WoW Insider http://wow.joystiq.com WoW Insider http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/wow.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif WoW Insider http://wow.joystiq.com prods@weblogsinc.com (Weblogs, Inc. Producers) (Weblogs, Inc. Web Support) en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. View our terms of service here: http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/ Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ <![CDATA[Deepwind Gorge: Simple strategy guide]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/23/deepwind-gorge-simple-strategy-guide/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/23/deepwind-gorge-simple-strategy-guide/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/23/deepwind-gorge-simple-strategy-guide/#comments Deepwind Gorge Simple strategy guide
Deepwing Gorge is the newest battleground in the game, added in patch 5.3. At this precise point in time, it is not in the Rated Battleground rotation, thanks to some bugs, but it will return fairly soon. Nonetheless, this guide is intended for random groups, not for rated teams, who, with additional organization, will be able to execute more complex and precise strategies.

What are we supposed to be doing?

Good question. There are three mines, the Goblin mine, the Center mine, and the Pandaren mine. I wrote about this in more detail back when this was still on the PTR, but suffice it to say, for now, that the Horde has a slight advantage in getting to the Goblin mine, while the Alliance has a slight advantage in getting to the Pandaren mine. As a result of that, a strategy that seems to work well enough for random groups is to split your team, sending around half to the Center mine, and half to either the Goblin or Pandaren mine, depending on which faction you're playing. You will also need to take a few players, depending on your healer numbers, to get the opposite faction's cart. I've been having success with a warrior and a couple of healers as a cart team, but you will need heals at the Center mine, where most of the fighting will take place.

Continue reading Deepwind Gorge: Simple strategy guide

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Deepwind Gorge: Simple strategy guide originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 23 May 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> arenaarena-guidearena-stratsarena-tipsarenasdeepwind-gorgefeaturedguidehow-to-play-battlegroundshow-to-pvppatch-5.3patch-5.3-pvppvp-guidewow-arenawow-arena-guidewow-guide (Olivia Grace) Thu, 23 May 2013 20:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Patch 5.3: Hotfixes for May 22]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/22/patch-5-3-hotfixes-for-may-22/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/22/patch-5-3-hotfixes-for-may-22/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/22/patch-5-3-hotfixes-for-may-22/#comments Patch 53 Hotfixes for May 22
Another day, another set of hotfixes. Patch 5.3 has not been without its hiccups, with a reasonable list of known issues appearing from Blizzard earlier today. But the developers are fixing the issues as quickly as they appear, with changes already in place to work out the problems encountered in the seat of knowledge, where the lack of a graveyard meant that players were unable to retrieve their corpses. A hotfix has been made which allows players who have died in the Seat of Knowledge to fly back to their bodies with a Spectral Gryphon (Wisp for Night Elves) or a Spectral Wyvern.

Is this the first step towards Blizzard allowing corpse flying in Pandaria? Check out all the hotfixes after the break.

Continue reading Patch 5.3: Hotfixes for May 22

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Patch 5.3: Hotfixes for May 22 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 22 May 2013 22:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> breakingfeaturedhotfixespatch-5.3patch-5.3-hotfixeswow-hotfixwow-hotfixes (Olivia Grace) Wed, 22 May 2013 22:25:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Random Battleground healer balance system temporarily disabled]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/22/random-battleground-healer-balance-system-temporarily-disabled/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/22/random-battleground-healer-balance-system-temporarily-disabled/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/22/random-battleground-healer-balance-system-temporarily-disabled/#comments Battleground healer balance system temporarily disabled
Senior PvP Designer Brian Holinka tweeted just a short while ago about the temporary removal of one of patch 5.3's shiny new systems: the one that balances healer numbers in opposing random battleground teams.
Holinka later confirmed that this issue was the one that was causing some players to experience very long queue times for random battlegrounds, an issue that had cropped up in several places on the official forums. His tweet said that players, both healers and DPS, were becoming "stuck" in the queue.

As a result, the system has now been temporarily disabled. This means that teams with unequal healer numbers will reappear, so don't be surprised that the system is not working. Bugs do happen, and as I'm always going on about, PvP is a rare thing on the PTR. So it's no surprise that, when big new features like this go live, they might not withstand the strain. If you want to stop these problems, don't QQ, get on the next PTR and make with the stabby. You'll be doing yourself a favor! And while you're waiting, WoW Insider has a guide on helping the healers you do have in random battlegrounds.

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Random Battleground healer balance system temporarily disabled originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 22 May 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> battleground-balancebattleground-healerbreakingpatch-5.3patch-5.3-pvppatch-5.3-pvp-changes (Olivia Grace) Wed, 22 May 2013 20:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Patch 5.3: Known issues]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/22/patch-5-3-known-issues/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/22/patch-5-3-known-issues/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/22/patch-5-3-known-issues/#comments Patch 53 Known issues
It's often the case that more patches means more problems, and while the majority of Patch 5.3: Escalation is running like clockwork, there are a few hiccups popping up along the way. WoW Insider reported on one late last night: the issues with the Tyrannical Conquest achievement. This achievement, awarded when a player has earned 25,000 conquest points in a season, also allows players to purchase conquest gear for honor. It was being awarded far too early, and allowing players who weren't entitled to do so to buy that Tyrannical gear for honor. A hotfix was swiftly implemented, blocking purchases from the vendor selling Tyrannical gear for honor, and a fix to the achievement is in the works.

The devs are also working hard on a fix that allows players to resurrect inside Lorewalker Cho's Seat of Knowledge room above Mogushan -- this contested territory is the base for the first run of new scenarios, so was seeing heavy traffic from both factions, and is out of reach from the normal resurrection run.

And what's more, Deepwind Gorge, the new battleground in patch 5.3, has been temporarily pulled from the rated battleground rotation, thanks to problems with base captures. Lastly, there are also reported problems with sound-generating addons such as Deadly Boss Mods, but WoW Insider has only been able to replicate this in certain situations. For the rest of the issues, hit the break!

Continue reading Patch 5.3: Known issues

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Patch 5.3: Known issues originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> breakingDBMdeadly-boss-modslore-walker-choLorewalker-Cholorewalker-cho-roompatch-5.3patch-5.3-pvppatch-5.3-pvp-changespatch-5.3-pvp-vendorsscenario-roomseat-of-knowledge (Olivia Grace) Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: What peripherals do you use to play WoW?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/22/breakfast-topic-what-peripherals-do-you-use-to-play-wow/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/22/breakfast-topic-what-peripherals-do-you-use-to-play-wow/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/22/breakfast-topic-what-peripherals-do-you-use-to-play-wow/#comments Breakfast Topic What hardware do you use to play WoW
I started a bit of a discussion on Twitter yesterday, rather by accident, by talking about trackpads and their use to steer your character in WoW. I was writing outside, on my laptop, and wanted to log into the game to check something. It took me an age to steer my character over to the flight path in the Shrine, hop on a kite and head over to the PvP vendor to verify what I needed to check, and I momentarily glanced back to my first ever day playing WoW, when I used a trackpad. Man, that was hard. I quickly graduated to a normal mouse, and then onto a Razer Naga, and have never looked back.

As far as keyboards go, I'm still searching for the perfect one. I play on a laptop, and love the shallow travel, small reach and flat keys of my laptop's keyboard. I have a couple of external ones, so that I can play on a larger monitor, but haven't yet found one that replaces the laptop keyboard for sheer comfort and speed. The closest I've got is a Logitech super-flat keyboard. I'd use a Mac keyboard if all the keys weren't in the wrong places.

But how about you? Do you use a trackpad? External mouse? External keyboard? If so, which ones? And are you the mysterious, as yet unseen player who has played WoW on one of those mice that is a little rubber joystick in the center of the keyboard?

