patch-day
Latest
Aion plans eight-hour downtime for 1.9 patch
Aion's 1.9 patch has gotten a lot of press recently, and rightfully so, given the game-changing updates it brings to the table. With the big day officially scheduled for tomorrow, June 2nd, the community team has updated the official site with word on the expected server downtime, which currently stands at eight hours. The servers will go dark at 4:30am PDT at the start of the process, which works out to an estimated 1.9 launch time of 12:30pm PDT tomorrow. Check out the announcement over at the official site, as well as the patch notes. While you're at it, have a gander at some of our 1.9 coverage to get up to speed on the forthcoming changes.
Fallen Earth's developers talk patch 1.3
Patch day is an exciting time to be playing an MMO, assuming you can look past the various instabilities, server crashes, and inevitable bugs that come with a major update. Even then, there's still the sense of doing something new and different in a familiar game, however touch-and-go the new content might be. Fallen Earth is not too far from their next major patch day, but if you can't wait for the patch to go live, there's a new developer diary and Q&A from Dev Team Lead Marie Croall and Live Team Lead Ian Lemke. The patch's major focus was a thorough revamp of the area around the starter towns, and between those towns and the central cities. It might seem odd to add such a large patch to improve the first few levels of the game, but from the developer's point of view, it's those levels that really first get a player hooked on the game, so they wanted to make it as memorable as possible. There's also some information on Deadfall Point, a new encounter area in Sector Three, offering the higher-level players something new to experience. Be sure to take a look at both features to get a picture of what's coming in the near future for your clone in Fallen Earth.
The best of WoW.com: December 1-8, 2009
It's patch day again in the World of Warcraft, and that means there's a whole bunch of upgrades and updates and brand new challenges, quests and things to do in the most successful MMO ever made. Joystiq's sister site WoW.com has all the patch 3.3 info you'd ever need, from the new Dungeon Finder system to class changes, to all of the various UI tweaks and tips for getting your add-ons ready. Find ten of our most popular posts of the past week after the break, and head over to WoW.com for the latest on the game's newest update.
The best of WoW.com: July 28 - August 4, 2009
It's Patch Day in the World of Warcraft, and if you've never actually played the game, then we'll tell you: it's a lot like Christmas, except it comes a few times a year. A huge patch of free content has been added into the game, and WoW.com is your HQ for all the information you need about all the new instances, items, and features. Check out our most popular posts below, and if you are a WoW player... then what are you doing here? Go see the Argent Tournament! It's out! News WoW.com's Guide to Patch 3.2Everything you need to know (and then some) about the game's newest patch of content. World of Warcraft 3.2 release patch notesThe official word on all of the changes going into the game today. WoW China hit with more censorship on relaunchChina has made some more changes to the game overseas. Priest Q&A releasedBlizzard answers some questions about the game's biggest healing class. Class Q&A: RogueMore class Q&A, this time about the Rogue class. Features Arcane Brilliance: Six essential Mage addons for PvEHere's a real treat for raiding Mages: six addons you probably should be using. Which class gets invited as what?This number cruncher examines the different roles that classes play in groups. World of Warcrafts: Baby Hordie shirtWait, the Horde gets to be evil and look this cute? Unfair! Drama Mamas: Loot and leaving earlyOur new column about drama and how to prevent it examines what to do with that loot your raid is earning. Friday Night Gin: Your weekly blue roundupHave a glass of gin with Ghostcrawler and the other forum blues on Friday night.
Tuesday Morning Post: 3rd patch is the charm edition
We've had a week of Patch 3.1.1, and all seems... well, more or less well. There's been hotfixes nearly every day, and scattered reports that talents are still being wonky for some people, but the major bugs seem to be squelched. Maybe. We have an extended maintenance again this week which will herald patch 3.1.1a. This means you have plenty of time to read WoW Insider. Here's the usual roundup of the past week's hot news.
