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New Fiery Mechanical Mount Coming Soon, Flying in Warlords of Draenor 

by
chaud
Published on 2014-04-25 10:44 PM

New Fiery Mechanical Mount - Coming Soon
Blizzard posted a preview of an upcoming mount on their social media accounts this afternoon.

"Fiery mechanical steeds are best when they can be used with friends."



Warlords of Draenor Alpha - Build 18179 Sword
There was one weapon model which didn't make it into the notes yesterday. Unlike many of the weapons we have previewed so far, this one is not from quests or crafting!





Flying in Warlords of Draenor
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
This probably should have been kept to the original thread, but caution to thee, wind, I say! (I say that.)

So everyone has seen various posts and comments around the World Wide Web about flying not being allowed in Draenor, why, and what that means. It’d probably be helpful to try to sum up some of those things, and potentially help build a foundation for anyone’s discussions on the topic going forward. If everyone has the same info then it just helps conversations glide along, as you can expect everyone else knows what you know! Knowledge Parity! (Knarity?)

Anyway, it’s important to first dissuade concerns that we’re looking to slow down the game (I’ve recently posted about this in another thread, but it bears repeating). We’re going to be making sure flight paths and other forms of travel are quick and efficient, with a goal of getting you to the places you want to go. The flight paths in Draenor are not going to be loop-de-loop sightseeing tours, and we’re going to be looking to our beta testers to let us know if any are less than tip-top.

Our goal is not to make travel time consuming or painful, and with players on ground mounts we know we'll have to do more to try to ensure people can get to where they want to go quickly… BUT being able to lift off and fly over content compromises many of our goals in how the game world is approached, how it's played, how it's consumed, and how the content is designed to account for those factors.

As an example, let us consider a quest to assassinate an enemy leader. From the ground you approach a fort with guards at the gate. You charge and are able to dispatch them and sneak in a side hallway. You methodically take out packs of roaming sentries, and some of them shout at you as they run toward you. You notice they’re in the middle of practicing dark and forbidden magics, and you take a moment to disrupt their ritual. Dashing into the main courtyard you spot your target, sneaking and fighting your way to him--and with a forceful slash--the fort’s captain is vanquished, and as guards are alerted you fight your way out, glorious and triumphant in your success.

Alternatively, from a flying mount, you fly over the gate, see some guy whose name is highlighted, land on top of him, kill him, and then fly away.

Being efficient is great, being clever is great, and using your cleverness to be efficient is great, but how many of us have done the Tillers dailies up on the cliffside where the Hozen are, and waited for packs to pass by before setting down right where you’re supposed to, use whatever thingamabob you’re supposed to, and then lift off ASAP hoping-hoping-hoping nothing aggros? How many of us have become furious when we actually have to fight something!? Is that clever gameplay? Is that being good at playing the game, or is it using a mechanic to avoid having to play it? Is that what the game should be, and what our expectations should be as gamers playing it?

I hope everyone can agree, regardless of personal opinion toward flight vs. non-flight, that flying fundamentally alters how content is approached in a world where the gameplay exists wholly on the ground.

In Draenor we’re designing max-level content, portions of zones or zones in their entirety that will be dedicated to max-level gameplay—and not just the top of a cliffside, or some dailies in the Vale. There’s a harsh change in how the game plays between leveling, and when you hit max level. Hitting 100 and instantly switching everything you do to raiding or Arenas is pretty abrupt, and we want to try to keep that questing experience available at max level with something more robust than daily quests. We don’t think having all of that content inside buildings, or constantly challenged by sky cannons, or with magical no-flying smoke, or within some kind of dismount bubble is the most straightforward or best solution to the ultimate issue in that World of Warcraft is not a flight sim, and that's just not what the content of the game is about. Even at level 100 there will be no small portions of the game world intended to provide relevant content even to max-level players. These zones may even unlock over the course of the expansion, or the content in them will progress in story and scope throughout content patches. Content has to be designed with the expectation that there either is or is not flight, and approaching ground-level content from the ground offers more compelling gameplay. Raids, dungeons, and PvP continue to disallow flying for this same reason.

It's also important to think about not just what the content is, but how it's experienced. Not everyone that plays the game cares how quests and outdoor content are experienced, of course. Some may find it unnecessary; they don't feel it adds anything to their experience. Others play through it fairly quickly, enjoy it, but don’t particularly want to put much thought into why. Some may begrudgingly trudge through the content just so they can get to the part of the game they do want to play, and any other number of situations and preferences.

I’m sure some of you see the fortress example with the flying mount and see nothing wrong, if that’s how someone wants to play the game they should be allowed to. But a game is largely defined by its limitations, and the rules within which you must find or create a solution. We’re not trying to create a slow and laborious game (hopefully people actually enjoy the content!), or expect people will be yelling “YIIIPPPEEEEE!” while fighting a mob that aggroed when they tried to pick an herb, but there’s a big difference between a slow and laborious game and the expectation of instant gratification—not to mention the somewhat nebulous intention of creating and maintaining an engaging and immersive game world. World of Warcraft is a persistent online roleplaying game, and as much as we let players choose how they improve their characters within the world; leveling through dungeons, or PvP, or questing; choosing to do Arenas, or raids, or both; we’re still always wanting to create a holistic experience that supports all of these things. That doesn’t mean we think it’s a good idea to force people to read all their quest text, or stare at and appreciate the pretty new models, or anything like that, but it’s not unreasonable to see that combat and content exist on the ground, understand that, embrace that, and make decisions to support it.

In summary: It’s important to us that we integrate max-level questing into the expansion more thoroughly than designated daily locations on mountain tops, or only have the option of releasing new max level content in magically appearing islands where flight has different rules because reasons. We also know that being able to approach content that’s on the ground from up in the air compromises much of what creates the game world, how it's played, and how it's consumed. The game experience is fundamentally altered when you can lift off and set down wherever you want. And lastly, that we’re not intending to slow anyone down, and we’re going to make sure that players can get where they want to go efficiently through more direct flight points, and potentially alternate travel methods.

None of this is new philosophy; it's something we've maintained since Burning Crusade when flight was introduced, but it has evolved over the years, and I expect it to continue to be—like everything we do—an iterative process. And hopefully this has been at least marginally informative.

yet, we have yet to receive an answer as to when flying will be implemented, if at all. sounds to me like not at all.
We don't know. We don't purport to have definitive answers for anything, especially before we've even begun external testing.