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Breakfast Topic: What peripherals do you use to play WoW? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 22 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> breakfast-topicperipherals (Olivia Grace) Wed, 22 May 2013 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Conquest Vendors temporarily disabled]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/conquest-vendors-temporarily-disabled/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/conquest-vendors-temporarily-disabled/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/conquest-vendors-temporarily-disabled/#comments Conquest Vendors Temporarily Disabled
Blizzard Community Manager Daxxarri has taken to the US and EU forums to explain a temporary issue that has led Blizzard to temporarily disable the Conquest quartermasters for both factions.
Daxxarri
The achievement, Tyrannical Conquest, is only intended to be awarded when players earn 25,000 Conquest Points. Due to an issue that was not detected during the PTR testing process, the achievement could be awarded much earlier than intended. We are currently in the process of working to resolve the issue.

In the meantime, we've applied a hotfix that temporarily prevents players from purchasing gear from Tyrannical PvP item vendors.

This achievement required a hotfix back in patch 5.2, too, as it was incorrectly calculating the points required. It seems that, with patch 5.3, things have gone from bad to worse. The reason this is an issue is that the achievement's completion, at 25,000 conquest, now allows players to purchase conquest gear with honor. Allowing players to purchase that gear with honor at a far lower points earned level than intended was clearly a bit of an issue! Hopefully the developers will be able to implement a fix very soon, so that PvPers can continue to purchase their gear.

Update: Senior PvP Designer Brian Holinka tweeted WoW Insider this morning to clarify that the only disabled vendor is the one selling Tyrannical gear for honor. The Tyrannical conquest vendor is, in fact, still available.

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Conquest Vendors temporarily disabled originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 21 May 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> breakingpatch-5.3patch-5.3-pvppatch-5.3-pvp-gear-changespatch-5.3-pvp-vendor (Olivia Grace) Tue, 21 May 2013 20:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Patch 5.3 PvP changes]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/patch-5-3-pvp-round-up/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/patch-5-3-pvp-round-up/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/patch-5-3-pvp-round-up/#comments Patch 53 PvP change roundup
From a PvP perspective, patch 5.3 is one of the biggest patches in a really long time. A really, really long time! WoW Insider has been covering the changes from a PvP angle to a pretty reasonable extent, from the first moment the resilience changes were announced, through the new arena and the new battleground, right up to the more recent alterations to tank damage and the like. All our coverage is collected in one easy place, so do check it out if you're searching for more information.

So we've struck upon a few changes already, but let's dig into the patch notes and provide some additional clarity. I've pulled out the PvP-specific items from the patch notes, but if you want to see them in full, that's absolutely fine too.

Continue reading Patch 5.3 PvP changes

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Patch 5.3 PvP changes originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 21 May 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> arenaarena-guidearena-stratsarena-tipsarenasfeaturedguidehow-to-play-battlegroundshow-to-pvppatch-5.3patch-5.3-pvppvp-guidewow-arenawow-arena-guidewow-guide (Olivia Grace) Tue, 21 May 2013 19:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Patch 5.3 Official Patch Notes]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/patch-5-3-official-patch-notes/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/patch-5-3-official-patch-notes/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/patch-5-3-official-patch-notes/#comments Patch 53 Official Patch Notes
Patch 5.3: Escalation is finally upon us! Players in the US and Oceanic regions will already have access to this new patch, while Europe is kept waiting for another night for things to get real between the world of Azeroth and Garrosh Hellscream's cronies.

WoW Insider has been putting out a lot of coverage on all the various aspects of patch 5.3, but we've now got the official patch notes from Blizzard for your perusal. Hit the break for the full notes!

Continue reading Patch 5.3 Official Patch Notes

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Patch 5.3 Official Patch Notes originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 21 May 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> patch-5.3patch-5.3-patch-notes (Olivia Grace) Tue, 21 May 2013 17:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Live video interview with Ghostcrawler and Brian Holinka]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/20/live-video-interview-with-ghostcrawler-and-brian-holinka/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/20/live-video-interview-with-ghostcrawler-and-brian-holinka/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/20/live-video-interview-with-ghostcrawler-and-brian-holinka/#comments
Today starting at 3pm Eastern time, Blizzard Lead Systems Designer Greg "Ghostcrawler" Street, and Senior PvP Designer Brian Holinka will be interviewed live on video over at Gamebreaker.tv. You can watch the stream above, where they will discuss upcoming PvP and PvE changes in patch 5.3, with Gamebreaker's Gary Gannon, and WoW Insider's Olivia Grace.

If you miss the live interview above, it will be replaced by the stream recording once it is uploaded, and you can also watch it on Gamebreaker's site. WoW Insider's Anne Stickney also interviewed Ghostcrawler, talking about patch 5.3, from a more PvE-focused angle.

And If that isn't enough patch 5.3 information you can check out all WoW insider's patch 5.3 coverage, as well as our write-up of Convert To Raid's earlier interview with Lead Encounter Designer Ion Hazzikostas. The fansite interviews are coming in thick and fast, with patch 5.3 launching tomorrow in the US and Wednesday in the EU.

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Live video interview with Ghostcrawler and Brian Holinka originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 20 May 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> brian-holinkaghostcrawlerpatch-5.3patch-5.3-pvp (Olivia Grace) Mon, 20 May 2013 15:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Patch 5.3: Latest PTR build is a release candidate]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/patch-5-3-latest-ptr-build-is-a-release-candidate/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/patch-5-3-latest-ptr-build-is-a-release-candidate/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/patch-5-3-latest-ptr-build-is-a-release-candidate/#comments Patch 51 Latest build is a release candidate
Yesterday, we asked you what your best guess was for the arrival date of patch 5.3, and at the time the article was written, the PTR build was still a test. Since then, it has been updated, as many commenters mentioned, and is now a release candidate.
Patch 53 Latest PTR build is a test candidate
What does this mean for a potential release date? Looking back at patch 5.1, WoW Insider reported that a release candidate was live on November 13th, and the patch released on November 27th, a fortnight after the first release candidate went up. Patch 5.2 went to a PTR release candidate on the PTR on February 26th, and the patch dropped on March 5th, just one week later. We can't really discuss earlier patches, thanks to Blizzard's new, improved patch cycle, but these two indicate that the patch may well drop within the next fortnight, so May 21st or 28th, perhaps the first week in June at the latest.

Of course, this is just estimation, we're doing research and gathering clues, but it's not a firm confirmation. While you're waiting, you can check out all our patch 5.3 coverage.

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Patch 5.3: Latest PTR build is a release candidate originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 17 May 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> breakingpatch-5.3patch-5.3-ptrpatch-5.3-release-date (Olivia Grace) Fri, 17 May 2013 14:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Convert to Raid interviews Ion Hazzikostas]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/convert-to-raid-interviews-ion-hazzikostas/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/convert-to-raid-interviews-ion-hazzikostas/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/convert-to-raid-interviews-ion-hazzikostas/#comments
Convert to Raid, the podcast for raiders in the World of Warcraft, recently interviewed Blizzard's Lead Encounter Designer Ion Hazzikostas. You can listen to the full interview over on their site, and in the video above, but we've plucked some of the best bits out for your convenience.

Pat started off by asking Ion how he felt the raid tier, Throne of Thunder, had worked out, what he was happy with, what could possibly be improved for future tiers and so on. Ion responded that they were very happy with the tier, the structure and feel of the dungeon, and particularly the progression of the World First race. He spoke about the Lei Shen encounter really delivering on what a heroic end-boss should be, in terms of difficulty and fight construction. However, when Pat asked about learning points, Ion had plenty to say.

