How the 3.2 Emblems changes will affect the game
by Mike Schramm 
Jul 3rd 2009 at 1:30PM
As we've heard, patch 3.2 will seriously streamline the Emblems system, allowing players to pick up Ulduar-level Emblems even just by running Heroics. Though lots of the other patch 3.2 changes have taken the spotlight lately, the Emblems change is definitely still a big deal, and while lots of "hardcore" players are up in arms about the changes (they had to raid for the same gear that people will now be able to get just by running Heroics, and even the brand new Emblems of Triumph gear will be attainable through Heroic dailies), other players are just confused by the whole thing. Fortunately, if you haven't yet wrapped your head around what all the changes mean, Clearcasting has a really excellent, thorough writeup about the Emblems changes, both explaining what you'll be able to get from where, and why Blizzard has decided to do things this way.The biggest fear seems to be that players who have never raided before will start walking around in Ulduar- or even Coliseum-level gear, and they'll get invited to raids based on their gear, only to find that they're clueless about what to do. But I like Arioch's point there: does that mean we don't have clueless raiders now? Of course we do -- the gear you're wearing doesn't say anything about what you've done now, and it'll say even less after the patch. Players are already requiring achievements, and even that doesn't necessarily guarantee you're a good player.
Will there be bad PuGs after the patch? Of course, and there are bad PuGs now, too. But this is definitely a helpful change for anyone with alts, and while yes, it will allow non-raiders to get better gear, and it will probably bring raiders back into Heroics more often, it still won't affect those who are raiding at the highest levels. They'll still get the best gear earlier than everyone else, so if that's what's important to them, they've got nothing to complain about.
Patch 3.2 will bring about a new 5, 10, and 25 man instance to WoW, and usher in a new 40-man battleground called the Isle of Conquest. WoW.com will have you covered every step of the way, from extensive PTR coverage through the official live release. Check out WoW.com's Guide to Patch 3.2 for all the latest!Filed under: Patches, Items, Analysis / Opinion, Guilds, Blizzard, Raiding, Bosses
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Josh Jul 3rd 2009 1:35PM
I get very tired of this "my real life self-esteem comes from my gear" jibber jabber. If you're "up in arms" over WoW at any time in your life its time to shut down the computer and read a good book.
Shoryu Jul 3rd 2009 1:39PM
just dont read the wow books lol
Josh Jul 3rd 2009 1:40PM
@ Sho Deal! lol
Hawk Jul 3rd 2009 1:48PM
My thoughts exactly.
If this emblem change bothers you... take a break from the game. Maybe even get some fresh air, your brain clearly needs it if you get upset over pixels.
Retropally Jul 3rd 2009 1:57PM
I think the majority of the complaints are from people who will never ever get full Ulduar tier gear, just complaining that it'll be too easy to get.
Much like that child who said Ulduar was too easy because Ensidia had downed Yoggy.
I think its a great change, really allows me to spend less time playing wow yet still make enough progression not to be left out of the next tier of raiding.
Josh Jul 3rd 2009 2:13PM
As a follow up:
You, as a raider, can make WoW as hard as you want to make it. Run Ulduar 10 with Naxx 10 gear... turn off the exp and run Molten Core as soon as you can... force yourself to read the trade chat ANAL XXXXX garbage for longer than 5 mins... It's up to you and your 9 best WoW-pals.
You, as a raider, always need the bar set higher. Hello, MCFLY? Did they mention Tier 9 stuff comes out at the same time they pass out fun Ulduar gear? You now have some progression to sink you're teeth into. That's what you asked for right? Make it hard for me to get my gear! Well it is.. there's always progression.. no silly "Ulduar on farm".
But wait.. if there's no time to farm Ulduar.. then there's no time to have "Your gear SuX and YOU SUCK!" time in your favorite capital city. Again.. go read a book.
You, as a raider, need to be able to see the difference between PvE for difficulty and PvE for ranking on other people... If you're that desperate to use WoW to show how superior you are to other people... Roll a rogue and shank the sh*t out of priests in BGs forever and ever and ever.
Amen.
Bod Jul 3rd 2009 2:30PM
I don't understand the concern, really. This happened in BC with QD badge gear, and while the implementation is different the end result is pretty much the same for WOTLK. We're happy raiding Ulduar 25 and will be happy to move onto Tier 9 content when it's available, just as we were happy to move onto Sunwell during the similarly timed badge gear event in BC.
To get up in arms about the availability of conquest badges to the casually playing base says more about your personal insecurity than anything else. Be happy that Bliz has created a way to make people who have yet to progress as far as you have more interested in the game.
If you're any good you're getting better gear than this from hard modes and set bonuses. If you're not, then you're really not in a position to complain anyway.
Clevins Jul 4th 2009 4:34PM
I love how raiders are elitist asshats for caring about gear, but people who don't raid and care about *their* gear are just interested in improving their toons. Hypocrisy much?
I actually like the EoC change, but Mike's wrong on one point - being in Ulduar gear, esp Uld-25 gear - at least means you've seen the fights right now as there's not any other way to get it. You might be clueless and a poor raider, but you've at least been there. With the EoC change, that won't be true.
Plus side? People can catchup on gear - new 80s, alts, etc. Minus? It's a BIG jump and it does blur the distinction between someone who's raided and thus knows the fights and someone who runs heroics. It's not a big deal but I'd have felt better if they moved Emblems of Valor to heroics, Conquest to all raids (Naxx-10 etc on up) and Triumph to the new T9 raids. That accomplishes the gear catchup but doesn't move Ulduar 25 level gear all the way down to being able to clear Nexus.
