durnholde
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The (lack of) reality in the Caverns of Time
I've always considered the Caverns of Time to be like the theme park of Azeroth -- as we've discussed before, there aren't really any reasons to go to some of those instances in the first place, and the whole thing seems just so ludicrous. If we wipe, or we don't go in there, and Thrall isn't able to escape Durnholde or Arthas isn't able to murder Stratholme or any of the other premises they have set up, then wouldn't the world as we know it change? It seems like fan service -- Blizzard wants us to visit these great parts of lore, and it just seems to me like they've cooked up a weak story around getting us there.Which is why I was surprised to read this post over on Mystic Chicanery. They argue that the Caverns of Time are actually the most "real" of all the instances in the game. If we go into Utgarde Pinnacle, for example, and murder King Ymiron, there's no reason why he should be in there again the next time we head in. And yet he is -- we can go in and murder him time and time again, doing the same thing, and getting loot every single time. But in CoT, there's a logical explanation for why the instances are always the same: to the people we're encountering in the instances, it's the first time we've met them. From the outside world, the CoT instances may seem strange (the first time I was in Durnholde, we wiped with Thrall, and I jokingly checked with my guild to see if Thrall was still standing in Orgrimmar, alive and well -- he was), but inside the continuity of those instances, they work.Of course, we do still get different loot from it every time, as the MC post notices. But it is quite a thought: even though the Caverns of Time instances are the ones in the game that seem to least need us messing around in there, they also might just be the most logical.
15 Minutes of Fame: 10-boxing Karazhan, Part 2
15 Minutes of Fame is our look at World of Warcraft players of all shapes and sizes – from the renowned to the relatively anonymous, the remarkable to the player next door. Tip us off to players you'd like to hear more about.Last week, 15 Minutes of Fame visited with multiboxer Nixi of team Absolute Power-H of Archimonde to bring WoW Insider readers his 10-boxing strategy for Karazhan. This week, we'll step back for a look at Nixi's hardware setup, his top five tips for new multiboxers and a broader look at why he's a 'boxer.Catch up with 10-boxing Karazhan Part 1, then join us after the break for an inside look at Nixi's 10-boxing team.
Insider Trader: Faction recipes for jewelcrafters, part two
Insider Trader is your inside line on making, selling, buying and using player-made products.For the past several weeks, Insider Trader has been examining the recipes that craftsmen can acquire from factions by earning reputation with them.So far, we've covered: Designs for jewelcrafters, part one. Plans for blacksmiths. Recipes for alchemists. Patterns for leatherworkers. Patterns for tailors. Last week, we covered several factions that offer jewelcrafting recipes, but because of the sheer number available, are continuing with the last five factions this week. The first five factions listed here can be viewed by checking out last week's edition of Insider Trader, while the last five factions, in bold text, will be covered today. Violet Eye, honored. (Karazhan) Thrallmar or Honor Hold, revered. Lower City, revered. Aldor or Scryers, revered. Sha'tar, revered. Keepers of Time, revered. Scale of the Sands, revered. (Mount Hyjal) Cenarion Expedition, exalted. Consortium, exalted. Shattered Sun Offensive, exalted.
Around Azeroth: The CoT swirl
Waiting for a tank to fill the last slot in his pick up group for Durnholde, player Corvia decided to take a break in one of the swirls in the Caverns of Time. A camera move later revealed a very cool symmetrical pattern with his party in key positions.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! Remember to include your player name, server and/or guild if you want it mentioned. We prefer full screen shots without the UI showing. And please, no more sunsets. No, really. Ok, only if it's a sunrise in new Patch 2.4 lands. We'll take those anytime.%Gallery-1816%
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?
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: Moonrise over Durnholde
I'm guessing most of you have been to Durnholde Keep in the Hillsbrad Foothills -- it's a common mid-range leveling zone for both Horde and Alliance characters. However, despite the number of times I know I've been here, I don't recall the sky being quite as impressive as it is in this screenshot sent in by reader Vespa. Maybe I've just never paid enough attention...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%
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.
Meet the new endgame, much harder than the old
I don't know if you all have noticed yet, but the 5 man dungeons in Outland are hard. Like they actually require skill, group coordination, and class knowledge hard. Like Coldlight on the forums, I love it.When you first get in there, things start out fairly easy-- Ramparts and Blood Furnace bosses have their quirks (the last guy in Blood Furnace plays out like a mini-Geddon with the AoE, but he gives you so much warning, it's no real trouble to get away in time), but the good stuff starts coming later. In Slave Pens, there are trash mobs (not bosses) that lay down mind control, and they come with a whole crowd of people. There are 5 man bosses in Auchindoin that do some nasty AoE and bosses that require DPS control (the stuff that Dives yells about). Durnholde and Black Morass in CoT are two tough instances that grab on to you and don't let go until you're all dead or the instance is over. And then, just when you think you've broken everything Blizzard has to offer, you try Heroic mode, and the difficulty ramps right back up again (perhaps in disproportion to the gear offered, but that's another story).WoW is not a hard game by any means-- that's why so many people like it so much. But especially now, when almost no one has picked up the top endgame gear, more than a few groups are actually finding a serious challenge. I'm having a lot of fun working through it (wiping isn't that fun, but winning after the wipe is), but players who were just messing around in PUGs before are being forced to learn their stuff, or wipe out. It's a whole new endgame out there.
