Significant changes to Northrend flying mounts discovered on the Patch 3.2 PTR [Updated]
by Adam Holisky 
Jul 8th 2009 at 12:28AM
The Use text is a little odd in that it notes the "tome is consumed when read." To me that means that the book is only a one use thing, which is a departure from current BoA items. And why have a level 68 requirement on this and not the normal Cold Weather Flying training? If you're 68 you're likely to be able to get to Dalaran anyways these days.
But wait Did you see it? You might have missed it.
It shows level 68 being the required level, not level 77.
Did Northrend just become accessible to flying at level 68 instead of 77? If these PTR changes are for real, then it just did. Of course this is the PTR so such things are subject to change. Don't go bugging the Blues and tell them that we said it was happening. It might very well not make it into the final version of Patch 3.2.
But with that said, one possible explanation for the Use text on the tome is that the book is intended to be purchased by a high level character and then sent to an alt, thus speeding up the leveling process significantly for high level alts.
This change would be in line with the other mount changes that will be taking place in Patch 3.2. Blizzard clearly has an aim here to make leveling alts easier, principally by allowing various levels of mount flying sooner.
We'll keep you updated on any blue response to this very interesting development.
Update 1:15 a.m. EDT:
Guess what! Zarhym responded just a short time ago to a thread on the official forums clarifying the change. It looks like this could very well be making it onto the live servers. Zarhym said:
Just to confirm, Tome of Cold Weather Flight is actually a new heirloom item planned to go into patch 3.2. At level 80 players can buy this heirloom item from the Cold Weather Flying Trainer in Dalaran for 1,000 gold and send it to an alt of the same realm, faction and account. The tome can be used to learn Cold Weather Flying at level 68, consuming the tome in the process.
Please note this feature is not yet in the newest version of the public test realm patch notes updated today. The item and its functionality are subject to change during the testing process.
Note that the cost shown in the picture (900g) is due to the faction discount.
Many thanks to Red Hawk for the tip!
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: News items
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 8)
Shiggity Jul 8th 2009 12:34AM
Um.... yay?!
Martin Jul 8th 2009 12:34AM
If it's consumed on use why the hell is it BOA?
Falcon6 Jul 8th 2009 12:37AM
Because it'll allow you to send it to an alt to use there.
My guess is that they're planning on allowing this to be bought at 80, and traded to a Lv. 68 when you wish to give it to them. Thus, flying in Northrend to save you the trouble of leveling once more without the ability to fly throughout.
It's not an account-wide flying ability, but it'll definitely do.
Mailia Jul 8th 2009 1:58AM
Basically, 77 level restriction was so that you wouldn't simply fly over most of the content in Northrend, but Blizzard wants to ease it on you, if you have done it once (on the same server and faction, of course).
Zamalan Jul 8th 2009 6:47AM
Because if it's BOA and not consumed you'd be able to train all your characters in cold weather flying for just 1000G.
Because if it's consumed and not BOA you'd be able to sell it to people who haven't gotten their first character to 80 yet.
dave mclean Jul 8th 2009 12:32PM
No, it clearly would be for only one alt as Zarhym stated, not for all of your alts on one server.
Aykwa Jul 8th 2009 11:22AM
Oh gee, can we make this game easier for anyone else today? Oh, go check your mailboxes, your weekly piece of Tier 9 gear will be there waiting for you. Thanks for playing another week. Please don't cancel your account, and next week we'll send you 2 more for free!
But really, every time Blizz makes a change which makes it easier to level people, they completely devalue existing characters. The ease with which Badges of Conquest will be available next patch totally devalues the work put in by people who have already obtained their armor the hard way. This flying change will make having an 80 that much easier, and thus that much less "special". The RaF triple XP did the same thing. It seems like they're trying to make sure everyone can quickly become a top-geared lvl 80 toon. But in so doing, they're making a lot of people wonder why they are putting in such hard work to gear out a character, since a month or two down the road Blizz will practically give you that gear.
Just like making more money easy to obtain leads to monetary inflation, making gear easier to get leads to gear inflation, and making 80s easer to get leads to character inflation. And nobody who holds the inflated commodity likes inflation because it makes that which they already have and will have in the future worth less. Blizz actively works to minimize gold inflation in the game, you'd think they could see the translation for character and gear inflation.
Hallebel Jul 8th 2009 1:11PM
@Aykwa
QQ more?
Anyways, this is a change applies alts, not mains. Why are you complaining about something that helps people level alts? Its a 1000g we won't have to be spending per character.
vazhkatsi Jul 8th 2009 1:26PM
wah wah wah wah waha.....QQQQQQ making it easier to level=dumbing down the game. soon this game will be flooded with casuals that i don't want to talk to, and probably won't ever interact with while i sit up here on my ivory tower of uberleetcoolness. when i was a boy we had to buy our flying the hard way.
1. you can only buy this once you've already gone through leveling once, so its really only available to high level characters leveling alts. my self I have 4 80s, and this would have been damn useful.
