WoW Insider http://wow.joystiq.com WoW Insider http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://wow.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif WoW Insider http://wow.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Daily 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-questsmumperThu, 24 May 2012 13:53:00 EST<![CDATA[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/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/become-a-master-chef-on-the-shores-of-pandaria/#commentsFiled under:

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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-azerothWed, 23 May 2012 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[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/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/pandaren-mount-revealed-dragon-turtle/#commentsFiled under: ,

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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-mountWed, 23 May 2012 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[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/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/21/mists-of-pandaria-beta-finally-a-portable-reforger/#commentsFiled under:

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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-reforgerMon, 21 May 2012 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[World of Warcraft and Battle.net web services currently down [Updated]]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/18/world-of-warcraft-and-battle-net-web-services-currently-down/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/18/world-of-warcraft-and-battle-net-web-services-currently-down/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/18/world-of-warcraft-and-battle-net-web-services-currently-down/#commentsFiled under:

For reasons unknown, World of Warcraft and Battle.net web services are all down for the count this morning. Social media speculation lays blame at the feet of Diablo III, but judging by my barbarian's continued ability to run roughshod over Azmodan's legions, that may not be the case -- the Diablo III service appears to be operating perfectly fine.

Of course, the possibility remains that some aspect of Diablo III's current operations is placing excessive strain on other areas of Battle.net's infrastructure, and the targeted blame may yet be accurate. We have yet to see a statement from Blizzard on the downtime, but we will update you as soon as we do.

Update: The game-side issue appears to be an issue with the login server. If you are already logged into World of Warcraft ... don't log off if you want to keep playing!

Update #2: The Battle.net downtime appears to have been resolved.

WoW InsiderWorld of Warcraft and Battle.net web services currently down [Updated] originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 18 May 2012 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>battle-netbattlenetbreakingdowntimeFri, 18 May 2012 10:28:00 EST<![CDATA[Mists of Pandaria Beta: Spirit gear is coming back in fashion]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/15/mists-of-pandaria-beta-spirit-gear-is-coming-back-in-fashion/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/15/mists-of-pandaria-beta-spirit-gear-is-coming-back-in-fashion/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/15/mists-of-pandaria-beta-spirit-gear-is-coming-back-in-fashion/#commentsFiled under: ,

It's been known for a while that spirit gear isn't on the list for the most part right now for players leveling in Mists. DPS cloth abounds, and the idea the designers have is that you can just reforge the DPS gear into healer gear easily enough (or at least reforge it so that it's passable as healer gear).

In part, this concept comes from the new rewards system, where you don't see all the gear rewards the quest giver offers but rather only the ones that are specific to you. As a solution to this, Blizzard provides green gear vendors that distribute off-spec gear.

However, Ghostcrawler announced today that Blizzard's going to offer more spirit gear again via quest rewards. This is in part due to the constructive (read: non-trolling) feedback it's received on the issue.

Ghostcrawler
After reading more of this feedback and looking at the zones, we're concerned that there aren't enough quest rewards with Spirit on them. We are leaning towards offering more, as choices, so that players who feel like their Spirit is low can choose to have more.


So rejoice, healers! Getting geared up will be a bit easier for you now.
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: Spirit gear is coming back in fashion originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 15 May 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingghostcrawlerhealershealinghealing-gearmists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-healing-gearmists-of-pandaria-spirit-gearnot-diablospiritTue, 15 May 2012 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Blizzard fixing GAME Australia's mess, giving Diablo 3 to those who preordered]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/14/blizzard-fixing-game-australias-mess-giving-diablo-3-to-those/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/14/blizzard-fixing-game-australias-mess-giving-diablo-3-to-those/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/14/blizzard-fixing-game-australias-mess-giving-diablo-3-to-those/#commentsFiled under: ,

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GAME Australia (a large video game retailer) is entering voluntary administration, which is the same as going into bankruptcy in the United States. Included in this fact is that GAME will not be giving Diablo III to all those who preordered it. To add salt to the wound, GAME will also not be offering refunds for Diablo III preorders -- or rather, it will, but only after practically every other person under the sun is paid back, and only then if people specifically file as an unsecured creditor, of sorts.

Essentially, if you live in Australia and you bought Diablo III from GAME, you're screwed. But wait -- Blizzard to the rescue.

In what has to be one of the classiest moves I've seen from a gaming company, Blizzard is offering a solution for those who have gotten the short end of the stick. Those who preordered from GAME can buy the Diablo III digital edition tonight, submit their GAME Australia receipt to Blizzard, and get refunded from Blizzard whatever money they paid for their preorder.

It's rare that anyone gets to report news of a company going out of its way to do something like this, let alone a multinational as huge as Blizzard. Huge kudos to Blizzard. Check out the full post announcing this, along with key dates, after the break.

