Benthic Preview, Forbes Interview - Rise of Azshara, WoW Classic Hit Table Feedback

Rise of Azshara Preview: Navigate the Perils of Nazjatar in New Benthic Gear
Originally Posted by blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
The odds are stacked against you in Queen Azshara’s home territory—but with the right equipment, you can turn the tides in your favor.

In Rise of Azshara, we’re introducing a new type of equipment called Benthic gear, which you’ll earn and collect while adventuring in the naga domain of Nazjatar.

As you explore Nazjatar, you’ll collect Prismatic Manapearls—soulbound currency you can spend to purchase Benthic tokens and upgrades. These bind-to-account tokens can be used to gain a piece of upgradable Benthic gear specific to your armor type (cloth, leather, mail, plate), starting at item level 385. With enough time and effort, players can dedicate their hard-earned Manapearls to upgrade pieces to ilvl 425, just shy of Heroic-level raid gear (ilvl 430).


Speak with Voidbender Zorlan in Newhome (Horde) or Voidbinder Sturzah in Mezzamere (Alliance) to upgrade your Benthic gear.

Besides purchasing Benthic tokens with Manapearls, you’ll also sometimes find them in treasure chests and on enemies throughout the zone.

Each piece of Benthic gear boasts a thematic bonus that applies in Nazjatar and the upcoming Azshara’s Eternal Palace raid. These bonuses might provide effects that boost your damage, slow down your foes, or even increase your mount speed while adventuring through this perilous region. Customize your character with up to six unique bonuses. Put together pieces to create a powerful set for combat, collect a set optimized for exploration, or mix and match to have the best from both worlds. Additionally, each piece has predetermined secondary stats which allow you to have more control over your character’s build.

Benthic gear is currently available for early testing on the Rise of Azshara Public Test Realm, so make sure you jump in to check it out!

Forbes Interview - Why Rise Of Azshara Is The Fix-It Patch For World Of Warcraft
Forbes recently interviewed Ion Hazzikostas again on the upcoming Patch 8.2.



  • Heart of Azeroth and Essences
    • Rise of Azshara is the fruits of a lot of Blizzard's reflection on feedback they've been hearing from the community since Battle for Azeroth first came out.
    • You will unlock the first major socket for your Heart of Azeroth just by being 120 and doing the Nazjatar introduction followed by the Magni quest chain to unlock it. There is no neck level requirement for the first major slot.
    • Smaller sockets on the neck will give boosts to stamina as you progress your neck between neck level 52 to 67 so that health pools stay in line with the damage and healing increases.
    • Heart of Azeroth Levels 55 and 65 are the unlocks for the two minor slots.
    • The Essence system functions much like the glyph system in that once you learn as essence, you are free to switch them in and out in either a rested area or by using a Tome of the Clear Mind.
    • The tuning of essences is on par with the Legion legendaries.
  • Nazjatar and Mechagon
    • There are cosmetic perks that come with leveling up your bodyguard in Nazjatar.
    • Is seems as if Nazjatar will not have any Jeremy Feasel "mad science" WoW Secret Finding Discord secrets.
    • The team is aiming for more variety in Nazjatar world quests. There are still some kill quests, however.
    • There is no emissary for Mechagon.
    • There will be no time-gating in Nazjatar, but some reputation requirements to pieces of the major story for pacing and passage of time.
    • Using reputation thresholds to advance the story feels better than rigid weekly chapters that you have to just wait until next week to unlock. There's something the player can do to speed it up.
    • The Mechagon dungeon and Eternal Palace raid will not be available on day 1 of the patch, but when season 3 starts a couple of weeks into the patch.
  • Season 3 Affix - Beguiling
    • Beguiling is the new affix for Mythic + Season 3. It represents the minions of Queen Azshara invading the dungeons of Kul Tiras and Zandalar. There are three types of handmaidens that will be present in a variety of pulls in different configurations from week to week.
    • These handmaidens can have shadow, arcane, or frost powers. They have different effects that will change the way you approach certain pulls. Certain pulls that you skip might have to be done this time around.
  • Flying
    • The Rustbolt Resistance reputation will be available on day 1.
    • They made sure to make Pathfinder Part II tied to outdoor content. There are no requirements to do any dungeons or raids.
    • They believe the amount of time it takes to unlock flying this time around will be on par with Legion.
  • Benthic Gear
    • Benthic gear will help fill gaps in gear acquisition.
    • The baseline Benthic tokens are BoA so you can use them to catch up your alts.
  • Rare Spawns
    • The rare spawns in Mechagon that have longer timers involve hours, not days.
    • Silver-bordered mobs these days have evolved into named targets, not rares. These new ones are more true rares in the style of Timeless Isle.
    • They have been looking at coordinating these spawns across servers ans shards so that there isn't any shard hopping.
    • These rares can have cosmetics, pieces of gear, and punch cards for the Mechagon trinket.
  • Operation: Mechagon Dungeon
    • The bosses in the dungeon are meant to feel more like a small raid encounter.
    • There are some hidden challenges in the dungeon for the more mythic-raiding types who want a bigger challenge, much like the Nightbane run from Legion Karazhan.
    • Mechagon dungeon loot is on part with the normal mode raid, and then scaled up a little bit beyond that.
    • Some of the most powerful punch cards for the Mechagon trinket are found in the dungeon.
    • There is an essence you can unlock from the dungeon.
  • Class Changes and Revamps
    • Full class overhauls are something that happens in a new expansion update and not a patch.
    • Legion was an exception because it reinvented so many specs from the ground up.
    • Rotational changes, removing/adding abilities, etc are a jarring experience. This is the sort of change that is best received within the broader sweeping changes of a new expansion.
    • They will always address under performing talents or classes in patches.
    • There are definitely specs on the radar for a rework, but nothing to announce now.


