Upcoming Item Level Increase
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker)
Raid Finder (and Mythic) difficulty for Crucible of Storms will open next week, April 23. Similar to Battle of Dazar’alor, you will need an average item level of 350 to queue for it. To help ensure players get raid ready, we are increasing the maximum item level for certain World Quests rewards. This will include the following:

  • World Quest rewards will go up to ilvl 370 (from 360)
  • Emissary equipment will go up to ilvl 395 (from 385)
  • Emissary Azerite Armor will go up to ilvl 400 (from 385)
  • Against Overwhelming Odds (when available) will go up to ilvl 395 (from 385)

Once the update is live it will affect active rewards like the Emissaries, so you may want to plan for when you will turn those in.

Employee Alpha Testing for WoW Classic
A few days ago we posted that the WoW Classic Beta was added to CDC. It turns out that this was associated with the beginning stages of employee Alpha testing.
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker)
Hey folks! I’ve got a small update here to help quell some of the rumors and let you know where we are at for WoW Classic. We recently began a phase of internal employee alpha testing. The new build data that many of you have been discussing over the last few days is simply part of this process. Phases like this allow us to test out the game content along with other functionality that will be used in the live game, like logging in through the Blizzard Battle.net App.

Aside from that, we don’t have any announcements to make at this time. I know all of you are very excited about this game and we thank you for your patience as we continue to develop it. More information will be coming soon!
This article was originally published in forum thread: Upcoming World Content Item Level Increase, Employee WoW Classic Alpha Testing started by Stoy View original post
Comments 127 Comments
  1. Kallisto's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Onikaroshi View Post
    Ah yes, lets get rid of the content others like. How bout we just go back to wod and delete all casual content
    I agree with your sentiment about not removing content. But by sounds of people crying it seems like they don't actually like raiding for sake of raiding. They're in it for the epeen.

    Otherwise they wouldn't cry about "it invalidates it." when if they raided for the fun of it they simply wouldn't care about the gear.
  1. Onikaroshi's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Kallisto View Post
    I agree with your sentiment about not removing content. But by sounds of people crying it seems like they don't actually like raiding for sake of raiding. They're in it for the epeen.

    Otherwise they wouldn't cry about "it invalidates it." when if they raided for the fun of it they simply wouldn't care about the gear.
    I would just prefer all the RNG get removed honestly. You can go through so much effort now, no matter what you're doing and have nothing to show for it, been an increasing problem for a long time.
  1. Kallisto's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by MrWolly View Post
    I’d say that you have a point, but that’s a fiction so bad that even Blizzard couldn’t write it. Dailies in past expansions (IE: WotLK) yielded 150-250 rep for completing dailies while also allowing you to run Heroics while wearing that faction’s tabard to gain rep, and thus encouraging the player to play the content. Now it’s just gaining 1000 rep or less per day while waiting for WQ resets. Granted, I’m still playing, but feel that the logic behind such paltry rep gains is nonexistent.
    The logic is simple Tbh. The player base blitzes through content like it needs to be done there and then. Doesn't matter if there's hours on hours or not the wow player base has always been rush rush. Then once run out the cries of nothing to do comes about.

    Fact is that blizzard each patch could give Witcher 3 + all expansions worth of content each patch. Without something to slow the players down most of them would be done within a reset, then run to reddit or mmo Champ crying about nothing to do.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Onikaroshi View Post
    I would just prefer all the RNG get removed honestly. You can go through so much effort now, no matter what you're doing and have nothing to show for it, been an increasing problem for a long time.
    And I prefer not having to go into raids or m+ to get upgrades due to having shift work makes it impossible to have a set team with me (you're not going to get 4 people to follow your time slots that can change drastically daily. Let alone 10+) and pugging is basically getting with people who would fail the test of tying your own shoe laces.

    Titanforge is the objectively best thing to happen to wow, most crying is about how the plebs don't have to bow to epeen and feels based so must be disregarded since it's just egoism.
  1. Onikaroshi's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Kallisto View Post
    Titanforge is the objectively best thing to happen to wow, most crying is about how the plebs don't have to bow to epeen and feels based so must be disregarded since it's just egoism.
    Well, you better get ready for a change, they're looking at removing it or changing it in a huge way, it's not working out like they planned.
  1. chase_the_mofo's Avatar
    Wow CLASSIC
  1. Thetruth1400's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Taeldorian View Post
    Emissaries are giving heroic BoD ilvl gear? The raid has only been out for 3 months why exactly is heroic BoD gear competing with gear you get for finishing 4 WQs? I’m done with mythic already but Jesus the gearing system is in such a weird place. Hopefully goes back to normal when they fix/remove TF and reduce gear sources like they said they plan on doing.
    Do I have some bad news for you then; they said they like titanforging because it "always gives you something to hope for."

