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Around Azeroth: The plan
Was all of Wrath of the Lich King designed while watching Comedy Central and Adult Swim? New death knights need to kill Mayor Quimby, some mobs drop ground gears (a probable Family Guy reference), and now the gnomes in the Borean Tundra are stealing their plans from South Park. The Wrath questlines are beginning to strongly resemble my DVD collection. Anyway, Namus of Korialstrasz noticed this master plan on the wall of an oil derrick in the geyser fields of Northrend. My question is, why do you even need Step 2? Oil rigs are a great way to profit. At least until the mechagnomes come. This image came to us straight from the Wrath of the Lich King beta -- and we'd love to have your beta screenshots, too! If you have anything our readers might like, beta or not, sharing it is as simple as e-mailing aroundazeroth@wow.com with a copy of your shot and a brief explanation of the scene. You could be featured here next! Remember to include your player name, server and/or guild if you want it mentioned. We strongly prefer full screen shots without the UI showing -- use alt-Z to remove it. And please, no sunsets.%Gallery-1816%
New Warlock glyphs found in Wrath Beta build 8820
As Inscription is slowly built into a viable trade skill, Blizzard sneaks more and more glyph data onto the Beta server, even if none of it is directly available thus far. This build, MMO Champion discovered a nice selection of Warlock glyphs, and I have to say that most of them look pretty sweet. Of course, it's hard to say for sure on how good some of them are until we know for sure if PvE damage rotations besides Shadow Bolt spam will be viable in Wrath's endgame, but I'll assume they will be, for the most part. Let's check them out after the break.
New Jewelcrafting recipes in Wrath beta build 8820
Tonight's Wrath of the Lich King beta patch brought us a small batch of new Jewelcrafting recipes. This push included a few trinkets, a new gem cut, and some jewelry that is quite incomplete. Incomplete as in they have no stats, even after crafting them. Oh, and some funky laser pointer things. They don't do anything of substance, but they're laser pointers!I've heard from more than a few people that the new trinkets are quite a bit underpowered for the level they're supposed to be, and I'm inclined to agree. 100 spell power for 20 seconds every 5 minutes from a trinket at level 80 doesn't impress me much, especially considering its level 70 equivalent, the Living Ruby Serpent. The new trinkets will be greatly improved sooner or later, I'm sure. Personally, I found the new gemcut pretty cool. The Enchanted Tear is flat +6 to all stats in the form of a unique-equipped, any-color gem. Not too bad. I'm willing to bet almost everyone will take advantage of that and use the one they're allowed.We've stuck pictures of the new recipes (the one with stats at least) in our Wrath of the Lich King Jewelcrafting gallery for your perusal.Edited an item description for clarity.%Gallery-29313%
Hunter Glyphs found in Wrath Beta build 8820
With the newest Beta build that hit live servers last night, MMO Champion found yet another round of inscription glyphs in the build. In particular, I'd like to talk about the Hunter glyphs. They still seem half-finished, with some values that are most definitely placeholder, and a good portion of them are firmly in the PvP camp. Still, most of them are complete enough that they're worth analyzing, if only to know how to advise Blizzard to change them in future Beta builds. Not to say there aren't some good ones, but there's also some that no sane Hunter will use. Let's check them all out after the break.
Ask a Beta Tester: Is it not epic?
Ready for more questions? Let's dive right in and ask: Northrend, is it not epic? Fancylad asked.... Does entering Northrend have the same "epic feel" that entering Outland for the first time had? You know, the whole "stepping out of the dark portal to find yourself already in the middle of a massive battle against the Burning Legion, intense music blaring, frantic scramble to keep your mission from being destroyed just as it starts" feeling? I've gotta say: Burning Crusade wins on the epic entry. You step through the Dark Portal -- which had looked like an impressive edifice until you stepped through it and discovered it was many times larger on the Outland side -- and into the middle of a tremendous demonic battle. The sky overhead is filled with unfamiliar stars and bursting with colorful flows of energy... or... whatever they are. (But don't they look awesome?) Pardon me Dorothy, but we aren't in Azeroth anymore. When you enter Outland you hit the ground running and jump right into the midst of the fight against the Burning Legion. For more on Northrend's epic proportions -- and other questions -- read on! But if you're the sort who wants to avoid spoilers, turn back now. We're aiming to avoid major story spoilers, but this feature is all about beta content and we can't talk about the beta without giving a few things away.
