Stars (TW - Crystalpine Stinger) already working on Firelands Heroic - Shannox World First Kill
A lot of guilds killed all the bosses of the Firelands raid in normal mode already but it seems that Stars (TW - Crystalpine Stinger) decided to take it one step further.

After clearing the encounters in normal mode, the entire raid changed faction to reset their raid ID and started working on heroic encounters shortly after, that kind of thing happened in the past and it's not really surprising to see it used again to grab first kills.

As I write these lines, Stars killed Shannox in Heroic Mode. It's not really my place to judge if something is against the rules or not and I will just keep tracking heroic first kills as they happen.



Blue Posts
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
Eternal Embers and Seething Cinders Droprates
You’re assuming the drop chances for embers averages out to .5 per boss in 10’s and 2 per boss in 25’s, which it doesn’t. Whether you’re in 10’s or 25’s you’re going to see an equal drop average for Eternal Embers per player, and the same can be said for Seething Cinders. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

New Content - Differences between PvE and PvP Players
The answer to your question revolves around a common difference in how PvE players and PvP players approach the game. Generally speaking, PvE players want more quests, more dungeons and more raids to experience -- more and new content is king. On the other hand, while some PvP players do want new maps, many others would be happier if we perfected the Arena or BG maps that already exist - or even if we cut existing maps. After all, PvP players don’t graduate out of Arathi Basin or Dalaran sewers the same way PvE players graduate from dungeon to heroic, or raid tier to raid tier. We did make some improvements to the existing PvP maps, such as trying to return Ring of Valor to circulation and changing the way flags work in Eye of the Storm (for rated play).

We’d love to add a lot more maps than we currently do, but we need to do it in such a way that doesn’t make the PvP experience worse for players who are more interested in refining their PvP experience than in seeing new maps. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Patch 4.2 Hairstyles
We had a bunch of hairstyles we threw in for testing on the PTR and the majority of them did not pass the test. (quality, art direction, bugs, etc.) (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Patch 4.0 Raids now puggable
We specifically intend for the 4.0 raids to be puggable now that Firelands is out. Grabbing some tier 11 by way of Justice, quest rewards, plus across the board difficulty nerfs should really be enough to get them going.

The patch has only been out a day or so though. I think it'll probably take a little bit before people really get it into their heads that they should be pugging the previous tier because it's not too hard to be successful. It's just getting people used to the various encounters and mechanics.

Maybe people are waiting for the holiday weekend? If nothing else, leading one yourself is always an option. I think we'd agree that we need some better ways to get pug raids together considering we intend to follow the "New Raid is Hard, old Tier is Puggable" format from here on.

Still unsure what that means regarding the final raid (i.e. Deathwing). Do pugs not get to see him until the next expansion is released? (Not saying whether that's a good thing or not, but personally I enjoyed getting to Arthas on some of my alts without spending near as much time as I did on my main.)
In ICC we had a stacking raid buff over time which gradually made the content easier. Not saying we’ll do that exact thing again but the philosophy was around even then that everyone who wants to can eventually see the content, but it’s going to take very organized groups (which typically means raiding guilds) to see the encounters first.

So casuals will constantly be a tier behind for the rest of the life of this game? If that is what is actually coming out of your mouth I'll save myself the time and unsub now. What a piss poor vision for your game. There are normal and heroic versions of raids for a reason. That heroic difficulty was implemented so that the two segments of the population (casual and hardcore) would both have something to do. You are now bifurcating the raiding population AGAIN, by telling casuals that they have to run around in the left overs.
Trying to label all of our players as “casual puggers” vs.” hardcore raiders” is ridiculously simplistic. Among raiders there is an enormous diversity of players. There are those who will raid virtually every night when new content is out, to guilds that raid once a week (and even then will cancel raid nights fairly commonly). If you must try to label raiders, you’d be closer to the Blizzard model if you said normal mode is for organized raids, heroic mode is for more hardcore organized raids, and the previous tier of content (and Baradin Hold) is targeted for pick-up groups. Also consider that even within a raid zone we try to design easier bosses (usually near the front) and more challenging ones (usually at the end) which can help blur those lines and offer smoother transitions for each category.

Overall, we think you’ll have a better experience playing World of Warcraft if you play with friends, either existing or those you meet in game. WoW, while much more solo friendly than most older MMO games, is still intended as a multiplayer game. We provide features like Dungeon Finder for when playing with friends isn’t possible, and as we said above, we’d like to offer more features like that. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Tabards Tab
Are there any considerations for a tab for your tabards?
Yes!

