en-us Mon, 06 Sep 2010 09:06:09 +0200 rill@paladinsofthephoenix.org 60 http://www.paladinsofthephoenix.org/wow/forum/ Paladins of the Phoenix http://www.paladinsofthephoenix.org/wow/forum/sitenews.asp http://www.paladinsofthephoenix.org/wow/forum/lookout.jpg 80 40 Tophus http://www.paladinsofthephoenix.org/wow/forum/topic.asp?whichpage=-1&TOPIC_ID=1233&REPLY_ID=5819 Cataclysm Info Mon, 06 Sep 2010 08:38:40 +0200 http://www.paladinsofthephoenix.org/wow/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1233 Quote:
We are slowly but surely losing all our good leaders :(
Maybe Malfurion can fix everything?]]> Shawn http://www.paladinsofthephoenix.org/wow/forum/topic.asp?whichpage=-1&TOPIC_ID=1238&REPLY_ID=5818 Cataclysm Info Mon, 06 Sep 2010 06:39:51 +0200 http://www.paladinsofthephoenix.org/wow/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1238 Quote:
Hmmmm, I wonder if they will make it an actual mount? I'm still waiting for eagle mounts from the daily in Storm Peaks.]]> Laz http://www.paladinsofthephoenix.org/wow/forum/topic.asp?whichpage=-1&TOPIC_ID=1234&REPLY_ID=5815 News Forum Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:40:42 +0200 http://www.paladinsofthephoenix.org/wow/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1234 Quote:
And boom...

there go 75 gold glyphs :P

They need to do something similar with enchanting. With so fewer posted on the AH however, I don't really expect it.]]> Rill http://www.paladinsofthephoenix.org/wow/forum/topic.asp?whichpage=-1&TOPIC_ID=1235&REPLY_ID=5813 News Forum Sat, 04 Sep 2010 15:29:09 +0200 http://www.paladinsofthephoenix.org/wow/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1235 Quote:
[:-crying]]]> Rill http://www.paladinsofthephoenix.org/wow/forum/topic.asp?whichpage=-1&TOPIC_ID=1232&REPLY_ID=5796 Cataclysm Info Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:25:34 +0200 http://www.paladinsofthephoenix.org/wow/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1232 Quote:
DOOM!]]> Tophus http://www.paladinsofthephoenix.org/wow/forum/topic.asp?whichpage=-1&TOPIC_ID=1231&REPLY_ID=5795 Cataclysm Info Fri, 03 Sep 2010 04:08:13 +0200 http://www.paladinsofthephoenix.org/wow/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1231 Quote:
OMG!!11!1! I want!]]> lemming http://www.paladinsofthephoenix.org/wow/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1223 News Forum Thu, 26 Aug 2010 18:13:02 +0200 http://www.paladinsofthephoenix.org/wow/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1223
GamesCom 2010: Cataclysm Press Q&A

Thanks to wow.battlenet.pl, an official Polish fansite Below I've put together a summary of some of the interesting things discussed.

Patch 3.9 and preparing for Cataclysm's release


* Patch 3.9 will introduce the Cataclysm world event, which will begin taking place and culminate a few weeks before the expansion releases, with the Cataclysmic destruction actually taking place at that point.
* The new race / class combos and 1-60 content will be available before World of Warcraft: cataclysm launches.
* The servers will come down when the event culminates, and when they come back up you'll see the intro cinematic and all of the updated Azeroth will be available.
* Blizzard is still trying to decide whether Archaeology will come out before or when World of Warcraft: Cataclysm releases.
* 80-85 content and the Goblin and Worgen races will not be available until release day.


Cataclysm Raids & Dungeons


* The balance of high level content (heroics and raids especially) for Cataclysm is going to shift a bit more towards the "hardcore" crowd. Outdoor mob difficulty, heroic modes available immediately, etc.
* There's a bit more enforced progression so that most players don't skip immediately from normal dungeons to raids.
* Chilton wishes there could be more difficulty modes for raids than just normal and heroic. Maybe 3 or 4 modes to offer appropriate challenges. It's not something they can do right now, but he can imagine them doing it in the future.
* Blizzard will continue supporting 25-player raids for the people that like it. They're also going to make sure 25-player raids are appropriately rewarded. At least equivalently, and in most cases better rewarded.