Continue reading Blizzard fixing GAME Australia's mess, giving Diablo 3 to those who preordered

WoW InsiderBlizzard fixing GAME Australia's mess, giving Diablo 3 to those who preordered originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 14 May 2012 23:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>australiabreakingdiablodiablo-3diablo-iiigame-australiagame-australia-diablo-3-refundlylirraMon, 14 May 2012 23:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Common Diablo 3 installation problems and how to fix them]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/14/common-diablo-3-installation-problems-and-how-to-fix-them/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/14/common-diablo-3-installation-problems-and-how-to-fix-them/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/14/common-diablo-3-installation-problems-and-how-to-fix-them/#commentsFiled under:

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As Diablo 3 installers start running today (even though you can install the game, you can't play until midnight PST), a host of issues have cropped up. Most of these can be solved by commonsense troubleshooting techniques, but some others are a bit more evil.

We'll keep this post updated throughout the next couple of days with the latest problems and info on how to fix them. We'll also include non-Blizzard sources when appropriate (but in general, Blizzard is pretty on top of all these).
For more information on basic troubleshooting of the installation, check out Blizzard's thread with tips on what you can do with your computer to fix most issues.

Continue reading Common Diablo 3 installation problems and how to fix them

WoW InsiderCommon Diablo 3 installation problems and how to fix them originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 14 May 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingdiablo-3-common-problemsdiablo-3-installdiablo-3-installation-problemsMon, 14 May 2012 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[6 blue posts you need to read before the release of Diablo 3]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/12/blue-posts-you-need-to-read-before-the-release-of-diablo-3/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/12/blue-posts-you-need-to-read-before-the-release-of-diablo-3/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/12/blue-posts-you-need-to-read-before-the-release-of-diablo-3/#commentsFiled under:

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Evil is returning in just a few days, and if you want to be ready for all the death and destruction that's out there, you'll want to be sure to read up on what the blues are saying. We've collected some of the more important posts over the last week to share with you.

Keep in mind that when Diablo 3 does finally release this Tuesday, all WoW Annual Pass subscribers will get instant access. You can upgrade your account later to the Collector's Edition if you've ordered that. Also remember that you can download the client files now so you won't have to wait around much on release night.

We're also planning on having some Diablo 3 lore material for you to enjoy on Monday, so stay tuned for that.

Hit the jump to learn about special beta titles, known issues in the D3 release, and why feeling like a total overpowered badass is a good thing.

Continue reading 6 blue posts you need to read before the release of Diablo 3

WoW Insider6 blue posts you need to read before the release of Diablo 3 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 12 May 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingdiablodiablo+3diablo+3+newsdiablo+3+releasediablo+iiidiablo-3diablo-3-blue-postsdiablo-3-release-known-issuesdiablo-patch-1.0.1-known-issuesdiablo3diablo3newsdiablo3releasediabloiiiSat, 12 May 2012 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mists of Pandaria: Black Market Auction House offers rare and removed items]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/12/mists-of-pandaria-black-market-auction-house-offers-rare-and-re/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/12/mists-of-pandaria-black-market-auction-house-offers-rare-and-re/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/12/mists-of-pandaria-black-market-auction-house-offers-rare-and-re/#commentsFiled under:

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According to reports by MMO-Champion, the Black Market Auction House is now live on beta realms. Attempts to confirm this by chatting with Madam Goya just kicked back a UI error at me, but there seem to be plenty of people stopping by to check her out. Madam Goya makes her home at the Tavern of the Mists in the Veiled Stair, north of the Valley of the Four Winds. She's not alone, as Wrathion is still quietly hanging out in the tavern as well.

So what's available at the Black Market? A little bit of everything, including rare mounts like the Ashes of Al'ar, pictured above. Also included are pets that require a grind to obtain such as the Sen'jin Fetish, previously available only from grinding out Argent Tournament reputation, and high-level crafting recipes, although we don't have a lot of information on what those recipes are exactly.

However, perhaps the most interesting note to glean from this is that the Black Market Auction House appears to be carrying the original tier 3 sets that were removed from the game when Naxxramas was moved to Northrend and changed from a 40-man raid to a 10- and 25-man raid in Wrath of the Lich King. Obviously, this means that those looking to transmogrify into these rare tier sets can now pay to do so -- provided they've got the gold to fling around.

