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    Patch 5.4 Notes Update, Launcher Update, Battlefield: Barrens Ending, Patch 5.4 Blogs

    Official Battle.Net Desktop Client Invitation, Blue Posts, LoLPro Announces a User Guide Contest

    Hearthstone Alpha Patch #3

    Patch 5.4 PTR Notes Update - August 14
    Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
    General
    The Legendary Quest Continues
    • Wrathion’s final quests are now available for dedicated heroes who have fought on his behalf throughout the pandaren campaign. He’s waiting at the Tavern in the Mists in the Veiled Stair.
    • Complete Wrathion’s final tasks on the Timeless Isle and upgrade your celestial cloak to Legendary quality!
    • Only players equipped with a Legendary cloak can reach the Sanctum of Ordos atop the Timeless Isle. (This privilege extends account-wide.)

    Classes
    • Vengeance has received several changes.
      • Characters in a tanking specialization now generates 40% more threat.

    Death Knight (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
    • General
      • Necrotic Strike now deals 100% weapon damage (down from 150% weapon damage).
      • Rune of Razorice now causes 3% extra weapon damage as Frost damage (up from 2%), and each stack of Frost Vulnerability now causes the target to take an additional 3% damage from the Death Knight's Frost attacks (up from 2%).
    • Frost
    • Talents
      • Unholy Might now increases the Death Knight's Strength by 25% (up from 10%).

    Druid (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
    • General
      • Wrath now deals 10% more damage, but has its mana cost increased by 50%.
    • Balance
      • Shooting Stars now has a reduced chance to activate for each additional target affected by the same spell (Moonfire and Sunfire are tracked separately).
      • Starfall now deals 10% more damage.
      • Starfire now deals 10% more damage, but has its mana cost increased by 50%.

    Hunter (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
    • General
      • Arcane Shot now deals 125% ranged weapon damage (up from 100%) and had its focus cost increased by 50%.
    • Beast Mastery
    • Marksman
      • Aimed Shot now deals 400% ranged weapon damage (up from 350%).
    • Survival

    Mage (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
    • General
    • Fire
      • Combustion on targets affected by the Mage's Ignite now deals additional damage equal to 20% of Ignite's damage per tick (down from 50%).
    • Frost
      • Mastery: Frostburn has been replaced by Mastery: Icicles. When the Mage damages an enemy with their Frostbolt, and Frostfire Bolt (16% + 2% per Mastery) of the damage done is stored as an Icicle for 15 seconds. Mastery: Icicles also increases the Water Elemental’s Water Bolt damage by (16% + 2% per Mastery). Up to 5 Icicles can be stored at once. Casting Ice Lance launches all stored Icicles at the target.
      • Frostbolt now deals 10% less damage and no longer increases the damage of any spells. The damage for those spells have been increased instead.

    Monk (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
    • Windwalker
      • Tigereye Brew received an adjustment.
        • A charge of Tigereye Brew is gained for each 4 Chi consumed through use of abilities and attacks (up from a charge for each 3 Chi consumed).

    Paladin (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
    • Holy

    Priest (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)

    Rogue (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
    • General
      • Fan of Knives damage has been increased by 25%.
      • Sinister Strike deals an increased 240% of weapon damage (up from 145%), but now costs 50 Energy (up from 40 Energy).
    • Assassination
    • Combat
    • Subtlety
      • Backstab now deals 380% weapon damage (up from 275%).
      • Sanguinary Vein now increases damage against targets with bleed effects by 25% (up from 20%).

    Shaman (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)

    Warlock (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)
    • General
    • Affliction
      • Agony damage has been increased by 16%.
      • Drain Soul no longer energizes Soul Shards from the pets and guardians of players, and now deals 34% less damage. If other periodic Affliction damage effects are triggered by Drain Soul, they now deal 60% of their normal damage (down from 100%).
      • Malefic Grasp now deals 34% less damage, and causes all of the Warlock's other periodic Affliction damage effects to instantly deal 30% of their normal periodic damage (down from 50%).
      • Unstable Affliction damage has been increased by 21%.

    Warrior (Forums / Skills / Talent Calculator)

    PvP
    • Base Resilience now reduces damage players deal to others players by 72% (up from 65%).
    • Battle Fatigue now reduces healing for players that are engaged in PvP combat by 55% (up from 45%).

