Patch 3.3: Quel'delar caster mace hastened

Ah, Quel'delar -- the Patch 3.3 questline with rewards for everybody. Well, everybody except tanks. And elemental shamans. And shadow priests, and moonkin, and mutilate rogues, and you get the idea. While the caster sword is itemized very well for DPS casters -- and can be used by two of them -- the mace version is loaded with MP5, which is patently useless for them. A lot of healers don't even really need it on their weapon.

Well, Blizzard may not have caved to tanks or rogues, but they certainly caved to DPS casters, as Bornakk indicates that the MP5 on the Hammer of Purified Flame is being converted to haste to better match Quel'delar, Lens of the Mind. As an elemental shaman in dire need of replacing his Aesuga, I appreciate that!

Then again, this makes it even more odd that sword-and-board tanks are still left out in the cold in this questline. I suppose there's still time before the patch for Blizzard to make the change, but it looks like they're not going that route. Oh well, tanks. There's always dual-spec.

Patch 3.3: Blizzard previews new quest tracking UI

Looks like the newly-renamed Dungeon Finder isn't the only new UI feature we have to look forward to in Patch 3.3 -- Blizzard just released an official preview of its new Quest Tracking feature, and it looks great. It seems to have a number of the features that ZorbaTHut's great QuestHelper addon does, which follows Blizzard's pattern of poaching the best third-party UIs for use in the stock UI.

Our UI whiz Gregg Reece covered the feature briefly last week, based on what was active on the PTR. For those who haven't fiddled with it, new additions to the UI include:

Enhanced World Map: The large world map is now separated into four active panes. Quests are automatically tracked on the map and listed to its side. The quest log entry for the selected quest is located below the map.

Areas of Interest: Shows what area on the map your quest's points of interest can be found, represented with a blue polygon. If mobs populate a large area, the map will indicate it. If you need to find one specific doodad, that'll be on there too. If there are multiple spawn areas for a mob or doodad, the map will automatically locate the one closest to you.

Pop-out Map: Players can utilize a smaller zone map outside of the normal full-screen map to track progress and get their bearings.

Better Tracking: Tracked quests outside the map will now indicate your progress with a number for items found or mobs killed and will indicate whether you've already completed it.

And more! The main thing I notice is missing (so far) is the arrow that indicates where you should head next on the World Map, like QuestHelper or Carbonite, but who knows if that'll even make it in.

Blizzard says that the new UI will work with nearly every quest in the game, regardless of type. You can check out the official preview here. http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/underdev/3p3/newquestui.xml

WoW Absolute beginners' guide to Arathi Basin

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote up a basic look at the Battlegrounds for all the new players who don't know anything about it. From the looks of it, Blizzard expects an influx of new players, too, so newbies will always be on the lookout for 'For Dummies'-type information. Because we're such awesome folks over here at WoW.com, we're ready to oblige. Last week we answered some basic questions about the game's first Battleground, Warsong Gulch. This week, we'll answer some beginner's questions about Arathi Basin, the next Battleground leveling players are eligible to enter. Hit the Read More button to, you know, read more.

ARATHI BASIN

What is Arathi Basin?
Arathi Basin is a resource accumulation Battleground with 15 players on each side. The goal is to gather 1600 resource points (2,000 points prior to Patch 3.2), with the first team to reach that number winning the match and ending the game. There are five resource nodeswhich can be controlled by capturing the associated, nearby flag -- an 8-second channel (formerly 10 seconds) action similar to opening a chest (you'll see a progress bar). Once a flag is tagged, teams must protect it for one minute until it comes under their control. The one minute window allows opposing teams to recapture a tagged flag.

The rate at which resources are gained depend on the number of resource nodes that a team controls -- the more nodes, the faster resources are accumulated. Capturing all five bases guarantee a rapid gain of resources and can be difficult or impossible to overcome if allowed to continue uncontested for a certain period of time. Players also gain honor and reputation according to the resources gained, so teams that win the match get the maximum bonus honor while teams that lose have varying levels of honor gain. It is virtually impossible to have a tied game of Arathi Basin.

The five nodes are the Farm, Blacksmith, Lumber Mill, Gold Mine, and Stables. The Farm is nearest to the Defiler's Den, the Southeastern part of the map where the Horde contingent spawns. The Stable is on the Northwestern part close to Trollbane Hall, where Alliance players start the game. The Lumber Mill is situated to the central West of the map, with the notable geographic feature of being atop a small cliff. It's always fun there. At the center of the map is an island where the Blacksmith is, and slightly Northeast to it would be the Gold Mine.

So, what's the deal with this place?
The physical entrances to Arathi Basin (not that you need them anymore) are located in Hammerfall and Refuge Pointe in the Arathi Highlands. In customarily nebulous fashion, Arathi Basin is supposedly such a resource-rich land that members of the League of Arathor and the unfairly villainous-sounding Defilers constantly clash over it. We can only assume that there's a lot of gold there, as well as some lumber, and a fair amount of livestock. And boy, do the Alliance and Horde forces need their livestock.

What's in it for me?
Unfortunately, none of the gold found inside the gold mine. Aside from honor, though, players get brownie points with the League of Arathor and the Defilers, Alliance players earning the Knight of Arathor and Horde players getting The Defiler Achievements. Either one grants another 10 Achievement points to brag about. Other Achievements can also be pursued if you get some more experience playing the Battleground. If you're not into those things, there's always those Arathi Basin Marks of Honor -- three for those on the winning team, one for those on the losing side -- which you'll need to purchase gear or turn-in in your quest for more honor. And everybody loves more honor.

