Patch 5.4 patch notes
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The latest patch 5.4 newsThe Queue: Oh man did someone say talent
by Anne Stickney 
Jun 16th 2011 at 11:00AM
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Anne Stickney is in ur base your Queue, killin ur doods answering your questions.
Hello again! It's me, here to answer all your direly important burning questions. I have hijacked this column from Adam today, so let's get started, shall we?
techvoodooguy asks:
Question: What's your favorite talent?
You see that video up there? That.
Rezai asks:
Question: What did Sacco do to Anne; that she no longer comes on the podcast?
Hello again! It's me, here to answer all your direly important burning questions. I have hijacked this column from Adam today, so let's get started, shall we?
techvoodooguy asks:
Question: What's your favorite talent?
You see that video up there? That.
Rezai asks:
Question: What did Sacco do to Anne; that she no longer comes on the podcast?
Sacco hasn't done anything to me at all. Except neglect my existence. I'll be over here crying in the corner. :(
Seriously though, usually if someone asks for a particular writer to be on the WoW Insider Show, the hosts will do their best to get that writer on the podcast. So in other words, if you'd like to hear me, or anyone else from the esteemed WoW Insider staff for that matter, drop the hosts an email and let them know about it!
Flarebear asks:
I recently went through Hyjal on my new warrior, and when I hit the quest Aesinna's Miracle (the one where the mountain turns all green and stuff) there was a little cutscene where Aesinna talked to my warrior. I don't remember this part being in it when I leveled my other characters through Hyjal. Did they add this cutscene in a recent patch or am I just going crazy?
You are absolutely sane, Flarebear. The cutscene has been there since beta, however the last step of the quest involved turning the quest in to Hamuul Runetotem. He was over waiting for players at Aesinna's shrine, but the quest helper pointed players back to Malorne's shrine instead. The issue's been fixed now, but a large chunk of players missed out on that very cool -- and pretty important -- cutscene when Cataclysm released.
Ehiz asks:
Question: Is the Ice Lord Ahune going to be updated with cata equivalent gear or at least with one of the PVE currency?
More than likely. We've seen hints of updated loot datamined from here and there, and it's not really likely that Blizzard would leave in an old boss with old gear -- nobody would bother with the holiday content. ... now if the Ice Lord would be kind enough to drop a pet for me this year, I'd be happy.
Strawder asks:
Question for the Queue: What's happened to the Blue Child? I remember the days seeing it and the White Lady up in the sky in Azeroth, but apart from some official artwork and things like Ulduar, the Blue Child is totally forgotten.
Any information on what's happened to it insomuch as its disappearance in WoW? Did Blizzard remove it on purpose or was it a graphical glitch as is commonly believed? And if it is a glitch, why don't they fix it?
According to a fanciful GM, the Blue Child was "sent away by the Earthmother to learn about the universe" just before The Burning Crusade. I wouldn't take that as written lore, however. If I remember correctly, the Blue Child disappeared when they added weather effects to vanilla zones in patch 1.10.0 -- I could be wrong, however. Regardless, I think the Blue Child was removed due to graphic errors of one kind or another.
Alternatively, the Exodar took it out during their abrupt collision with Azeroth.
Kurtzilla1111 asks:
I've vaguely heard rumors of Algalon's return. Do these rumors hold any merit?
Depends on where you heard the rumors. The last issue of the World of Warcraft comics series was a "special issue" that featured an introduction of sorts to a "new" series -- one that would follow various characters of the Horde and Alliance. Not major lore figures, but everyday citizens like the characters you and I play. Algalon made an appearance in this issue, observing these everyday characters and trying to muddle out just what makes the mortals of Azeroth tick.
Given his last words after his defeat in Ulduar, it's kind of implied we might see him again -- but there's been nothing confirmed. As with any rumor, unless it's out of the mouth of a developer, consider it nothing more than speculation.
areohbeebeewhy asks:
Q fo' da Q: In regards to speaking about certain versions of WoW, how did the original WoW game come to be knows as "Vanilla"?
