World of Warcraft News and Raiding Strategies

So, Blizzard has recently issued heavy-handed anti-boosting measures. However, addons are still able to accept a remote /follow command from another player. This makes boosting services more attractive as boostees can then be fully AFK for a very long time. This is (or was) a common practice for boosting on Faerlina.

How this looks in practice: A booster advertises that they are doing slave pens boosts, and that they have the auto-follow weakaura. 1-4 boostees join, and then the booster shares a weakaura with them that will accept a remote /follow command. Now after they pay the booster they can just go AFK for 30 minutes, since the booster can just type a command in party chat and the boostee characters will automatically follow the booster out of an old instance ID and into a fresh one without them even being at the keyboard.

If the above doesn’t give you an idea of what this would look like, just look at the first 10 seconds of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6voUtTiLz0

I don’t see how the ability to remotely issue a /follow command meaningfully benefits anyone except multiboxers and people selling a service that allows someone to AFK for exp/gear, and Blizzard have now shown that they don’t really appreciate either of these gameplay styles, so I’m wondering why it’s still in the game. While boosting has taken a heavy hit, there do appear to be some boosting options still available albeit not as accessible as before, so in my mind it makes sense to make whatever’s left as inconvenient as possible.

I reached out to our UI and accessibility teams and we’re investigating this.

In general, we agree that accessibility is important, but that doesn’t mean that every effort to stop automation or botting is an attack on accessibility. There are lots of game functions that the game requires a hardware event for, and it makes sense for /follow to be added to that list, based on the behavior Kruffzz suggested. We’re targeting that change for both Wrath of the Lich King Classic, and Dragonflight releases.

Before making decisions like this, we reach out to gamers with disabilities. To be clear, the change we’re planning will still allow a disabled player to follow a guide, including through the use of a Macro or UI Mod to issue the follow command. The behavior it prevents is for UI Mods to initiate a follow on their own based on receiving a message from another source, such as a message from another player.

Thanks for the suggestion, Kruffzz!

Dungeons and Raids

• Mythic+
  
  • Affixes
    
    • Quaking
      
      • Players will no longer be damaged by Quaking during Skulloc’s Gronn Smash in Iron Docks and during Grimrail Depot cutscenes.
  • Grimrail Depot
    
    • Skylord Tovra
      
      • Fixed an issue that could prevent Skylord Tovra from appearing once conditions were met.

Items and Rewards

• Fixed an issue where the spell effect on Ring of Collapsing Futures was scaling incorrectly.

A shining treasure within Thaldraszus, Valdrakken is a testament to the power of cooperation between the dragonflights and dragonkin. It serves as a hub of activity for all who visit the Dragon Isles and provides a variety of services.

This bejeweled city is a feast for the eyes and ears, with waterfalls cascading down the mountain surrounding the city and breathtaking views overlooking nearby Tyrhold. There is a tranquility here even as the Dragonflights work with their allies to reclaim their homeland and reestablish a presence in their city.

Key Features:

• Bank
  
• Black Market Auction House
  
• PvP Vendors
  
• Auction House
  
• Crafting Stations
  
• Profession Trainers
  
• Void Storage
  
• Transmogrifier
  
• Barbershop
  
• Portals to Orgrimmar and Stormwind
  
• Questing

Seat of the Aspects: Portals to Orgrimmar and Stormwind


Located in the largest building toward the center of the city is the Seat of the Aspects along with portals to Orgrimmar and Stormwind.

Inn: The Roasted Ram


Take a load off and stretch your limbs (or wings if you have them) in the Roasted Ram inn near the center of the city.

Crafter’s Consortium


A bustling hub of commerce within the city, the Crafter’s Consortium is where crafters and patrons come together. Patrons can place Crafting Orders, or crafters can meet up at the various crafting stations to hone their skills, pick up a Crafting Order, or even recraft goods.

A Home for Every Dragonflight

Each of the dragonflights has their own areas to explore within Valdrakken.

The Blue Dragonflight houses a public library, and you can also visit a couple of the flight members taking time for a bit of tea on one of the balconies looking out over the majestic views of Thaldraszus.


The Green and Red Dragonflights house private gardens filled with shades of verdant green and striking red flora.


You’ll find the Black Dragonflight housing a variety of additional services, including Gear Upgrade Vendors, PvP Vendors, Forge, Anvil, Blacksmithing, and Mining.


The Bronze Dragonflight hosts the Timewalkers faction, a group of dragons and mortals dedicated to studying and preserving the timeways.

There’s plenty to discover in this majestic metropolis. Whether you’re visiting for profit or as a place to rest between your adventures, you’ll find what you need here.

Thaldraszus, a wonderous mountain region in the Dragon Isles, is the cradle of dragon civilization. From formidable structures to complex waterways, titan and dragon influence can be found throughout its diverse biomes. The sense of history in this region is palpable, and it feels alive with the spark of possibility.


The bronze dragons used the Temporal Conflux as a seat of power. Its vast libraries of knowledge contain the secrets of the timeways, as well as the Bronze Oathstone that symbolizes their calling to protect all time.


While titan-forged spaces bear distinctive architecture, the places established by the dragons reflect the most cultured aspects of dragon society. The dragons built vast structures, the most glorious of which was Valdrakken. From the top of this grand city, the Aspects passed laws and directed their protection of Azeroth.


Also nestled in the heart of Thaldraszus is Tyrhold, home to the Halls of Infusion. A mysterious place that has been locked away for millennia and holds the secrets that Tyr left behind.


The land is filled with a variety of life that you will see as you traverse through Thaldraszus:




Thaldraszus is filled with history beckoning to be uncovered. Dive into the mysteries of the past in ancient lands.

We look forward to sharing more details as development continues on Dragonflight. Visit the Dragonflight site to pre-order. Check WorldofWarcraft.com/news for updates and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

See you in the Dragon Isles!