WoW Insiderhttp://wow.joystiq.comWoW Insiderhttp://wow.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gifWoW Insiderhttp://wow.joystiq.comen-usCopyright 2015 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/WoW Insider ShowEvery week, the WoW Insider Show brings you news and views from the World of Warcraft and the site that covers it all, WoW Insider. We introduce a panel of rotating guests, including bloggers from WoW Insider and other WoW blogs, and many popular personalities from around the WoW community. From the live listener chat and polls during the show, to the emails direct from listeners (reach us at theshow@wow.com), right on to the "meat" of the show -- in-depth discussion of the most popular news and posts on WoW Insider -- the WoW Insider Show is a terrific source of news and entertainment about what's going on with Blizzard and their World of Warcraft. Listen live every Saturday at 3:30 pm Eastern on our Ustream page (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wow-insider-show) or subscribe to the feed and let us know what you think by reviewing the show right here in iTunes.Know Your Lore: The History of the Burning Legionhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2015/01/06/know-your-lore-the-history-of-the-burning-legion/http://wow.joystiq.com/2015/01/06/know-your-lore-the-history-of-the-burning-legion/http://wow.joystiq.com/2015/01/06/know-your-lore-the-history-of-the-burning-legion/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft.

They exist to destroy. The entire cosmos and everything in it is a means to an end, and that end is the extinction of existence itself -- all worlds stripped bare, or shattered. All that lives dead. All that can support life corrupted and befouled. Within the ranks of the Burning Legion are fiends who enjoy the corruption of mortal hearts, who savor the slow degradation of those who willingly sign the pact -- but in the end, the purpose of the Legion is the purpose of its master, Sargeras -- and that purpose is the unmaking of all things.

Feared and reviled on a host of worlds, the Legion has brought devastation everywhere it has alighted. Only one world ever survived a direct assault by the Legion, the poor, beleaguered, wartorn world of Azeroth. Twice now, the shadow of the Legion has fallen over this world of mortals, and yet, while far greater beings, god and demigods stood and fell against their might the world of Azeroth managed to find a way to balk the coming of the Burning Legion not once, but twice. For that singular distinction, Azeroth has earned the Legion's undying enmity. It's not a question of if the Legion will return. It's a question of when.

How did this nearly infinite host of nihilistic hatred and fel-touched fury arise? What are the hosts of the Legion and why do they march on this crusade to destroy all that exists?

Continue reading Know Your Lore: The History of the Burning Legion

WoW InsiderKnow Your Lore: The History of the Burning Legion originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 06 Jan 2015 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>ArchimondeBurning-Legionfeaturedguideguide-to-loreKiljaedenlorelore-guiderole-playrole-playing-guiderp-guideSargerasVelenworld-of-warcraft-lorewow-guidewow-lorewow-role-playingwow-role-playing-guidewow-rpwow-rp-guidewow-rpingMatthew RossiTue, 06 Jan 2015 16:00:00 ESTKnow Your Lore: Nobundohttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/11/20/know-your-lore-nobundo/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/11/20/know-your-lore-nobundo/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/11/20/know-your-lore-nobundo/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft.

One of the fantastic things about Warlords of Draenor is getting to see the way history provides context for a life. By seeing how people have changed, and how they could have been we get a sense of how they are, as we know them - and for me one of the most fantastic changes to contemplate and understand is that of Vindicator Nobundo, a stalwart draenei paladin, who in a different life became Farseer Nobundo, first draenei shaman. Nobundo's story is one of overcoming horrific loss, enduring not just the destruction of his way of life but a corrosion of the body that threatened his very soul, and his ability to overcome and become someone who could inspire his people to a new path displays his strength of spirit.

The Vindicator Nobundo we meet on Draenor - the one who helps fight the Burning Legion forces in Talador, who comes to Nagrand to help calm the elements - has not endured the same trials as Farseer Nobundo. He has not come out the other side of seeing his people nearly destroyed, his body warped by fel energies, his connection to the Holy Light severed. And yet, he is Nobundo - he embodies everything the Farseer was, everything he lost to become who he is today.

So who is Farseer Nobundo? And who is Vindicator Nobundo?

