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Submit your questions for the next WoW Source
Blizzard is getting ready to sit down with several lead designers to discuss class and PvP changes that will be happening in Warlords of Draenor. As part of that plan they want you to submit your questions over on their forums for the hosts. Personally, I'm going to ask what they plan to do about increasing participation in PvP. It's something that I've been wondering for awhile and can't come up with a good answer to. I get that making things more accessible and have a smaller barrier to entry is going to be part of it, but I'm wondering what else. Crithto's announcement of the question gathering is as follows. There is no date as to when the video will be released. Crithto Another WoW Source is on its way, and once again we're looking for your questions. This time around we're planning to feature Lead Class Designer Kris Zierhut, Lead Encounter Designer Ion Hazzikostas, and Senior Game Designer Brian Holinka, along with host Morgan Webb. This time the interview will be geared towards discussing class and PvP changes coming in Warlords of Draenor. Just like last time, post questions you have for the developers in this thread, and feel free to use the "thumbs-up" Like button to let us know if you'd like to see someone else's question answered. Your post may be featured on the next episode! source
How hybrid should hybrids be?
In terms of design elements that have been problematic over the course of World of Warcraft's existence, the idea of hybrid classes and what, exactly, they should be able to do has always been one of them. When the game first debuted, two hybrids - priests and warriors - weren't even treated like hybrids. Priests were considered healers, with their two healing spects (holy and disc) while shadow was barely utilized, and warriors were not only nearly the only tanking class (druids and paladins could tank, but warriors were the unrelentingly favorite choice in classic WoW) and they were designed as a pure DPS class as well, not balanced as a hybrid, in their DPS roles. Over the course of the years and years since classic (seven of them, to be exact) we've seen hybrid classes rise to ascendancy. The way hybrids were balanced for pure DPS changed to be much closer to pure DPS classes, and since all healers and tanks are hybrids there's been competition between each for both of these roles (considering that the two new classes added during WoW's life, death knights and monks, are both tanks and monks are also healers, competition has been necessary) making hybrids more attractive. However, it was really the addition of dual spec that made hybrids start to live up to the ideal of the hybrid class - with dual spec specialization, a druid can choose to have a tanking and healing, or tanking and ranged DPS, or healing and melee DPS specialization ready to be selected at the touch of a button. However, it's never as easy as all that. Yes, a paladin can have a ret and protection spec, or protection and holy, or holy and ret ready to go. But he or she still needs to gear said spec. If you intend to heal for you raiding, tank for five mans and flex, and go ret for fun you'd actually not only need to hit a trainer from time to time to drop a spec, you'd also need three sets of gear ready to go. And it is this very limitation, so woven into the fabric of the game over the past few years that I myself have almost entirely forgotten about it, that is about to be bent further than it ever has been. Make no mistake - Warlords of Draenor will change not only what stats we want on gear, but how we use that gear.
Blizzard: Gearing in Warlords of Draenor
Along with the BlizzCon announcement of a new WoW expansion came, of course, a discussion of the way the game will be changing with that expansion. One of the most jarring changes will be the gear system -- and trying to wrap our heads around the way everything will work in the future has been a bit of an exercise. Never fear, fellow WoW players, it's Community Manager Crithto to the rescue in the forums today, with a long and detailed post going over exactly how (for the moment, at least) the developers are designing gear for Warlords of Draenor. This is a fascinating insight into the thought process behind the design, which strikes me as rather flowchart-like, in a good way. There are, in a sense, stat tiers within the design of each piece, meant to make our gear both more flexible and more customizable. Gear is divided into two categories: armor (head, shoulders, chest, legs, gloves, belt, boots, and bracers) and non-armor (weapons, rings, cloak, necklace, and trinkets). In general, armor pieces will have primary stats, and non-armor pieces will not, with the exception of weapons. As far as stats go, there are three types: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary stats can be one of three things: Strength, Agility, or Intellect. A gear piece's primary stat will change depending on your class and spec. In addition, all armor pieces will possess some value of Stamina and Armor, and that will not change depending on your stat. Secondary stats will not change based on your class or spec--they are fixed on an item. Secondary stats include things like Haste, Crit, Mastery, Spirit, and Bonus Armor. In addition, Blizzard is exploring new possibilities for secondary stats, for example, things like Readiness, Amplify, and Multi-Strike. These are still in development, and nothing is yet certain. Armor pieces (as listed above) will not possess Spirit or Bonus Armor. Non-armor pieces, however, can.
