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Patch 5.2 PTR: Meeting Megaera
Megaera is the fifth boss in the the new patch 5.2 raid instance Throne of Thunder. Some of the players who have witnessed this boss have deemed it "Magmaw 2.0". The story of Megaera is a tragic one. Lei Shen took a young cloud serpent, turned it into a multi-headed hydra, then stuffed it somewhere in the depths of Lei Shen's throne. She's actually not that far off from Tortos. Those two should hang out more often. Anyway, have you ever heard of the Lernaean Hydra that Hercules killed as a part of his 12 Labors? Like the hydra in that story, when one of Megaera's head is destroyed, two more heads will then spawn in it's place. Her body takes damage that's equal to the head's maximum health. Bad news? You can't seal off the heads when you kill one.
Patch 5.2 PTR: Introduction to Thunder Isle
With patch 5.2 slowly getting closer to a release on live servers, a minor quest has been added for both factions to help send players to the Isle of the Thunder King. You'll see a quest discovery on the side where you'll be summoned. Your help is needed. Warning: Spoilers for patch 5.2 content incoming! Don't hit the link if you don't want to know what happens or why the Alliance and Horde are here!
A game frozen in amber
This isn't the game I started playing! This is a paraphrasing, of course, but the mentality is real enough. People lament that the communities have changed, that raiding has changed, that gearing has changed, that dungeons have changed, that how we play has changed, that our classes have changed. And every individual has to answer for him or herself whether or not the game has changed enough that it's not worth playing for you anymore. Personally, I recommend that if you feel that way, you stop playing. But more importantly, it must be stated that the change we're discussing is an inevitability, especially since it's basically stated that World of Warcraft is more likely to see expansions and additions than a sequel ala Guild Wars 2 or EverQuest 2. WoW is going to keep changing as long as it exists, trying to address player concerns and improve its systems even as it gains new levels and sees new content. This is the nature of the beast - it will never be 2004 again, and I will never be a low level warrior getting Charge for the first time and ramming myself headlong into spiders. The game cannot, will not, and most importantly should not freeze, not even to stay at the exact combination you found the most fun.
Patch 5.2 PTR: Finding mantid dig sites will be a breeze in 5.2
Archaeology has always been one of those professions that you either love or hate, with little room in between. While the profession as a whole was fairly klonky in Cataclysm, improvements introduced in Mists of Pandaria helped to streamline the process a little for players. The biggest improvement by far was the ability to turn in crated relics from Pandaria in exchange for fragments from any dig site type on Azeroth -- which meant that players no longer had to dig endlessly on Kalimdor, hoping for a Tol'vir dig site to pop up. However, the new treatment of the Archaeology profession apparently doesn't stop there. Patch 5.2 noted that a new section of Archaeology would be added for the mantid, giving players with a penchant for procuring priceless pieces something new to dig for. But as far as we knew, this meant a return to the days of endlessly digging a continent, hoping for one particular variety of dig site to pop up -- which really wasn't an ideal situation at all. It looks like the Lorewalkers have thought ahead with a solution for this already. Wowhead dug up a new item in the 5.2 files called the Mantid Artifact Sonic Locator. This item will let you convert any Pandaria dig site into a mantid site, allowing those that have completed the other sections of Pandaria archaeology to simply get straight to the mantid stuff. The item requires exalted reputation with the Lorewalkers, and stacks to 20, which leads one to believe it disappears upon use. While we don't know the cost of the item, it's likely you're either going to have to pay gold, or more crated artifacts from Pandaria to purchase. Regardless, it's nice to see that the devs are still thinking about both Archaeology and the Lorewalkers as the expansion moves on. Mists of Pandaria is here! The level cap has been raised to 90, many players have returned to Azeroth, and pet battles are taking the world by storm. Keep an eye out for all of the latest news, and check out our comprehensive guide to Mists of Pandaria for everything you'll ever need to know.
