The Daily Blues
by Adam Holisky 
Dec 15th 2010 at 9:00AM
We've been sparse on running this, because honestly, there's not a lot the blues are saying that isn't just repeats of what's been said before. But a lot of you like this feature, so we're picking it back up now. Ghostcrawler has apparently left day-to-day posting on the forums, at least for now. So don't expect to have your daily bit of the crab. /sniff
Today's blue posts, after the break.
Blizzard -- Community newsFansites:
- Serbian site WoW Serbia reports on Tom's World Of Warcraft: Cataclysm Performance Guide, which is an excellent read if you seek to improve your gaming experience by upgrading or tweaking your computer. This site has also posted a small piece on the first guild to have cleared all the bosses in 10 man normal mode.
- Danish site WoW.Gaming.dk has posted a short guide on where to quest from level 80 to 85. On this site you can also find a neat video showing the last 3 bosses in Deadmines Heroic.
- English site WoW Juju has updated their Reputation Calculator Tool to include the Cataclysm new factions.
- English site Myndflame offers fans an opportunity to get their hands on Myndflame's very own and original Learn 2 Play 2-CD Box, MC Raider and Animation.
- Swedish site LevelCap.se got an opportunity to meet Senior Game Producer Rob Foote and Level Designer Ed Hanes during their recent visit in Sweden, which has resulted in this awesome interview.
- Dutch site WoW Nederland has made an announcement of a complete site revamp, and they would like to receive your feedback in regards to site design and ideas for new features!
- Czech and Slovak site WoWfan.cz continues their article series on Warcraft lore characters wih this latest instalment about Tichondrius. This site also takes a look at the contents of the Cataclysm Collector's edition.
- Italian site Battlecraft has posted a comprehensive guide on how to get the [Glory of the Cataclysm Hero] achievement
- Turkish site WoW-TR has posted a neat strategy guide to Grim Batol.
- Looking For Group: There be something else
- Teh Gladiators Gun vs. Cannon: Round 1, part 1 and part 2
- Beyond the Tree: Quest complete
- World of Warcraft, Eh?: A Hot Side of Beef
- Arena-Inside: Indeed he does!
- Blood and Thunder!: On Procrastination
- World of Questcraft: Disasters
- GU Comics: Whassat?
Bashiok -- Cut scenesQuote:
It was bad enough in Deepholm and just got plain stupid in Uldum. I'd like to be able to hand in more than two quests in a row without them, please.
It was bad enough in Deepholm and just got plain stupid in Uldum. I'd like to be able to hand in more than two quests in a row without them, please.
Ping pong wing wong king kong cheech and chong hop hip kajagoogoo!
Nethaera -- Discipline priest spellsQuote:
Why does it seem like I only need to use one spell to DPS as a Disc Priest?
Mind Spike costs less mana, seems to do more damage (I currently crit for 7-8k) and has no cool down versus Mind Blast which costs about 50% more mana (~1800/1200) and has a long cool down?
Even with the 90% chance to crti with Mind Blast - it only crits for around 4k while Mind Spike routinely hits for around the same.
Anyone else getting the same?
Why does it seem like I only need to use one spell to DPS as a Disc Priest?
Mind Spike costs less mana, seems to do more damage (I currently crit for 7-8k) and has no cool down versus Mind Blast which costs about 50% more mana (~1800/1200) and has a long cool down?
Even with the 90% chance to crti with Mind Blast - it only crits for around 4k while Mind Spike routinely hits for around the same.
Anyone else getting the same?
It seems as if you're limiting yourself on the spells you're using. Mind Spike isn't the only viable spell in the Disc Priest's arsenal.
Nethaera -- Holy paladin nerfsThese hotfixes were intentional and we wanted to share more information about the "why" for you all here:
Mana is supposed to matter for healers, and in the case of Holy paladins, that just wasn't happening. We were seeing raid groups attempting to learn new bosses where the other healers were out of mana while the paladins were still at 90% of mana. We also thought the experience of paladins healing harder heroic dungeons was inconsistent with that of other healers, or our design intent. We thought it was only a matter of time before groups started going out of their way to stack paladins for raids or recruit them for dungeon runs, which of course is not our intent. For this reason, we thought it was important to address this point now rather than sitting on it until a future patch.