Continue reading Know Your Lore: Nobundo

WoW InsiderKnow Your Lore: Nobundo originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 20 Nov 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>AkamafeaturedGrommash-Hellscreamguideguide-to-loreGuldanlorelore-guideNobundoRolcrole-playrole-playing-guiderp-guideVelenworld-of-warcraft-lorewow-guidewow-lorewow-role-playingwow-role-playing-guidewow-rpwow-rp-guidewow-rpingMatthew RossiThu, 20 Nov 2014 13:00:00 ESTWorld of Warcraft: Looking for Group documentary debuts at BlizzConhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/11/05/world-of-warcraft-looking-for-group-documentary-debuts-at-blizz/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/11/05/world-of-warcraft-looking-for-group-documentary-debuts-at-blizz/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/11/05/world-of-warcraft-looking-for-group-documentary-debuts-at-blizz/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

This Saturday during BlizzCon, we're going to get to take a look at a new documentary about World of Warcraft, with a lot of familiar faces (seriously, the trailer alone is packed with celebrities) and an interesting perspective on how WoW took what was a pretty niche market in MMO's and made them a lot more mainstream.

My first reaction was "Wow, that's a heck of a Garona cosplay!" Which is why I headed up the post with that picture. Seriously, she looks more like Garona than Garona does. WHoever you are, Garona cosplayer, please let me know so I can put your name in this post. But beyond that, as someone who's been playing for ten years, I found it amazing to see it all laid out like that, how we were all just stumbling our way through the game, having no idea what it was or what it would lead to.

WoW InsiderWorld of Warcraft: Looking for Group documentary debuts at BlizzCon originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 05 Nov 2014 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>BlizzConDocumentaryWorld-of-WarcraftMatthew RossiWed, 05 Nov 2014 15:00:00 ESTWhy updated graphics matterhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/11/04/why-updated-graphics-matter/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/11/04/why-updated-graphics-matter/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/11/04/why-updated-graphics-matter/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

What you see above is the result of time marching on - in my draenei's right hand is Sulfuras, the Extinguished Hand, a drop from Firelands. In the left hand, Sulfuras, Hand of Ragnaros, the legendary drop from the original Molten Core. (Yes, I know technically it doesn't drop, the Eye drops, you craft a Sulfuron Hammer and then use the Eye on it, I've had the thing since MC I know how I got it.) What I'm showing you is essentially the orderly progression of time via graphic upgrades - you can essentially see the history of the game unfolding via the difference between these two weapons.

Everything from the spikes to the grip to the shape of the head, it's all more detailed and crisp on the newer model. The older model is a collection of polygonal shapes that bear only a vague resemblance to a hammer compared to the newer model, which is itself still not as good as models we have in the game now, never mind some of the Warlords drops we're about to see. The gap between these two hammers is the gap between 2004 and 2011, and here we are, three years later than that - and they show us how much a ten year old game can in fact change.

Continue reading Why updated graphics matter

WoW InsiderWhy updated graphics matter originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 04 Nov 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Graphical-updatesGraphicsmodelsnew-character-modelsnew-weapon-modelstransmogtransmogrificationMatthew RossiTue, 04 Nov 2014 17:00:00 ESTKnow Your Lore: Mannorothhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/10/29/know-your-lore-mannoroth/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/10/29/know-your-lore-mannoroth/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/10/29/know-your-lore-mannoroth/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft.

We talk about the great evils of the Warcraft universe - your Kil'jaeden's and Archimonde's, your Sargeras and your Old Gods - and of course there's the mortal monsters like Gul'dan, quite possibly the single most evil mortal being ever to live, or Kel'Thuzad who enslaved himself to evil so profound that his transformation into a lich was probably a palliative influence on his malevolence. But what of evil as a corrupting vector? What of an evil so profound that it is part of your blood, that can seep into the souls of an entire race? Ladies and gentlemen, I ask you - what of Mannoroth, king of the Pit Lords, master of the Annihilan?

We know little of the Annihilan. They are the pit lords, a massive and powerful species of demons recruited to serve the Legion by none other than Kil'jaeden himself. They were already a powerful part of the Legion when the War of the Ancients unfolded - Mannoroth himself was one of the Legion's elite who came through the portal to help make clear the way for Sargeras to stride forth into Azeroth, doing battle with the forces of the Kaldorei who were attempting to preserve their lives. But as to where the pit lords come from, it is as yet a mystery unsolved. What world did they originate on? What happened to it? We do not know.

