Project Lore

Mmm, finally Rogues have received a nice blue post from Blizzard Entertainment. Blizzard Poster Gamnin updated the stabbing community on changes they can expect to see in the near future. Gamnin admits that these are changes that are currently being worked on, as well as future goals. Therefore, some of these changes may not come for some time. Nevertheless, many of them have me in a twitter. Got me in a twitter:

• Removal of numerous reagents (Thieves’ Tools, Flash Powder).
• Poison skill removed – poisons available via vendors.
• Level 75 unannounced ability designed and teased as adding group utility.
• Fist weapon spec merged with dagger spec.
• Mace Specialization will now grant armor penetration when using a mace.

Much hotness:

• Cooldown reduced to 3 minutes on Evasion, Sprint, Vanish.
• Subtlety Tier 1 redesigned to be more attractive
• Fewer dagger specifics talents in subtlety to allow more diverse build options
• Hunger for Blood will remove any harmful physical effects. No longer just Bleed or Magic.

I have always fancied the dagger specialization more, just because I felt that it required more “skill”. In actuality, it just requires that you move around a lot more (and have more patience) but I will keep telling myself that that equals skill. Unfortunately, raiders have claimed that dagger builds were doing less DPS than the other specs for some time, a statement which Blizzard owned up to.  With that in mind, the merger of maces into the dagger spec and armor penetration instead of a stun proc make maces much more attractive to me.  Maybe it is time to give up my trusty blades? The removal of the poison skill makes sense, as it was simply as waste of time to create them so often. On top of that, its not like it was difficult to do or troublesome to locate the materials. For those reasons, the switch to a vendor item makes a lot of sense. But seeing as I never carried around poison mats, just a few stacks of crafted poisons, I don't see how it will help bag space. As for the hotness changes?  I did not note that Cloak of Shadows' cooldown is being raised to two minutes since I was focusing on the good.  But that makes the changes to Hunger for Blood look more enticing for the PvP players out there.  And should I make that jump to maces, it is nice to know that Blizzard will try to make the subtlety tree a viable option. Be sure to check out the blue post though. Gamnin mentions a lot of other changes and future additions that I did not touch upon.  Sadly, there wasn't enough to convince me that daggers will be taking over as highest DPS again – and I feel they should be the highest.

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Some more details have been coming out about the pre-Wrath of the Lich King content patch. As you know, the upcoming patch will act as a “bridging” patch. What this means is that Blizzard will use patch 3.0.2 to introduce a chunk of the Wrath changes, before Wrath is launched. This is the same thing Blizzard did with patch 2.0.1, introducing some aspects of The Burning Crusade into vanilla World of Warcraft. That addition came just a little over a month before TBC's release. Eyonix mentioned as part of patch 3.0.2's announcement that the notes would be coming shortly. However they still have not been posted. Nevertheless, Blizzard has posted additional information through alternative means. First we have a promise from Bornakk that the game won't be broken by the patch. I still remember the horror of “Assault on Blackwing Lair” or patch 1.6.0. I never wanted to use add-ons again after how long it took for all of my add-ons to be repaired, and then the time it took to go find them.  One by one.  Thankfully, we have tools like BLASC now. Bornakk also mentions that the patch should arrive “in the coming weeks”. To back up that statement the PTR forums have been wiped. An act that always happens shortly before a new patch is tested. Zarhym brought us the first list of detailed changes yesterday, the long promised changes to raid buffs/debuffs and stacking. The changes are drastic and the post is long, so it is worth the read for the hardcore PvE players out there. The Summation:

• Most buffs/debuffs will be raid-wide (ie Warrior shouts, Shaman totems).
• All buffs are categorized in one or more of 30 categories. Most categories have only a few buffs in them.
• Buffs from the same categories will not stack, with the most powerful buff taking precedence
• Mana regeneration buffs to be assigned to 10 players with the least mana
• Numerous existing buffs and debuffs have been reworked for the new system

Blizzard hopes that the changes will allow raiders to bring whomever is available to a raid – within reason - instead of requiring a concrete template be filled. Zarhym noted that Blizzard will be fine tuning the system and changes as needed based on internal testing and community feedback. So start the feedback process.

