World of Warcraft News and Raiding Strategies

January’s Darkmoon Faire achievement progress status was cleared prior to the launch of February's faire. Any achievements that were started but not completed have had their criteria reset. Completed achievements are unaffected.

However, any future achievement progress (February included) will be saved to your character and will continue to contribute towards progression of those achievements in subsequent visits to Darkmoon Faire.

Regrettably, we are not able to restore any progress you may have made during January's faire. We do appreciate the impact this may have had and sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused.

WoW Raid Design
Some solid, constructive feedback and observations have been offered in this thread. But I think it’s important to point out that it’s incorrect to assume that there has been reduced development time put into raids.

If anything, over the years we’ve put increased attention into raids so that a wider breadth of players can experience them. There are a great deal more options for pursuing raiding now than say, in classic World of Warcraft or The Burning Crusade, when raid groups were a fixed size and only one difficulty setting existed. We realize that some players prefer to run with 24 other comrades-in-arms at the max difficulty setting (I’m actually one of them ), whereas others prefer more intimate raids or a lower difficulty setting.

In Mists of Pandaria, we plan to be able to continue to support a wide variety of raiding styles. And, from one player to another, if you’re eager for raid zones with an “epic” feel, you’re going to really enjoy some of the stuff we have in store. We’ll have some further details on that front coming up in the near future, but know that we really do appreciate your passion for the game and your continued feedback. We are listening. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Mists of Pandaria Talent Calculator
The intent of the talent calculator was to give players something to fool around with. We wanted everyone to get a feel for the idea we're going for in Mists so that it wouldn't sound as crazy or shocking when seen on "paper."

We've responded many times about talent calculator feedback, even pointing out we're not going to be able to discuss things point by point with players because the systems are rapidly changing while in development. The calculator itself is quite out of date.

So you're right. I took the time to respond to this thread when I could've responded elsewhere. But what did I say? I basically said things are looking awesome so far and I can't wait to be able to share more information.

Would you feel better if I found a thesis from you about the problems you have with the out-of-date Mists talent calculator for rogues, only to say, "A lot of the details you're discussing aren't fully fleshed out yet, so we'll talk again when we have updated Mists class info to provide"? Even if you think the answer to that is "yes," I wouldn't be surprised if you then came back here in two weeks to tell me how many amazing threads there are out there about the "REAL" issues that are going completely ignored. It's a neverending cycle and I'm not interesting in always looking for the squeakiest wheels to grease on the forums.

The only inevitability in community management I've found is that, whenever we post ANYWHERE on the forums, someone will be sure to tell us where we should be posting, and which part of the community is really being ignored. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

In February 2005, World of Warcraft arrived here in Europe. It’s been seven years and Azeroth is still buzzing with excitement! Players have been through incredible trials in dungeons, raids and battlegrounds.

And now, in honor of World of Warcraft’s Seventh Anniversary in Europe, we’re offering the biggest discount ever on the entire WoW game range! From now until February 19, all boxed games and digital upgrades are available at half price, as well as two in-game collectibles. Don’t miss your chance to join in Azeroth’s anniversary celebrations by snagging Wrath of the Lich King for just €10/£7.50 and Cataclysm for only €15/£12.50.

The doors to Ahn’Qiraj have been opened. Onyxia has manipulated mortals and dragons alike. Sargeras has attempted to unleash the Legion upon Azeroth and beyond. The Lich King has vowed to destroy life itself. Armies of elementals have left their realms to conquer our world. The Cataclysm is now upon us and the battle between the Horde and the Alliance is becoming ever fiercer. For seven years, countless horrors have sought to destroy Azeroth and its heroes. But never before have they been confronted by an offer such as this!

Never played World of Warcraft? There has never been a better time to join and become the latest hero in a world filled with orcs, gnomes, dragons, magic, and murlocs! Already a fan? Here’s your chance to upgrade your account or invite friends to take part in the most epic adventure of all time. Visit the Blizzard Store to take advantage of this amazing special offer. You can also benefit from these discounted rates on digital games via your Battle.net account!

In addition, we’re offering two in-game collectibles at half price. Want to travel Azeroth in style? The Celestial Steed will bring you wherever you want to go, for half the cost! Always dreamed of a terrifyingly cute undead companion? Get a Lil’ K.T. pet for a lil’ price!

So come and join the in-game celebrations today — we’ve already put the cherry on the cake!
Happy Seventh Anniversary!

General
General

• Mass Dispel should once again dispel up to 10 friendly or enemy targets.
• Resilience should now properly reduce the damage over time effects for targets affected by Mind Control.