Other


* The Battle for Gilneas was already significantly redesigned before even becoming available in the closed beta, based on internal testing feedback. Blizzard deemed the original design "unsalvageable."
* It will probably be a long time after Cataclysm that Blizzard revisits the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor again. Chilton could see them giving Outland and Northrend the same treatment as they fall behind in quality and lore.
* Sylvanas is trying to "ensure the future of the Forsaken". With the death of the Lich King and no plague to spread, she had to find alternate means to keep the Forsaken from becoming extinct.
* The Emerald Dream is still something Blizzard wants to do. It might end up being part of Caverns of Time if they want to revisit it in a past setting.
* Housing will be introduced to WoW some time right after "never".
* The release date is at midnight on the first Tuesday after it's done! (This was a joke but also seriously, obviously)
]]> lemming http://www.paladinsofthephoenix.org/wow/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1222 News Forum Thu, 26 Aug 2010 18:07:52 +0200 http://www.paladinsofthephoenix.org/wow/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1222
Q. What was the original concept for the zone?

A. Azshara has always been somewhat barren in terms of content, so our original plan was simply to fill in most of the unused space and then take some of the quests that spanned multiple zones and move them completely over to Azshara. The zone itself was a bit of a blank slate, so this approach seemed obvious from the very beginning.

While discussing our goals for the overall flow for Kalimdor, we started to heavily consider when, where, and how goblins would be introduced to questing on the continent. We realized that we were in sort of a dilemma because, at that point, four out of six Horde races were being routed through the same 10–20 leveling experience in the Northern Barrens. It was only then that we decided to retrofit Azshara as an alternative zone for level 10 through 20 Horde characters and make it a goblin hub.

Naturally, once goblins got involved, things sort of exploded.

Q. Who will be using this zone (what levels/factions)?

A. Azshara is designed for level 10 through 20 Horde characters. Goblins will be encouraged to level in this particular zone because it expands on their story and sheds some additional light on already established characters. Orcs, trolls, and tauren will be able to choose between Azshara and the Northern Barrens, based on their personal preference. (Hint: Pick Azshara!)

Q. Without giving up any spoilers, what's the general storyline for this zone? How has it changed from the original design?

A. Having recently gained the mantle of warchief, Garrosh Hellscream is preparing for war to claim all of Kalimdor for the Horde. The goblins of the Bilgewater Cartel, headquartered in Bilgewater Harbor, are playing their part by building war machines, constructing weapons, and establishing a massive naval harbor within sight of Orgrimmar. Meanwhile, the night elves aren't content to sit idly by; they fully intend to challenge this unwelcome occupation in Azshara and hopefully stymie a conflict that would otherwise be carried deep into their forests.

Amid all this tension, the Bilgewater Cartel is also out to make a name for itself in true goblin fashion. What is the best way to show solidarity? Reshape the Bay of Storms into a giant Horde symbol! From there, a secret lab, an extensive rocketway, and a "pleasure palace" with its own golf course are just natural leaps in goblin logic.

Overall, players will find that very little remains of the Azshara of old. The Hydraxian Warlords have departed. Azuregos is missing. Xylem's tower still stands, but Xylem himself seems to have stumbled upon something that has quickly driven him insane. And while clumsy explorers continue to be eaten by the local giant-life, the goblins have developed a method to make such an unfortunate circumstance practical and, yes, profitable.

Q. How has Orgrimmar's relentless expansion altered the lands of Azshara?

A. Orgrimmar now has a massive gate leading north into Azshara, and the canyon that winds into this gate will give players a brief look at the war machines being wrought from goblin ingenuity and technology. The rest of the zone expands further on this promise of destruction. The middle of Azshara includes the new Bilgewater Harbor, which acts as a naval port for the entire Orgrimmar fleet, launching boats and zeppelins to carry out Garrosh's vision for the future of Kalimdor and beyond.

Q. What have the goblins of the Bilgewater Cartel, now aligned with the Horde, done to reshape Azshara in their (or Trade Prince Gallywix's) image?

