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Tuesday Morning Post: We dislike NDAs edition
Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. It looks like the wheels may finally be in motion, inexorably turning toward the release of Cataclysm. Community Manager Zarhym has confirmed that the family and friends alpha is under way, and signs of the beta have begun to crop up on the official site. Could an actual NDA-free beta be close behind? Speaking of NDAs and betas, now's a good time to remind people of a few things: First, beta invites have not gone out, so if you get an invite in your in-box, be careful. It's very, very likely a scam. Second, the family and friends alpha is under a Non-Disclosure Agreement, so it's likely we won't get much new information, if any, until that's released. Beyond that, there was plenty of other news dropping this week. Children's Week is upon us again, the night elf mohawk has returned and Cataclysm news continues to trickle out, among other things. We do have the usual 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. Pacific downtime window this morning, so since you can't log on to WoW, why not read on? Our usual weekly roundup of the news awaits.
Tuesday Morning Post: Raiding reshuffling redux edition
The big news this week came only yesterday in the form of some basic raid changes coming to Cataclysm. Depending on your perspective, they may or may not be as absolutely earth shattering as the changes to raid sizes at the start of Wrath, but they're still big. The discussion and debate over these changes will continue for many days, and you know we'll be in the thick of it. If raid size debates aren't your cup of tea, there's plenty of other news to peruse. For example, we also got a small sneak peak at Cataclysm's world with some Cataclysm concept art uncovered by Scrolls of Lore. For a roundup of the rest of the week's happenings, you can check below, as usual. You'll have plenty of time to do so, as we will have downtime this morning from 5 AM to 11 AM pacific.
Tuesday Morning Post: And live in harmony harmony oh love edition
Happy Tuesday Morning, everyone! By now, I'm sure you're all aware of the big news: The Sparklepony is here! The Celestial Steed went up for sale on the Blizzard store, causing massive queues and earning Blizzard hundreds of thousands of dollars in the first day alone. You either loved it or you hated it, but either way, it seems to have been a coup for Blizzard. While the pony talk refuses to die down, some people just want it to go away, and luckily for them, there have been other things of note to report. For example, there was also a bit of Cataclysm news this past week. Paladins got their day in the sun with their Cataclysm class preview (along with some extra blue clarification, of course), and we, of course, have analysis for all three talent trees. We also saw the release of a preview of Mount Hyjal, as well as a preview of Vashj'ir, a sunken city of the Naga. There was also a twitter developer chat, where we learned that we'll be able to learn 310% flight for all our current flying mounts in Cataclysm. No matter what type of news you prefer, you'll have some time to get caught up on it thanks to a 5 AM to 11 AM pacific downtime window. You can check after the break for a list of some of the other odds and ends from the past seven days as well, and, as always, keep it here for WoW news as it happens throughout the day.
Tuesday Morning Post: Need more rage edition
Just when it looked like it was going to be a slow news week, here comes Blizzard to the rescue with a few nice little chunks of Cataclysm news. Now I'm not implying anything really, but isn't it sort of funny that only days after Rossi talked rage normalization, we get a nice new writeup on the future of rage in Cataclysm and good old Heroic Strike and Maul? Luckily, Rossi came right back with a quick and dirty guide to the new rage stuff. Of course, if you're not a feral druid or a warrior, you might be more interested in the new information on dispel mechanics in Cataclysm. Of course, As awesome as WoW is and as much as we're eating up this new Cataclysm info with a spoon, everyone needs a break now and then, and on April Fools, we took a few stabs at some new blog concepts. I was very pleased that even my fellow Bloggers are on Team Jacob, that we are willing to publish an awesome guide to the best Mass Effect class ever, and that we were able to use the phrase "Love Glue Gunnin" on the site in a completely legitimate manner. I'm not as pleased about the zombies on my lawn, or that creepy muscle building bear now haunting my dreams, but what can you do? If our little bit of fun didn't satisfy you, you can check out our roundup of some of the other WoW-related April Fool's shenanigans around the web as well, or marvel over the existence of a real version of the EPEEN meter. Whatever strikes your fancy in WoW news, you have plenty of time to read it thanks to today's 5 AM to 11 AM pacific downtime. Continue on for a list of some the best and most interesting news and guides from the past 7 days or so.
