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Blizzard comments on Outland and Northrend leveling in Cataclysm
Community manager Nethaera commented recently on players' concerns that the new Cataclysm leveling experience from levels 1-60 now severely overshadows the relatively old Outlands and even Northrend content. The gist? Questing and leveling in Outlands and Northrend is leaps and bounds better than the original World of Warcraft, and updating the 60-80 leveling experience is not high on Blizzard's priority list.
One Shots: Good to look back
With the news that BlizzCon tickets will soon be on sale, many fans of Blizzard's World of Warcraft are limbering up their F5 mashing fingers and getting ready to drop $150 (or more) to be a part of this year's convention craziness. Cataclysm will undoubtedly take center stage this year, we'd bet. Of course, not everyone is laser-focused on what's to come -- some are choosing instead to go back and run content they may have skipped such as today's One Shots contributor, Kahdaj. Here's what he had to say about this recent solo kill-shot: "This is my disc priest Kahdaj on the Mannoroth server of World of Warcraft. I have been spending some time seeing the older content of Outland and realizing how beautiful it is. I can't believe I missed out on it while power leveling. So here I am, standing proudly before my kill of Durn the Hungerer who was much too large a challenge during our first meeting at level 65. Although there's no challenge in what I'm doing in the Outlands, I'm certainly glad I'm getting a chance to experience the wonderful world Blizzard has created." Are you one of the millions playing Blizzard's crazy popular MMO, World of Warcraft? Would you like a chance to show off your screenshot and tell your story? We'd love to hear from you if so. Just email it in to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing. You never know -- it could be the next image we feature here on Massively. %Gallery-85937%
Breakfast Topic: Is 68 too low for Northrend?
My Shaman and I have been becoming best friends lately. I've been doing about a level every other day with her, and as I said in the WRUP last Friday, my goal was to get her into Northrend to have some fun. To do that I needed to bring her to 68 and head over to my preferred starting zone, the Howling Fjord.But when I got there I was in for a bit of a shock.Everything wasn't dying as fast as it was in Outlands. At 67 my Shaman was plowing through mobs left and right, outfitted in mainly greens and a few quest reward blues. With Shamanistic Rage, and my two ghost wolves I could pop out at a regular interval, I had nearly no downtime.Enter Northrend, and enter the difference.
Barrens Chat: Dead ringer
I don't have much to say with this comic this week, thank goodness. With a two page reaction paper due tomorrow, and two exams Friday, I greatly enjoyed the time I took from my week to sit down and do this comic. With that said, I would like to send out a sincere "I'm sorry for your loss" to the five of you whom have recently (read as: within the last month) experienced something similar with a very different piece of hardware. At least that made one of you turn your World of Warcraft subscription back on.Anyways, have you ever wondered what it would be like if things in Word of Warcraft worked the way they did in real life? Like if for instance some large corporation made your Mechanostrider instead of that nice little Milli Featherwhistle? You could be minding your own business, enjoying a nice breeze from running through Nagrand when, Bam!What do you think? Have you ever just thought about something like that? Standing there one day being shocked back to life and thinking "Gee, what if these jumper cables malfunctioned?" Maybe it's just me, but when I see my Engineering friend zooming around in his Turbo-Charged Flying Machine while I'm stuck on my poor, unflying kodo, I sometimes giggle at the thought of him crashing.At least he's not our healer. Barrens Chat is being devious this week, while the author enjoys picking fun at those unfortunate enough to experience the one of the many rings men (and women) fear most. Past victims have been shockingly few, however not all innocents were spared. Come back next week for a new comic!
One Shots: Night-time in Nagrand
One of the things that struck us upon stepping through the Dark Portal back in January last year was how lovely the night sky is out in Outland. Sure, WoW's Burning Crusade expansion had a lot of cool things going for it, but we've never stopped enjoying just how lovely the sky is out there. Today, one of our readers Mimi (who sadly didn't send us a character name/server) sent in this lovely screenshot of the Horde village Garadar in Nagrand by moonlight. (Planet-light? We don't quite know what you'd call that.)Do you know of any locations that look even more lovely by the ambient light of whatever large light-reflective planetary mass happens to be lurking about in the sky nearby? Heck, do you know of any worlds that actually have a definable moon in the game? (Or are we just getting ahead of ourselves before the NASA MMO comes out?) Whatever the case, if you have some cool screenshots, send them in to us at oneshots@massively.com for us all to enjoy.%Gallery-9798%
New area: Razorthorn Rise
We all know patch 2.4 is going to center around a new zone in Azeroth, the Isle of Quel'Danas. But did you know there was a new Outlands area as well? I didn't either, until we got a tip from loyal reader Austin. This new area is called Razorthorn Rise, and apparently sits between Hellfire Peninsula and Terokkar Forest, just above Razorthorn Shelf. The tip says it's full of level 70 ravagers and flayers, and speculates that the ravagers would make good Hunter pets.I wasn't able to turn up any more information about this area, aside from one new daily quest that mentions it, where a Shattered Sun Offensive NPC sends you to the area to collect five "Razorthorn Roots." Sounds like a ground pick-up. The quest is filed under Terokkar Forest, so I'd guess that's where Razorthorn Rise officially resides. Does anyone know anything else about this zone?Update: Maybe not a new area after all. Still, this is the first I've heard of it.
