Patch 5.3 interview with Ghostcrawler
Mystery of the Unborn Val'kyr
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The Queue: No sleep till Orgrimmar
by
Anne Stickney
on May 21st 2013 (20 hours ago)
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 (@Shadesogrey) is impatiently waiting to upgrade her gear.
Oh hey, hello there patch 5.3. Nice to see you on live servers! I don't know about you guys, but first item on my priority list is upgrading all my gear. Or maybe scenarios. Or maybe just running to the Barrens and smacking things around. So many choices!
Richard_BB1 asked:
Patch 5.3 is tomorrow? I know it was rumoured,. but do we have any proof?
There will be as soon as the servers are online! I promise.
anastrace asked:
Silly question, but do you have to make Lightning Steel Ingots at the forge on the isle of thunder once you learn how to do it? In other words, is it like dark iron bars? Because that would suck.
Oh hey, hello there patch 5.3. Nice to see you on live servers! I don't know about you guys, but first item on my priority list is upgrading all my gear. Or maybe scenarios. Or maybe just running to the Barrens and smacking things around. So many choices!
Richard_BB1 asked:
Patch 5.3 is tomorrow? I know it was rumoured,. but do we have any proof?
There will be as soon as the servers are online! I promise.
anastrace asked:
Silly question, but do you have to make Lightning Steel Ingots at the forge on the isle of thunder once you learn how to do it? In other words, is it like dark iron bars? Because that would suck.
Filed under: The Queue
Patch 5.3 and more with Ghostcrawler
by
Anne Stickney
on May 20th 2013 (1 day ago)
But on top of all of the new content comes a ton of different class and content changes as well. We sat down to chat with Greg "Ghostcrawler" Street about patch 5.3's changes, as well as some upcoming changes for patch 5.4, response to subscription losses, Vengeance changes, that big unannounced feature we've all been dying to hear more about, and much more.
Filed under: Interviews, Mists of Pandaria
Know Your Lore, Tinfoil Hat Edition: Celestials, Ancients and Aspects
by
Anne Stickney
on May 19th 2013 (2 days ago)
Last week, we took a tinfoil-hat look at the Curse of Flesh and why, exactly, that strange curse came to be. We also took a look at theories behind why the Titans didn't simply wipe the Old Gods out of existence -- and in what order Azeroth's creation took place. If you haven't read last week's offering, I'd suggest doing so now, because the theories I'm going to present today tie into that material. While the Old Gods have been pointed out time and again as being on Azeroth since the dawn of time, there are other creatures with just as lengthy a history.
The Ancients are, as their name suggests, ancient -- and the Celestials of Pandaria seem to be just as ancient and wise. These creatures are all there to supposedly help the mortals of Azeroth and protect the world from harm. In the War of the Ancients, many of these odd demigods helped the kaldorei fight off the Burning Legion, and with a great deal of success. In Pandaria, the Celestials have their own curious methods of helping out the world -- after all, it was the Jade Serpent who told Emperor Shaohao of the sha, albeit indirectly.
So who are the Celestials? Who are the Ancients? And how do they tie into that weird mystery that is Azeroth?
Today's Know Your Lore is a Tinfoil Hat edition, meaning the following is a look into what has gone before with pure speculation on what is to come as a result. These speculations are merely theories and shouldn't be taken as fact or official lore.
Filed under: Lore, Know your Lore
Patch 5.3 PTR: Battle on the High Seas overview
by
Anne Stickney
on May 19th 2013 (2 days ago)
One of my favorite scenarios to this day is Unga Ingoo. It's not because it has any major lore significance, some major story reveal that was shocking or inspired. It's not because it had any kind of meaningful impact on what we're doing right now, or on the leveling experience itself. No, the reason I love Unga Ingoo is because ships, ropes, and beating up pirates are all ridiculously fun things. Even more so when the pirates are monkey pirates.
In patch 5.3, we're getting four new scenarios -- three of which are interesting from a lore perspective, and one of which, Battle on the High Seas, is just a rollicking good time. There aren't any lore reveals. There's nothing in the scenario to further the story of patch 5.3, or lead into patch 5.4. The only thing Battle on the High Seas offers is the opportunity to smack the heck out of the opposite fashion in true swashbuckling style ... and honestly, that's more than enough reason to do it as far as I'm concerned!
Please note that this is being written from the Horde perspective of the scenario. I'm assuming that the Alliance side is much the same, just with a role-reversal involved.
Please note: This post contains spoilers for patch 5.3 content.
In patch 5.3, we're getting four new scenarios -- three of which are interesting from a lore perspective, and one of which, Battle on the High Seas, is just a rollicking good time. There aren't any lore reveals. There's nothing in the scenario to further the story of patch 5.3, or lead into patch 5.4. The only thing Battle on the High Seas offers is the opportunity to smack the heck out of the opposite fashion in true swashbuckling style ... and honestly, that's more than enough reason to do it as far as I'm concerned!
Please note that this is being written from the Horde perspective of the scenario. I'm assuming that the Alliance side is much the same, just with a role-reversal involved.