    Items
    • Drinking a duplicate flask with less than 15 minutes remaining will now extend the duration of the new flask by that amount.
    • Capacitive Primal Diamond, and Legendary melee cloaks (Fen-Yu, Fury of Xuen, and Gong-Lu, Strength of Xuen) now have a 40% reduced chance to activate its effects for characters that are in a tanking specialization.
    • Indomitable Primal Diamond's effect now grants a 20% damage reduction to all damage taken (up from only physical damage), and its activation rate has been doubled.

    Launcher Update: Get the Desktop App for Battle.net® Now
    Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
    In the months ahead, the game launchers for World of Warcraft, StarCraft II, and Diablo III will be automatically updated to our new desktop app for Battle.net, designed to improve the launcher experience and streamline your ability to play Blizzard games—but if you’re interested in upgrading now, you can!

    The open beta test has begun, and everyone’s invited to download and install the app now in preparation for the switchover. If you’re interested in upgrading in advance, simply click the button below.

    Download the Battle.net App

    What’s this launcher update do? The new single sign-on functionality allows players to log in once to access World of Warcraft, StarCraft II, Diablo III, and the upcoming PC and Mac versions of Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, and stay logged in for up to 30 days.

    Players can also install games directly through the app and, if you choose to leave the app running on your desktop, keep them up-to-date automatically even while you’re away from your computer. Please note that it’s entirely up to you whether you wish to leave the app running—you can exit it at any time, and it will automatically re-launch whenever your standard launchers would.

    For more information, check out the FAQ.

    Once the open beta test ends, everyone’s launcher will be updated automatically when they start up the launcher for World of Warcraft, StarCraft II, or Diablo III. Players will be auto-updated in waves over time, so the exact date you’ll get the update will vary from person to person.

    Today also marks the end of our Battle.net desktop app closed beta test. If you’ve already been using the app as part of the closed beta group, you don’t need to redownload or reinstall anything—you’re already good to go. Thanks again for all of your great feedback throughout the course of our testing, and we look forward to hearing everyone’s thoughts on the open beta in the Battle.net forums.

    Read the FAQ / Read the new Battle.net EULA

    Battlefield: Barrens Ending Soon
    Be sure to play through the Battlefield: Barrens quest line if you want to earn Darkspear Revolutionary before it becomes a Feat of Strength in Patch 5.4.
    Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
    As the Orgrimmar invasion begins in 5.4, Vol’jin and his forces will move beyond gathering supplies and into a full assault on the Horde capital. This means that once the new patch goes live, the Battlefield: Barrens weekly quest will no longer be available.

    Those of you who have a Radical Mojo after the patch goes live will still be able to use it with existing armor tokens. However, Ravika, the Darkspear Rebellion Quartermaster, will no longer be available for purchases, but you will have a rare chance at receiving the Raptorhide Boxing Gloves and Gahz'rooki's Summoning Stone by killing the Kor’kron, and other associated mobs in Northern Barrens.

    Patch 5.4: Destruction of the Vale of Eternal Blossoms
    You can see more screenshots of changes to the Vale of Eternal Blossoms in Patch 5.4 here.
    Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
    Sealed shut for many years to outsiders, the Vale of Eternal Blossoms has been the physical and spiritual center of Pandaria and a place of great beauty and reverence—but something has gone horribly wrong, and this once beautiful, seemingly untouchable land has been deeply and irrevocably scarred.

    With the war between the Alliance and the Horde in full swing, Warchief Garrosh Hellscream ordered a goblin dig team to set to work searching for an artifact buried deep within the heart of the Vale (see the Dark Heart of Pandaria Scenario). Ignoring the warnings of Taran Zhu, they began to dig within the Big Blossom Excavation site. What they found there may have been more than they bargained for.

    Deep within the site, in a long-buried secret vault created by the Titans, Garrosh discovered a power that had long been thought locked away and untouchable: the heart of Y’shaarj. The story of what happens next unfolds in the upcoming content update, Patch 5.4: Siege of Orgrimmar.

    Perhaps Not so Eternal

    The events brought about by the discovery of the artifact have drastically and dramatically changed the Vale. Where Whitepetal Lake once glimmered like a jewel, now there remains only a dried, dusty husk. With many of the lakes and rivers of the vale now devoid of water, even the Jeweled Danio have gone. (Though never fear! The industrious cloud serpents have rescued them and relocated them to the Timeless Isle, where they can thrive once more.)