The main culprit for the increased paladin efficiency this was Holy Power from Tower of Radiance. We were seeing a strategy develop where paladins would cast Holy Light on a Beaconed tank, and then cast Light of Dawn on the raid (and use very few other spells). This strategy was remarkably successful considering how simple it is. The Holy Power-based heals are supposed to be an important component of the paladin kit, but because Holy Light is designed to be super efficient, the overall strategy was too efficient. The intent of Tower of Radiance was to make directly healing a Beacon of Light target less punitive, but instead it was becoming the only smart way to play. You can still generate Holy Power by using Flash of Light or Divine Light on a Beaconed target, or through a variety of other ways. Remember, overall it isn't balanced if paladins are just as mana efficient as other healers and have several mana-free spells.
Light of Dawn was adjusted because it was completely eclipsing Word of Glory. We lowered the healing of Word of Glory late in development, but also redesigned Light of Dawn. They had fallen out of sync, and Light of Dawn was just too good.
Mana is supposed to matter for healers, and in the case of Holy paladins, that just wasn't happening. We were seeing raid groups attempting to learn new bosses where the other healers were out of mana while the paladins were still at 90% of mana. We also thought the experience of paladins healing harder heroic dungeons was inconsistent with that of other healers, or our design intent. We thought it was only a matter of time before groups started going out of their way to stack paladins for raids or recruit them for dungeon runs, which of course is not our intent. For this reason, we thought it was important to address this point now rather than sitting on it until a future patch.
The main culprit for the increased paladin efficiency this was Holy Power from Tower of Radiance. We were seeing a strategy develop where paladins would cast Holy Light on a Beaconed tank, and then cast Light of Dawn on the raid (and use very few other spells). This strategy was remarkably successful considering how simple it is. The Holy Power-based heals are supposed to be an important component of the paladin kit, but because Holy Light is designed to be super efficient, the overall strategy was too efficient. The intent of Tower of Radiance was to make directly healing a Beacon of Light target less punitive, but instead it was becoming the only smart way to play. You can still generate Holy Power by using Flash of Light or Divine Light on a Beaconed target, or through a variety of other ways. Remember, overall it isn't balanced if paladins are just as mana efficient as other healers and have several mana-free spells.
Light of Dawn was adjusted because it was completely eclipsing Word of Glory. We lowered the healing of Word of Glory late in development, but also redesigned Light of Dawn. They had fallen out of sync, and Light of Dawn was just too good.
Filed under: The Daily Blues
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
CrossEyed Dec 15th 2010 9:08AM
OH my GOSH! Daily Blues, I thought you had died!
Josin Dec 15th 2010 9:14AM
Need daily blue posts in order to have Daily Blues articles.
The blues have been REALLY hands-off since Cata launch, it seems.
CrossEyed Dec 15th 2010 9:47AM
Daily Blues had been dead since like September though. There had been blue posts since September I believe :-P
I mean it was no big deal, I was able to find all of GC's posts on the forums and such on my own, but its nice to have them all in one place.
C4G Dec 15th 2010 9:50AM
Yea, called a well deserved bit of time off from the hustle & bustle of getting their biggest & baddest expansion up & running, viably. Yea, I'd take some time off after all that. Life as a programmer is not all shits & giggles yea know.
Aaron Dec 15th 2010 10:19AM
Daily Blues just needed some triage since someone wasn't clicking on the Lightwell. :O
DoubleCrit Dec 15th 2010 10:27AM
For real.
I am happy Blizzard is making mana matter again. I just hope my heals matter as much as the mana.
Leroy Dec 15th 2010 9:13AM
So very happy to see the triumphant return of the Daily Blues!
razion Dec 15th 2010 9:15AM
Praise to the Holisker!
I continue to love Bashiok more and more--he's so silly.
(cutaia) Dec 15th 2010 11:50AM
If you're a fan of the Bash, you may enjoy this smackdown he gave someone while the Daily Blues was out of commission:
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/1251977024
Elle Dec 15th 2010 9:16AM
Personally, I like the cut scenes. I think they were well done, comical and I like the way they personalized the experience by adding your character right into it. The uldum ones I've seen so far are quite comical and often make me laugh out loud. Little stress relievers :)
And I must say, Bashiok's reply is priceless!
V Magius Dec 15th 2010 9:32AM
I enjoyed the cutscenes also. They add a little something. I just wish a few of them weren't bugged. Characters off to the side so I can't see half of what they are saying. The camera looks at the ceiling. Odd stuff like that.
But, if the cutscenes are that annoying, they can be skipped. I think it's the Esc key.
Darthregis Dec 15th 2010 9:59AM
While I do realize that some sequences are required (eg: Zep into Twilight Highlands), most cut sequences can be skipped. So, if you don't like them, skip them. It's as easy as hitting the "Esc" key!
souvlaki Dec 15th 2010 10:16AM
I love the cutscenes too. But i LOL with some situations that if it was a scripted event and i had control of my char would be impossible. For instance, in a cutscene in Uldum when escaping from a you get sapped by an Air Trooper.
