Dungeon journal FAQ
by Adam Holisky 
May 2nd 2011 at 12:20PM
Blizzard has just released a short FAQ on the dungeon journal, the new UI enhancement coming in patch 4.2 that will provide boss ability information for players in game. The major points of the announcement are:
- Includes boss abilities and loot, location of boss, trash drops, general dungeon / raid information
- Accessible via accessing the map in the dungeon
- Work for dungeons and raids
- No gating on the information; shows abilities of all the bosses right away
- Lists boss adds (additional spawned mobs), along with their abilities
The full announcement, after the break.
Kaivax
With 4.2, we're introducing the new World of Warcraft Dungeon Journal. The feature is currently deep in development, so while we don't have anything to show off just yet, we've put together a FAQ with a bit of information. Please enjoy!
Q: What is the Dungeon Journal?
A: The Dungeon Journal is a new piece of UI in World of Warcraft that players can use to find out more about specific dungeons, and the bosses within those dungeons, including what abilities they have and the rewards they offer.
Q: How will I access it?
A: While in a dungeon, hitting "M" (the default key for Map) will open the Dungeon Journal. A new button will also be available in the navigation tray. The Dungeon Journal can be accessed from anywhere - in a dungeon, in a raid, on a boat, etc.
Q: Will I have to experience a dungeon or encounter in order to see the associated Dungeon Journal content?
A: There won't be any "gating" or limitations placed on what content a player can see in the Dungeon Journal. All boss/dungeon/raid information will be available to all players regardless of level, gear, or content experience.
Q: What will it show me?
A: The dungeon/raid map will display the locations of each boss in their respective locations, marked by unique icons.
Players can access boss information by clicking on boss icons on the map, or by clicking on the boss' name in the associated tab of the dungeon/raid map page.
General loot information for the dungeon/raid can also be accessed from the dungeon/raid main page by clicking on the Loot tab. This will show all loot dropped - from bosses and trash - in the instance, of a certain quality.
Boss abilities will be available via the boss' page, either by clicking on the map or by going through the Dungeon tab. The Dungeon tab on the boss' page will list out all major spells, abilities, and phases for that fight.
Q: Are the descriptions going to be simplified or detailed?
A: Descriptions will be verbose and complete. Our goal is to give a lot of context to the abilities in terms of how they'll play out; however, we will not be giving any strategy tips in the Dungeon Journal. For example, while the Dungeon Journal might say something like "This ability will cause all players in the affected area to take damage," it won't say anything explicit like "All players except the tank should stand behind the boss during his Shield phase."
Q: Will this include adds?
A: Yes. If a boss has adds, like Ascendant Council or Erudaxx, their abilities will be listed, too.
Q: What bosses will be included in 4.2?
A: That's still being determined. We want to include as many as possible and add more as we go along. We'll provide additional information on availability as we progress through the Public Test Realm process.
We'll provide a more comprehensive look at the Dungeon Journal, including the interface and examples of the information it provides, as we move closer to the release of 4.2. Have fun storming the castle!
Q: What is the Dungeon Journal?
A: The Dungeon Journal is a new piece of UI in World of Warcraft that players can use to find out more about specific dungeons, and the bosses within those dungeons, including what abilities they have and the rewards they offer.
Q: How will I access it?
A: While in a dungeon, hitting "M" (the default key for Map) will open the Dungeon Journal. A new button will also be available in the navigation tray. The Dungeon Journal can be accessed from anywhere - in a dungeon, in a raid, on a boat, etc.
Q: Will I have to experience a dungeon or encounter in order to see the associated Dungeon Journal content?
A: There won't be any "gating" or limitations placed on what content a player can see in the Dungeon Journal. All boss/dungeon/raid information will be available to all players regardless of level, gear, or content experience.
Q: What will it show me?
A: The dungeon/raid map will display the locations of each boss in their respective locations, marked by unique icons.
Players can access boss information by clicking on boss icons on the map, or by clicking on the boss' name in the associated tab of the dungeon/raid map page.
General loot information for the dungeon/raid can also be accessed from the dungeon/raid main page by clicking on the Loot tab. This will show all loot dropped - from bosses and trash - in the instance, of a certain quality.
Boss abilities will be available via the boss' page, either by clicking on the map or by going through the Dungeon tab. The Dungeon tab on the boss' page will list out all major spells, abilities, and phases for that fight.
Q: Are the descriptions going to be simplified or detailed?
A: Descriptions will be verbose and complete. Our goal is to give a lot of context to the abilities in terms of how they'll play out; however, we will not be giving any strategy tips in the Dungeon Journal. For example, while the Dungeon Journal might say something like "This ability will cause all players in the affected area to take damage," it won't say anything explicit like "All players except the tank should stand behind the boss during his Shield phase."
Q: Will this include adds?
A: Yes. If a boss has adds, like Ascendant Council or Erudaxx, their abilities will be listed, too.
Q: What bosses will be included in 4.2?
A: That's still being determined. We want to include as many as possible and add more as we go along. We'll provide additional information on availability as we progress through the Public Test Realm process.
We'll provide a more comprehensive look at the Dungeon Journal, including the interface and examples of the information it provides, as we move closer to the release of 4.2. Have fun storming the castle!
The news is already rolling out for the upcoming WoW Patch 4.2! Preview the new Firelands raid, marvel at the new legendary staff, and get the inside scoop on new quest hubs -- plus new Tier 12 armor!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Gendou May 2nd 2011 12:33PM
Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.