    The Lay of the Land

    In the wake of this destruction, the process of entering the Vale of Eternal Blossoms for the first time remains largely the same, though the quest leading there has been slightly updated to reflect the changes that have occurred. Adventurers will no longer be ushered into the full splendor of the Vale as it once was, but will instead bear witness to the tainted landscape the war between the Alliance and the Horde has left behind.

    Beyond just the physical appearance of the land changing, new residents have taken root in the Vale, and old ones have gained more ground. Within the Summer Fields, Big Blossom Excavation, and the Emperor’s Approach, Vestiges of Pride ooze and slide over the land.

    Within the Guo-Lai Ruins, Manifestations of Pride fight mogu. Even the Golden Stair lay in smoking ruin, and the mogu have moved north to Ruin’s Rise and into Winterbough Glade, ousting the sprites and spiders that once lay in wait. (Congratulations arachnophobes, the spiders are gone, save for one . . . a big one. You thought you got rid of her? The Ashweb Matriarch Bloodtip is not so easily ousted.)

    Mistfall Village still stands to the southwest, and the spirits of the pandaren monks and the mogu continue their eternal battle within the Tu Shen Burial Grounds to the south, seemingly untouched by the events Garrosh’s machinations have wrought within the Vale of Eternal Blossoms.

    Questing in the Vale

    For those continuing their adventures within the Vale, there remains little evidence of the grand pagoda where the Golden Lotus once set heroes to task. No longer do they stand in watch against the mogu, and their enemies have spread even farther into the Vale. There is a way to continue earning reputation with these stalwart defenders, though. By killing many of the creatures within the Vale and taking on rare monsters, you’ll continue to earn reputation and Guo-Lai cache keys to unlock treasure chests within the ruins.

    For those who have yet to earn the Achievement “Eternally in the Vale,” time is running out! Once Patch 5.4 is launched, this Achievement will become a Feat of Strength and will no longer be possible to earn. This is also your last opportunity to experience the Golden Lotus reputation story line, advanced at Honored, Revered, and Exalted.

    Daily quests will still be available from the Setting Sun Garrison, though there were will be fewer of them as the Shado-Pan continue to train and fight the mantid at the wall as is their sworn duty.

    What has happened in the Vale has left a scar, but the threat that lies within Garrosh’s discovery will spread beyond Pandaria’s shores. Make sure you check back for the Siege of Orgrimmar trailer—coming “soon.”

    The Timeless Isle - Take Your Time
    Originally Posted by Blizzard (Blue Tracker)
    While the major focus of Patch 5.4: Siege of Orgrimmar is the Alliance and Horde taking the fight to Garrosh, players will also have a new land to discover, far away from what’s going down in Durotar . . . and this new land is like no other before it.

    The Timeless Isle, so named because it exists in a state of perpetual sunset, was once a place of great reverence for the pandaren. It was here that trials of wisdom, hope, strength, and fortitude took place in front of the great Celestials . . . where warriors and aspiring leaders would show their willingness to walk in the footsteps of the great Emperor, Shaohao. As a testament to their goal of achieving balance in all things, the pandaren monks even existed in harmony with the nearby Yaungol, worshippers of the fiery demigod Ordos.


    But one day, the island vanished. Some scrolls indicate that the Timeless Isle has come and gone throughout history—sometimes just a glimmer in the distance, often appearing in different locations. Some less fortunate adventurers dared step foot on the island during these moments and were just as quickly lost to the Timeways, never to be seen again.

    Now—and perhaps only for a moment—the island has returned.

    ​​
    Perpetual Freedom
    Once you’re on the Timeless Isle, it’s open-world adventuring at your own pace. There are a couple quests on the island, but they’re not going to tell you exactly where to go and what to do. Instead they exist to encourage you to explore caverns, discover underwater grottos, and battle all manner of frightful beasts for great rewards.

    The island offers greater challenges as you move away from the serene forest surrounding the temple grounds and into the fiery Ordon Sanctuary, Cavern of Lost Spirits, Croaking Grotto, and other mysterious locales. As this is an open-world experience, everything except the raid bosses (more on those below) is designed to be taken on solo. See a level-93 Elite? Attack it! Depending on your spec and gear it may take you a while to whittle down its health, but your ability to skillfully play your class and dodge attacks can lead you to victory.


