Azel
01/01/2010, 14:21
Happy New Year!
Welcome to 2010! If everything goes well it should be one of the most interesting year in the history of World of Warcraft. Everything will probably happen very fast in the next days, the end of the arena season should be announced very soon, followed by a minor patch in a few weeks (including the Lich King cinematic (http://www.mmo-champion.com/news-2/patch-3-3-cutscene-blue-posts/) revealing the end of the WotLK storyline), and possibly new features on the armory (http://www.mmo-champion.com/news-2/shadowfrost-shard-armory-updates-blue-posts/). A few weeks later we will probably see the Alpha/Beta of Cataclysm and things will get really interesting!
It will be MMO-Champion 3rd birthday in March, I don't have any plan to stop spamming you with WoW news and hopefully you'll keep reading the site in 2010. Happy new year!
Blue posts
Quote from Blizzard staff
Itemization in Cataclysm
Just a couple of things I want to touch on for this subject:
We do want to and try to use all available stats for gear. If every Elemental piece was haste and crit, then every piece would look the same and get very boring.
We feel it is okay for certain stats to be more valuable than others, but on the class side things have gotten too lopsided, usually because of over-generous talents that convert stats or give e.g. too much haste. No stat should ever be worth twice the value of another. We are aware of these issues and this is a big part of the talent tree redo we have planned for Cataclysm.
Generally speaking, combat ratings are too high right now. This is partly because of the above but also because item levels ended up being higher than we initially designed in order to embrace the heroic model we started using in Ulduar and in all the raid dungeon since then. Players should not ideally be worried about hitting the haste and crit caps ever, and certainly not at the very beginning of Icecrown Citadel. In return, the ratings in Cataclysm should be much harder to cap. (Source (http://blue.mmo-champion.com/28/22048399218-elemental-4pc-t10-is-not-worth-getting-.html))
Tanking 5-man without defense in Cataclysm
Without a defense stat there should not be a huge gear requirement to tank 5-player dungeons. It would be ideal if say an Arms warrior could go Defensive Stance, maybe use a shield, and be able to fill the tank role in any normal dungeon or even the easier heroics.
You will still likely need a Prot-spec warrior (or the equivalent of other classes) to MT actual raids. (Source (http://blue.mmo-champion.com/26/22048470286-lfg--cat.html))
Tanking in WotLK
I think what you're trying to say here is that tanking is too hard in LK? If so, I'd beg to differ, at least compared to BC. Just off the top of my head: Mobs are rarely taunt or CC immune now. All tanks have a ranged taunt and a ranged pull. All tanks have AE tanking potential. Tanking trees have a lot more utility and fewer passive survivability or threat talents. Etc.
We did add DKs to make it easier to find tanks, and it has. We also added Dungeon Finder to make it easier to assemble groups, and it has. Neither of those designs guaranteed you could find a tank within 30 sec, and really nobody expected them to.
At the end of the day, tanking is a lot of work. Tanks are generally called upon to lead groups, set the pace of run, and keep things organized. Even a healer by contrast can kind of go along for the ride, healing here and there without really understanding the encounter mechanics. (I'm talking the 5-player Dungeon Finder experience here.) If there's a wipe, it's often blamed on the tank. If the dps pull aggro, it's often blamed on the tank. It takes a certain kind of player to want to tank, and really we're not trying to change that. We just want to do what we can to keep you from having to sit around too long waiting for a tank, up to and including you deciding to tank the run yourself. (Source (http://blue.mmo-champion.com/26/22048470286-lfg--cat.html))
Icecrown Items Procs / Trinkets / Nibelung
One thing we would like to do is make it so the procs/val'kyr do not miss bosses. We agree that it can be pretty frustrating to have something like this when there is no way around it. Unfortunately we don't have an estimate on when this could be implemented. (Source (http://blue.mmo-champion.com/28/22049841555-nibelung-why-it-should-be-reevaluated.html))
Healer Column of the WoW Magazine Preview
Our intent isn't to discourage the use of add-ons. Our intent is to allow players who don't want to use add-ons to be able to get by without. The advances we made to the default UI with things like Equipment Manager and the new Quest Map are with that direction in mind. Some players just like add-ons or are very particular about specific functionality. That's cool. They can continue to use what they enjoy.
