Warlords Dark Portal, June 3 Hotfixes, Blue Tweets, Azeroth Choppers, Final Boss #45

[chaud]

CotA And Multiple Pets Getting Fixed In 2.1, Haunt and LS %Damage On Gear To Start Applying, Console Pre-Order Bonuses

Curse of Naxxramas: Shaman Card Renamed to Reincarnate

Alpha Patch 30509 - Explorer Li Li, Commander Raynor, WW3 Sgt. Hammer, New Shop Bundle

Warlords of Draenor - Dark Portal
The Dark Portal model that is located in Draenor appears to still be in progress, as it is missing textures for most of the model, but it does have an interesting addition compared to the Outland version.

The Draenor version of the Dark Portal has a small room under it that may be related to the Gul'dan's Prison quest, which mentions Gul'dan being held below the Dark Portal to power it. If you are interested in the quests that involve the Draenor Dark Portal, take a look at the early preview of the intro experience quest line.

Build 18297 also added a red version of the Dark Portal in Outland, which currently isn't being used anywhere. There is also some nice Fan Art that uses it to make a login screen.

Patch 5.4.8 Hotfixes - June 3

Raids, Dungeons, and Scenarios

• Siege of Orgrimmar
  
  • Resolved an issue where Kor'kron Shaman's Treasure was not dropping in Flexible difficulty.

Battlegrounds and Arenas

• Ethereal Soul-Trader can no longer be summoned while in an Arena or Battleground.

Blue Tweets

Classes
Also, I think it's being suggested that in high end raiding, choice in talent in that tier is an illusion.
For (literally) the top 0.1% of players, it's a non-choice. For the rest, it's a way to customize the feel of the rotation. (WatcherDev)
Is that the top 0.1% of raiders or all players? Raiders as those seeing the content.
The "content" in this case is the talent tiers themselves, no? In which case they are relevant to everyone. (WatcherDev)

Character / Items
If we've deleted certain toys in the past will they still appear in the toybox? (due to having the Q completed) I.e: Marmot
We hope to, but are unsure what form that will take. (Source)

Are drop rates going to be higher to compensate for gear changing stats and the same item being usable by more people?
Drop chances and treasure table structure are both going under the knife for some upgrades to account for the new paradigms. (Source)

PvE
What are your thoughts on Challenge modes being cheesed by use of Invis pots?
Invis pots are the counterbalance for Shroud of Concealment. Otherwise rogue would be mandatory. Mob kill count keeps it sane. (WatcherDev)

Since CMs will still downscale gear, and therefore still be challenging, could their loot tables improve each tier?
Quite possibly, yes, but it's too early to make a definite call on that. (WatcherDev)
I thought the plan was later patches have new dungeons + old dungeons scale up to remain relevant (to avoid burnout)
That's what we'd discussed. Scaling up CM gear rewards as new tiers unlock is a separate question entirely. (WatcherDev)

Free Faction Change
Question. Why free transfer to alliance for faster queue when after doing so horde queues will be fast again? Defeats the purpose?
Queue length is not the primary reason people transfer. Cost is the primary reason they don't. (holinka)

Servers/Cross servers NEED to be faction balanced. PvP servers/players DO NOT want a server with a dead opposite faction = boring.
Ironically PvE servers have great faction ratios. PvP servers are the ones that have trended towards imbalance. (holinka)

PvP
is blizzard working toward anything to stop DDOS or compensating for it, especially in the rbg environment?
DDOS attacks occur outside the realm of control of Blizzard. I recommend you do not use programs that make your IP address known. (holinka)

Just wondering what Bliizard's opinion is on Horde in Isle of Conquest?
I think Horde avoid it or give up too easily. They used to win it handily. (holinka)

Any chance the base wow arena Tournament UI getting revamped soon? No life bars over characters is hard to follow.
We have discussed ways to improve including low hanging fruit like nameplates and reducing number of buffs, damage/healing numbers. (holinka)

Are honor/cp rewards staying the same for random BGs in WoD, or are we switching to only drops?
Random BG/Call to Arms won't give an honor bonus anymore. It will be strong boxes. So today's system with a different bonus. (holinka)

It is my impression that damage, in PvP, scales twice as fast as healing, because there are generally two DPS per Healer. True?
False. Those scale in parallel; no net scaling difference. (Celestalon)

with long fears being reduced to 6 seconds, will you address sap, as it's a indirect nerf to sap and its function?
no plans to change sap (holinka)

Professions
so gathering profs are largely irrelevant with farming in MoP, any interest in making a secondary 'gathering' slot?
Something we have considered, but we'll just be focusing on making gathering useful this time around. (Source)

New Jumper cables and Army knife, no engineering requirement on them? What's the point in being an engineer now?
Knife has a requirement now. We decided against the other cables. (Source)
so new knife, Eng can combat res? (please say yes) if it fails (or not anymore?) would consume a res charge or not?
Not a combat rez, but will work 100% of the time. Side effects on the engineer may still occur.

