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Tuesday Morning Post: Calm after the Storm Edition
So BlizzCon is over. We're wrapping up the last bit of fun stuff from the con floor, including a few galleries and interviews, and looking forward to reporting on the new Cataclysm expansion (Which may even drop in 2010) and Patch 3.3 in the coming weeks. We do have a pretty decent amount of maintenance to get through this morning, so if you missed any of our extensive BlizzCon coverage or any of the news to come down the pipe these past few days, now's a good time to get caught up. We have a few links below to get you started.
Tuesday Morning Post: Have I got a leak for you Edition
Happy Tuesday morning, everyone! By now, I'm sure you've heard the biggest news of the past few days: That's right, we're putting our hat in the ring for the new races. They're coming in Cataclysm, folks. Now, I've already gushed before that I am pretty excited about one of them, but I have to admit, I've been sort of intrigued by the other lately, too. It would be pretty fun to roll up a Priest of Janeiro and have some fun with a Ferengi-like religion of greed that believes that he with the most toys is blessed by Heaven and that not only can you take it with you, you'd better take it with you so that you can bribe your way into a better afterlife.But anyway, leaks aside, there's plenty of other news to read up on this morning during the 5 AM to 11 AM Pacific downtime. Patch 3.2's been out for a week, and if you haven't been able to keep abreast of all the changes, you'll probably want to take a peek at a few of our guides. Check out those and more stories below:
Tuesday Morning Post: Down to the Wire edition
So this is it. A lot of people are saying it, and while there's no word one way or another, it seems like this morning is sort of the deadline. If they don't release Patch 3.2 today, pretty much everyone agrees we'll be lucky to see it before BlizzCon, since they're gonna need to get into gear to get all those special BlizzCon surprises ready for us. Now mind you, by the time you read this, you'll probably know for sure if it's going down. But me, here, on a warm Monday evening, I'm just finishing up some writing before I meet some friends for $2.50 beer night at the local microbrewery. So consider this, if you will, a message from the past, a past where the future was uncertain, but hope reigned supreme; Where we all looked forward to a pleasant evening and a bright tomorrow.Wait? What's that? It is coming out? Oh sweet. Okay guys. Be sure to check out our guide to Patch 3.2 for all the latest new and guides on the new patch content.Also on the list of what is confirmed is that we have extended downtime. All servers will be down from at least 3 AM to 11 AM Pacific time, and a couple battle groups will be down even longer. Considering that, you will probably have some time to catch up recent WoW news, so let me lay it on you:
Tuesday Morning Post: The BlizzCon cometh edition
Good Tuesday morning, everyone! So it looks like we have at least one more week of Patch 3.1. But here's the good news: We're just about to hit August, and August is BlizzCon month! And of course, I know you're all looking forward to the premiere event of BlizzCon, the WoW.com meetup. That's right, we're back and better than ever, and we got a sweet new spot for the shindigs. You can see all the details here and then proceed to make your plans or be jealous as your ability to attend dictates.But seriously, we still got a ways to go until BlizzCon, and hopefully a shorter ways to go until Patch 3.2, but in the meantime, we have a few rolling restarts and a handful of short downtimes to get through. With that in mind, here's some news to keep you busy while you wait for your server.
Tuesday Morning Post: Howling at the maintenance edition
Good Tuesday Morning, everyone. While it seems like the news slowed down a bit this week as compared to the past few, don't think it's been a quiet week by any means. The Background Downloader has started up, which may or may not mean we're pretty close to Patch 3.2 going live, Blizzard is cautioning against wolf-related apparel, and... oh yeah, there was that thing with the Worgen and the Goblins. Could those masks be pointing to next expansion's playable races? Either way, the debate and discussion about them has been jumping all week (I'd totally roll a Worgen Paladin and I hope they keep the running on all fours thing, for the record).But don't be fooled into think that's the only news hitting the presses lately. With downtime coming from 5 AM to 11 AM Pacific time, you probably have time to do some more reading, so here's a few links for your perusal:
Tuesday Morning Post: I believe I can fly at level 60 edition
