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Patch 5.4 hotfixes for September 12
Another round of patch 5.4 hotfixes were released yesterday on the official blog. Along with the changes to Mogu Rune of Fate costs and the addition of Shaohao reputation to one of the daily quests that we mentioned yesterday, there are plenty of other changes to be had. A few class tweaks, some fixes to the Siege of Orgrimmar raid, and one very, very welcome change to the flying denizens of the Timeless Isle. On the Timeless Isle, Highwind Albatross already carrying players will no longer be interrrupted when attacked by other players. It will, however, still drop when attacked by the person hitching a ride in its beak. Worgen and Alliance pandaren players should no longer be mistaken for Horde by Lorewalker Cho when completing the quest A Pandaren Legend. The Flame-Scarred Cache of Offerings rewarded for killing Ordos now has a chance to award Flex Raid quality items, rather than LFR quality. Read on for the full list of hotfixes.
Patch 5.4 hotfixes for September 11
What's the one thing you should always expect on the heels of a brand new patch? Hotfixes -- and Blizzard doesn't disappoint, rolling out the first of what will likely be several batches of hotfixes over the following weeks on the official blog. Along with a few tweaks to the Siege of Orgrimmar raid are some adjustments to creatures and quests on the Timeless Isle and elsewhere. Burning Berserkers and Eternal Kilnmasters on the Timeless Isle will no longer charge players who are not in combat. Zarhym should now be behaving himself and properly despawning after the event to search his body has begun. Hunters on the Timeless Isle that use Dire Beast should no longer be summoning snakes of unusual size. Read on for the full list of hotfixes.
The Daily Grind: How much communication on major bugs is the right amount?
A lot of people were very interested in taking part in Final Fantasy XIV's open beta. Unfortunately, for a substantial number of players, the beta started and stopped with Error 3102. Leaving aside debates about whether or not this should or should not have happened, I think one of the big problems for several players was that the developers simply didn't discuss the issue with players until the test period was nearly over, which meant that there was no way of being certain that anything was being done. You could make the case that it's better for developers to be focusing on actually fixing the problem instead of updating people on the status of the problem. But silence can look a lot like ignorance at a glance, and no one wants to be ignored when something damages the game experience. So today we ask you, readers: How much communication on major bugs is the right amount? Do you want an acknowledgement and nothing more until it's fixed, or do you want hourly status updates from the development team? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Patch 5.3 Hotfixes for July 26
A very tiny batch of hotfixes were pushed over the weekend, and since good things come in small packages, we thought we would share them with you. Nothing hugely exciting unless these happen to apply directly to you, but nonetheless, here they are: Blizzard July 26 Creatures Spirit of Warlord Teng should now properly give credit towards the It Was Worth Every Ritual Stone achievement when defeated. Isle of Thunder Additional fixes for situations where players using incantations to summon bosses are receiving the error message "You can't do that right now." source
Patch 5.3 hotfixes for July 23 and July 19
Hotfixes for this week are very short indeed, but should be welcome for a few frustrated Brawler's Guild players. The occasional client crash that affected some when Ahoo'ru used Divine Circle should now be fixed, so you can't use that as an excuse anymore! Last Friday's hotfixes were a little more comprehensive, and set right a few issues with shaman abilities, quests, raids, and the Battlefield Barrens activities.
