Onyxia's Rewards, Blue posts, Battle.net, MLG

[Boubouille]

Update - Val'kyr Twins Bug Fixes

The following bug fixes to Val'kyr Twins were just deployed, and they will increase the overall difficulty of the encounter.

• Surge of Light and Surge of Darkness were not being cast properly on Normal difficulties.
• Light Vortex was doing less damage than Dark Vortex.

Along with those two major bug fixes, we also increased the rate with which the Concentrated Light and Concentrated Darkness spawns.

Patch 3.2.2 - Onyxia's Head Questline
The Head of Onyxia was added to the game in the latest PTR build, the new quest is A Puzzling Circumstance / A Puzzling Circumstance and the rewards are :

• Sparkling Onyxia Tooth Pendant
• Polished Dragonslayer's Signet
• Purified Onyxia Blood Talisman

All these rewards are level 245 and currently the head seems to drop in both 10-Man and 25-Man difficulty modes.


Trial of the Coliseum Hard Modes

In the Trial of the Grand Crusader (ie Heroic Trial of the Crusader) you have 50 attempts total before you may no longer attempt encounters for that week. Example time!

Example 1:
If you spent 39 attempts on the Northrend Beasts encounter, you would have 11 attempts left to try Lord Jaraxxus. If Lord Jaraxxus was then beaten after 5 attempts, you would have 6 attempts left for Faction Champions and the other remaining encounters.

Example 2:
If you wiped 50 times on the Northrend Beasts, then you're done for the week.

Example 3:
If you didn't wipe on Northrend Beasts, Lord Jaraxxus, Faction Champions, or Val'kyr Twins, you would have all 50 attempts available for the final boss.

Blue posts

Arthas and Deathwing
Arthas tends to be considered the biggest force of destruction in the universe because he is very fresh in peoples' minds based on being fairly recently introduced through Warcraft 3 and staring everybody down since then. Remember though that even to break away from the control of the Burning Legion, it required a great deal of cunning and manipulation - he wasn't able to simply overpower them.

Deathwing on the other hand is a much more legendary figure and one of the greatest powers ever to exist on Azeroth. It took the might of all the other dragon aspects against him to force him into hiding. He also knows almost every being on the world will be against him so he wouldn't reveal himself unless he felt ready to take on anything that will face him. (Source)

Cataclysm Alt Friendly?
Cataclysm is pretty alt friendly over all. We'll do things that encourage and facilitate alts when it makes sense. (Source)

Ancient Glyphs level requirements
You have to be 85. Our plan is to tie it to Archaeology, but that could change. While fishing can be challenging to max out, cooking isn't all that hard and first aid is pretty easy. Archaeology could be anywhere in there. (Source)

Path of the Titans "gating"
We're saying even if someone beats you to level 85, they can't get very far ahead of you on paths. Imagine that when a new rank is available, the previous rank becomes half price or something. (Source)

Orgrimmar destroyed in the expansion?
Orgrimmar destroyed? No. Given a bit of a make-over and a bit more iron in its spine (so to speak)? Yes. (Source)

Cross-server Instances and rewards as a leader
This was a bit of a miscomm. The idea is that you would be rewarded for trying to use LFG to form a group. A separate feature of LFG is that we allow players to identify whether they are comfortable leading the group or not and then we try to make sure each group has at least one leader. You are probably going to have a much worse experience joining a pug of 5 players when none of them know anything about the encounters.

I think a lot of drama would result from arguing over who should be leader if that incurred extra rewards, as well as encouraging players with no business doing so to lead. Really, the focus should be on the group. The leader just marks (though everyone could do that too) and describes the fights. (Source)

Low level PvP rewards no longer sold by the Officer Accessories Quartermaster
This flew under the radar for a little bit, but Master Sergeant Biggins should be selling those accessories again in 3.2.2. (Source)

Path of the titans
They are intended to be gated, not grindy. The idea is more that you have a reason to keep coming back to log in even if say you need a break from raiding or it isn't your team's PvP night. We are trying to contrast them with actual levels, which players can blow through very quickly if they are dedicated. (Source)

Blizzcon - Battle.net in WoW
I didn't have much time to talk about it during the week-end but in the future, Battle.net will be upgraded to support a lot of extra features. Some of them will affect World of Warcraft and players will eventually be forced to upgrade their WoW account to Battle.net accounts to support them, see the FAQ below for more information.

