Build of the Month
Recent Blue Posts
Beta Raid Testing Schedule
Legacy of Arathor 11.1.7 PTR Development Notes
Recent Forum Posts
Anyone remember when WoW was immersive?
Low Drop Rate on the Highest Performing Trinkets
RoS at BlizzCon 2013 on PC / PS4, BlizzCon 2013 Map and Schedule, Design a Legendary, Blizzard All-Stars Becomes Heroes of the Storm
Hearthstone Developer Cards, HS Hightlights - Gurubashi Berserker, NA & EU Beta WavesHeroic Garrosh Hellscream 10 Video
Paragon has posted their video of the solo healed Heroic Garrosh 10 encounter. Unfortunately it is blocked in the US on Youtube.
Blizzard PvP Summit
It's probably worth clarifying why we're hosting a small, invitational PvP Summit at Blizzard HQ.
First and foremost, this isn't a class balance summit. We're not bringing in these guys to talk about specific tweaks to specific classes for the current season.
We're hosting the event to candidly discuss a broad number of subjects with respect to PvP, including reward structures, battleground design, arena design, general PvP content/gameplay, future plans, and yes, we'll spend some time on class design. These guys aren't class representatives. They're highly skilled and knowledgeable players, and we want to have an open, in-person dialog with them about the game. They've spent a lot of time scrutinizing World of Warcraft's PvP content over the years, so we want to get them all in a room for a day and have some focused discussions, debates, hug-it-out sessions, and so on.
Sam Kwok from Arena Junkies and Olivia Grace from WoW Insider will be reporting on some of the info that's discussed, though given that we'll spend a good deal of time on "big picture" ideas, a lot of the information will be confidential in the short term.
First and foremost, this isn't a class balance summit. We're not bringing in these guys to talk about specific tweaks to specific classes for the current season.
We're hosting the event to candidly discuss a broad number of subjects with respect to PvP, including reward structures, battleground design, arena design, general PvP content/gameplay, future plans, and yes, we'll spend some time on class design. These guys aren't class representatives. They're highly skilled and knowledgeable players, and we want to have an open, in-person dialog with them about the game. They've spent a lot of time scrutinizing World of Warcraft's PvP content over the years, so we want to get them all in a room for a day and have some focused discussions, debates, hug-it-out sessions, and so on.
Sam Kwok from Arena Junkies and Olivia Grace from WoW Insider will be reporting on some of the info that's discussed, though given that we'll spend a good deal of time on "big picture" ideas, a lot of the information will be confidential in the short term.
Blue Posts
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
Loot RNG
We realize that sometimes RNG can be frustrating. I’m just not sure how beneficial it would be for the game and its longevity, if all of a sudden RNG started being “smart” and avoiding giving out items that are either useless or redundant to players.
“Smart loot” is great for quests and lower level content, but messing around with the randomness of loot attribution in high-end content is, in my opinion, something that would only be detrimental to the game.
LFR already gives out loot that is based on spec, that’s as far as we are willing to go with “smart” RNG in such environments, also, that only happens because of the nature of that specific loot system.
From a design standpoint, it’s perfectly ok for loot not always being desirable. Rarity is exciting. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Leveling and Dungeons Too Easy?
Try to remember that, compared to a brand new MMO player, those of you who've been gamers for a while and are familiar with games in this genre are bound to find levelling content fairly straight forward.
Many people pick up WoW as their first MMO, with zero knowledge about the different classes and races, let alone talent specs, skills and attributes. They may not know some of the things you don't even think about like, as a Mage, you should pick Intellect over Strength, Spirit over Agility. They won't pick a new class and spend an hour or two looking up rotations or recommended talents, which addons to get, how to enchant, glyph, gem or reforge to get the best from their toon.
The game has to be forgiving to people like that, while still engaging for those of us who've been playing for years, and sure, that must be tricky for the devs at times. But as someone who has always enjoyed levelling new characters, I truly feel the questing nowadays is much more enjoyable than before.
