The Queue: Is there golf in Azeroth?
by Adam Holisky 
Nov 8th 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. Adam Holisky (@adamholisky), senior editor at WoW Insider, will be your host today.
I am terrible at golf. I have a good driving ability, but my short and mid game is laughable. Nonetheless, I still find time pretty regularly to get out to the driving range and at least pretend I'll one day get better.
This got me thinking the other day, though ... Azeroth could use a golf minigame. Somewhere out in Nagrand, for instance, or maybe Arathi Highlands (which is a zone that needs some serious love, in my opinion). All the players could "hit" a ball with a different club (spell); the ball goes flying and lands somewhere near the hole. The closer it is to the hole, the more tokens you get. Get enough tokens, and get some cool prizes.
Chris asked:
Has it been mentioned yet if the new DMF will now have easier ways to level rep with the DMF?
I am terrible at golf. I have a good driving ability, but my short and mid game is laughable. Nonetheless, I still find time pretty regularly to get out to the driving range and at least pretend I'll one day get better.
This got me thinking the other day, though ... Azeroth could use a golf minigame. Somewhere out in Nagrand, for instance, or maybe Arathi Highlands (which is a zone that needs some serious love, in my opinion). All the players could "hit" a ball with a different club (spell); the ball goes flying and lands somewhere near the hole. The closer it is to the hole, the more tokens you get. Get enough tokens, and get some cool prizes.
Chris asked:
Has it been mentioned yet if the new DMF will now have easier ways to level rep with the DMF?
Yes, each daily right now on the PTR is giving out 250 reputation per turn-in. My guess is that it'll stay like that on the live realms.
Ilcjay2003 asked:
Does anyone else think that the "big boss" of MoP will be revealed later in the expansion as an Old God?
I think it's a definite possibility. Remember though that MoP will have a "big boss" but not a "big bad." I distinguish the two in that the big bad is the driving force behind the expansion -- Arthas was our goal in Wrath, Deathwing our goal in Cataclysm. In The Burning Crusade it was Illidan, although the story was a bit diluted at the end, given the introduction of Sunwell, and what I think was the harder boss in Mount Hyjal's Archimonde. In MoP, there is no creature we're all fighting toward for the whole expansion; we're fighting against each other, ourselves.
Now will the big boss be an Old God? I could see us fighting an Old God in patch 5.3, with the lore moving the story forward for the next expansion.
Razorwing asked:
What is the current Ilvl to use raid finder on the ptr, and do those who have used this feature believe it will be shifted. I am gearing an alt war tank (current raid comp is two dodge tanks). I am applying to grad school and don't have time to gear up more if there is no need.
You need to have a gear level of 365 of greater to queue for the Dragon Soul raid using the raid finder on the PTR. As was mentioned in the comments, this is going to be impossible for a non-raiding toon to hit right now, but with the next 5-man heroics and new justice point gear, it'll be much easier.
Bryan asked:
I am looking for a chronological order for the comics and books. Most of my findings have been inconclusive. Please help?!
Right over on our sidebar! Anne Stickney wrote a great piece for us on the chronology of all the WoW stories.
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 1 of 10)
Boz Nov 8th 2011 11:01AM
Has Blizzard provided any guidance as to whether certain vanity pets will be excluded from the forthcoming Battle System?
Blizzard has long avoided allowing children to be attacked by opposite faction players. If you raid an opposing faction city, you won't be able to hurt the children (which is a good thing). However, we have several "child" models as vanity pets, such as the Argent Gruntling/Squire.
I didn't see anything in the Battle System announcement to this effect. If I am correct and no guidance to this effect has been provided, any thoughts as to whether The Queue believes we'll see some pets excluded?
DeathPaladin Nov 8th 2011 11:13AM
I hope not. I'm looking forward to the possibility of making my squire fight for my amusement.
What? I'm a Death Knight.
Also, Argent Squire vs. Alliance Balloon. Who wins?
Shinae Nov 8th 2011 11:13AM
I would be surprised if the child (and the guild page/herald) companions would be allowed in Pet Battles. As it is, we cannot use the ribbon leash on them.
...
What? Parents put their kids on leashes all the time!
lazymangaka Nov 8th 2011 11:16AM
Blizzard hasn't released a list of excluded pets, but it's fairly safe to assume that child "pets"--and perhaps the Pandaren Monk--will be among those excluded from combat.
Maymer Nov 8th 2011 11:17AM
I don't see a problem in this at all. It's just a small defenseless child fighting various monsters for your amusement.
*Imagines Guild Herald attacking the small Argent Squire*
....you know, maybe child abuse isn't the best idea....
