The Queue: Clam stacking sea mounts
by Adam Holisky 
Mar 23rd 2009 at 3:00PM
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW Insider's daily Q&A column where the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Adam Holisky will be your host today.
Good afternoon all. I want to give a shout out to everyone in Fargo, North Dakota who is dealing with the flood that's going on, in particular everyone who is busy sandbagging. It's big, bad, and full of water. But on the plus side there are now ducks outside of my apartment, and I live two and a half miles from the Red River. But ducks are cool. It's made me want to go fire up Duck Hunt. I may be pawning off The Queue this week to Alex, depending on how bad things get in my area. He's anxious to talk about Mountain Dew I hear.Palatel asked...
"Any idea on how the leader of a Battleground is determined?"
The first person who joins becomes the leader. However, the Battleground leader will switch to the leader of the largest group who joins after the first person joins. Of course, that's assuming a group joins at all.
Steve asked...
"What happens when you queue for a Battleground while in a raid? Can it be used as a free rez?"
No.
Aykwa asked...
"There are a lot of people that I would rather not listen to trolling away in trade chat all the time. My ignore list is full and I can't add any more people to it. Any chance Blizz will ever expand the maximum number of people I can put on my ignore list? Any chance they'll ever turn trade into a global chat and make another trade channel so that people who want to chat still can while people who only want to be in trade don't have to?"
They probably won't expand the ignore list. I don't see it on their list of priorities. However with that said I wouldn't be surprised if they did. Check out the add-on IgnoreMore if you'd like to expand your list now.
As far as a global chat channel, Blizzard has said previously they're against doing that. It kills any RP sense, and people already use and abuse the group chat for that as is.
Tiefling asked...
"Has the requirement to have a key to enter Karazhan been removed?"
No, you still need someone to open the front gate for you. However after that gate is open you're free to go in – attuned or not.
Shizzle asked....
"Will tabards ever give rep during raids?"
Doubtful. People are chain running heroics now, and they're getting a ton of rep that way. There's really no need to give folks another way to earn reputation.
Peagle asked....
"What is the clam opening/stacking capability of the new sea mounts?"
37.
Have questions about the World of Warcraft? The WoW Insider crew is here with The Queue, our daily Q&A column! Leave your questions in the comments and we'll do our best to answer 'em!Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, PvP, The Queue
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Irshalthra Mar 23rd 2009 3:07PM
Red River again... sigh. Every few years it seems to take someone out. I am originally from the Wahpeton area, so no stranger to the sandbagging scene.
Brimoonfang Mar 23rd 2009 3:11PM
I would love to see Blizzard GM's start handing out bans
for abusing (2. Trade chat) channel. On my server Rexxar the amount of pointless chatter (and rampant insulting rudeness) far exceeds in amount in the already abused
(1. General City chat channel).
Why can't people use this channel for what it was intended?!?
Balius Mar 23rd 2009 3:31PM
Because they don't have to. Blizzard could police trade chat abuse, but don't. Meanwhile, trade chat reaches the furthest and allows items, quests, and achievement linking.
The fact of the matter is that Blizzard could automate trade chat if they cared to. Add a "WTS" and "WTB" interface to interact with the channel, and not allow people to type free-form onto that channel. It's not a priority, though.
Treason Mar 23rd 2009 3:38PM
It's a captive audience
It's the same reason people post advertisements on messasge boards that are for other purposes
Then again a trade is okay with a lot of people. It's only occasio ally annoying to those of us like that
I recommend prat for its custom filter module to block bad offenders I'd discussion or them or things like murlocs and chuck norris
Keyra Mar 23rd 2009 4:04PM
Keyra's Rules of Chat:
Rule #1: Upon entering any city for the first time, immediately pause and type in the following: "/leave 2"
Rule #2: If rule #1 is not opted for, immediately stand up and drive a screwdriver into your left ear while extracting your eyeteeth with a bottle opener as this may prove to be less bothersome.
Seriously, every city I've ever been in, on any server I've ever played on, Trade Chat is worse than Barrens Chat. Always and without exception.
Why doesn't Blizzard do anything about it? I think it has a lot to do with the economy. No, seriously, bear with me.
In order to actively monitor the amount of filth that gets violently regurgitated onto the monitors of Trade Chat, Blizzard would need to hire at least 10 people per server on a 24-hour rotation shift. This would mean paying said people, coupled with shift differential, providing for unemployment insurance for each one and driving up our subscription rates.
