Wrath of Lich King Stuff (was 'Blizzcon' thread) - Page 5

◊ Lord BEEF · 08/03/07, 2:03 PM

Originally Posted by Caligula

That's a pretty good spread for being approximately halfway through this expansion time period (if you figure the next one will be out in 6 months).

I don't have any insider information but I'd be very very surprised if the expansion came out in six months. In fact I think it's more likely that the beta for it will start in six months, and will run for at least three months before the expansion is released.

We're talking about Blizzard here. Them announcing something and then people reacting by saying it's "right around the corner" is pretty funny to me.

mierin · 08/03/07, 2:05 PM

It's sad how people cling to gear. Gear is a tool to see more encounters. It has no other value. If new encounters are added that require new gear, I cannot wait to get it. Levelling is a blast, and I look forward to more of it!

Liveblogging the opening ceremonies is happening here:

BlizzCon 2007 Opening Ceremony Liveblog! - WOW Insider

Axodry · 08/03/07, 2:06 PM

I just wish that Blizz would think about somehow retro'ing Naxx such that people who never had access to it pre TBC could go there and still get decent gear upgrades (making it still somewhat challenging). I realize that nothing is stopping us from going there now, but what is the point really...it's very hard to organize a run when the loot is just pointless. It's pretty much (like all of the pre TBC instances) rotting now. Bottomline is that for any new player, these instances are just obsolete and that's too bad considering the lore etc.

I personally can't see this new expansion coming out for alteast another year...or so I hope anyhow as there is still so much do to for most guilds out there.

Nezralix · 08/03/07, 2:06 PM

Originally Posted by Viator

At what point has an MMO done anything differently though? It's not as though this is some sort of new thing. Diku's release game, raid, raise cap, raid, raise cap, raid, etc, etc. That's the game. It's ALWAYS been the game even if everyone who hadn't played an M MO before realized it.

I don't think that's entirely the case; I've heard that some of them just piled raid instance upon raid instance until the normal person is so far behind the top end that they just give up. And that's generally bad. Having a minor reset where average players and guilds catch up to the top end is good. However, it doesn't hurt to give the best of the best a "permanent edge", so to speak, by arranging loot in such a way that top-tier items from the previous phase are slightly better than 5-man blues from the next one, or on par with entry level raid drops.

And that was largely the case, except that the change in stamina valuation effectively obsoleted pre-TBC tanking gear. Which will probably not happen this time around.

Tacitus · 08/03/07, 2:10 PM

It seems that DKs will be getting an antiheal/antishield skill called Unholy Embrace

Instant Cast. 5 min cooldown.

Target is embraced by a silhouette of darkness for 12 seconds, corrupting any healing spells and effects cast upon or currently affecting the target to cause damage for 50% of their healing potential instead of restoring health. Any damage shields cast upon or currently affecting the target will also be instantly consumed, dealing 50% of their absorption potential in damage. Once afflicted with Unholy Embrace, the target cannot be afflicted with Unholy Embrace again for 1 minute."

• Viator · 08/03/07, 2:11 PM

Originally Posted by heel

I've played MMOs/MUDs for as long as anyone here, and I am aware of how the genre works. There are choices you can make within the world of eternal character inflation, though, to make things smoother. For example: a boost in level cap every two years, instead of every one. Every time the level cap is raised, that's a lot of stress and instability. Something less than a full gear reset (I guess this can still be hoped for, at this point), so that raiders will still feel some motivation to keep raiding during the long stretch we have until the cap gets raised. Basically, things that help my guild not fall apart.

I'm not going to dwell on this since it's not germane to the facts first argument but why? The people most worried about their gear being trivialized are so far from the majority it's not a factor. Raiding's there to keep you subbed until the next expansion where the process starts all over again. If it makes you feel better, the casuals/non-raiders/light raiders only get a couple weeks where they're at the same level as you. Then you get another year at the top. I fail to see how that's a bad thing for anyone involved.