A. A quick glance at recent cartographical surveys of the region will show that the goblin commitment to the Horde cause is strong. Azshara is now the largest terraforming project on Azeroth! Whether it's sculpting the terrain to promote Horde propaganda, moving an entire mountain to pillage the minerals underneath, or slapping the face of the trade prince on a nearby crag, there's no question who wears the pants in Azshara these days.

Q. What do you think is the most exciting new addition to the zone?

A. Well, there are super-intelligent raptors, a haunted bulldozer, a crack squad of goblin commandos, a hunt for Azuregos, an insane mage with countless apprentices, rat riding, parachuting from an exploding tower...

What if we just say that the most exciting new addition to Azshara is the entire zone?

Q. You mentioned earlier that Azuregos is missing, but now he's being hunted. What's going on there?

A. Strangely, Azuregos has disappeared, and no one seems to know where he flew off to. After that last group of bloodthirsty adventurers came through on some sort of quest to make a now-useless quiver, he's just been... well, he's gone, and there have been whisperings of someone in Bilgewater Harbor who will pay handsomely for information on his whereabouts.

Q. What goes into redesigning a zone like this?

A. We wanted to maintain the original color palette and fall-foliage theme for Azshara, but beyond that, it was a complete rework from the ground up. Artists began the process by creating some incredible landmarks, including a giant cannon centerpiece for the new city and an entire "pleasure palace" complete with the goblin equivalent of Mount Rushmore, which just oozed goblin flavor. Level designers then reshaped the environment, literally moving mountains, parting waters, and erecting a colossal, zone-encompassing rocket freeway. We then worked to complement the new scenery by adding a bizarre array of quests befitting the unique and crazy capitalistic culture of the Bilgewater Cartel.

Q. What was the most challenging aspect about implementing all of these changes?

A. Not using our new terrain phasing technology to blow up everything. Self-restraint doesn't come easy.

Q. What should players do or go see first?

A. Players should ideally start at the beginning, near the rear gate of Orgrimmar, and then follow the quest series from there; it'll lead you on a nice, smooth ride of awesome. Or, if you're the impatient type, head straight to Bilgewater Harbor, take a stroll through town, and grab some lunch at the local crustacean shack.

Q. So, last question. Bilgewater Harbor: great port town or the greatest port town?

A. From its roots as a humble "city-in-a-box" to the bustling metropolis it is today, Bilgewater Harbor straddles the line between myth and legend. At least, that's what the brochure says.

The orc commanders might argue differently, though. It isn't exactly easy to maintain discipline in an otherwise lawless city where every vice you can imagine is available for just a handful of silver and debauchery is half off.

Thank you, Craig and Dave, for taking the time to sit down and speak with us about the work you've done to revitalize Azshara as an epic leveling zone in World of Warcraft: Cataclysm!]]> Cryan http://www.paladinsofthephoenix.org/wow/forum/topic.asp?whichpage=-1&TOPIC_ID=1217&REPLY_ID=5707 Cataclysm Info Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:33:16 +0200 http://www.paladinsofthephoenix.org/wow/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1217 Quote:
I'm not that upset with the change. Part of the boring aspect of current heroics (except ICC 5 mans) is that you can aoe a lot of it. So I look forward to going back to a more strategic style of play in instances. I remember how fun it was to finally clear the room in Shadow Labs, or how essential holding a CC was in Kara. I liked having a sheep target assigned to me, and properly keeping it sheeped until the tank was ready for it. I was doing my job properly when that happened and that was fun, it goes beyond GS and dps numbers. Granted I dont' want to do instances where we can't win unless we have a sheep, a sap and a hunter trap at the same time, which would limit our group selections. But I do want the game to be more challenging and fun.
]]> Laz http://www.paladinsofthephoenix.org/wow/forum/topic.asp?whichpage=-1&TOPIC_ID=1213&REPLY_ID=5695 Cataclysm Info Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:10:40 +0200 http://www.paladinsofthephoenix.org/wow/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1213 Quote:
Right, but you don't lose any overall stat value. Sounds good :)]]>