Everything in this game is about time consumption. Hands down. I see no problem with that because after all the business model dictates it (meaning the goal is to acquire another monthly payment from the customer).

I guess what im saying is that there are adults in the room and we know that no flying at drop of xpacs is purely a business decision (again, one thaty I do not have a problem with).

Try shooting us straight from time to time...were not all kids.
Making a fun game makes people want to play the game, not nickle and diming their time. Was the game an insulting disservice to you as an adult before flying existed?

The dishonest are want to identify dishonesty, even where it doesn't exist.
0 Comments

Warlords of Draenor Alpha - Build 18179, Blue Tweets, Wowcraft #3, Warcraft Movie 

by
chaud
Published on 2014-04-25 12:11 AM

Update (10:30 PM EST): Added Spell Changes

Warlords of Draenor Alpha - Build 18179
A new alpha build was uploaded tonight, which added Blingtron 5000, who is ready to fight other Blingtrons to the death!

New Icons



New Models







New Maps



New Items
You can see all of the new Warlords of Draenor items on the WoWDB Beta site.

Level Type Slot Name
100Junk Alchemist's Cauldron
1Companion Pets Royal Peacock
1Other Garrison Blueprint: Alchemy, Level 1
1Other Garrison Blueprint: Blacksmith, Level 1
1Other Garrison Blueprint: Jewelcrafting, Level 1
1Other Garrison Blueprint: Inscription, Level 1
1Other Garrison Blueprint: Tailoring, Level 1
1Other Garrison Blueprint: Enchanting, Level 1
1Other Garrison Blueprint: Leatherworking, Level 1
1Key Goldmane's Cage Key
1Devices S.N.U.R.F. Gun
1Devices Swapblaster
100Devices Blingtron 5000
100Metal & Stone Ninjanite Bar
1Off HandOff Hand Monster - Torch, Offhand (Void Flame)
100Food & Drink Star Root Tuber
85Other Alchemist's Cauldron


New Strings
Originally Posted by MMO-Champion
  • BAG_CLEANUP_BAGS - Clean Up Bags
  • BAG_CLEANUP_BANK - Clean Up Bank
  • BAG_FILTER_ALREADY_ASSIGNED - Already assigned to another bag
  • BAG_FILTER_CLEANUP - Cleanup
  • BATTLEGROUND_BONUS_REWARD_TOOLTIP - Competing in a Bonus Battleground will earn you a loot roll. Winning will earn you an extra loot roll.
  • EXPANSION_NAME5 - Warlords of Draenor
  • GARRISON_FOLLOWER_ADDED_TOAST - Garrison Follower Gained
  • PVP_QUEUE_AGAIN - Queue Again
  • SKIRMISH_2V2 - 2v2 Skirmish
  • SKIRMISH_3V3 - 3v3 Skirmish



Spell Changes
Originally Posted by MMO-Champion
Companions

Unknown Class
Major Glyphs

Death Knight (Forums)

Talents
  • Plaguebearer (New) Your Death Coil and Frost Strike abilities also cause the target to become infected with Frost Fever and Blood Plague. Death Knight - LvL 15 Talent.

Blood

Blood, Guardian, Brewmaster, Protection, Protection
  • Bladed Armor (New) Increases your Attack Power by 100% of your Bonus Armor. Death Knight - Blood, Guardian, Brewmaster, Protection, Protection Spec.

Unholy
  • Sudden Doom no longer reduces the cost of Death Coil.
  • Reaping no longer works with Blood Boil.

Druid (Forums)

Talents
  • Cenarion Ward now costs 8.4% of Base Mana, down from 14.1%.
  • Pulverize now does 290% weapon damage, down from 500%.

Restoration

Minor Glyphs
  • Glyph of Travel allows for travel form without the movement speed bonus in combat.

Monk (Forums)
  • Enveloping Mist now scales with 123.37% of Spell Power, up from 86%.
  • Expel Harm now costs 3.7% of Base Mana, down from 5.9%.
  • Spinning Crane Kick now costs 6.1% of Base Mana, down from 6.8%.
  • Surging Mist now scales with 161.32% of Spell Power, down from 295.75% of Spell Power. Now costs 5.8% of Base Mana, down from 9.2% of Base Mana.

Mistweaver

Paladin (Forums)

Talents
  • Eternal Flame (Holy) now scales with 103.76% of Spell Power, up from 72.63% of Spell Power. HoT now scales with 9.43% of Spell Power, up from 6.6%.
  • Execution Sentence now costs 12.8% of Base Mana. Now scales with 674.2% of Holy Spell Power, down from 1,586.5% of Holy Spell Power.
  • Holy Prism now costs 17% of Base Mana.
  • Light's Hammer now costs 51.9% of Base Mana. Now scales with 47.34% of Spell Power, down from 111.4%.

Holy

Protection
  • Inner Light (New) Your melee attacks have a chance to heal you for [ 15% of AP + 15% of Holy Spell Power ]. Paladin - Protection Spec.

Major Glyphs

Priest (Forums)
  • Flash Heal now costs 4.6% of Base Mana, down from 7.4%.
  • Penance now grants 1% of maximum mana on dealing damage, down from 2%.
  • Penance now grants 1% of maximum mana on dealing damage, down from 2%.
  • Power Word: Shield now costs 3.3% of Base Mana, down from 5.3%.
  • Prayer of Mending now costs 2.7% of Base Mana, down from 3.1%.

Talents

Discipline
  • Holy Nova now costs 0.8% of Base Mana, down from 0.9%.
  • Penance now costs 1.8% of Base Mana, down from 2.9%. Now grants 1% of maximum mana on dealing damage, down from 2%.

Discipline & Holy

Holy
  • Chakra: Sanctuary was reworked - Each heal cast while this Chakra is active reduces the remaining cooldown of your Circle of Healing spell by 0.5 sec. Transforms your Holy Word: Chastise spell into Holy Word: Sanctuary.
  • Chakra: Serenity was reworked - Caues your single-target healing spells to refresh the duration of your Renew on the target. Transforms your Holy Word: Chastise spell into Holy Word: Serenity.
  • Circle of Healing now costs 2.2% of Base Mana, down from 2.5%.
  • Divine Hymn now costs 5.4% of Base Mana, down from 6%.
  • Lightwell now costs 4.6% of Base Mana, down from 5.1%.
  • Renew now costs 1.5% of Base Mana, down from 2.5%.