What we do know is this - few races in all the cosmos can boast so powerful and corrupting an evil nature as the Annihilan. And Mannoroth was for eons first among the pit lords - the acknowledged master of his kind, the most powerful of them all. Not Brutallus, not Magtheridon, not Azgalor, but Mannoroth ruled the Annihilan on behalf of the Legion.

Continue reading Know Your Lore: Mannoroth

WoW InsiderKnow Your Lore: Mannoroth originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 29 Oct 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>ArchimondeAzsharaCairne-BloodhooffeaturedGarrosh-HellscreamGromGrommashHellscreamguideguide-to-loreGuldanKiljaedenlorelore-guideMannorothrole-playrole-playing-guiderp-guideThe-Blood-CurseThrallTichondriusworld-of-warcraft-lorewow-guidewow-lorewow-role-playingwow-role-playing-guidewow-rpwow-rp-guidewow-rpingXaviusMatthew RossiWed, 29 Oct 2014 17:00:00 ESTThe Importance of Legacy Contenthttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/10/26/the-importance-of-legacy-content/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/10/26/the-importance-of-legacy-content/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/10/26/the-importance-of-legacy-content/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Since patch 6.0.2 came out, I've rediscovered the love I once held for soloing older raids. More than rediscovered it - I've expanded it, because now I can pretty easily solo most Cataclysm raids (I'm working on Spine of Deathwing) and that broadens what I can gather for transmog. But it's more than transmog, and more than the sensation one gets when you push Rhyolith through all his phases so that he dies before he's even done yelling at you in an awesome parody of what it sounds like when I wake up.

In a recent interview with PC Gamer magazine, Ion Hazzikostas pointed out that one of World of Warcraft's biggest strengths is its depth of content. The MMO has been going for ten years. There are old raids and dungeons everywhere. It's not just old content - it's a resource. And it makes WoW a game with incredible potential.

Continue reading The Importance of Legacy Content

WoW InsiderThe Importance of Legacy Content originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sun, 26 Oct 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>legacy-contentold-dungeonsold-raidsTransmogtransmogrificationupdateMatthew RossiSun, 26 Oct 2014 16:00:00 ESTKnow Your Lore: The Dark Portalhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/10/02/know-your-lore-the-dark-portal/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/10/02/know-your-lore-the-dark-portal/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/10/02/know-your-lore-the-dark-portal/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft.

The Dark Portal is the symbol of the Warcraft universe. It was the loading screen for the original game, for the Burning Crusade expansion, and it will be again for the new Warlords of Draenor expansion as well. When we think of the orcish Horde pouring into Azeroth to murder and plunder, it's the Dark Portal they used to get there - when the Alliance Expedition returned the favor and took the fight to Draenor, it was the Dark Portal that allowed them to do so. The Dark Portal nearly destroyed Azeroth when Ner'zhul ripped Draenor apart into Outland, and we used it to travel to that same Outland to do battle with Illidan Stormrage.

Yet for all we know about it, there's much we don't - was it Medivh or his dark corrupter Sargeras who actually instructed Gul'dan on how to build it? How does it function, what magics sustain it, and how does Warlords tease us with the possibility that there could be many methods to power such a doorway between worlds? Why did Ner'zhul's attempt to open more portals like it destroy his Draenor, and could the same fate befall the one we're traveling to - or worse, our own Azeroth? How dangerous is it to tamper with space and, now, time in this way?

Let us pursue the history of the Dark Portal for some answers. There will be spoilers for Warlords of Draenor in the post to follow.