Patch 5.3 hotfixes for July 9
A new round of hotfixes for patch 5.3 has been added to the official blog. The list this time around is incredibly short, and just deals with a few bugs and errors for holy paladins and a couple of quest mobs that weren't quite behaving as they should. Rygarius July 9 Classes Paladin Holy Mastery: Illuminated Healing's damage absorption shield should now properly interact with Battle Fatigue on both the initial application and when refreshed. Previously, Battle Fatigue was being incorrectly applied to the damage absorption shield a second time on refresh. Guardian of Ancient Kings (Holy version) should now properly interact with Battle Fatigue. Previously, Battle Fatigue was being incorrectly applied to the ability's subsequent heals. Quests Last Rites: Thassarian should now allow players to speak with them, allowing the quest to be completed. The Darkness Within: Captain Doren should no longer get stuck in evade mode if the player dies when he has less than 3000 health. source
Patch 5.3 hotfixes for July 3
More hotfixes have hit the servers for patch 5.3. Most changes are bug-related, with a particularly fascinating change to the Blood in the Snow scenario. Also, mages should be happy with the latest bug fix to their class as well. Rygarius July 3 Classes Mage Talents Fixed an issue where certain situations could cause Mages to not receive the Invoker's Energy buff after successfully completing an Evocation. Quests Battle for Razor Hill: Fixed an issue where players were becoming stuck because the Zulu Rock buff was not being removed when the player dies. Mogu Incursions: Master Snowdrift should no longer be engaging in combat with Shan'ze Invaders, allowing players to turn-in the quest. Raids, Dungeons and Scenarios Throne of Thunder Ra-den Fixed an issue where Protection Warriors are unable to receive bonus loot upon defeating Ra-den. Scenarios Blood in the Snow: General chat has been temporarily removed from the scenario to fix an issue affecting General chat in Dun Morogh. A proper fix for this is in the works in an upcoming patch. Isle of Thunder Made additional fixes for an issue where players may be unable to summon incantation bosses. source
Patch 5.3 hotfixes for June 24
A new batch of hotfixes for patch 5.3 has been released on the official blog. While the list itself is pretty small, there's one big change in there that ought to make pet collectors very, very happy. In addition, a few changes have been made to Throne of Thunder encounters: Rygarius June 24 Classes Shaman Enhancement Stormblast's damage has been normalized. Unleash Wind's damage has been normalized. Quests Going Bearback: Players should no longer be able to take Icefang outside of the intended quest area. Seeds of Discord: Players attempting to talk to Karr'gonn should now properly receive a dialogue option to distract them. Creatures Ice Caller Briatha, Heretic Bodyguard, and Heretic Emissary can no longer be killed. Pet Battles Battle Pets Qiraji Guardling's spawn rate has been greatly increased. Raids, Dungeons and Scenarios Throne of Thunder Horridon Hex of Confusion can no longer cause players to critically hit themselves. The Soft Hands achievement should now be properly awarded to Priests in Spirit of Redemption form as well as players that are dead. Lei Shen Mages who cast Alter Time while under the effects of Discharged Energy will no longer incorrectly retain the debuff. source
Patch 5.3 hotfixes for June 21
Another round of hotfixes for patch 5.3 were released earlier today to the official site. Once again, the list is short and sweet, with a few adjustments to a Throne of Thunder raid achievement, and a welcome adjustment for those pursuing Challenge Modes. Rygarius Raids, Dungeons and Scenarios Throne of Thunder Ji-Kun The Golden Egg can now only be passed to other players. The Soft Hands achievement should now be properly awarded to Priests in Spirit of Redemption form as well as players that are dead. Dungeons Resetting a Challenge Mode will now reset the cooldowns for Invisibility and Lesser Invisibility Potions. Items Xan'tish's Flute now should properly only able to be used once every 5 minutes and cannot be used while the character is dead. Isle of Thunder Fixed an issue where players were sometimes unable to use incantations to summon bosses. source
Patch 5.3 hotfixes for June 14
New hotfixes for patch 5.3 have just been updated to the official blog. Today's round is short, sweet, and includes one change that should make raiders in LFR breath a small sigh of relief. Rygarius Creatures Kor'kron Commanders are now immune to charms. Raids, Dungeons and Scenarios Throne of Thunder Lei Shen Bouncing Bolts that do not impact with a player will no longer cause Unharnessed Power to spawn on Raid Finder difficulty. Pet Battles PvP Pet Battles are now required to last at least a minute before the match is eligible for experience to be awarded Items Meta and blue gem sockets have been added to helmets awarded from Heroic Scenarios. Bonuses on the helmets have been reduced slightly to offset the addition of those sockets. Brawler's Guild Razorgrin should no longer slowly regenerate health. source That's a pretty big nerf to Lei Shen, even if it is for LFR only. Do you think the nerf was warranted? Do you think other bosses should be adjusted as well?
Patch 5.3 hotfixes for June 10
Another round of hotfixes for patch 5.3 have just been posted to the official blog. Many of today's hotfixes will require a realm restart to address -- expect to see all applicable hotfixes live and functioning after maintenance. This includes that all-important change to Lei Shen and Titan Runestone aquisition! In the Throne of Thunder, Lei Shen will now always drop a Titan Runestone or Secrets of the Empire for players on the legendary quest line. Hey hunters! Arcane Shot, Cobra Shot and Steady Shot will all deal 10% more damage after that realm restart. Durumu and his minions have got us all figured out. Elixirs of Detect Invisibility will no longer allow players to see fog beasts while they are invisible. Read on for the full list of hotfixes.
