All things Wrath of the Lich King
by Amanda Miller 
May 11th 2008 at 9:00AM
Over the past week, particularly in the last few days, the crisp Internet air has been abuzz with news from the upcoming expansion, Wrath of the Lich King. Fear you're out of the loop? Here's a quick round-up of all the information being released, along with analysis and opinion. Don't forget to keep checking back, as this page will be updated as information becomes available:
Dungeons and raids
- An analysis on Arthas as a ten-manned event, including its impact on the 25-man raiding structure, as well an exploration of its consistency with the lore.
- Did you know that all expansion raids will have a 10-man setting, as well as a 25-man?
- Read through some of our initial impressions on the 10-man raiding set-up.
- We also wrote up a concise overview of the ins and outs of dungeons post-expansion, including a new token system, similar to [Badge of Justice].
- The Nexus has been announced on the official site as one of the new dungeons.
- The WoW Insider Show discusses 10-manning Arthas.
- Alex has written an excellent overview of the Grizzly Hills, a soon-to-be zone for low to mid-seventies. With old factions reappearing, along with other surprises, it's definitely something to look forward to!
- If news of the Dragonblight has intrigued you, you'll be pleased to know that more information has been made available.
- While we're brushing up on our lore and learning about new areas and factions, Alex thought it fitting to illuminate the lore behind Azjol-Nerub, as the Nerubians will have their own role in the expansion.
- Alex asks us about lore figures we'd like to see in the expansion.
- New information has surfaced on the Death Knight class, as well as some clarifications on earlier statements and community guesswork.
- If you're looking for the extended version of the new Death Knight information, we wrote up a thorough post before the last round of clarifications.
- If summaries are not enough for you, feel free to comb through our Death Knight directory page, featuring everything we knew, thought we knew, guessed at, and know now.
- Death Knights and disease.
- Hybrid Theory takes a look at some of the effects of the Death Knight on other tanks.
- Matthew Rossi discusses Wrath as a whole, and Death Knights, from a warrior's perspective.
- WoW, Casually takes a look at the casual players' Wrath.
- It's time to look at your goals before the expansion hits.
- Once Wrath hits, the amani war bear mount will disappear forever. If this frightens you, check out our guide to getting your hands on one, and start planning now.
- We've been discussing the aspects of the expansion that people are looking forward to the most.
- If you could bring any character out of lore and into the expansion, which would you choose?
- Check out our take on Curse's interview with Tigole and Kalgan.
- We have the details on Gamespy's interview with J. Allen Brack.
- Worldofwar.net hit up a recent Blizzard event, and we have all the details.
- Gamespy also spoke with Jeff Kaplan about the new expansion, as well as their own hands-on with Wrath as it is so far.
- G4TV previews Wrath of the Lich King, and some interesting technical information is revealed.
- Massively analyzes the "news explosion" surrounding Wrath.
- We'll get new forum icons! So I'm sharing.
- We're learning more about re-runing for Death Knights, mounted quests, and some of the factions.
- Wrath will apparently have mounts that can carry passengers, which will be usable even in the old world!
- Wrath will not be opening up more character slots, as some people had hoped.
- Vivendi's earning statements hint at a general release date.
- Some patch notes from the alpha testing were leaked.
- Warrior talents and Death Knight talents were also leaked, but were pulled from the site at Blizzard's request.
- Did you really think I'd end this post and leave you hanging without any eye candy? Check out actual videos of Wrath content.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Wrath of the Lich King, Death Knight, Interviews, Know your Lore, Factions, Lore, Raiding, Expansions, News items, Blizzard, Screenshots, Galleries, Inscription
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Nyice May 11th 2008 9:56AM
I had something to add to this 10/25 raid thing. Why shouldnt I as a casual player never be able to obtain great gear, mabye not the best. Ive put in my time, i pay the same amount every month. But since i cant sit in front of my computer for hours on end im forever denied the (for me and i think most people) the best part of the game, making your avatar powerful. I PAY for this game, some PART of my 3 years of monthly fees went into making the SWP but ill never step foot in there, i feel almost taken advantage off. I love helping to develop content ill never see. Yeah yeah blizz is making changes...but whats teh point! if the gear is still underpowered. I dont deny that 25 man raid teams shouldnt be rewarded, but I feel like the drops should be the same. 25 mans should be harder and the sense of acomplishment should be greater and it would sense those factors are completely related. I mean you still get your awesome gear, mabye something simple, like a pwning mount or a title or.....really out there a simple racial like skill or passive nothing OP. The only diffrence I see should be the amount of gear the bosses drop. Clearly less for 10s more for 25s. Anyways thats what I think but the hardcores would flip I guess. I just don't see why as a casual I get the shaft when i pay to play just like anyone else. Everyone got so comfortable with the whole paying to play mmo's, I remember my first (DAOC) I thought it was the craziest thing and im sure many would agree with me about their first time putting in those digits. Mmo's arent for casuals anymore. World of Harcore pay and play, casuals stop wasting your money.
