Where I am in the game plus the guild I am in I don’t believe will be in a World First for anything. Do to the fact of being too relaxed don’t get me wrong I got tons of gear from this guild running (10/25 raids). But as most guilds we never have enough tanks on at raid time, other cases there is never enough healers on in the next couple weeks we should have that fixed. So in the upcoming weeks I will get to walk into Ulduar.
With World-first Heroic: Alone in the Darkness? Completed twice, and one group that went on a 3 day suspension for using an exploit in the game. World-first Heroic: Alone in the Darkness. An Chinese guild Stars (playing on the Taiwanese servers) completed after all of the drama. They have a video to prove it. The video cracks me up. With completing the achievement legitimately they got that nifty Mimiron's Head mount, too. (Wicked looking!) Congrats to Stars!
Breakfast topic from Wow.com: by Lesley Smith Jul 8th 2009
The PTR is an exciting place and there are plenty of fascinating little changes. One of the smallest is also the most important - at least is if you have a twink and a PvP addiction. Once patch 3.2 goes live your beloved twink will finally be able to battle to your heart's content, to slaughter the opposing faction and steal flags/bases without fear of gaining even one tinsy little experience point.
It costs gold of course but it's something which is sure to delight anyone who spends their days in battlegrounds. Twinks get their own special battleground and they can only play against other twinks who've visited Behsten in Stormwind or his colleague in Orgrimmar. It certainly validates twinkdom and a lot of people are going to be very happy.
However not me, of course, my dislike of PvP is almost legendary. But that's not the point. So, twinks everywhere, when patch 3.2 eventually hits are you going to part with your gold, borrowed from your sugar daddy main? Will it make you more likely to spend more time in PvP? Do you wish this lack of XP was extended to leveling in general, not just PvP activities? Speak up, constant readers, and drop your thoughts in the comments box.
WoWPals helps you find more friends in Azeroth
by Mike Schramm Jul 7th 2009
WoWPals.net is a brand new social networking site targeted at you WoW players that just got a nice bit of coverage over on VentureBeat's GamesBeat site. Social networking is taking off just as much as World of Warcraft lately, and so there's a whole slew of companies trying to step up and become the de facto social service for gamers, from GamerDNA and Rupture to wowtwitter and even our own little enterprise. WoWPals isn't too different -- it's run by a few gamers based in Israel, and is currently in alpha, and hoping for a beta by the end of the year. You register to the site with your first character, and after a short wait for an activation email, you can jump in and find friends by guild or server, or punch in your location and search around that way. Once you're friends, there's not much more to do but chat and message each other, but what more do you need, really?
Personally, I think WoW already covers the bases of a social network (though in the past I've said I would like to have the option to see more about players than the characters, and these sites can certainly fill that need), so all of these end up being either extraneous -- do I really need another Twitter just for my characters? -- or just plain unnecessary: maybe I don't want my friends to know exactly what I did in game last night.
So no, I personally haven't been sold on any of these sites yet (though I do like reading through the player blogs here on WoW.com, and I'm not just saying that because I work here). I'm active ingame, and I'm active on various social networks, and keeping the two separate is fine by me. But if you are looking for even more ways to find new friends in World of Warcraft, maybe you can meet some new pals with WoWPals, too.
Significant changes to Northrend flying mounts discovered on the Patch 3.2 PTR
by Adam Holisky Jul 8th 2009
A little surprise on the Patch 3.2 PTR was discovered this evening. The Cold Weather Flying training, which previously had to be purchased for each character that wanted to fly in Northrend is now available as a Bind on Account book purchasable at the exotic mounts vendor in Dalaran.
The Use text is a little odd in that it notes the "tome is consumed when read." To me that means that the book is only a one use thing, which is a departure from current BoA items. And why have a level 68 requirement on this and not the normal Cold Weather Flying training? If you're 68 you're likely to be able to get to Dalaran anyways these days.
But wait Did you see it? You might have missed it.
It shows level 68 being the required level, not level 77.