We understand that for certain individuals the game may at times come across as simplistic and easy compared to X years ago. Yet as Takralus pointed out earlier, it's important to us that the overall gaming experience is welcoming and fun for newcomers.
A number of changes were intentionally aimed at breaking down the vast amount of information within WoW, into manageable chunks.
That being said we're also keen on creating games with flexibility so they can be played the way players want to. Examples of these would be the flexible raid system or monster power in Diablo. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
PvP Feedback
In regards to those of you who are raising concerns over the current amount of crowd control that is around right now, we just want to make sure that you're aware that we will be working to reduce the amount and frequency of crowd control in the next expansion, while also making diminishing returns easier to comprehend.
One thing to note though is that while we're aware that it's not enjoyable to be unable to play your character at times, we also know that it's quite frustrating to be casting a spell and then suddenly see the word "Immune" come up. We'll try to provide more information on this particular topic when we're able.
At level 70, you get Stampeding Roar. It increases movement speed by 50% for 10 seconds for you and anyone in your party on a 1 minute cooldown. It replaces Dash.
We already actually do this to some degree, but we purposefully only take it so far. Looking specifically at the Dash/Stampeding Roar example, that will actually cause players to hesitate in using Stampeding Roar for their own benefit and instead will only use it when it'd be most efficient for the entire party. Making changes like this can easily start to cause things to get overly complicated. Plus, this doesn't entirely solve the issue of action bar bloat at max level.
Keep the feedback coming everyone, this thread is awesome! (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
We realize that sometimes RNG can be frustrating. I’m just not sure how beneficial it would be for the game and its longevity, if all of a sudden RNG started being “smart” and avoiding giving out items that are either useless or redundant to players.
“Smart loot” is great for quests and lower level content, but messing around with the randomness of loot attribution in high-end content is, in my opinion, something that would only be detrimental to the game.
LFR already gives out loot that is based on spec, that’s as far as we are willing to go with “smart” RNG in such environments, also, that only happens because of the nature of that specific loot system.
From a design standpoint, it’s perfectly ok for loot not always being desirable. Rarity is exciting. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Leveling and Dungeons Too Easy?
Try to remember that, compared to a brand new MMO player, those of you who've been gamers for a while and are familiar with games in this genre are bound to find levelling content fairly straight forward.
Many people pick up WoW as their first MMO, with zero knowledge about the different classes and races, let alone talent specs, skills and attributes. They may not know some of the things you don't even think about like, as a Mage, you should pick Intellect over Strength, Spirit over Agility. They won't pick a new class and spend an hour or two looking up rotations or recommended talents, which addons to get, how to enchant, glyph, gem or reforge to get the best from their toon.
The game has to be forgiving to people like that, while still engaging for those of us who've been playing for years, and sure, that must be tricky for the devs at times. But as someone who has always enjoyed levelling new characters, I truly feel the questing nowadays is much more enjoyable than before.
We understand that for certain individuals the game may at times come across as simplistic and easy compared to X years ago. Yet as Takralus pointed out earlier, it's important to us that the overall gaming experience is welcoming and fun for newcomers.
A number of changes were intentionally aimed at breaking down the vast amount of information within WoW, into manageable chunks.
That being said we're also keen on creating games with flexibility so they can be played the way players want to. Examples of these would be the flexible raid system or monster power in Diablo. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
PvP Feedback
In regards to those of you who are raising concerns over the current amount of crowd control that is around right now, we just want to make sure that you're aware that we will be working to reduce the amount and frequency of crowd control in the next expansion, while also making diminishing returns easier to comprehend.
One thing to note though is that while we're aware that it's not enjoyable to be unable to play your character at times, we also know that it's quite frustrating to be casting a spell and then suddenly see the word "Immune" come up. We'll try to provide more information on this particular topic when we're able.
At level 70, you get Stampeding Roar. It increases movement speed by 50% for 10 seconds for you and anyone in your party on a 1 minute cooldown. It replaces Dash.