Holy & Discipline
  • Heal now costs 2.3% of Base Mana, down from 3.7%.
  • Prayer of Healing now costs 4.4% of Base Mana, down from 4.9%.

Shadow
  • Mind Blast now scales with 241% of Spell Power, up from 193%.

Shaman (Forums)

Talents

Restoration

Major Glyphs
  • Glyph of Frostflame Weapon (New) While your weapon is imbued with Flametongue Weapon, your attacks also slow the target's movement speed by 50% for 3 sec. Major Glyph.

Minor Glyphs
  • Glyph of Ghostly Speed - This movement speed bonus will not be granted if Ghost Wolf is activated while in combat

Warlock (Forums)

Talents

Affliction

Major Glyphs

Warrior (Forums)

Fury
  • Bloodthirst now grants an additional 30% chance to be a critical strike, rather than double the normal chance.

Major Glyphs
  • Glyph of Colossus Smash was reworked - The duration of your Colossus Smash is increased by 13.5 sec, but it now causes your attacks to only ignore 40% of the victim's armor

Professions
Engineering
  • Transmute: Ninjanite (New) Transforms elementium ore into several bars of Ninjanite. This item has 0 charges. It really does have N charges. Thank you. 2 sec cast. Gives 5 skillups. Reagents: Elementium Ore.

Inscription



Misc New Strings
Originally Posted by MMO-Champion
Game Text
  • Game Text #81971 - Shhh! Don't let dem see us talkin' or you blow my cover!
  • Game Text #81980 - I'll see if I can get this thing goin'. Khadgar, buy me some time!
  • Game Text #81981 - We will do what we can, Thaelin.
  • Game Text #81982 - $n, take over that cannon turret! You might be able to kill a few orcs with it.
  • Game Text #81983 -
  • Game Text #81984 - These controls are so confusing! Remind me to never drive a tank built by an orc.
  • Game Text #81985 - Hold strong, everyone. Here they come!
  • Game Text #81986 - They're bringin' in bombs! $n, blast those carts before they can get close!
  • Game Text #81987 - There's so many of them...
  • Game Text #81988 - Don't you give up yet, paladin.
  • Game Text #81989 - That's it! I've got 'er runnin'! Whenever you're ready, $n.
  • Game Text #82005 - Ahh ha ha haaa! Nice shot!

GarrAbility
  • GarrAbility #100 - Taunt - Counters threat: Fixated Hated.
  • GarrAbility #101 - Multi-Shot - Counters threat: Many Minions.
  • GarrAbility #102 - Heroic Leap - Counters threat: Area Damage.
  • GarrAbility #103 - Rapid Fire - Counters threat: Berserk.
  • GarrAbility #104 - Sap - Counters threat: Deadly Minion.
  • GarrAbility #105 - Kick - Counters threat: Powerful Spell.
  • GarrAbility #106 - Chain Heal - Counters threat: Group Damage.
  • GarrAbility #107 - Purify Spiirt - Counters threat: Group Damage.
  • GarrAbility #108 - Growl - Counters threat: Fixated Hated.
  • GarrAbility #84 - Teleport - Reduces travel time by 50%.
  • GarrAbility #85 - Mass Teleport - Reduces travel time by 100%.
  • GarrAbility #87 - Well-Equipped - Increases the materials gained from a mission by 50%.
  • GarrAbility #88 - Heavily-Equipped - Increases the materials gained from a mission by 100%.
  • GarrAbility #89 - Bronze Key - Increases the chance to obtain treasure from a bronze chest.
  • GarrAbility #90 - Silver Key - Increases the chance to obtain treasure from a silver chest.
  • GarrAbility #91 - Gold Key - Increases the chance to obtain treasure from a gold chest.
  • GarrAbility #92 - Enchanted Key - Increases the chance to obtain treasure from all chests.
  • GarrAbility #93 - Unstable Portal - Reduces travel time by 25%.
  • GarrAbility #94 - Unstable Rift - Reduces travel time by 75%.
  • GarrAbility #95 - Quality Provisions - Reduces mission duration by 25%.
  • GarrAbility #96 - Epic Provisions - Reduces mission duration by 50%.
  • GarrAbility #97 - Manual of Tactics - Increases the XP gained from a mission for all followers by 25%.
  • GarrAbility #98 - Manual of Strategy - Increases the XP gained from a mission for all followers by 75%.
  • GarrAbility #99 - Manual of War - Increases the XP gained from a mission for all followers by 150%.

GarrSpecialization
  • GarrSpecialization #31 - Fishing Shipment - A delivery a frest fish every day, direct to your Fishing Shack!

Phase
  • Phase #3376 - Cosmetic - Sabermaw - Bazwix Turn-in
  • Phase #3377 - Cosmetic - See Pristine Star Lily
  • Phase #3378 - Cosmetic - See Velen
  • Phase #3379 - Cosmetic - See Velen
  • Phase #3380 - Morketh - Free In the Armory
  • Phase #3381 - Cosmetic - Nagrand 6.0 - Garrison Caravan - Horde (ELM)
  • Phase #3382 - Cosmetic - Nagrand 6.0 - Garrison Caravan - Living Stone Guard Brox (ELM)
  • Phase #3383 - Cosmetic - Nagrand 6.0 - Garrison Caravan - Dead Stone Guard Brox (ELM)
  • Phase #3386 - Cosmetic - See Nadur at Scenic Road
  • Phase #3387 - Cosmetic - Spirit Wall Into Auchindoun
  • Phase #3388 - Cosmetic - See Aeda Brightdawn at Auchenai Precipice
  • Phase #3389 - Cosmetic - See Defender Kaluum at Auchenai Precipice
  • Phase #3390 - Can See Hataaru in Elodar Fields



Blue Tweets
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
Classes
if the Rotas are designed on wod talents etc, does that not mean when 6.0 hits before the release everyone is rather nerfed? 1/2
If the rotation needed the change to work, we made it baseline. Everybody's Perks have power in them, some just tweak rotation (Celestalon)