Flex raiding lockouts changed in hotfix
So, if you're confused about how Flex Raiding's lockout system works now, you're not the only one. The forums are abuzz with questions, and today Crithto posted to explain exactly what was up. The persistent pug explained that, thanks to player feedback, there were some changes to how Flex lockouts operate. Previously, the raid based which bosses were up in a given Flex raid on the player in the raid with the least kills, so if you were invited to a Flex raid that had killed two bosses but you'd killed none, those two bosses would be there. Now, that's all changed. Crithto - I completely misunderstood Flex raiding Once again, this community has come together in a constructive manner to share feedback and suggestions, and we thank you for that. Let's kick this update off with the most recent change: After careful consideration of the feedback you've shared, and after weighing pros and cons of the Flex mode system that came with Patch 5.4, we've decided to change how raid progress is saved. At patch launch, entering Flex mode SoO was based upon who had progressed the least. For example, a raid of 11 players entered SoO and downed 3 bosses on Tuesday night. Wednesday night, all 11 come back together to continue but decide to bring along 4 new people. If the raid had queued together, they'd have had to start the raid over from the beginning because those 4 new players weren't flagged as having downed the first 3 bosses. Our original intent was to err on the side of making sure no one in the raid would miss out on a boss that they still needed to kill. A hotfix applied this morning, however, takes a more traditional approach to raid lockouts by basing boss progression on the group leader's status. In other words, if the raid leader faced 3 bosses on Tuesday and decides to continue where he or she left off tonight, anyone who joins the Flex raid--even those who have never set foot into SoO--will begin the instance at the same point where the raid leader finished on Tuesday. This system is more straightforward and understandable for much of the WoW raiding community, therefore Flexible raids will no longer be based upon the least progressed member. source So there we have it - the community's voices have been heard, and the Flex boss lockout is now based on the raid leader instead of the least progressed player. Hopefully that will make Flex raiding less confusing for people.
Battlefield: Barrens ending soon
Still have shopping to do with the Darkspear Rebellion Quartermaster? Be sure to get it done before patch 5.4 goes live. In a forum post earlier this morning, Community Manager Crithto reminded players that the Battlefield: Barrens world event will be ending forever when the next patch is released. Crithto -- Battlefield: Barrens Ending Soon 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. source So if you were planning to buy vanity items like Xan'tish's Flute and Griftah's Authentic Troll Shoes, or wanted to earn the Darkspear Revolutionary or Hordebreaker achievements on an alt, get to work! The patch could be coming as soon as Tuesday, August 27th.
Blizzard soliciting more pet battle feedback
Last week, Blizzard was looking for feedback about possible changes to elemental and mechanical pets. This week, they have some proposed passive effect changes for patch 5.4 about which they'd like player responses. Crithto Thank you to everyone who has shared their feedback with us so far, we appreciate it. Based on some of the comments we've received, here is an updated list of potential changes we're hoping to include in Patch 5.4: The Magic passive now caps damage taken at 35% of maximum health, buffed from 40%. The Dragonkin passive effect now activates when the enemy is taken below 50% health, up from 25%. The Aquatic passive now reduces DOT damage by 50%, up from 25%. The Elemental passive effect now only affect negative, direct effects of weather (e.g. the accuracy reduction of Sandstorm won't be applied, but the damage reduction will). The Critter passive now makes critters completely immune to roots, stuns, and sleeps. Keep that feedback rollin' in! source Most of these look like pretty big buffs, but do battle pets need to be tweaked anymore? If you have an opinion, head over to the official forums and let Blizzard know what you think.