Tom Chilton and J. Allen Brack talk Wrath at Leipzig
Here's a nice tidbit from the Games convention at Leipzig, Germany in the form a bundle of Wrath news. Tom Chilton and J. Allen Brack gave a pair of interviews to Getbuffed.de and Gamona.de. In the Getbuffed interview embedded above, they discuss the future of the lore and raids, most notably Icecrown Glacier, the home of Arthas.
Ask a Beta Tester: Don't want to look like a clown edition
When I first installed The Burning Crusade and started leveling, I upgraded a lot of gear immediately. And stats aside, I've got to say I was disappointed in most of it. I'd been wearing full sets of armor that I'd spent months of effort and countless instance runs to collect. My reward for the time spent had been, in old Azeroth, great stats and a custom tailored set of armor that all matched and made me look pretty awesome. I stepped through the Dark Portal looking and feeling like a hero. An hour later I had a bright purple helmet, dark green robes, a yellow belt, and a pair of bulky blue gloves. Though each piece of armor was a tremendous improvement upon my carefully completed set, it left my character looking as though she'd been dressed by a colorblind clown. "Heroic" would not be a word I would use to describe myself at that point. So on to our first question... Mattimus asked.... What do quest rewards look like, graphically? Going into BC from raiding in WoW was incredibly jarring -- stripping off epics for bright green paints with big purple polka dots was one of the most painful things Blizzard could've done to anyone. Do the quest greens in Wrath allow us to quest in dignity, or are we going to be spending our off-time entertaining children's' parties? After a lot of disappointment leveling up through BC as some kind of circus clown (I considered myself lucky to be a Priest leveling through the Shadow tree -- Shadowform hides many flaws), I have been pleasantly surprised by the quest rewards I've seen in Wrath. It looks like Blizzard has taken a lot more care this time around to make even random greens and blues look cool and -- gasp! -- match. The image to the right all quest rewards from the starting zone, and while you may or may not like the look, I think you have to agree that It's nowhere near as bad as Outland Clown Syndrome (or OCS as we shall call it from here on). For more on of your questions -- and our answers -- read on! But if you're the sort who wants to avoid spoilers, turn back now. We're aiming to avoid major story spoilers, but this feature is all about beta content and we can't talk about the beta without giving a few things away.
Shifting Perspectives: Downranking changes some key Druid abilities
Every Tuesday, Shifting Perspectives explores issues affecting druids and those who group with them. This week, Michael Gray's going to take a look at the recent downranking changes, and how they affect our furry, furry class. So, one of the big news pieces to hit the streets about the Wrath of the Lich King beta is that "downranking" has been nerfed. There's a little bit of history that you need to know to get why that matters.Downranking isn't actually that complicated, in and of itself. When you learn a new rank of a spell, you keep the lower version of the spell available in your spellbook. Not all classes function that way, but all spell casting classes do. When you "downrank," then, you're casting a lower level version of a spell than the highest one you have available to you.
Earth Shock replacement to be implemented due to downranking changes
People are still reeling from the downranking change on Beta, but as the dust clears and Blizzard continues to stick to their guns, it may be that we'll have to live with it. One thing Blizzard has said, however, is that if it looks like there's genuine void created somewhere by the loss of downranking, they'll fix it. One genuine void is that of rank 1 Earth Shock. Shamans have longed used the spell as a spell interrupt when they can't afford to spend the mana on a max rank shock, both in PvE and PvP. With the new mana cost rules, that cheap interrupt is now gone, complicating a shaman's already touchy mana preservation issues. Luckily, not all is lost for Shamans, as Koraa says that they are creating a rank 1 Earth Shock spell equivalent that should show up in the Beta at some point in the future. This, at the least, is a good indication that Blizzard means to make good on plugging up holes left by the abolishment of downranking -- or at least the holes that the dev team sees as needing to be plugged. Will we see a replacement for rank 1 Moonfire for totem killing, or for rank 1 Arcane Explosion or rank 1 Consecration for flushing out stealthers? That remains to be seen, but it seems much less likely, since those are roundabout ways of using a damage spell for a non-DPS reason rather than the straightforward purpose of using rank 1 Earth Shock as a cheap spell interrupter.