Continue reading Convert to Raid interviews Ion Hazzikostas

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Convert to Raid interviews Ion Hazzikostas originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 16 May 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> ion-hazzikostaspatch-5.3patch-5.4throne-of-thunder (Olivia Grace) Thu, 16 May 2013 18:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Patch 5.3 is pending, but when will it drop?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/patch-5-3-is-pending-but-when-will-it-drop/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/patch-5-3-is-pending-but-when-will-it-drop/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/patch-5-3-is-pending-but-when-will-it-drop/#comments Patch 53 is pending, but when will it drop
Now, don't pretend you're not already guessing. There have been several official Blizzard blogs, on the new scenarios we're expecting, as well as a general guide to how you can best prepare for patch 5.3, and what's more the devs have begun their latest round of interviews. The official World of Warcraft twitter account even went as far as tweeting to confirm that the patch wasn't landing on Tuesday May 14. So, all this being said, what's your prediction for the launch date? Where's the smart money?

Patch 53 is pending, but when will it dropWhat do we have in the way of additional clues? Well, there's the PTR build information, which previously has flipped from "Test" to "Release" when a patch has crept closer It still says test, as you can see to the side. Also, the patch 5.3 PvP information has previously talked about a conquest catch-up of 15,000, and it'd be 11,000 right now. But of course, these are just clues. So what's your bet? And why?

View Poll

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Patch 5.3 is pending, but when will it drop? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 16 May 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> patch-5.3patch-5.3-launchpatch-5.3-PTRpatch-5.3-release-datespeculation (Olivia Grace) Thu, 16 May 2013 16:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Free WoW graphic novel previews for a limited time]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/free-wow-graphic-novels/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/free-wow-graphic-novels/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/16/free-wow-graphic-novels/#comments Free WoW graphic novels
WoW's twitter announced last night that, for a limited time only, previews of three of the latest World of Warcraft graphic novels are available for free on both Kindle and iTunes. The three comics avaialble for preview in this book are Pearl of Pandaria, Dark Riders and Bloodsworn. Pearl of Pandaria was released last year, but Dark Riders has only been out for just over a week, and Bloodsworn is currently only available for pre-order in anticipation of its upcoming release on August 13, 2013. So this free preview is a great chance to whet your appetite for the full works. What's more, did we mention it's free?

To get your hands on these previews, it seems like you'll currently need to be a US resident, but you can get hold of them via iTunes or Amazon, simply by following the links. If the previews are sufficiently exciting for you to consider dropping some actual cash into the writers' coffers, then you can obtain all three titles from both Amazon and Barnes and Noble via the links provided on the Blizzard blog post. Naturally, as mentioned, Bloodsworn is currently only available for pre-order.

What do you think of these graphic novels? Is this your preferred format for absorbing World of Warcraft lore? You can also check out WoW Insider's reviews of Pearl of Pandaria and Dark Riders.

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Free WoW graphic novel previews for a limited time originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 16 May 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> bloodsworncomicdark-ridersgraphic-novel-previewpearl-of-pandariawow-comicwow-graphic-novel (Olivia Grace) Thu, 16 May 2013 15:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Your PvP Questions: Spell announcers, MMR and patch 5.3]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/your-pvp-questions-spell-announcers-mmr-and-patch-5-3/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/your-pvp-questions-spell-announcers-mmr-and-patch-5-3/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/your-pvp-questions-spell-announcers-mmr-and-patch-5-3/#comments Your PvP Questions
It's been a little while since I last did a PvP mailbag, and the emails have been piling up! So, if you have PvP questions, do drop me a line, I will do my best to respond to them, possibly in columns such as this one, or if I can fire off a quick email I will. Do note that I'm far from a PvP specialist in all the classes in WoW, and PvP questions which are class-specific would probably be better directed to the relevant class columnist.

Janrana wrote:

Hi Olivia, since reading about it a while back in one of your columns I've been a big fan of SpellAlerter, but it doesn't seem to have had any updates in a long while and is a bit broken for me. It doesn't seem to have all the spells any more and it also causes some errors to appear when it's on. Do you know of any alternative?

As it happens, I do! First and foremost SpellAlerter is alive and well... ish. It was updated for patch 5.1, but hasn't had any further updates since then. It still works at least fairly well, but I wouldn't rely on it completely. At least, it still allows you to set up custom alerts, so if there are spells it's missing you can add them in.

Continue reading Your PvP Questions: Spell announcers, MMR and patch 5.3

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Your PvP Questions: Spell announcers, MMR and patch 5.3 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 15 May 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> arenaarena-guidearena-stratsarena-tipsarenasfeaturedguidehow-to-play-battlegroundshow-to-pvpmatch-makingmatch-making-ratingMMRpersonal-ratingpvp-guideratingteam-ratingwow-arenawow-arena-guidewow-guide (Olivia Grace) Wed, 15 May 2013 20:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Celebrate Diablo's anniversary with demons rather than cake]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/celebrate-diablos-anniversary-with-demons-rather-than-cake/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/celebrate-diablos-anniversary-with-demons-rather-than-cake/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/celebrate-diablos-anniversary-with-demons-rather-than-cake/#comments Celebrate Diablo's anniversary with demons rather than cake
It's flown by, but believe it or not, Diablo III is a year old today! Blizzard Community Manager Lylirra has put together a special message on the Diablo forums about the special buff you can get in return for simply logging in to defend Sanctuary.
Lylirra
One year ago today, the gates of the Burning Hells opened and Diablo III was unleashed onto the world. Since then, millions of heroes have been created, billions of hours have been spent in games, and trillions of demons have been slaughtered without mercy. We've grown and improved a lot since release, both as a game team and as a community, and thanks to your feedback, passion, and unquenchable bloodlust, we expect the next year to be even more epic.

To celebrate this milestone and the community that made it possible, we're giving away free buffs! (Who doesn't like free buffs?) Players who log in to defend Sanctuary between May 15 and May 21 will receive a 25% boost to their Magic Find and +EXP stats. The buff is only available while logged in to the game, but it will apply to all characters as well as stack with other similar bonuses -- the +EXP bonus will stack multiplicatively and the Magic Find bonus will stack above the 300% cap!

This is somewhat similar to the buffs players can receive when it's WoW's birthday, so Diablo III fans can probably expect it to return every year. Happy birthday, Diablo!

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Celebrate Diablo's anniversary with demons rather than cake originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 15 May 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> diablodiablo-3diablo-iii (Olivia Grace) Wed, 15 May 2013 17:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Why raiders and multiboxers are overestimated]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/why-raiders-and-multiboxers-are-overestimated/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/why-raiders-and-multiboxers-are-overestimated/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/why-raiders-and-multiboxers-are-overestimated/#comments Do you want to raid Do you multibox
Recently, Blizzard Lead Systems Designer Greg "Ghostcrawler" Street tweeted the following:
This was something of a surprising tweet. Now, of course, there are several subjective notions in there, but it merits some discussion nonetheless. Firstly, what is considered the forum posting or tweeting community? It seems that this would simply be those who regularly contribute to either of those venues, putting it simply, and indeed those with whom he is in regular contact. Do you consider yourself part of either community? And why does that community overestimate the number of people raiding or multiboxing, if they do at all?

Confirmation Bias

Confirmation bias is a cognitive science term, that describes a human tendency to search for, remember or interpret information in such a way that it confirms one's own preconceptions. A fine example of this is the "everybody thinks X" idea, which crops up a lot. If you believe that, for example, frost mages don't have enough burst, you might seek out other opinions that support your own, and partly ignore the clamoring crowd who assert that frost mage burst is out of control. Confirmation bias is particularly prevalent on the internet, where it's almost always possible to find another opinion that supports your own.