Blizzard soliciting feedback for pet battle changes
Community Manager Crithto took to the forums, asking for feedback about changes to the mechanical and elemental pet battle families. As of right now, elemental attacks have both an offensive and defensive advantage over mechanical, making it imbalanced compared to the other families. Blizzard proposes to change which families both types of pets have an advantage against: One set of changes proposes: Critters would replace elementals in taking less damage from mechanical attacks Dragonkin would replace critters in taking less damage from elemental attacks Elementals would replace dragonkin in taking less damage from flying attacks and the other: Elementals would replace aquatic pets in taking less damage from undead attacks Aquatic pets would replace elementals in taking less damage from mechanical attacks The second set of suggested changes would require less alteration to the current system and therefore has my vote. Do you have an opinion? If so, take advantage of Blizzard's request for player input and cast your vote in the forums. The full text of Crithto's post is after the break.
Select pet types may receive new passives in Pet Battles
Blizzard community managers Nakatoir and Crithto have recently announced potential changes coming to Elemental, Aquatic, Critter, and Magic passive abilities in the Pet Battle system. The Pet Battle system is still relatively new compared to the 8-year-old World of Warcraft and very much in flux. As pets and their abilities are buffed and nerfed, the system as a whole needs to adjust to accommodate those changes. The short version of these proposed changed are as follows: Elementals will lose their immunity to weather, instead taking reduced damage on their first round in play Critters will become completely immune to crowd control rather than reducing their duration to one round Magic pets cannot be dealt more than 35% of their health in one attack, changed from 40% Aquatic pets will reduce damage taken from Damage over Time effects by 50%, up from 25% Crithto and Nakatoir's full posts can be found behind the cut below.
What will be your first priority in Patch 5.2?
There, on the horizon to the Northwest, do you see it? Daggers of lightning spear through clusters of dark clouds filling the air with electricity you can almost feel crackling against your skin. There's a sense of foreboding that clings, and something else... Community Manager Crithto has written a blog post, telling the world about his imagined first day on the Isle of Thunder. He spoke of having bought the Tillers farm, and set his hearthstone in his new plot of land. He also planted some crops according to the work orders that had come in, allowing him to gain reputation with factions other than the Tillers by growing vegetables to help them on their way. Having dealt with his farm, it's over to the Shado-Pan Garrison to get a ride over to Lor'themar and the Isle of Thunder dailies, using Shan'ze Ritual Stones to summon a rare, and a chance of winning a mount, as well as contributing to the Horde's war effort. Lastly, a rare key drop allows him a chance to enter the Treasure Room! That's Crithto's day, but what part of the plethora of new content coming with patch 5.2 will be your top priority? Will you do the new factions' dailies, or will you dive straight into the new raids, or perhaps farm some rares, hoping for a mount drop?
Would Blizzard's efforts in Pandaria be negated by early flight?
In response to a forum thread started this weekend, Blizzard Community Manager and pug aficionado Crithto clarified Blizzard's thoughts on a Tome of Pandaria Flying. The Tome of Cold Weather Flight was an item introduced in Wrath of the Lich King, which permitted players to avoid buying Cold Weather Flight -- the flight training required to fly in Northrend -- for their alts. Rather than re-purchasing the skill on every character at max level, you could use the tome and begin flying in Northrend a couple of levels earlier than it could ordinarily be acquired. The Tome of Cold Weather Flight was removed from the game in patch 4.0.1. Crithto's comment is as follows: Crithto We're not sure if we'll be doing this. The tome worked out well enough for Wrath of the Lich King as an experiment, but so much of the experience we spent a lot of time and effort shaping in Pandaria is negated by flying. In addition to the upcoming reputation changes for alts (when a character on the account hits Revered), we'll consider other methods of potentially speeding up the leveling process for alts, but we don't think "allow flying" is necessarily the best answer. source While it is clear to see why players feel differently, given how much easier flying makes questing, WoW Insider largely agrees with Crithtos's opinion. Certain achievements, for example, Legend of the Brewfathers, are hugely enhanced by riding rather than flying. Exploration of the world Blizzard has created in Mists of Pandaria is essentially two new experiences when undertaken first from the ground, and later from the air. Crithto's assertion that Blizzard's developers are looking into methods of speeding up alt leveling may bring considerable comfort to players for whom the leveling experience has been enjoyable but overwhelming. The adventure through Pandaria, while thrilling, may start to lose its shine with subsequent playthroughs, so changes may be needed. Would you welcome methods to level alts at greater speed? Or, like the pandaren, do you believe that players should slow down, that Pandaria is to be savored? Mists of Pandaria is here! The level cap has been raised to 90, many players have returned to Azeroth, and pet battles are taking the world by storm. Keep an eye out for all of the latest news, and check out our comprehensive guide to Mists of Pandaria for everything you'll ever need to know.
