Patch 5.4 patch notes
Virtual Realms feature revealed
The Proving Grounds are coming
The latest patch 5.4 news"The Exalted" title requirement change reverted
by Michael Sacco 
Feb 12th 2011 at 12:18AM
Right now, the devs are unsure as to whether the change can be applied with a hotfix, but they're going to attempt one and see if it sticks. If a patch is necessary, they'll let us know. There's some additional interesting information in the blue post, including the technical reasons why Blizzard couldn't grandfather the title to those who achieved it prior to 4.0.6. Full text is after the cut.
The Exalted TitleRecently we changed 'the Exalted' title to require 50 exalted titles up from 40, which meant those that had achieved it were now asked to get 10 more reputations to gain the title back. We felt this kept the title as a difficult reward given the additional reputations introduced with Cataclysm, and also avoided the problem of achievement inflation as the game continues to grow, devaluing the reward.
We didn't let people know beforehand that we were making this change. A pretty cut and dry error on our part. We take full responsibility for not communicating the change properly, and apologize for the frustration it added to the situation. Unfortunately, that frustration in some people's cases went to an extreme. Over the past couple days we've handed out innumerable suspensions to people who were unable to stay within the forum code of conduct while posting about this change. We of course understand passions can run hot, but some of the violations were extreme enough to remove people's posting privileges permanently. It's unfortunate because rational, calm, and constructive posting is the type of feedback that's taken, discussed, and can help encourage real change. For those that were able to adhere to those posting ideals, we truly thank you for your efforts in keeping your cool.
We took your constructive posts and points, and after discussing the change for quite a while with the designers, the decision has been made to move 'the Exalted' title back to require 40 exalted reputations. We're going to attempt this change with a hotfix, but are unsure at this time if it will be able to be applied through a hotfix. It's possible that a client patch will be required. (We'll let you know if it does.)
The 45 and 50 exalted reputation achievements will continue to exist, but for the time being won't provide anything beyond achievement points. As some have questioned why the title isn't grandfathered like 'the Loremaster' or 'the Explorer' titles, these function differently mechanically. While their requirements have changed, the actual achievement is the same. There's no tech currently that allows us to give a title for an achievement and then move that title to a different achievement altogether and have people keep them. We are however working on such a technology that will allow players to keep items or titles associated with achievements even if we decide to change that criteria. So, say if we eventually decide to move 'the Exalted' title to an achievement which requires 60 reputations in the next expansion (just as an example), players who already earned the title at 40 reputations will get to keep the title when the criteria changes. This technology would allow us to let players keep titles or items they've already earned, while ensuring we don't get stuck in a position where we have to continually generate new rewards just so those who earned them originally don't lose them.
Thanks again for your feedback.
We didn't let people know beforehand that we were making this change. A pretty cut and dry error on our part. We take full responsibility for not communicating the change properly, and apologize for the frustration it added to the situation. Unfortunately, that frustration in some people's cases went to an extreme. Over the past couple days we've handed out innumerable suspensions to people who were unable to stay within the forum code of conduct while posting about this change. We of course understand passions can run hot, but some of the violations were extreme enough to remove people's posting privileges permanently. It's unfortunate because rational, calm, and constructive posting is the type of feedback that's taken, discussed, and can help encourage real change. For those that were able to adhere to those posting ideals, we truly thank you for your efforts in keeping your cool.
We took your constructive posts and points, and after discussing the change for quite a while with the designers, the decision has been made to move 'the Exalted' title back to require 40 exalted reputations. We're going to attempt this change with a hotfix, but are unsure at this time if it will be able to be applied through a hotfix. It's possible that a client patch will be required. (We'll let you know if it does.)
The 45 and 50 exalted reputation achievements will continue to exist, but for the time being won't provide anything beyond achievement points. As some have questioned why the title isn't grandfathered like 'the Loremaster' or 'the Explorer' titles, these function differently mechanically. While their requirements have changed, the actual achievement is the same. There's no tech currently that allows us to give a title for an achievement and then move that title to a different achievement altogether and have people keep them. We are however working on such a technology that will allow players to keep items or titles associated with achievements even if we decide to change that criteria. So, say if we eventually decide to move 'the Exalted' title to an achievement which requires 60 reputations in the next expansion (just as an example), players who already earned the title at 40 reputations will get to keep the title when the criteria changes. This technology would allow us to let players keep titles or items they've already earned, while ensuring we don't get stuck in a position where we have to continually generate new rewards just so those who earned them originally don't lose them.