World of Warcraft by itself is the plain, original version of the game. WoW on its own is vanilla, like vanilla ice cream, and each additional expansion offers a new and exciting flavor. I don't know about you, but I was a fan of The Burning Crusade flavor. Tasted kinda like a rainbow sorbet.
Oh let's answer one more, just because I'm feeling chatty!
Scott asks:
Question for the Q: To combat my distaste for repetitive dailies and bad pugs, i have recently rolled an Undead Warrior to visit the "new" quest experiences of Post-Cataclysm Azeroth. While avenging the Tauren slain in the Barrens, I was tasked with heading into the embers of Camp Taurajo and dispatching the miserable looters. To my surprise, I discovered something that i had to ask you about:
Why the HECK is there still a working mailbox in the middle of Camp Taurajo?
I enjoy getting my Auction House profits in a timely fashion as much as anyone, but... really? Talk about breaking the flow...
Because neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night, nor the winds of change, nor a massive firebombing from encroaching Alliance will stay the postmasters of Azeroth from the swift completion of their appointed rounds. Plus those mailboxes? They're built tough. Horde tough.
And I'm outta here!
Have questions about the World of Warcraft? The WoW Insider crew is here with The Queue, our daily Q&A column. Leave your questions in the comments, and we'll do our best to answer 'em!
Filed under: The Queue
Reader Comments (Page 5 of 12)
Steve Jun 16th 2011 11:15AM
I thought that the loot from Ahune had already been data mined and that it showed he'd be dropping ilvl 346 cloaks this year. The staff is still around too and has been updated as well.
Steve Jun 16th 2011 11:25AM
I was wrong. The cloaks are ilvl 353 as well as the staff:
http://forum.mmosite.com/thread/2/179/20110317/2011_Midsummer_Festival_Lord_Ahune_Loot_Table_in_Patch_41-4da846f115281f913-1.html
Puntable Jun 16th 2011 11:44AM
Depending on the timing of the patch, most players may already have 378 cloaks from Avengers of Hyjal: Friendly rep.
Shinae Jun 16th 2011 11:15AM
WoW, Anne, look at all those questions you answered in one day! You show those boys how it's done. You rock!!!
Grovinofdarkhour Jun 16th 2011 11:42AM
Yeah, seriously, I think 8's a new record. Anne's hardcoreness in this arena is unquestioned.
I generally hope to see about 5. If they answer less than 5 they must be a laz--- I mean, must have been really, really tired. If there aren't 5 great questions, it's easy enough to make up a couple BS ones. (Like this: "Is Pearl Jam really the greatest rock band in the world today?" "Why yes, Tommy, yes, they sure are." See? Easy.) And obviously they get big bonus points for those long, in-depth answers that occasionally appear to clarify our place in this world, our obligations as members of a forward-striving society, and why Blizzard STILL hasn't changed that one thing that you think fits perfectly between plague and locusts among the signs of the coming Apocalypse.
Eirik Jun 16th 2011 4:20PM
"that one thing that you think fits perfectly between plague and locusts among the signs of the coming Apocalypse."
The spice girls are making a comeback?
jhayes425 Jun 16th 2011 11:16AM
Question for le' queue: Why can't I buy pvp gear before a certain level? For instance, my rogue is L74 but I won't be able to buy L80 gear until... 80. So I keep having to get mounts and gems and stuff each time I hit the honor cap. Is there a reason for this? Surely the gear isn't *that* powerful where folks would be so OP that they can't have the entire set *at* X level. I do recall (back in BC) being able to purchase the honor gear before hitting 70. What gives? I probably missed this in a patch note or it's been so long but I'm getting annoyed with having to just waste honor instead of banking it or buying some gear.
Oh and it would be nice if there was some intermediary pvp gear between levels. Keeping the same stuff (until at least 78 mind you) is rough. Anyway, cheers folks!
Arrohon Jun 16th 2011 11:25AM
You can't equip the items until you reach the level requirement so I don't understand either. Being able to buy the items and store them until you're high enough to equip them doesn't sound like a bad idea to me.