Ask a Beta Tester: Priests, Retadins, and the Black Dragonflight
In case the perspective in the above screenshot confuses you, I'll give it away: that's me riding a magic flying carpet. No, not the tailored version (though I'd expect the tailored version to be the same sort of thing), but one you ride for a quest. (I was assured before I took flight that these were the safest way to reach my destination, though the things seemed pretty flimsy to me...) However, now, on to your questions! Tridus asked.... Priests in general seem pretty underwhelming. You look at the flashy things some classes are getting, then take a look at Holy Priests... I mean did we really need a third talent to increase healing of some spells by 10%? Especially since the second one (Empowered Healing) was nerfed to always be weaker then the first one (Spiritual Healing). Yet another one for a different set of spells just smells like "we needed a talent to fill this spot but had absolutely no ideas."The way it looks right now I expect that I'll be healing pretty much exactly the same way at 80 as I am right now, except without down ranking. Has anything really changed for Holy Priest healing? Priests, like Rogues, are looking a little unfinished in the beta right now. The existing talents don't have anything that screams "pick me!" and there's only two new skills on the path to 80. (One of which -- Divine Hymn -- you don't get until level 80. The other -- Mind Sear -- shows up at level 75.) Matticus recently talked a bit about healing as a Discipline Priest in Wrath, but didn't go much into the Holy spec. However, despite my lack of enthusiasm -- and the possibility that Priests just aren't finished -- there are some interesting options in the talent trees right now that could be good for the healing Priests out there. [Updated with a couple of corrections.] For more on Holy healing ability -- and other questions -- read on! But if you're the sort who wants to avoid spoilers, turn back now. We're aiming to avoid major story spoilers, but this feature is all about beta content and we can't talk about the beta without giving a few things away.
Around Azeroth: Winter wasteland
How good are the landscape graphics in Wrath? Well, this picture captures the essence of a cold, snowy, bleak winter morning so well that it makes you want to go into hibernation. I'm having acute January-in-Wisconsin flashbacks. We need five daquiris and a continuous Jimmy Buffett mix tape, stat! This picture is actually of the area around Wyrmrest Temple in the Dragonblight, and it was snapped from the beta by Merced of <Sound of Inevitability> on Greymane.Do you have any unusual World of Warcraft images that are just collecting dust in your screenshots folder? We'd love to see it on Around Azeroth! Sharing your screenshot is as simple as e-mailing aroundazeroth@wow.com with a copy of your shot and a brief explanation of the scene. You could be featured here next! Remember to include your player name, server and/or guild if you want it mentioned. We strongly prefer full screen shots without the UI showing -- use alt-Z to remove it. And sorry, I never watched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as a kid. Do I have to return my geek card now?%Gallery-1816%
Breakfast Topic: What profession will you be going for in Wrath?
With Wrath's release inching closer and closer, we've had a flood of profession information coming in. The latest Blizzcast gave up some insight into the future of professions, and we've seen rumors and recipe lists for quite a few professions. Even gathering professions aren't immune to the fun, with some nice little innate bonuses being granting to mining, skinning and herbalism. So, with Wrath coming, it's the perfect time to take inventory of your tradeskills and decide which way you're going to go. Will you drop Leatherworking now that you don't need the drums for raiding? Will you head over to Inscription so you can trick out your own spells and skills? Will you go strictly gathering for the buffs and for selling off raw materials to everyone trying to level their professions? In short, what profession will be your primary pursuit in Wrath of the Lich King?%Poll-18376%
Ask a Beta Tester: Rogues, Druids, Malygos, and more!
Let's start the week out right by diving straight into some juicy questions! Gilgamesh asked.... With Hunters getting Exotic Pets and Warriors getting Titan's Grip, is the Rogue getting anything interesting? Though I do know a thing or two about Rogues (in that I have one at level 70), I'm no expert (it's very much an alt). I don't personally find the new talents to be all that thrilling -- the trees seem to continue much the same as they are now, without any big talents that scream "pick me! pick me!" And I have to say, Rogues on the beta forums don't seem particularly excited, either. Beyond new talents, they're picking up only a couple of new abilities on their journey to level 80: Dismantle (which, by the way, is considered a "replacement" for the disarm mechanic currently in Riposte -- in the Wrath beta, Riposte slows your target's melee attack instead of disarming) and Fan of Knives. Yes, you'll get additional ranks of existing skills, but not much new. For a full rundown on the changes in store for Rogues in Wrath, check out our beta patch notes writeup. I consulted our resident Rogue expert, Jason, who unfortunately has not made it into the beta, but has been analyzing what's what on paper, and from what he sees, "Rogues are doing just fine. I think the crux will be how the changes in Hunters, Mages, and Warlocks work out. PvE-based we still do crazy damage if we are spec'd right so that's not changing. But will we be number 1 or 2 on the meters? I don't know." For a more thorough rundown of changes, check out Jason's analysis of the Assassination tree -- Combat and Subtlety to come soon! For more of your questions -- and our answers! -- read on! But if you're the sort who wants to avoid spoilers, turn back now. We're aiming to avoid major story spoilers, but this feature is all about beta content and we can't talk about the beta without giving a few things away.
