World of Warcraft

[Drack]

When is it even going to be released(the expansion)? If it's two years from now, then it wouldn't be too soon. I mean, it took Blizzard what, 2 years for the first expansion to come out?

I'm not sure about the validity of the claim that it's a long ways off - From the info leaked so far it seems Blizzard started to work on WLK as soon as TBC launched.

On the other hand, based on Blizzard's track record - LONG development time for TBC, massive amount of content in the expansion, and "content patches" with current non-mudflating free "mini-expansions" along the way, the life of the game can be extended pretty far.

The problem I described arises when a company releases expansions too close together. WoW bucked the trend by releasing TBC 3 years after launch with plenty of content patches (which did not raise the level cap or severely impact the game, quests, and economy) in between. If WLK is released 2 years from now, it won't kill the game. In fact, it may be due - Players are rapidly consuming TBC. This is offset by the fact that TBC is what an expansion should be - a huge amount of new content, with appeals for both casual and hardcore, with a great amount of solo and group content.

The key to making an MMO last without alienating new players is to have expansions large and infrequent, without raising player power a ludicrous amount, and without walling off much content to only apply to those who complete huge timesink quests. TBC was a good expansion. WLK's release date will determine which direction Blizzard is heading.

[OceansAndrew]

I was pretty skeptical too, but it looks like they are adding a new class. No hero-class BS though, just a straight up new class.

ok, i guess i was totally wrong. I owe you guys ice cream or something

[suzumebachi]

Blizzard downloader refuses to work properly trying to download the expansion trailer. Is there a mirror somewhere? Preferably one that isn't a rick roll.....

[Ramaniscence]

Blizzard downloader refuses to work properly trying to download the expansion trailer. Is there a mirror somewhere? Preferably one that isn't a rick roll.....

There's a flash one on the site?

[OceansAndrew]

flash video worked great for me; the new areas look amazingly good, a lot of upgraded effects as well. the fire coming out of that furnace or whatever is low-poly art of the highest degree.

[Wintermute]

Wow. That trailer looks really, really bad. *sigh* at Blizzard sucking so much recently.

[Doulifée]

they need to enhance azeroth so we can use flying mount. seriously.

[suzumebachi]

Wow that trailer was kinda disappointing. Where's the always badass CGI that Blizzard is known for?

Anyways that aside, this looks to be pretty interesting. I'll reserve judgment until there's more details available. All the news sites and forums are awash with rumors and stuff (such as only paladins being able to roll Death Knights, etc), so I guess it'll be up to Blizzard to clear things up.

[cobaltstarfire]

I personally hope they take their time with releasing the expansion, I guess it's my own fault for taking a year long break. But it's really discouraging for me to try to keep up with expansions if they'll be so frequent. It means I'll never get to see some areas given that I'm taking my time and not going all hardcore like before.

[Arek the Absolute]

Another expansion...ok?

Stopping Arthas? What the fuck? That is end of game shit. What are they going to do after Arthas is gone?

I don't know about this move Blizzard, but then again, I stopped playing WoW, so do what you wish.

[Shonen Samurai]

i don't know anything about lore, but wtf blizz, you kill a bad guy from a previous game, this is the end of wow as we know it people will quit gg

[Shonen Samurai]

Wow that trailer was kinda disappointing. Where's the always badass CGI that Blizzard is known for?

Anyways that aside, this looks to be pretty interesting. I'll reserve judgment until there's more details available. All the news sites and forums are awash with rumors and stuff (such as only paladins being able to roll Death Knights, etc), so I guess it'll be up to Blizzard to clear things up.

They didn't release a CGI for BC until just before it launched.

[Shonen Samurai]

And to complete the trifecta, here's a rundown (CONFIRMED) of features for the xp and between now and then.

Level Cap: 80

Skill Cap: 450

Continent: Northrend

Number of Zones: 10 (tentatively), for levels 68 and above

Profession: Inscription

Class: Death Knight (first-ever Hero Class)

Features: Outdoor PVP zone with siege weapons and destructible buildings.

Inscription

Wrath of the Lich King will introduce a new profession called Inscription that will let players customize individual spells and abilities in their spell book -- to change the cooldown timer on a Fireball, for example, or alter the crit rate of a healing spell.