Continue reading Why raiders and multiboxers are overestimated

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Why raiders and multiboxers are overestimated originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 15 May 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> ghostcrawlermulti-boxmulti-boxersraidraider (Olivia Grace) Wed, 15 May 2013 16:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Reader UI of the Week: We've come a long way, baby]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/reader-ui-of-the-week-weve-come-a-long-way-baby/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/reader-ui-of-the-week-weve-come-a-long-way-baby/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/reader-ui-of-the-week-weve-come-a-long-way-baby/#comments
A little while back, I put out the call for UIs with a bit of history, a bit of evolution to them. I love seeing how my UI has evolved over the years, starting off with the basic Blizzard UI, until I realised that I could tinker with the overall scale, and then began adding unit frame addons, then action bar addons, castbar addons, and the whole thing got completely out of hand and escalated to the point where I started writing addon and UI columns for WoW Insider! And it's always interesting to see how others' UIs have developed, too.

Today, we're delving into the past and present of Alphabot's UI. He's sent over several pictures, of both his current UI and his UIs past. So here, in chronological order, are UI shots one, two, three, four and five, and his current UI out of combat, in combat, and with everything on -- in test mode, so to speak. Let's move into Alphabot's email.

Continue reading Reader UI of the Week: We've come a long way, baby

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Reader UI of the Week: We've come a long way, baby originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 14 May 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> add-onadd-on-configurationadd-on-examplesadd-on-guideaddon-configurationaddon-examplesaddon-guideaddonsfeaturedguideuiui-configurationui-guideuser-interfaceuser-interface-guidewow-add-onwow-add-on-guidewow-add-onswow-addon-guidewow-addonswow-guidewow-ui-configuration (Olivia Grace) Tue, 14 May 2013 20:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Patch 5.3: Mining and herbalism able to be leveled exclusively in Pandaria]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/patch-5-3-mining-and-herbalism-able-to-be-leveled-exclusively-i/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/patch-5-3-mining-and-herbalism-able-to-be-leveled-exclusively-i/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/patch-5-3-mining-and-herbalism-able-to-be-leveled-exclusively-i/#comments Patch 53 Changes to mining and herbalism allow them to be leveled exclusively in Pandaria
A fair while back, Blizzard Lead Systems Designer Greg " Ghostcrawler" Street tweeted that the development team would be looking to implement catch-up mechanics, similar to those in place for cooking, to other professions. Blacksmithing had its changes, and now Mining and Herbalism are next on the agenda. MMO-Champion reported today on some changes on the patch 5.3 PTR, that make the grind to level these professions a whole lot easier.

I went onto the PTR, with a pre-made level 90, and learned apprentice herbalism and mining, then went and found some nodes. The tooltip shows the nodes as orange and they can be mined by characters who have only just learned the profession, with a skill level of 1, as can be seen from the image after the break.

Continue reading Patch 5.3: Mining and herbalism able to be leveled exclusively in Pandaria

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Patch 5.3: Mining and herbalism able to be leveled exclusively in Pandaria originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 14 May 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> herbalismlevel-herbalismlevel-miningminingpatch-5.3patch-5.3-professionspatch-5.3-ptr (Olivia Grace) Tue, 14 May 2013 19:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Patch 5.3 PTR Patch Notes for May 14]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/patch-5-3-ptr-patch-notes-for-may-14/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/patch-5-3-ptr-patch-notes-for-may-14/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/patch-5-3-ptr-patch-notes-for-may-14/#comments Patch 53 PTR Patch Notes for May 14
The latest sets of PTR patch notes materialized a few hours ago, mostly featuring a multitude of class changes.
  • Some reasonable nerfs to hunter pet CC, several abilities have had their cooldowns doubled.
  • Some changes to the interaction of Tricks of the Trade with Blood DK abilities
  • A buff to Necrotic Strike's attack power scaling
  • A PvP-related change to Incanter's Ward, halving the effect but doubling the duration, as has been recently discussed the devs think this might be a part of their burst issues in PvP.
And lastly, Eye of the Black Prince can now be used to apply a prismatic socket on Reborn weapons. Hit the break for the full notes.

Continue reading Patch 5.3 PTR Patch Notes for May 14

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Patch 5.3 PTR Patch Notes for May 14 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 14 May 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> breakingpatch-5.3patch-5.3-notespatch-5.3-patch-notespatch-5.3-ptrpatch-5.3-ptr-patch-notes (Olivia Grace) Tue, 14 May 2013 17:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Readers' ideas for WoW improvements]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/readers-ideas-for-wow-improvements/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/readers-ideas-for-wow-improvements/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/readers-ideas-for-wow-improvements/#comments Readers' ideas for WoW improvements
A little ago WoW Insider posted an article asking our readers to suggest things they'd like to add to WoW to make the game better. We were really excited to hear your responses, and you didn't let us down. Several commenters had what we considered were actually some great ideas, and we thought we'd pull them out for some further discussion.
Readers' ideas for WoW improvements
This is, in my opinion, a fantastic idea. Many's the time, when leveling a DPS character, that I've been conflicted between wanting to round off the storyline of an area, and wanting to progress with my leveling. With the speed of leveling in WoW at the moment with the buffs gained from heirlooms, guild perks and the like, it's really easy to out-level zones before you're done with the story. Now, of course, the option exists to simply ignore the gray mobs and the gray quests and the fact that you're being far less efficient than you would be if you moved on to another zone, but why should players have to make that choice?

Continue reading Readers' ideas for WoW improvements

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Readers' ideas for WoW improvements originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 13 May 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> blizzardmake-wow-betteropinionreddit (Olivia Grace) Mon, 13 May 2013 17:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Patch 5.3: Battlefield Barrens Preview]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/patch-5-3-battlefield-barrens-preview/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/patch-5-3-battlefield-barrens-preview/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/patch-5-3-battlefield-barrens-preview/#comments Patch 53 Battlefield Barrens Preview
Warning: this post may contain spoilers for patch 5.3, particularly content relating to the Battlefield: Barrens quests! If you don't want to read spoilers, don't read the section of this post that happens after the break!

Blizzard Community Manager Nethaera has posted a blog providing both back-up information and useful clues about the events taking place in the areas surrounding Orgrimmar, giving players the heads up on the various new elements being introduced to those zones, how they are used and the stories behind them. As the devs commented in the recent live Q&A, this is a new angle on maximum level questing for WoW, and it's pretty fun. Again, beware spoilers, but you can also check out WoW Insider's initial look at the goings on in the area.

Final spoiler warning! They lurk ominously after the break. Watching. Waiting.

Continue reading Patch 5.3: Battlefield Barrens Preview

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Patch 5.3: Battlefield Barrens Preview originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 09 May 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> barrensbattlefield-barrenskor-kronkorkronpatch-5.3patch-5.3-battlefield-barrenspatch-5.3-ptrpatch-5.3-scenariosvoljin (Olivia Grace) Thu, 09 May 2013 19:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Live Hearthstone Stream]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/live-hearthstone-stream/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/live-hearthstone-stream/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/09/live-hearthstone-stream/#comments Update: The livestream is now over, but you can check out the Video on Demand above! The final game is very much worth sticking around for, really captures the excitement of Hearthstone. We hope to see more of these in future!

If you're as excited about Hearthstone as we are here at WoW Insider, you'll want to check out the above stream, as Hearthstone Fireside Duels go live on Twitch.tv. Lead Designer Eric Dodds and designer and Shoutcaster Ben Brode, who is fast becoming the voice of Hearthstone, are sitting down to several duels, as well as answering viewer questions on Twitch and Twitter.

The duels so far have shown off the mage, shaman, warrior, paladin, warlock and druid, but it's possible that we'll get to see some of the other heroes in action today, as well as the minion cards. It's also a great chance to get more into the game's mechanics, and develop more understanding, thanks to the live nature of the duels, and the Q&A. Community Manager Phenteo is also on hand in the Twitch chatroom to field viewer questions.