Patch 5.2 PTR: Three new vanity pets introduced
Several new pets have already been datamined from the 5.2 PTR, but Wowhead has dug up another trio to add to the pile. The Zandalari Anklerender, Zandalari Footslasher, and Zandalari Toenibbler have all been added to the latest list of items to hit the PTR. Although no models appear to be available for the critters just yet, the names suggest that they'll bear a resemblance to the Zandalari Kneebiter datamined just after the PTR files were discovered. Despite not really knowing where the little guys are going to come from, how much they're going to cost, or how exactly they'll hold up in Pet Battles, I want them. I want them all. How can you not love the idea of having a legion of tiny little anklebiters at your beck and call? Honestly, the only thing I'm wondering is how they manage to keep their head held high when they're essentially wearing an eensy little brick as a helmet. For more fun toys, pets, and other datamined items, check out the latest news post over on Wowhead. Edit: The intrepid users over at Wowhead have not only dug up screenshots of the little guys, but more information on where to get them! You can find all four pets on the Isle of Giants, as a random drop from mobs.
Patch 5.2 PTR: Additional Wrathion quest sound files
Spoiler Alert: Adriacraft has been back with more of their datamined audio files, and wow, these ones have some spoilers in them. If you don't want to have spoilers about Wrathion's questline, or anything else for that matter, definitely don't watch the video, or hit the break to read any more of this post. Final Warning: Spoilers after the break. Really big spoilers. Do not hit the link below if you don't want to know.
Patch 5.2 PTR: PvP Interface gets a makeover
On the patch 5.2 PTR, the PvP interface has had a much-needed makeover. You can see the results above. The revamp has made the system far more intuitive to use, and brought it in line with the PvE queue screen. Clicking one of the three lines on the left-hand side will bring up the various options available to earn that currency, or, in the case of War Games, a brief explanation on how this under-used feature works, and how to set up a War Game. Perhaps this will result in more players using them, but many still lament the absence of a skirmish system, and there doesn't seem to be a gap for it at present! Moving to the right-hand side, the dice icon next to the Random Battleground is how players will choose which battlegrounds to blacklist. This could be considered an improvement on the current interface, but it's still not entirely obvious that that's what the icon does. In order to queue for specific battlegrounds other than Wintergrasp and Tol Barad, it is necessary to choose them from the drop-down menu at the top right of the screen.
Know Your Lore: The genesis of Garrosh Hellscream
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft. Garrosh Hellscream is almost an enigma in his own right. You wouldn't think that, by first glance -- after all, right now he fits the bill of brutal orc bent on global domination. But Garrosh's story has had so many moments between the depressed and unwilling would-be leader of Garadar, and the bloodthirsty warleader of Mists of Pandaria that it's difficult to determine where, exactly, he went from point A to point B. I've been asked about it before by many, but KyleCaligiuri phrased it really well, so I'll reprint the question here. Is there some piece of lore I'm missing explaining Garrosh's actions between Cataclysm and Tides of War? Shattering helped put a *bit* of a positive light on Garrosh after WotLK, I felt, since he was remorseful about what happened with Cairne (in that he didn't want to win by cheating...) and I felt his leader short story did as well, if I remember correctly. I'm now playing through the Horde campaign finally, and the events in Stonetalon further point that he is all about honor and pride in the Horde. Also, Ragefire Chasm is all about defeating the dark shaman so that they don't end up with another threat like the Twilight's Hammer or Burning Blade. Yet, this is all contradicted in Tides of War, where he drops a bomb just as Krom'gar did in Stonetalon, and embraces the dark shaman. I'm only up to Desolace right now in the Horde campaign, so do we see his progression toward the more corrupt Garrosh, or is this still yet to be explained? It's that disconnect between moments that confuses people. Garrosh may be many things, but two-dimensional is not one of them. Who is Garrosh Hellscream, and how did he find his way to this path that flies in the face of his previous actions?