    That aside, yeah the gearing in this game is horrible. I'd much rather them go back to the old system where you have to, you know, actually do increasingly difficult content to progress your character. The reality is, a solo player that barely dips their toe into dungeons, let alone raids, doesn't need anywhere near the same ilvl as a high end raider. The time and effort those high end raiders put into learning their class, the encounters, and putting the groups together needs to go back to being rewarded and something the rest of us can hope to progress in to, not something that we wait 3 months and Blizzard just hands to us. If we haven't progressed past being a solo player who can only do the most basic of basics that are world quests, then that's on us, the player. It's our fault we either aren't learning or can't commit the time, not Blizzards.
  1. Weeps's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Onikaroshi View Post
    Part of the reason for that is the removal of sets, there's really no reason to raid at all atm.
    That’s true for me. I loved hunting for the whole tier set. Now it’s just mog. I’ll just farm it later.
  1. Kynario's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Onikaroshi View Post
    Eh, I prefer Wrath, more of a middle ground.
    Early Wrath was amazing. Pre-dungeon finder. Pre-heirlooms.

    Ulduar patch

    Best version of the game for me.
  1. Nevcairiel's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Emerald Archer View Post
    "Only 3 months"
    We should be coming to the end of this raid, only reason we aren't is because of the 2 boss raid. It seems like a perfectly fine time to up emissary loot. You've had 3 months after all.
    No, thats not the reason. The reason is that raid tiers are designed for around 5 months, not 3. See any raid history ever beyond the very first tier in an expansion (which might be shorter).
  1. Emerald Archer's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Nevcairiel View Post
    No, thats not the reason. The reason is that raid tiers are designed for around 5 months, not 3. See any raid history ever beyond the very first tier in an expansion (which might be shorter).
    What you're saying isn't relevant to what you quoted. "Coming to an end" doesn't = "Should be over"

    We're far enough into the tier now, that the tier is becoming irrelevant and it's fine to start putting in catchup mechanics for people preparing for the next raid. Now is a fine time to help people start gearing for the next tier, to help people gear alts for the next tier, to give players who don't raid/do dungeons some gear.

    If you still need 400ilvl gear on your main, you need this, stop complaining, if you're trying to prog heroic still and this bothers you, tough luck you took too long. Get better next tier. (Honestly you should see it as a potential nerf to the raid, increased gear, bosses people did 3months ago might suddenly be easy enough for you.)

    If you don't still need 400ilvl gear on your main, wtf is your problem with people who need it, getting it. It has been 3 months of this raid. We are now preparing for the next patch+tier.

    Raids always have this "downtime" after, when they're no longer relevant, they're pushovers and you're waiting for the next raid/content. This is the time a lot of people take breaks from the game.

    Think of it like a smaller version of a new expansion, that downtime that hits where you're just waiting for a new xpac, you wouldn't freak out if they boosted world quest ilvl to help you get higher for the next expansion. It'll be irrelevant gear by the time new relevant content comes out.
  1. mojusk's Avatar
    i think they should also bump up the ilvl of assaults.
    furthermore i think they should keep bumping up the lvl rewards of all world bosses, warfronts and raids on all difficulties to be at least equal to lfr ilvl of current raid.
    why? because it keeps "old" bfa content somewhat relevant for more than just 1 tier, and something freshly 120 dinged characters would want to do.
    right now its takes forever to gear up alts, unless you buy alot of BoEs/boosts.

    and add a 5th ring to azerite gear from "old" content.
  1. Jibjub's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Eleccybubb View Post
    Literally doesn't matter anymore sadly.

    With PvP Power and Resillience gone PvP gear isn't even "PvP gear" anymore.

    Shame they removed it because people whined about having to actually earn separate gear for PvP.
    Pretty sure I'm in the minority, but I wish there was no such thing as PvP gear. I think all stats should be normalized in PvP. Especially instanced PvP -- there should be a menu to select allocation and trinkets. And a level 1 character should be boosted to max. Just let us compete dammit! Give us other rewards ... tons of gold, pvp-only cosmetics (but really cool stuff), titles, mounts, etc.
  1. Emerald Archer's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by mojusk View Post
    i think they should also bump up the ilvl of assaults.
    furthermore i think they should keep bumping up the lvl rewards of all world bosses, warfronts and raids on all difficulties to be at least equal to lfr ilvl of current raid.
    why? because it keeps "old" bfa content somewhat relevant for more than just 1 tier, and something freshly 120 dinged characters would want to do.
    Agreed with this, Arathi warfront still giving 370 for the end of week reward, just makes it not worth the pain. Even on brand new characters. World bosses are only worth doing despite the low ilvl, because it's so quick and easy, but you do 1 and by the end of that week you don't need any more world boss ilvl gear.

    I don't agree with increasing the ilvls of old raids though, not as long as TF exists. It will increase the pressure to go back and get bis items when you should be focusing on new content.
  1. mojusk's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Emerald Archer View Post
    Agreed with this, Arathi warfront still giving 370 for the end of week reward, just makes it not worth the pain. Even on brand new characters. World bosses are only worth doing despite the low ilvl, because it's so quick and easy, but you do 1 and by the end of that week you don't need any more world boss ilvl gear.