CM Crithto sends players on an Easter egg hunt
Blizzard CM Crithto has temporarily abandoned his laps of Stormwind Keep to lay down a challenge in the forums. A few days ago, player Carianate posted a great thread discussing all the Easter eggs and little surprises they'd found while out exploring Pandaria as they waited for their queues to pop. CM Crithto then popped his head into the thread to lay down a challenge to its readers: Crithto Any of you explorers find the in-game reference to something that happened in the Mists of Pandaria trailer? source WoW Insider is way ahead of the game on this little challenge, which even has an achievement associated with it, Restore Balance. Our very own Anne Stickney wrote a guide to completing the achievement, so huge detail here isn't necessary, and I don't want to completely spoil Crithto's challenge for those who haven't found this yet! Suffice it to say that it's well worth doing, it's a wonderful view, and it's really fun to head up there and see Pandaria just as it was in the trailer. What cool little things have you found? What fun little easter eggs have surprised and delighted you? If you're looking for pop culture references, and aren't the sort to go exploring the world without a map, the lovely Panser put a video guide together for people just like you. Mists of Pandaria is here! The level cap has been raised to 90, many players have returned to Azeroth, and pet battles are taking the world by storm. Keep an eye out for all of the latest news, and check out our comprehensive guide to Mists of Pandaria for everything you'll ever need to know.
Best Buy hosting Mists of Pandaria Developer chat on Tuesday, Sep. 18
Best Buy Unboxed, the forum community for Best Buy stores, will be holding a Mists of Pandaria developer chat on Tuesday, September 18 beginning at 6pm CST. Included on the developer panel are a few familiar faces from the recent Reddit AMA -- Lead Systems Designer Greg Street, Lead Content Designer Ion Hazzikostas, and Lead Quest Designer Dave Kosak. Also included on the panel is Lead Content Designer Cory Stockton and Community Managers Zarhym and Crithto. To participate in the chat, all you need do is visit the official page on Best Buy's forums when the chat itself goes live. If your question wasn't addressed in the Reddit AMA, or if you simply missed the opportunity to ask, this is an excellent chance to get all your questions answered. It's nice to see the developer community so active, particularly on the eve of a new expansion's launch. Be sure to hit up Best Buy Unboxed on September 18 whether you've got a question to ask, or you just want to watch the show. 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!
World of Warcraft patch 5.0.5 patch notes
Now, don't get overexcited. This isn't for Mists proper, simply yesterday's patch applied during the maintenance period. It incorporates all of the recent class balance changes as well as some bug fixes for existing content. For those of you who thought today's patch may bring the arrival of the Theramore scenario, I'm sorry, these patch notes seem to be bringing naught but disappointment. There's a bunch of fixes to spells, and I'm afraid that the time of being a holy paladin one-shotting people in lower level battlegrounds with Holy Shock is over, unless you can get your hands on a lot of spell power. There's also some fixes to things like the teleport bug in the Molten Front, and an amusingly worded fix to make the size of the Arcane Bomb during Queen Azshara's encounter more reasonable! Stop making your friends' spell effects so unreasonable, Azshara. It's unfitting for a woman of your stature. Lastly, and almost certainly most importantly, Crithto is now attackable by both Alliance and Horde. The hunt for the cutest of Community Managers is on, people! Head on over the break to see the full patch notes.