Around Azeroth: Theatre des vermins
"... and what's the deal with those dwarf warriors? You know what I'm talking about. No regard for us critters at all, and then suddenly they get a shiny new weapon and hunt us down high and low. And every time they kill us they get a number like "238" above their head. What is that, anyway? The number of days since they've bathed? (No one laughs.) They're almost as bad as the newbie blood elves and those Silvermoon cats. Talk about a feline massacre. Mee-ouch! (No one laughs.) Well, you've been a great audience tonight. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here, mostly because we're about to be run over by an Elekk. Thanks for attending Level 1 Critter Stand-Up, and remember to come back tomorrow, when Archie the cockroach reveals the dark secret of Jeremiah Payson."Anderek of Lightbringer sent us this image straight from the underbelly of Dalaran in the Wrath of the Lich King beta -- and we'd love to have your beta screenshots, too! If you have anything our readers might like, beta or not, sharing it is as simple as e-mailing aroundazeroth@wow.com with a copy of your shot and a brief explanation of the scene. You could be featured here next! Remember to include your player name, server and/or guild if you want it mentioned. We strongly prefer full screen shots without the UI showing -- use alt-Z to remove it. Please, no sunsets. %Gallery-1816%
Ask a Beta Tester: Everybody loves Warlocks edition
There are apparently some classes we haven't been paying a lot of attention to lately, as several commenters have pointed out. Today, a little about Warlocks, and tomorrow a little about Rogues. See any classes we haven't been talking about yet? Then ask your questions about them -- we can only answer 'em if you ask 'em! alx1231 wants to know.... I haven't heard much on the state of Warlocks in Wrath. Is there anything cool that I should be looking forward to? Though I'm not the expert (my days of raiding as a Warlock are long behind me), I'd have to say that Warlocks have a lot to look forward to -- enough that I'm considering dusting mine off. My favorite new spell has to be Metamorphosis, a high-end Demonology talent that turns your Warlock into a demon for a brief period of time. But don't take my word for it! Michael did a thorough rundown of the Warlock Wrath patch notes when they initially came out if you want the full details, and V'ming discussed the implications of Wrath on every Warlock's wishlist. For more of your questions -- and our answers! -- read on! But if you're the sort who wants to avoid spoilers, turn back now. We're aiming to avoid major story spoilers, but this feature is all about beta content and we can't talk about the beta without giving a few things away.