Tuesday Morning Post: It's not Las Vegas edition
Welcome everyone, to another news filled Tuesday morning. The big news, of course, is the official announcement of the next BlizzCon. It's happening, but unfortunately, not in Vegas. But hey, it's a blast wherever it's held, even if wherever remains Blizzard's backyard in sunny Anaheim. It's late October this year, which of course has set off tons of speculation about the Cataclysm release date, among other things. Whatever else comes with BlizzCon though, it should be fun and informative. Check out last year's coverage if you forgot just how crazy that whole thing gets. Go ahead, you have time. We'll be down from 5 AM to 11 AM pacific time this morning. Of course, beyond the BlizzCon thing, there's plenty of other news to speak of, especially with Patch 3.3.3 still relatively fresh and requiring hot fixes and even a minor patch. Read on for all the latest WoW Scuttlebutt , and hey, if all else fails, tune into NPR. Our intrepid Editor-in-Chief is on On Point today.
Tuesday Morning Post: Just the patch, ma'am edition
Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. It's a beautiful near-spring morning here on the west coast, especially since, as of this writing, it looks like we'll finally be getting Patch 3.3.3. That means many things, including changes to raid buffs, new found usefulness for Frozen Orbs, abolition of battleground marks, and some pretty cool stuff data mined out of the patch files. It also means we're just a little bit closer to Patch 3.3.5, which promises a new raid dungeon among other things, and maybe even some gnome and troll love. Of course, we have an extended 3 AM to 11 AM pacific downtime to get this patch into place, which means you have time to read up on all this stuff. In addition to our Patch 3.3.3 information page, we'll have additional coverage throughout the morning, and you can read our usual roundup of the news from the past 7 days below:
Tuesday Morning Post: Time change edition
Happy Tuesday Morning, everyone. This morning, we're coming to you earlier than we would have been last week. Or is later? Honestly, this whole time change thing is just making me confused. And sleepy. There's a reason I was never a math major. Luckily, there's nothing like an invigorating round of WoW news to get the blood pumping in the morning. Okay, so technically a cup of coffee would also work, but the machine isn't done percolating yet. Regardless, there's plenty of news to catch up on. There's been some interesting news trickling out of the Game Developer's Conference over in San Francisco, as well as the usual round of Patch 3.3.3 PTR news. Luckily, you'll have time to read it all while the servers are down. With realm maintenance clocking in at only 6 hours today (from 5 AM to 11 AM Pacific), though, I wouldn't expect to see Patch 3.3.3 actually dropping this week, so you'll have to console yourself with the news and wait at least one more week to cash in all those Frozen Orbs. Check out our usual roundup after the break.
Tuesday Morning Post: Beginning of the end edition
Happy Tuesday morning, everyone! I name this week's post not in a negative sense, but in a sense that it does seem like we've officially started winding down Wrath. Specifically, we recently saw the addition of the first edition of the Icecrown Citadel raid buff. It has started at 5%, but will eventually rise to 30%, allowing more and more people to power through the dungeon and see Arthas fall at their feet. It's the end of an era, but I feel the start of a much better one. Of course, that's not to say we're completely out of Wrath yet. We have at least 2 more patches to go, and Patch 3.3.3 PTR news keeps rolling in, as does tons of other news. You'll have the usual maintenance break from WoW this morning, 5 AM to 11 AM pacific, so you have time to get caught up. As usual, here's our list of some of the major stuff from the past 7 days or so:
Tuesday Morning Post: Cataclysmic content edition
Happy Tuesday Morning, everyone. While it was not perhaps a deluge, we did get a few tidbits of Cataclysm news this past week, beginning with the latest Twitter Developer Chat, where the devs dropped hints on such sundry topics as the purification of the plaguelands, cross-realm mail and raids, submarines, a new caverns of time instance, the new class/race combos, and the dance studio. Then we got a very nice info-dump with an informative post on the way statistics will work in Cataclysm. We've already started breaking down what the stat changes mean to various classes and specs, and if your class hasn't been analyzed yet, chances are it will be today or tomorrow. Combine that with some new info from the Patch 3.3.3 PTR, and Blizzard's really packed on the news this cycle. It's only rolling restarts this morning, but don't you deserve a break anyway? Check out our roundup of all the news after the break while you wait for your server to restart and for Ghostcrawler to deliver your moose.
Tuesday Morning Post: It's raining again edition
Did you think things were getting slow in WoW news? Those might have been famous last words, so to speak. It never rains, but it pours. It started early last week with a stream of previews: Of the new battleground honor changes, of the new Ruby Sanctum raid, and a sneak peek behind the curtain of Wintergrasp's faction balancing mechanics. Then, Friday came, and bam. Here comes Patch 3.3.3, with tons of amazing information for everyone to drown in, both in the patch notes and in the game files. If you haven't had a chance to dive into all the Patch 3.3.3 news, now is as good a time as any, since the servers will be down from 3 AM to 11 AM Pacific. Before you ask, we have not heard that the patch is going live as of this writing, and I'd sincerely doubt it myself. It's a bit buggy as it is, and the devs have hinted there's more to be implemented and tested. So feel free to sit back, relax, and peruse the best news from the past week, both from Patch 3.3.3 and beyond, just below.
