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Wowcraft Episode 1
CarBot Animations, the creator of the StarCrafts series and the recent Diablols episode, as well as the Heroes of the Storm cartoon trailer, has turned his hand to World of Warcraft cartoon creation. And, as you can see from the video above he began at the beginning of the character's life, with the inevitable issue of name creation. CarBot is well-known in the Starcraft II community for his video work, and the Blizzard gear store even sells his designs with official Blizzard branding. They're adorable, and I can only hope that the same trend emerges with his WoW work, so I can have cute cartoon WoW characters on a t-shirt! What did you think of the video? It seems like a great introduction, and made me chuckle. Orcs and Gnomes don't seem to mix. But maybe we'll see more gnomish participation in CarBot's video work than we usually do in Blizzard's!
EU class role forums are now closed [Updated]
The class role forums have closed their doors. Takralus posted on them yesterday that they're doing so to concentrate the discussion into existing forums (which I'm taking to mean the class forums). The role forums are currently in read-only mode, and will remain that way until April 8, when they are removed entirely. The role forums were launched in October 2008 with the original intent of replacing the class forums. Blizzard backtracked on that quickly after the player base revolted, and they left everything in place as it is today. Ghostcrawler was a big poster on the role forums and used them extensively before he made his switch to Twitter. However, as we all know, the forums were not always a happy place. Takralus' full announcement after the break. Update 3:22 p.m.: Bashiok let us know that this only applies to the EU. They have no intention of closing the US class role forums at this time.
Diablo 3 offering 100% XP boost this weekend only
This weekend, all bets are off in Diablo III. In anticipation of the launch of Reaper of Souls next week, Blizzard is offering a 100% XP bonus to all players this weekend only. The XP bonus ends at 12:01am Pacific Time Monday, March 24 -- so you might want to cancel your weekend plans and get in those last few Paragon Levels before the new expansion goes live March 25. This buff is already live on all servers, meaning you've got another option for tonight's activities as well. As with the 50% bonus XP offer, you do not need to have pre-ordered Reaper of Souls to benefit from the experience boost -- all active Diablo III accounts have access to the bonus experience, as well as all new systems introduced in patch 2.0.1. With the new Paragon Leveling system, all characters share and contribute to a single, account-wide Paragon level -- so why not take advantage and get in some extra levels while you can?
EverQuest Next Landmark going into closed beta next week [Updated]
SOE announced today that EverQuest Next Landmark will be transitioning out of alpha next week and into closed beta on Wednesday, March 26th. During the transition, all progress on the alpha servers will be wiped except for saved templates, character names, and Founder's Pack purchases. Landmark also got an important update today, the biggest part of which is the addition of a party system. While there is no specific UI for it yet, players can invite friends to a group through slash commands, via a friends list, or by right-clicking on them in the world. Groups earn a 20% bonus to harvested loot. The update also added in-game email, social media integration, and the ability to teleport to the continent hub or to your friends. [Update: The Landmark team has also posted to explain the differences between time-limited beta keys and founder packs.]
Hands-on with WildStar's PvP
Oddly, for all that WildStar's development team has talked up combat, we've seen virtually nothing of the game's PvP beyond tantalizing promises. And beta tests, of course. Considering that the game's launch is in a couple of months, if you're pre-ordering you might want to know what you'll be getting yourself into. Which is why the team has, thankfully, produced a new DevSpeak video -- embedded past the cut -- that provides a top-level overview of the game's two most accessible PvP modes, Arenas and Battleground. Normally, these are accompanied by lengthy question-and-answer sessions, but in this case I jumped in for one purpose and one purpose only: smashing heads. As a proud member of the Dominion, I was pitted against the filthy exiles in Walatiki Temple. So let's talk about how the match played, and how a few subtle twists on a relatively simple format combined to make the whole thing a much more invigorating experience than I'd expected.
Angry Birds: Warcraft?
Tweeted from Dave Kosak, one of WoW's Game Designers, last night was an eye-raising possibility: Dinner with a dude from Rovio. I'm trying to make "Angry Birds: Warcraft" happen. #GDC - Dave Kosak (@DaveKosak) March 19, 2014 Now I have no idea if this is Dave just joking around our not -- he very well could be. But the idea of an Angry Birds WoW edition? Yes, please and thank you. I can only imagine how much fun it would be to shoot little birds at Thrall and knock him down a bit (literally). Joke or no joke, the idea has a lot of merit and isn't far fetched, in my opinion. A few reasons why this would work: WoW has a deep story that would make a large number of levels and interesting progression possible. You could start your birds out in Elwynn Forest and finish off the final level in Orgrimmar. Maybe stop and say hello to Deathwing along the way. Both WoW and Angry Birds have a gigantic fan-base that tend to instantly buy anything with such names on it. This edition could make both companies a lot of money. Rovio is clearly open to cross-overs. Just look at their Star Wars edition of Angry Birds. Furthermore, Rovio has proven they know how to work with multinational giants like Blizzard. I really hope Dave is serious about this tweet. I admit I'll be a tad disappointed if he was just joking. But if he was -- maybe we can all encourage him to really pursue this.