Tuesday Morning Post: It's Patching Again edition
Welcome to Patch Day! Seems like we were just here, doesn't it? But anyway, it looks like we're headed for 3.1.1 today, which is mostly be bugs fixes that were a bit too involved to be applied via hotfix. That, of course, means we get an extended downtime again, from 3 AM to 11 AM Pacific time. When it rains, it seems it pours! This time, hopefully there won't be any free-playtime-worthy unexpected downtime.While you're waiting for the servers come up so you can continue work on that second champion title or de-arm Kologarn or get started on Season 6, I suggest one of two things: First thing you can do go out and buy Arthas. Unless you won it from us or something. Otherwise, I'd say it's a good morning for catching up WoW Insider. Here's a few suggestions to get you started:
Tuesday Morning Post: Varian Wrynn is my copilot in Patch 3.1 edition
People never believe me when I say the Horde is my favorite of the two factions and that most of my characters are only Alliance because that is the faction my friends play. Of course, this evening, it's easy to see why I sometimes have a hard time convincing them of this fact, as I have spent the last few hours gushing about King Varian Wrynn to anyone who will listen and even a few people who won't. Seriously, if you are in a place that allows the streaming of video and sound, you should watch the new Ulduar trailer. Varian is so amazing, I almost needed a change of pants after I finished watching. But hey, only some of us are lore nerds, and I'm sure a lot of you are here looking for some prime patch 3.1 gameplay and feature information, what with extended maintenance and said patch 3.1 going live today. Luckily, you're in luck. You lucky person you. Expect loads of patch 3.1 information articles and roundups as the day progresses, including dual spec information and galleries showcasing the new sights and sounds of the new patch. In the meantime, you can start your reading with our official constantly updated Guide to Patch 3.1 and this roundup of some of the hottest news from the past week:
3.1 hitting this week? Wryxian drops some hints
EU Blue Wryxian is once again patrolling the forums, dropping hints that patch 3.1 "is coming ... soo ... er ... promptly."Through crystal-ball gazing, the application of logic and, in some cases, sheer desperation, the general consensus has been that the Secrets of Ulduar patch will be dropping this week. Europe's favourite Blue appeared on the forums this morning and left a carefully worded comment:"The patch is definitely coming ... shortly."The 'severe lack of info' might simply be because we announced it, gave further details about it, put it up on the PTR for testing and now we are basically on the verge of releasing it."We certainly haven't been quiet about it. It is coming. And it is coming ... soo ... er ... promptly."Regardless, we should know one way or another in less than twenty four hours. So cross your fingers (and toes) for some extended downtime tomorrow!
Insider Trader: All about patch 3.1
Insider Trader is your inside line on making, selling, buying and using player-made products.This week Insider Trader will be discussing everything craftspeople need to know about patch 3.1. By the end of this article, you will know what you should be doing to prepare for patch day, what will be changing, and how the community is reacting to these changes.I have been covering these topics to the best of my abilities as information has been released and altered over the weeks, but as we draw closer to patch day, the post-patch scene is becoming increasingly easy to visualize.
Breakfast Topic: Fun in the 3.0.8 sun
Patch 3.0.8 is here! So welcome to the new patch -- much like the old patch, only with more lag, crashes every 20 minutes, and plenty of other entertaining bugs! (Don't you just love patch day?) You would think that, by now, we'd have learned that patch days tend to be a bust for playing, but most of us at WoW Insider HQ rushed to log in as soon as the realms were back online, ready to enjoy some 3.0.8 goodness. Boy, were we in for a disappointment. (Though as some of you may have noticed, it was a great time to catch up on old world achievements, since the Wintergrasp bug was only crashing Northrend.) For those of you who decided to spend your Tuesday outside of the game, you managed to miss out on plenty of patch day fun -- but you may be just in time to enjoy stable playtime as Blizzard has scrambled to get things working again. (If you haven't picked up the patch already, here are some download mirrors to help you out.) Were you in-game on Tuesday night? If so, what were your experiences? Get any playtime in?
What are you looking forward to in 3.0.8?