Continue reading Mists of Pandaria: Black Market Auction House offers rare and removed items

WoW InsiderMists of Pandaria: Black Market Auction House offers rare and removed items originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 12 May 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>black+market+auction+houseblack+market+auction+house+wowblack-marketblack-market-auction-houseblackmarketauctionhouseblackmarketauctionhousewowbreakingcrafting-recipiesmadam-goyamists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-betamop+black+marketmopblackmarketrare-mountsrare-petsremoved-from-gametier-3valley-of-the-four-windsveiled-stairworld-of-warcraftwow+black+marketwow+black+market+auction+housewowblackmarketwowblackmarketauctionhousewrathionwrathion-the-purifiedSat, 12 May 2012 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Mists of Pandaria Beta: Goblin Glider proves engineering is still the best profession]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/12/mists-of-pandaria-beta-goblin-glider-proves-engineering-is-stil/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/12/mists-of-pandaria-beta-goblin-glider-proves-engineering-is-stil/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/12/mists-of-pandaria-beta-goblin-glider-proves-engineering-is-stil/#commentsFiled under:

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My love of engineering is no secret. Engineering is the best profession in WoW, period, as measured by the only scale that matters: awesome points. We've seen some new head pieces coming in Mists of Pandaria, but there really has not been a huge amount of engineering news. Well, that's all changed now that the Goblin Glider engineering enchant has been introduced.

What's the Goblin Glider? This new enchant attaches the Mists of Pandaria version of the Flexweave Underlay (whose update was oddly missing from Cataclysm) that looks to only use a handful of easily obtainable materials. The real kicker with this new slow-fall cloak is that it's got a built-in Nitro Boost that periodically pushes the player forward through the air. What this means is that you've got periodic forward momentum for 30 seconds of slow fall with the ability to steer your character 360 degrees. Not only is this the coolest new escape tool for engineers, it makes WoW base jumping about 900 times cooler.

I am really excited to get my hands on the new engineering stuff, and it's great to see the best profession in the game getting some love. Let's see more, Blizz!
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: Goblin Glider proves engineering is still the best profession originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 12 May 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingengineeringengineering-best-professionengineersflexweave-underlayglidergoblingoblin-glidermists+of+pandariamistsofpandarianitro-boostspandaria+betapandariabetaslow-fallSat, 12 May 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Blizzard and Valve settle DOTA dispute, Blizzard DOTA officially Blizzard All-Stars]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/11/blizzard-and-valve-settle-dota-dispute-blizzard-dota-officially/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/11/blizzard-and-valve-settle-dota-dispute-blizzard-dota-officially/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/11/blizzard-and-valve-settle-dota-dispute-blizzard-dota-officially/#commentsFiled under: ,

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Blizzard and Valve have been going back and forth about ownership of the DOTA title for awhile now. It's a complicated issue that's been summed up very well by Joystiq's JC Fletcher: "Which giant company has the rights to the fan-created, community-promoted word 'Dota?'"

As of today, it turns out Valve has those rights. The two giant companies have amicably settled the issue amongst themselves. Valve will release its DOTA title as Dota 2, and Blizzard will release its as Blizzard All-Stars. Personally, I'm a bigger fan of All-Stars, anyway. It gives the name some real flavor and, as stated by Blizzard VP Rob Pardo, "ultimately better reflects the design of our game."

Of course, regardless of the decisions made here, the fan community will inevitably continue calling this genre of games DOTA or some variation thereof. If you care to read the full press release regarding this agreement, hop behind the cut below.

Continue reading Blizzard and Valve settle DOTA dispute, Blizzard DOTA officially Blizzard All-Stars

WoW InsiderBlizzard and Valve settle DOTA dispute, Blizzard DOTA officially Blizzard All-Stars originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 11 May 2012 18:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzardblizzard-all-starsblizzard-dotabreakingdotadota-2valveFri, 11 May 2012 18:03:00 EST<![CDATA[Cross-realm zones coming to Mists of Pandaria]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/10/cross-realm-zones-coming-to-mists-of-pandaria/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/10/cross-realm-zones-coming-to-mists-of-pandaria/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/10/cross-realm-zones-coming-to-mists-of-pandaria/#commentsFiled under: ,

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Recently, one of the criticisms most often heard about the World of Warcraft experience relates to server population or faction imbalances -- you can't always find enough players in your level range to have a fulfilling gameplay experience. It seems as if Mists of Pandaria is going to be fixing that issue in a big way: Blizzard has just announced cross-realm zones.


Cross-Realm Zones Coming to Beta
In the World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria beta, we're introducing a new technology that will enable players to meet up and group with other players in under populated areas of the world such as low level zones or areas that other players may have outleveled or moved on from. This technology will allow players to form a group with other players from within a select pool of realms in order to quest just like they normally would while still allowing the social structures of their home realms to remain intact.


For the full FAQ, head over to Battle.net, or check behind the break below.

UPDATE: Blizzard has answered additional questions in the FAQ.

