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Ask A Beta Tester: Kalecgos, Wintergrasp, and how much is this going to cost me?
We're going to get right down to business this evening, folks. I was kind of heartened to see Willferal (our first questioner) ask about something that's bugged me for a while.EDIT: several commenters have taken issue with the lack of a spoiler warning on this post when it went live at 9:00 pm EST. I genuinely apologize; it should have occurred to me to write one, and it's entirely my fault that one wasn't present. So consider this fair -- if belated -- warning that there's a significant, if general, spoiler in this AABT concerning an important quest chain in Wrath, and if you're trying to avoid spoilers completely, please do NOT read AABT. This column is nothing but a pile of spoilers compressed into a spoiled package and tied with a spoilery bow.Willferal asks...I know that in Wotlk, the players are fighting Malygos. But in TBC, Kalec/Tyri are blue dragons that help us, and Kalec is especially vital in his help to kill Kiljaeden. What's their role in Wrath?I wish I knew. I never found any mention of Kalecgos while leveling, and Tyrygosa only got a brief mention at last year's BlizzCon. Tyrygosa's role in BC wasn't that extensive, but Kalecgos was all that and a box of crackers in Sunwell, so this is a little...mystifying. They both seem on passable (Tyrygosa) to good (Kalecgos) relations with the mortal races, so the involvement of their entire flight in Malygos' war would -- I hope -- concern them somewhat. I really hope Blizzard goes somewhere with this, but as of now I don't think you can expect to find anything in Northrend.
Mass Murder 101: How to be a hero
It's a fact that the majority of what we do in World of Warcraft is kill things. Nearly all the supplementary activities we engage in, from shopping to crafting, are all basically to help us improve the effectiveness of our violent capabilities. Many players have noted that if WoW were at all real, then nearly every one of our characters would be considered a genocidal maniac for all the people and creatures we have killed, and yet we view ourselves as heroes.The idea is, of course, that most of the lives we take are really evil anyway, so we're actually doing the real good guys a favor. We kill tons of demons, ghosts, zombies, dragonkin, giants, and rabid beasts -- even most of the humanoids we kill are bandits or wicked cultists of one sort or another. This way we do lots of killing, but still feel as though we are heroes.There are some situations in the game, however, that turn things around for us, in which our character is not the hero. While there are some higher-level instances such as the Black Morass, or the new Caverns of Time: Stratholme, in which one could argue either way whether what we're doing is good or evil, most of situations in which you are clearly the bad guy, as far as I am aware, have to do with the undead, and to a lesser extent the blood elves as well. Of course, you can argue that in general, undead are just misunderstood, and the blood elves are just tragically misled, but as in the case of quests in Hillsbrad that ask you to go slaughter human farmers, or help develop a new plague, there's really no denying that your character is doing something "morally wrong."
Around Azeroth: Just inside the Caverns of Time
An elaborate sand clock, a brilliantly colored sky (is that lightning?), dragon overhead... yep, this couldn't be anywhere but the Caverns of Time! Thorion of Hydraxis sends in this iconic shot taken of the sand clock just inside the Caverns of Time in Tanaris -- an excellent addition to the collection of anyone playing the "gotta catch 'em all" game with our Azeroth screenshots.Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth or Outland that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! Or perhaps you'd just like to see more of your pics from Around Azeroth. %Gallery-1816%
Slaughtering? No, it's just burning down houses (with people inside?)