I've healed a lot with and without Grid and similar mods. The default raid UI is adequate for healing, but only adequate. This is definitely a chunk of the UI that we'd next like to improve. Being able to show both buffs and debuffs at the same time feels like a necessity. Some healers will continue to want to use additional mods and that's their prerogative. (Source (http://blue.mmo-champion.com/27/22050171282-wow-magazine--healer-column.html))
http://static.mmo-champion.com/mmoc/images/icons/ishamans.gif Shaman (Forums (http://www.mmo-champion.com/class-shaman/) / Talent Calculator (http://talent.mmo-champion.com/?shaman))
Bug - Elemental 2pc T10 Bonus puts the skill on a 7 day cooldown
We believe this bug only happens in cross-server instances, which is probably why we didn't catch it. While it's certainly not excusable to not be able to use the set bonus when using Dungeon Finder, it shouldn't affect raiding.
There have been a few similar bugs, such as the hunter ability Call Stabled Pet.
We're working on a fix. (Source (http://blue.mmo-champion.com/28/22049521897--elemental-2pc-t10-bonus-badly-bugged-.html))
http://static.mmo-champion.com/mmoc/images/icons/iwarriors.gif Warrior (Forums (http://www.mmo-champion.com/class-warrior/) / Talent Calculator (http://talent.mmo-champion.com/?warrior))
Fury / Arms tanking in 5-man
We expect Prot to still be the talent tree of choice for raiding and the more challenging heroic dungeons since the talents will still probably make them a safer tank overall.
However, making it easier for an Arms or Fury warrior (or Ret paladin, cat druid or dps-focused DK) to step in and tank accomplishes two good things:
1) It makes it easier to get tanks for Dungeon Finder since some dps specs may be willing to slap on the shield (or change forms, etc.) for a faster queue. Based on the current use we are expecting players to use Dungeon Finder a lot in Cataclysm, even in the level up experience.
2) It allows the tanking classes to more fully embrace the fact that they are designed as a hybrid class and they have options available if they are willing to step in and do the tanking.
We're sensitive to Prot warriors not wanting to lose their jobs to non-tanks, but we don't really think that will happen. Right now the main thing keeping Arms warriors from tanking 5-player dungeons is having to get a complete second set of gear where they have to be crit immune. Getting a shield by itself shouldn't be nearly as big of a burden. (Source (http://blue.mmo-champion.com/26/22048401082-arms-tanking-in-cataclysm.html))
Fonte (http://www.mmo-champion.com/news-2/happy-new-year!-blue-posts/)
Welcome to 2010! If everything goes well it should be one of the most interesting year in the history of World of Warcraft. Everything will probably happen very fast in the next days, the end of the arena season should be announced very soon, followed by a minor patch in a few weeks (including the Lich King cinematic (http://www.mmo-champion.com/news-2/patch-3-3-cutscene-blue-posts/) revealing the end of the WotLK storyline), and possibly new features on the armory (http://www.mmo-champion.com/news-2/shadowfrost-shard-armory-updates-blue-posts/). A few weeks later we will probably see the Alpha/Beta of Cataclysm and things will get really interesting!
It will be MMO-Champion 3rd birthday in March, I don't have any plan to stop spamming you with WoW news and hopefully you'll keep reading the site in 2010. Happy new year!
Blue posts
Quote from Blizzard staff
Itemization in Cataclysm
Just a couple of things I want to touch on for this subject:
We do want to and try to use all available stats for gear. If every Elemental piece was haste and crit, then every piece would look the same and get very boring.
We feel it is okay for certain stats to be more valuable than others, but on the class side things have gotten too lopsided, usually because of over-generous talents that convert stats or give e.g. too much haste. No stat should ever be worth twice the value of another. We are aware of these issues and this is a big part of the talent tree redo we have planned for Cataclysm.
Generally speaking, combat ratings are too high right now. This is partly because of the above but also because item levels ended up being higher than we initially designed in order to embrace the heroic model we started using in Ulduar and in all the raid dungeon since then. Players should not ideally be worried about hitting the haste and crit caps ever, and certainly not at the very beginning of Icecrown Citadel. In return, the ratings in Cataclysm should be much harder to cap. (Source (http://blue.mmo-champion.com/28/22048399218-elemental-4pc-t10-is-not-worth-getting-.html))
Tanking 5-man without defense in Cataclysm
Without a defense stat there should not be a huge gear requirement to tank 5-player dungeons. It would be ideal if say an Arms warrior could go Defensive Stance, maybe use a shield, and be able to fill the tank role in any normal dungeon or even the easier heroics.
