Patch 3.3 PTR: Patch notes updated
by Adam Holisky 
Nov 5th 2009 at 9:30PM
New patch notes have been release for the patch 3.3 PTR. The changes present in this iteration of the notes will be active when the PTR comes up this evening after the latest patch is applied to your client. While there are a handful of changes to a few classes, there are two major areas which everyone will be talking about for a few days.
First, you no longer have to clear Naxxramas to get to Sapphiron's lair. Tha means that raids will now be able to go directly to Sapphiron, and (presumably) subsequently Kel'Thuzad.
Secondly, quest objective tracking is now present in this PTR build. This was originally present in the initial patch 3.2 builds, but was taken out by Blizzard after issues crept up with it. We'll have more on this new feature later this evening or tomorrow.
The entire list of patch notes changes after the break.
First, you no longer have to clear Naxxramas to get to Sapphiron's lair. Tha means that raids will now be able to go directly to Sapphiron, and (presumably) subsequently Kel'Thuzad.
Secondly, quest objective tracking is now present in this PTR build. This was originally present in the initial patch 3.2 builds, but was taken out by Blizzard after issues crept up with it. We'll have more on this new feature later this evening or tomorrow.
The entire list of patch notes changes after the break.
- Repentance: This crowd control effect will no longer break early from the damage done by Righteous Vengeance.
Naxxramas
- Players no longer need to kill the final bosses in all four wings of this dungeon in order to teleport to Sapphiron. Teleportation orbs have been added to allow players access back and forth from Sapphiron's lair.
- Tranquility: The cooldown on this spell has been reduced to 8 minutes, down from 10 minutes.
- Deep Freeze: This spell now deals a large amount of damage to targets permanently immune to stuns. In addition, when this ability deals damage it will no longer consume two charges of Fingers of Frost for those mages with the Shatter talent.
- Sanctified Light: This talent now also has a 33/66/100% chance to prevent Lay on Hands from causing Forbearance when Lay on Hands is used on others.
- Repentance: This crowd control effect will no longer break early from the damage done by Righteous Vengeance.
- Players can now track quest objectives on the map ('M' key).
- Quest Log
- A Show Map button has been added to the Quest Log. Selecting a quest and pressing this button will open the map for the zone in which the quest objective is located displaying the associated area of interest. Any other active quests in a player's Quest Log for that zone will also be displayed.
- Map
- The map interface has been separated into four separate panes: a map pane (left), a pane listing active quest names for the zone being viewed (right), a pane listing the full quest text for any highlighted quest (bottom left), and a pane listing the quest rewards for any highlighted quest (bottom right).
- All active quests listed in the right pane for the zone being viewed on the map will be assigned a number. These numbers will be displayed on the map according to the areas of interest for each quest.
- Highlighting a quest name in the right pane will highlight the corresponding area of interest on the map in the left pane, show its quest text in the lower left pane, and list the quest rewards in the lower right pane.
- Given that some quest objectives can be achieved in multiple locations within a given zone, highlighting such a quest will highlight an area of interest closest in proximity to the character's current location.
- This feature can be disabled by un-checking the Show Quest Objectives box in the bottom right corner of the new map interface, restoring the map to its standard full-screen display.
- Clicking on the arrow in the top right corner of the new map interface will hide all but the map pane, bringing the map out of full-screen mode and allowing players to leave it open while navigating a zone or engaging in combat.
- Objectives Tracking
- This frame has been improved to offer new functionality and can be used with the new shrunken map option.
- The Objectives frame is now docked below the mini-map next to the right 2 action bars and will track up to 12 quests for a zone.
- Numbers have been added next to each quest name and objective corresponding with those areas of interest displayed on the map.
- If a quest objective has been completed, the number will be replaced with a yellow question mark symbol.
- The arrow button in the top right corner of the Objectives frame can be used to toggle between minimizing and maximizing the quest objective display.
