WoW Insiderhttp://wow.joystiq.comWoW Insiderhttp://wow.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gifWoW Insiderhttp://wow.joystiq.comen-usCopyright 2012 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.Mists of Pandaria: New Wrathion voice files dataminedhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/mists-of-pandaria-new-wrathion-voice-files-datamined/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/mists-of-pandaria-new-wrathion-voice-files-datamined/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/mists-of-pandaria-new-wrathion-voice-files-datamined/#commentsFiled under:

Image
So, have you been wondering why exactly Wrathion's made an appearance in Pandaria? Datamining over the course of the past month or so has revealed several legendary quality items, and the possible existence of a quest chain for more details on what those legendary items are for. And of course this all ties back to our dear friend Wrathion, who has apparently been quite pleased with what he's seen so far in Pandaria.

But Wrathion, while a black dragon, isn't necessarily a bad guy. A bit short-tempered, yes. A creature you certainly wouldn't want to cross, absolutely. A black dragon with an agenda that benefits something other than himself? ... well, that actually seems kind of likely. MMO-Champion dug up some voice files for Wrathion and the apparent quest chain for those legendary items. The implications are utterly fascinating, both for current events in Mists of Pandaria, and for future patches as well.

Spoiler Warning: These voice files may contain big spoilers for Mists of Pandaria. If you are avoiding spoiler content, turn away.

Continue reading Mists of Pandaria: New Wrathion voice files datamined

WoW InsiderMists of Pandaria: New Wrathion voice files datamined originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 25 May 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>fangs-of-the-fatherlegendary-questslegendary-weaponsmists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-betavalley-of-the-four-windsveiled-stairworld-of-warcraftwrathionwrathion-the-purifiedAnne StickneyFri, 25 May 2012 16:00:00 ESTMists of Pandaria Beta: The evolution of itemizationhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/mists-of-pandaria-beta-the-evolution-of-itemization/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/mists-of-pandaria-beta-the-evolution-of-itemization/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/mists-of-pandaria-beta-the-evolution-of-itemization/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Image
Let me introduce you to the Massacre Sword. It was, and still is, a solid leveling green with a rather good model. I point it out to you to show you the odds of getting one with stats you'd actually want on a warrior, paladin or hunter (the three classes that would be using the sword at the time the game launched) and how likely it was you'd get, say, a Massacre Sword of the Boar or Whale. Granted, you could get a few fairly useful combinations (one of Strength or Agility, say, or a good two stat combo like Bear, Tiger, Eagle, Monkey or Gorilla depending on your class.

This was a green drop, of course. It wasn't meant to be the best of the best, just something to pick up and use on your way to dungeon loot. It's hard to compare it to what it would be replaced by nowadays, because a lot of that gear was re-itemized when Cataclysm came out and the dungeon levels were adjusted up or down. I remember replacing it with Lord Alexander's Battle Axe, followed by a Demonshear and an Arcanite Champion, before forays into Molten Core and Blackwing Lair. It's fascinating to consider how itemization works as a tool in driving players forward. Bad itemization, while baffling at times when encountered in game, actually serves a purpose in the hands of the developers. An item with too good of a stat spread can actually serve as a hanging burr, sticking to your character long after it should have been replaced.

I mention this because, to my mind, Mists of Pandaria is the first expansion to really know this, forwards and backwards. This is the expansion that will use gear design to motivate you better, more skillfully, and more expansively than ever before.

Continue reading Mists of Pandaria Beta: The evolution of itemization

WoW InsiderMists of Pandaria Beta: The evolution of itemization originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 25 May 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>designgear-designitemizationitemsmists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-betaMists-of-Pandaria-itemizationreforgingMatthew RossiFri, 25 May 2012 15:00:00 ESTMists of Pandaria Arena Pass Realm: PvP Sandbox?http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/mists-of-pandaria-arena-pass-realm-pvp-sandbox/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/mists-of-pandaria-arena-pass-realm-pvp-sandbox/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/mists-of-pandaria-arena-pass-realm-pvp-sandbox/#commentsFiled under: ,

Image
If you're signed up to the 2012 Arena Pass realm, chances are you're fairly into your PvP. I can imagine that you, like me, are daydreaming about the changes to your favourite class in Mists of Pandaria, and wondering what you'll be playing when the Pandas come to town. Maybe you're thinking of switching your main PvP character to something different, or, like me, wondering whether a pandaren will actually be the best race for your preferred class.