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A few things have cropped up in the larger World of Warcraft community that are likely to interest many of you. Both of them are Wrath based, although I would not call any of the upcoming information a “spoiler.” So feel free to read on without learning that Arthas is a sled and that Azeroth is really Earth in the distant future. First up, we have a YouTube look at the new calendar system. The guild calendar is one of the biggest changes that Wrath of the Lich King will bring to the user interface. Although, we now know that the change will be coming as part of the last content patch for The Burning Crusade. When the patch launches, guilds can stop depending on, and the author can stop creating, GroupCalendar. Since the video is from the beta, things may change a bit before it goes live. Highlights include:

• Personal calendar filtering by Battleground Holidays, Raid Lockouts, Darkmoon Faire, Weekly Holidays and Raid Resets.
• All users can create events viewable by a selected group and/or the guild.
• Created events can be of various categories - PvP, Raid, Dungeon, Meeting, Other.
• Creators and moderators can modify the event including attendee status.
• Users will be notified of event invites by a flashing calendar icon on the minimap. They can then RSVP to the event.
• Events will display the number and classes of players that have RSVPed. Inviting from the calendar interface is also possible.

The next piece of Wrath goodness isn't created by Blizzard in anyway. WotLKWiki has put together a tidy, interactive map of Northrend that acts a lot like Google maps (it is “Powered by Google” after all). You can click-drag the map, center, zoom in and out. Double clicking on an area will zoom in and center. So yea, just like Google Maps. Really there isn't anything too impressive with the map but it's fun to take for a spin.

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Yesterday at the Leipzig Games Convention, Blizzard gave the world the first look at Wrath of the Lich King's cinematic trailer. The trailer initially blew me away with its fantastic animation, beautifully crafted landscapes, epic music and spot on narration by Arthas' father, King Terenas Menethil. Then a friend and I began discussing it and finally, comparing it to previous Warcraft trailers. We decided that it's lacking in content. I have seen all of Blizzard's cinematic trailers, for all their titles - heck, I even own the Blizzard Entertainment DVD Collection. This allows me to see the progression of their craft. Since the release of Diablo II, the technology, art, and design of their cinematics have always been groundbreaking. Especially the technology. But what is a cutscene without story? Arthas' turn in Warcraft III still resonates in my mind as one of the coolest things I have seen from the game industry. Was it an original twist? No, but the video's presentation made it amazing. But that comparison isn't entirely far. After all, that cutscene was just that, a cutscene. What I am actually discussing is a cinematic trailer, so let us compare apples to apples. In the original World of Warcraft trailer Blizzard introduced us to everything. The classes, the races, the setting, the landscape. The trailer told players what to expect - an epic struggle. The Burning Crusade cinematic featured a cocky Illidan Stormrage daring us to come out and do battle with him. Shortly after being told that "You are not prepared" the cinematic shifts gears, introducing the new playable races. What does the Wrath of the Lich King offer us? It shows Arthas crossing a frozen lake in Northrend shortly before he plunges Frostmourne into the ice. We see the release of a large dragon (probably Sindragosa) that then stirs Arthas' undead army as it passes overhead. An epic presentation but it doesn't lead us, or the story, on, as previous trailers did. Heck, even the Sunwell Plateau trailer (basically machinima) pushed the story forward. And where is the action that the other two presentations had? Sorry Blizzard, but for all you put into the presentation, you left the story at the door. I don't enjoy or expect the formulaic movie plot of build up, climax and close in my video game trailers. Your previous formula of slight build-up and a lot of climax always had me on the edge of my seat. Ultimately, those previous trailers lead me to want the game (which would present the close) that much more. Stream the trailer here, download the high resolution version for PC or Mac or an alternate mirror for streaming and download can be found at FileFront.