Tuesday Morning Post: Mooning edition
Happy Tuesday Morning, everyone. Right now, we're sort of hip deep in holidays. Not only is Love Is In The Air winding down, but the Lunar Festival is in full swing. As always, if you need help getting acclimated, we're here for you with an Overachiever guide, which itself includes an elder finding guide. There's been other things going on in and around WoW, of course. The biggest buzz has been from the past few days: Yes, Upper Deck is losing the WoW TCG license, but Blizzard says the game is not going away. Unfortunately, the exact form the new version will take, and who will run and distribute it, are still firmly in the realm of conjecture and rumor as of this writing. If there's one comfort with all this turmoil, it's this: That the World (of Warcraft) is Awesome. Unfortunately, that awesome world will be down for the usual 5 AM to 11 AM pacific time maintenance window this morning, so you'll have plenty of time to catch up on all the news of said world. As usual, we have a list of the some of the most interesting news and other stuff from the past 7 days.
Tuesday Morning Post: In the Air edition
It's been a pretty busy week here in WoW. With Patch 3.3.2 live and the Frostwing Halls open, we quickly saw our first 10-man Lich King kill, followed by our first 25-man Lich King kill, followed shortly by a ban, followed a bit later by the first legitimate 25-man Lich King kill. But if you haven't managed to get him down yet, you're in luck. Blizzard's already making it easier to get to him by removing the limited number of attempts on ICC wing bosses in normal mode. Beyond Icecrown Citadel, we also saw some pretty interesting stuff in and outside the game: Blizzard's planning to offer a premium AH app for the iPhone so you can corner the linen market on the downtown bus. The Love is in the Air holiday is active and completely redesigned, with new achievements, easier existing achievements, and a new boss fight with new holiday loot. Check our Love is In The Air FAQ for information on all the new stuff. Arena season 8 is up and running as well. Unfortunately, even with all this activity, weekly downtime is still upon us. You'll have from 5 AM to 11 AM pacific time to take a break from all this new stuff. As always, I'll suggest that that's an excellent time to read about it instead. Here's a summary of some of our articles from the past 7 days.
Tuesday Morning Post: Ice cold spoilers edition
Happy Tuesday Morning! And yes, it is pretty happy, because it looks like we're getting the long awaited Patch 3.3.2, and with it, season 8, some nice little class changes, and of course, Arthas. We've already seen a leak of the promised final cinematic that occurs after the Lich King battle. Don't click on the link if you don't want to see it, it's a pretty big spoiler. Of course, a new patch means a lot of downtime. So, While you're waiting through the 3 AM to 11 AM Pacific downtime for the servers to come up and the patch to download, have a serving of some of the hottest news and best articles from the past 7 days, and be sure to stay tuned for lots more Patch 3.3.2 news in the coming days.
Tuesday Morning Post: Not the horse edition
Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. With the 5 AM to 11 AM pacific downtime coming our way, it's probably safe to assume we aren't getting Patch 3.3.2 this week. Luckily, that didn't stop Blizzard from releasing the 3.3.2 patch notes over on the Korean WoW site. You'll probably want to give those a look, especially if you're a shaman, warrior, or warlock. On the bright side, the extra week's wait means that means you have at least one more week to master the recently opened Crimson Halls. Be sure to check out our raid boss guide for tips and strats. I'll be honest though, the big story for me this week was the release of the Invincible music. Seriously, this is some amazing music and I can't wait to hear it in game. That said, it better not be about the horse. Seriously, Arthas. I love you and all, but that horse is just dumb. You gotta let it go. It was years ago. No-one liked that horse but you. And seriously, naming it Invincible was just thumbing your nose at fate. No, this had better be a plaintive hymn to the fall of Lordaeron, the loss of innocence, and the beloved prince that you once were, played as the Argent Crusaders and the Ebon Blade carry your body off on a bier while Varian, Jaina, Muradin, Thrall, Saurfang, and Bolvar Fordragon watch solemnly. Yes, I may have put too much thought into this. Anyhow, you didn't come to hear me rant, you came to catch up on your WoW news during the downtime. As such, please find our usual summary of the last 7 days or so below the cut!
Rolling restarts for January 23rd, 2010
It looks like we have some quick play disruption coming our way this Saturday morning, as Blizzard has announced rolling restarts for all realms at 5 AM pacific, or Noon pacific for Oceanic Realms. Judging by Ghostcrawler's words in a recent thread, this is likely meant to jump start the resilience hotfix. Either way, if you're one of those folks weird enough to get up early on a Saturday morning, you may as well grab another hour or sleep or so, since you may not be able to jump on WoW for a 15 minute window. There's still no word on Tuesday's downtime, so maybe we were spoiled by the past couple of weeks. Then again, maybe they're just seeing if they can get that minor patch ready for a release this week too. Either way, keep it here, and we'll keep you informed.
