changes
Latest
Apple pushing the MiniStore with iTunes 7
This has been bothering me since I upgraded to iTunes 7, and I finally laid hands on a copy of v6 to confirm: in v7, Apple seems to be pushing the new MiniStore they introduced in v6.0.2, as in: they don't make turning it off nearly as obvious anymore. Maybe they didn't like the fact that they were subsequently forced into asking permission to run the store, because in v7, there is no 'click down here to toggle me on/off' button. iTunes 7 is pictured above, while a shot of v6's button is below.Yes, users can toggle this store under the View menu in iTunes 7, but the point is they removed the instructional piece, as well as any obvious, visible UI for toggling the store. A missing button might not be a big deal to the typical iTunes-familiar user, but there are plenty others out there who don't bother to go hunting for things like this when they get moved (remember what happened when Microsoft re-arranged the Start menu for Windows XP? Riots, mass panic and a severe shortage of duct tape), and they relegate themselves to complaining about how [insert explicative and optional insult] Apple is for doing this.C'mon Apple, we know you love your store (and we're pretty keen on it ourselves), but you don't need to pull UI tricks like this on your users. Besides, there's plenty of toolbar space down there for everybody; especially for a button that used to live there to begin with.
Mount changes in 1.12.1
Hot off the test realm forums comes a big change to mounts and the way we ride them:Mounts now require only one, shared riding skill (blue mounts require level 75, epic mounts, level 150). Also costs of learning this skill are now significally increased. Previously, cost of learning riding skill was 20 gold for each kind of mount, without any discount. Now it will be 90 gold for level 75 and 900 for level 150. Level 150 of riding skills is required for epic mounts and will most probably include PvP mounts and all mounts that drop in instances (Tiger, Raptor, Baron mount, bug mount and maybe paladin and warlock mount too). For now I can confirm that it is required to ride Stormpike Battle Charger, rest of mounts require confirmation. In addition to the change of riding skills, the costs of Blue and Epic faction mounts has been significally decreased. Now blue mounts costs 10 gold and epic mounts costs 100 gold. As you can see from this screenshot we took on the European PTR, you'll need exalted to buy a mount (as you do currently), but the items have become bind-on-pickup. We can't tell just by playing on the PTR exactly what will happen to our existing riding skills and mounts, so here's hoping we find out more about this change soon.
Breakfast Topic: GM for a Day
Omnipotence, omniscience, and having to deal with users' complaints day in, day out; being a GM has its ups and downs. If you suddenly found yourself in the shoes of a GM, for one single day, what would you do with your power? Is it time for revenge, or would you seek out those in need of help? Would you run rampant on the forums? Glide invisibly around the world?Of course, GMs can't make gameplay changes, but you could perhaps escalate a particular pet proposal that's in the pipeline. The notion of character transfers is one I'd like to put some weight behind, plus some mechanism for international co-operative play. With a GM's power, I'd love to just explore the world, invisible and untouchable. A day might not be long enough, though.