Ithas Jul 3rd 2009 1:37PM
good idea :)
buff0x Jul 3rd 2009 1:38PM
High end raiders are probably getting angry by this because they wont be able to make them selves feel better.
Some of them think they have a right to talk to people like crap, just because they are sporting the latest items, now there empty raid filled life will have just taken a little hit, as they wont be able to do this.
Shoryu Jul 3rd 2009 1:39PM
im a hardcore raider (every night at 7 server with my guild) and personally i do feel a little upset that they can get nice new shiny purples by doing what i did to get blues but hell, i am just as excited to get my hands on those shiny purples! u better believe me and my guild will be grinding heroics for nice new t8 gear! its like complaining that everyone can have what you can have. just because they have some good gear doesnt mean they are gonna take your place in raids, plus its not like you wont have the same stuff they can get.
PeeWee Jul 3rd 2009 6:43PM
"im a hardcore raider (every night at 7 server with my guild) ... me and my guild will be grinding heroics for nice new t8 gear..."
If you're a "hardcore" raider today, one would think that you already have T8.
Luke Jul 3rd 2009 1:44PM
I like this change.
I worked my ass off to gear my Death Knight tank, and now that I've got some newer level 80 characters, the prospect of going through that same process with them is...discouraging. Especially since some of them are on servers where there's a huge gap in the raiding community...those who run Ulduar all the time, and those who can't clear a Naxx 10 to save their lives. This change will allow skilled players, who are having trouble jumping that gap, more opportunities.
Wonk Jul 3rd 2009 1:45PM
I don't like the change, I am sure no one I know likes the change. The players who raided Uldar for that gear and badges worked Very hard to get them, we wiped many times, put in untold hours to beat a bosses, paid 100's of gold in repairs, so now in a matter of HOURS another player can grind heroics and get the same gear that others spend weeks, perhaps Months to obtain... Yeah, that's fair.
Why don't we all just get a full, free set of T8.5 when we reach 80, that would solve all the problems.
buff0x Jul 3rd 2009 1:50PM
Was your choice to put them hours in, nobody forced you to do so. Now you know of this change, why don't you stop playing for hours, and just grind heroics.
Chuckles Jul 3rd 2009 2:02PM
Can i ask you something? Did you enjoy the raiding, the hours of wiping, the spending "100's of gold in repairs", the elation of finally down a tricky boss, the thrill when something goes horribly wrong, and you JUST manage to pull it together, the joy of beating a fun challenge with 24(or9) friends? If you didn't, then you are an idiot. The hard work is part of the fun. I don't know why people can't understand that gear is a means to an end. Sure, it can also be a badge of honour, but it's a badge that is immediately out of date once a new patch goes live.
What the hell do you care that people will be wearing gear that is then out of date, while you go do the t9 content? Sure you worked hard for your gear, but if you didn't enjoy earning it, then you are missing the point of the game entirely.
Wulf Jul 3rd 2009 2:00PM
You swapped out the gear that you raided Naxx for months, for quest reward greens, as soon as BC launched. Suck it up, Buttercup. The world moves on despite your inferiority complex.
Lynnora Jul 3rd 2009 2:07PM
Just because there are people with a Real Life (it's probably in the dictionary would you be confused here), does that mean they cannot get the fullest out of the game they pay as much for as you do each month?
At least, when I signed up for this game, it did not say in the conditions anywhere I had to put at least five hours a day in playing it to get anywhere.
You chose to spend your time/life on that gear, it doesn't mean others can't have it just because they can/choose to spend less time on it. Quite a selfish comment.
Raiders seem to feel superior over casual players (been like that since I started playing 4 years ago), while actually, I feel soooo much superior for having friends, kids, a home, a life :) AND THE SAME GEAR!
Chunkchunk Jul 3rd 2009 2:20PM
Also, those that do end up getting the gear through Heroics will likely end up putting in more actual HOURS of hard work than you did in Ulduar. Just stop and think about how much time it will take to run enough heroics to buy everything from the vendor, which I might add doesn't make up for all the gear you got in Ulduar given that the vendors only have a certain selection of gear.
TobiasX Jul 4th 2009 6:03AM
Wonk has a very good point, but puts it across badly.
In order to do 'your share' in Ulduar raids you need to have raided Naxxramas. In order to raid Naxxramas you need to have done heroics / crafted epics / bought BoE drops off the AH. All this comes down to 1 word: Effort.
Currently Ulduar 25 bosses drop 25 Emblem of Conquest (1 for each player).
In 3.2 heroic bosses will drop 5 Emblemt of Conquest (1 for each player).
No heroic boss is difficult enough or requires enough from players in terms of skill and gear to warrant dropping 1 Emblems of Conquest, let alone 5.
I do raid for fun, but, just like Wonk, I put a lot of work into getting my character this good. It isn't right that someone should need to put significantly less work into theirs to get to the same level as mine.
In more abstract terms: No character running heroics for gear should be able to do and become as well geared as a character doing the 2nd tier of raids.
Alternatively: Running heroics should not enable anyone to skip an entire tier of raiding.
@Chunkchunk: You seem to be under the impression that completing any heroic in WotLK requires hard work. Even in blues this isn't true.
I'm not bashing Casuals here. If you're not playing the game as much as me, for ANY reason, that's your choice and I respect it. I'm bashing the bad players (not ones that make occasional mistakes, the people who are genuinely bad at this game) don't deserve good gear full stop and will get good gear because of this change.