wow-holidays
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Warlords of Draenor: New Hallow's End rewards in next beta build
Although we don't know if the holiday itself will be getting a facelift in Warlords of Draenor, it looks like fans of Hallow's End will be getting some new toys to play with in the next expansion. Senior Game Designer Jeremy Feasel posted on Twitter this week with a question for players: If they could dress up like one major lore figure for Hallow's End, who would they choose? A later tweet suggested he had found whatever answer he was looking for. .@Muffinus Find out which one made the cut, in the next Warlords of Draenor beta build >=] - Jeremy Feasel (@Muffinus) July 18, 2014 In-game holidays have long been a source of fun and sometimes frustration for players. Certainly the events are an entertaining diversion, but when you've seen the same event roll around year after year with no changes or updates, it tends to make the seasons seem a little monotonous. A new costume wand reward might not be the full revamp players have been hoping for, but at least it signifies that in-game holidays are still very much on the minds of the development team.
Breakfast Topic: Do you revisit old dailies?
We're heading towards the end of daily quests, and while it's more than likely that no one will be mourning them, I've started to look back on them fondly since finding out they're going away. (But it's through the same aged haze of nostalgia that I look back on 40-man raiding with, so it's probably not to be trusted.) I've revisited the Isle of Quel'Danas, done past-expansion fishing dailies (I'm still trying to get those crocolisks), and done a ton of Cataclysm dailies. When I don't have to do them for advancement and I don't have to force myself into completing them every day, the dailies available really don't seem so bad. Some of them, like the Quel'danas bombing run or helping bear cubs in Hyjal, are even -- dare I say it? -- fun. But then again, that could just be the nostalgia talking. So today I'm wondering, dear readers: do you ever revisit old dailies? Do they seem more entertaining in hindsight than they did when you were on the reputation treadmill and grinding out dailies as quickly as possible? Tell us about it!
What surprises are left for Warlords?
At BlizzCon and after, we've learned an awful lot about the next expansion, Warlords of Draenor. While there's been some conversation post-BlizzCon about whether what Warlords has in store is enough for an expansion without any new classes or races, I just wonder what surprises Warlords has left in store. With all that we already know, what does Blizzard still have up its sleeve? Is there content yet to come that will amaze us? As we get closer to the beta date, we're sure to find out -- but in the meantime, what surprises do you think Warlords will be throwing our way? Does Blizzard have big features it's keeping under wraps -- like a new race or class? And, just as importantly, will gnomes finally find their way into a cinematic? Tell us what you think!
Breakfast Topic: Your favorite in-game event
World of Warcraft's Lunar Festival has just wrapped up and the Love Is in the Air event is about to begin -- with the time between the two bridged by an appearance of the Darkmoon Faire. No matter what your favorite in-game holiday or event is, you can almost always find something special going on in the game... for better or worse. So today let's talk in-game events. Do you love them? Do you loathe them? Are you totally indifferent to them? Do you wish these crazy holiday quests would get out of your way so you can go back to raiding, PvPing, or whatever else? Leave your expressions of joy and/or misery in the comments!
Feast of Winter Veil begins on Monday
The season of Winter Veil is nearly upon us, adding a big dose of holiday festivity to the game world. Even if you've done this holiday before, it's hard to resist the temptation of getting your own Gaudy Winter Veil Sweater, filling out your battle pet collection with a Lump of Coal, or just getting into a snowball fight. Patch 5.4 files suggested some changes to the holiday this year, and Wowhead says we can look forward to new a new pet and toy this season. If you're looking forward to participating in this year's holiday festivities, Winter Veil will run from December 16 to January 2, and you'll find holiday decor and events in most major cities. Happy holidays!
Be sure to pick up a Macabre Marionette pet for Day of the Dead
Though this short post-Hallow's End holiday is often forgotten, you should be sure to check out Day of the Dead (which lasts from November 1-3rd) in order to pick up the Macabre Marionette. Previously the Marionette could only be used during the holiday, but this year it's a full-fledged battle pet to add to your collection. To get started, go to your race's home city -- or try neutral cities Shattrath or Dalaran -- and head for the graveyard. There you'll find Catrina offering the quest The Grateful Dead. Follow a short quest chain and you'll wind up with your very own Macabre Marionette for the keeping. For a longer quest walkthrough, check out the Macabre Marionette writeup on WarcraftPets. And good luck -- though for a quest chain this simple, you probably won't need it.