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Every time I read something new about Wrath of the Lich King, I can't help but get a little more excited for it. I recently came across a list of Shaman glyphs from the current beta build. What are glyphs? They are customizations for your character that will alter the way certain abilities work in some way. The example I like to give is that druids will be able to make their bear form look like a polar bear. Fun, right? Well, looking good is one thing, but check out what glyphs have been uncovered for the best class (shaman for those of you who don't know).

• Glyph - Water Shield - Your Water Shield has 3 additional charges.
• Glyph - Chain Heal - Your Chain Heal heals 1 additional target.
• Glyph - Lesser Healing Wave - Your Lesser Healing Wave heals for 20% more if the target is also affected by your Earth Shield.
• Glyph - Earthliving Weapon - Increases the chance for your Earthliving weapon to trigger by 5%.
• Glyph - Healing Wave - Your Healing Wave also heals you for 20% of the healing effect when you heal someone else.
• Glyph - Mana Tide - Your Mana Tide Totem grants an additional 1% of each target's maximum mana each time it pulses.
• Glyph - Earth Shock - Reduces the global cooldown triggered by your Earth Shock ability by 1 sec.
• Glyph - Frost Shock - Increases the duration of your Frost Shock by 2 sec.
• Glyph - Strength of Earth - Your Strength of Earth Totem also grants 1% melee and ranged critical strike chance.
• Glyph - Windfury Weapon - The attack power bonus on the additional attacks granted by Windfury Weapon is increased by 40%.
• Glyph - Stormstrike - Increases the nature damage bonus from your Stormstrike ability by an additional 8%.
• Glyph - Flame Shock - Increases the range on your Flame Shock ability by 10 yards.
• Glyph - Lightning Shield - Increases the damage from Lightning Shield by 20%.
• Glyph - Chain Lightning - Your Chain Lightning strikes 1 additional target.
• Glyph - Fire Nova Totem - Increases the radius of Fire Nova Totem's effect by 2 yards.
• Glyph - Flametongue Weapon - Increases spell critical strike chance by 2% while Flametongue Weapon is active.
• Glyph - Totem of Wrath - Your Totem of Wrath also grants 1% spell haste.
• Glyph - Lightning Bolt - Reduces the cost of your Lightning Bolt ability by -10%.
• Glyph - Earth Elemental Totem - Reduces the cooldown of your Earth Elemental Totem by 3 min.
• Glyph - Fire Elemental Totem - Reduces the cooldown of your Fire Elemental Totem by 3 min.
• Glyph - Healing Stream Totem - Your Healing Stream Totem heals for an additional 20%.

Now, all of those are pretty awesome, and it will be hard to choose which six to have inscribed (you can have two of each type: minor, lesser and major). I'll leave the theorycrafting to those smarter than myself and just look at the ones that jump out at me. Resto shaman always get love, but adding a fourth target to chain heal would be awesome. Healing wave healing myself while I heal others? Another win. My current love, enhancement, should see huge boosts from an additional 40% AP bonus on Windfury, and strength of earth totem becomes even more buffed by adding an additional 1% physical crit chance. That's on top of the agility it's already getting in WotLK! And of course my rekindled love in Wrath, elemental, is not forgotten. An additional target for chain lighting is situational, but will be fun! A 2% spell crit bonus with flametongue, the new elemental imbue of choice, is much appreciated, as is the extra 1% spell haste for Totem of Wrath. Stacked with the Wrath of Air totem haste, casters will love shaman. It will be difficult to pick glyphs for Juggynaut, but I can't wait!

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Isn't that the story of my life? This time, though, they want my friends to play a game with me. From the official World of Warcraft site:

With the new Recruit-A-Friend program you can earn an exclusive Zhevra mount, receive a FREE month of game time, and gain access to other exciting in-game benefits. From the moment your friend creates a character and starts playing you’ll both earn triple the experience when grouped together and have the ability to summon one another from anywhere in the world. Also, for every two levels of experience your friend earns, they can grant one level of experience to one of your lower-level characters.