Wouldn't it be great if there was some way you could have a go with a max-level, fully geared character shortly after the start of Mists before you had to make such a big decision? Guess what? If you signed up for the 2012 Arena Pass realm, it's likely that you can!

Blizz Blue Nakatoir posted the following a few weeks back, in a dark corner of the EU forums:

Nakatoir
Sorry to come back to this so late. But I just wanted to let you know that we plan to have the level 90 realm up as soon as possible after the release of Mists of Pandaria, it may even be accessible within weeks after the release but this is not guaranteed.

"What does this mean for me?" you might ask, well this means that you may be able to access the Mists Arena Pass realm and get the epic PvP gear long before it is possible to have close to the same level of gear on the live realms. So you may be able to have access to the best PvP gear on the Arena Pass realm before most people will even have any on the live realms. :O

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty excited about this!

It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!

WoW InsiderMists of Pandaria Arena Pass Realm: PvP Sandbox? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 25 May 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>arenaarena-guidearena-passarena-pass-2012arena-pass-realmarenapassarenasfeaturedmistsmists-arena-passmists-of-pandariamists-pvppvp-guidewow-arenawow-arena-guideOlivia GraceFri, 25 May 2012 14:00:00 ESTRaid Rx: Recap of recent healing changeshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/raid-rx-recap-of-recent-healing-changes/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/raid-rx-recap-of-recent-healing-changes/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/25/raid-rx-recap-of-recent-healing-changes/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Image
Every week, Raid Rx will help you quarterback your healers to victory! Your host is Matt Low, the grand poohbah of World of Matticus and a founder of Plus Heal, a discussion community for healers of all experience levels and interests Catch his weekly podcast on healing, raiding and leading, the Matticast.

There's been some large changes to healing for some of the classes in recent builds. This week, we'll recap and go through the classes to see what's new. You might be interested to know that at level 89, my priest has 250k mana. Who wants to wager that 300k mana is the maximum cap at level 90? Remember with the new intellect and mana system coming in with the expansion, intellect stats no longer raise the mana pool anymore. Your mana regeneration is governed strictly by your spirit levels.

Priest

Lightwell receives a few tweaks to the healing numbers. More importantly, it now has a glyph that completely changes the functionality of the spell. Glyph of Lightspring turns Lightwell into an automatic healing ability with a catch. Lightwell will only heal players with health lower than 50%. It will only perform the check once every 5 seconds. That is a fair compromise to me. I've never been truly satisfied with Lightwell since my experience has shown me that most players never click on it when it really matters. At least this glyph helps remove control from them and I gain the knowledge of my Lightwell kicking in when it'll be needed.

Continue reading Raid Rx: Recap of recent healing changes

WoW InsiderRaid Rx: Recap of recent healing changes originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 25 May 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>druidfeaturedguidehealinghealing-guidehow-to-healmonkpaladinpriestraid-guideraid-healingraiding-guideshamanwow-guidewow-healingwow-raid-guidewow-raid-healingMatt LowFri, 25 May 2012 13:00:00 ESTMists of Pandaria: Sunwalker Dezco for Warchiefhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/mists-of-pandaria-sunwalker-dezco-for-warchief/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/mists-of-pandaria-sunwalker-dezco-for-warchief/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/mists-of-pandaria-sunwalker-dezco-for-warchief/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Image
Spoilers for Mists of Pandaria in this post.

I cannot tell you how much I enjoy Sunwalker Dezco. As a tauren, I love the idea that there's a tauren presence in Pandaria, and that unlike most of the Horde the leadership of said tauren, actually uses the quotes around the word Warchief when talking about Messere Hellscream.