Seriously though, I see them excluding the human models *for reasons just sarcastically implicated above*, possibly the Winter Veil pets *being only summonable with a snowball, and now soon only during winter veil*, and maybe, just MAYBE, store bought pets. Though the last one is a big iffy, because I would love to use my Cenarion Baby Hippogryph, but if it's useable, then that probably means its tradeable, thus making all pets available to buy with real gold and sell for in game gold somehow.
Just my two cents. *drops a penny*....now just my one cent
Andurial Nov 8th 2011 11:17AM
Based on information from Blizzcon, the current plan is to exclude certain pets from the battle system - mainly those that don't make sense in a battle setting. For instance, your Alliance or Horde balloon is probably not going to make the cut for battling. It's most likely to be the creature-type pets that will be used, though animate objects like the Enchanted Broom or Magic Lamp / Lantern are not completely out of the realm of possibility (magic and all that...). Whether the child-like companions will be excluded is not clear, but on the "only using pets that make sense" model of the battle system, there's no reason they couldn't be left out given the world PvP tradition you mentioned. Though they could probably be just as easily be left in since they'll inevitably sent to Nurse Joy for immediate recuperation after any pet battle anyway.
Culhag Nov 8th 2011 11:20AM
I don't think they announced any specifics, but I'd be surprised if the squire can fight.
I think the inanimate objects probably won't be allowed either. (balloons, lanterns, the broom...)
Puntable Nov 8th 2011 11:24AM
When the Squire was new, you could leash him and he would bring back the fetch ball in his mouth. They patched it within a week. I guess he will be excluded from battles. Balloons too, just because, how do you giva a balloon an attack animation? Plus it would be silly.
B1ue Nov 8th 2011 11:28AM
@puntable
And yet, you can still leash your wolvar orphan.
RuzGofDI Nov 8th 2011 11:40AM
I know Blizzard was saying the images they created for Blizzcon were artist creations, and not necessarily based on how the system will actually work.
But the pet collection image they showed, with a list of several pets at different levels, had a greyed out Curious Wolvar pet at the bottom of the list.
Image in question used as the header image for this wowinsider article.
http://wow.joystiq.com/2011/10/21/blizzcon-2011-pet-battles-introduced-in-pandaria/
Leo1 Nov 8th 2011 11:59AM
It's already kind of disturbing that you can have a child as a pet in the first place. Ok, "companion". They changed the name, although that actually sounds even worse. Paging Chris Hansen...
Cyno01 Nov 8th 2011 12:53PM
@Puntable.
How do you give a balloon an attack animation? Like this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fpc5vgi9zbM
Bryan Dare Nov 8th 2011 1:12PM
"Also, Argent Squire vs. Alliance Balloon. Who wins?"
My money is on the balloon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fpc5vgi9zbM
Tadertot Nov 8th 2011 3:02PM
@Cyno01
Is it a bad thing that I couldn't stop laughing through that entire video? Also, I will never look at a balloon the same way. *eyes his Horde balloon suspiciously*
Ianmis Nov 8th 2011 3:12PM
I don't mind not being able to use the humanoid pets for pet battle but I do hope they can still be shared among all my toons. That truly is the best part of the announcement. I won't have to be on a specific toon just to show off something I worked long to farm and be able to theme my toons and pets and hopefully the mounts as well. My dragonslayer warrior looks forward to riding all the dragons and drakes I have aquired but is to worn out to hunt them down again. ;)
Thander Nov 8th 2011 3:26PM
It my short time I borrowed Pokemon from a friend, your Pokemon didn't actually die when defeated. I think it said they "fainted". Blizzard could easily have the same explanation in Pet Battles, though I think they will stick to the the creature and monster pets. What I wonder is whether non-Pet Battle pets will be account wide or still restricted by character.
Arrohon Nov 8th 2011 5:31PM
They've already said that orphans won't be allowed, but I think that's all they have said so far.
Guapa Nov 9th 2011 7:50AM
I specifially got the Scary Chest for the purpose of Pet Battles. And the "inanimate objects can't fight" rule doesn't apply here, in fact I would say that it's the best fighter of them all. It should even be allowed to permanemtly devour any opponent so that he is removed from the other player's inventory!
Necrosaro Nov 8th 2011 11:02AM
Blade's Edge Mountains would be a great place for golfing. The natural hazards there would make it very fun. And annoying.
Revynn Nov 8th 2011 11:37AM
Gallywix's Pleasure Palace in Azshara already has a mini-golf course. I'd always hoped they would turn the place into a mini-game hub.