Patch 5.2: Work orders allow reputation gain through your farm
Work orders are in in the patch 5.2 PTR, allowing players to gain reputation with other factions by farming. You can see Matticus' character here being offered several work orders from other factions. Wowhead has datamined many of the quests, indicating that, for now at least, they are available purely for factions added in patch 5.0.4 and patch 5.1. It's no great surprise that the new factions aren't included in these work orders, to be able to earn reputation for the new factions by farming would be rather strange when they have only just appeared. There doesn't, at present, appear to be any prior reputation requirement to get these work order quests, but you do have to have bought your farm in order to receive the work orders, so a considerable dose of Tillers work is required. Edit: A blue post has clarified that you no longer have to buy the farm to receive and complete work orders, but you will need to be exalted with the Tillers and have all plots unlocked. Once you've bought the farm You'll need to farm specific vegetables for specific factions, so, for example, the Golden Lotus want White Turnips. There's two quests for each faction, so continuing to look at the Golden Lotus, the first quest is to plant 8 White Turnip Seeds, and the second is to harvest 8 Ripe White Turnips, resulting in 40 White Turnips. Only the second part of the quest awards reputation, 300 at the moment, but both currently award 236,000 XP. The general consensus seems to be that any way to gain reputation is a bonus, but these don't seem particularly fast. Do they strike a good balance? Mists of Pandaria is here! The level cap has been raised to 90, many players have returned to Azeroth, and pet battles are taking the world by storm. Keep an eye out for all of the latest news, and check out our comprehensive guide to Mists of Pandaria for everything you'll ever need to know.
Patch 5.2: Engineering gets new battle pet
There's more to patch 5.2 than daily quests, a new raid, new scenarios, two new factions... wow, that's actually a lot of stuff. But also, there are new pets for you pet battle fans. One of them is this lovely fella, Pierre. Pierre is an engineer crafted battle pet who also doubles as a cooking fire. That makes sense because he is a stove, and frankly, puts me in mind of all the people cursed in the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast. So now, engineers can create a robot to force into battle and cook your food for you. Scientific progress apparently now also yells test your might. Engineers can also craft a new Advanced Refrigeration Unit, but apparently they can't force that into a death match -- it's just a 32 slot bag for cooking ingredients. Considering how much of that stuff ends up in your bags, it's probably good to get a new bag for it. Mists of Pandaria is here! The level cap has been raised to 90, many players have returned to Azeroth, and pet battles are taking the world by storm. Keep an eye out for all of the latest news, and check out our comprehensive guide to Mists of Pandaria for everything you'll ever need to know.
We don't need daily quests anymore
I think I've firmly established that I really love doing quests, and that I'm fine with daily quests as a whole. Sure, some of them may have had their moments of extreme frustration, but by and large the daily quest system in Mists of Pandaria is pretty entertaining. But while it's entertaining to me, and it's fine with some players, there are others who cannot stand the system. They hate daily quests. The sight of a blue exclamation point is a source of constant irritation. And it doesn't really matter how you wrap up that package, it's still going to be annoying content that players feel they must complete in order to be competitive. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to matter what is tied to the system, or if it offers rewards of value, like Lesser Charms or valor points. Adding the value to the daily quest system doesn't make completing the quests any more compelling, it just makes them another chore that must be completed. Which is why daily quests need to go away.
Will Patch 5.2 kill PvP twinking?
If you weren't paying close attention to the most recent addition to the patch 5.2 PTR notes, you may have missed this little tidbit that was slipped in at the very end, under "Battlegrounds." Blizzard Players in low-level Battlegrounds will have their effective level raised to the maximum level allowed in that Battleground bracket. Players' base stats and spells are scaled accordingly, and are treated as the same level when determining hits, misses, and critical effect chance. source More clarity from Blizzard is definitely needed surrounding this change, and I for one am surprised this didn't make it into their recent PvP blog. It's a huge change, and blithely alters the scene of one small but much-loved section of the PvP game forever. PvP twinking is essentially participating in the lower level brackets of battlegrounds and arenas, often with an XP-locked character, and gearing that character to the highest achievable standard for its level.
Patch 5.1 hotfixes for January 22
It's time for those hotfixes again. This time around, we're looking at fixes mostly aimed at raid issues -- Sigils of Power and Wisdom will be dropping in separate raids, that Amber-Shaper Un'Sok will behave himself in Raid Finder, and at long last people who've been soloing the Twin Emperors in Ahn'Qiraj now have a fair chance to get that pet, as both emperors will be tagged and lootable by anyone. Patch 5.1 Hotfixes - January 22nd January 22 Raids, Dungeons, and Scenarios Sigils of Power now only drop in Mogu'shan Vaults, and Sigils of Wisdom will only drop in Heart of Fear and Terrace of Endless Spring, with a very small chance to drop in LFR Mogu'shan Vaults. This should ensure that players who had access to Mogu'shan Vaults for a longer period of time are now seeing more Sigils of Wisdom. Heart of Fear Amber-Shaper Un'sok Un'sok's Amber Scalpel will now always be awarded to the correct classes in the Raid Finder version of this encounter. Temple of Ahn'Qiraj Emperor Vek'lor and Emperor Vek'nilash in the Twin Emperors encounter will now always award loot properly when slain. Bug Fixes Progress towards the "Test of Valor" quest and achievement will now be saved when a character changes factions. source Mists of Pandaria is here! The level cap has been raised to 90, many players have returned to Azeroth, and pet battles are taking the world by storm. Keep an eye out for all of the latest news, and check out our comprehensive guide to Mists of Pandaria for everything you'll ever need to know.