    Being able to take on large creatures by yourself also means that long after Patch 5.4 comes out, when the number of people visiting the island dwindles, you’ll still be able to bring new characters there and engage with everything it has to offer. While the Elites on the island are standard “group-tap,” all of the Rares are “no-tap,” so if you see anyone fighting them, even someone from the opposite faction, you can join in and both benefit from bringing it down.

    Everything on the island also drops something unique. For the easier enemies, it may be consumables that grant you Timeless Coins (see below) or aid you in your adventures into darker places, while tougher enemies can drop epic BoA tokens that can be used to gain Item Level (ilvl) 496 loot, upgrade tokens to gain ilvl 535 gear, Lesser Charms, battle pets, and more. There are also a ton of new achievements for doing just about anything and everything on the island.

    Enduring Rewards
    The currency of the Timeless Isle is Timeless Coins, which players can use to purchase Mogu Runes of Fate, additional BoA gear, pets, mounts, and some just-for-fun items. The island also contains a new faction—one that forges a mystic bond with the lost Emperor of Pandaria, Shaohao himself—that will grant you access to even more cosmetic rewards. Gaining faction with Emperor Shaohao isn’t gated, but it does require battling some of the most ancient and powerful creatures the island has to offer.

    ​Whether you’re a newly level-90 player, a fully geared raider, a pet battler, a PvPer, or anything in between, the Timeless Isle features something for everyone.


    Endless Events
    To support the process of exploration and discovery on the Timeless Isle, we’re also introducing something we’re calling the Event System, along with some new UI elements. The Timeless Isle is filled with rare spawns, rare Elites, chests containing epic loot, and events that are all highly rewarding. When you find yourself in close proximity to any of these, you’ll see them pop up on your minimap, denoting their location and event type. Some won’t be simple to get to or easy to find, as many parts of the island are entangled with puzzles lost to time. Some involve more than a simple alert . . . but we’re not going to spoil the surprises, and we’re really looking forward to see how quickly players can unlock the island’s mysteries and hidden treasures.


    Solidarity Immemorial
    Let’s talk about raid bosses! First up are the four August Celestials: Chi-Ji, Niuzao, Xuen, and Yu’lon, found at the ancient proving grounds in the middle of the island. This location was used for generations to prove a pandaren’s worth as a warrior, and you can challenge a Celestial to prove yours as well. An able group can simply stroll in and begin the fight with one of the Celestials. Upon completion, each player will receive personal loot, just like with any other world boss.

    In addition to the Celestials, which are the Patch 5.4 equivalent to a Sha of Anger or Nalak, we’re taking another look at a hardcore world boss intended for end-game progression raiders. This new world boss, Ordos, provides a few unique challenges. For starters, to even reach Ordos, you must have received the final Legendary cloak from Wrathion on any of your characters. In addition, once the battle has begun, players will not be allowed to enter or leave the Ordon sanctuary where the boss resides. Good luck!
    ​​

    Power Unending
    Those who choose to join the burning ranks of the Ordon, the yaungol followers of Ordos, will have access to the powers of the Censer of Eternal Agony. Using the Censer will flag you for PvP to everyone—even your own faction. Your skin takes on a bright flame effect, showing all around that you’ve summoned the rage of Ordos and are out for blood. Using the Censer also immediately reduces your health to 10% of its maximum (which you can then heal back up over time), keeping it from becoming a quick ganking device. On PvE realms, the rules of flagging still apply; it won’t become open warfare, but players can choose to engage these flagged players if they like. On PvP realms, though, this menacing new threat will certainly be a target for both factions. Finally, when you kill other players while you’re under the effects of the Censer, you’ll gain Bloody Coins, a currency that can be exchanged for exclusive rewards.


    As you explore the Timeless Isle, you’ll see and speak with many of the characters you’ve come to know throughout your quests in Pandaria. We could go on and on, but we don’t want to spoil everything. The Timeless Isle is meant to be experienced—we hope you enjoy it.

    Patch 5.4 PTR - Hearthstone Board
    The Hearthstone Board that appeared in a PTR build a while back is finally in game, with NPCs at each shrine sitting around the board.

    Last edited by chaud; 2013-08-15 at 03:54 AM.

  2. #2
    At least they compensated boomkins for the SS nerf. (And it's a bigger nerf than I first thought.)

