◊ Vaccine

On the earlier talk about gold sink at 80 and 500% mount speeds, I read a blue source or heard a blue interview once that basically said their biggest regret of TBC was the epic flying mounts speed. They felt it was far too fast for what they'd intended and the only reason they hadn't nerfed it was that there would be a ridiculously large outcry from those already having paid for theirs.

Wheras had they put them in at say 150% speed to begin with, they'd be much happier.

I can't see flying mounts being as fast at 80. They'll make up something like the climate or pressure or something over Northrend doesn't allow mounts to fly faster than xyz%.

Its tough to think what sort of cash sink they will have without new forms of mounts (and assuming they won't add faster ones due to what I posted above). They could focus inscription with it. Rather than making it a 1-375(450?) in the traditional sense where it roughly parallels your level increases, they could make it a secondary proffession and make it start at 71. So level 1-300ish cover the 71-80 grind and the next 150 skill points are all aobut 80 stuff. Then they just make it really really expensive and beneficial to level. To the comment someone made that it can't be secondary because they mentioned being able to use it on allies, you can use first aid on allies and thats secondary. Allies can eat the food you cook and thats secondary. No reason inscribing wouldn't be secondary too.

Failing that they may just not increase gold that much as you level, and scale repairs to be a lot more costly for Northrend gear. Hell if they have an Undermine faction or a Northrend goblin faction gold might just be the way of buying reputation. Imagine that, 1g = 1 rep. Excellent rewards at each level of rep. 42,000g for exalted Certainly give people a use for cash.



Mana Wood Lice (been clearing garden all last weekend and sick of woodlice running out from under rocks).

 

Liebestod

I think Blizzard admits that the implementation of the Heroic 5-mans was somewhat rushed... they have said they would have liked to add more quests to the zones (heroics in particular) but never got around to it. Sadly, I wouldn't be surprised if this outcome repeats in WotLK, since Heroics are probably saved for the end of the development cycle.

 

Daenerys

I'd love it if that source could be substantiated. I'd be pretty upset if they planned on slowing us down at 80...I certainly don't mind being grounded from 70 -> 80, but at 80 I want to be back in the air and travelling at least as fast as we do now. I do understand that going much faster would be kinda crazy, so I am okay if 280% is here to stay.

And why would they have added the 310% mounts for arena if they thought 280% was too fast?

 

McTurok

I think they really learned a lot from the first design (Azeroth) and just built upon all the feedback from the players. Outland (and the new lowbie areas 0-20) are designed perfectly imo.

This is part of the reason I'm very much looking forward to the new expansion.

 

McTurok

I think they've really got a good working model in heroics and they should build upon them quickly.

Those you listed are good ideas, but I want to add a Heroic Dead Mines. WOOT! I just think that was one of the coolest instances ever made.

They could really easily bring back some life to old Azeroth if they put some Heroics mode into some of that content.

I only problem right now it getting to those areas if they did add this.

 

oldmandennis

Wait what? Where is this? Can you link me one of these NPC's?

 

Nezralix

 

oldmandennis

Oh thanks. I've been there, I just don't recall it being named the harborage. How is it a harborage when its so far from the sea?

 

Liebestod

Dunno, but you could say the same of Orebor Harborage.

 

Eylirria

Like someone said earlier on this thread, there was a lot of information regarding raiding/quests/content on the lore/quest panel.

During it's Q&A someone asked about Turalyon and Alleria, and Metzen said that they wanted TBC to ship with some of the portals in Outlands being functional and being able to take you to other worlds the Legion had domain over. He mentioned that much like TBC went back and added stuff to Azeroth (BE/Draenai areas, Karazhan), they plan on doing things of that sort with WotLK and on future patches.

Metzen also specifically mentioned that Turalyon/Alleria are well and are important/stand-out characters in one of worlds the Legion commands, and intends us to go there at some point.


I wonder how big these other worlds will be, if they'll merit an expansion of their own, or just something that is gradually added on future patches.

 

Liebestod

I'd guess the "border worlds" would merit their own expansion at this point (TBC part II)... they're somewhat reminiscent of the Emerald Dream for the moment: It was supposed to be out already, but it isn't. It's probably too big a project to patch them in via regular content updates. Yet arguably they (like the Emerald Dream) may not be big enough to be the whole focus of an expansion. Metzen said he originally had 7 worlds in mind, obviously that number got whittled down to 3, but I wouldn't be surprised if Blizzard just goes and releases all 7 as a future expansion. However, that would be a ways down the road.

 

andastra

I wouldn't say that. A new world is perfect for releasing an entire expansion in. There's really only so much stuff you can add to Azeroth and it might not be enough to fit in one expansion. Of course, if they wanted multiple worlds lore-wise then they would have to use multiple ones in an expansion.

 

◊ Merple

On Break?

 

Lookit

I agree with you in that I doubt Blizzard wants to add either ground- or air-speeds higher than those in BC. However, one way for them to give players incentive to plunk down a large chunk of change once again at 80 would be to offer ground mounts that are usable indoors, perhaps at +60% and +100% speeds (analogous to the flying mount's +60% & +280% speeds).

Raiders would be particularly covetous of this for use in instances, and if Blizzard was feeling ambitious, it would be possible to make the indoor mount a requirement for entrance to certain areas (picture an indoor area with a large gap, only clearable by the jumping ability of the indoor mount. Summoning is disabled, a la Netherstorm, and the gap is designed so players cannot use other abilities to cross it, such as a rogue Sprinting and jumping or a mage Blinking.) To further increase incentive, there could be large areas of zones that are considered indoors, either as large caves or underground cities and areas.

Would players pay 1,500-2,000 gold for a 60% indoor mount, with a 100% indoor mount costing an addition 3 to 6 thousand? Or what about 80% and 120%, thereby making the epic indoor mount the fastest available ground mount?

 

• songster

Sure! Don't think we'll ever see it though, as it would make kiting mobs out of the way in instances just too easy, unless you make all the indoor mobs able to run at mounted speed.

What I *would* plunk down gold for - and quite a lot of it - is the ability to use my mount(s) while dead. Also - saddlebags on the mount that would act as a mini bank you could carry with you? Take your resistance gear, but put it in the saddlebags till you need it. And so on.

 

• songster

A harbor is just a place of refuge. You can harbor desires, secrets, criminals or refugees, not just ships. The latter is clearly the usage in this case.

 

Kinv

If you get incombat you get dismounted... just like the AQ40 mounts.

 

Emeraude

I could see the drama erupt from having indoor mounts already. "F***ing so-and-so isn't here yet, freakin slack won't buy a mount." "Waiting on so-and-so always holds the raid up, he needs to freakin farm and buy a mount for indoors.", etc etc.

 

Vandermonde

Yeah, I would love me some ghost gryphon.

 

Draele

As far as new cash sinks I'd like to see something along the lines of enchants, but for your character. Let us buy "training" of some sort to add to our stats directly(not to our loot) let the first points be rather low, but make the price for each point go up exponentially.

 

Jebraltar

Do you really want somebody buying gold from peons or some other site to have 1500 more base HP than you?

Even at the less extreme end, could you imagine hitting level 80 and needing to farm gold to train skills for the next two weeks before you could start raiding?

If the return is too small, people won't pay for it, if the return isn't, it will primarily help those exploiting for gold.

 

Draegan

Same line as AA's in other games. Permanent enhancements to your character just lead to more barriers for new characters to the end game.

Meh.

 

• Tecton

Inscription sounds basically like what you guys are talking about, no?

 

andastra

I thought they said something that Northrend is so cold the wings of your flying mounts will be frozen at first. 6k gold to fully defrost for epic speed, perhaps?