Cool, I'm sold. What's next?
While Warsong Gulch opens up to players as early as Level 10, Arathi Basin has a slightly higher requirement. It's about perfect, too, since Level 20 is when players can get mounts. Considering players need to get from one node to another in the most expedient fashion, mounts are a good thing. The brackets for Arathi Basin are as follows:

20–29 30–39 40–49 50–59 60–69 70–79 80 As with all Battlegrounds, players would do well to be on the higher side of the level bracket in order to better appreciate the Battleground experience. That said, even lower level characters can contribute greatly by keeping their eyes open and alerting their teams to incoming enemies. The Battleground is also bigger than Warsong Gulch, so it's quite possible to avoid too much combat, particularly by keeping guard in relatively quiet nodes.

Let me at 'em! Uh... what do I do?
Easy, fella! My first suggestion would be to get a mount. You'll need one. Fortunately, players can now get mounts at Level 20 since Patch 3.2 worked it in. In the old days, players ran on foot for about twenty levels in Arathi Basin (when Level 40 was the minimum level to obtain a mount), which made the first two brackets of the Battleground rather unpleasant. Arathi Basin is a game of responsiveness, and the team able to support attacked nodes the fastest will win.

While there are many strategies to winning Arathi Basin, one of the best pieces of advice I can give to new players is to always fight near a flag. Making sure a flag is never left alone and is always protected is highly underrated, even by experienced players. Blizzard has already added an incentive to players to protect the flag with the Honorable Defender buff. This increases the honor gained from killing enemy players by 50% as long as you're within reasonable range of the flag. The only way Blizzard could make the message any clearer would be for them to have 50-foot tall neon signs pointing at the flag saying, "Fight Here!"

This means it's always ill-advised to leave a node unguarded. Resist the urge to go where the fighting is, despite the common lull that can happen when a node isn't being attacked. Sometimes a player's worst enemy in Arathi Basin can be boredom, which can strike those who nobly stay to defend the flag. One of the absolute worst things any player can do in Arathi Basin is to needlessly fight on the roads, which doesn't quite achieve anything.

It also goes without saying that having more nodes is better. While controlling three nodes is a slow and steady way to win the game, there's always the danger of losing a node and having the tide turn. As difficult as it may be to pull off, a five-cap or control of all five nodes is the best way to ensure victory, even if maintained only long enough to gain a sizable lead. For new players, simply providing warm bodies to protect flags and call out incoming enemies is key. Don't be afraid to type in the chat channel by typing /bg and keeping your team informed. Even lowbies can help immensely in this respect.

On to Alterac Valley!
Arathi Basin is a fun, fast-paced game that, if you play it right, might even end up with very little PvP at all. It's actually kind of Zen. After we take a quick look at all the other Battlegrounds (don't hold your breath, we've got four more to go...), we'll look at specific strategies every class can employ in each one. In the meantime, don't be afraid to cause some Battleground mayhem! Next week, we'll take a beginner's look at Alterac Valley.

In a short (but not necessarily sweet) announcement, Zarhym announced on the official forums that the recently opened Blizzard pet store are now regio

Much as I've done with Patch 3.2 and other major patches in the past, I'd like to examine what 3.3 will mean for officers. All major patches require some forethought and adjustment, and this one just happens to be a doozy!

Icecrown Citadel

The ultimate raid of this expansion, Icecrown Citadel is poised to be one of the most exciting raids that Blizzard has ever released. As such, I can virtually guarantee you'll have long-lost players coming out of the woodwork to get back into the raiding scene for a chance to face off with the Lich King. Make sure you review your guild's policies for inviting players to raids to make sure that slots will be awarded in a way that's as fair as possible while still giving your raid a solid chance at success.

One debate that's sure to rage among officers and raid leaders this time around is whether to extend lockouts until you beat the zone and unlock the hard mode toggle or to reset the instance each week to farm the early bosses. I'm still not sure how my guild is going to handle this. It will certainly depend on how quickly we can clear those first bosses and which bosses present more of a roadblock. If we're clearing quickly, we'll probably keep going until we hit a boss we can't beat. Then we'll reset and farm up more loot and Frost Badges.


Frost Badges and Raiding Quests

Just like with Triumph badges now, everyone will want to stock up on these come 3.3. Prepare for a new round of enthusiasm for Heroic dailies.

Remember, also, that 3.3 will introduce weekly raiding quests that reward 10 Frost Badges. The targets are Sartharion, Malygos, Noth, Razuvious, Patchwerk, Flame Leviathan, Razorscale, Ignis, XT-002, Jaraxxus, Anub'Rekhan, and Icecrown's first boss, Marrowgar.

I take issue with Marrowgar being included on this list. If you've cleared him and you don't want to reset Icecrown that week, then you can't complete the quest. The other bosses, with the exception of Anub'Rekhan, should constitute quick 10- to 15-minute clears of bosses that you wouldn't ordinarily go after. I highly recommend running the quicker quests prior to your raids. Clearing one or two easy bosses is a good warmup. Plus, doing them first-thing will encourage people to show up on time if they don't want to PUG the raid quest that week. After all, who knows what sort of shenanigans could go down in a Naxx PUG?

Looking for Group

Welcome back, LFG channel! Hopefully we raid leaders catch on and leave the overtaxed Trade channel alone. With the new LFG interface and cross-server instancing, filling those last slots for raids and Heroics should be easier than ever before. If your guild needs to recruit players, these tools should be a big help in finding people to fill out a group who might be interested in joining your guild afterward. You can even recruit players from other servers this way, if they're willing to pay for the transfer. Just remember: poaching is wrong!

The new system includes a Vote Kick feature. It will no longer be the sole realm of the raid or party leader to decide who's not cutting the mustard. I'm not sure if the leader can also be kicked this way, but please treat your raid or party members with respect and courtesy regardless.