When I first heard about the new Caverns of Time instance coming up in Wrath of the Lich King, where we go about helping the pre-lich king Arthas as he tries to "purify" the city of Stratholme, I heard other people jumping for joy, while I was feeling a bit of dread. When I played through that stage of Warcraft III, I remember that Arthas was already going down the proverbial moral hill, being ruthlessly indiscriminate as to whether the citizens had actually become undead or not. He didn't have much interest in helping them -- even if help was impossible, he didn't have any sympathy or hesitation in his slaughter.I understood that part in the game to show how he was already beginning to fall even before he went to Northrend and picked up Frostmourne. I was pressing the buttons that killed those digital Stratholmians, but I also knew that I was just advancing the plot of a story, even if I didn't approve of the action. If the same scene appears in the Caverns of Time however, then this is not, in my mind, merely advancing the plot. This is my character taking part in activities that I myself would never condone. Slaughtering almost-but-not-yet-undead families feels a little too close to home to me. "They're doomed anyway so might as well slash them to ribbons?" That inhuman attitude is sometimes used in real life to do horrible things, and it's quite chilling.Well, Blizzard CM Bornakk would disagree with me: "Slaughtering is a strong word," he says, "maybe it would be better to say that you are aiding the pround Prince Arthas in Straholme [sic] as he uses his divine Paladin powers to purify the streets of vile evil undead creatures ... and burns down houses." Well, I'm glad not to be hacking defenseless mothers, fathers and children apart myself, but burning down their homes is a serious thing, particularly if the houses to be burned are supposed to have these not-yet-undead families inside of them. For Arthas to do that in the story of his corruption is one thing, but for my character to help him is totally different.Now, admittedly you could argue that one of the existing CoT instances has us helping Medivh open a portal for orcs to come and rampage lots and lots of people, and yes technically that's an evil thing to do. But there's a big step between opening fantasy portals and burning down houses that are supposed to have families inside them. Does anyone else see a problem here? [Also, as a side note, the thread in which Bornakk tells us that slaughtering is a strong word actually begins with a really funny idea for another CoT instance, "Back to the Future," which is worth checking out.]
Killing your grandfather: What happens if you wipe in the Caverns of Time?
The Caverns of Time are a pretty neat place. With the recent announcement of Old Stratholme, we'll get to go back and preserve the timeline through four different events: Medivh's opening of the Dark Portal, Thrall's escape from Durnholde Keep, Arthas's purging of the city of Stratholme, and Azeroth's victory at the Battle for Mount Hyjal. The mysterious Infinite Dragonflight is trying to disrupt the timelines for unknown reasons, and we have to keep things the way they were. But why? Yes, any change in the past will have a ripple effect on the future, bla bla bla, but there are people who would definitely prefer that events went down differently in three of the four CoT instances. Blizzard doesn't show us what happens when we wipe, fail or simply choose not to preserve things in CoT ... so we've had to fill in the blanks ourselves. The Battle for Mount Hyjal: Okay, no one really wants to see history changed for this one. Heck, it even looks like the Infinite Dragonflight may not want to change it, since we see none of their members in the battle. If history was changed ... actually, I'm not sure what the Burning Legion really would do if they won the war. Destroy all the mortal races in their quest to bring chaos to the universe? Enslave all the playable characters and force them to become an invading force for another world? Man, that would be awesome. For the Legion. Not so much for Azeroth. The Burning Legion winning at Hyjal is like a big Game Over sign for the Warcraft universe.
Breakfast Topic: The prequel
I know our own Elizabeth Harper had already started re-playing Warcraft III before BlizzCon, and a few days after I came home I reinstalled it (although Bioshock is taking up more of my time lately than anything else-- stupid Big Daddies). But what about you guys-- now that we know Arthas is just around the corner (in relative terms, of course-- this is Blizzard, after all), have you gone back to check out the last RTS game Blizz released?If you've never played it, not only is it an awesome game, but you've probably already guessed from everything we've seen so far that it will be a perfect prequel to what we'll see in Northrend. Sure, if you've already heard all the lore, the whole thing's been spoiled for you, but if you really want to see what happened in Stratholme before we do the new CoT instance, or what all the echoes in the Lordaeron throne room are about, or even why there might be an Old God in Northrend, the game is worth checking out.Are you planning on playing it if you haven't before, or have you already gone through it again lately, in expectation of seeing Arthas again?
Does Mount Hyjal matter?