I first met the Sunwalker in the Krasarang Wilds. He was leading an expedition to Pandaria inspired by the visions of his wife. After that, I ran into him again helping out against the mantid, then in Kun-Lai Summit at the Temple of the White Tiger, where he gives out a quest to meet with one of the August Celestials within the Temple of the White Tiger. After Xuen, the White Tiger, tests your mettle, he allows you and Dezco (if you're Horde) to go south. Pretty much everything Dezco says or does shows that he's loyal to the Horde, but clearly less than enamored with Garrosh and his particular way of leading it. Dezco is very involved with the quests leading to the Vale of Eternal Blossoms as well as Krasarang and Valley of the Four Winds, and he's at once a determined bringer of the light and a much more tolerant and reasonable Horde figure than we've seen in some time.

I'm just glad to see a new, no-nonsense tauren lore figure, and to see the tauren taking some initiative in Pandaria. And I admit, I love the idea of a sarcastic tauren paladin.

It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!

WoW InsiderMists of Pandaria: Sunwalker Dezco for Warchief originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 24 May 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>DezcoHordekrasarang-wildskun-lai-summitloremists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-betamists-of-pandaria-lorePandariaShuhaloSunwalker-DezcoTaurenvale-of-eternal-blossomsvalley-of-the-four-windsMatthew RossiThu, 24 May 2012 20:00:00 ESTWhat is Mists of Pandaria?http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/what-is-mists-of-pandaria/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/what-is-mists-of-pandaria/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/what-is-mists-of-pandaria/#commentsFiled under:

Image
You can hardly load up a WoW site without getting barraged by panda news. That information seems obvious -- after all, we're all sitting around drooling for the new expansion. But if you're the kind of player who prefers staying spoiler-free, then the substantive news about Mists of Pandaria versus the minutiae can seem overwhelming. So let's kick back on our armchair in the clouds and take a good, high-level look at the new expansion.

First things first. Mists of Pandaria is the fourth expansion to World of Warcraft. We've already had The Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King, and Cataclysm. This is the (very, very) basic story so far: In The Burning Crusade, the Horde and Alliance went off to Outland to bring down the machinations of a handful of elves and demons. While they were gone, though, the Lich King rose back up and attacked. Once the Lich King was defeated, a big, bad dragon woke up and wrecked shop on Azeroth. In Mists of Pandaria, the Horde and Alliance have dealt with external threats and are now turning their eyes to one another.

Continue reading What is Mists of Pandaria?

WoW InsiderWhat is Mists of Pandaria? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 24 May 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>featuredguidehow-to-play-wowmists-of-pandariamopnew-to-world-of-warcraftnoob-guidepandapandarenrookie-guideworld-of-warcraft-guideworld-of-warcraft-helpworld-of-warcraft-noobsworld-of-warcraft-rookieswow-guidewow-helpwow-noob-guidewow-noobswow-to-play-world-of-warcraftMichael GrayThu, 24 May 2012 16:00:00 ESTDaily quest cap to be removed, "100's of daily quests at level 90" [Updated]http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/daily-quest-cap-to-be-removed-100s-of-daily-quests-at-level-9/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/daily-quest-cap-to-be-removed-100s-of-daily-quests-at-level-9/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/daily-quest-cap-to-be-removed-100s-of-daily-quests-at-level-9/#commentsFiled under:

Lead content designer Cory Stockton took to the official forms today to let us all know some important news regarding daily quests in Mists: the current plan is for there to be no more cap. Initially the cap was at 10 daily quests, then 25. Now, however, it appears to be going away entirely.

Why? Because according to Stockton, there are "100's of daily quests at level 90."

The full blue post is as follows:

Mumper
Current plan is to remove the daily quest cap completely for ship. Just like what you see in the beta now. We literally have 100's of daily quests at level 90 and we want to make sure that players can pick and choose what they want to do.


Update 4:20 p.m. EDT: Yes, that really is 100's of new quests at level 90...


It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!

WoW InsiderDaily quest cap to be removed, "100's of daily quests at level 90" [Updated] originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 24 May 2012 13:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>breakingcory-stocktondaily-questdaily-questsmists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-daily-questsmumperAdam HoliskyThu, 24 May 2012 13:53:00 ESTMists of Pandaria login screen revealedhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/mists-of-pandaria-login-screen-revealed/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/mists-of-pandaria-login-screen-revealed/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/mists-of-pandaria-login-screen-revealed/#commentsFiled under: ,

Image
Our good friends over at Wowhead found a special treasure included in the latest beta patch. That treasure? Nothing short of the Mists login screen. Veteran players know the login screen design is critically important, since we'll be staring at that sucker for the next two years.

These are still images, so we don't know what the final animations might look like, but these gorgeous screenshots look like a pleasant change from WoW's previous dragons-and-yelling motif on login screens. Take a look at a hypothetical final behind the cut, and let us know what you think in comments.

Continue reading Mists of Pandaria login screen revealed

WoW InsiderMists of Pandaria login screen revealed originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 23 May 2012 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>loginlogin-screenmists-of-pandariamoppandaMichael GrayWed, 23 May 2012 17:40:00 ESTSkill Mastery: Blinding Lighthttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/skill-mastery-blinding-light/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/skill-mastery-blinding-light/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/skill-mastery-blinding-light/#commentsFiled under: ,

Ever since Eadric the Pure first made players spin around to avoid being blinded by his Radiance -- the bane of keyboard turners everywhere -- many paladins were enamored with the idea of firing off a flash of light and similarly dazzling those around them into incoherence. And we almost had it too, in the Cataclysm beta, when Blinding Light first debuted as a player ability. However, the spell was removed early on, only (it seems) to be put on the back burner.

Now, Blinding Light returns in Mists for a second try at making it into the paladin spellbook. This time around, it looks like it is here to stay. If you're in the beta, you can try it out yourself as soon as you hit 87.

The spell itself is pretty straightforward. On a 3-minute cooldown, you can fire off a burst of light that will cause all enemies around you to wander confusedly for 6 seconds. As a tank, I can see myself getting a lot of use out of this in AoE situations, when I need a breather from a pack of enemies that are punching me in the face.

Ret and holy paladins will find similar use for it, whether out in the wilds of Pandaria or deep in PvP. Basically, any time you need to get a large number of enemies to leave you alone for a few seconds, this spell is there for you.

Admittedly, it doesn't have the same flash or zing as some other level 87 spells, but it can very much shine in the right situations.
It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!

WoW InsiderSkill Mastery: Blinding Light originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 23 May 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>betablinding lightBlindingLightcrowd controlCrowdControlnew paladin spellsNewPaladinSpellspaladinsradianceMatt WalshWed, 23 May 2012 17:00:00 ESTGhostcrawler weighs in on shaman feedbackhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/ghostcrawler-weighs-in-on-shaman-feedback/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/ghostcrawler-weighs-in-on-shaman-feedback/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/ghostcrawler-weighs-in-on-shaman-feedback/#commentsFiled under: ,

Image
The beta has been under way now for some time, as have the feedback posts on the official forums. Shaman have had a few major changes to their repertoire, as well as a few more minor ones, but the general feeling from reading the posts made in the forums is that these changes don't go far enough. Shaman, it appears, don't feel like they're getting what they need to be viable, let alone competitive, and the unique nature of a lot of their abilities seems to continue to be as much a hindrance as it is a help.

But arriving like the white knight in medieval-styled dramas, just as the situation feels dire and unsalvageable, is Lead Systems Designer Greg "Ghostcrawler" Street. The shaman feedback post has finally had the equivalent of a Blizzard seal of approval, in the form of a blue post from the bluest of blues.

So what did the big GC address in his post, and what still remains outstanding for beta shaman?

One big complaint that many shaman brought up was glyphs. I recently tweeted fellow WoW Insider writer Joe Perez about this very matter, namely, that shaman glyphs were a mess. They felt either very lackluster or very penalty-heavy. A few patches ago, before the recent changes, I was playing my shaman with two empty glyph slots, because none of the glyphs felt worth using. This is a Bad Thing. A recent patch went some way to repairing this, but with it, a host of new problems appeared, some of which GC addresses after the break.

Continue reading Ghostcrawler weighs in on shaman feedback

WoW InsiderGhostcrawler weighs in on shaman feedback originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 23 May 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>featuredGhostcrawlerghostcrawler-betaghostcrawler-promised-me-a-ponyghostcrawler-shamanmistsmists-betamists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-betamists-of-pandaria-talent-changesmists-of-pandaria-talentsshaman-betashaman-healingshaman-infoshaman-talentsshamanswow-shamanwow-shaman-infoOlivia GraceWed, 23 May 2012 16:00:00 ESTBecome a master chef on the shores of Pandariahttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/become-a-master-chef-on-the-shores-of-pandaria/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/become-a-master-chef-on-the-shores-of-pandaria/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/become-a-master-chef-on-the-shores-of-pandaria/#commentsFiled under:

Image
The people of Pandaria take their food almost as seriously as their beer. Those of us who like to keep up on our cooking skill in World of Warcraft have our work cut out for us in the upcoming expansion. Rather than simply leveling to the skill cap and calling it a day, the process has become a little more involved: Pandaria offers six different cooking specializations, or Ways, which can eventually all be completed by one person.

The latest Mists beta patch has implemented a pair of awards for those who complete all six: the achievement Master of Pandaren Cooking and the title Master of the Ways to go with it. Move over, Savior of Azeroth. Being a master chef is where it's at.
It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!

WoW InsiderBecome a master chef on the shores of Pandaria originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 23 May 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>benny-hanahbreakingmaster-of-pandaren-cookingmaster-of-the-waysmists-of-pandariapandarenpandariapay-waipf-chongsavior-of-azerothAlex ZiebartWed, 23 May 2012 15:30:00 ESTThe Light and How to Swing It: Glyph of Inquisition and the myth of the no-brainerhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-glyph-of-inquisition-and-the-myth/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-glyph-of-inquisition-and-the-myth/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/the-light-and-how-to-swing-it-glyph-of-inquisition-and-the-myth/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Image
Every week, WoW Insider brings you The Light and How to Swing It for holy, protection and retribution paladins. Seasoned ret paladin Dan Desmond is here to answer your questions and provide you with your biweekly dose of retribution medicine. Contact him at dand@wowinsider.com with any questions, concerns, or suggestions!

Back in October, the blues issued a challenge to themselves, a goal for their new talent system in Mists of Pandaria -- there would be no mandatory talents, zero "no-brainers" or similarly choiceless situations. The same has been said for glyphs in the past, straight from the mouthparts of the head crab himself.

Now we all know that there has always been a chasm of varying width separating what the designers intend for a system and what we as players experience. Sometimes the devs do really well and the gap is but a crack in the sidewalk, while others look more Springfield Gorge, and others still like Valles Marineris on Mars. Even so, we can hardly blame them -- we players, as a whole, are a fickle bunch. It is only natural that a group numbering in the millions would have diverse opinions on what works and what doesn't, particularly when it pertains to how each of us play the game.

Continue reading The Light and How to Swing It: Glyph of Inquisition and the myth of the no-brainer

WoW InsiderThe Light and How to Swing It: Glyph of Inquisition and the myth of the no-brainer originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 23 May 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>featuredglyphsguide-to-paladinsguide-to-palliesguide-to-pallyspaladin-guidepaladin-infopaladin-talentspally-guidepally-infopally-talentsretribution-paladin-the-light-and-how-to-swing-ittalentswow-paladinwow-paladin-infowow-paladinswow-pallywow-pally-infoDan DesmondWed, 23 May 2012 15:00:00 ESTPandaren Mount Revealed: Dragon Turtlehttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/pandaren-mount-revealed-dragon-turtle/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/pandaren-mount-revealed-dragon-turtle/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/pandaren-mount-revealed-dragon-turtle/#commentsFiled under: ,

Image
Blizzard has announced today the pandaren mount coming in Mists of Pandaria is called the Dragon Turtle. They're large, scaled turtles with a bit of a dragon-like feel to them. They are ground mounts, which will be needed to roam around Pandaria while leveling from 85 to 90.

