Forge of Souls, Cairne Bloodhoof, Blue Posts

[Boubouille]

Patch 3.3 Quests Changes - Cairne and Baine Bloodhoof
Today is another small update of Patch 3.3 quests. You might remember from the World of Warcraft - Cataclysm leak that Cairne would eventually .... "leave" Thunder Bluff. Once again it looks like this will be confirmed at some point after the release of Patch 3.3.

• A new NPC has been added to the game - Baine Bloodhoof (Leader).
• A new version of Rites of the Earthmother quest has been added to the game > Rites of the Earthmother. Baine Bloodhoof replaces his father in this quest.
• A new version of Journey Into Thunder Bluff quest has been added to the game > Journey into Thunder Bluff. Baine Bloodhoof replaces his father in this quest.

This change isn't active on PTRs for the moment but Blizzard is definitely getting a few things ready for when it will happen ...


The Forge of Souls Preview
Here is a short video preview of the Forge of Souls, the first wing of the 5-man dungeon of the Icecrown Citadel. The instance is currently bugged on PTRs but will most likely be available in the next PTR Build.

<object width="640" height="405"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4g8VjeY-0Sc&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4g8VjeY-0Sc&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="405"></embed></object>

Blue posts

Icecrown 5-Man Dungeon Loot on PTRs
Currently the items available from the 5 man dungeons is not ready to be tested. When it is ready, it will start dropping from the bosses. (Source)

Pre-Cataclysm Events
I want to stress something: at no point in the trailer or on the website is it mentioned or even alluded to that the fight against the Lich King will happen the same time as the cataclysm. I can definitely see where one might get that impression, but the actual storyline is not going to be quite that compact.

[...] One thing I should mention right off the bat: there are no current plans to exclude players from Orgrimmar by any criteria to my knowledge.

As for the rest of what's been floating around, I will say that there is reason behind every choice. As I said earlier, I'm not going to explain the story before it happens, but I will emphasize that there is a story, and these aren't aribtrary decisions.

[...] As for Thrall, I sincerely doubt you could call what happens "ruining" him, but neither is he a perfect leader. He's made mistakes of his own, and not all of them have to do with what people consider the biggest threats to the Horde.

I am not going to give hints on what will happen, but I will say this: we have no intention of removing all honor from the Horde and making them out to be a faction of pure evil. Thrall's honor, however, is not the only definition.

I will also say that while I have read a large number of rumors and speculation concerning what's to come, I haven't seen a single one that has the progresson of events or the reasons behind them correct. (Source)

Only one new class in 5 years?

Beyond the balance concern, which is a valid one, we don't want to over-saturate World of Warcraft with different classes. We want to make sure each class has a very distinct set of core mechanics from other classes. Continually introducing new classes can tend to bring about a feeling of redundancy if we're not fully comfortable with developing an entirely new set of mechanics distinct from the current classes.

This does not mean that we'll never consider adding new classes to the game as time moves on, but we're pretty happy with the play styles represented by the classes currently available. (Source)

Expert Riding Skill Price in 3.2.2
The full price of Expert Riding is 250g. I listed 225g in my original post thinking that most everyone would have at least honored with Stormwind or Orgrimmar faction by that point.

Just wanted to follow up on this and make sure everyone was clear that the full price is 250g and then faction discounts apply that reduce the price all the way down to 200g at exalted.

Thanks and sorry for the mixup. (Source)

Death Knight
Diminishing Returns on Chains of Ice on PTRs
Stop your mass rerolling there DKs; this is a bug.

Chains of Ice should not have DR on its snare.

The bug was likely introduced because we were trying to prevent the huge visual from displaying on creatures that were immune to the snare. The functionality of Chains of Ice has not changed for 3.3 (at least as of this posting.) (Source)

Druid
Improved Barkskin
Improved Barkskin has not changed for 3.3 (at least as of this posting). The tooltip was clarified to specify that only leather and cloth armor contribute, which was always the case.

[bbr]

That other screeny from the forge of souls kind of reminds me of the diablo 3 logo.
Probably a sneaky hint, maybe unintentional.

first!

And, grats on your ban iratus.

You'd think people know by now, not to do that.