Outdoor PvP

One of Northrend's 10 new zones (final count still tentative) is an outdoor PVP zone that introduces the concept of siege weapons (Meat Wagons, Steam Tanks, etc.) and destructible buildings. Blizzard describes the outdoor zone as basically a "non-instanced Battleground" where completing objectives earns world-wide bonuses for your side (Think Spirit Shard buff in Auchindoun instances). The PVP zone is entirely avoidable (if you're the carebear type), and seige weapons won't be useable outside their designated PVP area.

Northrend

Having learned a valuable lesson about funneling 8.5 million players into once single starting zone with The Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King lets players pick a zone on either side of the continent to start from: Borean Tundra in the west or Howling Fjord in the east. Each zone has level-equivalent quests (appropriate for approximately level 68 through 72) and one Hellfire Peninsula-style instance hub with multiple dungeon wings for level 70 characters, level 80 characters, and raiders. While Northrend immediately calls to mind ice and snow, Blizzard doesn't want to make those themes dominate Northrend completely-expect as much variety as ever, only not quite as weird and wild as Outland.

Northrend's indigenous inhabitants include a Viking-like race called the Vrykul: 15-foot-tall humanoids with a strong Norse influence. Most Vrykul you encounter will be your enemies, as they've been in Northrend so long that the Lich King holds a lot of sway over them. Another friendly race -- the walrus-like Tuskarr -- will serve as a cute little counterpoint to the lumbering undead-loving oafs.

World

* Dalaran will be moved and hover above Northrend. It will be used as a neutral capital city.

* There are more daily quests coming in the next patch-- a dungeon daily quest, a battleground daily quest, and a cooking daily quest.

Instances

* A new 25 man dungeon is scheduled for release after Zul'aman, it will have 6 bosses with loots higher than tier 6. Another 5-man instance is also considered. (This will be before the expansion)

* There will be a new CoT instance in the expansion.

PvP

New Battleground

* Siege vehicles that you can drive around

* 15 People in each team

* 30~40 minutes long games.

* The more you blow up, the more honor you get

New Arena Season

* New Season

* New Arena

* New Gear

There will also be a new Outdoor non-instanced world PVP Zone with impact on the whole world. (Even for PVE Servers)

Hero Classes

Hero Classes won't be released all at once because of balancing issues. They're classic Warcraft 3 characters with an "epic feel" (something really different than the ordinary)

The hero class will be created on a new character slot once you completed the quest, you won't lose your original character.

Death Knight

* The current plan is to have the class available for all races.

* Designed to fullfill both tanking and DPS roles

* Can tank using 2H weapons or by Dual-Wielding, no need for shields.

* Rather than using rage, energy, or mana, Death Knights have a special "rune sword" displayed beneath their health bar, onto which the player can etch six different runes (choose between Frost, Blood, and Unholy).

* Rune resource system. Three rune schools: Blood runes, frost, and unholy runes. All DK spells and abilities will use these different runes in some combo. DKs carve these runes into their weapon-- done anytime outside of combat.

* Character portrait has six runes in place of the mana bar (and a special circle around the icon, probably for Hero class). These runes are consume as your spells use them-- they deactivate and then reactivate over time, so if you have two frost and four blood runes, you get that much to use as spells and abilities. We have plans for mechanics that allow you to change one resource type on the fly-- like Warlock's Life Tap (Health=mana).

Let me know if you guys need more information.

[Arek the Absolute]

i don't know anything about lore, but wtf blizz, you kill a bad guy from a previous game, this is the end of wow as we know it people will quit gg

Uh, considering that Arthas is the Lich King, it would be pretty "lore" ending.

Lore in wow = lol though, so bliz can do as they please.

[Shonen Samurai]

Yes, because once we kill Arthas, there's no Kil'jaeden, Sargeras, Old Gods, Elementals, Azshara,

[cobaltstarfire]

Yeah just because one thread in the story is being tied up doesn't mean there aren't lots of dangling ones left over, or new ones to create.

[Arek the Absolute]

shut up i like arthas : (

Plus, I haven't followed the "lore" as of late, but I was certain that it was portrayed in The Frozen Throne that he was the end all bad ass that pretty much owns the world in a sense.

Why would they kill someone so major instead of other major YET minor in comparison with Arthas?

[Ramaniscence]

Yes, because once we kill Arthas, there's no Kil'jaeden, Sargeras, Old Gods, Elementals, Azshara,

Not to mention Deathwing, but like I said before...more importatly, this ruins any story WC4 could possibly have

....unless Arthas lives! Kael lives, and I remember hearing Illidan was supposed to, but...

