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Tuesday Morning Post: Not looking at explosions edition
Happy Tuesday morning, everyone! So hopefully by now, most of us have had plenty of time to get knee deep in the fastest selling computer game of all time. Some of us are level 85, some of us aren't; some have switched over to worgen and goblins or other characters, some of us are too busy not looking at explosions. Whatever your pursuit, we wish you lots of luck and lots of fun. With that in mind, if you're still confused by all the changes in Cataclysm or you're still struggling to level your character, don't worry. We've got you covered. You can always check our Cataclysm coverage page for a roundup of the best guides and latest news, or you can read on now as we cover everything we've reported on since last Tuesday. Don't worry, the servers are down from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. Pacific time, so you'll have plenty of time to read.
Cataclysm launches in Europe, servers currently down [Updated]
In what may be the least surprising event of the year, Europe's World of Warcraft servers have gone down almost immediately after the expansion's launch in that region. Even Europe's Battle.net web resources appear to be down for maintenance (or are merely offline due to overwhelming load). How long will this downtime last? We're not sure, but we will do our very best to keep you updated on European server status. European players, if you have any tips or updates on your server's status, don't be afraid to contact us via our tip line. We love to hear from you! Update: It appears the culprit is the login/authentication server. Once you beat the login boss, the game realms themselves seem to be running just fine.
Tuesday Morning Post: Altoholics Anonymous edition
You know, I was just going to take it easy until Cataclysm, even with The Shattering upon us, even with the new race/class combos. I figured I'd grab a few of the new pets on my death knight and just coast until it was time to start leveling. Then I figured, what the heck, let's roll a gnome priest and check out the new gnome starting zone. You can see from the picture above where that ended up. She's level 39 now and still going strong! I'm not the only one who's rolled a new character, either. I've seen a lot of human hunters and night elf mages around, and I'm hearing horror stories of Orgrimmar drowning in a tide of technicolored troll druids as well. That's right, The Shattering is upon us, and apparently all it's really shattered for most of us is any boredom with the game. There's a lot of good stuff going on right now -- and we, of course, have it all here. With today's extended maintenance of 3-11 a.m. Pacific time, you should have time to catch up, right? Read on for a roundup of all the latest happenings.
Tuesday Morning Post: Shattered edition
Happy Tuesday morning, everyone! Patch 4.0.3 was released last week, but everyone knows that's not the big news. No, that was just the first rumblings of change. Patch 4.0.3a only just went up on the PTR, but it looks like it's already headed to the live servers. This means we'll be getting a lot of changes, including the new version of the old world and the new race/class combos. Just to be clear, Blizzard is currently saying that you will be able to race change to those new combos right away, no matter what it had said before. Also coming this patch is a nice 20 percent reduction in leveling experience for the level 70 to level 80 grind, as well as changes to the Loremaster achievement. Daunted by all the changes? Don't worry, with a 3 a.m. to 11 a.m. Pacific downtime coming our way, you should have time to read up on all of it. Keep it tuned here for news throughout the morning, and read on now for a look back at what we've already talked about.
PSA: PlayStation Network down for maintenance until 8PM ET
Unable to connect to the PlayStation Network? Don't worry, it's not your console -- it's everyone's in the United States. With no apparent warning, PSN was taken offline for maintenance at 11:05AM ET this morning and is due to be back up-and-running again by 8PM ET. Sony announced the unexpected downtime in a tweet after maintenance had begun. You may be able to access your friends list and other services sporadically, but Sony isn't making any promises as to how long even limited functionality will be possible. Oh, and if you see a screen with the ominous warning that "the PlayStation Network has been suspended," it's just a confusing way of saying that the network is down for service -- it doesn't mean your account has been suspended. Phew. We'll leave it to your imagination to fantasize about all of the exciting changes that actually aren't happening behind-the-scenes, like the roll out of cross-game voice chat. Go ahead and muse with your fellow commenters while we put on a fresh pot of coffee. Won't you stay awhile?