This is why they have one guy. His name's Dave. His nerves are shot, so he tries not to even log in except once a week. When he does, he often begins screaming uncontrollably. Coffee is his nemesis. It keeps him awake where the demons who live in his USB port will get him.
Plastic Rat Mar 23rd 2009 10:44PM
The problem could be fixed quite easily without a huge amount of manpower. Unfortunately as long as Blizzard continues to treat its players like little spoiled princesses the problem will never go away.
Until they spend a few days banning and suspending idiots for abusing channels the problem will continue. Make a couple of examples and the problem will slow down, bigtime.
Simple.
Day 1: Issue message of the day warning that channels are only to be used for their default purposes.
Rest of week: Do spot checks and hand out 48 to 72 hour suspensions. Escalate the length of the suspensions as the week progresses.
By the time we hit the weekend, the problem will have cleared up. Now simply do spot checks every now and then and investigate reports if players put them in. Job done.
Sadly like with everything else, Blizzard will molly-coddle their little darlings as they continue to ruin the game for other players.
kia Mar 24th 2009 1:34AM
It's a common misperception that Trade can only be used for Trade. Blizzard GMs on the Customer Service Forum have confirmed many times over that that is the channel's suggested use only. Idle chatter is perfectly acceptable and within the rules. Harassment, racism, spam and offensive comments are reportable in Trade like they are anywhere, but talk about whatever you want in the channel without fear of reprisal. :)
Also, anyone who thinks Blizzard should monitor chat proactively (instead of reactively as they do now through player's petitions) hasn't thought of the logistics. They'd need to employ an entire city's worth of people just to read chat all day... why bother when they have players to do that for them :)
Nick8708 Mar 24th 2009 2:47AM
I think Balius' idea is quite good. It could be similar to switching languages that put [Troll]: or what-have-you in front of your text, but for trading it could be [Trade] or [WTB/WTS], etc., with optional filters to ignore anything not preceded by those tags.
If they don't want to add that functionality, I don't see why a mod couldn't handle it if there isn't one that already does.
Anyways, I don't think banning people using trade to just chat is really a good idea. A little too harsh. Perhaps blocking their access to the channel for an hour or so if they are caught using it for chat beyond its intended purpose.
Really, though, they can't make the argument against a global chat channel for the sake of "RP sense" if they're not going to do anything about people using their only global public channel for chatting despite its intended use.
Thebum Mar 24th 2009 5:09AM
I got a 3 hour ban for trolling in the trade channel on my server. They said it was because they suspected me of having a keylogger, but I know it was because I trolled the trade :
Vivimord Mar 25th 2009 8:03AM
I don't see a problem with Trade.
If you let things like that get to you, I say it's your own fault. :P
*waits to be hated on*
Lastgaurdian Mar 23rd 2009 3:12PM
Question for Alex:
What the bloody hell is up with that crypt near Karazhan we used to be able to bug into. It seems so detailed, it could be a five-man for Avo's sake. Why is it there, why was it blocked, and why can't we do anything with it?
Although I'm all for filling it with mountain dew.
So long and thanks for all the fish!
emberdione Mar 23rd 2009 3:42PM
The Kara Crypts, also known as Morgan's Plot, is an unfinished area of the game. It was added along with Karazhan but is not finished, nor does it appear it ever will be.
Blizz has never stated what it was intended for, why it was included or if it will be finished. Now as a level designer on video games I can make a few guesses. Due to the fact that the areas within the crypt are named rather creepy names, it is likely it was intended to be a wing of Karazhan. It might have been a quest area associated with it or pre-quest area for the main instance. It might have even been intended to be a part of the raid instance as it has the capability of a portal and door. Why was it included? Well video games are funny things especially when you get to building worlds and have to have areas tie into each other. It is entirely likely that some of the geometry used in the crypts is required to keep Kara or the village areas intact. In some cases it is just easier to leave unfinished stuff in but blocked off than remove it. Will it ever be finished? Well again, in my opinion, no it won't. Blizzard is not known for going back and cleaning up incomplete areas of the game. They have bigger sights for expansions and end game content. With the exception of the well, the walk, and the Upside-down Sinners room, this area is largely uninteresting and design wise not as good as the rest of the game. That being said, they already have piqued interest in the area and could do some very interesting and deeply creepy stuff in there.