Whats' the reasoning behind removing the threat dropping skills? I like not dying to bad tanking.
Threat is just a non-issue nowadays. Not worth the keybind bloat. If threat is a problem, it's because tanks haven't done ANY... (Celestalon)
Threat is still sometimes an issue for tank vs tank in some situations, though not so much for dps.
That's only the case when the tanks have vastly different Vengeace levels, which won't happen anymore. (Celestalon)

are there plans to rebalance pet utility or remove it altogether so some pets aren't useless (no combat benefit)?
Yes, just didn't make the first version of the patch notes. The next version will have the full list of pet abilities. (Celestalon)

not being able to switch Gladiator & Defensive Stance in combat, is it that strong? Druids & Dks can swap in combat, why not War
Because a Guardian Druid in Cat form, or a Blood DK in Frost Presence, are both still really poor DPS. A Gladiator is full DPS. (Celestalon)

Death Knight (Forums / Skills / WoD Talent Calculator)
With the new Rime are you finally making DW and 2h play the same again? Merging the 2h and DW-playstyles? best of both worlds?
Nope, we like them playing differently. (Celestalon)
But DW wont have any benefits from the new Rime. Are you giving DW something else instead?
Why would DW get no benefit from the new Rime? (Celestalon)
DW doesn't use Obliterate in pvp or pve at the moment.
That may be true, only in the case that you're GCD locked, which you won't be. You absolutely should be using Obliterate. (Celestalon)

Druid (Forums / Skills / WoD Talent Calculator)
Why does moonfire/sunfire not have a cooldown? Spam of it is annoying, specially in low level pvp brackets.
Annoying? Maybe. Powerful? No. (Celestalon)

Hunter (Forums / Skills / WoD Talent Calculator)
also, the explosive trap change: is that only applying a dot to all targets in the initial trigger-explosion?
Correct. The trap explodes once when triggered, and leaves a burning DoT on anything hit by the explosion. (Celestalon)

why have you not changed/removed aspect of the pack? it is a terrible and useless ability.
It's actually quite useful when used tactically. (Celestalon)

Any info regarding Hunter raid buffs when using Lone Wolf talent?
Yes, you get to choose one of the 6 raid buffs (but still no debuff). (Celestalon)

Disappointed about removal of Cower, Distracting Shot and Silencing Shot. Very useful abilities for soloing. Any compensation?
There are pet abilities like Cower. Growl works in place of Distracting Shot. You get Counter Shot instead of Silencing Shot. (Celestalon)

Mage (Forums / Skills / WoD Talent Calculator)
Rune of Power, same mistake twice? Why? What we hated about it was having to stand it in the whole time, not its effects.
Some people hate Rune of Power, but we're solving that by making better options for you to take instead. We still believe... (Celestalon)
...that Rune of Power creates some really compelling gameplay. It's alright if not everyone enjoys that. (Celestalon)

Monk (Forums / Skills / WoD Talent Calculator)
re: monk Don't understand why WW gets Disable but BM doesn't. Will truly miss Clash - may be buggy, but is huge to me.
BM doesn't need Disable, because they have Keg Smash / Dizzying Haze. Disable was redundant. (Celestalon)
The snare was redundant. The ability to go ahead and hit it once more on a snared target to halt them wasn't.
True, but we don't think that Brewmasters need. Would you disagree? Why? (Celestalon)

and any thoughts on addressing FoF's rooting issue? (via glyph or something)
Oh you want more, huh? Yes, there's a glyph that allows FoF to channel while moving, at the cost of removing the stun. (Celestalon)

We absolutely understand how it was useful in that regard, but it's not a skill that we think Brewmasters need. (Celestalon)
There is something unqiue about Clash, sound and effects, feel tough as a Ox. You take that feeling away. Roll isn't the same
As the section about Ability Pruning said, choosing which abilities to cut is VERY hard. Any ability we cut is beloved by... (Celestalon)
...somebody, and so we have to make some tough choices. Those choices aren't set in stone though, so your feedback is valuable. (Celestalon)

Paladin (Forums / Skills / WoD Talent Calculator)
What's happening to Sanctified Wrath if only Retribution gets to use Avenging Wrath?
It'll work for Divine Favor and Guardian of Ancient Kings (not sure of specifics yet). (Celestalon)
Oh yeah let me use this 100% healing increase/mana decrease CD and instead of spamming radiance I'll Holy Shock
Like I said, not sure of the specifics. (Celestalon)

Losing Hand of Salvation makes me a lil sad though. I wonder why they trimmed that? // @Celestalon
Threat basically isn't significant gameplay anymore. It was just an unnecessary bloat button, which is what we're trying to cut. (Celestalon)
Are we playing the same game? Threat still exists, please let Protection keep SOME tools besides a single taunt?
As a Protection Paladin, your threat abilities are all of your damaging abilities. Those work to get aggro too. (Celestalon)

Shaman (Forums / Skills / WoD Talent Calculator)
will Storm Elemental Totem interact with Primal Elementalist?
Yes. The Primal Storm Elemental has a couple extra abilities. A long cooldown single target knock-up, and a short range... (Celestalon)
...AoE movement speed aura. Allies within 10yd of it move a bit faster. (Celestalon)

Warrior (Forums / Skills / WoD Talent Calculator)
100 Prot Warrior talent Gladiator's Resolve: why does it buff Def Stance if you're going to use the new stance anyway?
So that you have 3 talent choices on that row if you're tanking. You can take that talent, and not use Gladiator Stance. (Celestalon)

Wowcraft Episode 3 - Profession Obsession
Another episode of Wowcraft has been released!



Warcraft Movie Set Photo
BuzzHub shared a picture of the Warcraft movie set from an upcoming issue of Empire Magazine today.
163 Comments

The Teams Are Set! Watch Azeroth Choppers Episode 2 

by
chaud
Published on 2014-04-24 05:28 PM

Garrison in a Static Location, WoD Alpha Notes Update, RBG MMR Hotfix, Apr 23 Hotfixes

The Teams Are Set! Watch Azeroth Choppers Episode 2
The second episode of Azeroth Choppers has been released.


Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
The bomb drops! This week, Chris and Sammy let Paul Jr. in on a critical piece of news about the project, and we meet the Horde and Alliance crewmates in New York. The teams have accepted their quest and are ready to roll, but will they be able to rise to the challenges ahead? Don’t miss a minute of the action as pressure mounts and bikes start to take shape. And don’t forget: the winning team’s bike will become an epic FREE in-game mount, so spread the word to your guildies and throughout your faction—and when the time comes, be ready to vote!

Keep up to date on all of the latest episodes at www.AzerothChoppers.com, and let your faction’s war cry be heard with #AzerothChoppers.

Azeroth Choppers: Meet Teams Alliance & Horde
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
In the blast-off episode of Azeroth Choppers, Paul Jr. presented some initial bike designs to Team Alliance, led by Warcraft chief storyteller Chris Metzen, and Team Horde, led by the so-fluffy Samwise Didier. With both teams confident in Paul Jr.’s intrepid aesthetic prowess and attentiveness to the cultural identity of the respective factions, we wanted to get some thoughts from the cohorts of Metzen and Samwise—but first, let’s get acquainted with them.

Terran Justice Gregory (yes, that’s his real name) is an associate project director, dedicated Gnome enthusiast, and filmmaker who lives and dies for the Alliance. Terran is a huge World of Warcraft lore nerd who was the player behind Kyle’s mage in South Park’s “Make Love, Not Warcraft” episode. You can find him on Twitter @TerranGregory.

Monte Krol is a lead software engineer who’s even done some writing and voice acting for Warcraft III and World of Warcraft—you might know him as the voice of the goblin saying “Time is money, friend!” Monte’s also hardcore into 3D printing, and recently printed a working six-speed transmission. You can find him on Twitter @krolco.

Gary Platner is a lead environment artist and former stand-up comic (he even got paid once!) who’s been training in Krav Maga for about four years. He loves training, sparring, and getting kicked in the head by his fellow students. You can find him on Twitter @GaryPlatner.

Jason Hutchins is a senior game producer who’s living the dream. He married his high school sweetheart and enjoys the finer things in life: cars, cocktails, guns, motorcycles, and food . . . though not in that order and never all at once.

Zarhym: For those who don’t know about Azeroth Choppers, let’s talk about what it is why the community should pay heed.

Jason: AZ is an exciting web series in the same spirit as some other bike build-off shows you may have seen on cable TV networks. Only this time around, Paul Jr. is teamed up with Blizzard to create epic entertainment. We may see some truly mighty bikes come out of this as well.
Monte: Besides the awesome bike build-off aspect, this is a fun bit of PvP without all the ganking. It’s a great way to show your faction pride and faction spirit, and ultimately, the players decide what will happen!


Zarhym: Monte and Terran, tell us in what ways you identify with the Alliance. What does representing the faction mean to you?
Terran: I’ve been playing Alliance exclusively since WoW’s open beta. Having been a bit of a lore nerd, I found it easier to integrate with the story of the Alliance and their themes, and of course, they have Gnomes. Gnomes do not get the credit they deserve for how much they bring to their faction. They are the mechanical engineers of the Alliance, and the most suited to lend a hand in the production of a chopper. Even the current in-game hog bears the name Mekgineer, for those who know what that means! All that aside, teaming up with Chris and Monte to help ensure that the true spirit of the Alliance is represented fully is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.


Monte: Well, to be honest, I started playing Alliance for a rather pedestrian reason: I liked how the characters looked better than the Horde races—although I still really love how the Tauren look. I have been playing mostly Night Elves since WoW launched. My obsession with look lasted about 15 minutes, and I got hooked on the "down but not out" feel of the Alliance in the original WoW story—the nearly destroyed World Tree Nordrassil slowly recovering, the ruins of Lordaeron, and even the name of Menethil Harbor were deep emotional connection points for me with the story of the Alliance. And, of course, the most visceral connection I made was walking through the Plaguelands and encountering Uther's Tomb for the first time—remembering Uther Lightbringer and his most infamous pupil, Arthas. I guess I have a strong connection to “heroes passed.” It's just great working with Chris and Terran to bring that we're-rising-again feel to Team Alliance.

Jason and Gary, talk about your Horde identity. How does it feel to represent them?

Gary: The Horde feels like home to me. I’ve played on the Horde from the beginning of WoW and I just feel comfortable with ’em! I am very excited to represent the Horde, and I’m a huge fan of Paul Jr. So getting to work with Paul Jr. on a custom Horde chopper . . . beyond amazing!


Jason: At first I identified with the monstrous aspect of the Horde. Who doesn't want to be a bad guy sometimes? For every kid who wants to play a cop, there are always kids who want to play the robber. But then you delve into the Horde's history, its values of honor and strength, and even their compassion and mercy. It’s an honor to work with Sam and Gary to represent the Horde. I'm humbled and excited to be a part of this!

Zarhym: Have you been in regular contact with the bike experts? How does the collaboration work between the Blizzard teams and the designers crafting the choppers?

Terran: We spent a good deal of effort at the beginning of the process even before the first meeting with Paul Jr. to assemble our finest examples of iconic imagery that really strikes the chord of Alliance. We shared these images during our first meeting with Paul Jr., and it really felt like he was invested in chasing perfection when it came to representing the facets that set the Alliance apart from other fantasy concepts. Even after the first meeting, when Paul Jr. returned to his shop, we continued to communicate via email and followed up on many different elements that had been mentioned in our first meeting, and that alone made me feel like he was really invested in getting as much as he could out of our knowledge of the Warcraft universe.


Gary: Paul Jr. and his team really understand the challenges that we face on a regular basis when working on WoW. Properly representing a faction or even a small group of NPCs is extremely important. There are many subtle aspects that must be addressed. All of World of Warcraft’s races have a substantial backstory that gets reflected in how and why things get built the way they do. So the first time I met Paul Jr., I knew right away that he understood our passion for detail and storytelling, and he really understands the Horde. Working with Paul Jr. and his team has been like working with a member of our own art team.


Zarhym: Some people are already saying their faction has no hope to win! [/b]Team Alliance, what would you say to inspire your faction to go forth and claim victory?

Terran: Having joined Team Alliance at the beginning of this project we knew we were fighting an uphill battle, but there are tons of things that make the Alliance unique, regal, and distinguished. I would lay the call to the ladies and gentlemen of the Alliance to remember what we represent! That injustice is our greatest foe, and we will no longer tolerate being labeled as underdogs! Together, for victory, for the Alliance! STAND AS ONE!
Jason: I hope there is at least one side mirror on the Horde Chopper. Even though it might be extra tough because objects appear smaller than they really are, I want to see those Gnomes choking on our dust.