Continue reading Cross-realm zones coming to Mists of Pandaria

WoW InsiderCross-realm zones coming to Mists of Pandaria originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 10 May 2012 16:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingcross-realm-questingcross-realm-zonesmists-of-pandariaThu, 10 May 2012 16:49:00 EST<![CDATA[Zarhym clarifies account-wide achievements]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/09/zarhym-clarifies-account-wide-achievements/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/09/zarhym-clarifies-account-wide-achievements/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/09/zarhym-clarifies-account-wide-achievements/#commentsFiled under: ,

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Ghostcrawler did a pretty good job explaining the upcoming account-wide achievements, but some players still have questions regarding both achievements and account-wide mounts, as well. Community Manager Zarhym (@CM_Zarhym on Twitter) further clarified the account-wide achievement and mount system earlier, as well as clearing the air about the question regarding account-wide reputation.

Zarhym
We don't want to make reputation account-wide. We think that removes too much of the gameplay of having an alt. Harkening back to the blog, the goal is for players to feel free to play their alts. If you have a cool mount on character A, then that might be an issue. Being exalted on character A so that enchants are easier to buy doesn't seem like the same issue. (What I mean is, it's a short step from there to saying character A has better gear so you aren't going to play B).

We can understand where the desire to have reputations function in this way stems from, however. For this reason faction rep is going to work a little differently in Mists of Pandaria and, we think, will feel better for players with multiple characters.


While we don't know exactly how faction reputation is going to work as of yet in Mists, it's nice to see that Blizzard is addressing the concerns of those with multiple alts. But the biggest question so far regarding account-wide achievements and mounts is what exactly the definition of "account-wide" is. Is it account-wide or Battle.net-account-wide? The wise floating skull cleared that one up for us, too.

Continue reading Zarhym clarifies account-wide achievements

WoW InsiderZarhym clarifies account-wide achievements originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 09 May 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>account-wide-achievementsaccount-wide-mountsbattle-net-accountbreakingmaster-ridingmists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-betamount-collectingpremade-characterspremadesviolet-proto-drakewhat-a-long-strange-trip-its-beenwow-licenseWed, 09 May 2012 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[World of Warcraft subscriber numbers remain at 10.2 million]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/09/world-of-warcraft-subscriber-numbers-remain-at-10-2-million/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/09/world-of-warcraft-subscriber-numbers-remain-at-10-2-million/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/09/world-of-warcraft-subscriber-numbers-remain-at-10-2-million/#commentsFiled under: ,

Blizzard announced today in the investors call that the World of Warcraft population remains stable at 10.2 million subscribers. This is after the announced dip to 10.2 million in February 2012.

Activision-Blizzard
Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft(R) Remains #1 Subscription-Based MMORPG with Approximately 10.2 Million Subscribers as of 3/31/12


In other WoW news from the call, Blizzard has renewed its license with NetEase for China distribution: "On March 20, 2012, Blizzard Entertainment announced that they renewed their license with NetEase for the distribution of World of Warcraft in mainland China. The new license will continue for an additional three years following the expiration of the current license agreement."

There is no indication of specific North American / European numbers, nor is there any specific indication of when Mists will release.
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 InsiderWorld of Warcraft subscriber numbers remain at 10.2 million originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 09 May 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activision-blizzardbreakingsubscription-numberswow-subscription-numbersWed, 09 May 2012 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mists of Pandaria Beta: Male and female pandaren dances are live]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/08/mists-of-pandaria-beta-male-and-female-pandaren-dances-are-live/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/08/mists-of-pandaria-beta-male-and-female-pandaren-dances-are-live/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/08/mists-of-pandaria-beta-male-and-female-pandaren-dances-are-live/#commentsFiled under:

Rejoice! Pandaren dances are in. I won't take up your time -- just watch. The male pandaren are doing some variation of the Party Rock Anthem dance (maybe?), and the female pandaren is distinctly the caramelldansen meme. Very well animated, as usual. What do you guys think?
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: Male and female pandaren dances are live originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 08 May 2012 22:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingcaramelldansendancedancespanda-dancespandarenparty-rockparty-rock-anthemslash-danceTue, 08 May 2012 22:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Annual Pass beta invitations have all been distributed]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/08/annual-pass-beta-invitations-have-all-been-distributed/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/08/annual-pass-beta-invitations-have-all-been-distributed/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/08/annual-pass-beta-invitations-have-all-been-distributed/#commentsFiled under: ,

It would be an understatement to say that the Annual Pass beta invitation process did not go as expected for anybody involved, Blizzard included. Who knew well over one million World of Warcraft players would sign up for the program, all of them anxiously awaiting an invitation to the Mists of Pandaria beta?

