The Queue: WoW 4.0
by Adam Holisky 
Jul 8th 2009 at 3:00PM
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW.com's daily Q&A column where the WoW.com team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Adam Holisky will be your host today.
People responded quite well to the Patches of Yesteryear column that I started up yesterday, so I thought for today's Queue I'd use one of the screenshots of the old UI that I dug up on the internet. A few old readers (yes, you're old farts) noted that the UI featured above likely came from an internal alpha build or something way before the beta 4* when WoW went into "public" beta mode. So the above screenshot and yesterday's screenshot are quite old. Possibly as old as 2001 when WoW was first announced.
And for next week's Patches of Yesteryear column we'll either look at how the models have changed or examine a couple dozen talents that have gone through some pretty amazing metamorphosis.
But enough about that old column, time for Queue!
Siaperas asked...
"WoWHead's PTR site lists a heroic achievement titled: "I've Had Worse". The achievement made me giggle a bit; is that really an achievement on the PTR?"
People responded quite well to the Patches of Yesteryear column that I started up yesterday, so I thought for today's Queue I'd use one of the screenshots of the old UI that I dug up on the internet. A few old readers (yes, you're old farts) noted that the UI featured above likely came from an internal alpha build or something way before the beta 4* when WoW went into "public" beta mode. So the above screenshot and yesterday's screenshot are quite old. Possibly as old as 2001 when WoW was first announced.
And for next week's Patches of Yesteryear column we'll either look at how the models have changed or examine a couple dozen talents that have gone through some pretty amazing metamorphosis.
But enough about that old column, time for Queue!
Siaperas asked...
"WoWHead's PTR site lists a heroic achievement titled: "I've Had Worse". The achievement made me giggle a bit; is that really an achievement on the PTR?"
The I've Had Worse achievement from the Patch 3.2 PTR reads:
"Defeat the Black Knight in 10 minutes while wearing all blue items, before 3 Volcanoes erupt, while everyone in the group has at least 1 stack of Spurting Blood and there are no shamans or paladins in the party but before you spend at least 1000 gold in repairs wiping to the Black Knight."
That is basically there to screw with dataminers. There've been a few like that, the kill 1,000,000 Tuskarr's from the beta comes to mind. Of course if you know you're being screwed with it's funny. If you take yourself and life too seriously, it's annoying.
I find it hilarious.
Andrew asked...
"In regards to turning off XP gains, what about hunter pets? Will it turn the pet's XP off too or will they continue to receive XP until they are on your level?"
It appears at this time your pet will function normally, gaining XP to your level and then stopping. It's as if you've reached max level at 29 (or whatever twink level you've decided on). And as Nascair pointed out, a pet cannot level past its master.
Nizari asked...
"What do you think the chances are that we could see a new race that's available to both factions?"
None.
Yazah asked...
"In WoW 4.0, do you think there will be a new profession, and, if so, what would it be? Are there any hints at all?"
I'd be very very surprised if there wasn't. We have no idea what it'll be yet. And anyone who claims to know is lying.
Rylia asked...
"Here's a question: How many 80s (in, say, Naxx/Ulduar gear) does it take to do BC-era 25-man raids?"
It could take as few as 5 (Gruul) or as many as 20 to 25 (Sunwell). While you're going to over power the fights at 80, and can ignore many mechanics simply because they don't cause catastrophic damage anymore, there are plenty of things that do. You still cannot do Sunwell unless you know the fights. You need to know to take the portals, to taunt, to move on the ground, where to stand, where not to stand, etc...
A very good number of 80s have yet to be able to clear that instance because of the complexity of the fights. In my opinion, it's harder than most of Ulduar.
*I believe beta 4 was the first "public" beta build of the original WoW. However, I'm not sure.
Have questions about the World of Warcraft? The WoW.com 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: The Queue, Expansions, Raiding, Achievements
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 7)
epsilon343 Jul 8th 2009 3:07PM
Quick question.
When the new site launched I read that the new features would eventually be rolled into the rest of the site, such as comments. Is that still in the works or has it been thrown into the scrap heap?
Josin Jul 8th 2009 3:42PM
I think it's hanging out with guild housing and finding a solution to the Block mechanic.
Nick S Jul 8th 2009 4:02PM
And the Vanish bug fix, and Pandaren.
Charlie Jul 8th 2009 6:09PM
and blink.
Amaxe Jul 8th 2009 8:30PM
And Dance Studios and Ulduam...
Aggrajag Jul 9th 2009 4:21AM
And the Pet Cower bug.
Ensane Jul 9th 2009 12:13PM
i know a lot of people are talking about what will be the next new race. However, it seems like it would make more sense to add a third faction with a lot of the neutral factions. It could be Ethereals, Goblins, Padaren, Tuskar? (ok i dont know about the last two) However, i guess we all know this won't happen either because of capital cities, starting areas, and the population difference. But i do think it makes more sense lore-wise than tacking a seemingly neutral race onto horde or alliance. They could simply be aligning because they don't think the horde an alliance are doing a good enough job getting rid of the baddies.
artifex Jul 9th 2009 12:32PM
and my (lock flying) pony
Rylka Jul 8th 2009 3:08PM
I still vote for Goblins as the first race open to both factions.