Zarhym: Team Horde, how will you rally your faction to organize around this campaign, and not just shout “FOR THE HORDE!” at seemingly inappropriate intervals?

Gary: Let me be clear. Shouting ‘For the Horde!’ may appear to those who don’t understand to be random or even inappropriate. It is not. This phrase represents a bond of brothers and sisters who have experienced the crucible of combat and victory together. It is appropriate at any time or any occasion. You don’t even have to be playing Horde to use it. It is perfectly acceptable and honorable for even Alliance players to use this phrase. It has, in fact, transcended the bounds of faction and has come to represent a sacred link between players. Do not mock the use of ‘For the Horde!’ as a rallying cry.
Monte: That was uncharacteristically eloquent for someone who walks around with bloody chains and spikes on all their apparel. Still, I'm not worried. Just like their shouting, it's all talk.


Zarhym: Now a question for both teams—why do you think your team will come out on top with the superior chopper?

Terran: I fundamentally believe that the stylings of the Alliance hold the potential to inform a bold, sleek, and incredible chopper design. In my humble opinion, the world of kick-ass choppers is defined by polished chrome and glorious shine, and the established look of the Alliance has that aesthetic in the bag! This mighty steed will carry us to victory!
Jason: Between myself, Samwise, Gary, and Paul Jr., we must have over 75 years of combined experience making epic things happen. Bring it on, whippersnappers.


Zarhym: How are you going to do the winning bike justice when forging its in-game mount rendition?

Gary: Before we create a prop for WoW, we usually generate a concept or two that we can use as a guide. When this is over, and the Horde chopper is chosen as the winner, we will have the ultimate concept piece that we can use to create a most epic in-game mount.
Monte: I love it when Gary writes fiction. Team Alliance will propel the Alliance chopper to victory, and we will make sure to capture its shiny-beast-rolling-right-over-the-top-of-my-tiny-little-enemies glory in-game! We’ll probably also add an air freshener to make sure no Orc-y smells linger.


Zarhym: We’ll surely catch up with you all again, but do you have any parting words or rallying cries for your people as the battle unfolds?

Monte: Team Alliance, stand with us, and stand tall! Let us claim victory!
Jason: Join us, brothers and sisters of the Horde! Witness what these mighty beasts are made of. FTH!
Terran: I would say to everyone, don’t count your chickens till they hatch glorious gryphons. The devil’s in the details here, and we’re just starting to gear up these bikes to an item level of INCREDIBLE. And . . .
Gary: . . . For the Horde!

Zarhym: Yes, Terran. Go on.

Terran: . . . And remember: WE ARE the distinguished gentlemen, ladies, and gnomes of the Alliance! STAND AS ONE! #DGoTA #TeamAlliance #ForGnomeregan
Zarhym: Thank you, gentlemen, for your time. We look forward to seeing how both choppers take shape as the show goes on!


Be sure to tune into www.AzerothChoppers.com every Thursday to catch all-new episodes and ultimately help decide which faction will be shredding across Draenor on a Paul Jr. designer chopper. Let your faction’s war cry be heard with #AzerothChoppers[/b], along with #TeamAlliance or #TeamHorde.
146 Comments

Garrison Location, WoD Alpha Notes Update, RBG MMR Hotfix, Apr 23 Hotfixes, DLC #437 

by
chaud
Published on 2014-04-23 11:38 PM

HC Barb T6 Rift Guide, Confirmed: +% Damage Affix Bug To Be Fixed With Next Patch, Warning: Lethal Skills For Your HC Crusader

New Curse of Naxxramas Card - Poison Seeds

Skin Spotlight: Succubus Kerrigan, BlizzCon 2014 - Nov 7 and 8

Warlords of Draenor - Garrison Now in a Static Location
Mumper shared some more garrison information with us today, with the most interesting point being that you will not be able to relocate your garrison.


Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
could there be a max level feature or quest line to move your garrison? Maybe raze/rebuild? Cost time AND resources.
That's an option we have discussed. (Source)

Wait so you mean my Horde character is going to be stuck in winter wasteland hell whether I like it or not
We are working hard to make it an awesome place you will want to spend time in. (Source)

will we need to do at least the main quest line in each zone in order to advance the garrisons properly?
We hope you will, but everything will unlock based on level as a fallback. (Source)
Whatever happened to them being optional content? This seems unnecessary, and takes away the fun of choosing a location..
Sill an option, still many choices. (Source)

Is there any plan on giving more profession slots to chars, so we don't have multiple alts to have them?
Garrisons will let you essentially have up to 4 more if you choose those buildings. (Source)
can you clarify, is that 4 more above what we currently have or 4 total?
4 more, if you choose to use all 4 of your small plots.
will the garrison profession slots be just like having the actual profession or will they be missing things the real prof could do?
Pretty similar to the normal profession. (Source)

Any chance of having racial-themed buildings (as least a few)? Or will it all be orc-themed for Horde?
We are integrating some racial hits into the profession hubs. Looking cool so far! (Source)

Is there going to be an easy way to get back there when you're in another zone?
For sure. No exact plan but we will give you a fast way to get back. (Source)

Warlords of Draenor Alpha Patch Notes Update - April 23
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Active Mana Regeneration (New)
Another part of the changes to healing is providing a way for them to better manage their mana. There are ways to spend more mana for more healing but, we’re also adding methods for healers to trade extra time or healing or more mana to use later in a fight when they really need it.

Druid
  • Innervate has been redesigned to now have a 2-second cast time with no cooldown, and causes the Druid to gain 2.5% of maximum mana every 4 seconds for 8 seconds. Spending any mana on a healing spell will cancel this effect.

Monk

Paladin
  • Divine Plea has been redesigned to be instant cast with no cooldown, and consume 3 Holy Power to immediately regain 7% of maximum mana.

Priest
  • Atonement is no longer triggered by Penance.
  • Penance now also refunds 1.1% of the Priest’s maximum mana each time it deals damage.
  • Chakra: Chastise in addition to existing effects, now also causes Smite and Holy Fire to restore 0.75% of maximum mana each time they are cast instead of costing mana.

