World Wide Invitational Panels

[Boubouille]

After all this Diablo 3 Frenzy, let's get back to World of Warcraft ! The class panel is currently running on the stream, classes changes for Wrath of the Lich King are being revealed. This post is being updated

June 28th Panels
13:15 - 14:15 - WoW - Classes Present and Future
14:30 - 15:30 - Diablo - Design Fundamental
16:30 - 17:30 - Starcraft - Evolving Design
18:30 - 19:30 - WoW - Q&A Grab BagJune 29th Panels
09:30 - 10:30 - Starcraft - Distinctive Artistry
10:00 - 11:00 - Diablo - World Lore and Environment Art
10:45 - 11:45 - WoW - Anatomy of Dungeons and Raids
13:30 - 14:30 - WoW - PvP Game Systems
17:00 - 18:00 - Diablo - Denizens of Diablo


Q&A Grab Bag

Raids & Dungeons

• Sunwell Plateau is the last content patch before the expansion release.
• There isn't any plan to nerf Kil'jaeden right now, he's intended to be the last boss before the expansion and is meant to be hard.
• Raiding armor sets and PvP rewards sets will look different and won't share the same model anymore in Wrath of the Lich King.
• Uldum was on the original list of dungeons to be added to Wrath of the Lich King but right now it's still unsure if we'll see it or not.
  

PvP

• Raiding armor sets and PvP rewards sets will look different and won't share the same model anymore in Wrath of the Lich King.
  

Class Mechanics

• Most of the shaman totems, Unleashed Rage, and Battle Shout are some of the buffs changed in WotLK to affect the whole raid instead of the party.
• Dynamic Line of Sight will be introduced in WotLK PvP, for exemple a pillar might move up and down every 20 seconds, or we might have movable items. More info about Arenas in tomorrow's panel.
• The attacker/target range mechanics are being re-evaluated it might be changed for Wrath of the Lich King to fix most of the existing bugs, including the ones affecting the attack range of Feral Druids.
• Even if it looks like a lot of classes are being changed to make them "more hybrid", but developers still want to keep the classes as distinct as possible.
• There is a plan to give player access to two talent specs to switch between them without having to respec all the time. More details in the future.
  

World

• You will be able to use your flying mount again at level 77, and might be able to take passengers at level 80.
• A harbor will be added to Stormwind to transport players to Northrend, a new zone will be added in Northern Plaguelands as the Death Knight starting area, and an arena will be added to Orgrimmar in place of the existing empty one.
  

Professions

• Inscription trading skill is intended to be for both casters and melees, inscriptions benefits every class. The current plan is to use herbalism as the primary gathering profession.
  

Death Knight

• People playing a Death Knights will see the original voice of their race slightly modified to make it sound more ... Death Knight-ish.
• Tanks will be interchangeable in 5-man dungeons but tanks will have a speciality in 25-man raids. Death Knights will be best against casters and shouldn't be too far behind on other encounters.
  

Rogue

• Dagger specialization will be improved for rogues in Wrath of the Lich King.
  

Warlock

• There isn't any plan to change the soul shard farming as it's part of the class, but an "emergency soul shard" ability might be added.
  

Druid

• There will be a new model for the Druid's Dire Bear form and the Dire Cat form will be introduced.
  

Paladin

• Retribution paladins will share their itemization with Death Knights and Warriors. Their group utility will be increased by making them more efficient DPS-wise.
  

Warrior

• The plan is to improve the warrior specs to make sure that DPS warriors would be able to tank a little, while protection warriors would be able to DPS slightly more with new abilities like Shockwave.

Class panel

Druid

• Entangling roots will be useable indoor.
• Nourish will be a new healing spell, healing for more hit points for each HoT effect on the target.
• There isn't any plan to change cyclone
  

Hunter

• All kind of pets will have their own talent tree. A tanking talent tree, a DPS talent tree, and an utility talent tree. Each kind of pet family will have its own talent tree and its own unique ability.
• The shot clipping will be removed from Steady Shot, you'll be able to use it without "interrupting" your autoshot. Hunters will be able to just smash their button.
• There are going to be new pets in WotLK.
• The skill points for each pets are being changed to the new "Pet talents" and will disappear.
  

Priest

• Divine Hymn will be a deep-holy talent protecting your party from attackers, any attacks done to you or your party will cause the attacker to be afflicted by sleep.
• The 51 point talent for Shadow Priests is Dispersion : You disperse into pure shadow energy, reducing all damage taken by -90%. You are unable to attack or cast spells, but you regenerate 6% health and mana every 1 sec for 6 seconds.
• Guardian Spirit - Calls upon a guardian spirit to heal and watch over the friendly target. The spirit heals the target for 642 every 2 sec, and also prevents the target from dying by sacrificing itself. Lasts 10 seconds.
  