Reminder: Day of the Dead November 1st and 2nd
Hot on the heels of the Hallow's End festivities comes Day of the Dead, which is actually two days, to give you a few extra chances to grab the single achievement available on this holiday. The Day of the Dead is a time to remember and celebrate the spirits of those who have been lost, which must hold a special irony for the Forsaken. Oh well! You can grab a number of fun items during the Day of the Dead, including the seasonal pet Macabre Marionette, the Bread of the Dead recipe, Bouquet of Orange Marigolds, Whimsical Skull Mask, and a Spirit Candle. Check out the Day of the Dead post on the WoW official blog for more information on the holiday.
Mists of Pandaria Beta: What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been no longer rewards Master Riding
For players who have traversed the perils of Azeroth's holidays and emerged triumphant, a new beta build released today may put a damper on your spirits. The achievement What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been will no longer award the Master Riding skill, which means that the account-bound mount will no longer automatically grant your alts the skill. The holiday achievement What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been has been around since Wrath of the Lich King, before Master Riding was even a skill. The Violet Proto-Drake that was given as a reward from the meta was a 310% speed mount, something that was only offered through winning PvP seasons or through rare drops off extremely difficult end bosses in raids. When the Master Riding skill was introduced in Cataclysm, players wondered what this meant for the future of the Violet Proto-Drake. After some deliberation, it was announced that the Violet Proto-Drake would automatically grant Master Riding skill. This was all well and good in Cataclysm, but with Mists and the account-wide mount system, it meant that anyone who had completed the holiday meta could get off scot-free on any and all alts as far as paying the costs of Master Riding went. Apparently this didn't sit well, so the achievement has been adjusted. Whether or not it will remain adjusted by the time Mists goes live is up in the air. However, for those who have completed the achievement, the good news is that you'll be able to ride your Proto-Drake on any character you have. The bad news is, you'll still have to fork over the gold for extra speed on any alts that have not already learned the skill from the holiday meta in live. It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!
The OverAchiever: The worst (maybe) holiday achievements
Every Thursday, The Overachiever shows you how to work toward those sweet achievement points. This week, some holidays are easier to survive than others. I've been getting a lot of comments and feedback from players recently over troublesome elder placement during the Lunar Festival (the one next to the Razor Hill flightmaster seems to be a particular issue -- more on this in a future article), and it spurred me to start thinking about problematic holiday achievements as a whole. Thing is, Blizzard's really put a lot of effort into its holidays over the past few years, and most of them are much less time-consuming and frustrating then they used to be. So how many really troublesome holiday achievements are there these days, anyhow? Most of them didn't figure prominently in our evil achievements series (with one sterling exception), but I'll grant that not all of them are sunshine and roses. But then of course, there's that one. Yes, that one -- the achievement shat into existence by Satan himself onto a bed of Ed Hardy clothing with bad Japanese pop music playing in the background. You know the one I'm talking about.
Patch 4.2 PTR: New Hallow's End and Brewfest loot
On the patch 4.1 PTR, we saw hints of a grand new Hallow's End event would be in the works. The Cataclysm has certainly shaken things up, and the Forsaken now have a near and constant enemy in Greymane's worgen. The patch 4.2 PTR was updated this evening with a whole batch of new loot for both Hallow's End and Brewfest. The new epics (such as The Horseman's Sinister Sabre) are ilevel 365, and you can check them out right here. Hallow's End Loot: Band of Ghoulish Glee Seal of the Petrified Pumpkin Wicked Witch's Ring The Horseman's Signet The Horseman's Horrific Helmet The Horseman's Sinister Sabre
WoW Insider's Guide to Hallow's End 2010
Hallow's End begins at 4:00 a.m. server time on Monday, Oct. 18 and runs through 4:00 a.m. server time Sunday, Oct. 31 this year. The holiday is part of the yearlong meta What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been rewarding the Violet Proto-Drake, and completing all required Hallow's End achievements will also award the title "the Hallowed." This year's incarnation of Hallow's End is notable for arriving less than a week after patch 4.0.1, which disheartened a lot of players who had been expecting to complete the yearlong meta as the holiday arrived and felt cheated out of free 310 percent flight. Happily, Blizzard's decided to continue awarding the 310 percent flight proto-drake for the achievement, so if you nab What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been this Hallow's End but didn't already have a super-fast flyer, you should be grandfathered into the 310 percent flight skill without having to pay for it. Hallow's End is also subject to the new rules implemented this past year requiring players to queue for holiday bosses through the dungeon finder. You'll find a full guide to the holiday achievements past the cut!