Patch 5.4.7 hotfixes for March 18
A new round of hotfixes for patch 5.4.7 have been released and posted on the official blog. Of course the biggest news from today's hotfixes is the implementation allowing players to cross-realm raid on both normal and heroic difficulty in the Siege of Orgrimmar. However, there are a few other small bugs and tweaks that have been made as well. A number of questing and phasing issues for boosted characters have been resolved. An issue that caused camps for both the Kirin Tor Offensive, the Sunreaver Onslaught and other areas on the Isle of Thunder to revert to an earlier progression stage has been resolved. An issue preventing monks from using Roll, Chi Torpedo, or Flying Serpent Kick while carrying the flag in Battlegrounds has now been resolved. Read on for the full list of hotfixes.
SWTOR's Galactic Strongholds expansion coming in August
Ready for Star Wars: The Old Republic's next expansion? Ready or not, it's called Galactic Strongholds, and it's coming some time in August of 2014. If you're a subscriber you'll get early access beginning on June 24th, and you'll also get a handful of exclusives including a Nar Shaddaa Sky Palace Stronghold. Expansion features include customizable player housing known as strongholds, the ability to live on multiple planets, and guild flagships. BioWare says that housing decor will be available in a number of ways. "Many decorations will be available on existing vendors throughout the game as new rewards for Reputations, PvP, Crew Skills, and more," according to the SWTOR website. "While some of these decorations will be available for credits and other currencies, many will require components created by crafters. Decorations can also be obtained as loot drops from Flashpoints and Operations. Finally, a variety of unique decorations can be purchased with Cartel Coins on the Cartel Market. " Click past the cut for the trailer!
Pre-orders now open for WildStar
Carbine Studios has fired the starting pistol for WildStar's pre-orders, meaning that you can go ahead and secure a copy of the game right now. Players may purchase the game through the official website or through a third-party retailers including GameStop, Amazon, and Best Buy. WildStar comes in two editions: standard for $60 and digital deluxe for $75. Carbine is giving players good incentive to snap up a copy of the game now, as the pre-order bonuses include early game access, a rocket house, a mini-ship housing decoration, a 10-slot inventory bag, and character/guild name reservations. Pre-order customers will get to start playing the live game on May 31st.
GDC 2014: EVE Valkyrie coming to PS4, Sony's new VR headset
Sony announced its new virtual reality headset at GDC this week. The device is called Project Morpheus, and it seeks to turn your PlayStation 4 experience into something far more immersive than the typical couch and controller session. Shortly thereafter, CCP announced that its New Eden-based EVE Valkyrie action title is coming to both the PS4 and Project Morpheus. Valkyrie was specifically designed for VR devices, and was previously announced for the PC and the Oculus Rift. We've embedded the new trailer after the break.
Cross-realm raiding now enabled on all servers
Raiders, rejoice -- a new cross-realm raiding feature has now been implemented. In a blue post by Rygarius, it was announced that cross-realm raiding via BattleTag and RealID has been enabled not just for Flex mode, but for Normal and Heroic mode raiding on all servers. These cross-realm raids will be allowed to get the Reins of the Kor'kron War Wolf and all titles associated with the Siege of Orgrimmar, none of which were previously allowed on Flex or LFR difficulty. Rygarius We've recently implemented an often requested feature to enable cross-realm raiding for Siege of Orgrimmar. Cross-realm BattleTag™ and Real ID friends can now raid together and take the fight to Garrosh on Normal or Heroic difficulty. Players will be able to earn greater rewards such as Reins of the Kor'kron War Wolf or the title of Conqueror/Liberator of Orgrimmar; both of which aren't available to be earned within Flexible or Raid Finder difficulty. This change is currently live. source If your cross-realm Flex group has been doing well and defeating Garrosh, now might just be the time to step into Normal mode, test the waters against the forces of Hellscream on a higher difficulty, and reap all the rewards for doing so. Good luck! Edit: Ion "Watcher" Hazzikostas has stepped into the thread in question to clarify a few points. Read on after the break.
Lord of the Rings Online is getting a new class in 2014
The character selection screen in Lord of the Rings Online will see a major shake-up in 2014, as a new class is reportedly on the way for the game. LOTRO Players announced the news on Twitter: "LotRO is getting a new class later in the year. [Executive Producer] Aaron Campbell just said it on livestream. No other info is known at this time." Speculation is wide open, although Campbell did drop a few clues according to livestream listeners: "He did state that he had a conversation with Tolkien Enterprises and it's within the lore of the trilogy. He said that it was mentioned in the books several times."
Connected Realms update for March 13
The list of US realms slated for the Realm Connection service has now been updated with new information regarding upcoming dates for the service. Four new realms have been added to the pending list for realm connections, but as of yet, there's still no update to the realms that have been postponed. The following realms are scheduled to be connected on Thursday, March 27. Borean Tundra and Shadowsong Thorium Brotherhood and Farstriders/Silver Hand Sentinels and Kirin Tor/Steamwheedle Cartel Read on for the rest of the connections and dates.