Thanks again for your feedback.
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm has destroyed Azeroth as we know it; nothing is the same! In WoW Insider's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion, from leveling up a new goblin or worgen to breaking news and strategies on endgame play.Filed under: News items
Reader Comments (Page 6 of 7)
Rob Feb 12th 2011 9:04AM
What a great life lesson. If I whine enough I can get what I want.
Amaxe Feb 12th 2011 9:24AM
I still don't see why they don't do two achievements.
1) The 1, 5, 10, 20, 25, 30 40 etc... achievements giving points
2) A feat of Strength giving the Title of the Exalted for meeting the requirements **at the time the player reached the bar**
This way, while the requirement for "The Exalted" was 40 reps, those with 40 reps get the FoS/title. If Blizz later raises the bar to - say - 90 reps, then those with 90 reps at that time get the FoS and title at that time.
I'm no programmer (so it may be unworkable), but it seems this approach would let Blizzard keep it something to strive for without taking things away.
Joe Kufhta Feb 12th 2011 9:31AM
Enough change already ...... Leave the friggin game alone!!!!!
PocketFox Feb 12th 2011 10:01AM
...Maybe an MMO isn't the game for you.
Rajinnu Feb 12th 2011 9:59AM
I can't wait until Titan or whatever their next MMO is called comes out. I need to get on board with that and get away from all the whingers in WoW. I assume they will all stay in a product they obviously dislike to continue whinging like children.
Harvoc Feb 12th 2011 11:11AM
Haven't ever tried whinging before. Is it fun?
Kaphik Feb 12th 2011 10:12AM
No tech currently that allows people to have both? Why not implement two separate achievements that produce the same title?
Skarn Feb 12th 2011 4:18PM
Obviously, they could do something like that. Maybe add a FoS for "got 40 reps before Cata" which awards the Exalted title. Oh sure, they could award the title for 40 AND 50 reps, but there's no point to that. I don't think they do that though. Maybe, but it's kinda sloppy and inelegant. It's a temporary solution to one situation. I'm sure Blizzard would much prefer to come up with a more robust solution that could be applied to other situations.
Similar to tabard storage, they could just add a "tabard ring," but they'd prefer something more elegant and robust.
Koleckai Feb 12th 2011 10:17AM
Good decision on their part.
Zenry Feb 12th 2011 11:45AM
Damnit Blizzard!! Always caving in and catering to the cas...no, the hard....wait, who are they caving in to?
Seriously, I had the title and had it removed. I agree with Blizzard's original decision honestly. If there ever gets to be 100 reputations, it doesn't make sense for someone who only got 40 of them to have the same title as someone who has 100 of them. And I agree that there shouldn't be varying titles with "The Exalted". Only those who have the most number of reputations currently available should be able to carry that title. I understand the opinion people have about taking something earned away, but this seems like one of those situations where it is appropriate.
Ickabob Feb 12th 2011 11:44AM
Finally, my title will be restored. I was about to think that they'd be fascist pigs and say 'its our game, you play it our way and like it'. I'm glad they caved, just like the real ID debacle. It just proves that even for a multi billion dollar company, they would still be nothing without us, the longtime fans and valued customers. Lets hope they can continue to wise up and maybe turn this expansion around and make it a game WE would like to play, not something they want us to play. There may still be hope for Blizzard.
lolikitty Feb 12th 2011 1:13PM
Do you seriously think they should see you as a "valued customer" when you use the expression "fascist pig" in your argumentation ?
gideon.alsierra Feb 12th 2011 2:44PM
Ha ha ha - what was that Internet law about a discussion reaching the end of its usefulness when someone whips out the Nazi reference? Good job on being a stupid internet cliché, ickabob!
Skarn Feb 12th 2011 3:19PM
"Lets hope they can continue to wise up and maybe turn this expansion around and make it a game WE would like to play, not something they want us to play."
It IS a game I like to play. Maybe, YOU don't like it. That's YOUR problem. YOU aren't the only person who plays the game. I'm really tired of this argument. "I want it this way, so clearly everyone else does." No, in fact the WoW playerbase is extremely diverse and wants a lot of different things. Blizzard's challenge is making a game everyone will enjoy, which is quite the intense challenge.
