PTR Patch 3.3: Patch notes updated

Some major highlights (although you should really read everything after the break, all of it is very important):
- Players who take part in groups who have one or more members who have been matched with them randomly from within the Dungeon System will receive extra rewards, up to and including the coveted Perky Pug non-combat pet. The more random players with whom one groups, the faster the pet can be obtained.
- Players can be placed in a group for a random dungeon no more than once every 15 minutes.
- The Need Before Greed loot system will be the unalterable default looting system for pick-up groups in the Dungeon System and has been updated.
- Need Before Greed will now recognize gear appropriate for a class in three ways: the class must be able to equip the item, pure melee will be unable to roll on spell power items, and classes are limited to their dominant armor type (ex. paladins for plate). All items will still be available via Greed rolls as well as the new Disenchant option should no member be able to use the item.
- Players will be able to roll on items with a required minimum level higher than a player's current level.
- LFG channel has returned to being a realm-wide channel accessible in any city!
General
- Will of the Forsaken now shares a 45-second cooldown with similar effects, including the Medallion of the Horde, Titan-Forged runes, Insignia of the Horde, etc.
- Predatory Strikes: The Predatory Swiftness buff from this talent now has an 8-second duration.
- Sacred Shield: The damage absorption effect from this ability now triggers only once every 30 seconds.
- Infusion of Light: This talent now also reduces the cooldown on the effect of Sacred Shield by 12/24 seconds.
- Divine Guardian: This talent no longer increases the amount of damage transferred to the paladin from Divine Sacrifice. Instead it causes all raid and party members to take 10/20% reduced damage while Divine Sacrifice is active. In addition, the duration has been changed to 6 seconds, however the effect does not terminate when Divine Sacrifice is removed before its full duration.
- This feature has replaced the Looking For Group tool and provides all-new dungeon party creation functionality.
- Players can join as individuals, as a full group, or a partial group to look for additional party members.
- Groups using this tool will be able to teleport directly to the selected instance. Upon leaving the instance, players will be returned to their original location. If any party member needs to temporarily leave the instance for reagents or repairs, they will have the option to teleport back to the instance.
- Players can choose the Random Dungeon option.
- The Heroic Wrath of the Lich King Daily Random Dungeon option will award two Emblems of Frost no more than once a day.
- The normal Wrath of the Lich King Daily Random Dungeon option will award two Emblems of Triumph no more than once a day.
- Continuing to complete Wrath of the Lich King Heroic instances using the Daily Random Dungeon option will award players two additional Emblems of Triumph each time.
- Daily Heroic and normal dungeon quests have been removed. These quests have been replaced with weekly raid quests (see the "Quests" section for details).
- Level-approp
riate rewards will be offered to players who choose the Random Dungeon option for pre-Wrath of the Lich King dungeons. - Players can be placed in a group for a random dungeon no more than once every 15 minutes.
- Random Dungeon rewards will be placed in each player's inventory automatically upon completion of the dungeon (final boss killed). A pop-up notification will display any rewards earned through the Dungeon System.
- Instead of choosing a random dungeon, players can also choose specific dungeons appropriate for their level range. Multiple instances can be selected at one time. The feature no longer limits the choice to look for only 3 dungeon groups at one time.
- Pick-Up Groups
- Cross-realm instances are now available and use an improved matchmaking system to assist players in looking for additional party members. As with Battlegrounds, the realms in each Battlegroup are connected.
- As part of the matchmaking system, some of the more difficult dungeons will have a minimum gear requirement. Players also need to meet the requirements for dungeons that require attunement, such as keys or quests. If a player does not meet the requirements for a particular dungeon, a lock icon will be displayed next to that dungeon. Hovering over this icon will display the requirements which have not been met.
- Only conjured items and loot dropped in a dungeon for which other party members are eligible can be traded between players from different realms.
- A Vote Kick feature will be available in the event a member of a party is not performing to the expectations of the other members.