While Blizzard doesn't explicitly say that these will be obtainable by other races through a reputation grind, it's safe to assume that'll be the case. I for one can't wait to get one on my human warlock.

Check out Blizzard's full announcement post after the break.

Continue reading Pandaren Mount Revealed: Dragon Turtle

WoW InsiderPandaren Mount Revealed: Dragon Turtle originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 23 May 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>breakingdragon-turtlemists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-mountmountmountspandaren-dragon-turtlepandaren-mountAdam HoliskyWed, 23 May 2012 13:00:00 EST3 things the Black Market Auction House needs to succeedhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/3-things-the-black-market-auction-house-needs-to-succeed/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/3-things-the-black-market-auction-house-needs-to-succeed/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/3-things-the-black-market-auction-house-needs-to-succeed/#commentsFiled under: ,

Image
The Black Market Auction House seems to be a controversial topic. Some players love the idea, while some players utterly detest the idea with every ounce of their being. Regardless, the theory behind the Black Market Auction House is a solid one. Removing gold from the WoW economy is something that is desperately needed in the days of Auction House kings, in order to balance everything out. If the Black Market Auction House works, it'll even out player gold to a reasonable level, keeping items on the regular Auction House at reasonable prices.

And for those who spent the tremendous amount of time it takes to amass their fortunes, it means that they finally have something to spend their reward on, something tangible and -- let's face it -- something pretty cool. In expansions past, we've only had one or two really major gold sinks to speak of, whether crafted mounts, or really useful mounts purchased from a vendor. Once those mounts were purchased or crafted, there was a vast sea of nothing for people to spend that gold on.

But the potential for abuse runs pretty high with this thing. And as I pondered the potential side effects of the Black Market Auction House, I realized there are certain things that really need to be in place to make it work effectively.

Continue reading 3 things the Black Market Auction House needs to succeed

WoW Insider3 things the Black Market Auction House needs to succeed originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 21 May 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>black+market+auction+houseblack+market+auction+house+wowblack-marketblack-market-auction-houseblackmarketauctionhouseblackmarketauctionhousewowcrafting-recipiesgold-sinkmadam-goyamists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-betamop+black+marketmopblackmarketrare-mountsrare-petsremoved-from-gameserver-economytier-3world-of-warcraftwow+black+marketwow+black+market+auction+housewowblackmarketwowblackmarketauctionhousewrathionAnne StickneyMon, 21 May 2012 20:00:00 ESTMists of Pandaria: 'What has changed?' makes class changes more palatablehttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/mists-of-pandaria-beta-what-has-changed-makes-class-changes/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/mists-of-pandaria-beta-what-has-changed-makes-class-changes/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/mists-of-pandaria-beta-what-has-changed-makes-class-changes/#commentsFiled under:

Image
One of the sharpest double-edged swords in Blizzard's arsenal is the constant iteration to class and play design that comes with each World of Warcraft expansion. On the one hand, players like innovation and new mechanics and spells to keep their favorite class fresh. On the other hand, players could reject the changes as too severe or too different from the class they originally set out to play, as was the case with Alex Ziebart and myself with paladins in Cataclysm. It's a risky move to change up the core mechanics of a class, and the introduction of the "What's New" window helps streamline this occasionally daunting issue.

New and old players alike will benefit greatly from the "What has changed?" tab. Simply open up your spellbook and click on the last tab at the bottom. You'll be greeted with a new screen giving you the run down on some of the biggest changes to your class coming in Mists of Pandaria.

Continue reading Mists of Pandaria: 'What has changed?' makes class changes more palatable

WoW InsiderMists of Pandaria: 'What has changed?' makes class changes more palatable originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 21 May 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>betachangechangedclass-changesdesignmists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-betaold-playersold-wow-playersplayers-returnreturning-playersupdatewhatwhat-has-changedMathew McCurleyMon, 21 May 2012 19:00:00 EST5 things you need to know about the Temple of the Jade Serpenthttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-temple-of-the-jade-serpent/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-temple-of-the-jade-serpent/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-temple-of-the-jade-serpent/#commentsFiled under:

Image
So, last time on 5 Things You Need to Know, we took you on a rollicking, barrel-rolling, beer-spewing adventure through the Stormstout Brewery. Many laughs were had at the adorable kitty-esque bosses, many a hammer was clicked, fruit and vegetables were hurled, and much drunken japery was had by all.