[Deleted]

first!

Moderator edit: Grats. Have a prize.

Third!


This also dosent mean cairne will really die...
Maybe he will just get a more "forward" image and help in cata
Thats what i hope anyway

[Dolan]

I just hope cairne steps down as leader, and isn't killed off

[derastraz]

Hmm no DR on DK's after all.

[Zagnaphein]

Mordor!!!!!

Lovely cause prolly follows Thrall to help me guide the new Guardian of Tirisfall...Also another stupid thing...So many days passed and not a single new PTR built to fix the phasing issues :/

[bbr]

Hmm no DR on DK's after all.

Rather strange in a way, since all other cc effects, slows, etc DO have diminishing returns.
Correct?

[Zagnaphein]

Rather strange in a way, since all other cc effects, slows, etc DO have diminishing returns.
Correct?

I love ur avatar <3

[SirTreek23]

Improved Barkskin has not changed for 3.3 (at least as of this posting). The tooltip was clarified to specify that only leather and cloth armor contribute, which was always the case.

Improved Barkskin now Grants 80% additional armor contribution from cloth and leather items.

So I guess when they added this in, it was meant to be the stats for only one point then?

[Asaron]

Rather strange in a way, since all other cc effects, slows, etc DO have diminishing returns.
Correct?

Nope, i don't think any other snares in the game do.
Chains of Ice is what DKs do, it's their primary offering in PvP. Good peeling and pressure.

[Roar]

[color=white] Death Knight
Diminishing Returns on Chains of Ice on PTRs
Stop your mass rerolling there DKs; this is a bug.

Ho-ho, mass rerolling hehe.
Well, there ya go.. now let's wait and see what kind of topics that will appear in the pvp forums at wow.
--

Oh and - and only 1 class in 5 years, well thats a good thing. I mean, that their not going to fast just to make more classes as it exist big balance issues when adding a new class to the game and so on

[treston323]

Rather strange in a way, since all other cc effects, slows, etc DO have diminishing returns.
Correct?

Nope.. no snares in the game do. That's why it would be quite retarded.

[LavaDuck]

People were rerolling because of a possible DR on Chains of Ice???

[DrRight]

I hope Blizzard finds the balls to kill off a couple of characters.

The plot of warcraft 3 "we all have to work together" has left both factions with dull, predictable leaders. Im sorry, but level-headed = boring. Bring in Garrosh and Varian, out with Jaina and Thrall.

Kill at least a couple, Cairne if you must, and some others. They are awesome characters, but its time to move on.

Change is a good thing remember!

[Nilaihah]

Blackhand/Doomhammer '09

Out with the Hippie Horde!

[treston323]

People were rerolling because of a possible DR on Chains of Ice???

Killing off the only thing DKs offer in Arena would make the class utterly useless, that's why.

[Unionoob]

Forge of souls looks awesome... man I love how looks those ICC instances finaly something awesome in long time.. hope fights and trash there will be as creative as Pith of Saronite ones.

[Korah]

Killing off the only thing DKs offer in Arena would make the class utterly useless, that's why.

The only thing DKs offer in arena?

You clearly dont play arena do you?

[tadL]

The user has been banned for this post

[Peacemoon]

I hope Blizzard finds the balls to kill off a couple of characters.

The plot of warcraft 3 "we all have to work together" has left both factions with dull, predictable leaders. Im sorry, but level-headed = boring. Bring in Garrosh and Varian, out with Jaina and Thrall.

Kill at least a couple, Cairne if you must, and some others. They are awesome characters, but its time to move on.

Change is a good thing remember!

I agree with you in a way. No good story can live happily ever after, because happily ever after is quite boring. In order for this to happen, things must change. Jaina and Thrall must always be one step away from happiness and never actually there. I suspect that with the end of Arthas' story, Jaina will tragically die as well. Would the Lich King kill Jaina? Would this have any effect on him?

As for Cairne, I really hope he travels with Thrall. He has had such an unjustly boring role in WoW, he deserves to have his story taken forward, not ended.

I must remind everyone that it was Cairne who won "most loved faction leader" during the valentines event, people do like that old cuddly softy!

"Protect the kodo's!"