WotLK Alpha Notes Removal, Arena Rating, Comics

[Boubouille]

Reminder : MLG PC Circuit registrations are now open !

WotLK Alpha notes removal
Don't look for it, we removed most of the posts related to the WotLK Alpha. Even if that's pretty cool to know that the alpha started, we obviously won't be able to post anything really important about it because of the heavy NDA protecting it.

Keep in mind that the Friend & Family alpha is restricted to Blizzard employees and their family/friends, you will not get any mail about this and any mail you might get about it is a fake only here to steal your account. Blizzard will make tons of announcement when the public phase of the beta starts.


Arena Rating Calculation Clarification

There has been some confusion regarding the changes to Arena Team and Personal rating calculations in patch 2.4.2 for those players with 100% participation on their team so we’d like to clarify how the system works now.

The adjustment to a team’s personal rating can vary based on the average personal rating of the other team while team ratings will always adjust based directly on the team rating of the other team. If the average personal rating of the players queuing for a game is more than 150 points below the team’s rating, the team will be queued against an opponent matching or similar to the average personal rating. Adjustments to your personal rating are based on the ratings by which the opposing team was queued.

• If the opposing team was queued based on their team rating, your personal rating will be adjusted based on their team rating.
• If the opposing team was queued based on their average personal rating, your personal rating will be adjusted based on their average personal rating.
  

Example:

• Team A has a rating of 1550. Team B has a rating of 1750.
• Team A has an average personal rating of 1520 for the members participating in the match. Team B has an average personal rating of 1490 for the members participating in the match.
• Team A wins. Team A’s team rating is adjusted based off of a win over Team B’s team rating of 1750.
• All members of Team A have their personal ratings adjusted based off of a win over Team B’s average personal rating of 1490 but it will be a smaller gain when compared to the rating their team got.
  

This change promotes having teams compete against players who’s ratings statistically match up best against them. In turn this will help provide the most competitive environment possible in the Arena.

Character slots & WotLK
There won't be any change to the amount of character slots in WotLK.
[blizzquote="Bornakk;http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=6441119612&postId=64402440587&sid=1#47]We currently don't plan to add additional character slots. Right now if you are maxed out and want to create another character on that realm, deleting one is an option, so is transferring it to another realm. If you are interested in the Deathknight you can also create it on a separate realm to try it before making any big changes to the realm that is full.[/blizzquote"]


Dark Legacy Comic #143
Dark Legacy #143 is out !

[Trell]

Can I just get a clarification here Bou?

I'm not being whiny, or complaining about the site in any way, shape or form, simply trying to clarify something

Just wondering, I'm sure I saw on your last alpha post that the only reason you were intending to stop/lock Alpha info posts was due to the threat of virii being embedded in 'downloadable' content.

Now you're saying that you definitely won't be posting, nor allowing the posting of (since I saw a thread locked that had Alpha screenshots in), any Alpha related WotLK information?

[Tuig]

Dark Legacy Comic #143
Dark Legacy #134 is out !


Typo m8.

[Boubouille]

The threat of keyloggers in any downloadable content was one of the reason, not the only one. ^^

Basically, there isn't any use in leaking stuff, Blizzard will ask to take it down in a few days if we keep pushing it too far and there isn't any reason to do it. Even if I'm doing a lot of datamining on PTRs and things like that, I don't really like the idea of breaking the NDA just to post something, I try to not forget that Blizzard are the guys keeping fansites alive with daily blue posts and things like that, and the respect goes both way.

[shadeth]

I like this site a lot and respect the need for you to protect yourself legally. But if you're not an alpha tester, then you're not bound by the NDA I would think?

All hardcore players are restless to see what the new talent trees and abilities will be. We WILL find this info, it will leak, I am sure of it. If you don't post it, people will go elsewhere. So, I'm hoping you do post it the second it's news, to hell with their NDA we want to see the new talents NOW.

One of my friends already showed me an unconfirmed new Shaman talent today "Lightning Lash". I'm not going to post the details on that, but it's out there. if it's real or not I don't know but it looked real to me.