We already actually do this to some degree, but we purposefully only take it so far. Looking specifically at the Dash/Stampeding Roar example, that will actually cause players to hesitate in using Stampeding Roar for their own benefit and instead will only use it when it'd be most efficient for the entire party. Making changes like this can easily start to cause things to get overly complicated. Plus, this doesn't entirely solve the issue of action bar bloat at max level.
Keep the feedback coming everyone, this thread is awesome! (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
2013 Halloween Pumpkin Carving Contest
Originally Posted by Blizzard
The Halloween season has finally arrived, and we’re ready to cut straight to the heart of the holiday. If you're dying to pick up a knife and hack, gash, slash, and jab at something, then you might be excited to hear that as of October 17, Blizzard's 2013 Halloween Pumpkin Carving Contest has officially begun! Unleash your magical axes, psi blades, chitinous claws, and other creative cutlery to carve up Blizzard-themed jack-o’-lanterns of epic awesomeness. If you’re unclear as to what epic awesomeness looks like in the flesh, you can check out last year’s winners for some inspiration.
We’ll choose five of the grandest Cucurbita to earn one (1) Diablo III: Book of Tyrael. Don’t delay; start carving right away! The eleventh annual pumpkin carving contest ends on October 29, so be sure to check out the contest page for rules and eligibility and get straight to slicing.
We’ll choose five of the grandest Cucurbita to earn one (1) Diablo III: Book of Tyrael. Don’t delay; start carving right away! The eleventh annual pumpkin carving contest ends on October 29, so be sure to check out the contest page for rules and eligibility and get straight to slicing.
The HearthPwn Arena Challenge - Beta Key GiveawayHearthpwn has more Hearthstone beta keys to give out, so be sure to enter before 4pm EDT on Saturday, October 19, 2013 to have a chance at winning one!
Blizzcon Store Update
We've added some new items to the store (get a preview below) and restocked a few popular ones, including the Lil' Chen Pandaren Plush and the Lil' Murk-Eye Murloc Plush!
This year’s BlizzCon Store online sale has just begun! This sale is exclusive to BlizzCon attendees and Virtual Ticket buyers, and runs until the end of the show on November 9. The store is stocked with some epic never-before-seen loot, along with some of your favorite items from BlizzCons past. Supplies are limited, so if you’re not going to the show in person or haven’t yet purchased a Virtual Ticket, you might want to order now to get an early chance at some cool BlizzCon merchandise.
Unlike previous years, all orders will be shipped upon receipt—so the sooner you order, the faster you’ll get your BlizzCon swag. Keep in mind that orders are shipped from the United States, so international shipping rates may apply.
To access the sale, log in to the Blizzard Store using the Battle.net® account associated with your BlizzCon ticket or Virtual Ticket (physical ticket buyers can view this info in their Order History).
Check out just a few of this year’s new items below:
Be sure to come back in the coming weeks, as well, as additional items and surprises will be revealed as the sale continues!
This year’s BlizzCon Store online sale has just begun! This sale is exclusive to BlizzCon attendees and Virtual Ticket buyers, and runs until the end of the show on November 9. The store is stocked with some epic never-before-seen loot, along with some of your favorite items from BlizzCons past. Supplies are limited, so if you’re not going to the show in person or haven’t yet purchased a Virtual Ticket, you might want to order now to get an early chance at some cool BlizzCon merchandise.
Unlike previous years, all orders will be shipped upon receipt—so the sooner you order, the faster you’ll get your BlizzCon swag. Keep in mind that orders are shipped from the United States, so international shipping rates may apply.
To access the sale, log in to the Blizzard Store using the Battle.net® account associated with your BlizzCon ticket or Virtual Ticket (physical ticket buyers can view this info in their Order History).
Check out just a few of this year’s new items below:
Be sure to come back in the coming weeks, as well, as additional items and surprises will be revealed as the sale continues!
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