Tuesday Morning Post: Vampire morning edition
Happy Tuesday morning, everyone. As of this writing, the big news of the week is probably the latest Twitter developer chat. If you missed it, we have the transcript. Topics included the fate of Crystalsong Forest, pet scaling buffs, new warlock pets, personal guild banks and other storage issues, and more. Be sure to check it out, it's good reading whether you're focused on Patch 3.3 or on Cataclysm. Coming up, we have the opening of the Crimson Halls, the next wing of Icecrown Citadel. That means lots of vampires. They're blood elf vampires, sure, but blood elves are awesome, so it's all good. And hey, if you dislike blood elves, at least take comfort in the fact that these vampires don't sparkle. Finally, it looks like advance notice for downtime may be the name of the game after all, as we've know about today's downtime for a few days now. It's 3 AM to 11 AM pacific time, if you haven't heard, which means you should have plenty of time to catch up on WoW news. Check out a list of some of our content from the last 7 days below the cut.
Tuesday Morning Post: Anticipation edition
Happy Tuesday Morning, everyone. Today, we have another bout of long expected downtime, with the 5 to 11 AM downtime having been announced way back on Saturday. I'm betting it's to get those Cataclysm alpha servers set up, but we'll see. In fact, in addition to rumblings of new Cataclysm news, these past few days have all been about news of the distant future. Some news about the cancellation of Spiderman 4 might just herald things for the Warcraft movie, for example. In more immediate news, the Plaguewerks have opened up, and people have had a chance to face the new bosses. If you haven't delved in yet, or even if you have, you may find some helpful hints for taking them down right here. Regardless, you have around 6 hours to browse WoW news while you wait for the servers to come back up, so I have the usual list of good stuff to read after the break.
Tuesday Morning Post: Fear and Loathing edition
It was a fleeting dream, but a marvelous one, wasn't it? Attend BlizzCon all day, gamble all night, sleep never. The thought of a Las Vegas BlizzCon pretty much sent us here at the WoW.com into immediate spasms of joy. Unfortunately, they were quickly supplanted by howls of pain and anguish as we discovered that it just the Las Vegas Convention Center jumping the gun, and that we'll probably still be headed to Anaheim for the next BlizzCon. Don't me wrong, Anaheim's pretty cool and all, but it isn't Las Vegas, that's for sure. So unfortunately, I've had to cancel my plans to get a gonzo lawyer and rent an Impala, but what you gonna do? At least we still have the TCG. Maybe one of these years Blizzard will see the light. In the meantime, we'll just continue toiling away in the WoW.com salt mines here as we dream of the big city. This week, there's plenty of news to work through, and with a 3 AM to 11 AM Pacific downtime, you'll have time. Check out the latest gems we've unearthed for you after the break.
Tuesday Morning Post: Premature Patching edition
I honestly did not think there would be any story this week bigger than the microtransactional action of the Blizzard Pet Store (and it's totally going to ruin the game you guys, seriously), but apparently I thought too soon. This very night, as I write this, the servers are in chaotic disarray at the premature issuance of what appears to be a minor patch (sorry, it's not Patch 3.3), causing many people to be completely unable to log into the game. It has been sorted out as of this writing, or should be by the time the servers are back up this morning. Still, I know it soured a lot of people's gaming plans for the night. Oh well, that's what Dragon Age is for, I say. In the meantime, if you're stuck waiting for the servers to come back up and you don't have access to Dragon Age, might I suggest catching up on your WoW news reading? Here's a selection of stuff from the past 7 days or so:
Tuesday Morning Post: Identity Crisis Edition
So race changes are finally live, and with that, you can change your characters in just about every way possible short of class. Different faction? Go for it. Different gender? Change your face? Change your name? It's all good. Heck, you can do it every three days now. It's suddenly like we're all these crazy mutable nameless faceless blobs changing at will and at random, until we're practically a sea of shapeless shapeshifters. Or not. After all, there's still the whole money charge and stuff. Of course, that's not the only big news this week. Chill of the Throne, Icecrown's version of Sunwell Radiance, has been evoking a lot of discussion and a lot of unrest. Did Blizzard make the right choice in adding this much maligned dungeon-specific nerf back into the game? There's plenty of other issues as well, and as we have a nice 3 AM to 11 AM Pacific downtime, you'll have plenty of time to catch up with it all. You can start with some of the links below:
