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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsThe Queue: All Darkmoon Faire, all the time
by Alex Ziebart 
Nov 9th 2011 at 11:00AM
Today's edition of The Queue is inspired by the lot of you who have been spamming the comments of every one of our Darkmoon Faire articles, trying to find out where the heck the thing is in the world. Enjoy.
Many readers asked:
Where is the Darkmoon Island located?
We don't know! You get to the island via a portal, and you exit the same way. The island has a map you can view, but you can't zoom out at all when you're viewing it, and it doesn't appear on the continent maps.
It's a mystery.
missemilyblack asked:
Does the fancy new DMF have any level restrictions? Are the quests/vendor items for level cap only? The idea of snagging cool pets and mounts and heirlooms on lower level characters and new servers is just too good to be true, I figured I should double check before getting too excited :3
Most of the games are available to players of all levels, and thus the largest source of game tickets are available to players of all levels. I don't think you can do the monthly profession quests as a lowbie, and the transmogrification gear requires level 60 to use/equip, but otherwise you're totally free to hit the Faire, play games, earn pets, and all of that sort of thing.
Tokens are a bit pricey for a low-level player, though (see below), so you may need an alt or a friend to bankroll your gaming for awhile. Hmm. That's very much like taking a kid to the carnival, isn't it?
@jojojetson asked:
Will the tickets that I've been holding onto be eligible to purchase new items?
Nope. The patch 4.3 currency is brand new currency. The stuff you've been sitting on will just be trash.
@jaxland101 asked:
best/worst game there at dmf?
I enjoy Whack-a-Gnoll. It's frantic and fast-paced and emulates the real Whack-a-Mole games well in that way. I hate the human cannon game, because I can't aim my drops worth a damn. I'm sure you'll all be expressing the same sentiment in a few weeks when this thing launches.
@illskatrillz510 asked:
Im confused. What do you buy with gold? The currency to redeem prizes? Or the currency to play games?
The currency to play the games. Each game requires one token to play, but since they're cheating carnies, it may take you multiple attempts to win at a particular game. You can buy a pouch of five tokens for 60 silver or a pouch of 20 tokens for 1 gold, 92 silver. Chump change for level-capped players. Pretty darn expensive for low-level characters.
@Anslym asked:
Are the replica sets BoP?
You know, I assumed right off the bat that they would be, but I checked the vendors and that doesn't seem to be the case. It's all labeled bind on equip. It's possible Blizzard expects players to build a gold market for these items, which is pretty cool. It's also possible that it's unintended and the status of those items wll change before the patch goes live. It's the PTR, after all.
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 4 of 11)
Durinthal Nov 9th 2011 2:59PM
I'd love for it to be completely independent of character level. My bank alt needs a hobby.
alzeer Nov 9th 2011 11:04AM
Q for the Q
do we have any information about the current status of Outland and Northrend? from any of the new novels or some cata quest
i think its reasonable to think some of the following happened:
- Black Temple restored to its pre-orcs status.
-Zangarmarsh lake water level is back to normal.
-some faction took control of Tempest Keep (probably the Naaru).
-Magtheridon's Lair became baseball stadium.
fudge Nov 9th 2011 11:34AM
Change I'd like to see in Outland:
- Garadar torched, all inhabitants put to the sword by a SI7/7thLegion strike team as retribution for the attack on Theramore
- Post-It in Garrosh's bedroom: "Dear Garrosh. Don't fuck with humanity. Love, M. Shaw"
- Fel Reaver in every zone
Grovinofdarkhour Nov 9th 2011 12:06PM
Even as Alliance, I can't sanction a hit on the Greatmother. Make it Thrallmar instead.
raingod Nov 9th 2011 1:43PM
Glad to see Alliance still being whiny little twats.