Dungeons and Raids
Dragon Soul

• Lord Afrasastrasz no longer offers the option to disable the Power of the Aspects buff in Raid Finder mode.
• The Spine of Deathwing
  
  • Corrupted Bloods should no longer maintain threat after reconstituting themselves from residue.

Events
Darkmoon Faire

• Soothsayer's Runes and A Treatise on Strategy should now drop from all appropriate Heroic and raid bosses.
• Murozond's Temporal Cache now has a chance to contain Monstrous Egg and A Treatise on Strategy.

Quests and Creatures

• Players who inadvertently disconnect during Tailgunner! should now find themselves able to complete the quest.
• Baby Crocolisks have been given tiny teething rings, and Tiny Teeth! should no longer transfer to other players.
• Players should no longer encounter any invisible Young Crocolisks during the quest The Pit of Scales.

Items

• Cunning of the Cruel will now trigger its Shadowbolt Volley approximately three times as often, but will deal approximately one third as much damage. This results in the tooltip for the item being incorrect, but should moderate its burst damage in PvP.

A 64-bit client is once again available for use with Patch 4.3.2. Before being able to launch WoW in 64-bit mode you will need to download the 64-bit client for PC/Mac (using one of the links below), and unzip it into your World of Warcraft directory. Once you extract the files you can start the 64-bit client by opening the Launcher as normal (Run as Administrator if applicable). To switch back to the 32-bit client, go into Options -> Game Preferences, and check the Launch 32-bit client setting. The game will display which version you are using at the bottom left hand corner of the login screen. ex: Version 4.3.2 (15211) (Release x64)

Build 4.3.2.15211 - PC link, Mac link

**Important things to keep in mind**

• The 64-bit client is being distributed separately from the Retail version as it is not yet supported for use with World of Warcraft.
• Launching the game in 64-bit mode can only be done after patching the game to version 4.3.2, downloading and extracting the necessary files.
• The game’s built in voice chat does not currently work when using the 64-bit client.
• [Mac] The 64-bit Mac client does not currently support the in-game movie recording functionality.
• [Mac] The 64-bit Mac client iTunes' Remote feature does not work at the present time.
• [Mac] The 64-bit Mac client does not currently support the customized LCD display for the Logitech G15 series of keyboards.
• [Mac] The 64-bit Mac client is currently not supported on 10.5 systems. You will need 10.6.8 or later for this version.

Additional System Requirements:
Windows XP Professional “x64 Edition” / 64-bit Windows Vista / 64-bit Windows 7 (latest service packs).Mac OS 10.6.8 or newer.Mac Computer with Core 2 Duo or better2 GB or more of RAM. [...]

Mists of Pandaria and a Change in Attitude
It's great to see some positive discussion and speculation about where this game is headed.

We're definitely very focused on opening the doors a little wider to new ideas to really grasp onto what will make this game as fun as possible. It's 7 years old after all. We're not going to reinvent the wheel in Mists of Pandaria, but we want to introduce new types of compelling content with meaningful reward structures so your progression paths don't feel quite as redundant.

You'll get a captivating story, breathtaking new lands to explore, a wide array of new and awesome good/bad guys (from what I've seen, REALLY awesome), a slew of new dungeons and raids, a new playable race, a new class, many outstanding systems improvements, etc.

We hope these features are more or less to be expected with virtually every expansion. But this time we're also pouring our heart and soul into some really fun new features that'll allow you to progress in slightly less conventional ways.

I get so excited every time I meet with Greg Street, Cory Stockton, Dave Kosak, and Tom Chilton to discuss everything they're working on each week. It's even got me logging into some of the characters I haven't played in a while more often lately, just because I want to be fully prepared to diversify my gameplay and explore different avenues of content on different characters.

I think it's really going to be about playing the game the way you want to play it, without feeling entirely like you're missing out on valuable rewards.