Did Northrend just become accessible to flying at level 68 instead of 77? If these PTR changes are for real, then it just did. Of course this is the PTR so such things are subject to change. Don't go bugging the Blues and tell them that we said it was happening. It might very well not make it into the final version of Patch 3.2.
But with that said, one possible explanation for the Use text on the tome is that the book is intended to be purchased by a high level character and then sent to an alt, thus speeding up the leveling process significantly for high level alts.
This change would be in line with the other mount changes that will be taking place in Patch 3.2. Blizzard clearly has an aim here to make leveling alts easier, principally by allowing various levels of mount flying sooner.
We'll keep you updated on any blue response to this very interesting development.
Update 1:15 a.m. EDT:
Guess what! Zarhym responded just a short time ago to a thread on the official forums clarifying the change. It looks like this could very well be making it onto the live servers. Zarhym said:
Just to confirm, Tome of Cold Weather Flight is actually a new heirloom item planned to go into patch 3.2. At level 80 players can buy this heirloom item from the Cold Weather Flying Trainer in Dalaran for 1,000 gold and send it to an alt of the same realm, faction and account. The tome can be used to learn Cold Weather Flying at level 68, consuming the tome in the process.
Please note this feature is not yet in the newest version of the public test realm patch notes updated today. The item and its functionality are subject to change during the testing process.
Note that the cost shown in the picture (900g) is due to the faction discount.
Many thanks to Red Hawk for the tip!
Blizzard files trademark for "Cataclysm"
by Mike Schramm Jul 1st 2009 at 4:15PM
Is "Cataclysm" the name of Blizzard's next-gen MMO? This Tumblr blogger has uncovered trademark applications filed by Blizzard in the fields of computer games, paper-based products, and online entertainment services. Those trademarks are on the USPTO's website, and we can confirm that Rod A. Rigole has been employed by Blizzard as legal counsel previously, so these trademark applications, all filed late last week on June 26th, are all real.
Of course, that doesn't confirm that we're actually talking about the next-gen MMO, or that Blizzard is planning on releasing a game called "Cataclysm" at all (StarCraft: Ghost was also trademarked, and we all know what came out of that). It could be another WoW expansion (though you'd think that WoW would be in there somewhere if that was the case), or it could be a completely separate game. Not that we know of one, but Blizzard certainly is working on all kinds of projects that we haven't yet heard about officially.
So. "Cataclysm." Trademark Blizzard Entertainment. Keep an eye out for it at BlizzCon this year.
Thanks,Ryan!
Update: We noticed the domain wowcataclysm.com expired on June 26th, 2009. The domain was previously held and parked out in Australia. June 26th is the same day the trademark was filed with the US Patent & Trademark Office. The domain is also now held by GoDaddy, who we know handles Blizzard domains. That's just a little too much coincidence for us to stay quiet about. It's entirely possible Blizzard just acquired the domain name.
Zarhym (Blue Post)
Just to confirm, Tome of Cold Weather Flight is actually a new heirloom item planned to go into patch 3.2. At level 80 players can buy this heirloom item from the Cold Weather Flying Trainer in Dalaran for 1,000 gold and send it to an alt of the same realm, faction and account. The tome can be used to learn Cold Weather Flying at level 68, consuming the tome in the process.
Please note this feature is not yet in the newest version of the public test realm patch notes updated today. The item and its functionality are subject to change during the testing process.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Incomming..
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
New wish list..
All my thoughts are directed towards Marksman raiding, so my interest in agility, stam, and intellect are not necessarily the same as a Survival- or Beast Mastery-specced raider.
Helm
Circlet of True Sight - Iron Council 10
Helm of the Furnace Master - Ignis 25
Tier 8
Tier 8.5
Both the Furnace Master and Tier 8.5 are the potential upgrade from Blue Aspect Helm. The major difference between the two is haste verses armor pen. Tier 8.5 has more agility and a red socket, while Furnace Master has a bit more intellect and a yellow socket. Leaning towards Tier 8.5. The Circlet looses a lot of AP, but also has a lot of hit.