Shorter Cooldowns

Sick of waiting for Rebirth to be available before you try hard mode Anub again? Apparently Blizzard is, too. Many class abilities frequently used in raids are getting a shorter cooldown. The list includes the aforementioned "battle rez," Tranquility, Army of the Dead, Divine Intervention, Divine Hymn, Earth and Fire Elemental Totems, Reincarnation, and Soulstone.

For hard mode fights in particular, it will be reassuring to know that almost all class abilities will be active for every attempt. That will lead to less guesswork in combat and less waiting around between attempts (especially in attempt-limited Coliseum hard modes). Thank you, Blizzard!

Another Legendary

Not much is known about how we'll obtain Shadowmourne at this point, although some associated quests have been discovered (link = spoilers!). One thing is certain, however: This item will cause drama, somehow, somewhere. Don't let your guild succumb to the allure of orange pixels. However this weapon is obtained, use common sense and fairness to decide who should receive it. Communicate your plan ahead of time so that no one is surprised when the first critical item drops. Don't let your guild become the next Vicarious.

Gearing Up Guildies

Post 3.3, gearing up your guildmates will be easier than it's ever been in the lifetime of the game. You'll have Triumph Badges dropping from every boss and Frost Badges from dailies. Then you'll have the three new Icecrown dungeons that will drop Coliseum-level gear. And, of course, Trial of the Champion isn't going anywhere, either. Its items are Ulduar-level gear, but they still beat what drops in other Heroics by a long shot. Runed Orbs and Crusader Orbs should plummet in price, making crafting those items much more affordable. Let's not forget the as-yet-unknown Quel'Delar quest line reward, too! If you're really bored, you will be able to teleport directly to Sapphiron's chamber for a few easy drops. Finally, all of Wrath's factions, especially the despised Sons of Hodir, will have faster reputation gains.

With some luck from our old friend RNG, a player will be able to go from mostly quest greens to mostly epics in a matter of days. Of course, they'll still need more loot to optimize their gear set and work their way up to Icecrown-worthy stats, but it's still way faster than it was to upgrade from greens to epics via Karazhan runs and Badges of Justice back in the day.

Odds and Ends
Gathering guild members around the world will be much easier now that meeting stones will be usable on any player over level 15. I can only assume this is a godsend for RP guilds. Players that are level 10 or below can no longer join raids. If you're planning any guild events that involve level 1 toons, you'll have to either use voice chat, create your own chat channel, or invite them all to your guild in order to communicate. The new fishing derby is Wednesday at 8 p.m. If your raids normally begin at 8, and if the derby only take a few minutes to win or lose, you might consider delaying the start for 10 minutes to allow players to participate. All in all, 3.3 gives officers some incredible new content to run with our guilds, some great new tools, and some much-needed conveniences. What are you most looking forward to?

/salute

Blizzard pet store now regional

In a short (but not necessarily sweet) announcement, Zarhym announced on the official forums that the recently opened Blizzard pet store are now regional. This means that pets purchased from, say, the European store can only be redeemed on European World of Warcraft accounts. He doesn't go into detail other than to say that pets that have already been purchased from one region and redeemed in another region are not affected by this change.

While it's a curious move on the surface, it effectively restricts players from Europe purchasing their Pandaren Monk and Lil' K.T. from the US store where the pets are cheaper at $10 compared to €10 or £10 in the EU (roughly $15). Interestingly enough, the pets are priced at ₩12,000 in the Korean version of the store, which is about the same price as in the US ($10.3). It's unclear why the European version of the pets -- along with a few other Blizzard store items -- are more expensive, a fact that makes Turpster huff and puff and blow Azerothian houses down.

Obvious business reasons aside, it also creates a minor inconvenience for people who would like to give the pets as gifts to players in other regions. However, considering that many vanity pet codes have been regional in the past, such as those given away during Blizzard special events, it's not a surprising move. Then again, this whole foray into microtransactions was a bit of a surprise, so we've learned to never underestimate those folks from Irvine.
Tags: Blizzard-Pet-Store, Economy, in-game-pets, Lil-KT, microtransaction, Microtransactions, pandaren-monk, Pet-Store, Vanity-Pets

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Blizzard, Europe

SourcePermalinkEmail thisComments (29)

Cataclysm: The exhaustive list of old-world changes (so far)

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm is coming. Sometime. We're at that point now where BlizzCon has been over for a few months and Blizzard is being pretty stingy with new information in the meantime. It's a definite dry spell, but the same thing happened with Wrath -- and then the Friends and Family Alpha began, and all bets were off.

And while the F&F Alpha for Cataclysm hasn't started yet (believe me, we'd know), that doesn't mean you can't stay informed. There've been bits and pieces of new info released, in PC Gamer magazine, on Twitter, and elsewhere on the internet. And we like to keep track of that! What's come out is mostly new information on what's going to happen to Azeroth. And we just recently decoded this planning map of Cataclysm zones, which is where some information comes from.

So what this article is meant to be is a compendium of all known changes to old-world zones that'll occur in Cataclysm, sorted by continent and zone. We'll update whenever new information is released.

Hit the jump to get caught up!

Disclaimer: Some information may be outdated or incorrect by this stage in Cataclysm's development!

KALIMDOR
Ashenvale
Overhaul level: Moderate.
Levels 20-25.

Increased orc presence in Ashenvale has resulted in severe deforestation around the Warsong Lumber Camp.
Horde forces have begun to move in on Silverwind Refuge.
Astranaar is being assaulted from the air by the Horde. Azshara
Overhaul level: High.
Levels 10-20.