WoW Insider's Brewfest FAQ
Within 24 hours, Brewfest will have begun on all servers regardless of location, and if you're new to the holiday or just need some extra information, we hope this FAQ will be helpful! Help! Where do I go to get started? There will be special holiday-related NPCs parked around most major cities to direct you to the festival, but if you want to skip directly to the main event, head to Ironforge (if you're Alliance) or Orgrimmar (if you're Horde). The festival areas are located outside the main gates of each.
The OverAchiever: Guide to Brewfest 2010 achievements
Brewfest 2010 runs from Monday, Sept. 20 (3:00 a.m. server time) through Wednesday, Oct. 6 (again, 3:00 a.m. server time). We don't anticipate any major changes to the holiday this year, but how you get to the holiday boss (Coren Direbrew) has changed slightly. I've updated and expanded our coverage past the cut. While I organized the achievements alphabetically in 2009, this year, I've put them in the order I feel they should be completed. There are a few that are definitely easier to do at the beginning of the holiday than at the end. While I've included all of the achievements attached to the holiday, only six are actually required for the meta, and they've all been marked as such. As always, I'll be around when the holiday goes live to see if there are any unannounced changes. If so, the guide will be updated.
Breakfast Topic: The return of Noblegarden
Noblegarden 2010 begins today and runs through next Sunday. In 2009, the holiday was hugely improved and upgraded, removing much of the RNG that traditionally infested WoW holidays and adding some nifty rewards, achievements and an unusual non-combat pet that, er, makes more of itself when left to its own devices. I'm not sure you can ask for more than that, unless it's an uncrowded village center in which to farm eggs. Are you planning on participating this year, or do your characters already have the meta-achievement Noble Gardener? If you got your start early this morning or on Oceanic and EU servers, how crowded are the towns? If you need more information on Noblegarden, please head over to our Noblegarden 2010 guide.
The OverAchiever: Guide to Noblegarden 2010
Mercifully for those of us occupied with a big day of family events and chocolate this Easter, the Noblegarden holiday doesn't appear to have changed from its vastly improved form in 2009. No changes appeared on any of the PTRs over the past year, and as far as we're aware, there hasn't been any data-mined information on new items or bosses. Noblegarden will run this year from Sunday, April 4 (this Sunday) through Sunday, April 11. If you've never done Noblegarden before or only done its fairly low-key, pre-2009 version, it helps to know that Noble Gardener (the holiday's meta) is part of the year-long What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been achievement that rewards the 310% speed Violet Proto-Drake. What I've done here is collected our resources on Noblegarden into one easily navigable guide, updated and clarified where necessary, and also added some frequently asked questions that we received during last year's holiday. If you have any other questions, please drop them in the comments below, and I'll make sure they get answered. As with all WoW holidays, we'll be around as they go live to make sure any updates or changes are covered here!
Breakfast Topic: What are your plans for Love Is In the Air?
The yearly holiday Love Is In the Air went live today, and with it a host of new features -- a new boss in Shadowfang Keep, several revamped achievements, and overall a lot of spit-and-polish on a holiday that had been extremely frustrating to many players in 2009. Last year, your ability to get the meta Fool For Love done was entirely dependent on dumb luck over a 5-day period. Blizzard's looking to blunt the impact of RNG this time around by extending the holiday and introducing a much less painful means of getting the achievements. So what are your plans for Love Is In the Air? Does your main already have the meta from last year, or were you among the unlucky souls doomed to keep getting the same candy drops? Are you planning on hitting the new boss in Shadowfang Keep? And are you, like me, just ecstatic that you don't have to spend days hoping for a Peddlefeet pet to drop? Note: A few of us were around as soon as the holiday went live, and our FAQ on Love Is In the Air and OverAchiever on the holiday's achievements have now been updated to reflect the 2010 event. They'll be expanded later today with more information on the holiday questline and the new Shadowfang Keep encounter.