    I don't agree with increasing the ilvls of old raids though, not as long as TF exists. It will increase the pressure to go back and get bis items when you should be focusing on new content.
    i doubt that many people who care about that sorta min/maxing will feel "forced" to do any kind of content with lfr quality rewards.
    maybe theyll go try their luck now and then, if they got nothing better to do.

    even if some feel forced to do it, id say that the pros outweight the cons
  1. Emerald Archer's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by mojusk View Post
    i doubt that many people who care about that sorta min/maxing will feel "forced" to do any kind of content with lfr quality rewards.
    maybe theyll go try their luck now and then, if they got nothing better to do.
    Mythic raiders should, whether low end or high end. If there is an extremely strong trinket, that's keeping up ilvl 2-3 tiers into the raid, people are always going to go back to that.
    There's just no good reason to do that, new gear gets made, new trinkets, new set bonuses, you should feel like you can use them without being weaker, and feeling like you need to go back to old content to get a version that for some stupid reason is being boosted in ilvl.

    It's not like if it's lfr ilvl it'll need a huge tf to be competitive if it's strong. If there were dungeon strength trinkets in BoD lfr, you'd start having just a +socket on it make it competitive, or a +15. For what won't take very much time at all.

    "If they got nothing better to do" heroic bod would take 30minutes to clear a tier from now with all the extra gear. It would be very efficient time wise, and because of that, there would be pressure to do it.
  1. coprax's Avatar
    I really hope there will not be a public beta for classic.
    Right now everybody has to work with what he remembers from 2006 and/or old videos/guides.

    I want that to stay this way.
  1. Eleccybubb's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by coprax View Post
    I really hope there will not be a public beta for classic.
    Right now everybody has to work with what he remembers from 2006 and/or old videos/guides.

    I want that to stay this way.
    So how will playing a Beta change that?

    If it's just exactly the same mechanics. Won't stop them from using their memory/guides. A Beta isn't suddenly going to change the validity of a guide.

    Also there was both a closed and open Beta for original Classic. If they feel they can't fix everything internally they will hand it out to public Beta testing.

    And with how much the Classic team seems to be caring about the project I think it's safe to say they will actually use Beta for Beta Testing rather than a PR stunt.
  1. Trumpcat's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Kallisto View Post
    I agree with your sentiment about not removing content. But by sounds of people crying it seems like they don't actually like raiding for sake of raiding. They're in it for the epeen.

    Otherwise they wouldn't cry about "it invalidates it." when if they raided for the fun of it they simply wouldn't care about the gear.
    Nah, all players agree that RNG loot procs are far more fun than logical and fair system to earn what you get.
  1. MrWolly's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Kallisto View Post
    The logic is simple Tbh. The player base blitzes through content like it needs to be done there and then. Doesn't matter if there's hours on hours or not the wow player base has always been rush rush. Then once run out the cries of nothing to do comes about.
    I get that angle, but I feel that it causes problems as well. Having to do the same WQs for longer periods of time is incredibly boring, and takes away from the parts of the game that I’m actually interested in. I know there’s the “if you don’t like it, then unsub” and the “you don’t have to if you don’t want to.” That’s the thing, I do have to because I have an interest in Allied races, mounts, and the achievements. I just think effectively doubling the time it takes to do things is an artificial way of increasing time played, and I doubt that I’m the only one who feels this way. It’s their logic, but it isn’t good logic.

    As for the ilvl increases, I don’t see the point. I figure one would do regular dungeons/WQs, and work their way up. Sure, getting a decent improvement outside of an instance is nice, but it’s unfulfilling.
  1. Jwco's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Urgamanix View Post
    I shake my head at how easy it is to fix the gearing issues that exist in today's game.

    - remove titanforging. Each item now can be increased upto x ilevels via "enchantment dust". Each level increase takes more "dust xp".
    - dust has normal, rare, epic, legendary rank. Higher rank, more xp.
    - harder the content, better the dust. Quantity can be a bit rng. Lose a bg, 5 normal dust. Win a bg, 4 rare dust. Etc. No dust for arenas, raids - this is to promote a variety of content
    - it should obviously take a while to max the ilevels on an item
    - disenchanting an item returns an amount of dust related to the dust xp on the item to minimise temptation of stockpiling dust. Either that or give the dust an expiry date.
    - dust is boa
    - can rope in professions. Leatherworkers get 1.5x dust xp for leather items, jewelcrafters 1.5x dust xp for items with sockets. Miners can get small amounts of dust from mining. Inscription gets a base 1.25x increase over all items.
    - possible gain of a small "additional secondary stat" for maxing the dust xp / ilevel
    - then, remove better items from easy sources. Better equipment journey while still maintain the value of a variety of content.
    Where do u read this? that's exactly what they are doing to solve the Titan/Warforged problems in this xpac. Tbh I dont see too much issues with the actual system, Just make a vendor like Azerithe gear works, and to buy put any "new dust"/"new coin"/"new essence" to buy it and is fixed.

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