Cennic Feb 12th 2011 12:23PM
I personally don't really understand, even after reading many of the forum posts and all the comments on this topic, why there was such an uproar. It's a title. You already had 40+ exalted reputations if you had it. Anyone who cares about rep grinds to begin with is going to get exalted with all the new reputations anyway. It's really not that big of a deal. Most people probably had almost all the new reps at exalted when this change was made anyway. And those who didn't probably wouldn't have to do that much work that they wouldn't have done anyway to get them there. I understand that people that did it back when it was hard already put forth the required effort and they shouldn't have to do it again and blah blah blah. But a) they arent doing it again, they are just adding a few more reps onto the ones they already earned. b) they're going to get exalted with the new reps they need anyway, and c) its just a title, and it's easy to get back. People were acting like they would have to do the whole grind over again, and thats just not the case. You didn't lose the grind, you lost the title, and only very VERY temporarily. The fact that Blizzard didn't communicate this change in any way is addmittedly a bad call on their part, and they apologized for it. But that's all they should have apologized for. If they could have grandfathered it in, they would have. It's not like they didn't WANT to let the people that had the title already keep it. It's that they couldn't technically do it without allowing the people that don't have it to get it the easy way. And instead of looking at things realistically and not taking the whole thing personally, everyone exploded and went on the offensive.
No one cared about the fact that if they leave it the way it is (or the way that they are making it again, rather) that their "special" title won't mean nearly as much (which from what I understand is the reason everyone was so upset about losing it in the first place, because it was so hard to get) now that everyone can get it with much less effort. They'd rather it wasn't anything special anymore and be able to keep it than just putting in the little bit of extra effort it would take to get it back and keep it special. Just doesn't make sense to me. But no one ever thinks that far ahead, they only care that something they had was taken away from them, if only temporarily.
And just so no one thinks I just don't understand because I don't have the title, I was one of the ones who lost it. I'd much rather earn it back and have it still be hard to get and mean something than keep it and let everyone that doesn't really know what it's like to earn it the hard way get it the easy way. But that's just me. Obviously I am part of a VERY small group, if not by myself entirely.
Wilbaforce Feb 12th 2011 1:17PM
TLDR (too long didn't read) "I'd much rather earn it back"? You do not "unearn" something.
Cennic Feb 12th 2011 2:53PM
1) If you didn't read it, how did you know what it said at the end? Do you start reading things at the end often? Perhaps a more accurate acronym in your particular case would be something like TLBRA (Too Long But Read Anyway).
2) You're just nitpicking how I said what I said because you have nothing legitimate to say against what you know it means. Furthermore, your logic is inaccurate anyway, similar to your opening acronym that you immediately contradicted yourself on (nice one, by the way, really drives the point home). You can un-earn something, or at the very least you can re-earn it. If you get demoted in the military, can you or can you not re-earn your rank over time? And being demoted is basically un-earning your rank, is it not? Rhetorical question, I already know the answer. Perhaps before you reply with something you think is going to make you look smart you should make sure it's not actually going to make you look stupid in your attempt to do the same to someone else.
3) Just because you're too lazy to read it doesn't mean it isn't a valid point. Moreover, you had time to read through the hundred plus comments to get to mine and then mine was "TLTR"? Really?
Maybe next time you reply to someones comment you should have something to say that pertains to what they are trying to say instead of being petty and attacking the comment itself to serve whatever unknown purpose it was you thought you were serving.
lemonzingers Feb 12th 2011 1:07PM
Yay! I get my title back...now lets work on the Shen'dralar reputation achievement you took away from us for the "The Insane" title. I'd like a feat of strength for that please. Pretty please!
Wilbaforce Feb 12th 2011 1:10PM
Thank You But really can anybody understand this "As some have questioned why the title isn't grandfathered like 'the Loremaster' or 'the Explorer' titles, these function differently mechanically. "
Wilbaforce "the soon to be exalted again"
Skarn Feb 12th 2011 3:52PM
Oh, sure. The Loremaster and Explorer titles are awarded by a meta achievement. That's an achievement that is awarded by getting other achievements. Once an achievement is earned, it isn't taken away. (There is probably some unique circumstance there somewhere. Copying a character to the PTR is one example.) So even though the requirements were changed for Loremaster and Explorer, anyone that already had the achievement keeps it and thus the title too.
The Exalted is different. It's not awarded from a meta-achievement, but from a single specific achievement. The 40 reps achievement itself was not taken away from anyone, but was changed to no longer award the title. That achievement is the only place in WoW's database that stores data on whether you've earned a title or not. Since that achievement stopped awarding the title, there is no way for the game to know that someone had earned it. There's not a separate spot that stores what titles you've earned. Blizzard is looking at changing that for the future.