Please note: This post contains spoilers for patch 5.3 content.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Mists of Pandaria
The Queue: Yeah
by
Anne Stickney
on May 19th 2013 (2 days ago)
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 (@Shadesogrey) is actually feeling not quite so death-warmed-over today.
If there is ever a day where the last second of the above video is no longer funny to me, I don't think I want to live to see that day.
Yeah.
@thingwhatwows asked via Twitter:
how close to 90 is close enough for my alt(s) to ding when 5.3 hits?
It's being reduced by 33%. So ... 33% from level 90? I'm not sure. Look, math is not my strong suit and I've been under the weather all week, here...
Dobablo asked:
Do the the High Elves have any sort of rep at Alliance meetings? Alleria is missing. Veressa acts mostly as Jaina's majordomo, I thought maybe Archmage Evenshade but he is a Highborne not a High Elf. I guess that leaves either Talthressar or Cpt Auric Sunchaser although the former is likely to be busy looking for his parents while the later has left Outlands and was involved with the Quel'Delar chain at the Sunwell.
If there is ever a day where the last second of the above video is no longer funny to me, I don't think I want to live to see that day.
Yeah.
@thingwhatwows asked via Twitter:
how close to 90 is close enough for my alt(s) to ding when 5.3 hits?
It's being reduced by 33%. So ... 33% from level 90? I'm not sure. Look, math is not my strong suit and I've been under the weather all week, here...
Dobablo asked:
Do the the High Elves have any sort of rep at Alliance meetings? Alleria is missing. Veressa acts mostly as Jaina's majordomo, I thought maybe Archmage Evenshade but he is a Highborne not a High Elf. I guess that leaves either Talthressar or Cpt Auric Sunchaser although the former is likely to be busy looking for his parents while the later has left Outlands and was involved with the Quel'Delar chain at the Sunwell.
Filed under: The Queue
The Queue: This is Bashiok's fault
by
Anne Stickney
on May 18th 2013 (3 days ago)
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 (@Shadesogrey) is recovering from the plague. No, not the Plague of Undeath, although that might be kind of cool in retrospect.
The above video is what I get when I ask CM's for video suggestions on Twitter. Thank you Bashiok. I ... think.
yoojine asked:
I hate, hate, hate leveling and questing. As a result, I've got a bunch of alts sitting at 85 and only my main at 90. What is the absolute fastest way to level my poor, neglected alts in Pandaland? Are there any xp buffs I should be aware of? Do heirlooms work at this level?
Well the XP required to level from 85-90 will be dropped a bit on Tuesday, so there's that to look forward to. Heirlooms, unfortunately, don't work. The Darkmoon Faire offers an XP buff if you go ride the carousel, but that's once a month. I'd suggest just taking your time, making sure you've got rested XP when you're leveling, and when you run out of rested, park that alt in an inn for a bit, and switch to another. Questing is one of the easiest ways to level, but if that's not your thing, you can always just queue up for mass dungeon runs, or even do some pet battling, if that sounds like fun. Good luck!
drorraz asked:
Q4tQ: What happens to Sahn Tidehunter in 5.3? (his lake is gone because of the horde digging)
The above video is what I get when I ask CM's for video suggestions on Twitter. Thank you Bashiok. I ... think.
yoojine asked:
I hate, hate, hate leveling and questing. As a result, I've got a bunch of alts sitting at 85 and only my main at 90. What is the absolute fastest way to level my poor, neglected alts in Pandaland? Are there any xp buffs I should be aware of? Do heirlooms work at this level?
Well the XP required to level from 85-90 will be dropped a bit on Tuesday, so there's that to look forward to. Heirlooms, unfortunately, don't work. The Darkmoon Faire offers an XP buff if you go ride the carousel, but that's once a month. I'd suggest just taking your time, making sure you've got rested XP when you're leveling, and when you run out of rested, park that alt in an inn for a bit, and switch to another. Questing is one of the easiest ways to level, but if that's not your thing, you can always just queue up for mass dungeon runs, or even do some pet battling, if that sounds like fun. Good luck!
drorraz asked:
Q4tQ: What happens to Sahn Tidehunter in 5.3? (his lake is gone because of the horde digging)
Filed under: The Queue
Patch 5.3 PTR: The Secrets of Ragefire overview
by
Anne Stickney
on May 18th 2013 (3 days ago)
I remember Ragefire Chasm in vanilla, but only vaguely. It was usually completed once, at a very low level, and then never looked at again -- it never had any really compelling loot, and the story was only so-so. It has since received an update to both loot and story, and in a profound kind of way. In fact, if you haven't done the updated Ragefire Chasm, I suggest this would be an excellent time to do so. What happens down there is just the tip of the iceberg, it seems.
In patch 5.3, we're going to get a look at a section of Ragefire Chasm we haven't seen before, in one of four new scenarios introduced with the patch. It turns out not everything is as it seems in Orgrimmar ... and Garrosh's plans have never looked quite this grim. You'll be accompanying the Gob Squad on a mission to figure out just what kind of secrets Ragefire holds, and what the Horde can expect from their Warchief.
Please note: This post contains spoilers for patch 5.3 content.