[...] To clarify: he asked if we were considering it, and yes we are considering it. :) (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Keyring Removal
On a serious point though some people are upset about the removal of the key ring. While that seems like we're just taking it out to be bullies, it specifically frees up storage space we can then make into useful features. Not that it will specifically be used for 'tabard storage', but we are going to be using the space the removal of the key ring freed up. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Thrall and Aggra's "wedding"
Correct. Their pledging of their lives to one another was essentially their 'wedding', although I'm sure Orcs don't use such nomenclature to refer to these things. Maybe 'life bond' fits better. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Does Blizzard plan on adding the rest of the dungeons and raids to the Dungeon Journal?
Absolutely. With the time it takes to present a single boss in the Dungeon Journal we were only confident supplying Cataclysm content with the release of the feature in 4.2, but we are on a path to filling it out with all dungeons and raids in the entire game. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Steam Summer Sales
In a very, very, very unrelated sidenote, Steam Summer Sales are up. I don't usually news non-WoW stuff but ... well, I like Valve and I'm pretty sure a lot of people will be happy to hear the news. Also, don't forget that we have a Video Games Forum!
This article was originally published in forum thread: Stars Heroic Shannox World First Kill, Blue Posts started by Boubouille View original post
Comments 622 Comments
  1. Geomatician's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Brett Skullcrack View Post
    Which is exactly why I held STARS is such high regard before. They did really well considering all the huge disadvantages.
    They were testing on EU PTR.
  1. Stobbz's Avatar
    Grats to them

    IMO Ban Raid Locks all together, just make em like instances, this would increase the number of chances people get to raid.
  1. Keosen's Avatar
    It seems they have 3/7 HC atm by the way
    Anyways my opinion is that Blizzard should fix this because is essentially buying raid lock with real money.
  1. PowerGamez's Avatar
    This thread is an extra scrumptious, super duper, delicious cupcake. The fact that a few months ago the GM of stars went on a rant to call out other top guilds for using "exploits" on H:Nef and H:Atramedes is the cherry on top.
  1. Vasz's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by ashblond View Post
    Talking about fairness, they dont even have PTR. And TW servers weekly maintanance later than EU servers, let alone US servers.

    If you are in a cutting-edge raiding guild like Stars that competes world first by seconds and minutes, you are already in a huge disadvantage.

    Tbh, i think Stars used a very clever mechanism to overcome the the disadvantage.

    Since they have downed the 1st heroic boss on the 1st day of Patch 4.2 on TW server, I think Stars are pretty aware that others competitors ( Paragon, Methold, Ensidia, etc.. ) would kill it within a day after next week's rest too.

    If they dont faction change, they know they will certainly lose the world first, if they do, they will be blamed for cheating.. lol poor Stars
    No reason why they can't use the EU servers PTR. If you are willing to pay money for a faction change, then im sure you would be willing to buy an EU/US account.
  1. bi0's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by discombobulate View Post
    everyone had the option to do so. and blizz sells ingame shit for real life money now. buying a world first is perfectly acceptable. they should be allowed to clear the whole thing, if one follows the rules blizz and bobby knotik have laid down.
    If you dont know anything dont post! The Faction Change BUG (!!!!!) only works in TW (and US?), but it got fixed in the EU 2 years ago, so no and as already said, ensidia got acm+kill from LK removed for using a bugged mechanic, this is the same, i realy hope, they delete their firelands acm for unlocking hardmodes, so that they are 1 week behind now (or just perma ban such idiots)


    Edit: They also Raid on the US Ptr like all EU Guilds too
  1. lordzed83's Avatar
    Gz to them.
    In my opinion blizz will do fuck all about it. And thats good part. Any of pro guilds could have done it.
    Same as my mates guild members took 1 day off work and raided for 14 hours when servers got up.... So should they get banned cos they used holidays 2 get realm firsts ??
  1. Nekovivie's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by lordzed83 View Post
    Gz to them.
    In my opinion blizz will do fuck all about it. And thats good part. Any of pro guilds could have done it.
    Same as my mates guild members took 1 day off work and raided for 14 hours when servers got up.... So should they get banned cos they used holidays 2 get realm firsts ??
    Next up, serial killer gets released without charge because anyone on the street could of done the same.