Continue reading Know Your Lore: The Dark Portal

WoW InsiderKnow Your Lore: The Dark Portal originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 02 Oct 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>ChogallDark-Portalfeaturedguideguide-to-loreGuldanlorelore-guideMedivhrole-playrole-playing-guiderp-guideTerongorThe-Dark-Portalworld-of-warcraft-lorewow-guidewow-lorewow-role-playingwow-role-playing-guidewow-rpwow-rp-guidewow-rpingMatthew RossiThu, 02 Oct 2014 19:00:00 ESTNever enough timehttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/09/18/never-enough-time/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/09/18/never-enough-time/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/09/18/never-enough-time/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

One of the absurdities of playing an MMO for any length of time, much less for ten years, is that you see certain cycles repeat again and again. For instance, I've seen players make the same assumptions about personal experiences in the game being universal so many times that I could republish that post every two weeks and it would be relevant. Another way I've seen the same cycle repeat multiple times since the end of Burning Crusade is this - people always complain (myself included) that the expansion is taking too long to get here and we're sick of the old content, and then, as soon as the new expansion is announced, we start panicking (myself included) to get certain things finished that we could have done long, long before the expansion ever got close to done.

I mean, I have six characters on various stages of the legendary cloak quest, that I just never bothered to finish up on because reasons. I don't think I can argue I haven't had enough time. It's September. Nine months seems more than adequate to have gotten that done, and yet, nope. Just never bothered to do it. In a way I feel like the extreme length of the content drought lulled me into a false complacency. A year in SoO seemed so monumentally long that it never really sank in that yes, it is long - but it still had an end date.

Continue reading Never enough time

WoW InsiderNever enough time originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 18 Sep 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>End-of-Expansionexpansion-cyclenever-enoughtimeMatthew RossiThu, 18 Sep 2014 13:00:00 ESTKnow Your Lore: Lantresor of the Burning Bladehttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/09/10/know-your-lore-lantresor-of-the-burning-blade/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/09/10/know-your-lore-lantresor-of-the-burning-blade/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/09/10/know-your-lore-lantresor-of-the-burning-blade/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft.

He is not the result of Gul'dan's breeding experiments.

He is not orc, nor is he draenei. No, he is Lantresor, and he is a half-orc blademaster of draenei descent. Formerly one of the Burning Blade, his story straddles two worlds, and in its wake embodies both the glories and the foibles of the world of his birth. Not welcome among either of his peoples, he sought his own path, his own destiny. And we have seen it unfold in different ways, at different times.

Lantresor of the Blade is a blademaster. This is his story.

Continue reading Know Your Lore: Lantresor of the Burning Blade

WoW InsiderKnow Your Lore: Lantresor of the Burning Blade originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 10 Sep 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Azuka-BladefuryBurning-Bladefeaturedguideguide-to-loreLantresorLantresor-of-the-bladelorelore-guiderole-playrole-playing-guiderp-guideworld-of-warcraft-lorewow-guidewow-lorewow-role-playingwow-role-playing-guidewow-rpwow-rp-guidewow-rpingMatthew RossiWed, 10 Sep 2014 19:00:00 ESTThe whole World of Warcraft in 41 minuteshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/07/29/the-whole-world-of-warcraft-in-41-minutes/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/07/29/the-whole-world-of-warcraft-in-41-minutes/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/07/29/the-whole-world-of-warcraft-in-41-minutes/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

It's no secret that I like the lore of World of Warcraft, so it should be no surprise that I decided that you needed to see this video. Nobble's done lore videos before, but this is quite frankly his masterpiece - a fairly concise (for what it is covering) run-through of all of the background of World of Warcraft and the Warcraft franchise as a whole. It's definitely worth your time.

Soak in it, my friends, the gloriously messy, chaotic, crazy lore of World of Warcraft.

WoW InsiderThe whole World of Warcraft in 41 minutes originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 29 Jul 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>historylorenobblesowowMatthew RossiTue, 29 Jul 2014 14:00:00 ESTIs BlizzCon bad for World of Warcraft?http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/07/22/is-blizzcon-bad-for-world-of-warcraft/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/07/22/is-blizzcon-bad-for-world-of-warcraft/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/07/22/is-blizzcon-bad-for-world-of-warcraft/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Okay, I'm sure with a headline like "Is BlizzCon bad for World of Warcraft?" you're already thinking this is it. Rossi has finally snapped. But hear me out for a second. We've had BlizzCons since 2005, before The Burning Crusade was even released. While they haven't happened every year (there was no BlizzCon 2006 and no BlizzCon 2012) it's been fairly regular since its introduction. Last year, Warlords of Draenor was previewed at BlizzCon 2013 - for many of us it's the source of pretty much every opinion we have on the expansion.