You will still likely need a Prot-spec warrior (or the equivalent of other classes) to MT actual raids. (Source (http://blue.mmo-champion.com/26/22048470286-lfg--cat.html))
Tanking in WotLK
I think what you're trying to say here is that tanking is too hard in LK? If so, I'd beg to differ, at least compared to BC. Just off the top of my head: Mobs are rarely taunt or CC immune now. All tanks have a ranged taunt and a ranged pull. All tanks have AE tanking potential. Tanking trees have a lot more utility and fewer passive survivability or threat talents. Etc.
We did add DKs to make it easier to find tanks, and it has. We also added Dungeon Finder to make it easier to assemble groups, and it has. Neither of those designs guaranteed you could find a tank within 30 sec, and really nobody expected them to.
At the end of the day, tanking is a lot of work. Tanks are generally called upon to lead groups, set the pace of run, and keep things organized. Even a healer by contrast can kind of go along for the ride, healing here and there without really understanding the encounter mechanics. (I'm talking the 5-player Dungeon Finder experience here.) If there's a wipe, it's often blamed on the tank. If the dps pull aggro, it's often blamed on the tank. It takes a certain kind of player to want to tank, and really we're not trying to change that. We just want to do what we can to keep you from having to sit around too long waiting for a tank, up to and including you deciding to tank the run yourself. (Source (http://blue.mmo-champion.com/26/22048470286-lfg--cat.html))
Icecrown Items Procs / Trinkets / Nibelung
One thing we would like to do is make it so the procs/val'kyr do not miss bosses. We agree that it can be pretty frustrating to have something like this when there is no way around it. Unfortunately we don't have an estimate on when this could be implemented. (Source (http://blue.mmo-champion.com/28/22049841555-nibelung-why-it-should-be-reevaluated.html))
Healer Column of the WoW Magazine Preview
Our intent isn't to discourage the use of add-ons. Our intent is to allow players who don't want to use add-ons to be able to get by without. The advances we made to the default UI with things like Equipment Manager and the new Quest Map are with that direction in mind. Some players just like add-ons or are very particular about specific functionality. That's cool. They can continue to use what they enjoy.
I've healed a lot with and without Grid and similar mods. The default raid UI is adequate for healing, but only adequate. This is definitely a chunk of the UI that we'd next like to improve. Being able to show both buffs and debuffs at the same time feels like a necessity. Some healers will continue to want to use additional mods and that's their prerogative. (Source (http://blue.mmo-champion.com/27/22050171282-wow-magazine--healer-column.html))
http://static.mmo-champion.com/mmoc/images/icons/ishamans.gif Shaman (Forums (http://www.mmo-champion.com/class-shaman/) / Talent Calculator (http://talent.mmo-champion.com/?shaman))
Bug - Elemental 2pc T10 Bonus puts the skill on a 7 day cooldown
We believe this bug only happens in cross-server instances, which is probably why we didn't catch it. While it's certainly not excusable to not be able to use the set bonus when using Dungeon Finder, it shouldn't affect raiding.
There have been a few similar bugs, such as the hunter ability Call Stabled Pet.
We're working on a fix. (Source (http://blue.mmo-champion.com/28/22049521897--elemental-2pc-t10-bonus-badly-bugged-.html))
http://static.mmo-champion.com/mmoc/images/icons/iwarriors.gif Warrior (Forums (http://www.mmo-champion.com/class-warrior/) / Talent Calculator (http://talent.mmo-champion.com/?warrior))
Fury / Arms tanking in 5-man
We expect Prot to still be the talent tree of choice for raiding and the more challenging heroic dungeons since the talents will still probably make them a safer tank overall.
However, making it easier for an Arms or Fury warrior (or Ret paladin, cat druid or dps-focused DK) to step in and tank accomplishes two good things:
1) It makes it easier to get tanks for Dungeon Finder since some dps specs may be willing to slap on the shield (or change forms, etc.) for a faster queue. Based on the current use we are expecting players to use Dungeon Finder a lot in Cataclysm, even in the level up experience.
2) It allows the tanking classes to more fully embrace the fact that they are designed as a hybrid class and they have options available if they are willing to step in and do the tanking.
We're sensitive to Prot warriors not wanting to lose their jobs to non-tanks, but we don't really think that will happen. Right now the main thing keeping Arms warriors from tanking 5-player dungeons is having to get a complete second set of gear where they have to be crit immune. Getting a shield by itself shouldn't be nearly as big of a burden. (Source (http://blue.mmo-champion.com/26/22048401082-arms-tanking-in-cataclysm.html))
Fonte (http://www.mmo-champion.com/news-2/happy-new-year!-blue-posts/)