Monk Challenge Mode Set, New Specialization Screen, Blue Posts, 2012 Arena Pass

[chaud]

Update - Added the Monk Challenge Mode Armor Set Preview and an early preview screenshot of the Challenge Mode UI.

Also Today - - Another 250,000 Beta Invites Are Heading Out

Monk Challenge Mode Set
Today we have a higher quality preview of the new Monk Challenge Mode set with more angles and the missing belt. A video is coming soon available!

New Specialization Screen
As of the last Beta patch, new specialization screens were introduced that only show a limited amount of information for each specialization, rather than all of the spells you gain from it. See the New Specialization Screen blue post for details!

Blue Posts

Red Pandaren Male Tail
Though we've added red pandaren males, we intend the tail to be unique to female pandaren. We like it this way. We like the distinction. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Additional Void Storage
Sorry, but we don't have any current plans for extending void storage. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

New Specialization Screen
We are going to show you all the spells you get (for each spec) in the spellbook. If you are a priest, you can compare the full Holy spellbook (meaning class + spec spells) to the full Disc and Shadow spellbook whenever you'd like.

The problem we had with the previous specialization UI is that it was overwhelming with so many icons scrolling on to multiple pages, many of which you might not get until many levels later. You couldn't get a snapshot of what a given spec was about. It made what was supposed to be a fun choice at level 10 feel like homework as you had to analyze a dozen or more spells and then compare them to the other specs. Players' leveling experiences were grinding to a halt as they were asked to make this important decision based on tons of information that needed to be processed.

We also found that we were making class design decisions solely to clean up the spec UI, which isn't a great reason to make design decisions. Furthermore, some of the core abilities (PW: Shield for Disc for example) weren't listed at all because they are class-wide spells not spec spells.

By comparison think about how little information the game offers you when you pick a class for the first time. It doesn't tell you what ability warriors will get at level 60. Yet plenty of players still try out warriors and all other classes based on some hints and some assumptions about how the various classes will work.

And if you really, really need to see all the available spells to make your decision, they will be there, but in the spellbook instead. In that situation you are going looking for the information rather than it being poured onto you.

TLDR: The spec page is intended to be representational while the spellbook is informational. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Scarlet Monastery Gear Models
We're going to look into this, as we feel that there are a lot of great items from the original Scarlet Monastery that we don't really want to remove from the Heroic version. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Monk (Forums)
Scaling issues
All Monk attacks scale with weapon damage and AP, but tooltips won't list the weapon damage % or AP coefficient. Tooltips will just list the expected damage value. Behind the scenes, we account for your weapon DPS to determine the damage that your attacks will do, making it so that you can choose whatever weapon type you want (Dual Wield or 2-Hand, for example).

That said, a number of attacks right now don't have proper scaling or damage values as the design of the abilities are still in flux. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Brewmaster feedback
A couple of updates for you:

• Shuffle -- We're considering a test of removing the channel aspect of Shuffle. We think a channel mitigation ability is cool and different from other tanks, but it's problematic if Shuffle's short cooldown results in you spending all your time channeling it. That said, we might change our minds and make Shuffle a longer cooldown again.
• Mastery -- We're thinking about changing mastery to reduce the initial damage taken rather than the stagger periodic (again, if we keep the current design).

(Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

[Monk] Chi spheres... some thoughts and ideas
We're going to change it so that Chi Spheres are only viewable by the monk who summons them.

Thank you for your feedback! (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Priest (Forums)
The Amputation of Discipline
"Amputation" is a strange word in this context. Is it the new gutted?

I think you guys can tell what we're trying to do with Spirit Shell. We want Disc to have a spammable absorb that isn't as powerful as the instant Power Word: Shield. Spamming an instant absorb is just really hard to balance, which is why we have constantly had to nerf it over the years. We want a model where Disc can cast Spirit Shell often, and use PW: Shield for more critical cases... much like a Flash Heal. Currently on beta, Spirit Shell is lackluster because it's trying to fill the Heal role, but that's never going to be a really exciting role for a spell. We are going to try letting it fill the Greater Heal role instead. It should absorb for a lot, and if the absorb expires or is dispelled, then the heal will still kick in.

We agree that Rapture was a cool mechanic for Discipline, and we'd like to add it back, but have it scale with Spirit, so that Disc priests don't neglect Spirit on their gear (or worse, get mad at us when priest gear that they share with Holy has Spirit on it).

We have already changed PW:Barrier to have a mana cost similar to Divine Hymn. We want to lower the mana cost of Mass Dispel, but it is so potent with the new dispel model that it may require a cooldown to compensate. Mana costs as a whole are something we are going to continue to adjust. I said last week that we thought heal costs were in a good place, but then folks running through dungeons and raids told us they couldn't cast their big heals, so something isn't quite right. Remember the goal is for mana management to be more forgiving than it was in early Cataclysm, but not be irrelevant in later tiers. If it doesn't feel that way yet, then it is just because we still have more work to do.

We still have some other changes to make. We're not happy with some of the priest talents yet, and the glyphs aren't finished. The glyph of Penance is pretty unappetizing. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

New Character Creation Screen Feedback

As of the latest beta patch, the character creation screen has been updated. This update features a number of improvements including streamlined menus, gear set previews, and thumbnails representing each character customization option (skin color, face, hair style, hair color, etc).

