Mists Raid Previews, Mod Recruitment, Blue Posts, Setup of the Month, Fan Art

[chaud]

Monk 1.0.4 Guide, 3D Fan Art, Inferno Booster Pack Giveaway

Terrace of the Endless Spring Raid Preview
Today we have a preview of the bosses in Terrace of the Endless Spring, the raid which is unlocked after completing the Heart of Fear raid. Not only does Elite mode drop better gear, it now drops some bonus pieces of gear on Protectors of the Endless.

Mogu'shan Vaults Raid Preview
Today we have an updated preview of the Mogu'shan Vaults raid! If you don't remember what the raid zone looks like, you can take a look at our very early preview. Keep in mind that the zone was very unfinished at that time and that does not represent the final area. You can find these pages in the menu at the right of the navbar in the future.

Tiller's Daily Quest
We are also taking a look at one of the new daily quests that you do for the Tiller's faction. The Water, Water Everywhere quest asks you to fly around the Heartland and water dusty spots in the crops. You can unlock a kite that flies much faster and a kite that flies higher later on.

One extra source of rep we didn't mention in the original preview is harvesting crops! Each plant you harvest will give you 49 Tillers reputation.

MMO-Champion Forums Moderator Recruitment
Good news everyone! We're recruiting moderators for the forums again! The amount of users and posts keeps increasing and we reached the point where we need some help before the trolls take over and play Whack-a-Mod in the Darkmoon Faire. I know it sounds fun, but I'm going to assume we don't want that.

This time around we are mostly looking for mods for the class forums as things to start to ramp up for Mists of Pandaria. Exceptional people are always encouraged to apply though! Please be sure to read the entire post before applying.

Darkmoon Faire Quest Reset Issue

We are aware of an issue in which the Darkmoon Faire quests did not reset properly. We are currently working on a hotfix that we will apply to all realms as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience.

Blue Posts

Transmutation Mastery Change
The profession has been changed to prepare for the upcoming expansion and will now require the higher grade material in order to complete the quests. (Official Forums)

Class Complexity
You have to consider that WoW is a multiplayer game in which players are very often competing, whether comparing damage meters in a raid or out and out trying to kill each other in PvP. Changes to your your character end up affecting everyone who comes into contact with your character. If you can order up exactly what you want, you're affecting a bunch of other people.

In your hamburger analogy, you're telling the restaurant "You should make sure that nobody can have mayonnaise because I don't like it."

I've actually used the restaurant analogy myself, because few restaurant patrons have the impression that they're going to be able to go back into the kitchen, give the chefs pointers, rearrange the menu and so on just because they think highly of their own opinions on food. Restaurants may honor your request to hold the salt or put the dressing on the side, and many chefs are probably thrilled to get feedback on the dishes they prepare to get an idea of what their customers like or not, but ultimately if you don't like a restaurant's food, you should probably go to another restaurant, not try and change the menu.

As far as class complexity, that's another attempt to serve a very diverse player base. Some players like a few buttons and some like to have a lot. If the restaurant required every dish to have the same number of ingredients, that doesn't improve the quality of the food. I only think it's a problem if some classes are so much more challenging to play that those players expect to do higher DPS as a result, or I guess if the number of buttons is truly stupid.

Also, remember that there is a huge difference between reasonable and optional. If adding an ability to your rotation improves your DPS by 1% then it might not be worth worrying about. I actually wish guides would focus a little more on describing both the "90% rotation" as well as the "theoretically highest rotation." (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Warrior (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
Second Wind and Healing Nerf
We applied a healing nerf to Arenas and BGs because it was getting impossible to kill anyone. We hope this is just a temporary 85 measure.

Based on some of these reports, it sounds like percentage heals like Second Wind were affected. They probably shouldn't be. Percentage heals aren't boosted by PvP Power, so they shouldn't be nerfed by the blanket PvP healing debuff. We'll discuss and likely fix it.

Our stance on Second Wind hasn't changed. Under some circumstances, especially duels, it can account for a tremendous percentage of your health healed, but usually in group PvP (where we spend far more balance emphasis) you're unlikely to stay below 30% health for very long -- you'll either be healed up or killed. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Computers - Setup of the Month (by chaud)
Each month or every 2 months, depending on the hardware evolutions, the lovely chaud will work on a couple of hardware setups for those of you who are thinking of upgrading their computer!

This month
Hard drive prices are stagnant and still above the pre-flood prices, so now is still a good time to buy a SSD. The current SSD prices seem to have bottomed out for now, with almost all SSDs under $1 per gigabyte. A few sales have even gone under 50 cents per gigabyte, so look for something on sale!

Unless you are doing a lot of video rendering or something that is similarly multithreaded, you do not need the 3770K and should spend that money elsewhere.