- Players who leave the group prematurely are subject to a Deserter debuff preventing them from using the Dungeon System tool for 15 minutes.
- If an existing group loses a member, the leader will be asked if he or she wants to continue the dungeon. Choosing to continue will automatically place the group back into the Dungeon System queue.
- A Player will not be placed in a group with people on his or her Ignore list.
- Players who take part in groups who have one or more members who have been matched with them randomly from within the Dungeon System will receive extra rewards, up to and including the coveted Perky Pug non-combat pet. The more random players with whom one groups, the faster the pet can be obtained.
- The Need Before Greed loot system will be the unalterable default looting system for pick-up groups in the Dungeon System and has been updated.
- Need Before Greed will now recognize gear appropriate for a class in three ways: the class must be able to equip the item, pure melee will be unable to roll on spell power items, and classes are limited to their dominant armor type (ex. paladins for plate). All items will still be available via Greed rolls as well as the new Disenchant option should no member be able to use the item.
- Players will be able to roll on items with a required minimum level higher than a player's current level.
There is a new Looking For Raid option available to players that can be accessed via the Raid Information screen in the interface or by typing "/LFR."
- Players will be able to browse the system manually for any other players looking for a raid dungeon group.
- While browsing LFR players may sort the list ascending or descending by left-clicking the following headers: Name, Level, Class, Tank Role, Healer Role, and Damage Role. The crown is the Leader Role (representing a raid group with 2 or more people). Players can left-click on this header to sort the list with groups at the top or at the bottom.
- Hovering over players listed in LFR will display their name, class, level, roles and comments. Hovering over a raid/group will display the leader's name, the raid information (number of people the raid), comments, if there are any bosses dead (and which ones), and if there are any friends from your Friends list or ignored players from your Ignore list in the raid group.
- The Looking For Group chat channel has returned and can be accessed in all major cities (similar to the Trade chat channel) without the use of the Dungeon system interface.
- Players may only be queued or listed in one of the following systems at a time: Dungeons, LFR, Battlegrounds, or Arenas.
- Ignore List: The amount of characters a person can ignore has been increased to 50. In addition, players on other realms can be placed on the Ignore list.
- Commendation Badges which award reputation with various Wrath of the Lich King factions can be purchased with Emblems of Triumph in Dalaran.
- Sceptor of Celebras: Since this item is no longer needed as a key, Celebras will no longer give one out to a player who loses it. The item can now be sold or disenchanted as normal.
Patch 3.3 is the last major patch of Wrath of the Lich King. With the new Icecrown Citadel 5-man dungeons and 10/25-man raid arriving soon, patch 3.3 will deal the final blow to the Arthas. WoW.com's Guide to Patch 3.3 will keep you updated with all the latest patch news.Filed under: Patches, News items
Patch 5.3 interview with Ghostcrawler
Mystery of the Unborn Val'kyr
The latest patch 5.3 news
All of the latest Mists of Pandaria news





Reader Comments (Page 6 of 10)
Eyhk Oct 28th 2009 12:02AM
Of course it would be logical to be vice-versa, I totally agree with you on that.
I'm just hoping it will turn out that way, but from what they have written in the patch notes, the updated rules still have some serious holes. Since it's just the PTR, here's to hoping they decide to block a few more of those holes while they are at it.
kashback Oct 28th 2009 4:10AM
Yes, I know what you mean. Damn those pesky melee mages, always rolling in your rogue daggers...
Eyhk Oct 28th 2009 10:33AM
I don't get you guys, all I was doing was pointing it out, no QQing from me as I'm a lock/druid. Don't go QQ'ing on the forums when spell casters steal your tanking sword, you can't ignore them cause they won't give you their battle.net handle, and the all-knowing LFG RNG pairs you with the same ninja every time.
Murdock Oct 28th 2009 11:26AM
@Eyhk
"Don't go QQ'ing on the forums when spell casters steal your tanking sword, you can't ignore them cause they won't give you their battle.net handle, and the all-knowing LFG RNG pairs you with the same ninja every time."