[...] Yesterday we discussed low-population and faction-imbalanced realms with our developers. They have some pretty bold and spectacular plans for addressing this in anticipation of implementing some of the features we plan to in Mists. I just don't have a lot of information to share with you at this stage of programming and development. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Pandaren Mounts
The pandaren mount is still being finalized, so what you’ve heard (or seen) are just rumors at this point. Obviously we want the mount to be something awesome, which will take some time to perfect. In addition to the pandaren mount, expect to see a ton of new mounts in Mists of Pandaria. In fact, if any of the new creatures being added in the next expansion look up to the task, I’m sure the developers are looking for ways to throw a saddle on them so they can adventure through Azeroth with our heroes. Though I’m sure some are more comical looking than others. :P Anyway, once the information is ready, we’ll get it out to all of you. Trust! (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Future Mists of Pandaria News
We'll be keeping everyone informed. Don't worry. We can't give time frames right now. As you know, we usually say it will be ready when it's ready. That said, I can reiterate that we are pushing forward very well on the next expansion and again point out that we were able to show so much at BlizzCon for a reason. I am not going to reassure you of when we intend for this to come out since I don't have that authority or permission to do so as of yet.

We're completely aware of how quickly players consume content. We're also aware that not all players have consumed all of the current content either. Does that make us less aware that there are many who are ready for more? No. But, we want to make sure we deliver our best with Mists of Pandaria and it won't be long until you start seeing a lot more of what we have in store for it and for you.

There are a lot of misconceptions floating around and being repeated that are based on what you believe is correct information or at least suppositions. Again, I am not in a position to clarify or negate those misconceptions beyond what I've said here. At least not yet. Hopefully, it won't be long before you will get that "big picture" look that you've been hoping for.

We do have a plan to update the calculator with all of the changes that have been made (thus far based on constructive community feedback and internal testing) in the near future. I don't want to promise any particular date as of yet, though it could be mid-month that we're able to make those updates. As always, this is not a firm date/promise right now, it's just a guesstimate of when we may be able to update again. When we do update, we'll make sure to let you all know.

We did have a lot to show during BlizzCon including zone fly-throughs, the starting area for the pandaren etc. (It was definitely a lot.)

I can't give you an update on where we are currently (that has to wait for the media), but I think the media event will be a great way for everyone to get a good look at it again and see for themselves. The female pandaren model is in progress. We're just not quite ready to show her yet though or discuss her. I can say though that it will not be the male model with a title over her head that says, "I'm a girl" any longer though.

We are most definitely not dismissing concerns. We have regular meetings and do reports each week specifically to point out the current concerns and issues the community is discussing. Perhaps it may seem dismissive if we aren't agreeing with an idea or sentiment, but that doesn't mean that we aren't still discussing it in some way.

You have no need to ask for forgiveness for wanting to know more. We fully intend to deliver more and we did cover a lot of it during BlizzCon as well. We'll be refreshing that information however and moving you all forward with us by letting you know how things have advanced/changed and developed since then though.

We love your questions. We just may not be able to answer them all when or how you want. We may on occasion be a bit more silent about things than you (or we) might like, but as I've said in the past, there is a method to the madness.

What we always want to make sure of though, is that if people are asking questions or sharing feedback, that it be done constructively. We don't mind negative or viewpoints that aren't shiny and happy as long as they are done in a way that is constructive and doesn't become defamatory toward other posters or Blizzard employees. This is a place for discussions and it's important that when we come here to discuss, we do so with some thought and care for the people sitting behind the keyboards on both ends of the spectrum.

In short, we care. We care a lot. We may not always show it perfectly, but we love the community we have and we love the work we do.

Neth, I don't suppose you have any comment on how beta invites will be working for Annual Subs?

I can't comment on this yet, but we will be putting together information on how everyone will be getting into the beta including those that signed up for the World of Warcraft Annual Pass. We know it's something people are concerned about and we want to make sure that we're as clear as possible on the process. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Blacksmithing and Epic Gems
This is only the case if you assume that everyone is fully decked out in the epic Jewelcrafting gems. Due to the drop-rate being quite low and the cost to buy them quite high, it is not really feasible that the average player will be able to acquire enough of these gems while the 4.3 content is still current to create an issue. We feel the benefits that Blacksmithing offers balance out very well when compared to the difficulty of obtaining epic gems, as such we do not currently have any changes planned in regards to this. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Transmogrification and the Future
Remember that Transmogrification isn't 'done', and that more changes might come in the future. At first, we had concerns that if we allowed non-ranged weapons to be transmogrified into completely different weapons that they would lose a sense of flavor and identity. Our perspective may be changing on that front, though, and over time the current restrictions could be eased further.

Anyway, it's because hunter ranged weapons each make a distinct sound that they were a bit more loosely restricted in this first pass. I'm sure that the hunters in the audience can explain why that's valuable.

We really, really want to avoid accidentally going to far then find ourselves in the position of having to take options away. There's not really a specific timeline established, no. I think it's reasonable to look forward to incremental changes, as we have time to implement them, and as they make sense. We're also looking at finding new ways of making Transmogrification fun and rewarding.