If the Stormstout Brewery was the chirpy cheerleader, then the Temple of the Jade Serpent is the emo sister, the one with the funky hair and the slightly offbeat jewelery. This is the Daria to Stormstout's Quinn. (Am I showing my age by referencing retro MTV cartoons? You bet I am!)

So just like last time, this is definitely not a full, step-by-step guide (but of course, we already did one of those for you). This is a set of simple facts that will arm you with just enough knowledge to tackle this second dungeon with the panache we expect of our dashing, well-read audience.

Let's get on with it!

1. You can go either right or left at the start. You start in a room with some quest givers, and in beta, the eminent Flaskataur, Esq. fulfills all your needs for glyphs and Tomes of the Clear Mind-- and frankly, your needs for tauren in adorable hats. From there, you have two corridors leading to the first two bosses through some trash. You can go either way. After killing whichever boss you kill second, you will be guided via a ramp to the next stage of the dungeon. I reckon right is easier than left. You may disagree. After you've killed whichever side you start with, you'll need to go back from whence you came and do the other one.

Continue reading 5 things you need to know about the Temple of the Jade Serpent

WoW Insider5 things you need to know about the Temple of the Jade Serpent originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 21 May 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>5-things-you-need-to-knowdont-stand-in-badjade-serpentmistsmists-dungeonmists-dungeon-guidemists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-betapandariapandaria-dungeonssha-of-doubtstormstout-brewerytemple-dungeontemple-of-the-jade-serpentwise-mariWorld-of-Warcraftworld-of-warcraft-mists-of-pandariaOlivia GraceMon, 21 May 2012 17:00:00 ESTBlood Pact: Demonic Leaping to new heights of awesomenesshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/blood-pact-demonic-leaping-to-new-heights-of-awesomeness/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/blood-pact-demonic-leaping-to-new-heights-of-awesomeness/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/blood-pact-demonic-leaping-to-new-heights-of-awesomeness/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Image
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Blood Pact for affliction, demonology, and destruction warlocks. This week, Megan O'Neill is disappointed that moonkin are allowed to ride mounts, but not metamorphs. That's just not fair.

I admit: I don't play demonology. As much as I'm a maestro at affliction, corruption gliding from my fingertips, I just fall apart when it comes to mastering the demonic arts like Illidan. So on the one hand, I don't really know where demonology is supposed to be heading in Mists of Pandaria, apart from Metamorphosis being just more awesome now.

On the other hand, I don't have the old habits to rewrite over. I'm new blood, much like the revamp of warlocks in Mists will certainly attract people who don't play the class now. I'm perfect for testing how easy the spec is to pick up for newbies.

I can tell you this: I was having fun on beta demonology. All you have to do is Demonic Leap with me beyond the break.

Continue reading Blood Pact: Demonic Leaping to new heights of awesomeness

WoW InsiderBlood Pact: Demonic Leaping to new heights of awesomeness originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 21 May 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>carrion-swarmchaos-wavedemonic-furydemonic-leapdemonic-slashfeaturedguide-to-locksguide-to-warlockshand-of-guldanlock-guidelock-infolock-talentsmetamorphosismists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-betashadow-boltvoid-raywarlock-guidewarlock-infowarlock-talentswild-impswow-lockwow-lock-infowow-lockswow-warlockwow-warlock-infowow-warlocksMegan O'NeillMon, 21 May 2012 12:00:00 ESTMists of Pandaria Beta: Finally, a portable reforgerhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/mists-of-pandaria-beta-finally-a-portable-reforger/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/mists-of-pandaria-beta-finally-a-portable-reforger/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/mists-of-pandaria-beta-finally-a-portable-reforger/#commentsFiled under:

Image
Deep in the heart of Kun-Lai Summit, at The Grummle Bazaar, lies a vendor named Uncle Bigpocket who, at some point, will sell the Grand Expedition Yak, this expansion's version of the Traveler's Tundra Mammoth. It's a beautiful beast, but what caught my attention were the vendors on the side of it. One of them is named Cousin Slowhands, a NPC who seems like he probably sells water and food and the like. The second vendor, on the other hand, is named Mystic Birdhat, Arcane Reforger.