Do you really believe that blizzard thought to implement a function to keep Rogues from rolling on SP gear and wouldn't apply that same thing to a Mage rolling on melee gear?
Also, who says they have to give their bnet handle? Since they are giving so much functionality to the ignore list I'm sure that it will apply cross-ream and you won't need their handle, that would be just silly.
Dragundam Oct 27th 2009 8:39PM
A Vote Kick feature will be available in the event a member of a party is not performing to the expectations of the other members.
Can't see this ending too well...
Cyanea Oct 27th 2009 8:45PM
Actually, it might be better in the long run. Granted, you should be able to dump someone who is inexcusably underperforming, but say for example...you've got a lag spike, or you're distracted by something, and you underperform for a couple of fight...all it takes is your party leader to be a dick and kick you.
Now it'll take three people to be dicks.
splodesondeath Oct 27th 2009 10:20PM
What about the people who click the "Yes" button, or the "Release Spirit" button, or whatever possible button appears, without reading what it says?
Happens all the time. One less person needs to be a dick.
Luthielle Oct 27th 2009 8:40PM
I DEMAND screenies of the Perky Pug!! Cough em up, Blizz!!
I need to see if hours of painful pugging will be worth it... ; ;
Matt Oct 27th 2009 8:42PM
Finally...finally...a good LFG system. Must be a cold day in hell. Or maybe I'm dreaming this.
I seriously can't believe it.
Leethax Oct 27th 2009 8:46PM
LFG channel: the new Tade?
Jonisjalopy Oct 27th 2009 10:29PM
Not new, The Original
Hubuly Oct 27th 2009 10:45PM
Blizz probably did this seeing as i see more ppl lfg in the trade channel than the lfg channel
Eyhk Oct 28th 2009 12:07AM
Either way, history has shown that LFG peeps will still use the trade channel and trade peeps will still use every damn channel in the game including /say and /whisper. Some like to call it "Advertisement". Most call it SPAM. It still works, sadly to say.
QQinsider Oct 28th 2009 9:04AM
WTF is the point of making it available in cities only?
Right now I use an add-on that places me in the LFG channel automatically whenever I'm ungrouped, and this channel is available everywhere. Which is as it should be, I'm not necessarily in a city when I'm looking for a group, I could be doing dailies or w/e.
I hope they change this, it's a really stupid design decision.
Zhiva Oct 27th 2009 8:48PM
# Players who take part in groups who have one or more members who have been matched with them randomly from within the Dungeon System #
which lays in the house which Jack built.
Stridez Oct 28th 2009 3:13AM
...and a Partridge in a pear tree!
PassingThrough Oct 27th 2009 8:51PM
What's to happen to those guilds out there who have worked hard to build a group of people who will look first and foremost to taking guild groups through Heroic dungeon runs before pugging? This system where the more you pug the more emblems you receive will destroy that sort of guild minded cooperation.
If I go and heal five different Heroics so possibly as many as 20 other guild members can run through those dungeons that day, I miss out on possibly 10 triumphs and 2 frost emblems.
Why would you want to take part in guild Heroic runs ever again?
Mr. Crow Oct 27th 2009 9:03PM
There is nothing stopping you from running the Daily Random Dungeon with a premade group. The badge rewards stay the same no matter what. What is different when you run with a PUG group are a) the gold rewards for pugging, which basically cover repair costs b) the grind for the "Patient" title, and c) the "Perky Pug" pet achievement.
So yeah, run with your guild.
Tbah Oct 28th 2009 1:06AM
Actually you can use the dungeon tool as a full grp (as the patch notes say) to go to a random instance, gaining the rewards.
But it should be recognized that pugging is more demanding and thus rewards are somewhat higher (a pet).
hipponaut Oct 27th 2009 9:00PM
Does the Sacred Shield change mean the spell is now pretty much useless for pally tanks? Spending points in Divine Guardian now doesn't seem worth it then. I guess I'll put the points in the HoJ talent instead.