Patch 5.2 PTR: New legendary meta gems make their appearance
One of those things that we all get and really don't think much about once we start raiding is the meta gem for our helmet. Ordinarily we just find the one that has the stat we like and forget it, but in patch 5.2 we're going to be presented with a legendary option for the meta gem socket. The Capacitive, Courageous, Indomitable and Sinister Primal Diamonds are all new meta gems that give various new effects, from Spell Haste from the Sinister to the Capacitance effect from the Capacitive. There's also the Tyrannical Primal Diamond, which is PvP oriented but lacks the interesting proc effects of the other legendary gems. Most current primal meta gems just have standing effects like reducing snare and root duration or increased critical damage, so it's interesting to see these new proc based meta gems. Since they're legendaries, I expect they come from the continuation of Wrathion's quest in 5.2, and we'll see how they relate to other benefits like the Crown of Heaven. Mists of Pandaria is here! The level cap has been raised to 90, many players have returned to Azeroth, and pet battles are taking the world by storm. Keep an eye out for all of the latest news, and check out our comprehensive guide to Mists of Pandaria for everything you'll ever need to know.
What I want in patch 5.2 that isn't there yet, and that Rossi didn't mention
The eminent Matt Rossi recently wrote an article detailing what he wanted to see in patch 5.2 that isn't there yet, and while he and I share many of the same opinions, there were things that everyone's favorite warrior left out, in this writer's humble opinion at least. Given that variety is the spice of life, I thought I'd throw my thoughts into the ring for your consideration. 5-man content I heartily agree that more small group content would be fantastic. Scenarios, as someone who mostly enjoys healing and tanking in PvE, don't really do it for me. Yes, they're great for players who focus on DPS, but for those of us who don't, scenarios are less fun. There's no doubt that a healer or a tank is a handy thing to have along in a scenario, but you're not really putting your skills to the test in a situation that's designed for several DPS to complete without your assistance. While I understand Zarhym's assertion that 5-mans would be a bit "funky" at this point in the expansion, and that 5-mans haven't typically been added with every patch in WoW's long and storied history, and whether we really need them or not, I'd love some new 5-man content.
Elder charms only apply to 5.0 raids in Patch 5.2
Blizzard community manager Takralus posted last night, clarifying some upcoming changes to Elder Charms of Good Fortune come patch 5.2. Quote: I have not been able to play PTR and was wondering if there are any non daily ways to collect charms yet? It would be refreshing to be able to acquire Lesser or Elder charms from a non daily quest related way. Adding either Lesser or Greater Charms as a low drop chance to the "Greater Cache of Treasures" from doing random Scenarios seems like an excellent spot to place them to mix it up. Is there anything like this currently on the PTR? Would be a nice change of pace from dailies. Just for clarity's sake, once patch 5.2 is live, Elder Charms of Good Fortune will only apply to Mogu'shan Vaults, Heart of Fear, Terrace of Endless Spring, the Sha of Anger, and Salyis' Warband (Galleon). There will also be a brand new Elder Charm equivalent currently called the Mogu Charm of Fate. MRFs will be used in the new content being released in 5.2 including Throne of Thunder, Nalak the Storm Lord, and Oondasta (ooh, say it again!). They'll still be "purchased" with lesser charms of good fortune though, exactly how the current Lesser Charm to Elder Charm conversion works. We'll be sure to let you guys know how various currencies (including Conquest and Valor) will work before the release of the patch, so you have some time to plan. source So, players who have been collecting lesser charms have nothing to fear, those will still be exchangeable for the relevant charm come patch 5.2, but converting those into Elder Charms will not be on the pre-5.2 to do list. It will certainly be interesting to see what currency changes come to pass in 5.2, it seems likely that Valor and Conquest will be converted to Justice and Honor. That is, however, not certain! What do you think we will see with the arrival of patch 5.2? Mists of Pandaria is here! The level cap has been raised to 90, many players have returned to Azeroth, and pet battles are taking the world by storm. Keep an eye out for all of the latest news, and check out our comprehensive guide to Mists of Pandaria for everything you'll ever need to know.