Last night we asked our Twitter followers what they were looking forward to when the realms came back online with patch 3.0.8. (Not on sure what I'm talking about? Here's Twitter in plain English.) Here's what the Twitterati had to say to us (in 140 characters or less):thehatfield @WoWInsider not that excited (my main is a hunter) but probably most looking forward to one shot mining nodes I guess.synae @WoWInsider slow fall castable on others ;-)gimly @WoWInsider I am looking forward to owning a tiger mount on my dranei shaman and I will certainly appreciate faster corpse walksastromoose @WoWInsider Creating a DK on another realm so I can FINALLY hang out in WoW with my mate who has moved to Canada.cuppy @WoWInsider basically just being able to trade Ink of the Sea for Snowfall Ink. That will be rad.Artoo_UK @WoWInsider the new pet collector achievement :)superkathoid @WoWInsider Swipe in cat form! JusticeJuice @WoWInsider Druids with polearms and Holy plate goggles for my pally.grinface @WoWInsider The craftable moonkin boots and the ink-trading for inscribers.str1fe @WoWInsider 3.0.8? Yawn. Dual specs please.Razor1138 @WoWInsider Blood DK buffsBeckaNoel @WoWInsider Casting levitate on everybody! Woot! But...not looking forward to coh having a 6 second cd -.-Kreeoni @WoWInsider LAGFIX!KellyAarons @WoWInsider Druids with polearms!! Nah, I kid. I honestly have no big wants with this patch. Gotta admit lots of great stuff coming though.mattycus @WoWInsider CoH nerf (i'm a priest!) and accelerated sons of hodir rep gainSo what are you looking forward to in 3.0.8? And, yes, in our comments you can use more than 140 characters to express your opinions.
Tuesday Morning Post: Happy 2009 edition
Welcome to the first Tuesday Morning Post of 2009. I trust you've all recovered from your wild New Year's Eve debauchery and ready to face the new year bright eyed and bushy tailed, right? Anyway, you know what would be an awesome way to kick off the new year? With a new patch. This would be the perfect time for 3.0.8 to go live, and with Ghostcrawler talking about changes that will make 3.0.8 but won't make the PTR and yet another 3 AM to 11 AM (Pacific time) downtime this morning, the time is right. Still, I'm not making any predictions, since I've been terrible at predicting 3.0.8 as it is. It could just be that Blizzard is trying to let the servers recover from the holiday season and we still have a week or two to go for the patch. Either way, we have at least 8 hours of downtime coming up, so now's a good time to get caught up on all the latest WoW news. As usual, I have some of the past week's best content for you after the break.
Servers back down: Mailboxes empty [Updated x2]
The realms were briefly up this afternoon. Anyone who logged into them was greeted with everything working smoothly – except for their mailbox.Many people found that they did not have the mail that was previously stored in their mailbox prior to the reset.This is, of course, a big deal for bank alts and others who send tens of thousands of gold through the system. Blizzard has shut down the realms again, and is aware of the problem. Update at 3:35pm: Syndri tells us that they are actively looking for a fix, and that as of yet none has been found. See our realm status post for more information about the extended downtime.Update at 10:34pm: Mail will be reimbursed. More information.We here at WoW Insider would like to encourage Blizzard to just fix it!Stay tuned for more updates.
The Tuesday Morning Post: Varian Wrynn for President
Good Tuesday Morning, everyone, and welcome to patch day 3.0.3. The nice thing about this extended downtime is that it gives you an excuse to go out and vote if you're an American Citizen and you haven't done that early. But hey, if you're like me and you've already voted, you have time to look over some of the WoW news from the past week. First of all, you'll want to check out the patch notes if you haven't already, and keep checking the site throughout the day for analysis of the patch changes. Beyond that, here's some of the highlights of the last week on the site: Hot News and Features Here's some news hot off the presses: The WoTLK Beta is now over. You don't have to go to the live servers, but you can't stay here. As usual, the WoW-themed costumes were out in force for Halloween this year. Check out what some of our readers wore. Everyone seems to have their own opinions on the zombie invasion, from our own Mike Schramm to Fox News to The Times Online. If you're looking to jump into the storyline of WoTLK, check out this quick guide to the lore that you'll want to know before you dive in. Official Midnight WotLK launches have been announced. See if one's coming to a city near you.
What does WoW's Patch 3.0.2 mean for the casual player?