• sadris · 08/03/07, 2:13 PM

So its like Mortal Strike, but much better?

• Deris · 08/03/07, 2:13 PM

Well Crap. I rerolled Paladin for TBC, and I was a SK in EQ. Time to go back to my roots!

Need to start hitting the AH for blue weapons for leveling again.

• Disquette · 08/03/07, 2:14 PM

Originally Posted by Tacitus

It seems that DKs will be getting an antiheal/antishield skill called Unholy Embrace

Instant Cast. 5 min cooldown.

Target is embraced by a silhouette of darkness for 12 seconds, corrupting any healing spells and effects cast upon or currently affecting the target to cause damage for 50% of their healing potential instead of restoring health. Any damage shields cast upon or currently affecting the target will also be instantly consumed, dealing 50% of their absorption potential in damage. Once afflicted with Unholy Embrace, the target cannot be afflicted with Unholy Embrace again for 1 minute."

Who needs mortal strike in arenas now! ;-)

• Deris · 08/03/07, 2:14 PM

Originally Posted by sadris

So its like Mortal Strike, but much better?

Except MS has a duration longer than the CD, whereas the new ability is a 5m CD.

Talgog · 08/03/07, 2:15 PM

Originally Posted by Tacitus

It seems that DKs will be getting an antiheal/antishield skill called Unholy Embrace

Instant Cast. 5 min cooldown.

Target is embraced by a silhouette of darkness for 12 seconds, corrupting any healing spells and effects cast upon or currently affecting the target to cause damage for 50% of their healing potential instead of restoring health. Any damage shields cast upon or currently affecting the target will also be instantly consumed, dealing 50% of their absorption potential in damage. Once afflicted with Unholy Embrace, the target cannot be afflicted with Unholy Embrace again for 1 minute."

Going out on a very long limb and saying that this will be nerfed into the floor for 5v5 Arena balance.

Seriously, that's 10x worse than Mortal Strike ever was, five minute cooldown or not.

Caligula · 08/03/07, 2:15 PM

Originally Posted by Lord BEEF

I don't have any insider information but I'd be very very surprised if the expansion came out in six months. In fact I think it's more likely that the beta for it will start in six months, and will run for at least three months before the expansion is released.

We're talking about Blizzard here. Them announcing something and then people reacting by saying it's "right around the corner" is pretty funny to me.

Haha, yeah their track record with release dates isn't that great. I'm sure most of us remember Diablo II...

In any case, I was just making a comparison. Pushing the release date further out makes my point that "we've got a long way to go with the content we have" even more valid.

Corronach · 08/03/07, 2:15 PM

The opening speech is going on right now, haven't got to WoTLK but this is pretty solid coverage.

Nihilum - View News » Free Livestream from the Blizzcon

Corinthian · 08/03/07, 2:16 PM

Originally Posted by Tacitus

It seems that DKs will be getting an antiheal/antishield skill called Unholy Embrace

Instant Cast. 5 min cooldown.

Target is embraced by a silhouette of darkness for 12 seconds, corrupting any healing spells and effects cast upon or currently affecting the target to cause damage for 50% of their healing potential instead of restoring health. Any damage shields cast upon or currently affecting the target will also be instantly consumed, dealing 50% of their absorption potential in damage. Once afflicted with Unholy Embrace, the target cannot be afflicted with Unholy Embrace again for 1 minute."

Alex, I'll say: "What is an ability that will cause Priests and Paladins to never PvP ever again?"

Fleebenworth · 08/03/07, 2:16 PM

Originally Posted by Viator

I'm not going to dwell on this since it's not germane to the facts first argument but why? The people most worried about their gear being trivialized are so far from the majority it's not a factor. Raiding's there to keep you subbed until the next expansion where the process starts all over again. If it makes you feel better, the casuals/non-raiders/light raiders only get a couple weeks where they're at the same level as you. Then you get another year at the top. I fail to see how that's a bad thing for anyone involved.