What I mean, is --- i'm a human warlock!!
Every man for himself -> death coil -> fear -> finish him!!
But instead i have to watch my character neglecting his abilities :D
Joe Dec 15th 2010 10:51AM
I too liked the cutscenes, but like the blue question, I think they weren't as well distributed as they could. Uldum just had too many, but the other zones didn't have enough.
Take half the cutscenes out of Uldum and distribute among the other 4 new zones.
thansal Dec 15th 2010 11:00AM
I'm not a fan of the new cut scenes for the following reasons:
1) Too often they just don't work. Having characters off camera, having the camera stay on a paragraph of text for half the time it takes me to read it (I read quickly), having the camera stay on 2 lines of texts for a min, etc etc.
2) Uldum killed them. When you can't go 3 quests with out a new 'cinematic' it isn't fun.
3) Some of them have to be watched, even though they are skip able, these are the ones that trigger completing a task (hiding behind the plant at the start of Uldum)
4) Uldum Killed Them.
5) I like my lore. I have done every quest in every zone (baring the last bit of the highlands), and read every single quest, and listened/read the banter between the NPCs I could find. However. I read quickly. Much faster than it takes to watch the 'acting'
6) Uldum. Killed. Them.
7) I feel it cheapens the actual cinematics a little. I REALLY liked the cinematics we got with wrath (wrath gate and LK's demise). I also really liked the Goblin and Worgen cinematics (that I have seen so far), and am hoping that they BIG things still get a cinematic (at least one for the downing of Deathwing).
In summation:
I don't think they work well enough, I don't think they are needed, and I think they were used to frequently in places (aka: Uldum Killed Them)
radicalereptor Dec 15th 2010 11:17AM
I enjoyed the cut-scenes with harrison jones in uldum. There were things going on that would have gone unnoticed if I was in control, and not paying attention to the right part, or were too big to see at all with the normal camera.
My problem came when there were cut-scenes for ordinary conversations, which are fine while just standing near by and reading. On top of that there was at least one where the camera was forced away from the conversation and I couldn't even read it.
Noyou Dec 15th 2010 11:21AM
I don't mind the cut scenes at all. I think that plays up the whole Cataclysm thing. I'm pretty sure that if you hit ESC it ends it. Problem solved.
Kaz Dec 15th 2010 1:56PM
I liked the cut scenes for the most part. I think there should have been more in most of the Zones. However I really wish that Blizz put some voice acting in them. The cinematic experience is a bit ruined when I have to read though the dialog instead of just being able to watch whats going on.
Also, there were a couple of camera bugs that would cut off a speech bubble. A problem that would be easily mitigated by VO work.
Aaron Dec 15th 2010 9:17AM
Aww I keep seeing so much cutscene hate. I've enjoyed them, but I'm also reading all the quests so I'm usually deep in the story anyways. Uldum isn't for everyone, but it is hands down my favorite new zone. Vash is a VERY close second.
Eisengel Dec 16th 2010 7:44PM
I had a blast in Uldum. The cutscenes seemed just fine. Granted, mine didn't bug. I also read very fast, but wasn't annoyed by the pace - again, maybe it's because they didn't bug.
My complaints with Uldum were the quest layouts and technical issues. The quests, especially once you get into the war effort, have you ping-pinging all over the zone. If you stay in one area to finish up a segment, often I found I'd forget what the setup was for some other group. I'm not advocating Wrath-style hierarchical quest hubs, but I would appreciate a little bit less bouncy. This is the only zone I've noticed this with so far.
A lot of the quests have technical issues. For instance when you have the 'invisibility' widget and need to sabotage the blasting powder. It isn't invisibility, it's a stealth. If you've played a stealther before, you're okay. If you haven't, it could be quite hard to figure out the aggro radius on your item-granted stealth.
The battle with the big obsidian guardian and Schnottz's troops is pretty confusing. The supply carriers that carry exploding boxes hint that maybe those have to be used to kill the guardian - not so. You also can mount up and fly to the walls, which I did to observe from a safe distance to figure out what was going on and how to kill the thing - however when the shadow blasts come down, you can't see the shadow they cast on the ground or the rune where they'll hit, but sitting the wall you're in their area of effect and can be catapulted off the wall to a rather nasty death below (plus you get the warning AFTER they hit the wall and you're sailing away off the cliff since the warning is timed for a floor impact).
There were a few other such problems with Uldum, but among the list of difficulties I had there, I wouldn't list cutscenes.