[Arek the Absolute]

A warcraft 4 would be so sweet. Sucks that WoW makes another Warcraft strategy game improbably.

Also, I get your point of having other arcs they could do or having other people we could slay, but Arthas was such a huge character in WC3, and considering that there are lesser beings to slay before him, it feels really weird to be going straight for Arthas.

Oh hey, are locks still fucking over powered? I love how the devs favor them.

[suzumebachi]

* Dalaran will be moved and hover above Northrend. It will be used as a neutral capital city.

All lore jokes aside, does this mean we can use flying mounts in Northrend?

Hero Classes won't be released all at once because of balancing issues. They're classic Warcraft 3 characters with an "epic feel" (something really different than the ordinary)

Will they be added in as content patches? Or will they be in future expansions?

The hero class will be created on a new character slot once you completed the quest, you won't lose your original character.

Any idea of what the quest will entail? Hopefully not something ridiculous like the epic hunter quest of old. If it requires killing Illidan I'll probably cry.

* The current plan is to have the class available for all races.

GNOMISH DEATH KNIGHTS

woo!

* Can tank using 2H weapons or by Dual-Wielding, no need for shields.

I sense a large disturbance in the forums, as if a million warriors cried out QQ.

* Rather than using rage, energy, or mana, Death Knights have a special "rune sword" displayed beneath their health bar, onto which the player can etch six different runes (choose between Frost, Blood, and Unholy).

* Rune resource system. Three rune schools: Blood runes, frost, and unholy runes. All DK spells and abilities will use these different runes in some combo. DKs carve these runes into their weapon-- done anytime outside of combat.

* Character portrait has six runes in place of the mana bar (and a special circle around the icon, probably for Hero class). These runes are consume as your spells use them-- they deactivate and then reactivate over time, so if you have two frost and four blood runes, you get that much to use as spells and abilities. We have plans for mechanics that allow you to change one resource type on the fly-- like Warlock's Life Tap (Health=mana).

Hot.

[Arek the Absolute]

How are the balancing issues being handled? Are shaman finally given something to compensate for the shit they have been given? Are locks finally fucking toned down?

If balancing issues is finally something that devs FIX, then I might consider getting this game again. Balance was the major thing that turned me off to the game.

[cobaltstarfire]

I just started playing again a few weeks ago, but my buddy Smot has told me that Warlocks are overpowered, and MS warriors are. I can't really judge myself, all I've encountered in world pvp is rogues, shaman, other druids, and paladins. Smot said they're nerfing locks and ms warriors though soon. I don't really pay attention to that stuff to be honest (it's easy to ignore overpoweredness when you can run away from anything!)

The game has changed a lot since I played last year, I never thought I'd see the day that people are expecting me (I'm a druid) to dps or tank rather than heal. Shaman lightning bolts hurt a lot more then I remember...and paladins are about 10 times easier to kill now.

Either way I'm enjoying the game, more then I was when I quit too. And apparently I'm still an "overpowered healing goddess" despite a year out of practice, so I can still do what I enjoy most in small groups.

Anyone play on Sargeras (horde) or Feathermoon (Alliance)? Go by Lorenith on both (also Llamas on Sarg) please don't try to gank me if you're the opposite faction, I'll either run away or waste about 20 minutes of your time fighting.

[Arek the Absolute]

I have 5 40's on Ner'zul. If anyone is interested in joining the game, join there. I have like a shitload of gold and I don't mind mind giving someone 100 to start off.

This of course is when I renew my subscription, which I have no idea when I will be doing that.

[Imagist]

I have 5 40's on Ner'zul. If anyone is interested in joining the game, join there. I have like a shitload of gold and I don't mind mind giving someone 100 to start off.

This of course is when I renew my subscription, which I have no idea when I will be doing that.

If you actually plan on playing you'll want to keep that gold. It'll cover your epic mount at 60 and then if you ever make 70 flying mounts are, what, 600 gold? And that's not even fucking epic.

[OceansAndrew]

Anyone play on Sargeras (horde) or Feathermoon (Alliance)?

I have a ton of characters on Feathermoon, but most are horde. I have a 61 gnomeish hunny rogue who i havnt played besides popping on to say hi now and againin about a year and a half who is in Apostasy. Most of my RL friends play FM Alliance.

I just rerolled on Blood Furnace horde; my first time trying a pvp server. The server balance is just as bad as feathermoon, but in reverse. Instead of 75% alliance, it's 75% horde. Just my luck, but it is nice to be able to get people for groups.