Goblins have claimed Azshara for the Horde and have reshaped the land into a giant Horde symbol.
The mountains have been mostly destroyed by goblin mining.
The goblins have built a city there, linked directly with Orgrimmar. The Barrens
Overhaul level: Moderate (North) to High (South).
North Barrens: 10-20; South Barrens, 30-35.

The Cataclysm has split the Barrens into two separate zones, North and South Barrens.
The two zones are divided by a huge lava fissure.
The Alliance will be moving into South Barrens, setting up camps there.
Some of the Barrens, such as the area around Wailing Caverns, will be lush and verdant due to druidic intervention.
Entryway into Mulgore has been reinforced by the tauren.
Camp Taurajo razed by the Alliance. Darkshore
Overhaul level: High.
Levels 10-20.

Auberdine has been destroyed by tidal waves.
The cataclysm has ravaged much of the zone.
The night elves have retreated to the north end of the zone.
The Horde is encroaching from the south. Desolace
Overhaul level: Moderate.
Levels 30-35.

The cataclysm has cracked a hole in the sea wall, allowing water into the zone.
Some of the zone has regrown due to the water coming back.
The covens in the zone appear to have been partially successful in summoning in Burning Legion demons. Durotar
Overhaul level: Moderate.
Levels 1-10.

Orgrimmar is reinforced with black iron a la Warsong Hold.
Some damage is done to the landscape. Dustwallow Marsh
Overhaul level: Light.
Levels 35-40.

Changes unknown at this time. Felwood
Overhaul level: Moderate.
New level range unknown.

Changes unknown at this time. Feralas
Overhaul level: Moderate.
Levels 35-40.

Changes unknown at this time. Moonglade
Overhaul level: Light.
No level range.

Changes, if any, unknown at this time. Mulgore
Overhaul level: Light.
Levels 10-20.

Changes unknown at this time. Silithus
Overhaul level: Light.
Levels 55-60.

Changes unknown at this time. Stonetalon Mountains
Overhaul level: High.
Levels 25-30.

The goblins have nearly leveled Stonetalon in with their mining operation.
A canyon has been cut through the mountains leading to Ashenvale.
An eruption has caused the Charred Vale to spread even further. Tanaris
Overhaul level: Light.
Levels 45-50.

It is now possible to travel to Uldum, the new high-level zone, via Tanaris. Thousand Needles
Overhaul level: High.
Levels 40-45.

The cataclysm has resulted in Thousand Needles completely flooding.
The planning map indicates a new instance in Thousand Needles. Un'Goro Crater
Overhaul level: Light.
Levels 50-55.

Changes unknown at this time.
EASTERN KINGDOMS


Alterac Mountains
Overhaul level: Light.
Levels 20-25.

Changes unknown at this time. Arathi Highlands
Overhaul level: Light.
Levels 25-30.

Changes unknown at this time. Badlands
Overhaul level: High.
New level range unknown.

Heavily affected by Deathwing's emergence. Details unknown. Blasted Lands
Overhaul level: High.
New level range unknown.

Planning map indicates a large overhaul, but changes are unknown. Burning Steppes
Overhaul level: Unknown.
New level range unknown.

Changes unknown at this time. Deadwind Pass
Overhaul level: Unknown.
New level range unknown.

Changes unknown at this time. Dun Morogh
Overhaul level: Light.
Levels 1-10.
Changes unknown at this time. Duskwood
Overhaul level: Light.
Levels 20-25.

Changes unknown at this time. Eastern Plaguelands
Overhaul level: Moderate.
Levels 40-45, 45-50.

Changes unknown at this time; likely related to the death of Arthas. Elwynn Forest
Overhaul level: Light.
Levels 1-10.

Changes unknown at this time. Eversong Woods
Overhaul level: Unknown.
Levels 1-10.

Changes, if any, unknown at this time. Ghostlands
Overhaul level: Unknown.
Levels 10-20.

Changes, if any, unknown at this time. Hillsbrad Foothills
Overhaul level: Light.
Levels 20-25.

Southshore lost to tidal waves. Loch Modan
Overhaul level: Light.
Levels 10-20.

Changes unknown at this time. Redridge Mountains
Overhaul level: Unknown.
Levels 20-25.

Changes unknown at this time. Searing Gorge
Overhaul level: Unknown.
Levels 45-50.

Changes unknown at this time. Silverpine Forest
Overhaul level: Light.
Levels 10-20.
The Greymane Wall has been destroyed, opening the kingdom of Gilneas.
Shadowfang Keep questline getting redesigned for high-level players. Stranglethorn Vale
Overhaul level: High.
New level range unknown.

Blizzard indicated that STV would be one of the most overhauled zones. Swamp of Sorrows
Overhaul level: Moderate.
New level range unknown.

Changes unknown at this time. The Hinterlands
Overhaul level: Light.
Levels 30-35.

Changes unknown at this time. Tirisfal Glades
Overhaul level: Light.
Levels 1-10.
Changes unknown at this time. Western Plaguelands
Overhaul level: Light.
Levels 35-40.
Changes unknown at this time but likely related to Arthas' death. Westfall
Overhaul level: Moderate.
Levels 10-20.

Changes to Deadmines questline for high-level players. Wetlands
Overhaul level: Moderate.
Levels 20-25.

Heavy landscape changes to the zone due to the emergence of Deathwing.
Passage to Twilight Highlands to the east opened.