Note two things - the areas names are taken from other classic games like Doom, with the area called Slough of Despair. Also the Upside-down Sinner's is a reference to Big Trouble in Little China. (Bring a warlock/shaman/pot for water breathing.)
As an added Lore note this area IS NOT the reverse Kara mentioned in the books. That was accessed through the servants quarters (where the Vampire guy is that drops the Arcanite Ripper) and was a mirror image of Kara above, which the Plot is not.
For the record an enterprising explorer can still find their way in (check on youtube for videos). As a warning however, being caught by a GM while in Morgan's Plot can lead to a 24-72 hour ban. It is an unfinished part of the game and as such could lead to your character getting stuck or exploits.
emberdione Mar 23rd 2009 3:48PM
I need an edit button, lol.
Also as an additional tidbit of fun, when you go really far back in the crypts you will notice your channel designations change from Deadwind Pass to Duskwood and the Tranquil Garden's Cemetery. :)
Cyrus Mar 23rd 2009 5:04PM
There's a ton of stuff in the game like this, where it looks like there should be content there it never gets added. There are two different instance portals right in Stormwind that lead nowhere, there's the portal by the slaughterhouse in Stratholme, there's the Gilneas wall, there are hints all throughout vanilla WoW about the Ashbringer (which did turn up eventually but in an anticlimactic way that ignored all the hints)...
Oddly enough, I can't think of anything like that in Outland. Maybe Alleria's whereabouts and maybe the inactive portals, but those are both big "maybe"s; they're there, but there are no items telling you to expect something there, no instance portals that lead nowhere, etc. I think all Chekhov's guns on the mantlepiece in 2.0 got fired by 3.03.
Am I forgetting something, or were they much better about following up on story threads in BC than in vanilla WoW? Of course, BC wasn't as big or open-ended as vanilla and they had more experience when they made it, so it's no surprise.
RogueJedi86 Mar 23rd 2009 6:02PM
Wowhead has pictures of inside that Crypt. It looks so damn creepy. Maybe they blocked off access to keep players from having infinite nightmares after seeing it.
http://www.wowhead.com/?zone=41#screenshots:id=93066
*shudders*
emberdione Mar 23rd 2009 6:24PM
In response to Cyrus...
I am fairly certain why all these things cropped up. The instance portals in Stormwind were for guild and player housing, something they pulled from the game. The one in Strat was for the first iteration of Naxx. The Gileneas wall, etc... All of these smack of things they wanted to do but just didn't have the time and man power to do so. When push came to shove they had to prioritize and these things got pushed to the wayside. Why don't they go back and finish them now? They have new raids and expansions to worry about, the things the majority of players are focused on. Why go back and add a small area when that might break a bunch of stuff, half your player base won't notice, and more than half of those who do won't care. Bigger bang for the development time to focus on the new stuff. The best those like us can hope for is maybe they become significant in later expansions (the Greymane wall for one) and thus get opened up and beautified.
As for why there aren't as many in BC or even in Lich King, that is simple. Practice makes perfect. The designers and builders at Blizzard have now been doing this for years. Some even for 8+ years now. After that much time you just get better at keeping track of things, finishing them quickly, or cutting them before any work gets done on them. Also in terms of scale, Vanilla WoW is still much much bigger than either expansion. It is the nature of the beast in making games and in MMOs.
Ultranator Mar 24th 2009 3:26AM
@ emberdione
I think you've been to the site that has "info" on player/guild houses that was linked to in a post on here a while back.
They mentioned about how the portals in Stormwind are probably for player houses, but in fact it was to an instance that never got put into live wow called Stormwind Vault.
http://www.wowwiki.com/Stormwind_Vault
Some info there about it.
Adrilankha Mar 23rd 2009 3:16PM
Any word in if the Red Proto Drake is going to be removed along with the Plagued and Black Proto Drakes in 3.1?
sanotehu Mar 23rd 2009 3:36PM
Removed, as in you have it now but won't later? No. Removed, as in can't get it anymore? Yes.
jlpknights82 Mar 23rd 2009 4:07PM
I believe the Red Proto is actually being left in, since it's from the Heroic Dungeon achievement and is not a 310% speed mount.