RSS Tigole leaves WoW, Blue posts, Fan Arts

We had a few hours of downtime in the morning, like all the time I'll pretend that it was a perfectly scheduled downtime and that our SQL Database didn't crash for some funny reason. Tigole: Till We Meet Again This was announced 2 days ago but I didn't want to mix it up with the Dual-Spec Q&A. Jeffrey Kaplan is no longer part of the World of Warcraft developement team, don't worry he didn't go too far and will work on Blizzard's upcoming unanounced MMO. Tigole was the Lead Game designer of World of Warcraft and played a huge role in its success, it's sad to know that he won't be working actively on WoW anymore, but definitely a good news to hear that the unanounced MMO is in good hands. <div class="blizzquotewrap"><div class="blizzquoteinner"><div class="blizzquoteheader">Quote from: Tigole (<a href="http://blue.mmo-champion.com/1/14990474128-till-we-meet-again.html" target="_blank" style="color: white;">Source</a>)</div><div class="blizzquote">I wanted to take a moment to let the community know that I’ve switched roles here at Blizzard to work on our upcoming, unannounced MMO. World of Warcraft has been such a central part of my life these past six and a half years, and it’s success would not have been possible without the tremendous community around it, so I wanted to say thank you to all our players who’ve shared this amazing experience with us so far. Also, while I have served as the spokesperson and Game Director for World of Warcraft on Wrath of the Lich King, by no means would WoW be where it is today without the dedicated team that we have in place. The WoW development team is comprised of some of the most talented and experienced game developers in the world, and it was an absolute honor to serve amongst them, and they will continue to make WoW better than ever. I still plan to be very involved with the future course of World of Warcraft, but will leave the day to day operations of World of Warcraft to my partners in crime, Tom Chilton and J. Allen Brack. When all is said and done, WoW is still my favorite game. I play it every day. None of that passion is gone. If anything, it fuels the challenge of making our next MMO even better. We know we have some big shoes to fill. So thank you to everyone who has been so supportive over the years, and likewise, thanks to those who have given us pointed feedback on all areas of the game. Without all of the feedback and participation, WoW would not be the game that it has grown to be. Azeroth truly belongs to you and we’re lucky to have shared in your journey. And as always, I’ll still be lurking on the forums and in the game. Mostly, I just wanted to say thanks. It has been an absolute honor. Jeffrey Kaplan </div></div></div> Blue posts <div class="blizzquotewrap"><div class="blizzquoteinner"><div class="blizzquoteheader">Quote from Blizzard staff</div><div class="blizzquote">Cutting the leveling time in the future Our goal is to continue moving forward with World of Warcraft. That doesn't necessarily mean it should be taken for granted that players will have 10 levels to go every time an expansion comes out. On a similar note, if we feel leveling a character from 1 to max level becomes too daunting the further along we get, we're not opposed to addressing that in ways other than simply adjusting the experience curve. It's too early on in Wrath's history to begin discussing any details though, as we're still weighing all options. (<a href="http://blue.mmo-champion.com/1/14990656409-these-posts-about-starting--higher-level.html" target="_blank">Source</a>) Dual-specialization Goals The goal was never to allow players to switch specializations on a whim. Having a specific talent set-up should still mean something. Our goal with this system is two-fold: 1) Allow players to switch to a secondary preferred spec/glyph set-up without having to go through the process of re-specializing, setting up action bars, purchasing new glyphs, etc. 2) Allow raid groups more flexibility by giving individuals the option of flipping to a secondary skill set to accommodate the group. Yes, it will mean there is another reagent players have to bring. We're expecting this feature to be extremely popular though, and I seriously doubt you're going to find yourself with nine to twenty-four other people who have all forgotten to bring Lexicons of Power to the raid. Dual-specialization at lower levels You do make a great point, Cvarto. This is ultimately while the option is still on the table, though the feature is not likely to launch this way. I