Pets and Pet Battles
Could we get a sneak peek of one of those very cool bonuses?
Here ya go: We will be introducing a new type of battle pet stone that grants levels to pets instead of quality. (Source)

Doubleagent - Level 89 Neutral Pandaren
Doubleagent, the Neutral Pandaren has finally hit level 89! If you want to join him to celebrate hitting level 90 on June 21, you can join the Alliance and Horde events on OpenRaid.

Azeroth Choppers - Final Episode Filming in Progress
The final episode of Azeroth Choppers that will reveal the winner of the vote will air on Thursday and filming is going on now!

Final Boss Episode #45 - Enhancement Shamans
This week Final Boss takes a look at Enhancement Shaman with Purge <Pure> and Bithindel <Supermassive>, both in top 25 US guilds.

[Lessthanzer0]

the portal looks awesome red

[Zumacrume]

The only thing that could make Azeroth choppers worse would be to somehow roll Fear Factor into it. Wait, what's on that camera boom crane?!

[Amerissis]

The neutral pandaren? Are we supposed to know about this? Any link to more information, it sounds interesting.

[Oreoirl]

The neutral pandaren? Are we supposed to know about this? Any link to more information, it sounds interesting.

It's some guy who's been leveling his pandaren entirely on herbing and mining. He's never left the Wandering Isle and he's never chosen a faction.

[Deleted]

The neutral pandaren? Are we supposed to know about this? Any link to more information, it sounds interesting.

I thought exactly the same thing, a quick googling and i found this. http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/01/03/ne...hits-level-80/

[Kaleid]

It's some guy who's been leveling his pandaren entirely on herbing and mining. He's never left the Wandering Isle and he's never chosen a faction.

They have achievements and recent activity for scenarios and dungeons. Not sure what that means.

[schwarzkopf]

I think there should be an achievement "Reach level 90 as a neutral character" - the reward, a portal spell that takes you to booty bay.

Also - I wonder if he is going to break anything in game by getting to 90 (e.g. double agent achievement) ?

[Victorias]

I think there should be an achievement "Reach level 90 as a neutral character" - the reward, a portal spell that takes you to booty bay.

Also - I wonder if he is going to break anything in game by getting to 90 (e.g. double agent achievement) ?

I actually think that, he will get the alliance-based achievement once hitting lvl 90. I believe that's the default file for Pandaren.

[DarthMonk79]

I actually think that, he will get the alliance-based achievement once hitting lvl 90. I believe that's the default file for Pandaren.

lol... that would be funny. spent all this time leveling on that isle and then it turns him into alliance.

[AndaliteBandit]

They have achievements and recent activity for scenarios and dungeons. Not sure what that means.

It means you're seeing the accountwide activity being reported for his other characters.

[Clausi]

Crazy guy! Remember me leveling an alt with herbs and ores from 80 to 85, that was already a pain with higher level nodes^^

[furydeath]

And i thought spending 3 months in badlands farming that one goblin for bloodsail rep was "fun" lol

[dacoolist]

SuperMassiveBigUp to Doubleagent!! Wow

[Thelxi]

Azeroth Choppers' last episode set totally cost us a raid tier.

[Deleted]

Raids, Dungeons, and Scenarios
Siege of Orgrimmar

"Resolved an issue where Kor'kron Shaman's Treasure was not dropping in Flexible difficulty."

Wow...so I havent been unlucky after all?

[Jackelyn]

They have achievements and recent activity for scenarios and dungeons. Not sure what that means.

my recent activities on my alts show my heroic kills and such that my main has, is just showing he has other toons :P

[CasCrow]

remember hearing about it sometime last year that he was in the 50s. Doubleagent is truly insane.

[Sainur]

It's all a joke, they have also been secretly working on a Neutral chopper which will obviously win. The Horde and Alliance choppers will be available in The Shop.

[Tucci]

"Ethereal Soul-Trader can no longer be summoned while in an Arena or Battleground."

Uhhh, I'm assuming this means RBG? I don't know why they did this either way, it's just a pet. I'm thinking maybe because of the pots that allow you to see invisibility? Were you able to buy them inside the arena/RBG and use them as oppose to buying them outside and not being able to use them inside? I hope I can still use mine in a normal BG because after you kill people it shoots a gigantic, super long-range purple beam at their body and gives you their soul.