Make sure to keep your AMD and Nvidia drivers up to date.

Don't hesitate to post any feedback in the comments of that news post, and don't forget to visit the Computer Forum for any extra questions or help getting an even better deal! If you are interested in Folding@home, take a look in our team's thread.

Peripherals/Monitors

Component	Puppy	Dolphin
Monitor	Acer V223W EJBD 22-Inch Widescreen - $138	ASUS VW246H 24-Inch Widescreen - $188
Keyboard	Logitech Media Keyboard K200 - $17	Cyborg V.5 - $48
Mouse	Logitech G400 - $37	Razer Deathadder - $47
Speakers	Logitech S220 2.1 Speaker System - $27	Logitech Z313 Speaker System - $38
Component	Narwhal	Unicorn
Monitor	ASUS VE276Q 27-Inch - $305	HP ZR2440W 24-inch (IPS Panel) - $379
Keyboard	Logitech G110 - $54	Razer BlackWidow (Backlit)- $69 ($95)
Mouse	Logitech G500 - $50	Razer Naga (Buttons on the Side) - $71
Speakers	Logitech Z323 2.1 Speaker System - $58	Logitech Speaker System Z523 - $79

Puppy and Dolphin
Overclocked Puppy will outperform Dolphin when multiple threads are in use (Not WoW) and come close in most other cases.
Mix and match anything but the CPU/Motherboard combo between Puppy and Dolphin. Pick one of the two CPU/Motherboard combos.
Mix and match anything between Dolphin and Narwhal.

Component	Puppy	Dolphin
Case	NZXT GAMMA Classic - $40	NZXT GAMMA Classic - $40
Power Supply	Corsair CX500 V2 - $50	XFX Core Edition PRO 550W - $66
CPU	AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition- $104	Intel i3-2120 - $125
Heatsink	Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus - $26	Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO - $32
Motherboard	ASUS M5A97 AM3+ 970 - $95	Gigabyte GA-Z77-D3H - $120
Memory	4GB PNY Optima DDR3 10600 - $22	8GB G.Skill DDR3 12800 - $53
Graphics Card	XFX 7770 - $114	XFX 6870 or ASUS DCII GTX 560 - $137/ $170
Hard Drive	Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB - $66	Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB - $103
DVD	Asus 24X SATA DVD+/-RW - $22	Asus 24X SATA DVD+/-RW - $22
Total	$539	$698 - $731

Narwhal and Unicorn
All of these parts can be mixed and matched to create a build between Narwhal and Unicorn. SSDs are always optional.

Component	Narwhal	Unicorn
Case	Cooler Master HAF 912 - $55	Cooler Master HAF X - $182
Power Supply	Corsair 650TX V2 - $85	Corsair 750HX - $160
CPU	Intel i5-3570K - $230	Intel i7-3770K - $320
Heatsink	Thermaltake Frio - $56	Noctua 6 NH-D14 - $84
Motherboard	ASUS P8Z77-V LK - $146	ASUS P8Z77-V - $180
Memory	8GB G.Skill DDR3 12800 - $53	8GB G.Skill DDR3 12800 - $53
Graphics Card	XFX 7850 Double D - $240	XFX 7970 Black Edition OR EVGA GTX 670 FTW - $430 / $405
Hard Drive	Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black - $103	Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black - $103
SSD	SAMSUNG 830 128GB (Review) - $100 OR OCZ 120 GB Vertex 3 (Review) - $75	Crucial 128 GB m4 (Review) - $105 OR Corsair Force Series GT 120 GB - $112
DVD	Asus 24X SATA DVD+/-RW - $22	Asus 24X SATA DVD+/-RW - $22
Total	$990 - $1090	$1406 - $1543

Mists of Pandaria Almost Never Was
The Verge had an interesting short piece back during Gamescom that is worth a read.

• A different expansion was pitched, accepted, and background work and lore was started on.
• The team then changed direction to Mists of Pandaria when everyone agreed that it felt right.
• This expansion goes back to World of Warcraft's roots more so than any expansion before it, thanks to the sense of exploring an entirely new area.
• Mists of Pandaria has something that wasn't in the original lore and is more about discovery than previous expansions.

Fan Art Update
The World of Warcraft Fan Art Section has been updated with four new pieces of fan artwork.

[Mawnix]

Can Mists just be out now please?

After testing most of these raid encounters I REEEALLLYYYYY wanna do them on live. They're so much fun.

[Snorri]

That Lich King image is BAD ASS! WOTLK nostalgia. Deathwing was nothing compared to Lich King.

[Agramonia]

and a kite that flies lower to the ground later on.

I thought it was a kite that flew way higher so you can see more patches.

[Kaleredar]

A different expansion was pitched, accepted, and background work and lore was started on.

Oh goody.