I really don't think that many people are worried about mudflation of gear, it's more of how disruptive the whole leveling cycle is for many guilds. Personally after leveling from 60-70 and knowing what it means to complete all the necessary attunements/rep grinds and then waiting and helping everyone else who isn't on winter break, I'm not looking forward to repeating that again. Hopefully, as others have speculated, this next expansion follows a more Blizzard-esque development cycle.

crimsonsentinel · 08/03/07, 2:17 PM

It's a 5 minute cooldown, but it effectively gives a 5v5 team with a deathknight a guaranteed kill in arena if they are at all decent, which means teams are pretty much required to have a deathknight if this goes through. Not good at all.

Pesmerga · 08/03/07, 2:17 PM

Originally Posted by Talgog

Going out on a very long limb and saying that this will be nerfed into the floor for 5v5 Arena balance.

Seriously, that's 10x worse than Mortal Strike ever was, five minute cooldown or not.

Once again, this is assuming that Death Knights will be faction playable characters, rather than something akin to LotRO's monster play.

Douglas · 08/03/07, 2:17 PM

Originally Posted by Talgog

Going out on a very long limb and saying that this will be nerfed into the floor for 5v5 Arena balance.

Seriously, that's 10x worse than Mortal Strike ever was, five minute cooldown or not.

Naw. It's got to be either magic or a curse. The reason Mortal Strike is such a problem is that it can't be dispelled/removed. Bet you a nickel this new debuff can be.

Gonna be interesting in some PvE enouncters. "No, no, don't interrupt the heal!"

• Viator · 08/03/07, 2:19 PM

Originally Posted by Fleebenworth

I really don't think that many people are worried about mudflation of gear, it's more of how disruptive the whole leveling cycle is for many guilds. Personally after leveling from 60-70 and knowing what it means to complete all the necessary attunements/rep grinds and then waiting and helping everyone else who isn't on winter break, I'm not looking forward to repeating that again. Hopefully, as others have speculated, this next expansion follows a more Blizzard-esque development cycle.

See I loved levelling with my guild. It let me get in touch with the newer members on a smaller basis and reconnect with folks that had become a little less personal over the raiding cycle. I think the rep grinds were far more disruptive than the levelling itself; I do hope they seriously adjust that and, given that they've admitted they weren't happy with it, I think they will.

Haphnet · 08/03/07, 2:20 PM

It mentions shields and heals are reversed on it. But is it dispellable?

heel · 08/03/07, 2:20 PM

Originally Posted by Fleebenworth

I really don't think that many people are worried about mudflation of gear, it's more of how disruptive the whole leveling cycle is for many guilds. Personally after leveling from 60-70 and knowing what it means to complete all the necessary attunements/rep grinds and then waiting and helping everyone else who isn't on winter break, I'm not looking forward to repeating that again. Hopefully, as others have speculated, this next expansion follows a more Blizzard-esque development cycle.

This. A gear reset is just one another reason for my guild to not raid until the expansion, which will hurt us that much more when it comes.

Astrik · 08/03/07, 2:21 PM

Originally Posted by crimsonsentinel

It's a 5 minute cooldown, but it effectively gives a 5v5 team with a deathknight a guaranteed kill in arena if they are at all decent, which means teams are pretty much required to have a deathknight if this goes through. Not good at all.

Unless that person has Cloak of skill, iceblock or pally bubble to get out of it. Maybe it is also cleansable, resistable? Blizzard isn't stupid enough to add something like this without a hard counter against it. It may be "scrub" friendly, but there will be a way to negate it.

Fleebenworth · 08/03/07, 2:21 PM

Originally Posted by Viator

See I loved levelling with my guild. It let me get in touch with the newer members on a smaller basis and reconnect with folks that had become a little less personal over the raiding cycle. I think the rep grinds were far more disruptive than the levelling itself; I do hope they seriously adjust that and, given that they've admitted they weren't happy with it, I think they will.

Honestly I quite enjoyed leveling as well, it was everything else that came with it which I found terrible.