WoW Classic Feedback - Bug Hit Table Thread
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
[Bug] Hit tables
As I suggested in my first reply, we did a deep dive on this one to compare combat table values directly between our Reference client and WoW Classic. Apologies for the data dump, but because your observations were so detailed, we wanted to be equally detailed in our reply!
We created Troll Warriors in both games and watched the combat table values for auto-attacks.

  • We checked three player levels – Levels 15, 40, and 60.
  • At each level, our weapon skill was maxed, and we used the same weapon for all tests.
  • All attacks were against enemy creatures, not other players, to remove any additional variables.
  • We tested attacking creatures at -5, +0, +1, +2, +3, +5, and +15 levels relative to our level (so for the level 15 test, we attacked level 10, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, and 35 mobs).
    • For our level 60 test, there were no normal mobs available at higher levels. We instead attacked elite raid creatures at +1, +2, and +3 levels.
  • The exact same creature IDs were tested against on both clients.

In all cases, the Reference client combat table values matched the Classic combat table values:
  • Creatures that are 3 levels above the player have a 14% Parry chance in our Reference client. This holds true for our Classic client as well.
  • Creatures at your level have a 5% chance to Dodge your attacks. Each additional level the target has over the player grants them 0.5% additional chance to dodge. This is observed in Reference client and in Classic.
  • Players have an 8% chance to miss a creature that is 3 levels above them in our Reference client. This holds true for our Classic client as well.
  • Critical Strike chance is reduced by 1% per each additional level the target has over the player. (So if you have a 4% chance to crit an at-level target, you have a 1% chance to crit a +3-level target, in both clients.)

A briefer look at having non-maxed weapon skills also showed identical values between the Reference client and Classic. We also ran several tests while dual wielding, and the results from those tests was also identical between Reference and Classic.

Based on these results, we are confident that the combat behavior in Classic properly reflects the combat behavior of 1.12 WoW. However, we’re always grateful for players looking out for discrepancies, so keep your feedback coming!

Stress Test Feedback
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Stress Test Complete -- THANK YOU!
We have now completed the WoW Classic Stress Test that began yesterday at 2:00 p.m. PDT. We’re very pleased with the amount of participation we saw, and we’re happy to report that we got a great deal of highly useful data, as well as new issues that were uncovered by your efforts to log in and play.

The closed beta realms remain available for those testers.