In patch 5.3, we're going to get a look at a section of Ragefire Chasm we haven't seen before, in one of four new scenarios introduced with the patch. It turns out not everything is as it seems in Orgrimmar ... and Garrosh's plans have never looked quite this grim. You'll be accompanying the Gob Squad on a mission to figure out just what kind of secrets Ragefire holds, and what the Horde can expect from their Warchief.
Please note: This post contains spoilers for patch 5.3 content.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Mists of Pandaria
The Queue: Who do you call
by
Anne Stickney
on May 17th 2013 (4 days ago)
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 (@Shadesogrey) is recovering from the plague. No, not the Plague of Undeath, although that might be kind of cool in retrospect.
I used to watch this cartoon religiously when I was a kid. Earlier this week, I took a good look at it for what it was: A group of miniature wild animals living in a city park with t-shirts that somehow changed color and gave them the power to fight crime. ... man I don't even know. But the kangaroo in the video up there? You might recognize her voice -- that's Nancy Cartwright, who also does the voice for Bart Simpson.
@_Vsmit asked via Twitter:
In Naxx, why does Thaddeus yell that we're too late, and he must obey? Did I miss something somewhere?
Ooo, this is a good question. Thaddius was supposedly built from the flesh of women and children -- their souls are fused together inside of him. If you listen to the ambient noise when you're in Naxxramas, you can randomly hear the screams of these people crying for help. Once you've killed Thaddius, the screams stop.
Basically, the screaming is the souls of the damned bound inside of Thaddius, hoping you'll come to rescue them. That intro quote is telling you that you're too late to save them all -- that's also why he thanks you when he dies.
Gross, huh?
I used to watch this cartoon religiously when I was a kid. Earlier this week, I took a good look at it for what it was: A group of miniature wild animals living in a city park with t-shirts that somehow changed color and gave them the power to fight crime. ... man I don't even know. But the kangaroo in the video up there? You might recognize her voice -- that's Nancy Cartwright, who also does the voice for Bart Simpson.
@_Vsmit asked via Twitter:
In Naxx, why does Thaddeus yell that we're too late, and he must obey? Did I miss something somewhere?
Ooo, this is a good question. Thaddius was supposedly built from the flesh of women and children -- their souls are fused together inside of him. If you listen to the ambient noise when you're in Naxxramas, you can randomly hear the screams of these people crying for help. Once you've killed Thaddius, the screams stop.
Basically, the screaming is the souls of the damned bound inside of Thaddius, hoping you'll come to rescue them. That intro quote is telling you that you're too late to save them all -- that's also why he thanks you when he dies.
Gross, huh?
Filed under: The Queue
No Patch 5.3 this week
by
Anne Stickney
on May 13th 2013 (8 days ago)
We've been quietly downloading patch 5.3 on the background service for a little while now. Needless to say, the major question on everyone's minds today has been whether or not we'll see the new patch hit tomorrow. Wonder no longer: It's been confirmed both by blue posters and on the official Warcraft Twitter account.
@steve_cam Hah! No I guess that was misleading. No, 5.3 will not be released this week.
- World of Warcraft (@Warcraft) May 13, 2013
It looks like those of you waiting patiently for valor point upgrades, new scenarios and more will have to wait at least another week. On the one hand, I'd really like to see all the 5.3 content on live servers -- on the other, I'm glad I don't have to worry about a new set of quests and story content to obsessively run through just yet. Whether or not we'll see it next week is up in the air, but given the active state of the background downloader, we can expect patch 5.3 ... soon™.
Filed under: News items, Mists of Pandaria
Know Your Lore, Tinfoil Hat Edition: The Curse of Flesh
by
Anne Stickney
on May 12th 2013 (9 days ago)
Abedneum: Accessing. In the early stages of its development cycle Azeroth suffered infection by parasitic, necrophotic symbiotes. Designation: Old Gods. Old Gods rendered all systems, including Earthen defenseless in order to facilitate assimilation. This matrix destabilization has been termed the Curse of Flesh. Effects of destabilization increased over time.The early days of Azeroth's creation are a puzzle that has yet to be completely solved. The issue of Azeroth's creation lies in the order of events as they've been presented; we have two very different orders of events depending on where you're looking for reference. In one, the Titans arrived on Azeroth to find the Old Gods, put the world in order, then left for parts unknown. In another, it's implied that the Titans arrived, put the world to order, and left. At some point after this, the Old Gods arrived and wreaked havoc, prompting the return of the Titans and the imprisonment of the Old Gods.
Brann Bronzebeard yells: Old Gods eh? So they zapped the Earthen with this Curse of Flesh. And then what?
Kaddrak: Accessing. Creators arrived to extirpate symbiotic infection. Assessment revealed that Old God infestation had grown malignant. Excising parasites would result in loss of host--
So ... which one is correct? Well, there's an interesting part in the middle of all of this that can be used to try and unravel that particular puzzle. It's called the Curse of Flesh, and its shaped far more of Azeroth as we know it today than you'd think.
Today's Know Your Lore is a Tinfoil Hat edition, meaning the following is a look into what has gone before with pure speculation on what is to come as a result. These speculations are merely theories and shouldn't be taken as fact or official lore.
Filed under: Lore, Know your Lore