Neck
Pendulum of Infinity - Vezax 25 -Hard
Broach of the Waiting Night - 19 Emblems of Conquest
Nymph Heart Charm - Freya 25
Choker of the Abyss - Vezax 10
Seed of Budding Carnage - Freya 10 - Hard
The clear winner is Pendulum of Infinity, with its higher AP, crit and socket. Freya Hard's neck is appealing as well, with its plethora of hit and socket.
Shoulder
Shoulders of Misfortune - Trash Mobs 25
Mantle of Fiery Vengeance - Leviathan 10-Hard
Iron-studded Mantle - Iron Council 25
Ironaya's Discarded Mantle - Auriaya-10
Tier 8
Tier 8.5
Tier 8.5 is appealing with its hit, socket, and high agility, but it is haste heavy. Mantle of Fiery Vengeance has low AP, but high crit and intellect. Shoulders of Misfortune is a balance between the two.
Cloak
Drape of Icy Intent - Hodir 25-Hard
Drape of the Lithe - Iron Council 25
Drape of the Faceless General - Vezax 10
Winter's Frigid Embrace - Hodir 10
Shawl of the Shattered Giant - Kologarn 10
Evidently they are giving away hit on 25 and crit on 10... Faceless General > Frigid Embrace, Icy Intent > Lithe. Icy Intent is by far the BiS with the AP and socket, but if you don't need the hit, the Faceless General is nice too, with two sockets and the highest agility of the lot.
Chest
Chestguard of the Lasher - Freya 10
Chestguard of Insidious Intent - Yogg-Saron 25
Tier 8
Tier 8.5
Tier 8.5, duh. Really, you can't ask for better stats than that, except for maybe a yellow gem slot :)
Bracers
Frost-bound Chain Bracers - Hodir 25
Bracers of the Smothering Inferno - Razorscale 10
Frost beats fire.
Gloves
Gloves of Unerring Aim - 28 Emblems of Conquest
Gloves of the Fiery Behemoth - Leviathan 25
Gloves of the Steady Hand - XT-002 Hard
Gloves of Taut Grip - XT-002 10
Tier 8
Tier 8.5
It's between hit on Tier 8.5 and crit on Unerring Aim. Tier 8.5 also has the red socket, and with it more AP. The set bonus will decide in the end between the two, if the gloves are the weakest piece of the Tier 8.5, then spend those Emblems! Else, once Hard Mode becomes accessible to you, Steady Hand is definitely the shiniest with those two sockets and ton of crit!
Belt
Belt of Dragons - LW
Belt of the Ardent Marksman - 28 Emblems of Conquest
Belt of the Betrayed - Thorim 25
Belt of the Blood Pit - Thorim 10
Sadly, the only thing the Ardent Marksman has in its favor is the hit. At first glance, the large amount of AP on the Betrayed is tempting, but the two gems slots and crit on the Belt of the Dragons puts the LW-made belt over the top.
Pants
Darkcore Leggings - Vezax 25
Saronite Mesh Legguards - Razorscale 25
Leggings of the Tireless Sentry - 39 Emblems of Conquest
Leggings of the Insatiable - Yogg-Saron 10
Tier 8
Tier 8.5
Great Earth Mother, Darkcore Leggings have a ton of agility! But as tempting as that it is, they have over 100 less AP than Tier 8.5. The Saronite have nearly as much agility, but are lacking in everything else besides Armor Pen. Still, should Armor Pen prove worth our while, the ton of stamina on them also makes the Saronite decent for a stam set. Still, unless you are interested in stacking agility, Tireless Sentry > Darkcore, not only for total AP, but also for hit and crit. Tier 8.5 would have to be my choice, with the greatest AP of the lot, a ton of crit, abet it does have the least agility. It also has a +6 hit socket bonus for a bit of wiggle room.
