Tuesday Morning Post: Happy 2009 edition
by Daniel Whitcomb 
Jan 6th 2009 at 5:30AM
Anyway, you know what would be an awesome way to kick off the new year? With a new patch. This would be the perfect time for 3.0.8 to go live, and with Ghostcrawler talking about changes that will make 3.0.8 but won't make the PTR and yet another 3 AM to 11 AM (Pacific time) downtime this morning, the time is right.
Still, I'm not making any predictions, since I've been terrible at predicting 3.0.8 as it is. It could just be that Blizzard is trying to let the servers recover from the holiday season and we still have a week or two to go for the patch. Either way, we have at least 8 hours of downtime coming up, so now's a good time to get caught up on all the latest WoW news. As usual, I have some of the past week's best content for you after the break.
Hot News and Features
- Sister site Massively and Gamer DNA took a look at MMO subscription numbers in 2008. Their conclusions about WoW include some surprising predictions about the years ahead.
- Speaking of predictions, check out our team's predictions for 2009.
- The Queue this week includes the word about Pandas, and Wrath 101 covers Icecrown flight points.
- With account theft and hacking on the rise over the holiday season, it's good to keep a clear head even as you protect yourself. Don't fall for these account hacking myths.
- Ever wonder what happened to some of your favorite 15 Minutes of Fame subjects? We caught up with a bunch of them.
- In class news this week, we had plenty of looks back at the year 2008. Here's the Druid look back.
- For Hunters, we have a look back at the Hunter loot of 2008. Also, New Year's Resolutions for Hunters and for Blizzard regarding Hunters.
- Death Knights look back at 2008 and claim 2009 as the Year of the Death Knight.
- Priests looks back on their biggest class changes of the year.
- Warriors also have a list of 8 big warrior changes in 2008.
- Encrypted Text covers the year 2008, when Rogues changed from brutes to assassins.
- Warlocks end the year on a bit of down note, according to Blood Pact. Of course, Ghostcrawler says that's going to change.
- If you've followed WoW news, I don't have to tell you twice that 2008 was a heck of a year for Paladins.
- In 2007, Totem Talk said Shamans needed work. Did they get that work in 2008?
- Mages have started 2009 off with a bang by soloing 25-man Naxx.
- So you're probably grinding away at the Sons of Hodir for those shoulder enchants, but really, what are these dudes all about? Know Your Lore sums them up.
- Ulduar is coming, and the blues are starting to talk about their plans, including the idea of hard mode encounters and Ulduar as the Sophomore raiding instance.
- Insider Trader also looks back at the 2008 year with a roundup of our best profession guides.
- WoW, Casually looked back at the top 5 greatest changes for casuals in 2008.
- Enchanting will get some pretty enormous changes in 3.0.8.
- The Guild season 2 continues with Episode 5.
- Add one more professional sports player to the MMO nerd list: Vikings punter Chris Klune plays WoW.
- Did you get mired in the recent character transfer trouble? You may have 15 days of free play coming your way.
- Is your server suffering from Queues? You are not alone.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Realm Status, Odds and ends, News items
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
kyosh1ro Jan 6th 2009 6:25AM
The latest post on MMO-Champion seems to indicate that there will be no patch this week. There's always next week I guess.
Azron Jan 6th 2009 6:41AM
Daniel, you got me LMAO at yer article lol... yeah yer' predictions have not quite been up to Nostradamus' standards, but you ARE hilarious at times ;) ...I hope we DO get the patch today, atleast all my efforts becoming an 80 DK tank, would come to fruition, and that statement about 8 hours downtime? lmao at that one too...you KNOW you wanna' predict 10 hours, but yer' chicken to predict now lol cuz yer' not so confident with past predictions "debuffed" like they were hehe
Azron! of Ebon Hold, son of Arthis of Azeroth! says: "GET BACK ON THAT MOUNT AND PREDICT "TILL YOU DIE!!" (cuz the more you predict, the better yer' odds are ) ;)
ok then, go get'a DK action figure to keep you busy when we cannot play lol
omg! i've turned into a pve twink ackkkkkkkkkkkk!
Aiertu Jan 6th 2009 6:58AM
Always a good read, cheers
Silkath Jan 6th 2009 7:45AM
Rolling restarts for EU realms again this week (stated by a Blizzard moderator) so no 3.0.8.
LiT Jan 6th 2009 7:54AM
On the European Realms, the in-game new box says there will simply me a weekly maintenance which only involves 15-min rolling restarts, from 5 to 7 AM. I guess the US realms just need more maintenance than the European ones :P
Aubrecia Jan 6th 2009 8:15AM
I really, really want it to be the patch. Logging in tomorrow and being able to buy my skelehorses, hawkstriders, and raptors would make me a very, very happy Tauren.
Keyra Jan 6th 2009 8:53AM
Oh, indeed! While I like the fact that my mount gets me from point A to point B a lot faster than running, the fact remains...it's a big, purple chicken!
Now my blood elf rogue on an undead horse? That would rock!
Zaniac Jan 6th 2009 9:55AM
Keyra: You won't need to wait for patch 3.08 to do that. It's already quite possible. - All you need to do is grind the necessary reputation with Undercity.
And you will still need to do that after patch 3.08.
What's being changed, is the few races, that has been exempt from this option, for the reason that they were simply too big.
- Taurens couldn't ride raptors and hawkstriders, and only gnomes and dwarves could ride mechanostriders. - In 3.08 they will be able to.
But to PURCHASE the actual mounts, you will still need to be at the required reputation level with that city-faction (unless it is your native faction).
Amaxe Jan 6th 2009 10:40AM
I'm at 48 mounts and either would have to farm Netherwing rep (don't want to) or get lucky on the Oracle egg [you never know, got lucky with the polar bear]. I am saving shards and money for mammoths of course.
But I'm on my way to IF when that patch hits
Snarkman Jan 6th 2009 10:01AM
3.0.8 can NEVER come and it will be better than the changes they are making with this patch. They are messing with many classes in negative ways (hunters, mages, DKs) and changing many other things that they haven't fully tested or at least not in a very intelligent way.
3.0.8 - as it stands now on the PTR, is complete rubbish.
MechChef Jan 6th 2009 10:34AM
My HDD took the dirtnap some time last night, so even if today was patchday, there's no way I'll be playing. /violin