Savur from Gurubashi asks, like an Azerothian Jerry Seinfeld: what's the deal with Mount Hyjal? Escape from Durnholde and the Black Morass, the first two Caverns of Time instances, have to do with players attempting to stop the Infinite Dragonflight from completely messing up the Warcraft continuity. In both of those instances, you work both for the events of history, and against the Infinite Dragonflight, in order to make sure that what really happened in Azeroth actually happens.But in Mount Hyjal, the Infinite Dragonflight is nowhere to be seen. There's no reason for the players to be there, as even without them, Archimonde was defeated by all the exploding wisps. Now, the Bronze dragonflight does apparently claim that they suspect the Infinites are there, but from all player reports (disclaimer: I haven't played the instance myself), the Inifinite Dragonflight is MIA, so there's no reason for the players to stick around and fight.Drysc wimps out, and basically says that players are there because it's cool to see past events of Warcraft history (and that Archimonde apparently drops the Professor Plums). But that's weak-- if the Bronze Dragonflight really cared about protecting the continuum, they wouldn't just let a few punk heroes go sightseeing throughout time. Sure, there doesn't need to be a "lorelol" reason to fight the people (and Orcs, and Scourge, and the demons) that we fight, but there should be.So we'll wait patiently and see what happens in the next CoT instance. Are you content with just seeing the sights of Old Azeroth, or would you prefer there be a reason that you're going there in the first place?
Archimonde Hotfixes
Daelo, Lead Encounter Designer, has announced on the forums that the Archimonde encounter in the Battle of Mount Hyjal (Caverns of Time) has been hotfixed in preparation for Patch 2.2. Daelo says: In an effort to apply some of our upcoming 2.2 changes in a more expedited manner, we're hotfixing some elements of the Archimonde encounter. Not every planned change to Archimonde could be hotfixed, the other announced changes will occur with the release of patch 2.2. The following hotfix changes are now live: - Archimonde now casts fear in a bit more consistent manner, roughly every 40 seconds. - Fear's cast time is now 1.5 seconds. - Grip of the Legion now has only a 60 yard range. - Red Soul Charge now only silences players for 4 seconds. The planned changes for Mother Shahraz could not be hotfixed, but we are working to resolve via hotfix the timing issue with Essence of Desire's Rune Shield and Spirit Shock. Working on that fix, we discovered that Rune Shield wasn't actually absorbing any damage. We're also working to fix that error. Since the Rune Shield is normally removed quickly, Essence of Desire still won't get much benefit out of the effect. Mages who Spell Steal the effect will be quite a bit happier, however.I wonder if this means that Patch 2.2 will be coming out in the next couple of weeks. Since VOIP just got implemented on the PTR, I doubt it will be released any sooner. Are you happy with these changes?
WoW Moviewatch: Soloing Durnholde Heroic
In this video, Dysph shows us that anything is possible -- including soloing Heroic Outland content. In this video, Dysph takes out Lt. Drake from Durnholde Keep in the Caverns of Time. And while it takes an hour and a half, I've got to say it's still a huge accomplishment for a single player! But if seeing people tackle content like this single-handedly doesn't interest you, there's also an entertaining little backstory to the movie.Previously on Moviewatch...[Thanks, Mastari!]
Around Azeroth: Me and Medivh
Silverfury of Hyjal sends in this shot of, as he describes it, "me and Med." He continues, " that's how we call each other nowadays." I'm impressed -- I wish I were on a first-name (nickname, even!) basis with Medivh!Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth or Outland that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! Or perhaps you'd just like to see more of your pics from Around Azeroth. %Gallery-1816%
Child of the Elements
I finally finished the children's week quests on the alliance side, after being quite busy for most of the last week. It's interesting to note how different the draenei girl is from the blood elf that Elizabeth covered earlier. Far from a girl seeming fated to grow up to be a evil-doer of some kind, young Dornaa seems to be a child destined to be a kind and powerful shaman, deeply in touch with the elements.The Exodar's resident Naaru, named O'ros, seems very impressed with her and asks you to have her visit Farseer Nobundo, leader of draenei shamanism, upstairs. She and the Farseer have already met in a dream, apparently! Nobundo is astounded that the child should have such a natural connection to the elements, and says he will petition for her to stay in the Exodar and train under him after you return her to the orphanage. At the Caverns of Time, she is approached by the Wardens of Time (and saved by the great dragon Zaladormu) just like the blood elf orphan, but the feeling of this is quite different in her context, especially since she wants to befriend a dragon someday, not own one like the blood elf. It seems to me as if a great responsibility rests on her at some time in the future, not some great and evil destiny.Does the difference between the Horde and Alliance orphans reinforce the thinking that the Horde really is generally evil (with a few who are good) while the Alliance is generally good (with a few who are evil)? Is that the balance we like? Does Blizzard need to provide more kind hordies and wicked allies?(By the way, if you haven't yet done the Children's Week quests, today [the 29th] is the last day already too late. It seems that Blizzard has once again posted one time on the calendar but gone ahead and cut it off early. Personally, it irks me when this sort of thing happens for no reason -- product delays I can understand, but cutting off a fun event before you promised you would? Grrrr!)