Tuesday Morning Post: Elemental extended maintenance edition
Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. We're barreling headlong into the Cataclysm opening event, including fighting in the cities, so if you've been lax in logging on, now might be a good time to start. After all, there's loot and achievements to be had, and stuff. That said, you won't be able to log on for a bit this morning, as the servers are going down for extended maintenance from 3 a.m. to 11 a.m. PST. Personally, I'm blaming this on the fire elementals. I bet they got into the hardware. Luckily, we got your back with lots of good stuff to read from the past week while we wait for the servers to come back up. Keep it right here with us, and we'll get through the downtime withdrawal together, I promise. We have our usual list of hot topics and useful guides below.
Tuesday Morning Post: Elementals everywhere edition
Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. While we're all holding our breaths waiting for Dec. 7, don't think things have slowed down, either. The elemental invasion event is in full swing, with a new phase every week. Before you know it, we'll be seeing Patch 4.0.3 and a whole new world (of Warcraft) laid out before us. Get those last-minute achievements done now, folks, it'll be here before you know it. For now, though, we have a few weeks, and Tuesday morning is as good a time as any to stand back and take stock of what's going in the game we all love. We have the usual roundup of hot news and useful guides straight ahead.
Tuesday Morning Post: Countdown to Cataclysm edition
Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. The big news of the moment actually started up last night: The next phase of the pre-Cataclysm world event has begun. This means we're ever closer to patch 4.0.3 and the release of Cataclysm. It feels like we've really cleared a hurdle here, so better get that old content done while you can. Of course, there's plenty of other news to sift through. We have few articles left from BlizzCon, for example. Also in awesome news is that The Shattering now has a much-deserved slot on the New York Times best-seller list. Downtime for maintenance consists only of a quick set of rolling restarts at 5 a.m., but it can't hurt to take a break and do some reading, right? We have our usual roundup after the break.
Login server issues this evening
Many players are getting login server errors when trying to get into the live servers, the beta servers or when attempting to pre-order their copies of Cataclysm. Blizzard says that it is a known issue. Davidedl This is a known issue. We are working on getting this resolved as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience and I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. source We'll keep you up to date with any developments. Update 8:45 p.m. EDT: Many are reporting that the login servers are working again, however Battle.net is down for maintenance. [Thanks to everyone who sent this tip in!]
PSA: PSN down for maintenance until 6:30 p.m. EST
So, you had big plans for this Thursday morning, all involving using the PS3's online services? Maybe you had your eye on a new demo on the PlayStation Store? Maybe you wanted to confuse the bejeezus out of some fools with a little Quincying to start your day? Well, you can't. The PlayStation Network is down, and should stay that way until around 6:30 p.m. EST. Europeans can look forward to their PSN going offline between 16:00 today and 00:30 BST tomorrow morning. This downtime is set aside for the service's regularly scheduled maintenance, which is necessary, we suppose. We mean, have you ever worked in the same building as a server that hasn't been washed in a month or two? Those things can develop some wicked B.O..
Tuesday Morning Post: Jaina Proudmoore is awesome edition
Happy Tuesday morning, everyone, and welcome to the week after BlizzCon 2010. This year was pretty sparse on WoW news, but there was still some cool stuff to see, including the new worgen cinematic. Luckily, the main reason everyone was there went off without a hitch: the WoW Insider reader meetup. Seriously, guys, it seemed like half the BlizzCon was there, including some pretty awesome special guests, and the prizes and alcohol both flowed like water. It was such an amazing party, and we're all looking forward to doing it again next year. Whether you've made it before or not, we'd love to see you there. Now, given the nature of the news this week, I could just throw up a picture of the BlizzCon sign as my header and be done with it. But I'm not going to do that. Instead, have a picture of Jaina Proudmoore. I have to admit, between the state of Dustwallow Marsh and the incidents at Undercity and Dalaran, I lost a lot of faith in Jaina. She just didn't seem to have any dignity or grace anymore. The woman I admired in Warcraft 3 was gone. But Christie Golden changed that. In The Shattering, she let me respect Jaina again, as a strong woman who still loves the Alliance but won't give up on peace, standing up to her King and even, if needed, to Thrall, even as she maintains strong friendships with both of them. Thank you, Christie. Thank you for letting me love Jaina again. Anyhow, with that bit of rampant fanboying out of the way, I should warn you that we do have the usual 5-11 a.m. downtime this morning. Luckily, between BlizzCon and patch 4.0.1, there's plenty of news for you to catch up on. You can start with our usual list, after the break.