2. If you don't like it, don't buy it.
3. It doesn't affect raiding at all, or pvp. if you don't like these "newbies" then don't interact with them. you probably won't have to if you're raiding, and if you're into arena, they'll just be a crappy team to steamroll.
4. if you don't level alts.....THIS DOES NOT DO ANYTHING TO YOU.
5. please, please, stop jumping on the "lol this game is way too easy now lolzors" bandwagon. we've heard it all before, and it wasn't original or interesting the first 100 times. If you were a wikipedia entry you would be deleted.
vazhkatsi Jul 8th 2009 1:36PM
6. instead of trashing newer players for not going through the same trials and tribulations that you did, why not merely feel proud that you were able to do it when it was a little bit harder. in other words, build yourself up instead of tearing others down.
Jafari Jul 8th 2009 2:54PM
"if you were a wikipedia entry you would be deleted."
/declare winner
Continuum6 Jul 8th 2009 3:10PM
@Aykwa
Um... DUH!
"But in so doing, they are making a lot of people wonder why they are putting in such hard work to gear out a character, since a month or two down the road Blizz will practically give you that gear."
Wait for it.... wait for it... the realization is coming... wait for it... oh, there it is!
MAYBE YOU SHOULD PLAY WOW LIKE A GAME, NOT A JOB OR ADDICTION.
Instead of grinding your rear end off for the flavor of the month hottest gear/mount/etc., why not play in smaller doses, know that all things come with time, and go outside. Get a tan. You know, that thing where your skin DOESNT look like you're an albino basement troll... yeah, that.
Ulduar gear purchasable with marks from heroics? Sweet.
Who cares that you apparently value your real life by the gear your WoW toon is wearing, or by how many 80s with maxed profs you have, Aykwa?
Honestly. Who cares?
jurandr Jul 8th 2009 3:18PM
If blizzard lowered their monthly fees just slightly, half the people would complain it wasn't enough and the other half would complain that its letting all the noobs in.
Andrew Jul 9th 2009 8:30PM
@Aykwa
The car devalued the horse.
The electric washing machine devalued the scrub board.
The internet devalued traditional newspapers.
Do you see where I'm going with this?
BigSmitty Jul 8th 2009 12:35AM
"The use text is a little odd in that it notes the "tome is consumed when read." To me that means that the book is only a one use thing and really has no reason to be Bind on Account."
Actually it's very similar to the old days when the mounts weren't BoP and were the higher priced of the two (the training being the other) and your 60 (at the time) could buy them up and send them out to the alts, who then just had to pay the 10g for the training.
This way, your 80 can buy the book (since it's in Dalaran from the same vendor who sells the Armored Brown Bear) and send it off to the 68 alt who's just arrived in Howling Fjord or Borean Tundra and can't get to Dalaran without a mage or warlock to portal/summon them.
B33r in H33r Jul 8th 2009 12:41AM
That would be completely pointless, unless they're actually going to make Northrend flying available at 68, which they said many, many times they didn't want to do. I mean, even with this patch, they stated they had no changes in mind for Cold Weather flying.
slartibart Jul 8th 2009 1:08AM
I think you should reread this article.
That's kind of what it implies, that they ARE planning on making 'cold weather flying' available earlier.
Granted it is the PTR.
JDM Jul 8th 2009 3:20AM
@B33r in H33r: The reason they didn't want to let players start off flying in Northrend is so that we could experience the scenery from the ground, actually pay attention to the work they did rather than just fly over and see nothing but treetops.
Well, just about everyone has seen the scenery, so it's time to let players fly at a lower level.
/myopinion
------------------
I wonder why they would not simply provide the trainer at the starter towns in HF/BT?
Now, other heirlooms are purchased using currency which can only be obtained by level 80's (or nearly 80 for Wintergrasp stuff I believe) - but this BoA item simply costs gold. Due to this, it makes zero sense to me to even have this book, much less as a BoA item since any character can just get a port out to Dalaran and buy the book at any level (though could only use it at the specified level/skill).
Perhaps it was just easier to toss in the book rather than include some trainers?
Dave Jul 8th 2009 3:31AM
Bind on Account is to prevent people from buying the books and then re-selling them or giving them to other people who don't already have a L80 character or whatever.
There's a big functional difference here.
This one locks you into 1) having a L80 and 2) using it on an alt.
And with this, I am no longer leveling my druid. I had been making a halfhearted effort at getting it to 77 just so I could fly around and pick my own herbs. Now, I don't care anymore and I can just buy it the book and boom I'm done. I love it.
Reps Jul 8th 2009 5:06AM
@JDM
I believe one of the major points in the tome being BoA is that you will only be able to purchase the book after reaching level 80, regardless of whether or not you can access dalaran (via mage port, warlock summon etc). I'm sure Blizzard can implement some sort of restriction on either trading with the vendor, or buying the book itself.
I just wish they could roll out patch 3.1.4 with all the flying changes in the next week or so, and release the rest of the content with the 3.2 patch...