Thankfully, according to community manager Kaivax, the final round of beta invitations has been sent as of today.


Final Annual Pass Beta Invitations Sent
The World of Warcraft Annual Pass promotion ended May 1, and we recently sent out the remaining Mists of Pandaria beta invitations. Check your games list in Battle.net Account Management for the Mists of Pandaria beta. You can download and install it from there.

Again, thank you for your enthusiasm and feedback. To provide feedback for the Mists of Pandaria beta, we invite you to please post in the Beta Feedback forum.


If you're an Annual Pass subscriber and you haven't received your beta invitation yet, don't panic! Betas do have a tendency to take their sweet time appearing in your games list.
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 InsiderAnnual Pass beta invitations have all been distributed originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 08 May 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>annual-passbreakingkaivaxmists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-betaTue, 08 May 2012 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Wowscan: A new tool for making gold]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/08/wowscan-a-new-tool-for-making-gold/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/08/wowscan-a-new-tool-for-making-gold/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/08/wowscan-a-new-tool-for-making-gold/#commentsFiled under:

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I have had my hand in the cookie jar that is the Auction House a few times during Cataclysm, and if there's one thing I learned, it's that information is your best friend. I downloaded Auctioneer / Auctionator to spot cheap bids and track how my own sales were doing. I browsed The Undermine Journal for data like average prices, standard deviations, and recent auctions. Even WoW Insider's own Gold Capped column helped me identify potential markets and provided general advice. All of these things made my profits possible.

Well, a new tool has entered the mix: Wowscan. I have to admit, at first it struck me as a bit too much like The Undermine Journal. Certainly Wowscan works very similar in that it scans auction data and posts it on its site in a searchable format. Now, I'm no Basil or even a Fox, but after some experimentation it seems to me that there are a few advantages and disadvantages to a site like Wowscan in comparison to TUJ.

First of all, and probably the biggest difference that I've noticed, is that Wowscan has the ability to compile all of its realm data into one searchable list. For example, if you wanted to find the absolute cheapest auction of Reins of the Swift Spectral Tiger, all you have to do is select All Realms and search for it. From all of my dealings with TUJ, I have never found the option to search all of the realms at once. Since most of my use of TUJ was focused on a single realm, searching multiple realms at once never really became an issue for me. This function becomes valuable when you are looking to buy an ultra-rare item and don't care how much money you have to spend on realm transfers to get it.

Continue reading Wowscan: A new tool for making gold

WoW InsiderWowscan: A new tool for making gold originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 08 May 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auction-housebreakingwow-goldwowscanTue, 08 May 2012 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Ghostcrawler on account-wide achievements]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/08/ghostcrawler-on-account-wide-achievements/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/08/ghostcrawler-on-account-wide-achievements/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/08/ghostcrawler-on-account-wide-achievements/#commentsFiled under:

Lead Systems Designer Greg "Ghostcrawler" Street has just released a new post on account-wide achievements. He makes a strong point that Blizzard's overall design goal is that it doesn't want us playing one character over another only because of achievement concerns. This is quite good news for raiders with multiple alts and others who need to use achievements as a sort of progress check on their moving-out-of-the-fire skill and game knowledge.

Some key notes from Ghostcrawler's blog post:
  • While you only earn achievement points once, you will still see the achievement pop-up notification if you earn it again on a second character.
  • Most achievement criteria are not account-wide. That is, if you explore Thousand Needles, you'll need to explore it all on one character to get the associated exploration achievement.
  • Meta achievements like What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been are account-wide, meaning you can finish Flame Warden on one character and Noble Gardener on another.
  • Faction-specific pets, mounts, and titles will not work across faction -- that is, no Alliance mounts for Horde characters.
  • The goal is to share rewards across the entire account that are granted from achievements.
In particular regard to that last point, Ghostcrawler says: "I'm not going to promise this yet, because a lot of magic has to happen for that to work, but it's our intent." So that looks to be very much work in progress still, but it's great to know where Blizzard is headed.

Ghostcrawler's full post after the break.

Continue reading Ghostcrawler on account-wide achievements

WoW InsiderGhostcrawler on account-wide achievements originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 08 May 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>account-level-achievementsaccount-wide-achievementsachievementsbreakingghostcrawlermists-of-pandariamopTue, 08 May 2012 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[All you need to know about account-wide mounts (so far)]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/07/all-you-need-to-know-about-account-wide-mounts-so-far/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/07/all-you-need-to-know-about-account-wide-mounts-so-far/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/07/all-you-need-to-know-about-account-wide-mounts-so-far/#commentsFiled under: ,

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Am I excited about Mists of Pandaria? Oh heck yes, I am! Of course, this is mostly from playing through the story so far. It's been pretty amazing and has just enough twists that I'm chomping at the bit for Blizzard to open the next zone or two. But I was even more excited when I saw that account-wide mounts had been implemented last week -- and for good reason. I'm a collector, and I've got over a hundred mounts on my main character. But my alts are woefully short on the mount front.