Shaman
  • Telluric Currents is now a passive ability for Restoration Shaman and causes Lightning Bolt to restore 1.25% of maximum mana each time it is cast instead of costing mana.
  • Glyph of Telluric Currents: This glyph has been removed.


Ability Pruning (Updated)
  • Death Knight
  • Druid
    • Bear Hug has been removed.
    • Innervate is now available only to Restoration Druids. has been removed. Mana costs for Druids have been adjusted accordingly.
  • Mage
    • Polymorph cosmetic variants are now all learned as spells instead of having some as a Minor Glyph that alters the visuals of Polymorph: Sheep. All of these variants (except for the automatically learned one, Polymorph: Sheep) are now grouped in a Polymorph variants flyout in the Spellbook.
  • Paladin
    • Avenging Wrath is no longer available to Protection Paladins. now only available to Retribution Paladins.
    • Divine Favor has been removed.
    • Divine Plea is now only available to Holy Paladins. has been removed. Mana costs for Paladins have been adjusted accordingly.
  • Rogue

Tank Vengeance and Resolve (Updated)
Then, to keep tank DPS meaningful, we'll be raising their damage, since it would be meager with no Vengeance Attack Power (Vengeance accounted for 70-90% of a tank's damage on high-tank-damage fights in Mists). To do that, we're increasing the damage of several prominent tank abilities, as well as having tanks also gain increased Attack Power from Mastery and Bonus Armor, in addition to the stat’s existing benefits. That also helps keep secondary stats balanced in offensive value for them.

  • General
    • Bladed Armor is a new passive ability for Blood Death Knights, Guardian Druids, Brewmaster Monks, Protection Paladins, and Protection Warriors.
      • Bladed Armor increases Attack Power by 100% of the character's Bonus Armor.


Class Changes

Death Knight
We made several changes to compensate for abilities that have been removed by Ability Pruning. Blood Boil got removed and its effects were merged into Pestilence. This change in effect turned Roiling Blood into a passive ability; which we replaced with a new talent, Plaguebearer. For Blood specialization we removed Rune Strike and are adjusting the cost of Death Coil so it can be used in Rune Strike’s place.


There were also a few other miscellaneous changes. The Runic Power generation of Anti-Magic Shell was standardized, to make it more understandable and balanced. Level-60 and Level-75 talent rows have swapped places, so the important rune regeneration talents could be acquired earlier.


Druid
  • Dream of Cenarius
    • Guardian: No longer increases the critical strike chance of Mangle.


Monk

We also did some polishing on Brewmasters and Windwalkers and made Storm, Earth, and Fire, Transcendence, and Touch of Death easier to use. Fists of Fury has also been improved; sometimes brute force is the right answer. Gift of the Ox was changed to give value to the new Multistrike stat for Brewmasters. Lastly, Tiger Strikes was improved considerably, and made available to all Monk specializations.

There were several changes that affected multiple Monk specializations. We’d like to see Monks using Transcendence more often, so its usability has been improved (some baseline, and some in a Draenor Perk). For Touch of Death, we like that it’s a unique execute being usable only once, but found it impractical to use on bosses and have improved its usability. For Tiger Strikes, we buffed it to grant Multistrike ability which it was similar to already, and extended it to work with all Monk specializations.

We’re making a few changes that mostly affects Windwalkers, but has a minor impact on Mistweavers and Brewmasters as well. For energy-based gameplay to function well, the primary limitation on ability usage should be energy, not time. As such, we're making the following changes to address GCD-capping problems. First, we’re reducing the effects and mana increase of Ascension, because it became more powerful when combined with several of our other changes to healers. We believe that Ascension will remain as a competitive talent for Brewmasters. Second, energy cost of Jab has been increased for Windwalkers. And Third, we reduced the chance for Combo Breaker to trigger. Individually, these may sound like significant nerfs but Windwalker damage has been adjusted to compensate for these changes. The goal is not to reduce DPS while addressing the issue with GCD-capping.

  • Ascension now increases energy regeneration and maximum mana by 10% (down from 15%).
  • Combo Breaker now has an 8% chance to trigger, per effect, per Jab (down from 12%).
  • Stance of the Fierce Tiger now also increases Jab’s energy cost by 10.

A couple of additional changes for Windwalkers. Storm, Earth, and Fire, got buffed to make it smoother to use. We also buffed Fists of Fury because we felt that the ability wasn’t giving a strong enough damage boost given its restrictions and impact on the Monk's rotation.

  • Storm, Earth, and Fire no longer has an energy cost, and is off GCD.
  • Fists of Fury now deals 100% increased damage, and always deals full damage to your primary target; additional targets are still affected by the damage split.

For Brewmasters, Gift of the Ox has been modified to allow it to scale defensively with the new Multistrike stat. The Black Ox Statue has been modified to aid Monks in establishing aggro on new enemies.

  • Black Ox Statue now also passively attracts the attention of all enemies within 30 yards, causing a minor amount of threat each second.
  • Gift of the Ox now has a chance to trigger only from auto attack Multistrikes, instead of from all auto attacks. It has a 100% chance to trigger while using a two-handed weapon, and a 62.5% chance to trigger while dual wielding.
  • Glyph of Leer of the Ox now also causes Black Ox Statue to passively pulse a minor amount of threat to all enemies within 30 yards.


Paladin

We wanted to improve Seal gameplay for Protection and Retribution, so have made a few changes in that regard. Protection had three Seals, but only used Insight due to its defensive value. We’ve moved that defensive value into a passive for Protection Paladins, and expect them to primarily use a mixture of Seal of Truth and Seal of Righteousness now. To provide better gameplay between Seal of Truth and Seal of Righteousness, and effectively remove a button, we made Seal of Righteousness transform Crusader Strike into Hammer of the Righteous.



Priest
We swapped the Level-15 and Level-60 talent rows so players are presented with core Priest themed abilities earlier in the leveling process.

  • Level-15 and Level-60 talent rows have swapped places.


Rogue
Among some other changes to improve Rogue AoE damage, we made a couple of baseline changes, and added a few Draenor Perks that impacts their AoE. wanted to make sure that Fan of Knives benefitted from Seal Fate.


Shaman

We also made a couple quality of life improvements to Shaman Shield spells.