The one question they don't seem that keen to answer just yet is this: does this mean a beta is impending? It seems fairly certain that Hearthstone will be at Blizzcon, at the latest, but who knows, it seems quite likely that there might even be a beta at Gamescom, given that Blizzard unveiled the Mists trailer there last year. What do you think?

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Live Hearthstone Stream originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 09 May 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> breakinghearthstonehearthstone-betahearthstone-duelshearthstone-heroes-of-warcrafthearthstone-tavernhearthstoneheroesofwarcraft (Olivia Grace) Thu, 09 May 2013 13:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Blizzard's guide to preparing for Patch 5.3: Escalation]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/blizzards-guide-to-preparing-for-patch-5-3-escalation/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/blizzards-guide-to-preparing-for-patch-5-3-escalation/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/blizzards-guide-to-preparing-for-patch-5-3-escalation/#comments Blizzard's guide to preparing for Patch 53 Escalation
The countdown to patch 5.3 is well and truly upon us, as Blizzard Community Manager Daxxarri posted a detailed blog on how to ready your account and gird your loins for the upcoming conflict. As ever, you can see the full post after the break.

There's a reduction in XP to get from 85-90, first and foremost, and Daxxarri actually posts that you should dust off your alts! Next up on the list is clarification of Item Upgrades. The voidbinders have returned from their vacation in, well, the void most likely, and are back to upgrade your items. PvPers can only upgrade season 12 items, at the same cost as before, 750 Conquest for upgrades of four item levels, and (most likely, although the blog says different) 1500 honor points for an upgrade of eight item levels. PvE gear can be upgraded in the usual manner, at the massively reduced cost of 250 Valor Points to upgrade per 4 Item Levels, for a total of 500 Valor for 8 Item Levels per item. This also applies retroactively to all items that can be upgraded using Valor, and the exact same numbers apply to Justice gear.

Blizzard is also adding more ways to get your hands on Lesser Charms with patch 5.3, they will drop from outdoor world creatures level 90 and above, as well as from rare spawns in Pandaria. There are also a ton of PvP changes, which we've covered at length, and some other useful tidbits. One thing which isn't discussed is currency conversion, but it seems likely, though not absolutely certain, that no conversion will take place. The PvP season is still ongoing, and there is no new raid tier. Hit the break for Daxxarri's full post.

Continue reading Blizzard's guide to preparing for Patch 5.3: Escalation

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Blizzard's guide to preparing for Patch 5.3: Escalation originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 08 May 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> breakingpatch-5.3patch-5.3-currencypatch-5.3-ptrpatch-5.3-pvppatch-5.3-pvp-changespatch-5.3-scenariospatch-5.3-upgradespatch-5.3-valor (Olivia Grace) Wed, 08 May 2013 16:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Blizzard Lead Story Developer Micky Neilson to appear at LitFest Pasadena]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/blizzard-lead-story-developer-micky-neilson-to-appear-at-litfest/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/blizzard-lead-story-developer-micky-neilson-to-appear-at-litfest/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/08/blizzard-lead-story-developer-micky-neilson-to-appear-at-litfest/#comments Blizzard Lead Story developer Micky Neilson to appear at LitFest Pasadena LitFest Pasadena, taking place this coming Saturday, May 11, at Pasadena's Central Park will play host to Blizzard Entertainment's Lead Story Developer, Micky Neilson. Micky has worked not only on World of Warcraft, but also on Starcraft, Warcraft III and Lost Vikings II, since he started working at Blizzard in 1993. Not only that, but he also writes screenplays, and comic books, including World of Warcraft: Ashbringer.

Micky will be part of a panel, discussing "SciFi & Fantasy Bridging Genres: The Novel, Short Story, & Graphic Novel" between 2.30pm and 3.20pm on the Harriet Doerr Stage. He will be joined by John Joseph Adams (The Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination), Amber Benson (The Golden Age of Death) and Robin Winter (Future Past), as well as moderator Tim Beedle (editor, Dark Crystal Graphic Novel) to wax lyrical on the topic of working across genres in science fiction and fantasy. It seems that there will also be book signings after the panel, so if you're keen to meet one of the leading creative minds behind Blizzard's story, head on over.

The festival is free to enter, and runs from 10am to 5pm. More details can be found on the festival itself and the many other panels available on the festival website.

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Blizzard Lead Story Developer Micky Neilson to appear at LitFest Pasadena originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 08 May 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> blizzardlit-festlitfest-pasadenaMicky-Neilsonmicky-neilson-panel (Olivia Grace) Wed, 08 May 2013 15:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Patch 5.3 PTR patch notes updated for May 7]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/07/patch-5-3-ptr-patch-notes-updated-for-may-7/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/07/patch-5-3-ptr-patch-notes-updated-for-may-7/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/07/patch-5-3-ptr-patch-notes-updated-for-may-7/#comments Patch 53 PTR patch notes updated for May 7
The latest batch of patch 5.3 PTR patch notes have landed on the official Blizzard blog, containing various highlights, some of which have recently been covered here on WoW Insider. Let's take a look at our highlights, and you can check out all the patch note changes after the break.
  • The Strength of One's Foes: All bosses in Mogu'shan Vaults, Heart of Fear, and Terrace of the Endless Spring now have a chance to drop either a Sigil of Power or Sigil of Wisdom
  • Minimum level requirement to enter and equip items found in the following dungeons via Dungeon Finder have been adjusted.
    • Gate of the Setting Sun is now available in Normal difficulty, and accessible to level 89 characters.
    • Grim Batol is now accessible at level 84, down from level 85.
    • Lost City of the Tol'vir is now accessible at level 84, down from level 85.
    • Magisters' Terrace is now accessible at level 68, down from level 70.
    • The Mechanar is now accessible at level 68, down from level 70.
  • PvP Power conversion ratio to obtain 1% damage at level 90 has been changed from 265 to 400.
  • To facilitate a more balanced team composition, players now need to select a role when queuing up for a Battleground or Rated Battleground.
  • Justice Heirloom vendors now have Heirloom shields in stock.

Continue reading Patch 5.3 PTR patch notes updated for May 7

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Patch 5.3 PTR patch notes updated for May 7 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 07 May 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> breakingpatch-5.3patch-5.3-ptrpatch-5.3-ptr-notespatch-5.3-ptr-patch-notespatch-notes (Olivia Grace) Tue, 07 May 2013 19:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[What one thing should Blizzard implement to make WoW better?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/07/what-one-thing-should-blizzard-implement-to-make-wow-better/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/07/what-one-thing-should-blizzard-implement-to-make-wow-better/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/07/what-one-thing-should-blizzard-implement-to-make-wow-better/#comments What one thing should Blizzard implement to make WoW better
We happened upon a great thread today on Reddit, created by user Zimraphel, which asked other Reddit users to name features that would make the game better for them. I really liked this idea, and particularly some of the responses. Zimraphel placed no emphasis on realism in the suggestions, nor on the likelihood of their being implemented, so we will do the same here.

There were several answers that particularly piqued my interest, including one saying that Blizzard should implement a bulk server transfer at a reduced rate. Many players have several characters on a server, it's rare that, on your main server, you have only one character that you'd want to take with you if you transferred, and the $25 cost is considerable for what could be 11 characters. A bulk transfer service with a reduced cost would be a great idea. Another idea I really liked was the one to have the option to transfer your whole account to another region, such as switching it from the US to the EU.

And an option for tanks to disable auto-taunt from pets! What about you, what would you add to WoW? I'd love portals in other main cities, back to the Shrine or whichever city has all the portals in it. I want to hang out in Ironforge, but it's so much more inconvenient and I'm really rather lazy. Think outside the box, though, the world is your oyster!