With account-wide mounts, all those cool mounts I ride around on with my main will be available to all my alts too. And while I may waffle back and forth on account-wide achievements and whether I'll like them, I'm definitely behind letting all of my characters ride all of the cool things I've farmed up over time. But there is a catch here -- just because we're seeing this feature on the beta doesn't mean it will make it to live. And if it does make it to live, it may look a little different than it does right now.

And right now? Things are just a little weird in spots.

Continue reading All you need to know about account-wide mounts (so far)

WoW InsiderAll you need to know about account-wide mounts (so far) originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 07 May 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>account-wide-mountsbreakingmaster-ridingmists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-betamount-collectingpremade-characterspremadesviolet-proto-drakewhat-a-long-strange-trip-its-beenMon, 07 May 2012 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mists of Pandaria beta: Account-wide mounts are a go]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/04/mists-of-pandaria-beta-account-wide-mounts-are-a-go/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/04/mists-of-pandaria-beta-account-wide-mounts-are-a-go/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/04/mists-of-pandaria-beta-account-wide-mounts-are-a-go/#commentsFiled under:

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It looks like those waiting for news of account-wide mounts don't have to wait any longer. The latest iteration of the Mists of Pandaria beta has introduced account-wide mounts on all characters. This means that any mount you currently have on your main will be granted to your alts as soon as they reach the appropriate level to obtain them, as well as any achievements associated with the mounts.

I tested this on a level 85 premade monk as well as a freshly copied-over level 81 druid just to see what would and would not copy, and I was pleased to see that the Amani War Bear from the original version of Zul'Aman made the transfer. I was even more delighted to see that the Violet Proto-Drake, granted from the achievement What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been, was also included in the list. Master Riding, required for 310% speed flying, is not granted along with it. Characters who do not have Master Riding will still have to purchase it from a trainer, regardless of the mount being available to ride.

However, as far as I can see, there are no exceptions to the list of mounts as of yet. Obviously this may change as the beta progresses, but for now, players can look forward to enjoying all of those sweet mounts on all of their characters in the beta.

Edit: It appears that mounting the Violet Proto-Drake on my level 81 without the Master Riding ability gave the character Master Riding. Whether this is something that will make it to live or not, we don't know -- but it's certainly something to enjoy on the beta!
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: Account-wide mounts are a go originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 04 May 2012 02:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>account-wide-mountsbreakingmaster-ridingmists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-betamount-collectingpremade-characterspremadesviolet-proto-drakewhat-a-long-strange-trip-its-beenFri, 04 May 2012 02:07:00 EST<![CDATA[X-53 Recruit-a-Friend mount being retired soon]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/26/x-53-recruit-a-friend-mount-being-retired-soon/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/26/x-53-recruit-a-friend-mount-being-retired-soon/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/26/x-53-recruit-a-friend-mount-being-retired-soon/#commentsFiled under: ,

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If you've ever wanted to get your hands on Recruit-A-Friend mount #2, the X-53 Touring Rocket two-seater, then you had better get moving. Blizzard has announced that the X-53 rocket will be retired soon to make way for the new Recruit-A-Friend mount and (presumably) program for the launch of Mists of Pandaria. One might even take this as a clue that a new Recruit-A-Friend is coming soon, which means expansion time could be right around the corner.

As for what the new mount is going to be, we have no idea just yet. However, MMO-Champion and Wowhead have datamined achievements, items, mounts, and some other clues that have shown a Recruit-A-Friend 3 mount in the files but no associated mount yet. Hit the jump for the full announcement about the X-53 rocket and speculate about what the next RAF mount is going to be.

Continue reading X-53 Recruit-a-Friend mount being retired soon

WoW InsiderX-53 Recruit-a-Friend mount being retired soon originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingfeaturedfriendmountmountsrafrecruitrecruit-a-friendrocketx-53x-53-touring-rocketThu, 26 Apr 2012 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Blizzard launches Battle.net Item Restoration service]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/25/blizzard-launches-battle-net-item-restoration-service/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/25/blizzard-launches-battle-net-item-restoration-service/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/25/blizzard-launches-battle-net-item-restoration-service/#commentsFiled under:

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With the advent of transmogrification, void storage, account-wide pets, and lots of other item-dependent features, it's seemed a little odd that Blizzard hasn't been allowing item restores via the GM queue. Well, that apparently ends today -- both the inability to do so and requesting to do so via GM ticket. Now, your Battle.net account page has a brand-new service: Item Restoration. It's a free service that you can perform once every 30 days to retrieve lost, deleted, or vendored items immediately. In the event that you disenchanted an item instead of deleting or selling it, you'll still go through the regular GM ticket line to have your case looked at.