The Recruit-A-Friend program is really stepping it up. A free month of playtime was nice, but an in-game mount? Free levels? TRIPLE XP? Sounds like they are aiming for the 20 million subscriber mark. Of course, the triple XP and free levels only work up to level 60, according to the FAQ, but this sounds like a great way to bring a friend, roommate, or SO (significant other) into the game. These bonuses should get all of your friends to the Burning Crusade content quickly. Then you can help them burn through it and get them ready for WotLK. I'm sure Blizzard is counting on you to convince your friends to pick up BC as well as WotLK, whenever that comes out.

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While we all wait for our WotLK beta keys (except for Alex, that s.o.b.), it's fun to speculate about how long exactly we will have to wait to hit Northrend with the force of two spirit wolves. Hmm, I guess that doesn't really sound very intimidating. Just you wait, though. You won't want to mess with my spirit wolves. Anyway, I don't know many players who aren't looking forward to getting their hands on some Wrath of the Lich King content. Apparently it is news that somebody mentioned that Blizzard still plans on releasing Wrath of the Lich King before the end of the year, but not before October. Word on the street is that Blizzard is aiming for a November release, which makes sense plenty of sense. Of course, WoW's first expansion, The Burning Crusade was also planned for a Q4 release in 2006, but it managed to get delayed into Q1 of 2007. So, with no official release date confirmed, when do you guys think the much anticipated expansion will be released for real?  My randomly assigned guess is November 18, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it come out a bit later than that.

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Wowhead continues to prove itself a great resource for players looking for the latest information on the Beta of Wrath of the Lich King, and today Wowhead gives us a pet talent calculator and a great list of achievements. Looking through the pet talents, I find Heart of the Phoenix to be great for a certain hunter who always seems to complain about his pet dying. Other than that, there are a bunch of interesting things that hunters will be able to tweak about their pets, and though some of the talents are similar to old ones, the new stuff shows a lot of creativity on Blizzard's part. When I first heard of the Achievement system being implemented, I figured I would just let the achievements come to me as I played. But now I can see some people might really go out of their way to get some. Look at this one. I know someone who might just be crazy enough to try it. I definitely see a lot of things that I expected in the list, and I hope its going to expand even more from the nearly 650 already there. I also really hope that when someone unlocks an achievement, there is some crazy sparkley stuff that happens, visible to everyone with an announcement to all in the vicinity, like the discovery system has but even bigger. After all, World of Warcraft is a social game, and what good is a social game if you can't show off when you get something cool?

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So Tigole, aka Jeff Kaplan, confirmed on the official Blizzard forums that leveling from 60-70 is going to be faster once WotLK hits, similar to the way that 20-60 is now faster than it used to be. This is a great example of how Blizzard is really listening to its community. The acceleration from 20-60 came long after BC was released, but it was embraced by most of the community. Blizzard improved the questing process by leaps and bounds in the Burning Crusade, but players still had to get through the long grind to 58 to see most of the new content. This time, Blizzard is allowing players to have an easier time through older content to get to the shiny new stuff. I can't wait to see what kind of new quests they're going to have in Wrath of the Lich King, and this is just one more improvement to help keep my attention. This may also make more people consider rolling Death Knights right away. Genius!

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Obviously, I am a badass shaman. Some would say the most badass shaman ever. At level 80, though, I will become even more badass. How is that possible you ask? I will summon not one, but two spirit wolves. Imagine a shaman coming at you. I can already see you trembling in your boots. Now, imagine that shaman in ghost wolf form, two spirit wolves, and a fire elemental coming at you. By now you've probably just given up. Now add in whatever Lava Burst is going to do (I can only imagine it will cause the insides of nearby enemies to burst, instantly killing them). And then, if you aren’t already dead, I’ll just use Hex to turn you into a frog. And then I’ll use my friend Mojo to turn myself into a frog. Then we can be froggy friends and you will forget all about attacking me. And then… FROST SHOCK. So forget being a death knight. You should probably just reroll as a shaman.

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