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What one thing should Blizzard implement to make WoW better? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 07 May 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> blizzardmake-wow-betteropinionreddit (Olivia Grace) Tue, 07 May 2013 17:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Reader UI of the Week: Remarkably minimal custom-made healing UI]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/07/reader-ui-of-the-week-remarkably-minimal-custom-made-healing-ui/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/07/reader-ui-of-the-week-remarkably-minimal-custom-made-healing-ui/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/07/reader-ui-of-the-week-remarkably-minimal-custom-made-healing-ui/#comments
There are several kinds of UI. Lately on Reader UI of the Week, we've looked at several that do specific jobs, that are functional, even those that fulfil particular requirements for specialized players. This week's UI is, instead, one that is supremely focused on form. That is not to say, of course, that Kait neglects the functional elements of the design, indeed, he does an excellent job of integrating the elements he needs to perform his role, whilst still making a supremely pretty UI.

Unlike our usual submitters, Kait has sent us a video of his UI in action, which you can see on the header, and watch on his YouTube channel along with videos of his other UIs. Kait has also sent in three pictures, one solo healing, one raid healing, and one of the custom designed talent pane. Let's get into Kait's email.

Continue reading Reader UI of the Week: Remarkably minimal custom-made healing UI

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Reader UI of the Week: Remarkably minimal custom-made healing UI originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 07 May 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> add-onadd-on-configurationadd-on-examplesadd-on-guideaddon-configurationaddon-examplesaddon-guideaddonsfeaturedguideuiui-configurationui-guideuser-interfaceuser-interface-guidewow-add-onwow-add-on-guidewow-add-onswow-addon-guidewow-addonswow-guidewow-ui-configuration (Olivia Grace) Tue, 07 May 2013 16:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: What do casual and hardcore mean?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/07/breakfast-topic-what-do-casual-and-hardcore-mean/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/07/breakfast-topic-what-do-casual-and-hardcore-mean/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/07/breakfast-topic-what-do-casual-and-hardcore-mean/#comments Breakfast Topic What do casual and hardcore mean
These are terms that are bandied around a lot. Catering to the casuals, WoW has become a game for casuals, the rose-tinted spectacles of players who assert that the game used to be hardcore and has somehow slipped from its glory days into the mire of casual gaming.

But what do casual and hardcore mean? Certainly there are extremes. Nobody in their right mind could accuse Method or Blood Legion of being casual. These world first guilds are pretty much the epitome of the hardcore player. And yet, their Finnish cousins, Paragon, are accused of losing their hardcore crown by switching raid sizes. And at the other end of the spectrum, there are people who might log on once a week and run a heroic 5-man.

Of course, it's also worth remembering that your notion of what casual and hardcore are might not match those of your friends, your guild, your family. What is the cut-off point between hardcore-casual and casual-hardcore? How much WoW do you have to play to make the shift from a casual player into a hardcore one? Or is there some other measure, such as longevity, that qualifies some over others? Or maybe the whole thing is nonsense.

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Breakfast Topic: What do casual and hardcore mean? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 07 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredgame-discussiongamer-discussionworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Olivia Grace) Tue, 07 May 2013 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Tie-breakers in the arena]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/06/tie-breakers-in-the-arena/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/06/tie-breakers-in-the-arena/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/06/tie-breakers-in-the-arena/#comments Arena tiebreak systems
An interesting discussion began on Twitter a few days ago, between ArenaJunkies moderator QTPawzz and Blizzard's Senior PvP Developer, Brian Holinka. The two were discussing arena draws. If you're not familiar with the current system, if in 2v2, team A kills one member of team B, but cannot kill the other, meaning that at the point where the match times out there are two of team A but only one of team B remaining, there is a draw. QTPawzz was complaining specifically about his experience as an affliction warlock, trying to take down a discipline priest 1v1, his own partner presumably having died.

QTPawzz' suggestion was a shorter time limit, as well as a mechanic whereby the team that did the highest damage would win. It's an interesting idea, and something Holinka didn't seem averse to, given his responses. It's certainly a question that is likely to be both divisive and highly subjective, depending on the class or role that a player has adopted in PvP. For example, as someone who principally plays healing classes, with a side of DPS, the idea that the team with the highest damage should win in the event of a draw is immediately offputting.

Continue reading Tie-breakers in the arena

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Tie-breakers in the arena originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 06 May 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> arenaarena-drawarena-guidearena-stratsarena-tie-breakarena-timeoutarena-tipsarenasfeaturedguidehow-to-play-battlegroundshow-to-pvppvp-guidetime-outwow-arenawow-arena-guidewow-guide (Olivia Grace) Mon, 06 May 2013 19:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[NetEase launches Mists of Pandaria Mahjong set]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/06/netease-launches-mists-of-pandaria-mahjong-set/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/06/netease-launches-mists-of-pandaria-mahjong-set/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/06/netease-launches-mists-of-pandaria-mahjong-set/#comments NetEase launches Mists Mahjong set
NetEase, one of the largest retailers of World of Warcraft and general Blizzard merchandise in China, has recently launched a new product. In a very, very limited edition of just 1,000 copies, at least for now, this set is sure to go fast. It's retailing for what a currency converter approximates to be $208, at today's rates at least, and it really is a thing of beauty.

The set is beautifully designed and crafted, with the panda footprint featuring heavily on the tiles, as seen above, as well as the accompanying poker chips, the dice, dividers, and the red wooden presentation box. The play mat is a cloth rendition of the continent of Pandaria, which appears sympathetically rendered. If this sounds a little like a sales pitch, it shouldn't, this set is just incredibly beautifully made, and warrants the praise!

Rumor has it that this limited edition of 1,000 is not just for China, but for the worldwide market, so be prepared to have to jump through some hoops if you want one. They are currently only available through NetEase's website, where some judicious use of a translation engine will land the enthusiastic shopper with a login, allowing them to sign up for one of these sets. Given the coverage it's getting, and the minimal price, don't be surprised if you lose out.

Hit the break for more pictures!

Continue reading NetEase launches Mists of Pandaria Mahjong set

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NetEase launches Mists of Pandaria Mahjong set originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 06 May 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> mah-jongmah-jonggmahjongwowwow-games (Olivia Grace) Mon, 06 May 2013 17:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Blizzard's official look at patch 5.3]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/03/blizzards-official-look-at-patch-5-3/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/03/blizzards-official-look-at-patch-5-3/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/03/blizzards-official-look-at-patch-5-3/#comments Blizzard Blogs on patch 53
Blizzard has been blogging up a storm about patch 5.3, and there have recently been 2 more articles added to their arsenal. The first is a run-down of the new scenarios available, posted by Community Manager Nethaera, which runs players down the four new three-player scenarios coming in patch 5.3. Neth gives us a quick summary of the stories behind the scenarios, while doing a great job of not being too spoiler-heavy. She runs down the background of Blood in the Snow, Dark Heart of Pandaria, Secrets of Ragefire and Battle on the High Seas. You can also check out WoW Insider's own articles on Blood in the Snow and Dark Heart of Pandaria, but beware the light spoilers that lurk within!

Nethaera also briefly discusses the new difficulty level that will be added with patch 5.3, heroic scenarios. She clarifies that they are intended for pre-made groups of three players, and will award a hefty 120 valor, as well as bonus valor for completing the objectives.

What's more, Blizzard has recently published a guide to getting geared for 5.3, aimed at players with alts, and players who are returning to the game. They've got some great tips in there, even going so far as to acknowledge some neat tricks that'll have you running the Raid Finder in no time.