Around Azeroth: Spectral howl
Reader Pelouze of Durotan likes to explore the far reaches of Nagrand. Often found on his Spectral Tiger, he couldn't help but take this snapshot of his trusty mount howling at one of the many moons to be found in the kaleidescope skies of the Outland.Do you have any unusual World of Warcraft images that are just collecting dust in your screenshots folder? Because we'd love to see it on Around Azeroth! Sharing your screenshot is as simple as e-mailing aroundazeroth@wow.com with a copy of your shot and a brief explanation of the scene. You could be featured here next!%Gallery-1816%
One versus them all
We've seen Paladins soloing some crazy things, but player Parvati of the Zangarmarsh server wants to know what class would be best to solo pre-BC high level instances.I suppose it would depend on the instance. Druids can stealth past a great deal of Black Rock Depths trash to get to the bosses that drop the good loot. But a Paladin would do better in Stratholme. And Hunters can go just about anywhere.Parvati doesn't give his motives behind the question, but cash farming sounds like the obvious motive. But why restrict yourself to old world zones if that's the case? Cash is far more free flowing in the Outlands.Whatever his motive, I would like to hear what you think. Not just what class, but why.
Are Auction Houses coming to Shattrath?
In a word, no. Blizzard blue Nethaera posted in response to the umpteenth request for an Auction House in Shattrath. At least this time we got an explanation behind the decision.Blizzard feels an AH in Shattrath will eliminate the only reason for players to interact with others in older cities. They reason players can use the Shatt portals to get to the AH in the older cities and then activate their hearthstone to get back to the Outlands.This plan also spreads out the population. Anyone remember when their was only one AH for each faction? Ironforge was known as Lagforge. Think what would happen to your framerate should they put an Auction House in the Outlands capital. Yeah, not pretty.Of course "not currently planned" doesn't mean "never." When the WotLK expansion launches and Dalaran becomes the player hub, they may reconsider. Until then, don't be getting friendly with any Innkeeper other than the ones in Shattrath, because your hearthstone setting isn't going to be changing for a long time. Unless you're a mage.
Best RP quest chains pre-Outlands
So you leveled your main into the late 50s and are ready to jump into the time-sucking goodness that is the Outlands. But before you head in, you want to experience any good pre-BC quest chains you may have missed. One player on the official forums is in this exact situation and wants to know: what quest chain should she do that has good XP and an interesting storyline before heading into the Burning Crusade content?Many players have chimed in so far with their fondly remembered misadventures. Tirion Fordring's Redemption chain out of the Eastern Plaguelands gets many recommendations. As does the Marauders of Darrowshire chain in which you have to find a little girl ghost's missing dolly and along the way relive a critical moment in the history of the lands.You can also summon a helicopter out of Azshara, get killed on purpose out of Un'goro and learn the history of the Moonkin which takes you to the same area where you can quest for a mechanical yeti. But there is one quest that is getting the most enthusiastic recommendations.
Where to start with 2.1 content
The 2.1 patch this week introduced enough new quest lines, top-end raid content, flying mounts, and L70 solo & small group content to qualify as its own game. With a three day weekend looming I didn't even know where to begin. So I scoured the web and found the where to go and what to do to get me started. THE BLACK TEMPLE: Already planning to strut around Shattrath in your T6 Raid gear? Don't bank that T5 set too quick. The Black Temple attunement quest is ... epic. And it hasn't even been fully discovered so far. What is known is that you will have to slog through a great deal of the Burning Crusade raid content that comes before it: Karazhan, Gruul's Lair, Magtheridon's Lair, Serpentshire Cavern, The Eye and The Battle of Mount Hyjal. And many of those raids require extensive attunement quests of their own. If you are still itching to begin, you can dig in with the Tablets of Baa'ri chain out of Shadowmoon Valley to start grinding that Ashtongue Deathsworn rep. NETHERDRAKE EPIC FLYING MOUNT: First, don't confuse this with the Swift Nether Drake top Arena teams are awarded with at the end of every season. That one has a speed increase of 310% and has an armored appearance. This is the normal epic nether drake with a speed increase on par with other epic flying mounts: 280%. What's special about this epic flying mount is that it can be obtained through solo and small group quests. No raid required. What is required is a great deal of dedication.The first steps on your journey is to dig yourself out of Hated reputation with the Netherwing clan and get all the way to Exalted. This is accomplished through solo, 5 man and 3 man daily quests. Head to the south east corner of Shadowmoon Valley and speak to Mordenai in the Netherwing Fields. A complete write up can be found here.