WoW Patch 3.3 PTR: Patch Notes updated

The PTR patch notes for Patch 3.3. have been updated. Some of the significant changes:
Oculus appears to have been significantly nerfed. Obviously, this was done to facilitate easier random PUGs using the new cross-server dungeon system. Divine Intervention: This ability now also removes Exhaustion and Sated from the target. In addition, the cooldown on this ability has been reduced from 20 minutes to 10 minutes. Cannot be used in Arenas. Lay on Hands: This ability will place Forbearance on the paladin if used on his or herself. It will not place Forbearance on others. Bug fixes... 158 of them by my count. It appears that Blizzard isn't done with the changes to Lay on Hands, which should be particularly noteworthy to Paladins everywhere. I wouldn't be surprised to see LoH go through a few more changes before all is said and done.

The full changes after the break.

Oculus
Many bosses and creatures have had their total health reduced. Several bosses and creatures have had cooldowns on specific abilities increased, effect durations reduced, and damage on some of these abilities reduced. Ring-Lord Conjurers and Sorceresses now hang out in packs of 4 instead of packs of 5. Vehicle scaling on the drakes based on the rider's item level has been increased to make them more powerful. Paladin
Divine Intervention: This ability now also removes Exhaustion and Sated from the target. In addition, the cooldown on this ability has been reduced from 20 minutes to 10 minutes. Cannot be used in Arenas. Lay on Hands: This ability will place Forbearance on the paladin if used on his or herself. It will not place Forbearance on others. Items

Haris Pilton now sells a new 24-slot bag! She has stubbornly decided to remain in Shattrath City, so those interested should seek her out there. Bug Fixes

Items

Ancient Pickled Egg: This item can no longer be triggered by Life Tap. Brutal Hauberk: The tooltip on this item no longer references granting energy (as energy-based classes cannot equip it). Costumes: Various costumes from holidays, items, and quests that previously were cancelled by getting on a mount will now cause an error message when the player attempts to mount instead of cancelling the costume. Carapace of the Old God: Now tradable using the Bind-on-Pickup trade system. Crystalforged Trinket: Can now be refunded at its vendor. Dragonslayer Set: No longer displays a duration on the Nature's Ally buff. Drums of the Forgotten Kings: The buff from this item will no longer be cancelled when the player who used the item swaps talent specializations. Drums of the Wild: The buff from this item will no longer be cancelled when the player who used the item swaps talent specializations. Eating and Drinking: Eating and drinking are now cancelled and prevented while in a vehicle as a passenger. Figurine: Emerald Owl: Now grants mana properly to druids in Bear Form, Cat Form, and Dire Bear Form. Figurine: Talasite Owl: Now grants mana properly to druids in Bear Form, Cat Form, and Dire Bear Form. Fire Hardened Hauberk: The tooltip on this item no longer references granting energy (as energy-based classes cannot equip it). Giantstalker Set: No longer displays a duration on the Nature's Ally buff.Glyph of Immolation Trap: Now properly increases damage by 100%. Gul'dan's Regalia Set: Tooltip corrected to indicate increased damage for all pet attacks, not just abilities. Husk of the Old God: Now tradable using the Bind-on-Pickup trade system. Idol of Flaring Growth: Now has a detailed combat log tooltip. Idol of Lunar Fury: Now has a detailed Combat log tooltip. Idol of The Corruptor: Now has a detailed Combat log tooltip. Insignia of the Alliance: Item level changed to 60. Insignia of the Horde: Item level changed to 60. Level 58 PvP Items: A variety of PvP items with a minimum level of 58 were not being translated properly when a player used the Paid Faction Change service. That has been corrected. Paladin- and shaman-specific items still will not be translated, as there is no opposite version to translate them into. Liadrin's Plate Set: No longer incorrectly reduces the cooldown on Divine Shield. Lightning Capacitor: Combat log tooltip for Electrical Charge updated to include more detailed information. Nightsong Regalia Set: The bonus to Rejuvenation from this set will now work properly with the Idol of Rejuvenation equipped. In addition, the instant heal provided now has a correct combat log tooltip. Noggenfogger Elixir: Players shrunk while under the effects of this item will now be able to mount. Quel'dorei Channeling Rod: Spelling error corrected. Quel'dorei Sash: Spelling error corrected. Quel'dorei Guard: Spelling error corrected. Qiraji Bindings of Command: Now tradable using the Bind-on-Pickup trade system. Qiraji Bindings of Dominance: Now tradable using the Bind-on-Pickup trade system. Reclaimed Shadowstrike: No longer has a cooldown to create Reclaimed Thunderstrike. Reinforced Shadowstrike: No longer has a cooldown to create Reinforced Thunderstrike. Reins of the Swift Frostsaber: The mount learned from this item no longer triggers a global cooldown. Runescroll of Fortitude: The buff from this item will no longer be cancelled when the player who used the item swaps talent specializations. Seaspray Albatross: Now grants mana properly to druids in Bear Form, Cat Form, and Dire Bear Form. Sigil of Virulence: Now has a detailed combat log tooltip. Solace of the Defeated: Can no longer be triggered by spells with a base cost of 0. Solace of the Fallen: Can no longer be triggered by spells with a base cost of 0. Spirit of Eskhandar Set: This set no longer requires Eskhandar's Collar to complete (that item can no longer be acquired). Swift Horde Wolf: The mount learned from this item no longer triggers a global cooldown. The Egg of Mortal Essence: This item can no longer be triggered by Life Tap. Tier 2 Helmets: Looting these items from Nefarion in Blackwing Lair will no longer trigger the Onyxia's Lair (level 60) Feat of Strength achievement. Totem of Quaking Earth: This totem will no longer sometimes grant unintended bonus healing. Turalyon's Plate Set: No longer incorrectly reduces the cooldown on Divine Shield. Veklor';s Diadem: Now tradable using the Bind-on-Pickup trade system. Warmth of Forgiveness: Now grants mana properly to druids in Bear Form, Cat Form, and Dire Bear Form. Windrunner Set: The set bonus which grants Greatness to the hunter's pet will no longer spuriously show the hunter also gaining that buff. Worldbreaker Garb Set: The Electrified effect caused by this set now has detailed combat log tooltips. Racial Abilities