Patch 5.4.7 hotfixes for March 11
A new round of hotfixes for patch 5.4.7 have been released and posted to the official blog. Along with the changes to Honor in certain battlegrounds that were announced a couple weeks ago, there are also some minor changes to various NPCs and encounters -- and one change that would-be Brawlers should be relieved to see. Players fighting Hexos in the Brawler's Guild should no longer be killed by the maze after successfully defeating Hexos. Guards at both Huojin and Tushui Landing on the Timeless Isle are now significantly more deadly. Worgen players, Darkflight's speed increase no longer stacks with Burning Rush or Burst of Speed. Read on for the full list of hotfixes.
Hearthstone launches, offers players a way to earn a special World of Warcraft mount
Whoa, this sneaked up on us unexpectedly! Blizzard abruptly announced today that Hearthstone has officially launched and updated to the new 1.0.0.4944 patch. The free-to-play card game has been widely available for some time now, but now it's all there for keeps. Today's patch includes golden hero and special card backing visuals as rewards for ranked play. Other changes include balance tweaks, a reconnect feature, access to multiple regions, and a whole lotta bug fixes. Players can also earn a Hearthstone mount for World of Warcraft by winning three games in play or arena mode.
World of Warcraft's Warlords of Draenor is launching by December 20th
Just yesterday, World of Warcraft gave everyone a look at just how important reaching the level cap could be. Today, the game is opening up independent level 90 boosts for everyone via the in-game store, and they're still priced at $60 a pop. It's bad news if you have an army of alts you want to speed along to the level cap, but it's good news if you have that army of alts and more money than you know what to do with. A tutorial video is embedded just past the break to show you how to make use of this feature. Even if you're not up for buying one of the boosts, you might be looking forward to getting one along with your purchase of Warlords of Draenor. So when's that expansion actually coming out? According to the official site, it will be releasing on or before December 20th of this year, which means it's definitely coming out this year but leaves the field wide open in terms of when. Keep your eyes peeled for rollbacks on that date, as it's more likely that the expansion will be out long before the end of the year.
Connected Realms update for March 7
The list of US realms slated for the Realm Connection service has now been updated with new information regarding upcoming dates for the service, as well as some minor rescheduling for one set of realms that was slated for connection this week. Realms that have been postponed indefinitely still do not have an update as to if or when they will be re-added to the connection schedule. The following realms are scheduled to be connected on Thursday, March 13 -- players on Drak'thul and Skywall may want to note that their connection scheduled for last week has been pushed forward to this date. Drak'thul and Skywall-rescheduled from 3/6 Dreadmaul and Thaurissan Exodar and Medivh Scarlet Crusade and Feathermoon Read on for the rest of the connections and dates.
Warlords of Draenor: Random mount button?
In a series of new gameplay videos released from an overseas demo of Warlords of Draenor, an interesting button appears on the upper right side of the mount window: "Summon Random Favorite Mount." The help text for the button says "Summons and dismisses a favorite mount. The mount will be chosen randomly from the favorites usable in the current area." There's no confirmation from Blizzard that this is, or is not, legitimate, however it has been a long requested feature of the game, and seems to my eyes to be real. There are numerous addons that already do this, and Blizzard has been known to scoop up the best addon ideas out there an integrate them into the game. So this new button? Not all that surprising, but definitely appreciated. Thanks to Chris for the tip!
Honor changes not active until next week [Updated x2]
Last week we learned that honor changes were coming to battlegrounds across WoW. Too little honor was being earned in the multitude of BGs available, and in turn Blizzard decided to significantly adjust the rate at which bonus honor was awarded. For example, where previously you earned bonus honor every 260 points in Eye of the Storm, you'll now receive it every 130 points. At a small level this won't have a major effect, but when you add up running a few dozens BGs while honor farming, it's going to stack up pretty quickly. This change also seems to be a good way to allow players to catch up and enjoy the expansion's PvP offerings near the end of its run. However ... not quite yet. PvP Designer Holinka tweeted that the changes will be coming next week. We'll just have to wait for "moar honor." Update Part Deux: According to a source of Lore, this actually is happening next week.
Hands-on with the Elite: Dangerous alpha
I don't have much history with Elite. I played the original, circa 1985 on my dad's green monochrome Apple II, but frankly I didn't understand a bit of it and subsequently went back to Sundog and subLOGIC's fledgling wireframe Flight Simulator as a result. By the time Elite II and Frontier: First Encounters shipped in the early to mid 1990s, I was already losing copious amounts of my adolescence to Wing Commander, Privateer, and X-Wing, all of them of course indebted to the space trading flight sim thing that David Braben and Ian Bell published a decade earlier. For all intents and purposes, then, I'm an Elite virgin despite a lifetime of playing nearly everything in the genre it inspired. And if the Elite: Dangerous alpha client is an accurate barometer, gosh have I missed out.