Thank you very much to everyone who participated in this stress test!
This article was originally published in forum thread: Benthic Preview, Forbes Interview - Rise of Azshara, WoW Classic Hit Table Feedback started by Stoy View original post
Published on 2019-05-31 01:13 PM
109 Comments
Comments 109 Comments
  1. Shaetha's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by randprin View Post
    allow me to correct you in regards to prot paladins (i had one in vanilla).
    1. you could get defense capped as a paladin, you had to use off pieces rather then set pieces in some slots to do so but it was more then possible.
    2. you actually had an easier time to hold aggro single target then a warrior since seal of fury generated a lot of threat and reckoning procs just put you ahead of so many warriors.
    3. paladin tanks were not mana tanks, unless you consider the odd self healing weaving a flash of light between slow boss attacks for extra threat mana. consecration was as or a little more useful as thunderclap in that regard, and that was the only spell you bothered with mostly other then the odd judgement
    4. our "defensives" were actually more powerful, the proper use of divine shield, blessing of protection, and lay on hands to negate incoming damage or save a team mate was the mark of a truly skilled paladin tank.

    were warriors better tanks in terms of toolset? yes, were paladins limited in their toolset, offcourse, was the entire content clearable with a paladin tank or 2 in the team? donno, we had a rotating tank team in vanilla of 3-4 warriors, 2 druids and 2 paladins that shared the tanking between them and we were working on sapphiron when TBC arrival killed our main raid. we were not world first, we were not speeding through content, we did have enormous ammounts of fun and randprin, the thunderfury wielding paladin, tanked, healed and sometimes stood in the tunnel after mag and OOC rezzed people...
    Two problems with your argument about paladin tanks. First, defense capping made you uncrittable, not uncrushable. Uncrushable required you to push the chance of crushing blow off the hit table by making it impossible for you to take an unmitigated hit. Second, reckoning does nothing if you're defense capped. You never take a crit.
  1. Xath's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by randprin View Post
    allow me to correct you in regards to prot paladins (i had one in vanilla).
    1. you could get defense capped as a paladin, you had to use off pieces rather then set pieces in some slots to do so but it was more then possible.
    2. you actually had an easier time to hold aggro single target then a warrior since seal of fury generated a lot of threat and reckoning procs just put you ahead of so many warriors.
    3. paladin tanks were not mana tanks, unless you consider the odd self healing weaving a flash of light between slow boss attacks for extra threat mana. consecration was as or a little more useful as thunderclap in that regard, and that was the only spell you bothered with mostly other then the odd judgement
    4. our "defensives" were actually more powerful, the proper use of divine shield, blessing of protection, and lay on hands to negate incoming damage or save a team mate was the mark of a truly skilled paladin tank.

    were warriors better tanks in terms of toolset? yes, were paladins limited in their toolset, offcourse, was the entire content clearable with a paladin tank or 2 in the team? donno, we had a rotating tank team in vanilla of 3-4 warriors, 2 druids and 2 paladins that shared the tanking between them and we were working on sapphiron when TBC arrival killed our main raid. we were not world first, we were not speeding through content, we did have enormous ammounts of fun and randprin, the thunderfury wielding paladin, tanked, healed and sometimes stood in the tunnel after mag and OOC rezzed people...
    Defense capped does not equal crush immune. Crush immune means pushing all crushing blows off the table which was only possible with shield block until wrath. Holy shield only did 30% redoubt did another 30 but couldn't be relied on to always be up. If you actually gave a paladin TF over a warrior you were obviously one of the guilds cursed with a pally gm/gm's friend. Assuming your guild existed and you aren't blowing smoke.

    Oh and if you are defense capped you aren't taking crits I'll leave you to figure out why that makes your story a problem.
  1. Echorausch's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Xath View Post
    Defense capped does not equal crush immune. Crush immune means pushing all crushing blows off the table which was only possible with shield block until wrath. Holy shield only did 30% redoubt did another 30 but couldn't be relied on to always be up. If you actually gave a paladin TF over a warrior you were obviously one of the guilds cursed with a pally gm/gm's friend. Assuming your guild existed and you aren't blowing smoke.