Rated Battleground MMR Hotfix
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Early on in PvP Season 15, we found and corrected a couple issues that were causing players to reach extremely high Personal Rating when compared to their Matchmaking Rating (MMR), particularly in Rated Battlegrounds. As an unfortunate side-effect of these fixes, some players started experiencing regular games in which they could lose Personal Rating for a loss, but not gain any on a win. This issue quickly resolved itself in Arenas through normal gameplay, but has lingered for a lot longer in Rated Battlegrounds.

To correct this, we’ve applied a hotfix that will increase everyone’s MMR in Rated Battlegrounds by 100. As this change is being applied to everyone (even players who have not yet participated in a Rated BG), there is no change to rankings – we’re just bringing the average up by 100.

This should allow players who were previously still earning 0 rating on wins to once again earn rating normally. As a result, players who were already earning rating normally will start seeing higher rating gains per win and lower rating penalties per loss until their personal rating is once again in line with their MMR.

Again, as this change is being applied to everyone, there should be no real impact on ladders as a result. Ratings will inflate briefly (much like they do as part of our normal rating inflation), but there should be no long-term damage to rankings.

Patch 5.4.7 Hotfixes: April 23
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Classes

Quests
  • Scourge Tactics: Increased the spawn rate of Webbed Crusaders.
  • The Embalmer's Revenge: Resolved an issue where Stitches was not resetting correctly.

Raids, Dungeons, and Scenarios
  • Siege of Orgrimmar
    • Malkorok
      • Resolved an issue where Ancient Miasma effects were able to persist after the encounter ended.
    • Garrosh Hellscream
      • During the Garrosh Hellscream encounter, Word of Glory no longer generates threat during stages 2 and 3 to address an issue that was making the encounter more difficult than intended for raid groups with Protection Paladin tanks.
      • Unstable Iron Stars now Fixate on players for 12 seconds (up from 10 seconds) during stage 4 of the Garrosh Hellscream encounter on Heroic difficulty.
  • The Eye of Eternity: Resolved an issue that could prevent players from being able to loot Alexstrasza's Gift after defeating Malygos.

Items
  • Potion of Luck: Reduced the amount of gold found in Plundered Treasures.

Blue Tweets
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
Character / Items
Will the only other utility poison being the talent leeching poison.....what is the point of the rogue PvP set bonus now?
we're changing almost all of the PvP set bonuses (holinka)

Warlords of Draenor Stats
What about spirit on current gear for Shadow, Balance, Elemental? Dead stat in WoD?
Removed from all gear except jewelry. Yes, you'll want to get non-spirit jewelry for Warlords. (Celestalon)

PvE
With the removal of expertise in WoD, will old school raid bosses still have a 3% parry chance, seems unfair for non tank solos.
3% won't stop you from being able to solo them. You'll be more than able to solo them, if you're able to now. (Celestalon)

Professions
what is going to stop engineering utility from dominating if other professions lose dps/stat bonuses?
Going to remove the combat utility, or allow it to be used by non-engineers. (Celestalon)
Point of being a engineer is then to?
Same as the other professions: To craft useful items. Engineering items are just more unusual and interesting. (Celestalon)

Pound Sterling Pricing Changes on Certain WoW Services
Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
We will shortly be adjusting the pound sterling prices of some of the optional services we offer for World of Warcraft. We regularly review our pricing and services around the world to make sure we’re offering what we feel is the best entertainment value for the cost, and the upcoming adjustments are being made with that goal still in mind.

The new prices will take effect on April 30. You can see a breakdown of the changes below:

  • Name Change - Current Price: £6 | New Price: £7
  • Pets - Current Price: £9 | New Price: No change
  • Helms - Current Price: £10 | New Price: No change
  • Appearance Change - Current Price: £12 | New Price: £13
  • Guild Name Change - Current Price: £15 | New Price: £17
  • Character Transfer - Current Price: £15 | New Price: £17
  • Race Change - Current Price: £15 | New Price: £17
  • Mounts - Current Price: £17 | New Price: No change
  • Faction Change - Current Price: £20 | New Price: £22
  • Guild Transfer - Current Price: £25 | New Price: No change
  • Guild Faction Change - Current Price: £30 | New Price: No change
  • Level 90 Character Boost - Current Price: £40 | New Price: No change
  • Guild Transfer and Faction Change - Current Price: £50 | New Price: No change

Dark Legacy Comics #437
DLC #437 takes a look at one of the downsides of having combo points on the player.
119 Comments

BlizzCon 2014 Conquers Anaheim November 7 and 8 

by
chaud
Published on 2014-04-22 05:59 PM

WoW Source: Warlords of Draenor PvP and Class Updates, WoD System Performance

Warlords of Draenor Alpha - Build 18164, Tier 17 Warrior Set

BlizzCon 2014 Conquers Anaheim November 7 and 8
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
Steel thyself, O mortal realm of Anaheim! The eighth BlizzCon is coming to your Convention Center this Friday, November 7 and Saturday, November 8, 2014. Prepare for two relentless days of Blizzard gaming and fellowship, including in-depth discussion panels with Blizzard developers, hands-on opportunities with the latest Blizzard games, and intense eSports tournaments featuring top pro gamers from across the earthly plane.

Tickets for BlizzCon 2014 will go on sale in two batches, one on Wednesday, May 7 at 7 p.m. PT and the other on Saturday, May 10 at 10 a.m. PT, through the online event ticketing service Eventbrite, priced at $199 each (plus applicable taxes and fees). In addition, a limited number of tickets to an exclusive pre-BlizzCon Benefit Dinner will go on sale Wednesday, May 14 at 7 p.m. PT for $750 apiece (plus applicable taxes and fees; BlizzCon admission included), with proceeds benefitting Children’s Hospital of Orange County. Check out the BlizzCon Ticket webpage for more information—we’ve made some changes to how ticket sales work this year, and fortune favors the prepared!

If you can’t make it to the show in person, the BlizzCon Virtual Ticket is the next best thing, offering comprehensive live coverage of the event via a multichannel Internet stream. Further details on the Virtual Ticket, including pricing, availability, and programming information, will be announced at a later date.


See the full press release or check out the BlizzCon Ticket page for more information, and be sure visit www.blizzcon2014.eventbrite.com at the dates and times above for a chance to purchase a ticket to the show. See you in Anaheim!
151 Comments

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