Arcane Torrent: Updated tooltip to include the functionality that this ability also interrupts spellcasting on NPCs. Every Man for Himself: Disconnecting while rooted will no longer sometimes trigger this ability. Classes

Death Knights

Bloody Strikes: Now properly increases the damage displayed in the tooltips of Blood Strike and Heart Strike. Bone Shield: Tooltip corrected to indicate the player has the correct number of bones. Chains of Ice: This ability will no longer appear to land on targets which are immune. Desecration: The debuff from this ability will no longer sometimes appear as if it were cast by someone else. In addition, the visual and snare from this ability will now both dissipate at the same time. Further, this talent will now respect snare immunities, and no longer sometimes snare immune targets. Frost Presence: The animation for activating this presence will no longer also have the animation for Blood Presence played at the same time. Glyph of Bone Shield: Now updates the number of charges in the Bone Shield tooltip. Glyph of Dark Death: Now updates the tooltip on Death Coil. In addition, its own tooltip has been clarified to indicate it also applies to healing from Death Coil. Glyph of Death's Embrace: Now updates the tooltip on Death Coil to indicate runic power is refunded. Glyph of Heart Strike: Now updates the tooltip on Heart Strike to indicate Heart Strike applies a movement snare. Glyph of Icebound Fortitude: Now updates the tooltip on Icebound Fortitude to show increased damage reduction. Glyph of Plague Strike: Now updates the damage shown in Plague Strike's tooltip. Glyph of Unbreakable Armor: Now updates the tooltip on Unbreakable Armor. Tooltip on glyph modified to make its effect more clear as well. Master of Ghouls: Tooltip typo corrected. Night of the Dead: Tooltip typo corrected. Obliterate: This ability will no longer sometimes fail to do additional damage based on diseases on the target. Raise Ally: While this spell is active on a target, they will not be sent to the graveyard, prematurely ending the spell. Strangulate: Updated tooltip to include the functionality that this ability also interrupts spellcasting on NPCs. Taste of Blood: Corrected inaccurate information in combat log tooltip. Unholy Presence: The animation for activating this presence will no longer also have the animation for Blood Presence played at the same time. Druids

Glyph of Hurricane: Now modifies the spell tooltip on Hurricane to indicate the spell also applies a movement slowing effect. Hurricane: When cast from Bear Form, Cat Form, or Dire Bear Form, this spell will now channel properly instead of stopping the channel as soon as the shapeshift is cancelled. Infected Wounds: This ability is no longer considered to be in the magical defense category; therefore spell hit no longer applies to its activation. Tooltip error corrected. Nature's Grace: The tooltip now correctly indicates that it will not be activated from periodic spell critical strikes. Swipe (Bear): Tooltip corrected to display 8 yard range. Hunters

Concussive Barrage: This ability is no longer subject to spell reflects. Explosive Trap: The damage from this trap will now scale properly with the hunter's attack power. Glyph of Immolation Trap: Now properly increases damage by 100%. In addition, this glyph will now modify the tooltip of Immolation Trap correctly. Glyph of Mending: This glyph will now modify the amount healed in the tooltip on Mend Pet. Point of No Escape: This ability no longer stacks and now only functions for the hunter. Roar of Sacrifice: Corrected tooltip error. Silencing Shot: Updated tooltip to include the functionality that this ability also interrupts spellcasting on NPCs. Volley: The tooltip for this ability will now update properly from haste. Mages

Arcane Concentration: The interaction of this talent with Arcane Missiles has been restructured. Instead of an Arcane Missiles cast triggering the talent, each missile has an independent (but reduced) chance to trigger this talent. In addition, the talent will no longer sometimes be triggered from misses by Arcane Missiles, Arcane Blast, and Blizzard. Blast Wave: Tooltip typo corrected. Blizzard: The tooltip on this ability will now update properly from all talents which increase its damage by a percentage. Also fixed a bug where some trinkets were not triggered by this spell. Cone of Cold: The tooltip on this ability will now update properly from all talents which increase its damage by a percentage. Dalaran Intellect: Mages will now be properly blocked from casting this spell when the target has a more powerful version of the buff. Flame Strike: Some ranks of this spell had an incorrect cast time of 3 seconds. All ranks now share a 2-second cast time. Frost Nova: The tooltip on this ability will now update properly from all talents which increase its damage by a percentage. Frostbolt: The tooltip on this ability will now update properly from all talents which increase its damage by a percentage. Glyph of Mirror Image: Now updates the tooltip on Mirror Image to show 4 images are summoned. Ignite: Now correctly benefits from the dispel resistance granted by the Arcane Subtlety talent. Ice Lance: The tooltip on this ability will now update properly from all talents which increase its damage by a percentage. Improved Scorch: This talent no longer causes a bug that removes all resilience from pets. Mirror Image: The mirror images summoned will no longer sometimes appear as shades before taking on the appearance of the casting mage. Prismatic Cloak: Rank three of this talent will now properly modify the tooltip on Invisibility to indicate the effect is instant. Slow Fall: This spell can now activate trinkets that can trigger from casting a helpful spell. Winter';s Chill: This talent no longer causes a bug that removes all resilience from pets. Paladins