How do YOU think the Dark Portal opened?
Today's forum watch has started a new humor thread about the origins of the reopening of the Dark Portal. Many debated if it was Kazzak or some other power, or if it had always been open. Quite a few people had their own opinions about how it opened: Chuck Norris may have roundhouse kicked it open. Rick Astley might have "rickroll'd" it open. Kazzak reopened it because Pokemon Silver came out 3 months earlier in Outlands. A Blizzard comic submission seems to have their own theories as to how the Dark Portal opened. A fairly blunt opinion stated that, "Blizzard wanted more money." I personally like the idea that someone finally discovered what the "unused light switch in their garage" did.
Breakfast Topic: Outland, take two
My main is sitting comfortably at 70, running instances, edging up her tailoring skill, and slowly accruing cash for the epic flyer. By this point, in fact, I've brought my second character to 60, my Rogue, and started her in Outland. It's just as much of a blast as I remember it being the first time, months ago, although of course it's a little less fresh. I remember everything being so big and bewildering back then; now, knowing where everything is and what all the quests are, it's very much more manageable. It's still challenging, though, since the mobs behave a bit differently than I'm used to from the old world. If you've gotten a second (or third, or...) character to Outland level, how have you found it the second time through?Also, what have you found to be a good level to run through that Dark Portal and start questing? I originally went at 58, but after doing a few quests decided I'd better go back to the Plaguelands and get to 60 first, for more effective questing. Still, I'm glad I did the first few quests, since they got me huge upgrades in main- and off-hand weapons, and a piece or two of armor. If I become crazy enough to get a third character out of Azeroth, I'll probably do it the same way -- go in for a few easy pieces of vital gear, and come back out to get to 60. What would you do?
Breakfast Topic: Outlands at 58?
Currently, the lowest level at which you can pass through the Dark Portal and go to Outlands is 58 (although it is possible to be summoned or portaled to Outlands at any level). However, is it better to go straight for the portal when you hit 58, or are the quests going to be too hard, and would it then behoove one to wait until 60? Personally, I'll be taking all my alts in when/if they get high enough, because the quest rewards are just overwhelmingly good. Aeus agrees with me: Outland would be your ticket there... did it with one of my alts; best thing I ever did.. On the other hand, some members of my guild (mostly Warriors) firmly maintain that Outlands is just too hard until 60. What do you think? Does it depend on class, and if so, which classes would you recommend leaving behind in Azeroth a little longer?
Druid flight form FAQ
Earlier today, I hit 68 on my Priest, which was awesome because I got Prayer of Mending. However, if I was a Druid, I would have gotten something infinitely more awesome: Flight Form. If anyone's unfamiliar with flight form, it's a Druid shapeshift that's only usable in Outlands and turns you into a Stormcrow, allowing you to fly. This means a free, instant-cast flying mount, basically, as well as free flying mount training (which is much more expensive). People have a lot of questions about Flight Form; fortunately for us, Locust has compiled an excellent FAQ in the forums. I'll put the more interesting bits here, and the whole FAQ (which is rather long) after the cut for those who can't access the WoW forums. Do I need Journeyman Riding skill (which is needed for ground epic mounts) in order to gain this ability? Will it cost me? Yes, and it will cost you 540g. Will I still need to buy Expert Riding skill in order to buy Artisan Riding skill to ride a flying epic mount? No. Once you train for Flight Form, you automatically gain Expert Riding skill. You save yourself 800g. If I activate Flight Form while falling, can it save me from a fall that would normally cause me to die? You bet. Can I attack in Flight Form? No. No attacks. No abilities. What happens if I die while very high in the air? Your body will be found exactly where you died. If you are unable to retreieve your corpse because it is too high, you will have to spirit res. Normal running speed: 100% Walking speed: 40% Aspect of the Cheetah: 130% Cheetah form: 140% Ground normal mount: 160% Ground epic mount: 200% Druid Flight Form: 160% Normal flying mount running: 160% Normal Flying mount flying: 160% Epic flying mount running: 200% Epic flying mount flying: 380% Epic swift nether drake: 410% Wind Rider (Flight Master): 500%
Blue Notes: European transfers and Ghaz'an hotfix
Two bits of news for you this brunchtime. First, there's some new transfers for European realms. From Thundy: The below migrations are currently active. They're scheduled to close on Monday January 22nd, at 12:00 (noon) CET. However, again, please note that this may change at any time. Bloodhoof to Bronze Dragonflight Emerald Dream to Bronze Dragonflight Thunderhorn to Bronze Dragonflight Azjol-Nerub to Anachronos Doomhammer to Anachronos Turalyon to Anachronos Ravencrest to Agamaggan Ravencrest to Vek'nilash Neptulon to Vek'nilash Neptulon to Jaedenar Outland to Jaedenar Outland to Spinebreaker And second, Ghaz'an, a boss in The Underbog (one of the Coilfang Reservoir instances in Zangarmarsh), has been hotfixed. Apparently he was spitting poison as if he was at heroic setting; he will no longer be doing so. I've not gotten to any of the Coilfang dungeons myself, being mostly content with Ramparts and Blood Furnace, but I'm glad I won't get spit on quite so much when I do make it there. From Tseric: A hotfix has recently been applied that adjusted Ghaz'an's attack rate. The acid spit rate was occurring at Heroic mode rates, not normal mode rates. The spit should be going off at a more reasonable frequency.