Kudos to Blizzard for finally making this service available -- it was a huge stress on the GM queue and an inconvenience for players. Now everybody's happy. Probably.

Announcing: Battle.net Item Restoration
Starting today, players can access a new system that will allow players to recover World of Warcraft items that they may have sold, destroyed or disenchanted: Battle.net Item Restoration.

With this new self-service option the recovery of an item or items that were recently deleted or sold to a vendor can be restored to a character immediately when using the ticket submission system on our support site. For any items that were accidentally disenchanted the same method can be used to request a review by Customer Support for restoration.

This restoration option may only be used once every 30 days on active World of Warcraft accounts that are in good standing. As this option has a limited availability and use, we still encourage caution when selling, deleting or disenchanting items.

While Customer Service always strives to help whenever we can, with the introduction of this self-help feature we will no longer be able to assist with these types of requests.

Additional details can be found in the following Support Article: Battle.net Item Restoration.

WoW InsiderBlizzard launches Battle.net Item Restoration service originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>battle-netbattle-net-item-restorationbattle-net-item-restorebattle.netbnetbreakingdeleted-itemsfeatureditem-restorationitem-restoreitemsrestore-itemsvendored-itemsWed, 25 Apr 2012 17:15:00 EST<![CDATA[The 2012 Arena Pass has begun!]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/24/the-2012-arena-pass-has-begun/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/24/the-2012-arena-pass-has-begun/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/24/the-2012-arena-pass-has-begun/#commentsFiled under: ,

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People of Azeroth: Sharpen your axes, tighten your bowstrings, and polish up your hammers so they're shiny and ready for justice. The Arena Pass 2012 has begun! Unless you're in the EU, in which case you get an extra night of polishing time. Use it well -- I know I will!

Today, the Practice Phase began and will last until May 8. As the name suggests, this is for practice. If you're after a Murkimus or a Vanquisher title for your live realm characters, you should absolutely use this period to form teams and get ready to go, but your games won't count toward your eventual ranking or toward your title or pet.

On May 8, your rating will be reset to 0, and Ranked Ladder Phase 1 (snappy title) begins. Matches played in this period will count toward pets and titles, as well as eventual ranking. Once you're into this phase, your team will lose 150 points of rating if you take on new players, so try to make sure your team roster is sorted out before May 8. If a player leaves your team, you won't be penalized.

From May 22 to June 5, the final phase, aka Ranked Ladder Phase 2, is in action. This phase is exactly the same as Ranked Phase 1, except that no team switching is allowed.

To get yourself a Murkimus, you'll need to play 50 3v3 games between May 8 and June 5. To get a Vanquisher title, you'll need to be among the top 1,000 teams on June 5.

If you haven't registered yet and want a piece of the Arena Pass action, it's not too late! You can sign up until May 22. And if you're in the EU, you need to add 1 to all the dates above. You can entertain yourselves by doing that until the event opens tomorrow!

Lastly, don't forget that by signing up for this Arena Pass realm, you will also qualify for exclusive access to a Level 90 Arena Pass realm after you've upgraded your account to Mists of Pandaria!

WoW InsiderThe 2012 Arena Pass has begun! originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arenaarena-guidearena-passarena-pass-2012arena-stratsarena-tipsarenasbreakingfeaturedguidehow-to-pvppvp-guidewow-arenawow-arena-guidewow-guideTue, 24 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Final 400,000 Annual Pass Mists of Pandaria beta invites sent out]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/19/400-000-annual-pass-mists-of-pandaria-beta-invites-sent-out/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/19/400-000-annual-pass-mists-of-pandaria-beta-invites-sent-out/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/19/400-000-annual-pass-mists-of-pandaria-beta-invites-sent-out/#commentsFiled under:

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Blizzard has just revealed that the final wave of Annual Pass Mists of Pandaria beta invites has been sent out to subscribers. Bashiok says that this wave of invites concludes the series inviting those who got early beta access as part of their year commitment to WoW. Players can still apply for the Annual Pass and get beta access as well, but it remains to be seen if that happens immediately or during another wave.

Check your email and get downloading, you scamps, you.