Mage

• Mages are getting a Frostfire bolt dealing Frost-Fire damage to make elementalists more viable.
  

Shaman

• Totems are being "condensed" into a smaller amount of totems, for exemple Strength of Earth and Grace of Air totems will be merged into the same totem
• A new weapon enchantment will be available "Earthliving Weapon". It will increase the healing power of the Shaman.
• Flametongue will give spell damage bonus to the Shaman.
• Totems are being moved to physical school, you can't counterspell anymore.
• Totems will also affect raid members, not just the local party.
• Shamans are getting "Hex", a polymorph-like spell on a medium cooldown allowing them to turn an enemy into a frog. The enemy cannot cast or attack but is still in control of his character.
• Windfury won't be a weapon enchant anymore and will be changed to a buff. You will be able to use it in bear form or with poison.
  

Rogue

• Rogues will get a talent called "Fan of Knives", an AoE ability allowing them to attack all enemies within a short range. It will be some kind of "emergency" ability and you won't be able to spam it.
• Sap will now work on more targets, humanoids, beasts, dragonkins, demons. "Anything with a skull and a brain inside of it".
  

Paladin

• Retribution paladins itemization will be moved to the same item as Warriors/Death Knights
• A new reactive healing spell will be added - Hand of Purity.
• Paladin's short-term-blessings no longer overwrite long-term-blessings.
  

Warlock

• Demonic Circle will allow warlocks to scribe a circle in the ground to teleport to it later with another spell.
• The 51-Point demonogy talent is a Demon-Form, this will allow you cast AOE Shadowbolts
  

Warrior

• Titan's Grip is a new Fury talent and allows warriors to wear 2 hand weapons with a single hand.
• Protection Warriors are getting a spell called "Shockwave" allowing them to damage and stun all the monsters in front of them.
• Bladestorm will be a new Arms talent whirlwinding all enemies in range every x seconds for a few seconds.
  

[Typh00n]

Sweet, some Wotlk info is allways fun!

[sirvalden]

windfury will be buffed for druids!

[JenadaeX]

I didnt think they could dumb down this game anymore... :-\

[MikHaven]

Wonder if the idea that you wouldn't have to spec deep into the frost tree for Death Knights to tank applies to other classes as well.

I would hope that a dps warrior would eventually get a CC since its kinda required in a lot of cases, since we can't off-tank a mob in heroic.

And I hope they are true to their word and realizing that the tanking classes are few and far between with the tankadin being the best right now, which is good, but would love to spread the love.

I am SUPER excited about the Death Grip, I always wanted a Scorpion pull ability as a warrior tank.

[makka]

jesus christ, i seen that one coming!

[Tergeron]

old info if you keep up to date at wotlkwiki

[meilu]

lol @ titan's grip, dual wielding 2 handers WTF?

[MikHaven]

"Restoration
Nourish: "Heals a friendly target for 1550 to 1800. Heals for an additional 387.5 to 450 if Rejuvenation is on the target."
Flourish (Rank 1) (talent) - 450 mana, 40 yard range. "Heals friendly party or raid members within 10 yards of the target for 672 over 7 sec. The amount healed is applied quickly at first, and slows down as the Flourish reaches its full duration." "

MY bad I didn't realize they were thinking about two healing spells.

[dsmet]

yay...priest seems to get some love...and im soooo rolling a shaman :P...nice stuff here.....ofc wlocks with the aoe shadowbolt will remain pretty OP :P

[Puntar]

There sure are some heavy druid changes. :

[LavaDuck]

Might pick up my shaman again for wotlk.

For now it's resting, along with the rest until expansion hits

[Deleted]

Òmg warrior dual wieldin 2h sick

[ozku]

Wasn't Bladestorm arms rather than fury?

[plaits]

Wheres the DK info? I know it was talked about...

[Qwios]

I didnt think they could dumb down this game anymore... :-\

I woke up most of the way thru the panel, what exactly is being dumbed down?

Edit: also apparently misquoted, fix't

[Gish]

Titan's Grip will allow warriors to wear 2 hand weapons with a single hand.

Does this mean that the 2H will become Main hand? and you'll be allowed a off-hand? or actually be able to equip 2x2H? is this been revealeD?

[MikHaven]

Wasn't Bladestorm arms rather than fury?

Bladestorm is indeed Arms.
Titan's Grip is indeed fury.

Think about it, Titan's Grip is about dual wielding, which is fury.

According to Lead Designer, THIS does indeed mean dual wielding 2x2hD weapons.  SICK imo!!

But it does reduce your damage from the weapon. *not mentioned.

[Uuker]

Finally, no more pain with hunter pet's abilities! But, inc LOTS of pet's respeccing (for solo, pve and pvp).
GIEF demonform! Sounds wicked (remember demon hunter in WCIII?)

[Jeffemming]

Can anyone provide me with more information on Hand of Purity?