[Redspirit]

One of my friends already showed me an unconfirmed new Shaman talent today "Lightning Lash".

that's pretty old and was posted a few weeks ago

[ndrew]

You are under no obligation to take down stuff due to the NDA, since you are not an Alpha tester. You can't be legally bound to something if you did not agree to it in the first place.

The problem is the person leaking it.

[jwnin]

This issue is not solely about the NDA.

In the US, companies have been able to get information taken down through the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. This provides corporations with a very large stick to use against websites that host content, especially content covered by NDA.

If you google 'DMCA takedown NDA', your first hit is: http://www.wowwiki.com/WoWWiki:Burni...akedown_Notice

[Faxmonkey]

Certainly you're free to run this site however you want, but you do understand that you're only bound by the NDA if you're participating in the Alpha. If you're not in the Friends and Family alpha then the NDA does not affect you and has nothing to do with you.

And I highly doubt you are in the F&F Alpha, given all your datamining has put you on the same page as gold sellers in Blizzard's eyes. In fact, try to whisper yourself "mmo-champion" on WoW -- you can't; it's a "blacklisted" word. Not even IGN is blacklisted like that.

Again, I'm sure you have your reasons -- maybe you're trying to get back into Blizzard's good graces so you can get a slot in the fansite program. I'm just surprised to see you obeying rules that don't apply to you when the rules are set by a company that apparently has a very low opinion of you and what you do.

Edit: Just to be clear, the above takedown notice is regarding screenshots. If you post screenshots, videos, or game files that they don't want you to post then they can come after you via DMCA. I Suppose they could try to stretch the DMCA to cover more than that, calling it trade secrets or something (INAL), but I've never heard of that.

[Trell]

Actually it was probably a pretty good pre-emptive move on MMOC's part, if it was a pre-emptive one :P

World of Raids were contacted by Blizzard and 'asked' to remove all posts regarding anything to do with the F&F Alpha.

[Cake]

I try to not forget that Blizzard are the guys keeping fansites alive with daily blue posts and things like that, and the respect goes both way.

It's also things like exclusive information about upcoming content (I.E patch notes from upcoming expansions) that made fansites such as this one popular in the first place. Now where can I get my fix of information from ???

[Cab]

WotLK Alpha notes removal
Don't look for it, we removed most of the posts related to the WotLK Alpha. Even if that's pretty cool to know that the alpha started, we obviously won't be able to post anything really important about it because of the heavy NDA protecting it.

Oh, and you did sign this NDA? Understand ;-)

[Gracin]

Well according to this

2. Eligibility.
Your eligibility to participate in this Alpha Test, is subject to the following restrictions...and (v) you may not maintain a gaming fan or guild website.

Bou isn't allowed to participate in Alpha, therefore he didn't have to sign the NDA.

[Conq]

Well. If he wants to participate in early Beta he'd better not piss them off. ;D

Btw: Alfanotes are still in the RSS feed.

[Snitchers]

Excuse me, but doesn't the policy of removing "leaked" content defeat the purpose of this site? I realise that you have corporate values to protect, but this might very well be the downfall of this site - or am I mistaken?

[kilssii]

You are mistaken

[Snitchers]

You are mistaken

Grand comment. Then i'll just go check out http://wotlk.wikidot.com/ for leaks instead.

[wp2112]

All you cry babies go somewhere else. Your the same people that buy and sell arena ratings, I respect his decision. This is a great sight and I hope you all get keyloggers on those other scumbag websites.

[Snitchers]

Sorry to disturb your sense of what this world looks like. This is a corporate decision made from corporate interest. It is in fear of legal problems with Blizzard that leaks aren't published here.

[Rav]

so anyway... about the PR/TR ratings issue.

I have to ask again, can anyone tell me why your PR resets when you join a new team?

Given the exploit possible now (described here http://www.mmo-champion.com/index.ph...88790#msg88790 ), it seems the easy way to close this is to stop reseting PR during a season. If you are a 2k player you are a 2k player. Who cares if you change teams (or drop and rejoin), your PR should carry to the new team, and you queue in the 2000s. If your new combo sucks it will drop.