Patch 5.3 Hotfixes for June 4
The latest batch of hotfixes aren't the hugest or most earth-shattering, but they don't make diamonds as big as bricks. There are several class changes, including some more fixes to the ever-entertaining druid Treants. There are also some fixes to quest bugs, and a small change that makes one particular PvP columnist here at WoW Insider a very happy bunny indeed. No more traveling to Mogushan just to duel! Sun-Lute of the Phoenix King and Retinal Armors should no longer be scaling incorrectly for the level 85-89 bracket for Battlegrounds. Path of the Last Emperor: Fixed an issue where rope anchors were incorrectly despawning for players that moved too far away from Seer Hao Pham Roo. Commandeer That Balloon!: Players should now be able to interact with the rope ladder. Alliance players are now able to initiate duels in the exterior areas around the Shrine of Seven Stars. Hit the break for the full list.
Patch 5.3: Hotfixes for May 22
Another day, another set of hotfixes. Patch 5.3 has not been without its hiccups, with a reasonable list of known issues appearing from Blizzard earlier today. But the developers are fixing the issues as quickly as they appear, with changes already in place to work out the problems encountered in the seat of knowledge, where the lack of a graveyard meant that players were unable to retrieve their corpses. A hotfix has been made which allows players who have died in the Seat of Knowledge to fly back to their bodies with a Spectral Gryphon (Wisp for Night Elves) or a Spectral Wyvern. Is this the first step towards Blizzard allowing corpse flying in Pandaria? Check out all the hotfixes after the break.
Patch 5.3 hotfixes for May 21
Patch 5.3 is officially live on servers -- and of course, with a new patch, we've got a new round of hotfixes. While there are some class tweaks for druids, monks, paladins and shaman, most of the changes involve new content. Or in the case of one change, an adjustment to older content that ought to make pet collectors and Karazhan farmers very happy. In the Chess Event over in Karazhan, the delay between moves for enemy chess pieces has been increased. Out in the Battlefield: Barrens, map markers for caravans that have been destroyed ought to be properly removed from the world map. In addition, overturned caravans should now despawn properly. In scenarios, the issue causing shape-shifted players to not shape-shift back into the correct race has been fixed. Read on for the full list of hotfixes!
Patch 5.2 hotfixes for April 29th and 30th, nerf to Lei Shen
There were a few hotfixes posted earlier this week, on both Monday and Tuesday. On the 29th, both Glorious Conquest Quartermasters took leave from the game for a while. Daxxarri explains in a forum thread that, because Glorious Conquest gear is changing from ilevel 512 to 496, they wanted to remove the vendors before players purchased gear that would end up being a lower ilevel than they bought it for. The change is too big to be implemented via hotfix, so the vendors will be returning with the next major content patch. The hotfix for yesterday was a nerf to the Lei Shen encounter in the Throne of Thunder for Raid Finder groups. Lei Shen's overall hit points have been reduced by 10%, and the Static Shock effect from the North Conduit now deals only 300,000 damage at zero energy, down from 650,000. That's a big change, and hopefully will make that encounter a little simpler for struggling Raid Finder groups.
Patch 5.2 hotfixes for April 22
Some hotfixes went live today after the server restart. The big one that has my guildmates jumping up and down with glee is the change to the cost of Mogu Runes of Fate - they now cost 50 Lesser Charms of Good Fortune, down from 90 previously. Now, I do lots of dailies, so I couldn't get rid of my Lesser Charms fast enough even before the price nerf, but this is a great quality of life change that will give people more Runes of Fate to spend on chances for gear. In addition, players picked from different realms will now be able to get loot and bonus rolls off of Oondasta and Nalak, and there are some minor nerfs to the Twin Consorts fight in Throne of Thunder. The Sinister Primal Diamond has also had some tweaks to its activation rate, particularly for fire mages. The full blue text is below the cut.