Tuesday Morning Post: No pre-BlizzCon lull edition
Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. BlizzCon may be just around the corner, but don't make the mistake of thinking that everything's fallen into a lull because of that. There's a lot of pretty awesome stuff that's gone down in the last few days. Patch 4.0.1 is out, and it's changed the world (of Warcraft) forever. We also got to see the Cataclysm opening cinematic. I, personally, was underwhelmed, but I seem to be one of about three people who feel that way, so I'm sure you'll like it if you haven't seen it yet. In addition, Hallow's End is now on live servers, so you have a few more weeks to grab that elusive horse mount or pet, assuming you don't crash. Of course, my personal choice for the best news of Patch 4.0.1 is the fact that Anzu is up all the time. Don't get me wrong, I had a druid in Burning Crusade, and the epic flight form quest was amazing, but I want a giant frickin technicolored bird on my death knight now, and I'm pretty happy I won't have to drag around a druid for that. There's plenty of more patch 4.0.1 news to peruse and guidance to absorb, and since it's maintenance Tuesday, you should have some time to absorb it all. Check out our usual roundup after the break!
Updated: All realms now online
Updated: All realms are now available. Re: Rolling Realm Restarts 10/14/2010 All realms are online and available for play! See you all ingame source After announcing rolling restarts on all U.S. and Oceanic realms last night, Blizzard has confirmed that all U.S. realms are currently offline due to an unforeseen technical issue. We will have more information when those issues are resolved. Re: Rolling Realm Restarts 10/14/2010 All US realms are temporarily unavailable due to an unforeseen technical issue. We are unable to provide an estimate on when these issues will be resolved. source
Tuesday Morning Post: The greatest post in the world tribute edition
Happy Tuesday Morning, everyone! All right, I know that there's that silly little patch 4.0.1 going live today, but honestly, that doesn't even faze me. Do you know why? That's because Tenacious D is performing at BlizzCon. Step aside, Ozzy. The true kings of rock are rocking the closing ceremonies. Consider me moved, gentlemen. Consider me moved. But seriously, with patch 4.0.1 going live today, there's a lot of stuff you're going to need to know, and WoW Insider has you covered. With this whole 12-hour downtime thing we got going on right now, it's the perfect time to read up on all the latest WoW news, including a lot of hints and tips to help you get used to the new patch. We have the usual roundup after the break, and you can stay tuned all day for more news you can use.
Extended realm maintenance for Tuesday, October 12th; Patch 4.0.1 likely
I shook my Imp in a Ball and asked if the pre-Cataclysm patch 4.0.1 would be dropping on Tuesday and he said, "Yes, but if anyone asks ... It wasn't me who told you." Then Blizzard representative Rishgur announced on the forums that we would be having extended maintenance from midnight until noon on Tuesday, Oct. 12. Coincidence? I think not. It's so blatant that even Kaylee Switchgear, our maintenance graphic gnome, thinks we're having a patch. Could some random bug crop up between now and then to crush the hopes and dreams of those of us preparing for a 4.0.1 Tuesday? Sure, but that could happen with just about any patch. What we do know is that realms will be down for 12 hours and Cataclysm is only a month and a half away. Be sure to tune into WoW Insider during the downtime to brush up on your 4.0.1 patch information and all of the class-revamping, reforging, prime-glyphing, guild-member-capping, Azeroth-shattering information. Rishgur We will be performing extended maintenance on Tuesday, October 12th. Maintenance will begin at 12:00 AM PDT and conclude at approximately 12:00 PM PDT. During this time, all realms and many web services will be unavailable. Thank you for your patience. source
Tuesday Morning Post: I'm dreaming of a Cataclysmic Christmas edition
Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. The past few days saw a lot of Cataclysm release date rumors flying around. It seemed like Amazon was constantly waffling between January, December and November, and everyone was reading secret codes on Blizzard's websites and game data. Luckily, however, we do not need to guess anymore. Blizzard has officially announced that the Cataclysm expansion will release on Dec. 7, just in time for both Matthew Rossi's birthday and the feast of St. Nicholas, which is a traditional day of gift-giving in many cultures around the world. Yes, these are hints. Of course, before Cataclysm, we have patch 4.0.1 to contend with, but the exact date it's going live is still up in the air. Still, with the current arena season ending as early as Oct. 12, it's probably soon. Of course, for those of you who are still sort of confused as to what Cataclysm is and what all the hubbub is about, well, we can help with that too. Of course, all this stuff is off in the future. In the here and now, we have the usual scheduled maintenance window of 5-11 a.m. Pacific time. That means you have plenty of time to catch up on all the news from the past few days, and we have it all right here on WoW Insider.