WoW Moviewatch: Archimonde Encounter by Curse
At last, we see a teaser of the final encounter of Mount Hyjal! Curse from Vek'Nilash has gone up against Archimonde to give us a preview of this epic, world-changing battle. They bring attention to a few of his abilities, and particularly how incredibly difficult he is. I can't wait to see what kinds of items he has in store for us! [Thanks, WarcraftMovies.com]
Mysterious Mysteries: the Exodar
While questing in Azeroth the other day, a guildy and I got into a discussion on The Exodar. He mentioned that it looked to him that it was a ship and that someone should be able to fly it. That led to my geeking out a bit over the lore, and explaining that it was indeed a ship, a nethership, and the fourth part of Tempest Keep. I've often speculated about this strange city. As I fly around Netherstorm, I try to imagine what it was like to have that last piece of the armada floating with the others, and where it might have been placed. But the true mystery is what might have been within the Exodar. We know it had a boss, but who was flying that great ship when the Draenei broke in? What exactly was it used for? I think of it in terms of the Caverns of Time. If we were able to step back to that moment when the ship was hijacked, what would we see? I bet the battle was immense. Okay, here's where I'd like to here from you. What do you think the Exodar originally was? Are there clues within the existing structure that can hint at it's original purpose? [image courtesy of WorldofWar.net]
Confessions of a casual gamer
I admit it, I am never going to raid Naxxramas. C'Thun? Broodlord? These are fights I doubt I will ever see. That's not to say that I don't play a lot, I do. I have 10 characters, ranging from 70 to 1, and I admit an addiction to character creation. But I am not a raider. My mage has average gear. When she stepped through the portal in January she had 4 pieces of Arcanist, all of which I have replaced with green or blue items. My entire goal with the expansion hasn't been to defeat Illidan, and I've had no burning desire to send Vashj back into that hole created by the destruction of the Well of Eternity. I just wanted to go to the Caverns of Time. It was a simple wish, but I somehow feel less of a gamer because I don't have the opportunity or the drive to push through to the raid content. I have the desire, I do, I just live in a small world, with a small guild of friends. I would love to experience all the game has to offer, that's why I've created as many characters as I have. If there were 20 character slots, I would still have them all filled. In addition to my desire, though, I also have a lot of unease. Am I too a gamer if I don't get the "uberest" of gear sets? Is it enough to play for the love of the game, or do I need to have 6 characters at 70 by the time the next expansion comes out? A lot of the content in the game requires 25-man or 40-man raids, and I don't know how likely it is I will be able to get into Kharazan, despite finishing the key. I am grateful for the 5-man content in Outland, but I wonder, is there room in Blizzard's heart for the casual gamer?
Know Your Lore Special: The Caverns of Time Southshore Easter egg hunt
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/World_of_Warcraft_Old_Hillsbrad_Easter_Eggs'; In a video game, Easter eggs are hidden features or areas that are meant to please the game's serious players. So it's only appropriate that on Easter we explore the biggest Easter egg in WoW. The point of the Caverns of Time: Durnholde instance is to go into Durnholde Keep, free Thrall, and fight off some dragons. You can get some pretty nice mid-60s items there. But for those of a more explorative mindset, the real gem of this instance is Old Southshore. If you wander off the beaten path, you'll discover the Alliance stronghold hasn't changed too much in seven years ... and you may just meet some familiar faces. Read onward for a guide to the Easter eggs of Old Southshore.