I want my goblin warrior engineer riding a rocket mount.... whee!!
Boydboyd Jul 8th 2009 3:16PM
Not happening.
I believe I've seen a blue post on this before, and it has to do with visual recognition.
If they made a single race available to both factions, then you would not be able to visually know if it was Horde/Alliance, and that's bad joojoo in Blizzard's eyes.
I may be wrong, but I think that's what I've seen posted.
Rylka Jul 8th 2009 3:17PM
Good point.
Of course there could always be blue and green goblins. Green for horde, blue for Alliance. But I recognize that it's a long shot.
slartibart Jul 8th 2009 3:34PM
Colors alone don't line up with their philosophy, and I can't find the quote handy, but they're big on "silhouette" where at a glance you're able to tell faction.
This is a hallmark of good shooters and other pvp games, and they've (Blizz) made it a design priori to enforce this to improve wow pvp.
JKWood Jul 8th 2009 3:35PM
Again, Blood Elves and Night Elves. HELLO!?
If I can attack them, I do. If I can't attack them, I buff them. Simple!
impurezero Jul 8th 2009 3:39PM
Yeah...why not just add some obvious physical differences and make one red and one blue. :) Mounts will help tell the difference too, in a lot of cases.
They could have their own neutral DK-style starting zone where they eventually choose their side, too (perhaps with a Matrix-style blue pill/red pill reference, I could only hope)...and the change in their appearance could end up being the result of this choice.
It would be so easy to pull off. So very easy. If that's the only reason to not give Goblins as the first "both-faction" race...it's a pretty weak argument on Blizzard's part. Let's face it...the Undead are just hunched over humans with different skin. They can't find a way too make Horde and Alliance goblins at *least* that recognizable from eachother?
Starsmore Jul 8th 2009 3:41PM
So why does everyone end up looking the same after they gear up to whatever the newest armor is?
Freyal Jul 8th 2009 3:41PM
I too wish they'd make goblins playable. But rather than making them horde OR alliance. I'd like them to stay neutral period. Where they only get faction discounts in goblin towns like booty pay, ratchet etc. It would be nice to have a 3rd option. Because War, even true War in the world is rarely 1 vs 1. It's 1 vs 1 with option 3 floating around on the sidelines.
It would make it interesting in battlegrounds too, to be able to be killed or to help both sides alike. Not sure how they'd decide how you "won" though. Though it would be a lot of fun.
Draelan Jul 8th 2009 3:50PM
I'm afraid I'm going to have to see your "just make them different colors" argument, and counter with a "Then they'll still look exactly the same once they're armored up, since gear tends to cover skin."
Besides, red and blue goblins? Geez. And some say Draenei are lollore.
As for Belfs/Nelfs looking alike, they are similar, but but are different enough to tell apart at a glance. The position of the ears, the overall shape of the bodies, and their posture differentiate the two races.
Saint Jul 8th 2009 4:37PM
Draenai and Taurens look identical when in full armor. Hooves?
Elves of both flavors the same. Ears?
Undead and humans until you can see through their shins.
I know, as someone who has done a fair bit of pvp, I don't look at the size/shape of my target to know what they are. I look at the color of the words above their head.
If it's red, it's dead! If it's green it's... something that rhymes with green.
impurezero Jul 8th 2009 5:16PM
"If it's green it's keen?"
No? Too 1950s?
Seriously, though...you can see those nameplates coming from a mile away. That's all you really need. If that's not considered good enough, though, and if you don't like the idea of multi-colored goblins (which is admittedly silly), you could still have some kind of physical change take place somehow. This happens all the time in Warcraft lore, doesn't it? Aren't the lost ones just cursed Draenai? Night Elves and Blood Elves are different colors because of something I can't remember. Something about Sunwells or something?
At the end of the initial questline, you could make your choice by going to see either Thrall or Varian (both towns could be unfriendly until then). Whichever one you talk to could send you on a final quest that would ultimately change your appearance enough to be noticable. Perhaps the Horde quest would end with you taking some "super R.O.I.D.S" that would give a more muscular appearance, while the Alliance one would...I don't know...give them hair maybe? (Haha. "R.O.G.A.I.N.E.")
Just throwing out ideas, but I still think it's possible to give them different silouhettes without destroying the basic character model.
Milestone Jul 9th 2009 6:20AM
Well, visual recognition is an issue as Boydboyd said... anyway.. why making just a class playable for both factions..? I was thinking of a new faction with new races and new classes would be something more desireble... at least from my point of view..
A new faction with the ability to choose if it stays neutral or become friend/enemy with any of the others factions...Ofc .. probabbly this will never happen because of the work involving such a major change, but i still believe is something nice to see..