Aura Mastery: The animation for this ability will no longer be extra bright when used with Concentration Aura active. Beacon of Light: The effect of this ability will no longer sometimes continue past the duration of its buff. In addition, the duration when used with the Glyph of Beacon of light will now correctly be 1.5 minutes. Finally, the tooltip was corrected to indicate benefitting targets must be in the paladin's party or raid. Blessing of Kings: It is no longer possible to have multiple buff icons from this spell. Blessing of Sacrifice: Damage transferred via this ability can now be prevented by damage absorption effects. Blessing of Sanctuary: It is no longer possible to have multiple buff icons from this spell. In addition, the tooltip has been corrected to include 10% increased strength. Devotion Aura: When in a party with another paladin using a different rank of this ability, it is no longer possible to see two different Devotion Aura icons displayed as buffs. Divine Sacrifice: This ability now properly counts all damage transferred against its limit, instead of not counting some damage. Greater Blessing of Kings: It is no longer possible to have multiple buff icons from this spell. Greater Blessing of Sanctuary: It is no longer possible to have multiple buff icons from this spell. In addition, the tooltip has been corrected to include 10% increased strength. Guardian's Favor: Corrected a tooltip error in rank 1 of this ability. Hand of Freedom: It is no longer possible to use this ability while under the effects of the druid spell Cyclone. In addition, disconnecting while rooted will no longer sometimes trigger casting this on oneself. Hand of Reckoning: Tooltip clarified to indicate taunt immune targets will not take damage from this ability. Hand of Sacrifice: Damage transferred via this ability can now be prevented by damage absorption effects. Heart of the Crusader: The effect of this talent is now always removed when the target no longer has an active Judgement debuff. Judgements of the Just: The effect of this talent is now always removed when the target no longer has an active Judgement debuff. Judgement of Righteousness: The damage from this ability will no longer sometimes increase when the paladin's agility increases (only occurred with low strength and high agility). Judgement of Wisdom: Corrected incorrect information in the combat log tooltip. Seal of Corruption: Tooltip corrected to list the actual amount of damage done instead of a higher number. Priests

Glyph of Power Word: Shield: The heal caused by this glyph will now correctly use the casting priest's critical strike chance instead of the target's. Inspiration: The tooltip now correctly indicates that it also functions with Prayer of Mending. Levitate: This spell can now activate trinkets that can trigger from casting a helpful spell. Mind Flay: The rank 1 tooltip has been corrected to indicate the accurate damage and snare effect. In addition, this ability will now work correctly with [target=focus] and [target=mouseover] macros. Prayer of Mending: Inspiration and Divine Aegis can no longer be incorrectly triggered by this spell for priests who do not have those talents. Silence: Updated tooltip to include the functionality that this ability also interrupts spellcasting on NPCs. Spirit Tap: This talent can no longer be triggered by the death of the priest's Jewelcrafter Stone Statues. Rogues

Ambush: The tooltip on this ability will now update properly from talents which increase its damage by a percentage. Backstab: The tooltip on this ability will now update properly from talents which increase its damage by a percentage. Deadly Poison: Another rogue using a higher rank of this poison will no longer prevent the lower rank Deadly Poison from being applied to the target. Eviscerate: The tooltip on this ability will now update properly from talents which increase its damage by a percentage. Glyph of Rupture: Now updates the duration on Rupture's tooltip. Killing Spree: Entering a vehicle will now cause this ability to halt, and attempting to use it while on a vehicle will result in an error message. Mutilate: The tooltip on this ability will now update properly from talents which increase its damage by a percentage. In addition, the damage from this ability can now be blocked. Sinister Strike: The tooltip on this ability will now update properly from talents which increase its damage by a percentage. Slice and Dice: Improved Slice and Dice and Glyph of Slice and Dice now update the duration of this ability. Throwing Specialization: Deadly Throw will no longer cause multiple spell interruption combat log entries when used with this talent. Shamans

Glyph of Earthliving Weapon: Now updates the tooltip for Earthliving Weapon. Mana Tide Totem: The tooltip on this spell will now be modified properly by the Glyph of Mana Tide Totem. Thunderstorm: It is no longer possible to use this ability while under the effects of the Druid spell Cyclone. Warlocks

Curse of the Elements: Rank 4 has been increased to 11%, up from 10%. Drain Soul: This spell now deals 4 times the normal damage for all ranks. Previously it was only ranks 6 and above. Glyph of Conflagrate: Now updates the tooltip of Conflagrate to remove reference to Conflagrate removing an Immolate or Shadowflame effect on the target. Glyph of Siphon Life: This glyph will now modify the tooltip on Siphon Life correctly. Glyph of Unending Breath: Now updates the tooltip on Unending Breath to indicate it increases swim speed. Hellfire: Dealing damage to another player with this ability will now put the Warlock in combat. Improved Shadow Bolt: This talent no longer causes a bug that removes all resilience from pets. Soul Link: Damage transferred via this ability can now be prevented by damage absorption effects. Suffering (Voidwalker): Ranks 5-8 had the incorrect taunt radius of 5 yards and have all been adjusted to a 10-yard radius. Warriors

Blood Frenzy: This debuff is no longer considered a Bleed effect that can be removed separately from the actual Bleed effect which caused it. Bloodrage: Tooltip now adjusts to show effect of Anger Management on this ability. Glyph of Cleaving: Now updates the tooltip of Cleave to show that more targets are struck by the ability. Glyph of Hamstring: Now updates the tooltip of Hamstring to indicate it has a chance to immobilize. Glyph of Vigilance: Now updates the tooltip on Vigilance to show that more threat is transferred. Mocking Blow: Tooltip clarified to indicate taunt immune targets will not take damage from this ability. Rampage: Rampage now behaves correctly as an Enrage effect when interacting with the Enraged Regeneration ability. Recklessness: Heroic Throw and Shattering Throw will now benefit from this ability and consume charges of this ability. In addition, Recklessness now behaves correctly as an Enrage effect when interacting with the Enraged Regeneration ability. Sudden Death: Corrected inaccurate information in combat log tooltip. Sweeping Strikes: Corrected inaccurate information in combat log tooltip. Vigilance: The threat transfer granted by this ability will now reactivate when Tricks of the Trade or Misdirection cast by the Vigilance target expires. Warbringer: Tooltip typo corrected. Game Systems

Target Effects: When this UI feature is activated, Fear, Silence, Frostbolt, and Hamstring will all now display text over the target's head indicating what type of effect has been applied.