- Quest Difficulty Tracking
- This feature is off by default and can be enabled in the Objectives window from the Interface Options menu. Turning this feature on will color-code all quest names displayed in the map interface according to difficulty (grey, green, yellow, orange, and red).
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
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
supersam448 Nov 5th 2009 9:40PM
w00t Naxx won't take 5 hours now!
travis Nov 5th 2009 10:06PM
And so begin my farms for the Turning Tide...
worstcase86 Nov 6th 2009 1:47AM
I might finally be able to get my EoE key. >.>
Skonged Nov 6th 2009 9:27AM
If it takes any longer than 3 hours your doing something wrong.
Mugutu Nov 5th 2009 9:40PM
Well, at least Lay on Hands isn't complete shit now, they addressed the problem of paladin tanks losing a cooldown.
ANeM Nov 5th 2009 9:53PM
Um.. no they didn't, the addressed the problem of Holy paladins locking out cooldowns on Prot Paladins. Prot paladins can't pick up Sanctified light, not with it being 20 points into Holy, and as such, are still down a cooldown. That puts them at.. 1 active cooldown!
Speedmonkay Nov 6th 2009 12:20AM
sounds to me it is working as intended
rawrawrawr Nov 6th 2009 3:47AM
I'm probably talking out my backside here (never played a Pallie past level 24), and so, correct me if I say something stupid, but If a tanking paladin has to use his bubble and LoH in the same two minute window, I'd personally be concerned about the Tank and/or the Healer.
DragonFireKai Nov 6th 2009 6:48AM
Lay on hands is pretty much useless as a tank, unless you specced into the armor boost, which guts the standard 0/53/18 spec. I can count the number of times it saved my life in a progression boss fight on one hand. Twice, I popped it on our first Vezax kill, and our first Knock 3 kill. Other than that, the situations where I get low enough for long enough to warrant using it on myself is usually preluded by me using it to give my healer a last gasp of mana, or a quick refill on an inconvinient frost tomb or incinerate flesh.
Lay on Hands is not an active cooldown, it's a reactive ability. You can't use it to mitigate incoming damage, you can only use it to heal damage that you've survived. If you've managed to survive the hit at low health, and you aren't being filled back up immediately, your healer need to step it up.
However, that's not to say the whole idea of forbearance isn't idiotic and better solved through other means, because it is.
Kylenne Nov 5th 2009 9:40PM
Holy crap on a crap cracker is that another Frost Mage buff I see? Does that mean what I really think it means? :O
Quick, somebody smart with math figure this out for me! Because if I can go back to my beloved spec I will be so very happy.
devilsei Nov 5th 2009 11:09PM
I've done the math Kylenne...
ITS OVER 9000!!!!!
Kylenne Nov 5th 2009 11:47PM
Yo, your math is really great and I'mma let you finish, but EJ had the greatest math of ALL TIME!
Phil Nov 5th 2009 11:56PM
I hear you man I am super psyched about the frost changes, forst has always been my favorite spec.
idonotlikepeas Nov 6th 2009 8:05AM
Sup, dawg. I heard you like frost, so I put some freeze in your freeze so you can DPS while you DPS.
Groxxy Nov 6th 2009 2:14PM
I love the interwebz sometimes...
Oteo Nov 5th 2009 9:41PM
Hrm... Cool change to Naxx
Cyanea Nov 5th 2009 9:41PM
Finally the quest trackers in game!
PeeWee Nov 6th 2009 8:54AM
Yup. Finally I may be able to get rid of the memory-hog that is QuestGuru. On the other hands, its tracker is far superior to the crap that is the original one. I may be stuck with it *sigh*
Jessix Nov 5th 2009 9:50PM
And thus starts the "LFG Saph and KT" spam in trade
Michael Nov 5th 2009 10:13PM
You forget, now there is a LFG Channel all the time! Or just sign up for random Naxx group! Woohoo for more spam and wipes!