Many players have posted on the forums (we've even floated the idea), pleading for some type of portable reforging tool. Well, it seems Blizzard was listening! While the price for the mount would appear to be about 60,000 gold, the possibility of account-wide mounts makes this purchase worthwhile. Hopefully, someone in your raid or dungeon group has some deep pockets!

[Thanks to Runek for the heads up!]
It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!

WoW InsiderMists of Pandaria Beta: Finally, a portable reforger originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 21 May 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>arcane-reforgerbreakingcousin-slowhandsgrand-expedition-yakmists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-betamystic-birdhatportable-reforgerreforgereforgerreforgingwow-portable-reforgerDan DesmondMon, 21 May 2012 09:00:00 ESTMists of Pandaria: Male pandaren voice emotes revealedhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/20/mists-of-pandaria-male-pandaren-voice-emotes-revealed/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/20/mists-of-pandaria-male-pandaren-voice-emotes-revealed/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/20/mists-of-pandaria-male-pandaren-voice-emotes-revealed/#commentsFiled under:

Throughout the Mists of Pandaria beta, players have been commending Blizzard on just how much emotion you can see in pandaren emotes and animations. These guys actually get into what's going on, as opposed to most of the current player races, which lack much facial rigging at all.

That emotion extends to the male pandaren voice emotes, which were added to the game files in the latest Mists beta patch. MMO-Champion's video, embedded above, displays all of these emotes quite well. Who knew pandaren were so good at begging for mercy?
It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!

WoW InsiderMists of Pandaria: Male pandaren voice emotes revealed originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sun, 20 May 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>male-pandaren-emotesmists-of-pandariapandarenpandaren-emotepandaren-voicespandariaAlex ZiebartSun, 20 May 2012 16:00:00 ESTThe Care and Feeding of Warriors: The fury of Diablo 3http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/19/the-care-and-feeding-of-warriors-the-fury-of-diablo-3/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/19/the-care-and-feeding-of-warriors-the-fury-of-diablo-3/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/19/the-care-and-feeding-of-warriors-the-fury-of-diablo-3/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Image
Every week, WoW Insider brings you The Care and Feeding of Warriors, the column dedicated to arms, fury and protection warriors. Despite repeated blows to the head from dragons, demons, Old Gods and whatever that thing over there was, Matthew Rossi will be your host.

The past week I have been doing two things in terms of my video game time. I have been tanking heroic Dragon Soul, and I have been playing a barbarian in Diablo III. And frankly, they bleed together, because although World of Warcraft's story draws directly from the Warcraft RTS and setting, WoW had Diablo in its DNA. Don't believe me? Roll a paladin in Diablo II, then go take a look at what paladin talent trees looked like when vanilla WoW launched.

So for the past week, as I contemplate the Mists of Pandaria revamp to talents and specializations, the huge rage redesign, and how the class is going to work, I keep casting covetous eyes onto the barbarian I keep rocking faces on. Now, Diablo III and World of Warcraft are different games with different design philosophies. WoW tries a lot harder for balance between competing classes because it has more classes. D3 has five classes, and no two of those classes does what it does the same way. The witch doctor and the wizard and demon hunter all fight from range, the barbarian and monk both fight in melee, but how they do these things is thoroughly different, and D3 doesn't have the tank/DPS/healer trinity to consider. You chug potions, you spec for survival, and you blow stuff up.

Still, there are things I really want to see Mists steal from Diablo III. Like, say, its version of Revenge. That thing is sweet.

Continue reading The Care and Feeding of Warriors: The fury of Diablo 3

WoW InsiderThe Care and Feeding of Warriors: The fury of Diablo 3 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 19 May 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>Matthew RossiSat, 19 May 2012 18:00:00 EST