Patch 5.2 PTR: Elder Charms of Good Fortune now stack to 20
Well, it seems like fortune is smiling on us. Perhaps anticipating our running the daily quests for the Kirin Tor Offensive/Sunreaver Onslaught (which can potentially reward an Elder Charm via specific quests), the amount of Elder Charms of Good Fortune that can stack in our currency tab has been increased. On the live realms you can have a maximum of 10 Elder Charms. On the PTR you can have a max of 20. This is a pretty nice change for people who like to run dailies and would want to move more of those lesser charms out, or even for someone who wants to have as many shots as possible at an upgrade while raiding. I know I'm looking forward to it. Mists of Pandaria is here! The level cap has been raised to 90, many players have returned to Azeroth, and pet battles are taking the world by storm. Keep an eye out for all of the latest news, and check out our comprehensive guide to Mists of Pandaria for everything you'll ever need to know.
Check out ten minutes of Asta game footage
The folks at Asta: The War of Tears and Winds are probably hoping that Mists of Pandaria players will crave even more Asian World of Warcraft action as evidenced by a new video that shows off the game's looks and combat. It's a lengthy 10-minute tour that begins with character creation (why are MMO characters so fidgety, anyway?) and progresses through several zones with an emphasis on battles, scenery, and East Asian designs. Asta's been in the making for quite some time now and features a gorgeous look powered by the CryEngine 3. Check out the new footage after the jump and see whether this might tempt you to put your current game down in the future. [Thanks to Paul for the tip!]
Know Your Lore, Tinfoil Hat Edition: In the beginning
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft. In the beginning, the Titans created Azeroth. They set the world in motion, and then left to continue on whatever path it was that the mysterious beings followed. Yet something happened to the planet, something bad enough that it warranted the return of the Titans. Upon their return, they discovered the Old Gods, a malignant group of entities that were intent upon sowing chaos. Perturbed, the Titans tried to kill an Old God -- and they discovered to their horror that killing the Old Gods would kill the very planet itself. And yet, instead of simply rebooting and starting over anew, they kept Azeroth. They imprisoned the Old Gods beneath the surface of the world, and planted various fail-safes to make sure the creatures were never freed. And just in case an Old God managed to escape, Algalon the Observer would visit and determine the status of the world. If it was deemed too far gone, he would activate a signal that would re-originate the world -- Azeroth would be destroyed and rebooted. Why did they leave Azeroth alone? Why didn't they simply re-originate the world at the first sign of trouble? Why put in a failsafe to do so, instead of taking care of the problem immediately? But perhaps most importantly ... What is Azeroth? Today's Know Your Lore is a Tinfoil Hat edition, meaning the following is a look into what has gone before with pure speculation on how it happened. These speculations are merely theories and shouldn't be taken as fact or official lore. Please note: This edition of KYL also contains some spoilers for patch 5.2 content.
Mists of Pandaria is our Emerald Dream expansion
Back in the days of vanilla, life was very much about exploration. Even though the world of Azeroth was admittedly massive, there were still areas players couldn't get to -- tantalizing areas that were made inaccessible either by steep mountain faces, or simply being someplace under the world map where no one could get to. One of these areas was the Emerald Dream, shown above. Despite not being in the game as playable content, the zones still existed. This led to all kinds of speculation about an upcoming Emerald Dream expansion. Players assumed that these files meant that we were eventually headed for the lush green lands of Ysera and her amazing druid friends. Yet despite the presence of the maps, it never happened. Ysera is now devoid of her powers as of the end of Cataclysm, whatever that implies towards her relationship with the Emerald Dream. By Cataclysm, it became apparent that whatever mysteries those old maps held, the Emerald Dream was just an idea lost in time. Or was it? Maybe we're playing through the Emerald Dream right now.