That, in fact, is exactly what got me thinking that it's possible that BlizzCon itself is bad for the game, for the game community at large, and for the future of the franchise. BlizzCon, by its very nature, is a hype machine. It's where we learn details about the expansion - its name, its features, its setting and goals - before they are even close to being ready for players. People play demos. Developers give talks about the games. In many ways it's very exciting. I've never been myself, but most of my coworkers and a lot of my in-game friends have. So my argument isn't that BlizzCon itself is bad.

But looking over the past year or so, in terms of Warlords of Draenor and player interaction with it, I start to wonder if having the big reveal at the convention does more harm than good, overall. Expectations are set at the convention - looking at the recent player reaction to the news that Karabor and Bladespire wouldn't be capital cities in Draenor, the issue can in part be traced back to the fact that we were told they would be at BlizzCon. Players (like myself) had months to get excited about the idea of Karabor as a capital city. Then, suddenly, we were told (almost as an afterthought) that no, the capitals were moved to Ashran.

Continue reading Is BlizzCon bad for World of Warcraft?

WoW InsiderIs BlizzCon bad for World of Warcraft? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 22 Jul 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>BlizzardBlizzCongarrisonshypekaraborpromiseswarlords-of-draenorMatthew RossiTue, 22 Jul 2014 16:00:00 ESTNowGamer does Draenor/Outland side by sidehttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/07/17/nowgamer-does-draenor-outland-side-by-side/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/07/17/nowgamer-does-draenor-outland-side-by-side/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/07/17/nowgamer-does-draenor-outland-side-by-side/#commentsFiled under: , ,

One of the things I like the most about doing Shadowmoon Valley on the beta is the way it evokes the memories of Outland's version of the zone while clearly being a whole new place, designed from the ground up. Now the folks at NowGamers have put together a video comparing the two zones side by side.

It's cool to have because it does a much better job showing you how it is than telling you can. The way the new zone feels very much like the place before it got ruined, to the point where there's even places that were lost in the Outland version. And man, the elekks and talbuks in Shadowmoon make you feel sad for how much was destroyed and how only a few basilisks can eke out survival in the Outland version of the zone. Very much an elegy for a place destroyed when you see them side by side. Head over and check it out.

WoW InsiderNowGamer does Draenor/Outland side by side originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 17 Jul 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>shadowmoon-valleyside-by-sidevideowarlords-of-draenorwarlords-of-draenor-betaMatthew RossiThu, 17 Jul 2014 17:00:00 ESTSoloing the Black Temple with Blizzardhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/07/04/soloing-the-black-temple-with-blizzard/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/07/04/soloing-the-black-temple-with-blizzard/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/07/04/soloing-the-black-temple-with-blizzard/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Daxxari is back with another guide to soloing old raids, this time, The Black Temple. Whether it's transmog loot you're looking for, a chance at a warglaive, reputation with another faction (The Ashtongue Deathsworn) or just giggles, Black Temple has it all from Tier 6 sets and lookalikes to some of the coolest scenery the game's ever seen.

Black Temple is by far one of my favorite raids. It's quite soloable by a max-level character -- the hardest fight is the Reliquary of Souls because you can easily do enough damage to yourself and the interrupts get brutal -- and it has some really awesome looking loot, cool fight mechanics, and some big lore deals like Teron Gorefiend and of course Illidan himself waiting for you. Daxxari explains the fight mechanics and how they work for a solo player, so head over to the official site and read up before heading into the Black Temple.

WoW InsiderSoloing the Black Temple with Blizzard originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 04 Jul 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Black-TempleDaxxarisolosoloingsoloing-old-raidstransmogrificationMatthew RossiFri, 04 Jul 2014 19:00:00 ESTWoW Archivist: Beta surpriseshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/07/02/wow-archivist-beta-surprises/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/07/02/wow-archivist-beta-surprises/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/07/02/wow-archivist-beta-surprises/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Death knights bomb the plaguelands
WoW Archivist explores the secrets of World of Warcraft's past. What did the game look like years ago? Who is etched into WoW's history? What secrets does the game still hold?