Boots
Brass-lined Boots - XT-002 25
Boots of Living Scale - LW made
Greaves of Swift Vengeance - Iron Council 25 Hard
Boots of Unsettled Prey - Vezax 10
Tempered Mercury Greaves - Mimiron 10 Hard
Again, Brass-lined have a lot of agility, but the two sockets on the LW-made Living Scale give them nearly 50 more AP, in addition to their crit. Greaves of Swift Vengeance have a little more AP and a decent boost to agil over Living Scale, but they also have a lot of hit. This can be a mixed blessing, because a lot of good peices already have hit, and hit is preferred over ArPen, but it makes rebalancing other slots a pain.
Rings
Metallic Loop of the Sufferer - Vezax 25
Loop of the Agile - Iron Council 10-Hard
Band of Draconic Guile - Razorscale 10
Inscribed Band of the Kirin Tor - Lower Ring + 1000G
Cindershard Ring - Ignis 25
Band of Lights - Algalon 10
Haste on the lot. Draconic Guile is the only one with out crit, but only offers Armor Pen as the alternative. Unless you already have the Kirin Tor band (I do not), don't bother upgrading unless you have bad luck on drops. Metallic Loop and Loop of the Agile have more AP and crit. Cindershard has a rather icky combination of Armor Pen and hit, and while it has more hit and agility than Surge Needle Ring, it does not beat it for pure AP, making it an upgrade for only Strong-Handed Ring.
Trinkets
Pyrite Infuser - Leviathan 10
Wrathstone - Kologarn 25
Blood of the Old God - Yogg-Saron 25
Mjolnir Runestone - Thorim 10 Hard
Dark Matter - Algalon 10 (Not on Wowhead yet - pic)
Pyrite is a very nice upgrade from Grim Toll, replacing that lackluster proc with one much more appealing. If you need hit for some reason, it is nice. BotOG is an awesome further upgrade, with nearly all the hit you will ever need. Wrathstone is also a mediocre upgrade from Mirror of Truth. Wrathstone also marks the return of the "use every two-minutes" trinkets that seem to be lost in the latter half of 3.0, but its CD doesn't make up for MoT's proc. No upgrades for DMC: Greatness or Fury of the Five Flights, but if you lack one (like me), there are nice alternatives here.
Range Weapon
Avalance - Hodir 10
Deliverance - Yogg 10
Rifle of the Platinum Guard - Ignis 10
Magnetized Projectile Emitter - XT-001 10 Hard
Siren's Cry - Auriaya 25
Giant's Bane - Kologarn 25
Skyforge Crossbow - Thorim 25 Hard (Algalon 25)
They are very similar, with the gun having .1 more DPS and 2.9 speed and the bow with crit and 2.8 speed. I'm leaning towards the bow, but I have a feeling that there will be several debates and tests before it is decided. Obvious the xbow wins out in the end - finally breaks the 200 DPS benchmark!
Stat Stick
Rune Edge - Iron Council 25
Lotrafen, Spear of the Damned - Vezax 25
Hoperender - Thorim 10
Twisted Visage - XT-002 25
Spire of Withering Dreams - Kologarn 10
Tortured Earth - Vezax 10 Hard
Darkedge of Depravity - Algalon 25
While Hoperender does have an interesting socket, it still can't compare to Twisted Visage, which would be the direct upgrade to Black Ice. While the Spire has a lot of AP, it lacks the agility of the other three. The most direct upgrade to Journey's End appears to be Lotrafen, with its massive amount of crit. Rune Edge isn't bad either, missing just 10 Armor Pen from Lotrafen, and it would be nice to play with a sword again. It's kinda depressing that Algalon's stat stick has such icky stats, though the gems slots are nice :(.
Because of the simply amazing set bonuses on Tier 8, it is imperative to have four of the set. Eyeballing it, it looks like the weakest would be the shoulders, though our choices for the shoulder slot aren't exactly great all around. I'm leaning more towards not taking the gloves, the more I look at it.
Total hit on Tier 8.5: 143, or 149 if you go for the socket bonus on the pants. Add the hit from the bracers and cloak, then you have 222 hit, 6.77%. This is about 8 hit shy from 7%, freeing up two points from Focused Aim. If you'd rather not go with the socket bonus on the pants, then 14 hit can be made up by a gem.
Feel free to cite, discuss, note links, and call me out out on a stupid mistakes.