Incoming resurgence of people complaining about MoP...


Anyway, I'm interested in what this expansion could have been. Seeing as they did some work on it, perhaps they'll choose it as the next expansion, and roll it out sooner. The most obvious avenue would be either emerald dream/Queen Azshara or Burning Legion.

[aikouka]

You could drop the price on those builds if you'd avoid HSFs that cost close to $100. :P Unless you're overclocking, you really don't need something that good.

[Daws001]

Love the Lady Lock artwork.

[hellboyy]

Razer has a 2013 Blackwidow out, does anyone know if there's anything significant in the new version? Seems like I can get the older Blackwidow for $30 less.

[chaud]

Razer has a 2013 Blackwidow out, does anyone know if there's anything significant in the new version? Seems like I can get the older Blackwidow for $30 less.

A few more keys NKRO and some cloud settings sync thing, nothing worth the extra money if you don't have ghosting problems.

[McNeil]

Epic Lich King picture, easily the best villain (and possibly character) ever. Too bad he's dead

[Notos]

Very interesting Warlock piece. Very different from the typical WoW fanart. Looking forward to all the raid content too, and the dailies. MoP needs to come out like right now.

[hellboyy]

A few more keys NKRO and some cloud settings sync thing, nothing worth the extra money if you don't have ghosting problems.

older version doesn't have those problems right? I'll be upgrading from my ancient Microsoft keyboard which is like 10 years old. want to make sure it's worth the money before i drop a wad of cash on it.

[Deleted]

for a new pc you should consider the new gtx 660 power edition by MSI because it's badass and costs 100$ less than the gtx 670 (and performance wise it's almost the same)

[Caliaelyn]

Re: Tillers.On the 'Water, Water' quest you can also get a kite where you are dancing the whole time you're on it.

[chaud]

older version doesn't have those problems right? I'll be upgrading from my ancient Microsoft keyboard which is like 10 years old. want to make sure it's worth the money before i drop a wad of cash on it.

It just lets you use a few less keys before ghosting happens. Take a look through the Mechanical Keyboard Guide before you buy and make sure it is what you want. Maybe look around the computer forum. There are other options to consider if you aren't sure.

[Iosif]

A few more keys NKRO and some cloud settings sync thing, nothing worth the extra money if you don't have ghosting problems.

Chaud,

I see in your Peripherals/Monitors list you have Keyboards, Mice, Monitors and Speakers, Have you considered added a head set/microphone section?

There are many people like myself and my Girlfriend who prefer to use "Headsets" rather than speakers, having 2 speakers going in a room wile we are both raiding or doing different dungeons can cause a lot of issues. And i think most people will agree that a good headset can me as important as a good speaker/sound system.

I picked up the Logitec G35 (75$) for my girlfriend a about a month ago and we loved it so much I went out and got us both the G930 (Wireless Version) it. It is a bit on the expensive side at 110$ but with 10 hours of wireless talk time, the ability to put Push-To-Talk and Private Ventrilo Key-binds on the wireless headsets G-keys. It allows me to get up get a drink, move around and still respond to chat is well worth every penny.

I have to say the sound quality is just amazing compared to many of the other headsets I have owned (Playtronics/Creative/Razer).

Also the Mic-boom has a MUTE indicator (red led) build in to it so you can see if your MIC is hardware muted. It also automatically mutes the Mic if you fold the mic-boom up.

[Laylriana]

•This expansion goes back to World of Warcraft's roots more so than any expansion before it, thanks to the sense of exploring an entirely new area.

Really? Who was exploring Northrend before WOTLK?

[Seezer]

I can't believe they actually said that there was a different xpac in developement, and then they changed it to MoP. That makes me think even more that Blizz is just playing it by ear, and that Mists is going to suck balls because it wasn't given the proper development time. "Exploration and wonder" my ass. Exploration is over within the first week. It's the content that drives the game, and if that suffered because they wanted to change directions, then MoP will backfire in their faces.

[Travanoid]

People who played Warcraft III explored parts of Northrend.

[Laylriana]

I can't believe they actually said that there was a different xpac in developement, and then they changed it to MoP. That makes me think even more that Blizz is just playing it by ear, and that Mists is going to suck balls because it wasn't given the proper development time. "Exploration and wonder" my ass. Exploration is over within the first week. It's the content that drives the game, and if that suffered because they wanted to change directions, then MoP will backfire in their faces.

They have been working on the pandas since TBC - they were supposed to be the new Alliance race but Draenei were substituted at the last minute. They continued to work on them while doing the other expacs. But I also wonder what they had in mind. They are probably still working on whatever it is for the next expac.

---------- Post added 2012-09-02 at 08:33 PM ----------

People who played Warcraft III explored parts of Northrend.

Thanks. I only got into the game shortly before WOTLK.