Given how much has changed, we'd like to get your feedback on what you like, what you don't like, and what elements of the new UI you feel could benefit from further tuning. Specifically, we'd love to hear your opinions on the following updates:

• The new gear preview. During the first step of the character creation process, we now display your character in a high-level armor set specific to the class you've selected. Your character will appear in its normal starting gear only after you've confirmed your race, class, and gender and moved to step two (appearance customization).
• The movement of class and race information from the selection menus to a new "More Info" button located on the bottom-left of the screen.
• The thumbnails for each character customization option.

Please feel free to weigh in on other aspects of the UI, as well. Thank you in advance for your feedback!

2012 World of Warcraft Arena Pass Registration Now Open

We're pleased to announce that registration for the 2012 World of Warcraft Arena Pass is now open!

Now is the time to get your teammates together and register for the most thrilling Arena competition World of Warcraft has to offer.

Participants will be fighting their way through the ladder ranks, testing their mettle against the best Arena players in World of Warcraft. Players that register for the Arena Pass will also be eligible to earn Murkimus, the Armored Murloc in-game pet, as a reward for participating. The top 1000 teams will also earn the exclusive "Vanquisher” title for their live characters, proclaiming their puissant skill in battle for all the realm to see.

Don't forget, players that participate in this year's World of Warcraft Arena Pass will also gain exclusive access to a level-90 Arena Pass realm after the account is upgraded to the Mists of Pandaria expansion.

If you have any questions or would like more details, please read the FAQ, and remember to check back here for more updates.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Not bad not bad. I do like the monk changes they're hinting at for next build. And I'll have to check up on the new new character creation screen.

[Meffisto]

nice monk gear

[Ædious]

Cool threads!

[MonsieuRoberts]

Suh-weeeeet

[Somarlane]

Every time I see that female Pandaren face, I want to take a set of claws to it. Give it some character, or something. Female worgen got stuck with the mad chihuahua face; I don't want fempandas stuck with... dopey.

[Myzrael]

I'd like to see those sets on some decent looking race instead of fat ugly pandas.

[Deleted]

the monk gear looks nice on pandas

[Myzou]

Aliok, do not complain.

I'm quite content with what we have now. We DON'T need another Worgen Female incident.

Anyway, am I the only one that things the tail stub looks weird when it's not covered up by armor? >_>

[Tehfred]

Wait for it...

Balls of fire.

[Ryuuken]

Gear continues to go downhill in looking spectacular. I mean, the design is neat, but the shoulders and belt. Not all Pandas are drunks, so not all will carry kegs around.
No red panda tail for males is a bit low. I mean, females already look like Snooki(before), I think that is distinction enough.
Good work on the spec screen, a bit more information to know before going in.
Void storage expansion? Really? People have already completely filled it? You guys sit on like, mountains of gold or something?

[Ikkarus]

Looks like the dev team for the challenge mode gear are different from the dev team for the Tier 14, challenge modes gear are a lot better at moment, exept the Paladin one, both are extremly ridiculous...

[deanmoney]

"Though we've added red pandaren males, we intend the tail to be unique to female pandaren. We like it this way. We like the distinction." Little things like this is what makes me hate the game more and more each day. It is not the big things but dozen of little things like this that add up and push me away from this game. They are suppose to be the same species so they should have the same features. How hard is that to do?

[Shaley]

"Though we've added red pandaren males, we intend the tail to be unique to female pandaren. We like it this way. We like the distinction." Little things like this is what makes me hate the game more and more each day. It is not the big things but dozen of little things like this that add up and push me away from this game. They are suppose to be the same species so they should have the same features. How hard is that to do?

Female Cardinals are brown, and male Cardinals are red. Same species, look completely different.

This fact applies to a lot of things in nature, especially birds. Yes, I understand this isn't as drastic as males not having a tail vs. females actually having the tail, but it's not out of the realistic realm of nature. Pick different things to be upset about.

[Alayea]

Every time I see that female Pandaren face, I want to take a set of claws to it. Give it some character, or something. Female worgen got stuck with the mad chihuahua face; I don't want fempandas stuck with... dopey.

I get the same urge too. There ought to be facial customization like some of the old races have. Getting stuck with the happy version of being stoned is just flat out wrong. It's worse than the female worgen incident, in my opinion.

[Tierbook]

i think they were talking more about large tails i can imagine a small one though... but not having a tail at all would look idiotic

[furydeath]

Do you have the other Challenge times?

[Ohforfsake]

Though we've added red pandaren males, we intend the tail to be unique to female pandaren. We like it this way. We like the distinction.

Pathetic bleating excuse for laziness. Jeez.. They only had one new race this time and couldn't even get it right, and cover with made up excuses >.- Also the panda starting zone is meh. All the quests are simple kill-gather with occasional "interact with a structure" thing, the burning crusade level of quests. You'd think they would put 2x as much effort into one zone since there is only one new starting zone thins expansion but guess it was too much to ask..

[deanmoney]

Pathetic bleating excuse for laziness. Jeez.. They only had one new race this time and couldn't even get it right, and cover with made up excuses >.- Also the panda starting zone is meh. All the quests are simple kill-gather with occasional "interact with a structure" thing, the burning crusade level of quests. You'd think they would put 2x as much effort into one zone since there is only one new starting zone thins expansion but guess it was too much to ask..

I agree 100%. Blizzard during every expansion is getting lazier and lazier. Same models, reused dungeons...sad. Maybe they want to bring it from 10 million to 8 million by the end of the year.

[kenshinag]

Is it bad I'm jealous of the size of the male pandaran package in that challenge gear? On second look, also jealous of the female...