Nyice May 11th 2008 10:00AM
Oh P.S oh the lore note, I'd like to see a poll on why people play WoW. I think lore would be close to the bottem with getting gear at the top and social networking dead in the middle. Why do you play?
Dabura May 11th 2008 10:10AM
Lulwut...WoW isnt hardcore anymore you noob, and you don't deserve the same gear as people who raid 4-6 hours a night just because you pay. They get the gear because they put something infintely more valuable...time. Back to WoW being "hardcore", where is your evidence for WoW being hardcore, its possibly the most casual MMO ever. People who farm Karazhan can get into MH and own Rage, and they all seem to get the best trash drops too. So you're saying that this is hardcore? No offence but you make me lol
Joe P May 11th 2008 10:31AM
@Dabura (and to an extent Nyice)
Of course people on the lower end don't deserve the same gear, that's why the 25-man versions will have better gear, but they do deserve the same (or at least similar) experiences. The thing you don't seem to be grasping is that not everyone can put 4-6 hours into raiding because some of us have other things to do with our time. Blizzard is working to appease both the low-end and high-end gamers alike and I feel that what has been revealed is a positive step in the right direction. Though we must compromise gear for the experience, I think that the compromise will prove to work itself out for the best.
Explode May 11th 2008 10:47AM
Yeah I think I would be love to spend 20-30 hours a week in the SWP to get a title while everyone else can come and join us in a 10 man version and get the same gear since they are to busy to do 25 man raids. I think the easier fights in the 10 mans should actually give better loot than the 25 mans since most of the 10 man raiders are really busy and casual so its not fair that they have to pay the same amount of money as the people who get better gear for doing much more research into fights attempts on bosses getting the right gear sets to tank the different encounters.
Wow is getting to hardcore we should all just start at 70 or 80 soon with all the best gear and roll our faces on the keyboard and feel good.
Eternalpayn May 11th 2008 8:43PM
I'm sorry, but I don't understand that point at all. You can't buy Ninja Gaiden, then complain that even though you paid the same $50 every else did, you didn't get to see past the first boss, because you only play for 2 hours a week or you suck.
Michel May 11th 2008 10:07AM
I play for lore
and better gear have to stay in raid25.
raid 10 will be easier and will use less powerful gear. it's simple. it's nice.
solstiem May 11th 2008 2:02PM
im fine with 10 mans giving similar loot to 25 mans. perhaps the same approach could be taken with ZA as the new instances. 45 min runs in a 10 man should give 25 man loot. it is a lot easier to get 10 people together, hardcore or not. if you are hardcore you can easily do the 45min run. if you are casual you can do it too, itll just take a longer time to actually do it in 45min.
i also like the new badge loot system. sure the hardcores QQ their brains out when they started 'giving away' t5 level gear. but have you actually recorded how long it takes to get 100 badges? sure chain running SP for the hardcordies may be cake, but then you dont need the lewt anyway, let the casuals keep doing this - i can only do 1-2 heroics a day, MAYBE. and perhaps 1/2 a kara. thats at the most 50badges on a good week.
perhaps wow should be changed to a game that requires 30hrs a week to be played, or your account gets deleted. that way the hardcore players can be happy, since with all their bitching its like they do not actually enjoy the game when someone else has what they do. very grade school, imo.
i play wow because it is fun, when it stops being fun ill stop. do hardcores stop playing when people have the same things they do?
Sakerin May 11th 2008 2:31PM
10-man Raids: The New Welfare Epics.
GamerJunkie May 11th 2008 8:03PM
"Sakerin said...
10-man Raids: The New Welfare Epics."
How is it Welfare Epics? You don't walk into 10-man Raids expecting to cake-walk Arthas. If you think Karazhan is symbol of 10 man, then you're wrong.
ZA is a good example of that, semi-T5 quality gear but not as good as 25 man raid gear.
25 man raids will always have the better gear while 10 mans are good for gearing up your char before you take them to 25 mans.
Faux May 16th 2008 10:04PM
I guess you missed the point of the loot in 25mans being a FULL TIER HIGHER than in their 10man counterpart?
But it's ok. You're a raider. Don't think too hard.
B.D. Martinez May 11th 2008 2:54PM
So I know this is a bit off topic but still Lich King news if you ask me but I was in Game Stop yesterday grabbing GTA4 ( I know I am a little behind). However to my surprise they were taking reservations for WOTLK already and had a release date for November 08. So I guess it’s good to know that the end is almost in sight. Just thought I would throw that out there.
Vellesta May 11th 2008 3:32PM
I find it funny that casual players are the new QQ'ers after Blizzard has done nothing but bend over backwards to make them happy. So far, in every post made about WOTLK in the past few days, 90% or so of the complaining has been coming for people who "have better things to do" than raid.
If you're only playing an hour or 2 a day a few times a week, this game should mean pretty much nothing to you, since you don't really experience much of it in such a short amount of time. So, why should you be rewarded for that?