Jolly May 2nd 2011 12:52PM
Meh, this is nice, but it would be better if you could always access it, even if you weren't in the dungeon. I want to read this information when I don't have four random people from my battlegroup yelling GOGOGOGOGOGO!!!
(cutaia) May 2nd 2011 12:56PM
"Meh, this is nice, but it would be better if you could always access it, even if you weren't in the dungeon."
From the blue post:
"The Dungeon Journal can be accessed from anywhere - in a dungeon, in a raid, on a boat, etc."
Baba May 2nd 2011 12:59PM
Can I access it from my yacht, though?
loop_not_defined May 2nd 2011 1:39PM
No, you can only also access it on a boat, while wearing your flippy-floppies.
loop_not_defined May 2nd 2011 1:42PM
Correction: My daughter's Richard Scarry book titled "Boats" has confirmed that a yacht is, indeed, a boat.
Moobs May 2nd 2011 2:09PM
@jolly
If your in a group and your reading about the boss encounter and someone goes gogogogo, and correct me if I am wrong but you sound like your posting from a tank point of view, you got 2 choices, leave or kick the guy.
My choice is to leave, perhaps they will get a better tank perhaps not?
Just offering my opinion,
BTW can't wait for this beats looking things up in my boss book that I created!
btbrianjturner May 2nd 2011 2:36PM
You know this is actually a very nice feature; the only thing that I can think of that would make this thing drive better then a luxury car would be to build a DBM smoothly into this as well as short video clips that would show you the warning signs of said ability and the ability unfolding as well.
None the less if they gave you some leeway when these abilities occur like Rift does so that you have enough time to move out of said fire when it appears that would be even better. The thing that turned me off of WoW and made me cancel my account was the fact that if you see the stuff on the floor unless you had a flawless connection or the reflexes of a 20 year old you were already eating dirt.
If WoW ever brings back that margin for error that made Wrath a great playing experience for me then they can have my wife and I become paying customers again.
Deevan May 2nd 2011 3:46PM
I wonder if you can read it while avoiding a huge ship.
(Reference. Duh.)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Avoid-Huge-Ships-John-Trimmer/dp/0870334336
Viator May 2nd 2011 5:41PM
In a dungeon, in a raid, on a boat....narrows it down to gunship only (maybe some bg's if you count them as dungeons) :)
Drakkenfyre May 2nd 2011 12:40PM
When they started talking about this again a few weeks ago, they said initially it will only be Cataclysm bosses, but they hoped to add some later.
I know it takes time to put features in, but if you are announcing something this far ahead, why not put the other bosses in, as well?
Once you have the framework of the feature in, the data is most likely just text. Hell, you could just go to Wowhead, filter out the bosses by instance, and get a listing of every ability and item drop without even having to consult internal data.
It's a little annoying going "We're adding this neat feature, but it'll only be for the current expansion!", and we're probably going to have to wait for another content patch to fill out the rest.
REDMJOEL May 2nd 2011 3:46PM
On the other hand, it's bang for the buck ... and even going to wowhead and pulling text into the game costs money, aside from copyright issues. Is there really much value to giving the Black Wing Lair raid boss abilities when the vast majority of players so overwhelmingly outgear the content that they solo it?
Drakkenfyre May 2nd 2011 12:58PM
It's just "Here's a neat feature, for 1/4 of the game." And then we have to wait, maybe 5 months, for the rest.
And copyright issues? Uh, Wowhead pulls info from Blizzard's game. I doubt very seriously they have a copyright claim on "Blackened Defias Armor" dropping from "VanCleef".
loop_not_defined May 2nd 2011 1:44PM
The alternative is waiting 5 more months for the whole feature.
I feel this is an acceptable compromise.
RogueJedi86 May 2nd 2011 3:03PM
I'd rather wait 5 months for a complete product than a month for a half-assed product. I feel this is an acceptable delay.
loop_not_defined May 2nd 2011 3:51PM
Do you feel the dungeon maps, which were first released with only WotLK maps, should've been delayed until all maps were complete? Because the BC dungeon maps were delayed 'til around Cataclysm launch.
Releasing a feature that is initially limited to current content (the vast majority of actually played content) isn't "half-assed" anymore than most features. In fact, it can be good design practice. If they end up having to change the implementation (whether for bug fixes, design flaws, or streamlining), they save themselves a lot of work by only having to change the current content instead of all 100% of WoW.
loop_not_defined May 2nd 2011 4:05PM
Also, I'm having trouble understanding why you feel leveling content is so important. Knowing boss abilities just isn't a big deal in most cases, and loot quickly loses value due to constant replacement (if you're even bothering with the gear, since most folks use heirlooms).
I agree that including leveling content would be nice, but holding up current Dungeon/Heroic/Raid content for it sounds about as smart as shooting yourself in the foot, as the latter is where all of this information matters the most.
(cutaia) May 2nd 2011 12:54PM
"If a boss has adds, like Ascendant Council"
Wait, what?
Shinae May 2nd 2011 1:14PM
Perhaps they meant the Ascendant fight at the end of BRC, and not the Ascendant Council in BoT?
Lucidique May 2nd 2011 1:15PM
Guessing they view all the seperate bosses as adds. Magmaw would've been a much better boss to list.