Teh Gladiators #97 are out!

WHERE IS SHAMAN TIER 10!?
Srsly!

Edit: having read the post, this made me anxious: "Now, if you are that elite, Arthas heroic says hi."
GG

Awesome... liking the tutorial advancements

Lol, pretty sure that that Lag option doesnt lead to anything, you just press it to have a feeling something is being done instead of bothering GMs about it

Meh front view doesn't give the pally helm justice

Hahaha, DLC cracks me up every sunday!

Priest - Ever sense I can remember I've been pop'n my collar. :P

Gief shaman tier 10 already!!1!1!!one!1!

Ah...paladin Tier 10 looks like Lavaman Restrained. I would love for the skull faceplate to slide down, but it seems it won't.

Originally Posted by Jurre

WHERE IS SHAMAN TIER 10?!

Possibly the best DLC of all time.