On the other hand, I don't currently see a future where all restrictions are dropped completely, but I've learned that it's also generally wise to avoid the word "never".

What about lightening up on restrictions?
We still want Transmogrification to evolve, so that's still likely.

Why aren't there anymore 2H caster maces? Or strength polearms?
We've moved away from making really "wacky" decisions about item stat assignment to make weapon selection more intuitive. These aren't rules that are written in stone, of course, just general guidelines we've been following to make it more clear which classes a particular type of item is likely to be good for.

How about the main hand weapons, is there any reason we cant mog these?
The one hand/main hand/offhand restriction is also something we're looking at. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Glyph Inscription Leveling
The Book of Glyph Mastery is actually a topic we’ve been discussing in our meetings. I can’t make any promises just yet but can at least acknowledge that we’re tossing around ideas for the book and for researching new Inscription glyphs. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

Changes Made to WoW
Take LFG. Yes, convenient, it's quick, it's good! But at the same time it destroyed server communities and turned the whole experience of going to dungeons from a fun adventure into a mini-game grindfest. Overal? Bad change in my opinion.
The option to manually find people for your group and travel to the dungeon is still there, so you're totally free to continue doing it that way if you wish. But LFD is a very handy and convenient tool for most people, its popularity demonstrates that beyond a doubt.

Having said that, we're very aware of these concerns, and we're working hard on ways to get players out of the cities and back into the world again in Mists.

Take talent trees. They are forcing us to choose. Okay, neat, that's a bit more interesting. Downside? Only 6 points, means levelling will be even more boring. Can't really judge this one yet though.
So currently you get to pick a new talent point every two levels. If, like me, you’ve researched your optimum spec online, gaining a point simply means selecting whichever talent my favoured guide tells me to choose. This could mean, for instance, a very small increase in the effectiveness of one particular skill, which isn’t terrible exciting, and doesn’t always make a huge immediate difference to your game play. With the new talent trees, every time you get to spend a point, it should be on something very significant and useful.

Instantly learning abilities as you level up without a need to visit a trainer. Convenient? Yes. But also completely ruining what little experience you had left of living in an actual world of warcraft. BAD change.
Bearing in mind how quickly it’s possible to level, it’s not always fun to break from questing just to take a trip back to town when you gain access to a new skill. Personally speaking, I tend to wait until I need to return for a few reasons, such as using the Auction House, bank, visiting the profession trainer etc. meaning I will sometimes go for a few levels without picking up that new skill. There are still plenty of things to keep you travelling to the cities and back while levelling, but when it’s convenient for you to do so, not when you ‘should’.

You're basically telling us that we're wrong for not liking these features of WoW, because the numbers are against us. A lot of people use LFG, so that must mean it is fantastic?
No I'm not saying that at all, but it's clear that many people appreciate it. The point you make about a path of least resistance is true, but it's a fine balance. Make something too easy (such as a free gear vendor) and it's no fun, no challenge. LFD keeps the challenge part (the dungeon) but alleviates the often-long-winded group-finding part, allowing people to quest or gather mats, just go about other tasks while a group is found for them. Granted, it's not for everyone, some people enjoy putting a group together personally but, again, we're not forcing anyone to use it.

As I said just now, we've acknowledged people might have issues with some of the changes LFD made to the game. We're hearing it loud and clear, and we're working to address some of these in the expansion. (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)

The bug where paladin Seals could sometimes cause excessive damage has been fixed. This bug came as a result of a hotfix we put in to fix an issue where some attacks, such as Scatter Shot, were still causing Vengeance in PvP situations. While these things may seem totally unrelated, it has to do with our proc system, which is an extremely complicated mechanic under the hood. We reverted that hotfix, meaning you may sometimes see Vengeance in PvP. But we don’t think that will present a major balance concern at this time.

To be clear, we have no current plans to take action against players who experienced this bug last night unless we come across any extreme cases. The error was ours and we haven’t seen any evidence -- so far -- of players excessively exploiting the bug. We reserve the right to take action if we do find evidence of players crossing the line to repeatedly exploit this bug for major in-game advantages.

We're aware of this issue and looking into it right now. It's likely we won't have further updates for you until we're back in the office in the morning PST.

Just as a reminder from the Terms of Use:

C. Rules Related to Game Play.
(i) Using or exploiting errors in design, features which have not been documented, and/or "program bugs" to gain access that is otherwise not available, or to obtain a competitive advantage over other players.