  3. #3
    Haven't been on the PTR yet due to it being a fairly substantial download.
    Has the login screen had an update to reflect the changes to the vale ?
    At least they updated the first entry to the vale to reflect the events.

  4. #4
    "Hey we find that enhancement shamans are in a good spot DPS wise, we just need to help their AOE mechanism."

    And then they nerf them. u.u

  5. #5
    Looks like rogues needed yet another big buff!

  6. #6
    Merely a Setback Kaleredar's Avatar
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    A shame about the vale... I'm less bummed about the changes than the fact that it'll forevermore be a complete eyesore, especially as seen from the Alliance shrine... Like, if the vale had been twice as large, and then they just blew up the central portion of it, I wouldn't have cared so much, but now...

    The only reason I didn't really like the place, and I'm dead serious, is because of that one single music sting that ALWAYS plays right as you cross into the vale (the one that starts with the hard BWAAAHHH!!.) All the other vale music is incredibly beautiful, but that first theme is so off-putting I've limited my time in there as much as possible.

    So that leads to a question I have for people on the PTR: Is that single music sting still there? Because if it is... heads are gonna roll.

  7. #7
    Bloodsail Admiral TrollShaman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by moveth View Post
    At least they compensated boomkins for the SS nerf. (And it's a bigger nerf than I first thought.)
    The nerf doesn't affect single-target, yet the compensation buffs single target whereas Moonkin AoE/Cleave Fights is nerfed and left alone especially those with high movement involvement.

  8. #8
    Looks like rogues are gonna hit like a truck, i am scared now

  9. #9
    Is there no valor gear in the patch yet? Or am I missing something?

  10. #10
    The Lightbringer gutnbrg's Avatar
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    well for all the people crying no mage nerfs....hi combustion.

    also so u only need to get the legendary on 1 toon in order to reach the sanctum of ordos?

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by BrerBear View Post
    Is there no valor gear in the patch yet? Or am I missing something?
    5.4 won't add any Valor gear.

  12. #12
    The Unstoppable Force Resentful's Avatar
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    Base Resilience now reduces damage players deal to others players by 72% (up from 65%).

    Really?

    And rogue buffs I my as well make my rogue my main again that's amazing haha

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by chaud View Post
    5.4 won't add any Valor gear.
    So is there no point of stock piling valor then in 5.4?

  13. #13
    The Patient Bawk's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by moveth View Post
    At least they compensated boomkins for the SS nerf. (And it's a bigger nerf than I first thought.)
    I can't even consider that compensation ...
    They're using the 'buff' of single target as a trade off, when it isn't an even swap. This is a huge nerf to boomkins, in both PvE and PvP. :/ So stupid.

    I hope they realize how badly they're screwing us over with this change. WTB movement dps.
    Bawkasaur - Feral PvE | Bawk - Feral PvE - Youtube - Twitter - Website - Twitch

  14. #14
    finally rogues are viable again!

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by chaud View Post
    5.4 won't add any Valor gear.
    Hard to believe since this expansion has emphasized valor gear as a way of filling in the spots that need upgrades when loot doesn't seem to drop. I'd really just like to think that its just NYI for now.

  16. #16
    i think valor will be used just for upgrades. not sure.

    fine with me tho

  17. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by I make people mad View Post
    Base Resilience now reduces damage players deal to others players by 72% (up from 65%).

    Really?

    And rogue buffs I my as well make my rogue my main again that's amazing haha

    - - - Updated - - -



    So is there no point of stock piling valor then in 5.4?
    There is and there isn't, you can stockpile it so you'll have plenty to upgrade all the new gear you'll get from lfr, and flex, and normal. And the coin gear.

  18. #18
    So Timeless Isle features an event system with pop ups when you are near. Sounds very familiar....

  19. #19
    I am Murloc! DrMcNinja's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by maniac2009 View Post
    So Timeless Isle features an event system with pop ups when you are near. Sounds very familiar....
    They did it in Battlefield Barrens and despite Guild Wars 2 having such a thing (and I don't even know if they came up with such a thing but at least they made it a good system) it is a good system for every MMO in my opinion

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by DrMcNinja View Post
    They did it in Battlefield Barrens and despite Guild Wars 2 having such a thing (and I don't even know if they came up with such a thing but at least they made it a good system) it is a good system for every MMO in my opinion
    Not sure if they invented it, but my first experience of pop up events in an MMO is with Rift. And yes, it does work quite well.

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