Patch 5.2 Hotfixes for April 18
Some like it hot(fixes), and we're no different here at WoW Insider, so when the latest batch dropped we just had to share. We actually posted about one of these changes, regarding the Shado-Pan assault trinkets and their PvP use, earlier today. Let's jump straight in to this latest batch. Blizzard Classes Warlock Destruction Fixed an issue where targets of Havoc were receiving more damage than intended from Immolate. Quests Eyes of the Thunder King: Engaging Unblinking Eyes and Focused Eyes will now place all members of the raid in combat, preventing players from releasing when they die. Raids, Dungeons, and Scenarios Throne of Thunder Ra-den Fixed an issue where it was possible to have 2 instances of Unstable Vita active during the Ra-den encounter. Twin Consorts Crane Rush now deals 5 million damage, down from 30 million damage in Raid Finder difficulty. Items Brutal Talisman of the Shado-Pan Assault now grants a reduced bonus of 4400 to Strength, down from 8800 Strength, and the effect duration now lasts 30 seconds, up from 15 seconds when the effect is activated in PvP combat. Tyrannical Primal Diamond when socketed to a bind-on-equip helmet now causes the helmet to become soulbound. Vicious Talisman of the Shado-Pan Assault now grants a reduced bonus of 4400 to Agility, down from 8800 Agility, and the effect duration now lasts 40 seconds, up from 20 seconds when the effect is activated in PvP combat. Bug Fixes Resolved an issue where Capacitive Primal Diamond's effect was not activating properly. source
Patch 5.2 hotfixes for April 16
The latest set of hotfixes are here, and as you'd expect, a lot of them relate to the Throne of Thunder raid, the last Raid Finder wing of which opened yesterday in the US, and today in the EU. Amongst the abilities and elements which have suffered nerfs, Durumu will now pause for longer after his "Eye Sores" -- the maze of purple doom -- before starting up his regular attacks again. Tortos' whirl turtles have now had an issue removed where, just occasionally, they would proceed towards the boss at what seemed like a glacially slow speed, even when kicked in a timely fashion! What's more, there have been several nerfs to heroic boss abilites, which implies that, with the world first race over, heroic progression might not be going quite as quickly as the development team had imagined. Again, these are targeted nerfs to specific abilities, and to a few bugs, such as Iron Qon's champions trying to reposition themselves. However, Heroic Primordius has taken a flat 11% health nerf in both 10-man and 25-man heroic difficulty. There have also been several adjustments to the procs of the Legendary meta gems, with changes being made to both Clearcasting and Fortitude which should allow them to function correctly. Hit the break for the full changes!
Patch 5.2 hotfixes for April 10
Yesterday's hotfixes may have been a short list, but today's list, just released on the official blog, are slightly more substantial. While there are a few quest fixes and tweaks, the majority of today's list of hotfixes involve the Throne of Thunder raid. Players that are currently raiding in a 10-man group may want to take a look at the list, because damage has been reduced for many of the bosses and boss abilities. Just in case yesterday's Durumu changes weren't enough, Durumu's Disintegration Beam now dissipates sooner before reaching the end of the Maze of Death™. Whirl Turtles on 10-man normal mode Tortos now have a reduced base movement speed. Both the Brutal Talisman of the Shado-Pan Assault and the Vicious Talisman of the Shado-Pan Assault have had their effects adjusted in the case of PvP vs. PvE. Read on for the full list of hotfixes.
Bashiok clarifies changes to Durumu
Last night, Blizzard released some hotfixes that mostly focused on the Durumu encounter in Throne of Thunder. Today on the general forums, community manager Bashiok has responded to a few player questions and clarified some of the rationale behind the changes, as well as announcing that another small hotfix to the encounter will be deployed later today. This newest change will see the death-beam during the maze phase dissipating slightly sooner than before, to balance against the fact that it now moves faster than it did prior to the hotfixes. The sum of these changes should help out those players who were struggling with the fight due to graphics and visuals. Just wanted to follow up with some additional information, as we've seen a few questions since the changes. In a hotfix yesterday, we changed two elements of the Durumu Eye Sore mechanic, or the "maze" as it's more commonly known. First off, we applied a small client patch to increase the visual fidelity of the fill graphic itself, giving the effect less vertical height and hopefully making it easier to see the safe spots as they appear. Feedback on this change has generally been positive. Separately, at the same time we made some adjustments to the logic of how the maze is drawn with respect to the movement of the Disintegration Beam. One of the less intuitive aspects of the original maze mechanic was how it would begin drawing behind you, and how the right thing to do was actually to turn around and back up, towards the approaching death beam, in order to safely enter the forming maze. Why would any sane person want to move closer to a death beam?! We generally are extremely cautious about making gameplay adjustments to encounters once players have already learned them, but in this case the opening of the Halls of Flesh-Shaping LFR wing highlighted the fact that the mechanic was a particular source of confusion to many players, and the longer we waited to make any adjustment, the more disorienting it would be if we did change anything. So what we did was make the maze immediately begin drawing in front of the player as the beam activates, so that you never need to turn around and run towards the beam. This also effectively gives players a slight head-start on the beam as it begins to move. To maintain the same sense of urgency, the beam does move slightly more quickly now, so that it will, over the course of the phase, catch up to players and negate that head start. But the player movement required once you're actually running the maze should be unchanged. We have noted, however, that at the very end of the maze sequence, it can now feel like the fast-approaching death ray is going to reach you, making it feel like you're stuck between a rock and a hard place. To address that concern, we are making another adjustment today, which will cause the death ray to dissipate a few seconds earlier at the end of the maze. source