Grovinofdarkhour Nov 9th 2011 2:16PM
Wow, what's THAT coming outta left field...?
fudge Nov 9th 2011 2:24PM
Joking aside, Garadar is actually not that illogical a target for retribution, as Garadar and Theramore are quite similar:
- Both are the second biggest stronghold for the dominant race of their faction
- both are the holdouts for an endangered faction of the dominant race (Maghar/Lordaeron humans)
- Both are home to a strong female character that counsels the respective faction chiefs (Grandmother/Jaina)
Destroying Garadar (possibly killing the Grandmother) would also absolutely escalate the war as it'd drag Thrall into it. There's no way he'd make peace with the Alliance after this, thus eliminating the dreaded "Why is Thrall taking this BS from Garrosh?". An attack on Garadar would unite the orcs.
It'd also be chance to show that the Alliance does have some military skill, instead of being kept in perpetual reaction and retreat. Striking at the heart of the enemy would show that they can be badass, without changing too much of the balance and leveling flow in Azeroth itself.
Grovinofdarkhour Nov 9th 2011 2:45PM
You're talking about murdering someone's grandmother.
Pick another place. So long as she lives, Garadar is off limits.
fudge Nov 9th 2011 2:52PM
Um, I really don't see the difference between grandmothers and other relatives. If grandparents are off-limits, why aren't fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, nieces, nephews, cousins and in-laws? That'd make war quite difficult.
Sure, it's not nice, but I think it'd make for a good story.
Grovinofdarkhour Nov 9th 2011 4:01PM
Here, you'll see on my ID badge that I am a resident of an RP server. I assure you that all the appropriate paperwork is in order.
It is not my intent to lead you to think that the fact of her being a grandmother is my sole problem with what you suggest. The truth is that it is wrong on many levels.
In many ways she is the spiritual heart of the orcish people. But she is also a civilian. When the orcish clans were being decimated by the red pox, she established Garadar as a quarantine zone to care for the sick. It was during this time that the clans entered into the Blood Pact with Mannoroth; and the quarantined, along with those who cared for them, ended up being the only remaining uncorrupted orcs.
The truth is that we have no appropriate comparison on the Alliance side. Jaina is an active military and political leader; Geyah is a retired nurse.
I might also add that I have had the luxury of working alongside Thrall on several occasions and have developed a respect for him that transcends the political divide. Were I to allow him to be hurt in this way, I could no longer call him friend.
I would no sooner consider her an acceptable "collateral loss" than I would apply the same designation to my own family. What you suggest, I will not allow to happen. And on the day that any attack is planned against this woman... on that day, I will stand with the orcs.
fudge Nov 9th 2011 4:33PM
Just to clarify, Grovin, I wouldn't approve of such an attack on a mostly civilian target.
But then, Alliance story writing has been incredibly weak. We're kind of the good guys, but not really, because the other side has to be heroic, too. Which leaves us mostly weak and defeated.
As much as I'd like them to be just that, the Alliance will not be King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and Stormwind will not be Camelot.
So, if I can't be him, I'd like to be Tywin Lannister. Smart, cunning, civilzed and utterly ruthless.
Let Thrall hear "Rains of Garadar".
If we can't be good, let us at least be interesting. It'd make for a nice change of pace.
But please, I've had enough of inaction, defeat and retreat. It's getting boring and frustrating.
Grovinofdarkhour Nov 9th 2011 5:05PM
With your closing statement, I certainly concur. I'd like to see more pushing forth the line, tacticians & catapults, etc. and it seems like that's happening in the Southern Barrens (though I still don't know where an Alliance toon is supposed to start questing through there). But at a time when we've taken some licks on the battlefield but somehow come out the less fractured coalition politically, and what we need is good writing and a few military victories, I don't think a sudden disregard for our principles is the way we should have to get there. Some moral complexity can be interesting, but we don't need any more Camp Taurajos.
RogueJedi86 Nov 9th 2011 5:57PM
If Zangarmarsh's water levels returned to normal, wouldn't it become the Zangar sea? It's already pretty watery(minus the NE corner), so I can't imagine it'd be even be habitable with more water. Maybe that's why the main Draenei outpost is on the top of a mushroom? Also, the Draenei will take the rest of Tempest Keep...........and crash those too. :P
I do agree with fudge on the idea of the Alliance striking back. The Horde destroys Theramore, what Horde equivalent can the Alliance destroy? Stonard? No one cares about it, and it has no major Horde lore characters to equal the blow of losing Jaina's sanctuary. So what major Horde leader's hometown would y'all suggest be destroyed to keep things even? The Alliance definitely does need a major counter-attack since in the years of Horde attacks on the Alliance, their only offensive blow was razing Camp Taurajo(and even there the Alliance let the civilians flee safely). The Alliance has been a joke in the war for years.
Also to chip in on the Greatmother thing, allies of the Horde mostly killed a character who was the heart of the dominant race of the Alliance. Remember Bolvar? Sure he survived and became the Lich King, but the Alliance lost him for good on the day the Wrathgate Incident occurred, and all thanks to a plague the Forsaken had been making for years with the Horde's help. Greatmother Geyah would be a fair equivalent. Let the Gnomes plague her and turn her into the Lich Queen(even though Sylvanas is already eyeing that job), see how it feels! It's World of Warcraft, not World of "Let's hug our grannies"-craft!
I might've overdid it on the last paragraph, but you get the idea. The Alliance needs a strong counter-attack to make up for its many losses, especially the upcoming loss of Theramore, the homeland of a major character who has been pretty nice to the Horde overall. And my two big paragraphs will likely kill any chances of responses about what I said about Zangarmash and Tempest Keep. :P
RogueJedi86 Nov 9th 2011 6:04PM
Oh and to add onto my remark....
I actually don't mind Theramore being attacked, since I hope it will finally get Jaina to side with the Alliance instead of the previous Horde loyalties(see her interference in the Battle for the Undercity). I just want the Alliance to strike back once Theramore is destroyed. Maybe even have Jaina herself lead the attack as a doubly awesome moment.
ravyncat Nov 9th 2011 6:41PM
The idea of doing any sort of revenge attack on Garadar because Theramore is attacked/destroyed sickens me.
Theramore is a military target that is actively going out and attacking the Horde all through the Southern Barrens. It being counter attacked is a very logical and normal response from the Horde. It is not like the decided to attack for no reason or cause.
Having an Alliance force leave the planet and go to Outland specifically to attack an Orc settlement that has nothing to do with the attack on Theramore just to make a point is way beyond wrong. There is nothing at all honorable in that. It is just murder and a means to spread hate.
I would fight along side the Orcs in that case and abandon my faction.
Dreyja Nov 9th 2011 8:16PM
Wow... I am Alliance to the core but why do we have to become the Bad Guys to forward the story? I DON'T want the Alliance to become as bad as the horde under Garrosh.
Become a monster to fight a monster - not MY Alliance, thanks. If the horde wants to put it's supposed honor to the sword by attacking Theramore, good on 'em. And that IS what they are doing, killing whatever honor they had left.
I really hate it when people suggest that the Alliance has to do horrible things in order to not be weak.
Shinae Nov 9th 2011 11:06AM
I’ve seen conflicting information about the upcoming Looking For Raid feature. Some places say that LFR will ONLY have the Dragon Soul. Others say (and I’ve seen for myself on the PTR) that the other Cataclysm raids will be available as well.
Which will it be? Thanks!
Klausse Nov 9th 2011 11:14AM
Where have you seen on the PTR that older Cataclysm raids are available in the LFR tool? I've only ever been able to choose from the two parts of the DS raid.
My recollection is that 4.3 will launch with only DS as an option in LFR.
(cutaia) Nov 9th 2011 11:15AM
Dragon Soul only. Sorry for the lack of source, but they have definitely said it a few times.
VioletArrows Nov 9th 2011 11:17AM
They're starting with only Dragon Soul for 4.3. If it pans out and they fix most of the bugs (more like giant wrenches that break the gears every time they wipe), they'll add more raids. It's staggered like they're doing the Dungeon Journal.