Continue reading Blizzard's official look at patch 5.3

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Blizzard's official look at patch 5.3 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 03 May 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> gearinggearing-in-5.3Gearing-Upheroic-scenariosnethaerapatch-5.3scenarios (Olivia Grace) Fri, 03 May 2013 16:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Patch 5.3 PTR: Collectors' achievements galore]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/03/patch-5-3-ptr-collectors-achievements-galore/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/03/patch-5-3-ptr-collectors-achievements-galore/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/03/patch-5-3-ptr-collectors-achievements-galore/#comments Patch 53 PTR Achievements galore!
Wowhead's Perculia has been as busy as ever cataloging the new achievements currently on the patch 5.3 PTR, putting together a comprehensive guide over at Wowhead.

Do head over to check that out, but we're going to pull some of the more exciting ones out, with a focus on pets and mounts. WoW Insider also recently covered the new Gorgeous title, which comes from completing all the achievements in the new battleground, Deepwind Gorge.

First up, for completing Raiding with Leashes II: Attunement Edition, collecting all 10 of the new pets which have been dropped into the old raids listed on the achievement, players are awarded yet another pet, Tito's Basket! In the same vein of pet-related achievements awarding yet more pets, the Brutal Pet Brawler achievement awards a Stunted Direhorn. Lastly, in the pet battles category, there's an achievement called The Longest Day, which, when you look at the tooltip, you'll realise is aptly named. Carrying out that mammoth task will award you a Marked Flawless Battle Stone, which can be used to boost any pet to Rare quality.

What's more, mount collectors rejoice, because there's a new benchmark, 200 mounts, for which Mount Parade awards yet another mount, the Armored Dragonhawk, in blue for the Alliance and a fetching red for the Horde.

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Patch 5.3 PTR: Collectors' achievements galore originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 03 May 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> achievement-guideachievementsachievements-guidebreakingfeaturedguidepatch-5.3patch-5.3-mountspatch-5.3-ptrworld-of-warcraft-achievement-pointsworld-of-warcraft-achievementswow-achievementwow-achievement-guidewow-achievement-pointswow-achievementswow-guidewow-points (Olivia Grace) Fri, 03 May 2013 12:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: Which battlegrounds do you blacklist?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/02/breakfast-topic-which-battlegrounds-do-you-blacklist/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/02/breakfast-topic-which-battlegrounds-do-you-blacklist/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/02/breakfast-topic-which-battlegrounds-do-you-blacklist/#comments Breakfast Topic Which battlegrounds do you blacklist
Now that the battleground blacklist feature has been around for some time, most of us have probably settled into a routine of picking out our two least favorite places. So I'm wondering, a while down the line, which battlegrounds do you blacklist? This feature has returned to the spotlight of late, with a little note from the systems design team in the recent PvP Q&A, suggesting, perhaps teasing, that Blizzard might consider cutting a battleground from the game. They mentioned that they had more information about the most and least popular BGs, and we had a good time postulating about which might be cut.

So which do I blacklist? I switch it around a lot, some days it'll be Alterac Valley and Isle of Conquest, but a few days later I'll be fine with those and it'll be Warsong Gulch and Twin Peaks, usually as a result of a bad loss which wound up with the faction I was playing being camped at the graveyard. Maybe it's better to ask which battlegrounds I never blacklist, and the answer to that would be Eye of the Storm. I love that place. I can't put my finger on why exactly, perhaps it's the long sight lines, perhaps it's the mixed mechanics, meaning there's a lot of varied tasks to be done. I'm not sure if the chicken came before the egg, but it's also by far my most won random battleground. Positive reinforcement!

But what about you? Which battlegrounds do you blacklist, or, if you're a more changeable sort like me, which do you never blacklist?

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Breakfast Topic: Which battlegrounds do you blacklist? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 02 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredgame-discussiongamer-discussionworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Olivia Grace) Thu, 02 May 2013 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[WoW community member Lore joins Blizzard Entertainment]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/wow-community-member-lore-joins-blizzard-entertainment/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/wow-community-member-lore-joins-blizzard-entertainment/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/wow-community-member-lore-joins-blizzard-entertainment/#comments WoW community member hired by Blizzard
One of the great things about being a member of the WoW online community is getting to interact, to talk with other players, and to provide insight, assistance and information to them. We do a ton of that here at WoW Insider, and another well-known community member who does the same is Josh Allen, also known as Lore from Tankspot.com.

Lore produces several weekly video shows, Legendary and After Dark on Gamebreaker.tv, both with a WoW focus, along with The Weekly Marmot, PST and PST Rapid Fire, again all focusing on World of Warcraft, and interaction with the community, not to mention his various video guides over at Tankspot, some of which we've featured here before, as well as his livestream of 10- and 25-man raiding content.

Lore announced today that he will be joining the Blizzard Community Management team, and will be working in Irvine, CA with the likes of Bashiok and Zarhym, answering questions and working with the community in blue text. Blizzard's Community team does a great job of reaching out to the WoW community, and occasionally snapping members of that community up to join them! You can watch Lore's announcement video for more information. WoW Insider wishes Lore all the best in his new position.

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WoW community member Lore joins Blizzard Entertainment originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 01 May 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> josh-allenlorenew-CMtankspot (Olivia Grace) Wed, 01 May 2013 20:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Heirloom Shields looking good for patch 5.3]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/heirloom-shields-looking-good-for-patch-5-3/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/heirloom-shields-looking-good-for-patch-5-3/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/heirloom-shields-looking-good-for-patch-5-3/#comments Heirloom Shields looking good for patch 53
Heirloom shields are looking good for patch 5.3, according to a tweet from Lead Systems Designer Greg "Ghostcrawler" Street:
Heirloom shields were amongst the things that didn't quite make the cut for patch 5.2. Blizzard Senior Community Rep Jonathan "Zarhym" Brown posted the following a little while back on the official forums by way of explanation for their absence:
Zarhym
Heirloom shields were originally planned to be added in patch 5.2, but, unfortunately, due to a late-breaking bug with these items which prevented them from properly scaling with level, we had to remove them. We still want to get these shields in the game and plan to do so in a future patch.

Continue reading Heirloom Shields looking good for patch 5.3

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Heirloom Shields looking good for patch 5.3 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 01 May 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> breakingheirloom-shieldsheirloomsnew-heirloomspatch-5.3patch-5.3-ptr (Olivia Grace) Wed, 01 May 2013 15:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[A temporary fix to the gold sellers' spam invitations]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/a-temporary-fix-to-the-gold-sellers-spam-invitations/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/a-temporary-fix-to-the-gold-sellers-spam-invitations/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/a-temporary-fix-to-the-gold-sellers-spam-invitations/#comments A temporary fix to the gold sellers' spam invitations WoW Insider has received notifications to our tip line, as well as noted a particular problem coming up on the forums. The gold seller spam invitations in our calendars appear to have returned. They were gone, as a forum thread notes, for some time, almost 2 years, and all of a sudden they have returned.

There seems to have been a breakthrough among the gold sellers, allowing their bots to once again spam players' calendars with events advertizing their ill-gotten wares. We're not exactly sure just how they're doing it, but MVP Shammoz and Community Manager Eldtyara have been hard at work notifying the devs of the issue, as well as digging up a couple of solutions.

The first solution, as confirmed by Shammoz, is, rather than right-clicking the event and picking Ignore from the drop down menu, typing /ignore into chat. This appears to remove all the invitations from your calendar, rather than just the one you right-clicked on.