It's been a week of big news altogether around these parts.Mount changes in Patch 3.2 were probably the biggest news. Not only will we be getting most mounts earlier, but normal flying mounts will gain a pretty sizable speed boost. Of course, this also means that class travel abilities will come earlier as well. And while we're on the whole faster transportation thing, we'll also see new portals to the Dark Portal for both sides, and a new Thunder Bluff Zeppelin for the Horde. And as long as we're on the subject, if you're looking to get a new flying mount because of the Patch 3.2 changes, remember that Mei Francis in Dalaran can hook you up.But there were also a few other big stories and interesting happenings going on in the WoW community this week, and since we're coming up on some downtime from 5 AM to 11 AM pacific this morning, you should have plenty of time to read all about it right here on WoW.com. You'll find our usual 7-day roundup below:
Tuesday Morning Post: Failoc Dodging Edition
Good Tuesday Morning, Everyone! While we're still recovering from the server downtime from last night, we have a whole new patch to muddle through as well, including extended downtime. Not only are all servers down from 3 AM to 11 AM Pacific, but some servers are getting the longer treatment, staying down til 1 PM Pacific. Check here for the list.With that in mind, Tuesday morning is once again the perfect time to catch up on the latest WoW news.Number one story this week was, of course, BlizzCon. Whether for an excuse to take a trip to a Anaheim, to get Grunty, or to (tsk, tsk) just scalp the tickets, thousands of people jumped in the Queue on the morning of May 16th to try to grab those precious tickets. We can say it did at least go smoother than last year, not that's much comfort to those who didn't manage to grab a ticket. Luckily, there's one more sell date on May 30th, and good luck to everyone lining up.Of course, while we continue to see quick hot fixes, we're also expecting a patch to drop soon, Patch 3.1.2, to be exact. Some rumors are placing it at today. Either way, stay tuned to WoW Insider for all the latest throughout the maintenance period and beyond, and while you're waiting for new news, check out the old (but still good) stuff from the last week below:
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:
Tuesday Morning Post: Seriously, You should read this book edition
If I may be allowed to indulge in a little self-aggrandizing on this fine Tuesday morning, I'd like to posit that the best article written this past week was posted on Sunday and written by me. This article is the review of Christie Golden's new Warcraft novel, Arthas. Now, before you accuse me of the sin of Pride, I should say that Alex totally agrees with me, so it's all good. Besides, I had some awesome inspiration courtesy of the book. But my point is, you should go read the review, then go pre-order your copy. It's a pretty good book. If you're a lore or fantasy fan, there's a pretty excellent chance you will not be disappointed. That said, the release date is still a couple weeks off. This means that, in the meantime, you have no Arthas book, so you'll probably want to do the next best thing and read some WoW Insider, like during that 15 minute window while your server's down from rolling restarts this morning. Or longer if you're on one of the servers that may or may not get extra downtime. Here's a few reading suggestions:
Tuesday Morning Post: Vin Diesel is better edition
So here we are. 5 AM Pacific is almost upon us, then we'll have downtime until 11 AM Pacific (Unless they extend it again). That means it's closing time. One last call for exp, so finish your grinding or quest, and whatnot. As usual, I'm going to suggest that you fill that WoW-less void in your life with some browsing of WoW Insider. But first, I have something to get off my chest. It's something I have felt needs saying for a long time, and I'm now I'm going to say it, so listen up: Vin Diesel could beat Chuck Norris any day.I've been saying it for years, seriously. Vin Diesel is so much better than Chuck Norris. Whoever first replaced Chuck Norris with Vin Diesel in all those Barrens Chat jokes, you and I need to have some words, I swear. And now I have even more evidence that Vin Diesel is the true master of badassedness: He actually plays WoW.But anyway, back on topic. That wasn't the biggest piece of news this week, as weird as it may seen. We just got solid confirmation of a new Battleground, not to mention the new gamer fuel and a bunch of UI and Addon news that everyone's still buzzing about. Since we're all stuck not playing WoW for a bit, why not check all that out now? As always, I have a list of the best and hottest news under the cut.
Tuesday Morning Post: Zie Bart Zie edition
Yes, today's title is a horrible pun. To be fair, I blame Rossi. But it was just too awesome NOT to use. Maybe the Argent Tournament will have a circus with a sideshow, then it will even be on topic, in a sort of prophetic off topic sort of way.It's extended maintenance today, from 3 AM to 11 AM Pacific, so we're facing another rather long WoW drought. No, I wouldn't bet on 3.1 going live. I'd say we have at least a few more builds to go for that. Maybe even one later today with all this maintenance stuff going on. But for now, let me do my usual and suggest that you browse WoW Insider in lieu of playing. We have tons of nice juicy 3.1 information for you to dig through. I've compiled some of the best stuff from the past 7 days or so past the break.