    lololrite?
  1. Adrood's Avatar
    I think the scenario that would be done to normally fix all this qq is just to give them their money back tell them that this was a bug .. remove their loot + achi + kill and then get on with their lives ... and then start fresh on Wed. however i dunn know how much this will matter if they knew how to do it now .. they will know how to do it on Wednesday anyways ... tbh it would be very much embarrassing for all of u guys qqing about this if they eventually got world first shannox next Wednesday lol
  1. lordzed83's Avatar
    Shit like that alrd happened mate.......
  1. mmoca72bb9769b's Avatar
    all you guys raging about world first or not.

    This is their PTR basically, they transferred there ALTS to PRACTISE. because they cant get ptr in TW. The fact theyve killed 3 herioc bosses as world firsts on their alts tells you more about the herioc modes than whether its ethical or not to do so.

    They themselves wont claim these are world firsts, they probalbly assumed it would be stripped off them anyway hence using alts for it.
  1. Soranis's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Tortillagirl View Post
    all you guys raging about world first or not.

    This is their PTR basically, they transferred there ALTS to PRACTISE. because they cant get ptr in TW. The fact theyve killed 3 herioc bosses as world firsts on their alts tells you more about the herioc modes than whether its ethical or not to do so.

    They themselves wont claim these are world firsts, they probalbly assumed it would be stripped off them anyway hence using alts for it.
    Well considering there alts are most likely equal geared as there mains and most likely precisly same classes there alts and mains are 100% the same. So it doenst matter if they did it on alts or not.

    Smart way to get em but overall abit lame imo
  1. discombobulate's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by bi0 View Post
    If you dont know anything dont post! The Faction Change BUG (!!!!!) only works in TW (and US?), but it got fixed in the EU 2 years ago, so no and as already said, ensidia got acm+kill from LK removed for using a bugged mechanic, this is the same, i realy hope, they delete their firelands acm for unlocking hardmodes, so that they are 1 week behind now (or just perma ban such idiots)


    Edit: They also Raid on the US Ptr like all EU Guilds too
    really man? sarcasm eludes you.

    ya are raging pretty hard there as well. oO realize that in a short time none of this will mean shit, been there done the heroic server first and shit grind. really... its meaningless.

    first one to kill raggy heroic = wins.

    they don't even have shit like death's demise anymore either? /sigh.
  1. Mercadi's Avatar
    Raid lockout reset upon faction transfer was there as long as I remember. Stars must have planned to do that a long time ago. Any other guild could do that. The "bug" is well-known.
  1. Peadoughbare's Avatar
    Stars tested on the EU PTR everytime it was available, stop talking crap people please.
  1. Kurosaki's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Nekovivie View Post
    Next up, serial killer gets released without charge because anyone on the street could of done the same.

    lololrite?
    LOL serial killer = Guild geting world first kill with money. BHAHAHAHA omfg logic now omg its so funny
  1. Ennyzor's Avatar
    Seriously, why do people whine about this? It's a freaking game, and if they are retarded enough to wanna spend some of their money in order to get a world first, then why not let em? If Blizzard intended to fix this, they could and should have fixed it a long time ago when it was first abused.

    Secondly, as someone mentioned: If they already got 3/7 HC, this just proves how silly the new heroic encounters seems to be.
  1. Geomatician's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by bi0 View Post
    If you dont know anything dont post! The Faction Change BUG (!!!!!) only works in TW (and US?), but it got fixed in the EU 2 years ago, so no and as already said, ensidia got acm+kill from LK removed for using a bugged mechanic, this is the same, i realy hope, they delete their firelands acm for unlocking hardmodes, so that they are 1 week behind now (or just perma ban such idiots)


    Edit: They also Raid on the US Ptr like all EU Guilds too
    it still works in the EU and most likely in the US it was never changed only server transfer was.

    ---------- Post added 2011-07-01 at 10:31 AM ----------

    Quote Originally Posted by Ennyzor View Post
    Secondly, as someone mentioned: If they already got 3/7 HC, this just proves how silly the new heroic encounters seems to be.
    Don't quote me on this but it looks as though it was alts they've done it on, and not their mains.
  1. Exerionx's Avatar
    What's done is done.Really, people. What has been done can't really be reversed :P
  1. Msi's Avatar
    Gz Starts, still love you

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