What is the new Battle.net?
We are building the new Battle.net to be the premier online gaming destination. The new Battle.net experience is a full-featured online game service designed specifically around Blizzard Entertainment titles, and will include a complete set of around-the-game features including a state-of-the-art matchmaking system, achievement system, social networking features, structured competitive play options, a marketplace, and much more. Our vision is to create an environment where gamers can compete online, develop an online persona, and stay connected to friends and the rest of the community while enjoying our games. In doing this, the new Battle.net will deliver the ultimate social and competitive experience for Blizzard Entertainment gamers everywhere.

What is the history of Battle.net?
Battle.net was the world’s first fully integrated matchmaking service, which we launched in 1996 with the release of Diablo. Battle.net evolved over the years to fully incorporate online gameplay for StarCraft, Diablo II, a re-release of Warcraft II, and Warcraft III. The Battle.net system has been in its current form, without major changes, since 2003.

What is the Real ID feature?
Real ID is at the forefront of online gaming as it will allow you to easily connect, communicate, and play with real-life friends. Connect with old friends and current guildies, and make new friends with the integrated Battle.net social networking tools. Beyond simply seeing your friend’s character names (e.g. “Gorlac” in World of Warcraft or “Snip3r” in StarCraft II), and having to remember which character name goes with which friend, you will be able to see your Real ID friend and chat with him or her across Blizzard games. What’s more, Real ID is totally optional -- the options are there for you to build your Blizzard Entertainment social network however you see fit.

What are some of the communication tools available in the new Battle.net?
Our vision is for the new Battle.net to become the ultimate Blizzard Entertainment social network, in addition to its matchmaking foundation. Simply logging in to Battle.net will make it easy to find and chat with your friends across World of Warcraft, StarCraft II, and future Blizzard Entertainment titles, including Diablo III. Keep track of all your buddies in your friends list, view their online status and presence information, voice chat, send out party invites, and broadcast messages to your friends. Detailed character profiles let players keep up to date on friends’ progress and achievements.

Will classic Blizzard Entertainment games be supported on the new Battle.net?
We do eventually plan to update all classic Battle.net games to take advantage of the new Battle.net accounts and server infrastructure. Beyond this, we do not have anything to announce today regarding legacy Blizzard Entertainment titles and the new Battle.net experience.

Will a forced migration to Battle.net occur for World of Warcraft players?
Yes, sometime in the near future, it will be necessary for all World of Warcraft subscribers to transition their accounts to the new Battle.net system. Those players who have already converted to the new system will be able to take part in the new Battle.net features soon.

What will change in World of Warcraft after the forced migration?
The core gameplay experience will remain unchanged as a result of the migration. However, you’ll be able to take part in all of the new Battle.net features, such as cross-realm, cross-faction, and cross-game chat.

World of Warcraft: MLG WoW Weekend Pass
The 2009 MLG Dallas event will play host to one of the best World of Warcraft tournaments in the game's history and you can watch every minute of it in glorious high quality video! Upgrade from the standard stream to the MLG WoW Weekend Pass and witness every match-up in crystal clear, high-quality resolution when you want.

Due to the overwhelming popularity of the MLG WoW broadcasts, GotFrag.com, MMO-Champion.com and GameBattles.com will be offering a live, high resolution, premium video stream of the Major League Gaming PC Circuit, complete with a two hour DVR (digital video recorder) function, starting with the Dallas MLG PC Circuit event.

The WoW Weekend Pass will run a high resolution, 1.2 MB stream and will provide high quality, live streaming video of every match, at a cost of $5.99 for the entire event. Spectators will be able to witness every second of action, see every spell cast, view the tournament GUI with amazing clarity, live or on their own time!

The MLG Dallas World of Warcraft tournament is shaping up to be one of the best WoW tournaments in the game's history. Following on the heels of Blizzcon, teams will be warmed up and ready to face off in a true international battle of the best. MLG Columbus winner, SK Gaming, returns to face international powerhouses HON (Korea), Blizzard EU Regional Winner x6tence (Spain) and EM Global Finals third place winners aAa (France). SK will also have to face the top U.S. teams in eMg, Complexity, Gravitas and Fnatic. These eight teams will be competing for over $15,000 in cash and 3 HP Firebird personal computers.

Be sure to also tune in for the MLG PC Circuit Pre-Game Show, Friday August 28th at 6PM CST! The MLG PC Circuit Pre-Game Show will include a complete preview of the event, teams, players and personalities participating in the tournament. Interviews with players and managers, strategy breakdowns, predictions and more from the best WoW broadcasters in the business, Jared “Vhell” Coulston and Keith “igoaf” Trahan.