Love Is In the Air FAQ
The 2010 Love Is In the Air holiday doesn't much resemble its 2009 version; Blizzard's eliminated much of the frustration surrounding RNG and item drops, and overall things are a lot more fun This FAQ covers all of the questions we think will be most helpful to readers concerning the holiday's mechanics. If you have any questions not answered here or in our OverAchiever guide to the holiday's achievements, please drop a comment below and I'll try to make sure it gets answered! Help! Where do I go to get started? Head for any of your faction's major cities in Azeroth (Stormwind, Ironforge, the Exodar, or Darnassus for Alliance, and Thunder Bluff, Orgrimmar, Undercity, or Silvermoon for Horde). New goblin NPCs (most from the Crown Chemical Company) will have popped up around the more heavily-trafficked areas (read: AH/bank) with quests and information.
Breakfast Topic: How did Winter Veil 2009 go for you?
Ah, Winter Veil -- the sights, the sounds, the jingling bells from the reindeer mounts, the curses emanating from players trying to tag the Abominable Greench mob, and the massively inflated prices for Small Eggs on the auction house. While this may not rank on the level of Great Auntie Marge's annual fruitcake for the family party, WoW has its own set of holiday traditions -- some more respected than others -- and all of them were out in full force over Winter Veil. Moreover, this is only the second year that the achievement system has been active for the holiday, and lots of people are still putting time in on What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been for both mains and alts. This year, a new achievement popped up to take advantage of the 2009 Winter Veil gift (a genuine Red Rider Air Rifle!), although players seemed unenthusiastic about the rifle's inaccuracy and cast time. So how did the holiday go for you? Did you finish the Merrymaker meta if you still needed it? Were you suicidally foolish enough to go for BB King? Did you shoot your eye out, kid?
The OverAchiever: Guide to Winter Veil
Looking for our 2010 Winterveil Guide? You'll find it here! Winter Veil is one of the more immersive and fun holidays that World of Warcraft offers over the course of the year; it grants you the chance to ride something a little "different," turn into a snowman with a cute /dance animation, and receive gifts containing noncombat pets if you've been good and Coal if Santa RNG thinks you've been bad. Before anyone asks, Winter Veil runs from Tuesday, December 15th to Saturday, January 2nd in 2009/2010, and this is article is about what you'll need to do in that period to complete the meta (and earn the title) Merrymaker. Unlike November's holiday, Pilgrim's Bounty, Merrymaker is required for the yearlong meta What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been, so don't slack on this one if you want that violet protodrake! On Metzen! Saving Metzen for the achievement On Metzen! is a short but fun questline that starts with an NPC in front of the Ironforge bank (if you're Alliance) with Metzen the Reindeer, or an NPC in front of the Orgrimmar AH (if you're Horde) with Metzen the Reindeer. The quest ends in either Searing Gorge or Tanaris, whichever is more convenient to you. Either zone you hit, try to do the Metzen quest first, as you'll need rewards from it for two of the following achievements.
Breakfast Topic: Pilgrim's Bounty and you
Pilgrim's Bounty, WoW's brand-new holiday, has gone live on all servers by now, and players worldwide are busy inhaling huge quantities of cranberries and stuffing in pursuit of the Pilgrim title and the uber-adorable turkey pet. I have to admit -- I was kind of worried that the first day of the holiday would be a nightmare along the lines of Noblegarden's egg-camping hell, but was pleasantly surprised by the fast respawn rate of the Wild Turkey mobs and the sheer number of them. I'm also optimistic that the holiday will encourage more people to level cooking, because once you're got the requisite cooking skill for the achievements, the Pilgrim title and turkey pet are fast, easy, and fun (or they would be, if I could just find the ever-elusive Dwarf rogue). But Pilgrim's Bounty isn't part of the meta-achievement What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been, so I'm wondering if anyone's just going to ignore it as a result. Are you planning on going for the Pilgrim title, enjoying the holiday in a more casual way, or not planning to participate at all? If you are participating in the holiday, how is it going on your server so far?
