The Queue: A bunny!

Hello.
Do you have any greens, or perhaps a carrot or two? No? Some pellets, perhaps? Or a banana chip? I enjoy banana chips and would gladly eat one now if you happened to have one.
You don't have any of that? I disapprove. But as I told Matt this morning while he was giving me some carrots, I'll fulfill this duty of answering your World of Warcraft questions. You're sure you don't have any banana chips? Not even one?
Hmmph.
Salty asks:
When Cataclysm starts up, will us 80's have a rested xp bonus?

Andrew asks:
Any insight into what the design intent for varying buff durations could be? Why, for example, are paladins' blessing buffs 10/30 mins, while druids and mages have 30/60 min buffs, and others, like Horn of Winter and warrior buffs are just a few minutes? What is the point in making us keep track of all these buffs? I've been leveling a paladin tank through the dungeon finder lately, and let me tell you, it's a pain in the ass having to refresh blessings on everyone every 10 minutes.

As a priest myself, Andrew, I have often wondered about this very thing. When not using Mind Control to encourage my humans to bring me carrots and especially banana chips, I'm often pestered for Prayer of Fortitude. Luckily, a disapproving glare will quell the cat's insistent yowling for buffs.
Still, I'd have to say I think it's a legacy of the original game. Varying buff durations then were far more restrictive, and in a large part, buffs that added damage output in some way tended to fall off more quickly than did purely survival/longevity ones like Fort or Arcane Brilliance. In addition, warrior buff durations were most likely intended to interact with warrior rage generation as a means to bleed off additional rage and only became tedious as rage generation became less spiky. (We know shouts might actually generate rage in Cataclysm.) Finally, it seems likely that different buff durations are intended not only to preserve class feel (so totems tend to provide more powerful buffs but require more management than paladin blessings) but also to keep homogenization under control. We've obviously seen several changes to buff durations over time (from vanilla to today, they've tended to get longer), but it's anyone's guess if Cataclysm will continue Wrath's trend towards buff homogenization and normalize their durations further.
Crewdie asks:
Is there any point in me getting Cold Weather Flying on my 70 alt? I mean, it will make questing the last 10 levels way easier, but will I need it to fly around the Old world come Cataclysm? It's not that cold there, but it wouldn't surprise me for Blizz to force me to buy it, even though it isn't technically a skill increase.
Still, I'd have to say I think it's a legacy of the original game. Varying buff durations then were far more restrictive, and in a large part, buffs that added damage output in some way tended to fall off more quickly than did purely survival/longevity ones like Fort or Arcane Brilliance. In addition, warrior buff durations were most likely intended to interact with warrior rage generation as a means to bleed off additional rage and only became tedious as rage generation became less spiky. (We know shouts might actually generate rage in Cataclysm.) Finally, it seems likely that different buff durations are intended not only to preserve class feel (so totems tend to provide more powerful buffs but require more management than paladin blessings) but also to keep homogenization under control. We've obviously seen several changes to buff durations over time (from vanilla to today, they've tended to get longer), but it's anyone's guess if Cataclysm will continue Wrath's trend towards buff homogenization and normalize their durations further.
Crewdie asks:
Is there any point in me getting Cold Weather Flying on my 70 alt? I mean, it will make questing the last 10 levels way easier, but will I need it to fly around the Old world come Cataclysm? It's not that cold there, but it wouldn't surprise me for Blizz to force me to buy it, even though it isn't technically a skill increase.

Anyway, yes, there is a point to buying cold weather flying for your 70 alt, and that is that even in Cataclysm, it will make the 70 to 80 stretch in Northrend much, much easier as well as letting you do quests in Icecrown, Sholozar and the Storm Peaks that require it. Unless we're informed that Cataclysm will be providing some other zones for leveling from 70 to 80, we just don't have anywhere else to go to get those levels, which we'll need to experience the next expansion 80 to 85 content.
Plus, we're not in the expansion yet, and we're at least several months away. You could have your 70 alt to 80 by that time, easily, and having Cold Weather Flying will only make it all the easier. Yes, absolutely, you should get it. And then get me some carrots. They grow in Crystalsong, but those snooty Dalaran cooking quest givers are hoarding them.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, The Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King, The Queue, Cataclysm
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Reader Comments (Page 3 of 8)
Hal May 27th 2010 2:08PM
Will you settle for a Carrot on a Stick?
SpaceGoatPriest May 27th 2010 2:29PM
I will gladly give the bunny overlord mine. I have no more use for it :(
Eldoron May 27th 2010 2:09PM
Actually, 60's did have rested bonus when BC started, but Blizz didn't like that so they changed it and 70's had that advantage no more when Wrath started
Grubba May 28th 2010 4:31AM
Glad to see that someone caught that. I was disappointed when they decided to remove that for this expansion, because it was a nice thing to have to start out with in Burning Crusade.
DarkSpade May 27th 2010 2:11PM
If a question isn't answered in The Queue, should I assume the author just doesn't know or should I try asking it once or twice more in case it wasn't noticed? Are all the comments read or does the author only read until he/she has enough questions for the days article?
Asking because sometime I have a question for The Queue, but when I see the comments already up to 6+ pages I wonder if it's better to just try and ask next time.
thegatherer May 27th 2010 2:55PM
ask away, there's no knowing the mind of mad men!
Teront May 27th 2010 2:12PM
Rested XP carried over for me in both expansions. I did not gain any once i hit 70 but i had about half a bar left over. Once Wrath came out I had half a bar on launch day. So I believe it carries over in that way.
Arednel May 27th 2010 2:12PM
everything is right with the world, there's a bunny on the queue! *is happy*
Babaloo May 27th 2010 2:13PM
I hate this stupid Queue and it's goddamn stupid questions...
*Distracted by... bunnies?*
Hal May 27th 2010 2:23PM
When are we getting Dance Studios? Because Blizzard promised them to us, and . . .
*distracted by bunny*
Babaloo May 27th 2010 2:59PM
And why I got voted down, I will never know...
Grovinofdarkhour May 27th 2010 3:31PM
Because the "distracted by" thing is even more worn out and 3-months-ago than the "this" thing?
Bryan Dare May 27th 2010 4:47PM
"Because the "distracted by" thing is even more worn out and 3-months-ago than the "this" thing?"
Really? Well I completely disag-
*distracted by bunny*
Galestrom May 27th 2010 2:12PM
Yes! Another The Queue! I've been holding on to this question for a while, surely the best ever asked, ever:
So, there's a guy out in Borean Tundra who looks just like...
*distracted by bunnies*.
SaintStryfe May 27th 2010 2:13PM
This is quite silly and furthermore I...
::distracted by bunneh::
Slaytanic May 27th 2010 2:18PM
ehhh.....What's up Doc?
Galestrom May 27th 2010 2:21PM
...I knew I should have taken that left turn at Albuquerque.
Erthshade May 27th 2010 5:26PM
Of course you realize, this means war(craft)!
Terrë May 27th 2010 2:18PM
Do the new levelling areas mean that Outland will be well and truly deserted, or will we have to brave the Dark Portal at 58 before going back to....
(Distracted by Bunnehs)
Samutz May 27th 2010 3:50PM
The intended design is that you will still have to go to Outland and Northrend for 60ish-80ish. None of the new areas are designed for that stretch.