Last week, we launched into the newest beta in WoW's history -- its sixth! -- for Warlords of Draenor. It's an exciting time for the game. Every beta has its surprises, good and bad. New things that were never announced. Prior announcements that changed unexpectedly. We've already had a number of surprises in the Warlords beta: the faction hub shift to Ashran, cross-faction auctions, and the removal of guild leveling.

Beta is just ramping up. We are sure to encounter more than one surprise over the next few months as we test the Draenor experience and gear up for the expansion's launch. Let's take a look back at the previous five betas and examine some of the twists that greeted testers -- and often shocked the WoW community. Caveat: I'm excluding storyline surprises.

The original beta

In 2003 and early 2004, players didn't really know what to expect from a World of Warcraft MMO. Blizzard, after all, had never made one before. Most of the original beta served up surprise after surprise. Yet, a few stand out.

Tired heroes. Patch 0.6 introduced the first incarnation of the rest system. Today it is simply a bonus for players who don't have time to log in every day. The original version was more like the Chinese government's "anti-obsession measures": it punished you for playing too long. The system looked like this:
  • Well rested gave 200% of the XP from a mob kill
  • Rested gave between 100% and 200% XP
  • Normal gave 100% XP
  • Fatigued gave 50% XP
  • Exhausted gave 25% XP
Your hero needed a good night's rest -- a full eight hours at an inn -- to go from exhausted to normal.

Continue reading WoW Archivist: Beta surprises

WoW InsiderWoW Archivist: Beta surprises originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 02 Jul 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>auction-housebetablizzardblizzard-archivesblizzard-archivistblizzard-historyblood-elvesbucklersClassic-WoWclassic-wow-betadr.-boomfatiguefeaturedgaming-historygutterspeakmmo-historyNDAonline-gaming-historyPC-gaming-historyphasingpotion-sicknesspotionsrest-systemsouth-parksword-of-a-thousand-truthsthe-burning-crusadetraining-dummiestraining-dummyvanilla-betavanilla-warcraftvanilla-wowwarcraft-archiveswarcraft-archivistwarcraft-developmentwarcraft-historywarcraft-nostalgiawow-archiveswow-archivistwow-betawow-developmentwow-historywow-nostalgiaWrath-of-the-Lich-KingScott AndrewsWed, 02 Jul 2014 18:00:00 ESTThe tension between balance and player interesthttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/05/12/the-tension-between-balance-and-player-interest/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/05/12/the-tension-between-balance-and-player-interest/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/05/12/the-tension-between-balance-and-player-interest/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

I'm looking forward to Ashram, the new PvP island zone in Warlords that seems to combine elements from zones such as the Timeless Isle, Wintergrasp, and the old days of world PvP. So I tend to go looking for information on it, which is where I found the following.
With cross-realm groups being possible on Ashram, this is a perfect example of the ways the game has to balance what most players will do vs. what some players will do - balance the min-maxing attitude vs. the more common, and more often executed, use of a feature or game element. Ashram as it stands will allow players to group cross realm - this is intended so that players who have characters on separate realms (my wife and I, for instance, often would run the Timeless Isle on characters that were on separate realms) can still go to Ashram. This is a good and fun use of cross-realm grouping. But there's a potential down side to this.

Since cross-realm grouping is possible, we know the next step - something like oQueue that allows you to put together a group of 40 players and go destroy Ashram on an already imbalanced server. If a certain server is already heavily skewed towards the Alliance, putting together a 40 player group (since Ashram exists in the world and not in a raid instance) and just destroying any hapless Horde you come across, or vice versa. Even if you don't pick a server with a faction imbalance, it's still feasible that a big raid group could end up owning Ashram for an extended period of time, and using players that aren't even on the server.

Decisions in the game's design are always made between these two poles - between the ease of abuse, and the benefit it brings to individual players. Sometimes, even with the best of intentions, things don't work out like we'd hope. Reforging, as an example, falls into the 'possible player imbalanced use trumps player convenience' category.