For many Massively readers, playing multiple MMOs is a way of life. With so many exciting and new games to choose from lately, it's really difficult to stick with just one. Chances are you've at least played World of Warcraft, although it may not be your primary game. With the introduction of the newest patch yesterday, a more 'casual' player may be a bit overwhelmed at the enormous scope of changes included in Patch 3.0.2.That's where our sister site WoW Insider has saved the day with their latest WoW, Casually column. In it, we get a brief description of the latest changes in Patch 3.0.2, including the removal of pets and mounts from your inventory space, the new Achievements system, the introduction of the Inscription craft and much more. Check out the complete article, and more on WoW Insider's complete coverage of this newest patch entitled Echoes of Doom.
Don't Panic: Frequently asked questions in 3.0.2
Most realms should be up and running patch 3.0.2 by now soon, and there are a lot of questions floating around, many that we're seeing asked repeatedly. Fortunately, we're here with all the answers. I right-clicked my mount/vanity pet and it disappeared! Where did it go? Mounts and vanity pets get their own tab in the interface now. They will now be learned as spells, and will no longer take up bag space. Where are my Badges of Justice/BG marks/other tokens? Like mounts and pets, they too have their own place out of your bags, in the "currency" tab on your character sheet (default binding "K"). Free bag spaces! It's inventory Christmas. Where's the harbor? Stormwind Harbor is in Stormwind. You can't get to Northrend yet for obvious reasons, but there is a boat to take you to Auberdine. Stormwind city guards will help you get to the harbor, or just head for the tunnel between the park and the Cathedral district.
Extended maintenance for Patch Day
Blizzard has announced that the regular Tuesday maintenance will be extended to a lengthy 12 hours, expected in anticipation of Patch 3.0.2. The new patch, dubbed the Echoes of Doom, will introduce new talents, barber shops, the new Inscription profession, as well as numerous other changes to classes and gameplay to prepare for Wrath of the Lich King in November. The patch is a hefty one, clocking in at slightly over 1Gb, so if you haven't downloaded it yet, be sure to run Blizzard's background downloader and get all the necessary files before the big day. That way, you can hit the ground running as soon as realms come back online. Realms are scheduled to go down at 2 AM Pacific Daylight Time and should go up around 2 PM PDT. Don't worry too much about the exceptionally long 12 hour downtime. We'll keep you company.
Preparing for tomorrow's launch of LotRO Book 14
We know you're excited about tomorrow's new content patch for Lord of the Rings Online. With Book 14, we'll get some wonderful new additions to the game as well as some hearty preparation for Mines of Moria later this year. So it would only make sense that you'd want to play as soon as possible, right? You don't want to sit around patching with everyone else, you want to play the second Book 14 releases!Turbine makes it easy for players to do just that. Their Downloadable Updater will patch Books 13 and 14 onto your computer before the official release hits the live servers. Not only will this let you be ahead of the game, but you can also download this content on another computer, transfer the file onto a disk or device, then run it on your computer with a LotRO client to access the update. The downloaded update won't apply itself until the servers go live on patch day, but consider this a great little tip on getting yourself prepared.
Patches, addons and drama in the forums
While surfing the forums this morning, I came across a little gem of a thread protesting against Blizzard for the following: Breaking "our" addons and mods. Incorporating features from popular addons into the default User Interface, and thus breaking addons and mods. There's also a sentiment that Blizzard is "stealing" these ideas rather than being innovators. Fixing "their" bugs which in turn breaks "our" addons and mods. The suggestion is that they don't care, or could take steps to prevent this. As you can imagine, all sorts of responses cropped up, including the usual people who get into arguments with other posters, players in agreement, joking and sarcastic responses, and of course, an awesome string of blue responses.%Gallery-27848%
Funcom apologizes for downtime, awards free day
Funcom showed some symptoms of growing pains yesterday, as the anxiously anticipated patch for Age of Conan, which promised to bring many important bug fixes, failed to get off the ground until around 7pm EST instead of 12pm EST, as originally scheduled. It's not entirely abnormal for players to clamber about receiving compensation for lost time in situations like these, but it is somewhat rare when a company actually follows through on this expectation.Much to our surprise, Funcom offered an official apology for the delays yesterday, and have granted all active accounts an additional day of play-time to compensate for the outage. We doubt this will quell the steady drumbeat of players who are dissatisfied with the Age of Conan experience, but then, what will?