Tuesday Morning Post: A farewell to portals edition
The most staggering news to come out of the Cataclysm beta has hit: There are no more portals in the neutral hubs. That's right, camping out in Dalaran or Shattrath won't get you anywhere anymore. You're going to be moving to Stormwind or Orgrimmar whether you like it or not. There have also been a bunch of wild rumors flying around about Cataclysm's release date. First, Amazon.com started sending out bunches of emails about release date changes which put the release at late November, and now there are rumors of a December release. Of course, they're all rumors; only Blizzard knows for sure, and it isn't talking. Still, 4.0.1 is on the PTR, and the background downloader is chugging away, so it feels like we're on the home stretch, regardless. Maintenance this week consists of rolling restarts at 5 a.m. Pacific time, although a small handful of servers will get the normal 5-11 a.m. downtime. No matter which server you're on, there was a whole lot of interesting news from the live servers, from the beta servers and from the PTR in the past 7 days -- so how about catching up on it right now?
Tuesday Morning Post: Brewfest begins edition
Happy Tuesday Morning, everyone, and welcome to the new WoW Insider! It's time once again for everyone's favorite WoW holiday, Brewfest. Yes, everyone's favorite holiday. If you think it's not yours, you are wrong. It has beer, kodos, and if you're Horde, the ability to see everyone as a hot orc lady. You cannot top that. In addition to the beginning of Brewfest, we've seen some interesting news drop as well, including information on major currency changes coming with patch 4.0.1, new background download data for patch 4.0.1 and a new beta build. The biggest news from the latest beta build seems to the be the fact that worgen get to be their own mounts, but there's tons of other amazing stuff too. We have a list of it, and all the other WoW news, after the break. Don't worry, you have time to read, since we have the usual 5-11 a.m. Pacific downtime today.
PSN undergoing maintenance tomorrow, PSN update due tonight
The PlayStation Network is getting its oil checked and tires rotated tomorrow, September 21, and will knock several features offline during that time. The regular maintenance is expected to run from 8AM-5PM Pacific (11AM-8PM Eastern; 4PM-2AM BST) and will prevent access to the PSN Store, Home, Account Management. Users "may encounter difficulty while signing in to PSN." Due to the maintenance, Sony will have its regular PSN update today. Follow the PlayStation Twitter for updates tomorrow on when the network will return to normal operation.
Tuesday Morning Post: Gnome power edition
Happy Tuesday morning, everyone! In some news that is both Cataclysm related and non-Cataclysm related at the same time, it looks like live servers are finally getting something to cheer about. Not only are the gnome and troll events now live, but patch 4.0.1, which features the Cataclysm class and talent tree changes (but not the geographical changes to the old world), is on the PTR. Could this be a sign that Cataclysm is closer than we think, or will we just have a lot of time to play around with our new talents and content? It's hard to say either way, so be sure to get those events done if you want them. There's no telling how long they'll be on the live servers, and anyway, rumors are placing Cataclysm's release on Nov. 2, closer than you think. You'll have plenty of time to read up on all the news and rumors during the usual downtime this morning, from 5-11 a.m. Pacific time. Whether you're interested in live servers, in the 4.0.1 PTR, or the Cataclysm beta, we got plenty of news to keep you reading, so read on.