Continue reading The tension between balance and player interest

WoW InsiderThe tension between balance and player interest originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 12 May 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>AshramBalancegame-systemsPlayerPvEPvPReforgingMatthew RossiMon, 12 May 2014 19:00:00 ESTMumper shares original design for the Tempest Keep dungeonshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/05/09/mumper-shares-original-design-for-the-tempest-keep-dungeons/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/05/09/mumper-shares-original-design-for-the-tempest-keep-dungeons/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/05/09/mumper-shares-original-design-for-the-tempest-keep-dungeons/#commentsFiled under: ,

The Arcatraz, Mechanar and Botanica are some of my favorite dungeons from the Burning Crusade era, and so, when Cory "Mumper" Stockton decided to share the original design of those three dungeons, I knew I had to show y'all.

What I really love about these little looks back into WoW's past (we've seen things like this first draft of Dalaran from Cory before) is how they inform current design, and also, how they make me wonder how things could have been different. The names in particular definitely needed work. It's just so cool to see these things, get a sense of how the game developed behind the scenes.

WoW InsiderMumper shares original design for the Tempest Keep dungeons originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 09 May 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Cory-StocktonMumperTempest-KeepMatthew RossiFri, 09 May 2014 16:00:00 ESTLoot, points, bonus rolls, and other optionshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/05/05/loot-points-bonus-rolls-and-other-options/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/05/05/loot-points-bonus-rolls-and-other-options/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/05/05/loot-points-bonus-rolls-and-other-options/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Before The Burning Crusade, there simply wasn't any other way to get gear for your character but for it to drop past a certain point. Sometimes you could buy a BoE piece on the auction house - my first epic was a Brain Hacker my wife bought me on the AH. But in general, if you wanted a piece of gear, you farmed for it. You ran dungeons over and over again, hoping a piece would drop, and hoping you would win the roll - and if neither of those things happened, you just kept running. It was possible to run the same dungeon every day, over and over again, and never get that drop you wanted - one friend of mine never completed his dungeon set, even when he was working on raiding Ahn'Qiraj, because the shoulders simply would not drop.

But during BC the Badges of Justice were devised, and for the first time players had a way to get around the luck of the draw. Over the course of the expansion, new gear was placed on vendors, gear that could be purchased for Badges, and this meant that players kept running as much content that dropped those badges as possible. It's fair to say that the badge system kept Karazhan going as a desired raiding location - people would bring their geared mains, even, just to get the extra badges. When the Isle of Quel'Danas vendor opened, all of my friends and guildmates (who were raiding TK and SSC and moving up into Hyjal and the Black Temple) picked up gear from the IoQD vendor, because it was easily as good if not slightly better as the drops we already had. It filled weak spots (those pants or boots or belt that never dropped) or provided us with weapons absolutely as good as drops we hadn't even seen yet.

The badge system got ever more complex in Wrath, with each new raid tier also seeing the debut of a new type of badge and new gear that badge could be spent on. As a result, the two tiered point system (justice and valor points, honor and conquest points for PvP) was introduced in Cataclysm (technically, during the tail end of Wrath) to simplify everything. It worked, to a point. Now, in Mists of Pandaria, we've seen justice and valor points be superseded by the bonus roll mechanic, one that will be revamped in Warlords of Draenor. One could argue that the bonus roll system puts the emphasis back on whether or not an item drops as opposed to simply collecting points to buy an item - it removes the certainty of reaching enough points to make a purchase, as well.

Continue reading Loot, points, bonus rolls, and other options

WoW InsiderLoot, points, bonus rolls, and other options originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 05 May 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>badge-of-justicejustice-pointsvalor-pointsMatthew RossiMon, 05 May 2014 13:00:00 ESTCould WoW have an expansion without raiding?http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/04/29/could-wow-have-an-expansion-without-raiding/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/04/29/could-wow-have-an-expansion-without-raiding/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/04/29/could-wow-have-an-expansion-without-raiding/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

I have raided in World of Warcraft since the beginning. Raiding has always been a big part of why I play the game. If not the reason I play, certainly a reason. So when I was sitting up last night and it occurred to me that I've never gone an entire expansion without raiding, I didn't initially think anything of it -- to me, raiding is what you do in WoW. But then I started really thinking about it. Because lots of people don't raid. Before the rise of LFR and flex, a lot of players -- the majority of players, really -- never set foot in a raid at all. They had 5-mans, and that was basically it for group content for them outside of PvP.