    Oh and if you are defense capped you aren't taking crits I'll leave you to figure out why that makes your story a problem.
    This "tank paladin in classic" has either no clue or was just doing dungeons. I've never encountered a paladin in classic that really did raids, because they just couldn't (!) tank them; mostly because of the lack of taunt. You couldn't do the simplest things like taunt rotations. Hell, even in BC paladin tanking was mostly shit just because you needed special gear and still you were just subpar. And yes, I've played a paladin both in classic and BC.
  1. Xath's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Super Kami Dende View Post
    The irony being that outside of just tedious grinding, Vanilla was know as the most casual and accessible MMO on the Market. Mostly due to the fact the combat was braindead.
    Had almmost nothing to do with combat everything to do with no actual death penalties.
  1. sweatshopkids's Avatar
    Bent dick gear from Nadsjatar
  1. Vargur's Avatar
    Flying is only supposed to cost some gold if they want to fix WoW, not a fucking rep grind.
  1. cface's Avatar
    Is 8.2 worth coming back to? I mean for raids and m+? Not sure if they managed to fix casters (or tanks) in m+, or its still a melees are king of damage AND cc-interrupts.
  1. roboscorcher's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Kalarm View Post
    Am I the only one who when he was hyped about the essences system, thought it would be actually spec focused and interesting? I was expecting it to be more in line with legendaries not in term of power, but on the interesting scale (not talking about the flat dmg boosts traits mind you).

    I was planning on coming back for 8.2 but quite frankly, after playing on the PTR, I don't see the point.

    I know, I know. I'm just a sheep jumping into the blizz bashing wagon... But hey, I played WoW vanilla beta... I played retail until last november... BFA is the first damn time I lost hope so hardly into blizzard. I wish they would do something to make me thing "Oh, yeah I really want to experience that!" but right now... their overall big silence... The way they seem to still be trying to cut corners on fixing the game...

    I think they are trying to do just enough to not lose too much subs until the next expansion while putting all their efforts on that next expansion. I even think WoD was better than BFA. I stayed through WoD... I levelled a ton of alts, but I stayed through it. WoD main issue IMO is the lack of content. Some bad decisions too but... mostly how you logged in, checked your garrison and logged out.

    I wouldn't be surprised if Classic was supposed to come in later and they just went "shit, let's put the priority on it so we can get back some subs! Which might work for me actually. But I'm so bitter and frustrated at what they do that I might not even.

    Plus, I really liked Sylvanas's character before BFA. Now I just hate her and wish for her to die a horrible death. Which is part of BFA issues. They gave us a fricking mustache twirling vilain while talking about being "morally gray". I hope the next expansion is just us waking up after legion and it was just a bad dream from the emerald nightmare / N'Zoth and Sylvanas knew what was happening and just went "I'll make the most outrageous things to make the alliance understand that from now on, don't fuck with the horde or a shit-load of people will die".
    Yeah the whole Azerite system is just a husk of what made Legion great. They learned all the wrong lessons from Legion. This system is all grind, no reward. No interesting decisions to make.

    Like you, I was a total altoholic in WoD, and am doing the same now. Wake me up when we get Artifacts and gameplay decisions back.
  1. lawtk's Avatar
    The downfall is when they lost/removed product focused people from leadership. I've seen it many times in my own career where a larger company buys up the smaller innovative shops in order to get access to their revenue and IP. Then they put one of "their" people in charge of the unit and that's when things start to go downhill. If you want a software company to remain product and customer focused, you have to put those type of people in leadership, not the scrubs they continue to find.

    As a 15+ year vet of the game, I've taken 2 brakes from the game (one at the end of vanilla, came back for BC, and one at the end of Cata). Both of those only lasted a few months and then I saw teasers that got me excited about playing again. I was thoroughly upset at the end of Legion with all of the Ele Shammy changes, having played Ele since Cata. I weathered some pretty bad storms, but what they did was just make it boring AF and removed any class fantasy they actually had. So, I switched to warlock and I enjoyed that for a little bit of time, but alas, like most veteran players, I have succumbed to the absolute suckery that BFA is and decided that my time and money are no longer worth the waiting.

    I've watched/read about all of the 8.2 changes that are coming. I will agree that I do see Blizz trying to change things, but at this point for me, it's a little too late. My ability to "wait" has been used up and I can no longer be patient for soon™. I do hope that they are listening to the community that does stick around and find ways to bring back the game that everyone loves. Most people seem to believe that is vanilla, I do not. Going backward will appease everyone for a little while, but I feel that will be ephemeral and most will yearn for the retail game to remove the elements that took away the RPG and community and focus on how to go forward, rather than escaping to the past.
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