I honestly think these people want pre-made level 70 characters with full T6 just handed to them. What the hell is the point of playing a game like this if you don't want to achieve anything on your own? That's one of the most fun aspects of the game IMO.
If you don't have time to play, oh well too bad! Cancel your damn account and stop crying about paying $15 a month.
GamerJunkie May 11th 2008 8:07PM
You think Hardcores is the reason why WOW has 10million subscribers?
EQ is not even close to 3-4mil and it's less rewarding to casuals than WOW.
They're simplying delivering content to keep their subscribers happy, if you don't like that then go back to EQ.
Casuals outnumber hardcores a lot. Just look at the number of guilds that have downed Illidan is a telling number the disparity.
Liel May 11th 2008 7:27PM
MMO's are a poor substitute for antidepressants. Put the better gear in the 25 mans and let the 10 mans see the content.
Only problem? More "hardcore" players might say "this aint worth it" and just do 10 mans and have fun with their friends and not worry about stroking their epeen.
U.C. May 12th 2008 2:18AM
I consider myself a casual player, and I was very happy when the badge loot rolled out. It meant that I had a shot at getting decent eq while having to tend to real life things. I do not have much time as some to devote to hardcore raiding and at least with badge eq I have some chance to compete. The only thing I could be accused of "QQ'ing" about is not being able to see some of the content that I'd love to - such as Illidan and whatnot. I really feel no animosity for hardcore raiders, except those that seem to equate having hours upon hours of time invested with being some sort of god of the internet. I write this basically to inform people that not all casuals are crying about "unfairness" and a lot of us are happy that we're being accommodated in some way, even if we miss out on some of the big stuff. I know many that are in my situation, and we cannot get out a lot as we have children, demanding jobs, etc - so we basically use WoW as an escape after a long day.
Syme May 12th 2008 1:46PM
Not to derail a thoroughly uninteresting arguement, but has Blizzard said anything about new lore for Taurens. I left Thousand Needles 3 years ago, so I'm ready for some more.
Ryanix-Arthas May 12th 2008 2:56PM
If you put 25-man loot in 10-man runs then you will destroy guilds just as much as they were ripped apart when raiding went from 40-mans to 25-mans.
Why do 25-mans if you can get the same gear in 10-mans?
Just because you "pay" doesn't mean you should get to see every part of the game. There needs to be a line between the achievements of a casual and the achievements of a hardcore, otherwise there will never be a reason to try harder.
Balius May 13th 2008 7:32AM
I don't like the idea that 10 man raids have worse equipment than 25 man. You're penalizing players for the chance that OTHER PEOPLE will screw up. That's the only assumption that allows you to make the blanket statement that larger raids are more difficult.
Properly set up, there's no reason that a 5 man is necessarily less end-game than a raid. Scaled properly, designed properly, a small group instance could be the most challenging in WoW if Blizzard so chose. In fact, it's easy to make the argument that, since there are no off-tanks or off-healers in typical 5 man content, there is a greater individual responsibility and less margin of error in hypothetical small-group endgame content. Blizzard hasn't set it up that way, but they could have chosen to scale difficulty (in terms of complex encounters, enemy HP and Damage Output, and timing) in such a way that heroics were to be done after raid content, or in such a way that the two are separate and reward separate but comparable gear (like Arena and Raids do now).
Seajay May 15th 2008 7:24AM
Partially agree with the above however lets just take a full yimpartial view of this.
By your own admission organising 25 man raiding is more complex than organising 10 man raiding (15 less people) now that in itself requires more effort!
Due to this the gear in 25 mans will be slightly better than the gear in 10 man versions.
IF blizzard did bring in the same gear for both types then i do think we would see a rapid decline in the amount of 25 man guilds and a large increase in 10 manning guilds. There are those who would prefer the 'epicness' of fighting with 24 other players but simply organising 15 more people for the sake of 'doing it with more' is not really justification in an of itself.
In summary, 25 man raiding gear being slightly better is a 'carrot on a stick' to give people more incentive to run 25 mans, in my opinion this is fine.
What i think alot of people seem to suggest is that 10 man raiders and 25 man raiders are seperate people, personally we've set up a guild from being a core of hardcore 10 man raiders (dedicated people) and we've expanded to allow us to incorporate 25 man raids.
When WotLK first starts up we'll no doubt begin with 10 man Naxx, learn alot of the encounters then by the time we're half way through and some new people are gearing we'll start progressing the 25 mans once to twice a week while running the 10 mans 3-4 times a week!
I am really happy Blizz have understood that the 10 man raiding model has opened up raiding and they've agreed to provide a parrallel line f progression for 10 man raids also.
In summary:
25 man raiding is harder ot organise than 10 man raiding so the gear is slightly better.
I am looking forward to the intamcy of a 10 man progression line while at the same time looking forward to organising some nice 25 member raids into the larger versions.
(And on the ultimate plus side it would be so much nicer to go into a 25 man raid with everyone already having 'done' anotehr version of the boss previously!)