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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsCataclysm beta removes portals from Dalaran and Shattrath
by Brian Wood 
Sep 26th 2010 at 11:27PM
This is not a terribly surprising move. With the Cataclysm expansion focusing on the old world, the Blizzard developers no doubt want the old Azeroth to feel lived-in. As long as Dalaran (or Shattrath) has convenient portals to every old-world destination, players would continue to set their hearthstones there for ease of transportation.
However, transportation around the old world is not as limited as it was back in vanilla days. Some of the new zones like Deepholm have portals back to Stormwind and Orgrimmar; those capital cities themselves have portals to Deepholm and others that are not yet active. We've also seen signs of new portals being constructed in the Twilight Highlands.
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will destroy Azeroth as we know it; nothing will be the same! In WoW Insider's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion, from brand new races to revamped quests and zones. Visit our Cataclysm news category for the most recent posts having to do with the Cataclysm expansion.Filed under: Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 16)
George Sep 27th 2010 7:21AM
@ SnackPatrol
If you think it's a terrible analogy, then you don't uderwtand what an analogy is.
And as for "it's only 10 seconds!" arguement, that is just the cast time. You forgot the time to locate the othe person, travel to them, have them drop ther current group, and make the tip exchange. That is anywhere from 15 seconds if they're right next to you to 5 minutes if they're in some obscure corner of Exodar not wanting to go to the mage. And this is all for a single portal. Now multiply that by all of the requesta a mage may get. Your "10" seconds is anything but.
Now about your sense fo entitlement: no mage owes any random stranger a portal. Just because they have the ability does not mean you get to demand they use it. An as for the minimal time you clain it takes to port you, you are just as capable of taking a flight path/boat as anyone. There's no place in Azeroth or Outland that you can't get to without a mage.
P.S. My highest level mage can't even make portals yet, so this is from the perspective of a guy who appreciates the mage's he's befriended.
Rob Sep 27th 2010 7:41AM
@Snackpatrol
#1. The world doesn't owe you shit, either.
#2. I make many things in game. I charge fees for everything (I do almost no 'will work for tips' business, and the little I do is a charity). It is completely reasonable to ask for a fee for the sunk cost of playing a mage for many many hours to get up to level whatever. This is basically the overhead.
#3 Yes, the reagent cost is low, but remember the overhead. That's where so many people fail. I see this in inscription all the time. "Come on, it only costs you 50s to make that glyph". Actually, it cost me the time to get to level 68, and 3 solid months of clicking every single day to learn the patterns. And the cost of milling herbs, making glyphs, and putting them on the AH. That takes TIME. And Time=Money. I expected to be compensated for such an investment.
And you know what, the money per hour in inscription is only between 250-500g (and nowdays we are getting absolutely slaughtered, nobody is buying anything right now, so actually dailies are more profitable). We're not getting any richer (or not much richer) than the guy who sits there and does dailies every day. If you aren't doing either, and complain that you have no money and expect charity, screw you. I'm doing this "work" in game because I like to have money and I don't expect a free ride. Why should you?
Xirifus Sep 27th 2010 7:44AM
@SnackPatrol
"Please dude, I have a feeling you just have a hard time admitting you're wrong at this point."
Look who's talking?
(just had to, it's ironic, really -- now, Im out)
Sinthar Sep 27th 2010 11:45AM
@ Snackpatrol
or snacktroll as i now think of you
So you picked a few locks - so were you expected to travel from say Exodar to Stormwind to do it? Mages are.Do you have to go and buy new lockpicks every so often so you can do it again? Mages do. Does that seem a little inconvienient - esp when you are trying to do something? Iike scanning AH for prices, crafting items, talking in group with friends/guildies etc etc etc
I have never NOT been charged for lockpicking, gem cutting, crafting etc etc, so why do you think mages should give a service for free? This is ofc assuming they are a random person ie not guildie, not friend, not someone I have grouped with for any reason. Portals from me dont cost much - 1g usually. But neither will i go out of my way. If im busy in exodar, i dont owe a lift to a ill mannered oaf in Ironforge.
And as per you observation - ooooh 1g minus the 20s - 80s PROFIT - my god lets all buy more mammoth mounts (sorry for sarcasm but you cant have it both ways - either complain about cost vs profit or say both are negligable) Ditto about the time - when i was in SW i get a /w about every 2 mins - with grouping - moving to them (cos most people are ignorent and wait for me to move) casting, running back to where i was, takes not 10 sec, but at least 1 min, usually more. Thats not taking into account the time it takes to actually trade with them if they do actually produce a tip (the normal tip once a portal is up is 'ha ha -- get the money 1st'). So rather than '10 sec' - another well researched piece of info there eh - its at least 1 min - every 2 mins - thats 50% of MY game - you know - the game i wanted to play. Me being a mage does NOT give you the right to dictate to me what i do with my time. If you want it, then you offer something in return (tangable or non tangable), be it cash, service, friendship, association etc. I do give free ones out to a) polite and b) needy people. That lvl 17 newby for instance, usually GETS 10g a couple of bags and offer of tips with the portal. That lvl 80 dk that said 'mage - portal dal now' and nothing more gets charged 10g.