Tuesday Morning Post: I hate Peddlefeet edition
So it's been a week since 3.0.9 dropped, but whether by design or coincidence, the attention of the WoW community has been turned away from such paltry issues as class balance and bug fixes in favor of the RNG issues with Love is in the Air and the new information about dual speccing and the whole thing with the Ice Stone.Certainly, those debates will probably rage into the future, but the news we're really hoping for is a 3.1 PTR. We've had a few false starts, but it's getting about time. Hopefully before March, at the least? Regardless of whether we're getting a PTR or not, we do have downtime, from 5 AM to 11 AM Pacific time. That's a nice six hour chunk where you'll have to find something to do that is not playing WoW. May we suggest browsing WoW Insider? As always, we have a list of some of the week's hottest news after the break.
Tuesday Morning Post: 3.0.8 for real this time
Okay, I know, I know, I said I wouldn't predict 3.0.8 again, but well, now it's safe to do so. So I'm going to like, unofficially say now that I am a bit bummed that I may not be able to sell my Relics of Ulduar for my motorcycle fund, but am happy I will be able to get me some extra Sons of Hodir faction since I've been slacking on those dailies.Anyway, with a patch comes a lot of downtime, so as usual, I'd suggest some WoW Insider reading. You'll find a list of some of the major articles and new stories of the past week after the break, with the 3.0.8 stuff up top so you can get up to speed before the servers come up.
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.
Tuesday Morning Post: It's still not patch day, is it?
So we have a 3 AM to 11 AM Pacific downtime today. But honestly, I'm sort of hoping it's not for patch day, because I have a Death Knight column going live later this morning that assumes testing's going to go on for another few weeks. Besides, they just added a few new tweaks to the PTR, so they probably want more time to test them. But just in case today is patch day, here's a pre-emptive mea culpa on that column. But regardless of whether today is patch day or not, we're still talking at least 8 hours of downtime here, and as usual, I choose to take the optimistic view on it. That's right, it's a perfect time to catch up on your World of Warcraft news. As usual, you'll find a list of some of the best content from the past 7 days or so here on WoW Insider after the break. Don't be afraid to dive in and start browsing categories or clicking buttons on the sidebars or the menus above, too. You won't break anything. I think.
The Tuesday Morning Post: It's quiet. Too quiet.
So. Here we are. It's coming up on a month into the expansion and... I don't know, it's sort of quiet. Well, I mean, not too quiet. We have plenty of stuff to do. About half of you are still trying to make it to 80. I say you when I mean us, because I haven't quite made it there myself. In my defense, I'm leveling a Death Knight, so I started handicapped. But anyway, I mean quiet as in, there seems like we should get some earth shattering news soon. Maybe a 3.0.4 PTR if nothing else. But I shouldn't complain, we have a whole expansion to keep us busy for a while. Still, I'm going to make a prophecy anyway. 3.0.4 before the new year. You heard it here first. In the meantime, we'll have to satisfy ourselves with news from the past week. You can read while your server's down for the 5 AM rolling restarts:
The Tuesday Morning Post: Don't forget your Consortium g... oh wait
So It's December 2nd. Normally, that means that your plans should probably include a quick trip out to Nagrand for a sack of gems. But a little something happened this past month that's sort of changed that up a little bit. Still, maybe it's a good idea to visit good old Gehze one more time, for old time's sake, eh?Actually, I'm a bit disappointed in the Consortium. I really expected them to leverage their vast profits in Outlands to spearhead a movement into Azeroth. They could be making a killing off of Nerubian carapaces and Frostwyrm bone ivory right now... and handing us a bag of Northrend gems every month. Come on, get with it guys.But seriously. The point is, it's Tuesday morning. And that means downtime. It's an extra long downtime today, 3 AM to 11 AM PST. That means you have plenty of time to browse WoW Insider. Allow me, as is my wont, to suggest some choice articles, guides, and features from the past week for your enjoyment, after the break.
PSA: Xbox.com and forums going down soon for maintenance
In preparation for the NXE launch this Wednesday, Xbox.com and the Xbox forums will go offline for about four hours starting at 12:01AM Pacific today, Nov. 18. According to Major Nelson, this will "NOT" affect Xbox Live and service should remain (relatively) reliable. If things do go wrong with the Live service, be sure to leave little love letters to Microsoft in the comments below.
The Tuesday Morning Post: Northrend Ho!
Good Morning, and welcome to the last Tuesday Morning Post before Wrath of the Lich King, and the first Tuesday Morning Post for the new site design. I'd call it the calm before the storm, but, well, there's very little that's calm, what with everyone rushing around getting all that last minute stuff done, and the whole thing with the Scourge in Orgrimmar and Stormwind. Anyway, you'll want to watch the site for the next few days, because we'll be rolling out tons of guides to help you get on your way in Wrath, with class talent builds, information on new skills and zones, and all the rest of that. In the meantime, the servers are down for a few hours, so check out some of the stuff we've already posted from the last week:
