Patch 4.3: The games of Darkmoon Island
by Mathew McCurley 
Nov 10th 2011 at 2:00PM
For one week at the top of each month, players will get to play games and carnival attractions, complete quests, and earn tickets to purchase prizes including old replica dungeon gear, new companion pets and mounts, and heirlooms. Each game at the Faire has a daily quest associated with it that rewards tickets. Let's explore the games of the Darkmoon Island.
- Carnie Jessica Rogers
- Objective Toss 10 rings near the Darkmoon Turtle.
- Daily quest Target: Turtle. Land four rings on the Dubenko, the Darkmoon Turtle. Rewards five Darkmoon Prize Tickets.
- Difficulty 2/5. That damn turtle likes to move a split second after you toss your ring sometimes, and tossing a ring has a short cast time, so plan accordingly. Other than that, Ring Toss is a simple game, and Dubenko is adorable.
- Carnie Finlay Coolshot
- Objective Drive your tonk through the war zone, blasting enemy tonks and minizeps while avoiding your own destruction.
- Daily quest Tonk Commander. Destroy 20 targets in the tonk battle arena. Rewards five Darkmoon Prize Tickets.
- Difficulty 2/5. You have to get really close to the targets in order to secure your kills for your tickets, but you can play multiple times and your score carries over for the daily quest. Boost to avoid enemy tonks and your jerky friends looking to slow down your daily quest.
- Carnie Rinling
- Objective Aim your rifle at one of three targets that is marked by a green arrow by pointing your character in its direction and firing.
- Daily quest He Shoots, He Scores! Hit 25 targets in Shooting Gallery. Rewards five Darkmoon Prize Tickets.
- Difficulty 4/5. If you don't know what you're doing, this could be a pain. But you do know what you're doing and how this game works, because you're reading this synopsis. If there are a lot of people around the Shooting Gallery booth, you might have some trouble aiming. Thankfully, you can just wait until things clear out a bit. Overall, it's fast-paced and fun.
- Carnie Maxima Blastenheimer and her Blastenheimer 5000 Ultra Cannon
- Objective Fire yourself from the cannon and land in the middle of the target in the water near the Darkmoon boardwalk.
- Daily quest The Humanoid Cannonball. Score five points in The Humanoid Cannonball by landing as close to the center of the bull's-eye as possible. Rewards five Darkmoon Prize Tokens.
- Difficulty 3/5. As long as you hit near the target, you'll get one point. You'll get three points for landing in the ring around the target and the full five points for a bull's-eye. I've gotten some pretty close calls on the bull's-eye and wasn't given the three points -- I call foul, carnies. Anyway, once you figure out when to drop your wings, the game is pretty simple and an easy way to get some prize tickets every day. That first few shots out of the cannon will throw you for a loop, which I would imagine getting fired out of a cannon can do to someone.
- Carnie Mola
- Objective Swing your hammer at the gnolls that pop up from the barrels in the game area, but avoid hitting children. Seriously, don't hit the kids!
- Daily quest It's Hammer Time. Score 30 points at Whack-a-Gnoll. Rewards five Darkmoon Prize Tickets.
- Difficulty 3/5. I hit more children in Whack-a-Gnoll than I wanted to, if only because I became overzealous and spiteful of the gnolls. You've got one button, so mash accordingly. Whack-a-Gnoll is the hardest game to predict and therefore does require some concentration, but it's way fun, fast-paced, and easy enough to just zonk out with and smash gnolls. I hate their stupid, smug faces.
Check out our video tour of the Darkmoon Faire Island for more antics and attractions that the Faire will offer in patch 4.3.
Brace yourselves for what could be some of most exciting updates to the game recently with patch 4.3. Review the official patch notes, and then dig into what's ahead: new item storage options, cross-realm raiding, cosmetic armor skinning and your chance to battle the mighty Deathwing -- from astride his back!
Filed under: Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
cvoutsis Nov 10th 2011 2:04PM
So, what happens if you leave an alt on the island after the Faire ends?
Can you guild-summon people there?
Ji Nov 10th 2011 2:17PM
I would imagine that the same thing happens as when you disconnect in a dungeon (random) or BG. When you log back in, you get an extra-long loading screen, and then the game boots you back to your hearthstone location. (although very seldomly teleports you to some random spot (most likely the barrens))
sckeener Nov 10th 2011 2:24PM
My hope is that the alt gets booted to the opposing faction's portal.
Oops...looks like someone got lost in the woods
shotiechan Nov 10th 2011 3:51PM
@cvoutsis I imagine nothing happens. I suspect the Faire just closes it's doors, so to speak, but there might be remnants of tents and the like there, just nothing to do.
Amak Nov 17th 2011 9:54PM
On the PTR my toon was logged out on the island. When I logged in after the Faire was over I was instantly ported back to the Goldshire portal location.
Krsnik Nov 10th 2011 2:09PM
On the Shooting Gallery game, how does the aiming mechanism work? Is it much like aiming a cannon on a vehicle?
Mathew McCurley Nov 10th 2011 2:17PM
You position your character to face the target and press the button. If you are pointed in the right direction and the arrow is over the target, you should hit. It's a reflex game, much like throwing torches at the pyres during the Midsummer Festival without the targeting circle.
Lipstick Dec 4th 2011 7:08AM
Actually you don't have to physically move your character each time. I thought I had to, and it drove me nuts, cause I kept accidentally stepping forward and winding up not at the ticket booth or whatever it says you need to be cast. The trick is, to click your right mouse button down on the target with the green thing over it's head, you will automatically focus that target and shoot at that one.
Krsnik Nov 10th 2011 2:10PM
Sorry, another question. on The Humanoid Cannonball game, how do you aim yourself to hit the target? Is pitch involved or is it timing?
bountyhunterah Nov 10th 2011 2:20PM
hoping to miss someone telling you this as I type....but watch the vids.....
Neodarkmatter Nov 10th 2011 2:50PM
You get fired the same direction and speed and such every time it is just a matter of hitting the drop button to land you into the bulls eye.
Imagine it as you were dismounting in mid-air where you still have forward momentum and want to hit the lake.
Mitch_b_666 Nov 10th 2011 8:34PM
I find just as you're about to fly over the water is the best time to release.
Although I can't stress enough, if you're a priest and used levitate to walk back to shore faster, DON'T FORGET TO CANCEL IT!
The number of times I've simply glided all the way out to sea....
Amak Nov 17th 2011 9:56PM
@Mitch. You levitated to get back to the shore but didn't mount to get all the way back to the cannon?
velutina Nov 10th 2011 2:14PM
You mentioned heirlooms. Any word on what they are or how much they'll cost? I'm guessing pants and a ring as those have been data mined but not actually in the game yet.
gymboy91 Nov 10th 2011 2:17PM
http://wow.joystiq.com/photos/darkmoon-faire-replica-heirloom-and-dk-gear/#4588232
I think this is what you are looking for?
bountyhunterah Nov 10th 2011 2:23PM
Ummm ring is in game, during the dalaran fishing turni (maybe booty bay one too, though I haven't done that one since BC).
Shinae Nov 10th 2011 2:39PM
They are the same heirlooms that are available now, just with a different currency. No pants yet!
boil.san Nov 11th 2011 7:29AM
@Shinae…
The newly datamined heirloom ring(s) that velutina is talking about are NOT in the game yet…
The heirloom ring you are thinking about is the Dread Pirate Ring, which is a prize from the Kala'uk Fishing Derby, in which you need to be the first to turn in a Blacktip Shark to Elder Clearwater in Dalaran after he starts the Fishing Derby at 2pm on a Saturday…
This is a level 1 - 80 ring; the ones that are datamined over on Wowhead are level 1 - 85 rings…
As are the pants…
boil.san Nov 11th 2011 7:31AM
Dang…! Sorry, Shinae…! I meant to correct bountyhunterah…!
I blame Ghostcrawler…! ;^p
Starlin Nov 10th 2011 2:15PM
Small tip for Whack a Gnoll. The Hogger Gnoll is worth 3 whacks.