Bapo Jun 16th 2011 11:31AM
I think it has to do with the fact they don't want people who are like, lvl 30 (I'm not sure when exactly you would be able to save up enough for even one piece) to buy lvl 85 gear. Same goes for pve gear. People would just turn off xp gains and run Wrath heroics all day every day to gear out for 85.
And that would be bad
Docseuzz Jun 16th 2011 11:40AM
it's a way from preventing you from gaming the 4k honor/JP cap... otherwise, your daily dungeon run while leveling would allow you to have a full set waiting for you on hitting 85 (for example)
Mr. Crow Jun 16th 2011 11:41AM
While Cataclysm did a lot to improve the pre-top level experience, the initial goal of the game is for you to get to the top-level, where the rest of the game really begins. So the reason why you can't get level 80 gear until 80 is because the developers want you in the endgame.
Qualifiably, in the amount of time it takes you to farm up to the honor cap, you could probably quest or LFD your way to the max level anyway. There's not a lot of point in buying level 80 PVP gear when you're going to be stomped by cats in level 85 gear... unless you want to buy level 80 gear, and turn off XP gains. I understand the queues are horrendous, though.
jhayes425 Jun 16th 2011 11:50AM
I don't know that it's in the same realm as pve gear though. I hear what you're saying for JP, that makes sense. But we (speaking for the pvp crowd here) only get gear every ten levels, or in the 80 to 85 jump five levels, but you get what i'm saying. So would it be so bad, or game changing/breaking to let us get the gear as we're leveling, even if we can't equip it? If you don't want folks to have L85 gear before hitting L85 then that's fine, but don't restrict the rest of us to buying the L60, L70 and L80 gear at the level.
It wasn't an issue at L60 and L70 due to the fact that you could purchase *all* of the gear necessary (including offset, trinkets and such) with far less than the honor cap. L80 is not the same case. Leveling via battlegrounds is hard enough as is (compare how many win/losses it takes to the number of quests instances and you'll see what I mean) without being able to prepare adequately for the next bracket/level change.
Solution: Let us have gear every five levels or so or let us purchase and bank the gear before the level (L85 excluded for the above mentioned reasons). It may require whole new "tiers" of gear, but it's better than nothing. You broke the brackets down because of complete and utter outgearing in 10 levels (in addition to other issues), so lets have some level appropriate gear too.
Magma Jun 16th 2011 11:18AM
"They're build tough. Horde tough."
built tough
#Corrections
matt Jun 16th 2011 11:20AM
"Vanilla" is computing term not specific to WoW. It means the original, unmodified version of a piece of software before patches and updates are applied. So you'll hear someone say something like "a computer with a vanilla install of Windows will be infected with viruses within 10 seconds of going live on the internet."
In WoW, it means "the original game before expansions," as we still consider patches to vanilla WoW (like 1.1, 1.2, etc) to be part of vanilla WoW.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanilla_software
Caliea Jun 16th 2011 11:35AM
When designing a building, that will later be upfitted for a specific purpose, the architects/designers also refer to it as a 'vanilla' shell.
Knob Jun 16th 2011 11:41AM
All this talk of vanilla makes me want some ice-cream.
(cutaia) Jun 16th 2011 12:02PM
Swingers refer to non-swingers as "vanillas."
(I think this has gone on a bit of a tangent now...)
Red Hawk Jun 16th 2011 12:25PM
Its not neccesarily about being 'original', or the 'first', but more about being the default state of something. And its because of vanilla icecream apparently being the most common type of icecream, and so is picked up as the default flavour.
So, in WoW's case, the stuff that is the content you can access without needing the other 'flavours' (ie the expansion packs) is the default, or Vanilla content, which is by and large the level 1-60 experience.
If and when Blizzard decide to combine all of the available content into a single purchase/activation, then the term should refer to this new default state, but will undoubtedly cling to its initial description.
Task Jun 16th 2011 11:21AM
Dear Anne Stickney,
1. You are awesome and thank you for doing the queue again.
2. You, Allison Robert, Kelly Aarons, Dawn Moore and the other writers should guest star on the 200th Wow Insider podcast.
3. You are awesome.
Sincerely,
Task
Magma Jun 16th 2011 11:46AM
I see through your guise...Asking for all the women. For shame