So I started asking myself if it would be possible to release an expansion with little to no raiding content at all. Would players accept it? It's a cliche (and an overused one among the community) that Blizzard didn't do this or that 'because it would cost us a raid tier' but let's really consider -- what if we could have the expansion next month, but it wouldn't have any raids? Would that be an expansion people would be willing to play?

One of the reasons I consider this a more controversial question that it would have been at the end of Wrath is because now, raiding is far, far more accessible than it was even then. With the advent of LFR and the recent development of flexible raiding, it's never been easier to raid than it is. While Warlords of Draenor is changing the raid game, those changes will only make mythic raiding in any way more restrictive -- the rest of raiding will remain very accessible.

Continue reading Could WoW have an expansion without raiding?

WoW InsiderCould WoW have an expansion without raiding? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 29 Apr 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>dungeondungeonseventsquestingquestsraidingraidngraidswarlords-of-draenorworld-bossworld-bossesworld-eventsMatthew RossiTue, 29 Apr 2014 19:00:00 ESTBlizzard on raid design evolutionhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/04/28/blizzard-on-raid-design-evolution/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/04/28/blizzard-on-raid-design-evolution/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/04/28/blizzard-on-raid-design-evolution/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Lead Game Designer Ion "Watcher" Hazzikostas has written a very extensive blog on the evolution of raid design, the first installment of which went live this morning. In this first part, Watcher covers the history of raiding, from the launch of the game in 2004 all the way through to the end of Icecrown Citadel in 2010.

For many, these were the glory days of raiding and World of Warcraft alike, well, if you believe the forums at least. Watcher talks about the developers' aims to make raiding more accessible, and to improve the gameplay of groups by reducing them in size -- one healer in a group of fifteen healers can't have as big an impact as one healer in a group of five or two. He also discusses the introduction of varying difficulties in raiding, and looks back over all the patches of some of the game's greatest raids.

Hit the break for the full post.

Continue reading Blizzard on raid design evolution

WoW InsiderBlizzard on raid design evolution originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 28 Apr 2014 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>ahn-qirajiccion-hazzikostasmolten-coreraidingtrial-of-the-crusaderulduarOlivia GraceMon, 28 Apr 2014 14:00:00 ESTGarrisons and their role in Warlords of Draenorhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2014/04/24/garrisons-and-their-role-in-warlords-of-draenor/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/04/24/garrisons-and-their-role-in-warlords-of-draenor/http://wow.joystiq.com/2014/04/24/garrisons-and-their-role-in-warlords-of-draenor/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

We're all talking about garrisons these days. Whether it's how they're going to work, where they're going to be, or what we're going to do with them they're the big new feature for Warlords of Draenor and we're all constantly worrying at the bone to try and squeeze more information out of them. It's understandable. Players have wanted something akin to player housing for years, and the garrison goes beyond that - it's effectively your own fortified town. It brings back memories for players of old school pen and paper RPG's like me of hitting the end of the expert levels in D&D and getting a dominion.

We've recently found out that the garrison will be heavily integrated into the leveling experience, requiring it to have a stable location (Frostfire Ridge for Horde, Shadowmoon Valley for Alliance) and that there will be specific racial-themed buildings for the professions section of your garrison. There's even going to be group content for garrisons. Mumper has even assured us that the garrison will not be required to level. Meanwhile, Muffinus has asked players who, out of the entire World of Warcraft, would they want as a follower - I'm personally pulling for Rexxar and Marhsall Windsor. Yes, I know.

What this all means is in flux, of course, as Mumper himself acknowledges - design is iterative, and changes happen. We're still waiting for more details, but what I wanted to talk about now is how the garrison is shaping up to become one of those rare things, a feature that can completely transform your playing experience in fundamental ways, yet not directly.

Continue reading Garrisons and their role in Warlords of Draenor

WoW InsiderGarrisons and their role in Warlords of Draenor originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 24 Apr 2014 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>buildingsgarrisongarrisonsgarrisons-progressionmuffinusmumperprofessionswarlords-of-draenorMatthew RossiThu, 24 Apr 2014 20:00:00 EST