BTW you ameteur dramatics will always get you downvoted. Let US answer for ourselves and you for yourself- if you try to answer for us - it makes you look even more of a twat.Saying things like "Omg 10 WHOLE SECONDS? WHERE AM I GOING TO FIND TIME TO PLAY THE GAME?" is childish, stupid and nothing like the truth - so why do it? Esp as i have already stated is badly researched and just plain wrong.
Lastly u remember your HS - thats the big round object in your bags - with a cd of 30 mins? So noones going to do a '25min' journey. If you are sooooooooo big about making sure portals are free for everyone, please roll a mage and do so.
Oh and I personally dont believe anyone who is so vitreolic on a post would be kind or generous in game either. Its counter to what you portray, so no i dont believe you picked locks for free, nor gave away large sums of cash, nor even quit the game. I think your a troll who is in the game and wants free portals - or cant organise yourself so your HS CD is free when you want to port somewhere. Either way you are rather pathetic.
Clairdeloop Sep 27th 2010 8:01AM
Good grief! Seeing that Snack is being downvoted and the Mages are being upvoted, NOW I understand why people offer me so much freaking gold to port them! As long as I'm not grouped and waiting in a queue, I will always port someone who asks politely, and I never ask for as much as a copper. If I am grouped I just explain the situation; no one has ever given me crap about that. I've even been known to go save people from Exodar (or Silvermoon City now that I'm Horde) even when I'm elsewhere. Of course, if someone just demands it, I ignore them and go about my business, but I can count on one hand the number of times that has happened in the 2 and a half years I've been playing.
Nine times out of 10 they give me at least a gold or 5 anyway, and I've gotten up to 100g more than a few times. More than makes up for the people who took me up on the freebie. Seriously, if this is the way most Mages are, I apologize to the rest of Azeroth on behalf of all Mages.
Josin Sep 27th 2010 8:11AM
Sounds like I'll be trading my fast tank queues to mages in exchange for portal service.
Novead Sep 27th 2010 8:34AM
I actually agree with SnackPatrol here, even though I don't agree with his tone.
I've played for over five years and it's just too common that mages (why is it always mages?) will refuse to give portals or conjure water - or even take offense from me asking, however polite I might be.
You rolled a mage, deal with it. If you can't stand using the abilities given to you, you should've gone with a warlock instead.
Now, I fully understand that a mage won't be too happy to join a group while they're in queue for LFD, and if they tell me that of course I won't bother them. In fact, a simple "no, I'm busy, sorry" will do. But that's usually not the case. Most won't even bother to answer me at all, and the rest either complain about the costs or say something along the lines of that they're not my slaves and I should just take the long way to my destination.
I'm not a fan of the "I play this game for myself and no one else have the right to lessen my joy in any way" mantra that has become so popular lately. This is not a single player game - you have to take into account that other people are playing too and you have to act in a way that includes them. If you can't stand other people, play a single player game. This game is not for you.
noel mcleod Sep 27th 2010 8:51AM
Well, I for one like this change. I virtually never use portals since the LFG tool came out except to move the occasional guildie around or a "first" trip to Dalaran. Since my main is a mage and I don't raid, I haven't really used a rune of portals in weeks. I think it is good that Blizz is starting to remember there are a lot of gameplay aspects OUTSIDE the instances.
A "zone" grouping tool would be kinda nice - sort of like LFG but for people on the same server in the same zone.
Duulket Sep 27th 2010 8:53AM
@SnackPatrol
First off Sarabande never said the words inconvenience or bothersome in her post whatsoever. That was all you putting words in her mouth.
Second, you hit the nail on the head. We rolled mages for OUR enjoyment not to give others ports just because we can. If giving someone a port does bring us joy we should not be expected to do it.
@Your response to Troopcd: Just because we are sitting in a raid group waiting for it to fill doesn't mean we have the ability to invite people just to give them a port and maybe you might but I am not going to drop out of a raid group just to give someone a port.
Darasen Sep 27th 2010 9:00AM
Someone has no understanding of a free market. Nobody can force a mage to charge or not charge for a port, pure and simple. There is nobody forcing anyone to pay for a port either.
Stating that mages should not charge is simply an opinion and when a view is unable to be expressed with out the use of expletives the view is obviously coming from a moron.
Noralith Sep 27th 2010 9:46AM
@snackpatrol
Can you let us know what server(s) you played/intend to play on? Also, gonna need character names. I just want to make sure you never get a port from any of my mages.
BigBadGooz Sep 27th 2010 9:50AM
Plz stop feeding the troll all of us know he's wrong by now and trying to get the last word won't stop him
PictoKong Sep 27th 2010 10:04AM
@Snack
Ok, i understand you, but please, you couold have at least tried not to sound stupid:
I am a Mage, I have many alts. I know how it is a pain to travel without a mage, and i am happy to get ports when i am on my druid, for example. The thing is, and that is, what i think, what you are trying to say, is that a lot of mages, who play the same class as me, refuse to do ports for the simple reason they dont want. I often get whispered, from a guy right next to me, for a port. You know what, i actually invite them, open a trade and cast a port. Most of the time they will tip me before leaving. It happened 3 times the guy took the port without tipping.