The other option is to run a script, which several players have asserted has solved the problem, as can be seen in the forum thread which shares it. Running a script simply involves pasting it into your chat and hitting enter, and the script itself is below:

Continue reading A temporary fix to the gold sellers' spam invitations

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A temporary fix to the gold sellers' spam invitations originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 01 May 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> calendarcalendar-spaminvitation-spaminvite-spamremove-invitationsspam-invitationsspam-invite (Olivia Grace) Wed, 01 May 2013 13:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Patch 5.3 PTR: PvP Power percentage nerfs]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/28/patch-5-3-ptr-pvp-power-percentage-nerfs/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/28/patch-5-3-ptr-pvp-power-percentage-nerfs/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/28/patch-5-3-ptr-pvp-power-percentage-nerfs/#comments Patch 53 PTR PvP Power percentage nerfs
The latest PTR build has brought with it a change to PvP Power, as MMO-Champion reported earlier today. The change was to the amount of points of PvP Power that it takes to push your percentage up by 1%. The number of points for a 1% increase in PvP Power went from 265 to 400. Currently, if you have, say, 12,000 PvP Power, on live servers you would get around +45% damage from PvP Power, and 22.6% additional healing from PvP Power.

On the PTR, however, 12,000 PvP Power will only give you an extra 30% damage from PvP Power, and, at current numbers, which are still fairly fluid, around 30% extra healing. Of course, don't forget with those healing numbers that Battle Fatigue has been increased to a proportionate level.

This change was a little surprising, so I did what I always do now, tweeted Senior PvP Designer Brian Holinka to get his input on the change. He tweeted the following shortly thereafter:

Holinka makes some excellent points. This is a great way to reduce the power of sockets, and to bring down the burst which has caused such problems this season, as well as taking healing down in proportion. So what's all the fuss about? Well, players are worried that, with the resilience changes, this will make PvE gear a more equal or even superior choice for PvE come patch 5.3. And it's a reasonable concern. While it's great that PvE gear will be viable for PvP, PvP gear should still be the out-and-out best.

I discussed the comparisons between various levels of PvE gear and PvP gear in an earlier article, but this change may well alter these numbers. Both Cynwise and Eldacar, PvP maths masters, are looking at the numbers, so we'll have to wait and see the result. Preliminary reports from ArenaJunkies look good, still asserting that PvP Power is strong enough to beat PvE gear. Also, I can't help thinking that Holinka and his team have considered this issue. To repeat my earlier message, don't panic!
Do you want to capture flags, invade cities, attack towers, and dominate the enemy for your faction? Do you dream of riding your War Bear with pride? We'll steer you to victory with secrets of Battlegrounds and Arena, prepping you with proven addons and keybindings that win! Send questions or comments to olivia@wowinsider.com.

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Patch 5.3 PTR: PvP Power percentage nerfs originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sun, 28 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> arenaarena-guidearena-stratsarena-tipsarenasfeaturedguidehow-to-play-battlegroundshow-to-pvppatch-5.3patch-5.3-ptrpatch-5.3-pvppatch-5.3-pvp-changespatch-5.3-pvp-gearpatch-5.3-pvp-gear-changespvp-guidepvp-powerwow-arenawow-arena-guidewow-guide (Olivia Grace) Sun, 28 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Breakfast Topic: The best things are above you]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/28/breakfast-topic-the-best-things-are-above-you/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/28/breakfast-topic-the-best-things-are-above-you/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/28/breakfast-topic-the-best-things-are-above-you/#comments Breakfast Topic Look up
It's really easy, both in life and in WoW, to rush by without taking a moment to smell the roses, to survey the beauty that's all around us. I'm as guilty of this as the next person, always hurrying in-game, always trying to get to the next spot, the next level, the next piece of gear, the next round rating number.

So I was on an alt in the Alliance base on Thunder Isle, when I had to alt-tab out to respond to an IM. I then put my laptop down and afk'd, and on my return I was looking at the library you see in the header image. What you might not be able to see is the scholars in the alcoves, reading away. I'd never noticed it before, because all I usually do there is hearthstone and then run straight out the door.

It took me ages to even notice the amazing swirling sky in parts of Pandaria, with its sha-styled tendrils. But what about you, do you look up? You really should. And what are your favorite bits of sky in the game? Your favorite treasures, indoor or out, that you'll miss if you're not glancing occasionally towards the heavens?

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Breakfast Topic: The best things are above you originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sun, 28 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> featuredgame-discussiongamer-discussionworld-of-warcraft-discussionworld-of-warcraft-topicswow-discussionwow-hot-topicswow-issueswow-topics (Olivia Grace) Sun, 28 Apr 2013 08:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[BlizzCon Tickets on sale today at 10am PDT]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/27/blizzcon-tickets-on-sale-today-at-10am-pdt/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/27/blizzcon-tickets-on-sale-today-at-10am-pdt/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/27/blizzcon-tickets-on-sale-today-at-10am-pdt/#comments Blizzcon
The last opportunity to purchase tickets for Blizzcon 2013 comes knocking at 10am PDT today. (That's three hours from the time this is published.) The last set, which went on sale at 7pm PDT on Wednesday, sold out at remarkable speed, just as you'd expect for a conference of the huge status and minimal size of BlizzCon.

Do check out WoW Insider's tips to getting yourself ready for the ticket push, and most importantly, don't assume that you can wait five minutes before logging on to obtain a few tickets. These sell out incredibly quickly, and you'll need to be ready to go in advance of the scheduled time, with your finger working that F5 key to destruction so that you can get into the queue in a decent position. Don't alt-tab around, don't get a coffee.

If you can recruit friends, do! Working as a group can be the very best way to try to ensure that you can secure tickets for you and your friends. You'll need a little organization and communication, but it's worth it, this is BlizzCon, people! This time of day is also far more sociable for the EU than the previous time, so bear that in mind when planning your raid on the battle.net site. Pre-pot for this one!

There are also tickets to an exclusive pre-BlizzCon dinner to benefit Children's Hospital of Orange County go on sale Wednesday, May 1 at 7 p.m. PDT. These are more expensive at $500, and do include a ticket to BlizzCon itself. You can visit the Blizzcon Ticket Information Page for more information.

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BlizzCon Tickets on sale today at 10am PDT originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 27 Apr 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> blizz-conblizzconblizzcon-2013blizzcon-2013-ticketsblizzcon-tickets (Olivia Grace) Sat, 27 Apr 2013 10:00:00 EST WoW Insider <![CDATA[Poll: Do you cheat on your faction?]]> http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/poll-do-you-cheat-on-your-faction/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/poll-do-you-cheat-on-your-faction/ http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/poll-do-you-cheat-on-your-faction/#comments Poll Do you cheat on your faction
We all know how it starts. A stolen glance across the sands of Silithus. That moment where you eyes meet, a shared second in the Deeprun Tram as you chase your foe back down the tunnel with your finger hovering over the Hammer of Wrath, but hesitate to hurl it home. You know your past, your history, your ambitions, you're a draenei, you're a member of the Alliance, it's all so clear. But somewhere, somewhere there's a longing for something more. Something different. Something... green.

And before you know it, you're being catapulted from Kezan into a new world, a world of orcs and blood elves, of trolls and tauren, of bloodlust rather than heroism. It's new, it's exciting, but is it anything more than just a fleeting visit? Can you really stay in this place, with the in-fighting and the slums and the ramshackle, riotous city of Orgrimmar as your home?

Have you ever cheated on your faction? Been deepsing with the enemy? You're far from alone. It's certainly safe to say that some players are like swans: when it comes to factions, they mate for life. But others are like sparrows, flitting from faction to faction. If you're a sparrow rather than a swan, are your dalliances with the dark side flippant flings, or full-blown affairs? Are you truly bi-factional, or will one always take precedence, always be your home and your heart?

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Poll: Do you cheat on your faction? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 26 Apr 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> allianceboth-factionscross-factionhordehumorpoll (Olivia Grace) Fri, 26 Apr 2013 13:00:00 EST WoW Insider