Wrath beta patch introduces Jewelcrafting quests and rewards
The most recent Wrath beta push began adding the profession specific quests discussed in the latest Blizzcast. A number of Jewelcrafting daily quests were implemented, as well as the accompanying tokens and recipes.The rewards are a very nice spread of rare cuts, ranging from five to eight Dalaran Jewelcrafter's Tokens each. Doing the daily quest each and every day, you'll be averaging one new cut per week, which isn't too shabby. Both regular cuts and metagem cuts are available for purchase.With the way it has been implemented, it seems you'll want to coordinate with other Jewelcrafters in your guild, or simply other Jewelcrafters you know, to pick and choose which your guild will need first, Once that's done you can work towards completion. Not bad, I think, and it should be a fun dynamic. Better than random world drops, for sure. Still, we'll need to see it in action for awhile before we can make a real decision about it either way. So far, I like it and I'm curious to see how it will be handled for other professions.If you're interested in the cuts available, we've added them to our Wrath Jewelcraftng gallery, which you can see below. As always, click the Hi Res button to see them a little larger.%Gallery-29313%
WoW Insider previews Wrath of the Lich King's Borean Tundra
Continuing the series of zone previews we began with the Howling Fjord and the Dragonblight, we now present you with the Borean Tundra. The Borean Tundra is one of two starter zones in Wrath of the Lich King (the other being the Fjord) and is accessed via the Stormwind Harbor for the Alliance, and the Orgrimmar zeppelin tower for the Horde.Personally, most of this zone is my least favorite aesthetically with the exception of the Coldarra (above). The visuals are alright in those zone, but it's really carried by strong quests and stories. Still, that doesn't mean it's an ugly zone, certainly not. The others simply set the bar really high, and I still strongly recommend checking out the gallery if you don't mind being spoiled a little bit. Speaking of spoilers, there are a couple of story spoilers in this gallery but they're very minor. None of the massive, epic questlines are spoiled in this gallery. Especially not the one where you go to-%Gallery-29398%
Ask a Beta Tester: Northrend, tanking, and pop culture
Step off the zeppelin or boat to Northrend and you're in a new world. Even when there's not snow, Northrend simply feels cold. Piano playing in the background in Dragonblight even sounds like ice should feel. It's a brave new world of strange sights, unusual architecture, and unheard of beasts. Curious about what you should expect? Read on.Nizari asked.... Have you seen much of the Nordic influence that Wrath is supposed to have? I know you've discussed the Vrykul and the Val'kyr before, but I'm wondering if you've seen any more esoteric or obscure references? I'd find it mighty entertaining if there was a baker who sold Kransekake, or a cooking recipe to make Lutefisk. I think this question pretty much floored most of the team -- because none of us really experts in Norse mythology. Your friend and mine, Alex, had this to say about Norse influences in the expansion: There are the jormungar, of course, and the Avatar of Freya in the Sholazar Basin. The Avatar of Freya is a vaguely Druidic being that is battling the Scourge and Freya is one of the Titans. The Titans themselves are heavily inspired by Norse and Greek mythology.For more of your questions -- and our answers! -- read on! But if you're the sort who wants to avoid spoilers, turn back now. We're aiming to avoid major story spoilers, but this feature is all about beta content and we can't talk about the beta without giving a few things away.
Around Azeroth: Master of his domain
We've gotten a flood of great submissions lately, both from live realms and WotLK beta (and a huge backlog of pictures we're planning to put up -- be patient!) But the one thing I've been looking for is a really good shot of the Lich King himself. We received two of those shots in the last two days, and I was torn on which to put up. So I put it to a vote. By a majority of 3-0, the members of the WoW Insider blogging staff that were awake and responding to questions at 3:30 AM picked this picture, featuring the Lich King and an angel of death, over its rival (available for viewing here.). Reasoning? It "looks cooler," "doesn't have a gnome" and is more of "an 'omg i'm standing in front of the freaking LICH KING' moment." Congrats to victor Anderek of Lightbringer, and unfortunate gnome runner-up Littlest from Lich King beta server. Which picture do you prefer? Leave a comment and let us know!Do you have any unusual World of Warcraft images that are just collecting dust in your screenshots folder? We'd love to see it on Around Azeroth! Sharing your screenshot is as simple as e-mailing aroundazeroth@wow.com with a copy of your shot and a brief explanation of the scene. You could be featured here next! Remember to include your player name, server and/or guild if you want it mentioned. We strongly prefer full screen shots without the UI showing -- use alt-Z to remove it. Please, no more sunsets.%Gallery-1816%
Ask a Beta Tester: Dalaran and UI updates
We're starting out today with a question on everyone's favorite mystical city: Dalaran. (That is your favorite mystical city, right? Because otherwise we'll have to start all over...) Alc asked.... How does Blizzard account for all the wanton slaughter of Dalaran folk by the Horde? How would a hordie get into Dalaran because of this? Not being Chris Metzen, it's tricky to answer this question. Dalaran was not treated kindly by the Horde in the Second War and even today in Silverpine Forest and Hillsbrad Foothills, Horde questlines encourage the killing of Dalaran's mages. So how exactly is Blizzard working around this minor problem? WoWWiki claims that Dalaran has been neutral since the Lands in Conflict RPG sourcebook, but provides no additional details. How Blizzard is going to make lore mesh with reality? We aren't sure yet, but we're keeping out eyes open. For more of your questions -- and our answers! -- read on! But if you're the sort who wants to avoid spoilers, turn back now. We're aiming to avoid major story spoilers, but this feature is all about beta content and we can't talk about the beta without giving a few things away.