Durnholde Keep hotfixed
Eyonix reports that a hotfix has been applied to the Escape from Durnholde Keep portion of the Caverns of Time. This should prevent Thrall from occasionally giving incorrect text and halting the progress of the instance. If you've done this instance a time or two, you know just how irritating it is to see Thrall halt in his tracks and refuse to move any further. Says Eyonix: I really do think we should've just given players the Foreman's Blackjack when they entered the instance, instead of pushing the hotfix. I think a good smack could've gotten Thrall back to work!I have to agree: that solution would have been a heck of a lot more fun.
Around Azeroth: Meet Nozdormu
Reader Bendak of Shadow Moon sends in a shot of this up close and personal meeting with Nozdormu inside the Caverns of Time. It looks to me like a dwarf wouldn't even be half a bite for Nozdormu, so I'm glad we're on friendly terms with him just now.Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth or Outland that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! You can attach a picture file or send us a link to one -- and don't worry about formatting, we'll take care of that part. See more of your pics from Around Azeroth. %Gallery-1816%
Around Azeroth: Here there be dragons
It does seem like we're posting quite a few Caverns of Time shots lately, doesn't it? But it really can't be helped when the scenery is so incredible. This shot, sent in by reader Chris, highlights some of the local inhabitants.Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth or Outland that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! You can attach a picture file or send us a link to one -- and don't worry about formatting, we'll take care of that part. See more of your pics from Around Azeroth. %Gallery-1816%
Around Azeroth: Keeping each other company
Reader A. Smith sends in this shot from the Caverns of Time. And while I'm not sure how exactly you reach this particular perch, it seems like a nice place to sit -- you've even got company.Do you have a unique shot of Azeroth or Outland that you'd like to show off to the rest of the world? Tell us about it by e-mailing aroundazeroth@gmail.com! You can attach a picture file or send us a link to one -- and don't worry about formatting, we'll take care of that part. See more of your pics from Around Azeroth. %Gallery-1816%
The Caverns of Time... of the future!
Kermras of Khadgar wonders what I'm sure a lot of players have: what exactly is behind that boat in the Caverns of Time? Along with Escape from Durnholde, the Black Morass, and the currently unfinished Mount Hyjal instances in there, there's also a huge pirate-looking ship in there, with a portal that is "perhaps" (according to Drysc) going to be a future instance. Yup, one word. That's all he gave us.Fortunately for you, we're better at speculation than that. The Keepers of Time in front of the portal say the ship is a "Kaldorei vessel," which points directly to the Night Elves. Now, the Night Elves are not exactly a seagoing civilization, but there is one time in which lots of them perished at sea, and that's during the War of the Ancients and the ensuing fight over the Well of Eternity. I'll let Elizabeth give you the details in one of her great Know Your Lore features, but suffice it to say that Malfurion Stormrage (the greatest druid ever and Illidan's brother) stormed the old continent of Kalimdor to fight against the insane Aszhara and close the Well for good. In the process, the Well of Eternity was destroyed, Illidan did some evil stuff and escaped away, and lots of elves drowned (in fact, some of them became the Naga, and the Well itself became what we know of as the Maelstrom). So while we're not sure exactly what event the portal revolves around, it very well could be somewhere in there-- either fighting alongside Malfurion, helping Illidan escape (so we can fight him in the Black Temple), or helping the Kaldorei find their way out of the war to their current stomping grounds.Still other guesses from players (about this and other upcoming instances in CoT) have to do with Illidan's treachery (any of it), the Theramore invasion fleet, or even a visit to the past of the Deadmines (lots of players want to see a pirate instance, I guess). Of course, there's always the chance that the Instance is just a placeholder, and that the boat is a red herring. Either way, Blizz has made it clear that the CoT is going to see a lot more action, wherever (and whenever) it takes place.