think Ghostcrawler was speaking more about new players leveling. If someone is new to WoW, new to MMOs, or even new to RPGs, talents alone can be a bit overwhelming. Trial and error, and learning the basic damage rotations are very integral aspects of learning the game. Giving players the option of flipping between two specializations when they haven't figured out how the core of the class operates may be a deterrent. Like I said though, it's still something we're considering, and I think you've presented a good case for why it's in consideration. (<a href="http://blue.mmo-champion.com/1/14990465436-issue-with-one-of-ghostcrawlers-responses.html" target="_blank">Source</a>) Dual-specialization ability cost We do want to inform our players about what the final cost will be, but that is still under discussion. (<a href="http://blue.mmo-champion.com/1/14990765118-1-time-fee-keep-duel-spec-blizz.html" target="_blank">Source</a>) Love is in the Air! Bag of Candies The Bag of Candies had a fairly reasonable drop rate and was in no way bugged; however, due to the random aspect of the achievement, we discussed it and did hotfix an increase in last night. While I'm aware that some of you dislike the chance aspect of this achievement, it will remain in the meta. And just to dispel all the superstition around it, no NPC has a greater chance of giving out candies. They're all equal. (<a href="http://blue.mmo-champion.com/1/14990944942-bag-of-candies-act-2.html" target="_blank">Source</a>) Bouquet of Red Roses back in the game! I'll pop in to confirm that we did hotfix in a chance for the Red Roses to drop off the same bosses who are dropping the Ebon Roses. Enjoy your bouquets! (<a href="http://blue.mmo-champion.com/1/14990774504-bouquet-of-red-roses.html" target="_blank">Source</a>) <img src="http://static.mmo-champion.com/mmoc/images/icons/24x24/druid.jpg" alt="" border="0" /> Druid (<a href="http://www.mmo-champion.com/index.php?page=700" target="_blank">Skills List</a> / <a href="http://talent.mmo-champion.com/?druid" target="_blank">Talent + Glyph Calc.</a>) Survival of the Fittest Assume SotF would lose about half its current armor, putting it at 11/22/33% if I recall correctly and subject to additional testing. (<a href="http://blue.mmo-champion.com/26/14990939398-savage-defense--nerf-disguised-as-a-buff.html" target="_blank">Source</a>)</div></div></div> New Fan Art The <a href="http://www.blizzard.com/inblizz/fanart/" target="_blank">official site</a> has been updated with 4 new fan art. <div align="center"><a href="http://static.mmo-champion.com/mmoc/images/news/2009/february/ss726.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://static.mmo-champion.com/mmoc/images/news/2009/february/ss726_small.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://static.mmo-champion.com/mmoc/images/news/2009/february/ss727.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://static.mmo-champion.com/mmoc/images/news/2009/february/ss727_small.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://static.mmo-champion.com/mmoc/images/news/2009/february/ss728.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://static.mmo-champion.com/mmoc/images/news/2009/february/ss728_small.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://static.mmo-champion.com/mmoc/images/news/2009/february/ss729.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://static.mmo-champion.com/mmoc/images/news/2009/february/ss729_small.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></div> Blizzard Valentine's Day - Starcraft 2 Wallpapers I know, this isn't WoW related but Blizzard released 3 wallpapers and they're awesome enough to be posted here today. If you're not into Starcraft, don't worry, love is everywhere! Even on <a href="http://beavotron.deviantart.com/art/L4D-Valentine-Hunter-109502795" target="_blank">Left 4 Dead</a>. <div align="center"><a href="http://www.starcraft2.com/downloads.xml#wallpapers" target="_blank"><img src="http://static.mmo-champion.com/mmoc/images/news/2009/february/valentine_terran.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://www.starcraft2.com/downloads.xml#wallpapers" target="_blank"><img src="http://static.mmo-champion.com/mmoc/images/news/2009/february/valentine_zerg.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://www.starcraft2.com/downloads.xml#wallpapers" target="_blank"><img src="http://static.mmo-champion.com/mmoc/images/news/2009/february/valentine_protoss.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></div>

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