But you are, sir, a real dick. When i am on my druid, i am seeing the other side. What i am seeing is mages with a douchy attitude. Yes it is annoying, Yes they could give me a port. But you know what, if they tell me to GTFO and put me on ignore, i'll take normal transport, i'll wait for my HS cooldown, i dont know! But for the sake of all mages here, we are trying to explain to you that they wont give port to people whispering "CAN I HAZ A PORT PLZ YOU MAAAGE FOR FREEEEE!!!111!!!!eleven". FYI, thats what you are sounding like.
To finish this long and painful reply, i will say something to everyone here
Mages: don't be douchy. If you only have a mage, you dont know how it is a pain to travel when you are used to taking port/teleports. Do it, people often tip you, be it 30s or 100g, who cares?
Non-Mages: Understand not every mage here is friendly like i am, I often get thanks a lot and tipped well because i am the first to make them a port, often after 30 mins of trade spamming (often i just came back from a dungeon so i didn't saw it before). If a mage is friendly enough to spare some time for you, thanks them and try to be as nice as possible, that way, they will continue to offer ports and will not adopt a douchy attitude. If you are Raging about a mage ignoring you, you are not helping your cause.
That is all, my friend
Bumblebee Sep 27th 2010 10:56AM
@SnackPatrol
You know, your arguments would easily be taken seriously if the way you communicate them wasn't so crude.
Even though it is a nice thing to do, to provide a portal to someone who needs to travel faster (or open a lockbox) , there is no obligation to do so. Declining someone asking for a portal is the players prerogative. You don't have to like it, but it's not like they owe you anything. Now, if said person was to turn you down and be rude while doing it, that I would see as a problem.
As for the original topic: I rather liked the idea of being able to travel relatively fast. Alliance characters would still only get to Darnassus or Exodar, which would leave you with a 10min flight over to the other side of Kalimdor. At least on my server, on Alliance side, Ironforge and Stormwind have been rather nicely populated, at least the areas around the Bank and AH. No one goes to Exodar. Ever. And while some choose Darnassus for aesthetic reasons most will avoid it simply because it's geographically inconvenient. It's just a lot more handy to move from the middle of the continent, instead of from the tip of it.
I don't like the change, but at least we get to fly around on our own then.
(cutaia) Sep 27th 2010 11:21AM
"Anyone who wants the cool, refreshing feeling of getting the last word (which by the way does not mean you won the argument) should post after this one."
And there it is. The one way to lose an argument for sure. The second the phrase "last word" comes up, I automatically know who's wrong.
(Hint: It's the guy who thinks he can pre-emptively disprove future replies by disregarding them with a cliché like "last word.")
(cutaia) Sep 27th 2010 11:47AM
"Btw nice use of the accented e, I bet you feel like a really sophisticated intelligent fuck. Too bad you pointed out one stupid thing"
Haha...did you seriously just accuse me of pointing out "one stupid thing" literally one sentence after making fun of me for spelling a word correctly?
CoM Sep 27th 2010 11:52AM
@SnackPatrol
It isn't wise to generalise a class - Especially one that now seems to have control over portals :)
Anyway, I highly doubt you have had people come up to you, whisper you with "lockbox plz" and initiate a trade without asking. I doubt you have had people trade, have the lockbox opened, and walk off without a "thanks". I doubt you get bugged constantly by rude people demanding your services.
If people are kind, ill help them. I rarely accept tips - Especially when they're assholes, in which case they rarely receive portals. They could offer me 10k for the portal, if they're rude, they can find another portal.
Being busy in game isn't the same as farming or raiding. People could be talking, sorting out raids, PvP, guilds. They could be dealing with issues in another tab, or in real life. Don't generalise because you think you and your friend are better than everyone.
Cyonisper Sep 27th 2010 12:04PM
@Snackpatrol
Snack Pa Troll.
Obvious Troll is Obvious
Go home; we dont like you here; your only wasting words.
Zheo Sep 27th 2010 12:07PM
So Snack, you basically hate on (cuatia) a pretty well respected member of the WoW.com community over pointing out the illogic in your argument? Mature.
I think you like the sound of typing your own comments. Only a fail troll (is fail) would write out his own comments saying "omg downvote me you noobs!".
CLEARLY the problem is with all of US telling you you're a douche, not you.
Luminarie Sep 27th 2010 12:08PM
I agree with Snackpatrol in theory but his attitude is a bit extreme and offensive. I have a lvl 80 alt mage, and I enjoy giving away portals. When people tip me I feel bad because I believe portals are a feature of my class and I should help everyone out that needs a portal. It's not uncommon for me to be in trade chat on my main, see someone beg for a portal and I'll log over to my mage just to help them out.
I fully understand that not everyone is like me and wants to give out ports, but I personally do not mind it at all. A friend of mine told me not to level a mage just because he hates giving out portals. To each his own. I enjoy helping people, probably why my main is a healer.
*I don't reply often so please be gentle.