• MLG WoW Weekend Pass $5.99
• All 3 days - includes all matches and Pre-Game Shows
• 1.2 MB High-Quality live video stream
• DVR Function Included - Rewind and pause the stream to relive any of the action from the past two hours. Create your own instant replays or pause to grab a snack - you are in control.
• No-Hassle Access - Log in with only a few clicks after purchase!

Watching the enhanced stream after purchasing a Weekend Pass is easy. Simply head to the homepage of www.gotfrag.com, www.mmo-champion.com, www.gamebattles.com, or www.mlgpro.com and click on the WoW stream. From there, click "watch in HQ" in the bottom left hand corner and log in. Voila. It's as simple as that. The show starts at 6 PM CST August 28th-30th, 2009.

Of course by buying this pass you will also support this site, which is also a great thing! A free version of the stream with a slightly lower quality will be available as well during the event.

[Rendon]

[size=3]

Path of the Titans "gating"
No, that's the exact opposite of what we're saying.)

Path of the titans
They are intended to be gated, not grindy.

Does not compute...

[Navarra]

They are really going to put HP per 5 in gear. :S

[Kannable]

Yeah they are just re-doing all the old trinkets which had HP per 5. They just buffed it a whole bunch lol

[Marvdatboi]

Does not compute...

He means one thin unlocks or leads to another as opposed to grind x amount of rep for said reward.

[Athali]

According to that screenshot..
Jack Sterling is playing WoW: Archimonde - The Barrens.
Obviously The Barrens is an area in WoW, but what the hell is WoW: Achimonde?

[ToXick]

Obviously The Barrens is an area in WoW, but what the hell is WoW: Achimonde?

Archimonde is a server name.

And the new chat system? Is. Epic. Period.

[Kevie]

According to that screenshot..
Jack Sterling is playing WoW: Archimonde - The Barrens.
Obviously The Barrens is an area in WoW, but what the hell is WoW: Achimonde?

I would say the server most likely.


So I'm still unsure about the leading in LFG... the reward is you down the fights? or is there an actual reward?

[Athali]

Duh, didn't think of server names.
*retard*

[Daladiesman]

wowaccounts will be merged into battlenet accounts so blizz can enforce a subscribtion fee there.something like a monthly fee to play d3,sc2 and wow online,so wow subscriber will still pay the same(and not complain) and non wow players will have to pay for things which were free in the past...that's what i think

[kassy]

I've seen the head drop from ony in 10man on the ptr, same level 245 quest rewards.

[ToXick]

wowaccounts will be merged into battlenet accounts so blizz can enforce a subscribtion fee there.something like a monthly fee to play d3,sc2 and wow online,so wow subscriber will still pay the same(and not complain) and non wow players will have to pay for things which were free in the past...that's what i think

Battle.Net will be free to use, as it has been for over 10 years. They said they're going to do like what they did with WoW, having optional features that will require money

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/13/bl...et-monetizing/

[Lild]

Archimonde is a server name.

And the new chat system? Is. Epic. Period.

THIS.

i cannot wait to have the new chat system so i can talk with my rl friends who are scattered across different servers, factions and blizzard games.

[Baever]

Really looking forward to the complete Battlenet merger, if only for the sake of cleaning up my friends list.

[Marshmello]

Looks like the new Battle.net will be a Blizzard themed Steam

[ToXick]

Really looking forward to the complete Battlenet merger, if only for the sake of cleaning up my friends list.

Oh for sure, I have a bunch of friends that are altoholics and keeping them all on my friends list is a pain.

[Doylez]

wait, does that mean that everybody can see my real life name and what other blizzard games i´m currently playing or maybe even my secret wow alts in their friends list? i hope there´s an option to turn that kind of stuff off oO
i like my privacy

[ToXick]

Looks like the new Battle.net will be a Blizzard themed Steam

You obviously haven't ever play on Battle.net. WoW is the only Blizzard game that you can't talk to each other across games (or realms really). Saying that Battle.Net is a blizzard themed steam is unfounded.

On a side note, Blizzard/Activision/Valve/Vivendi have teamed up at one point and have had disagreements

[annerajb]

cross-faction <<< did i read that right?

[ToXick]

wait, does that mean that everybody can see my real life name and what other blizzard games i´m currently playing or maybe even my secret wow alts in their friends list? i hope there´s an option to turn that kind of stuff off oO
i like my privacy

Real ID is totally optional -- the options are there for you to build your Blizzard Entertainment social network however you see fit.