Launch night poll: how late did you stay up?
True confessions: I was up til about 7 this morning leveling my blood elf warlock (caster noob alert!), after tooling around in the Outlands with my 60 rogue for a while. But, you know, it was totally "work-related"! So fess up -- how late did you stay up? Are you a proud member of the bleary-eyed workforce today? Or did you catch that <cough> nasty bug </cough> that was flying around -- I think it must have spread like wildfire from all the social contact of midnight launches. Please to be inputting your answer to our lunchtime launch night poll: How late did you stay up? Only a couple of hours past my usual bedtime. Gotta be sensible. Way too freaking late, I'm exhausted today! I hate you midnight launch people, I live in a yurt. A yurt next to Best Buy. I'm still waiting to pick up/for my expansion to arrive. Sleep? You mean people slept? n00bs. Free polls from Pollhost.com
Faience's Adventures in Outland: It's the end of the world as we know it...
...and after my dozenth death, I'm not so sure that I feel fine. Sure, it started out all fun and games with Tyren's announcement on the forums that there might be some "cool events" on the beta realms this evening. But cool, I wonder, for whom? Certainly not for the poor denizens of the now ravaged Shattrath City -- the Outland's only major city. On the beta realm Hellfire, CMs Ordinn and Tseric orchestrated the destruction of this fine city, throwing wave after wave of bosses at the city's populace. Want to see what happens when the game's most dangerous monsters converge on a single city center? Well, read on to find out.
Faience's adventures in Outland: Elites? What elites?
I'm sure we're all familiar with the elite quests scattered throughout Azeroth. Or if not familiar with the particulars of each and every one of them, at least aware that there exists such a thing as quests that are flagged "elite" that involve killing more powerful "elite" monsters. Well, in the Burning Crusade you won't be seeing any of those. And, no it's not because Blizzard has decided to remove elites from the game. Instead, Blizzard has dropped the "elite" flag from quests and replaced it with a "group" flag, which I first noticed when questing on my new level 12 Blood Elf. Curious about the above Anok'suten quest, I located a partner and headed out to complete it immediately -- in the end it involved killing a single level 11 elite, surrounded by non-elites of around the same level. I might have been able to solo it -- but the suggested players hint is appreciated.And this trend continues into Outland -- only the elites are a bit bigger.
Countdown to Burning Crusade: Vote for day 6 winners!
While we had a lot of excellent entries for the caption contest on day 6 of our countdown to the Burning Crusade, we've narrowed the field down to ten finalists -- and we want you to pick the winner! You have 24 hours to submit your votes, which gives you until 2:30PM EST on Wednesday -- so get voting! Who's the winner of our Horde caption contest? Troll: "Take it easy on the booze Mankrik, it's wasn't your fault she died" Are those leftover Christmas M&Ms coming out of your forehead, or have I had too many Zimas? "You not LOOK twenty one..." On hearing the Horde would soon be flooded with Paladins, an orc consoles his troll friend: "My advice: start drinking heavily." "So you say your a girl IRL..." Unkthar failed, once again, to impress the ladies with his ability to play "Ride of the Valkyrie" on the bottles. "20 gold, same as downtown." "Sorry. Go to an Alliance bar if you want drinks with little unbrellas." "Do you like my barrels?" 6 bottles of troll sweat: 2 gold 3 barrels of Darkmoon Faire Reserve: 15 gold Getting drunk with some friends right before the raid starts: pricle Free polls from Pollhost.com