Tier 10 armor set gallery

Blizzard finally released the last of its Tier 10 sneak peeks, the long-awaited shaman set, and it did not disappoint. Now that all of the waiting is over -- at least, the waiting for sneak peeks -- we've assembled a gallery of the Tier 10 sets for all classes.

It looks like Blizzard really took their time on these sets. Some I may not like as much as others, design-wise, but they all have top-notch texture work and attention to detail. Check out the wool pattern on the shaman set, or the fiery brands on the warrior set, or the two-toed hunter boots. A lot of the sets are adorned with moving parts, too, like the druid shoulders, which snap and bite periodically. And most of them follow a very cohesive theme -- "stuff we've seen in Wrath up to this point." The warrior set should immediately remind you of King Ymiron, the rogue set is, well, a geist, and the death knight set might as well be called "Arthas Jr."

So, check out what you've got coming in Patch 3.3. With the new Dungeon System, a week or so of heroics will get you a full set of Tier 9 gear and get you all set to face Arthas, if you're up for it.

The WoW comic leading into Cataclysm (spoilers)

The Wrath storyline factored heavily into the official WoW comics, albeit slightly late, and continues to do so with the release of the upcoming Thassarian manga. And now it looks like it's headed on a collision course with the storyline to Cataclysm! Ogre-turned-Liefeldian-monstrosity Cho'gall recites a prophecy in the latest issue related heavily to the Old Gods, Mary Sue shamagadin Med'an, and the Elemental Planes. BlizzPlanet has a pretty good writeup of what the prophecy could mean and its consequences down the road, but I'll give you a brief summary here, too.

Of course, I'll toss it after the jump for those inclined to avoid spoilers. Ready?

Cho'gall, empowered by C'Thun, says that when the child of three worlds, Med'an, becomes "of Light" -- dies, in the vernacular -- then the barrier between the Elemental Planes and terrestrial Azeroth will shatter and they'll begin to merge. Well, we certainly know that the merger (or, more fittingly, hostile takeover) happens, so it stands to reason that Med'an will die. I figured Deathwing just did it himself, but I guess there's more to it. It could also lend credence to the rumor that Thrall becomes the new Guardian of Tirisfal, despite Med'an's recent infusion of Guardian power.

Let me get on my soapbox for just a minute here.

To be frank, I like the concept of Med'an -- a mixed-breed in a world where the most we usually get are the result of Rhonin's apparently irresistible charms to elven women -- but the execution of the character has been just awful so far. A character that can use every kind of magic. who happens to be the son of two Warcraft II heroes! How wonderful. That certainly makes everyone else obsolete.

So, no, I wouldn't mourn the loss of Med'an in the way he's been presented so far, especially if it means that someone whose character has been completely assassinated in Wrath -- our favorite Son of Durotan -- can come back to the forefront and be an actual leader... even if it's not just for the Horde anymore.

But this is a consistent issue with the WoW comic, in my opinion -- uneven characterization, exclusive storylines that aren't really that engaging to begin with but still affect the game world, and new characters that act like we've known them forever. Add to that the increasingly unattractive art in the book, like Garrosh's tiny, tiny head and "shoulders" that make up roughly half his body -- I know I already used the word Liefeldian, but I really want to use it again -- and it equals out to sizable difficulty in enjoying the series at all, either in art or story. But the comic is also the only way to experience these storylines in the expanded universe.

So here's what Blizzard can do for us: Avoid confining important storylines to just the comics or novels. We encountered this with Sartharion and the Obsidian Sanctum -- players actually did have a legitimate reason for killing him, but most players have no idea what that reason is. And that's because it was contained in Night of the Dragon, a novel, and never once mentioned in-game. Not in a quest, not in gossip text, nothing. And any player who doesn't read the comics has no idea why Varian Wrynn is back as King of Stormwind or why he's so angry at the Horde. All we need is something in the game.

For Cataclysm, there's so much fantastic backstory behind Deathwing and the Cataclysm itself that it'd be a true shame to have a huge driving force behind it stuck in comic book land. Let's hope that Blizzard feels the same way.

WoW launcher and downloader causing validation errors [Updated]

I and many tipsters have encountered some issues tonight when trying to launch the game.

Here's what we know:

The Launcher is downloading something small. It is taking much longer than the 2 minutes estimated. Sometimes the download fails. Once the "something" has been downloaded, some are getting "unable to validate game version". Constant attempts to log in appear to make the error go away. There is no indication of what has been downloaded. Here's what we don't know: What was downloaded.

We will update you as soon as we know anything.

Please note: There is no indication patch 3.3 is dropping. NONE.

Update 8:55pm: Blizzard says that the downloading issues are due to "prime time" and gives some advice in this link, mostly suggesting to wait.

Update 8:44pm: Blizzard is calling this a "Tools Patch" and saying that "Safe Mode with Networking" is solving some people's problems. Obviously the issues are not fixed.

Update 8:30pm: Blizzard says they have fixed the issues. Anyone still having problems should take the steps outlined in this link.