Continue reading Final 400,000 Annual Pass Mists of Pandaria beta invites sent out

WoW InsiderFinal 400,000 Annual Pass Mists of Pandaria beta invites sent out originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>annual-passbetabreakingfeaturedmists-betamists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-betaThu, 19 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Ghostcrawler talks demonology warlocks in Mists of Pandaria]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/13/ghostcrawler-talks-demonology-warlocks-in-mop/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/13/ghostcrawler-talks-demonology-warlocks-in-mop/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/13/ghostcrawler-talks-demonology-warlocks-in-mop/#commentsFiled under: , ,

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Warlocks are the most changed class in Mists of Pandaria, and demonology is getting some serious attention from Ghostcrawler as its new playstyle is flushed out. Notable in Ghostcrawler's discussion is that the days of using both fire and shadow spells with a lot of demon damage are being looked upon as something that weren't super compelling. Importantly, Ghostcrawler also says that demonology warlocks aren't intended to be melee casters anymore.

As a raiding demonology warlock, I find that Ghostcrawler's design intentions really make me pleased. Right now, if you want to do good DPS as a demo 'lock, you're going to be in the melee group as much as possible to get the most benefits from Metamorphosis and Immolation Aura, while at the same time staying stationary to turret out your DPS. In Ghostcrawler's plan for Mists, the necessity of melee-range spells is going to be situational. No longer am I going to be pestering my raid leader to put me in the melee group for Zon'ozz, and I should be able to stay at range and enjoy such benefits there as much as I can (which, at least in my perfect world, would include less movement).

It'll be interesting to see how this kit plays out in the end. It always seems to be one of those specs that gets changed around a fair amount in one way or another, and Ghostcrawler does say that Blizzard is looking to make a home for demonology.

So have faith, fellow 'locks! Things are looking evil.

Ghostcrawler's full statements, after the break.

Continue reading Ghostcrawler talks demonology warlocks in Mists of Pandaria

WoW InsiderGhostcrawler talks demonology warlocks in Mists of Pandaria originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingfeaturedghostcrawlerguide-to-locksguide-to-warlockslock-guidelock-infolock-talentswarlock-guidewarlock-infowarlock-talentswow-lockwow-lock-infowow-lockswow-warlockwow-warlock-infowow-warlocksFri, 13 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Humans and orcs are just the pillars upon which the Alliance and Horde were built]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/13/humans-and-orcs-are-just-the-pillars-upon-which-the-alliance-and/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/13/humans-and-orcs-are-just-the-pillars-upon-which-the-alliance-and/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/13/humans-and-orcs-are-just-the-pillars-upon-which-the-alliance-and/#commentsFiled under: ,

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Zarhym hit the forums to clarify an important point that is being lost in recent lore discussions around the internet. Chris Metzen was quoted in a PC Gamer interview:

...the pillars of the franchise are orcs and humans; it really is the Alliance and Horde by extension, and it really is those two groups beating the brains out of each other for an extended period of time. That's always gotta be what Warcraft is about...

And as Zarhym entirely correctly points out, it's not just the orcs and humans that are all that matters now, but the entire Alliance and Horde factions that have developed over the course of the franchise's life. Warcraft started with them but has expanded unto everything else.

This is also a good opportunity to place front and center the fact that the Warcraft universe is an evolving story. It's not like Lord of the Rings, where everything that is has and (likely/hopefully) ever will be in the universe is already written in stone. Gandalf isn't suddenly going to join forces with the factions of darkness beyond the great sea while Frodo becomes the next Gollum -- but Thrall? Maybe he'll defect to the Alliance some day.* No one knows; it's evolving and ever changing.

Zarhym's full statements, after the break.

Continue reading Humans and orcs are just the pillars upon which the Alliance and Horde were built

WoW InsiderHumans and orcs are just the pillars upon which the Alliance and Horde were built originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alliancebreakinghordehumansorcswarcraft-lorewarcraft-orcs-vs-humanswow-lorezarhymFri, 13 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[250,000 more MoP beta invites are on their way]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/11/250-000-more-beta-invites-are-on-their-way-now/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/11/250-000-more-beta-invites-are-on-their-way-now/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/11/250-000-more-beta-invites-are-on-their-way-now/#commentsFiled under:

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Happy Wednesday? Sure!

Blizzard is sending out a quarter-million beta invites this evening to eager Annual Pass subscribers. 250,000 invites take some time to send out, so don't be surprised if you don't see an email right away. And even then, always head over to your Battle.net account page to make sure that you're really in -- you don't want to risk any scam emails!

Also, in this beta push, you'll be able to level to 87.

Enjoy the beta!

Kaivax -- Another 250,000 Beta Invites Are Heading Out
A few moments ago, we initialized a new wave of 250,000 invitations to the Mists of Pandaria beta test. These are all invitations for World of Warcraft Annual Pass subscribers, and it should be a few hours before the e-mail notifications for all recipients have been sent.

If you want to make absolutely sure that you got an invite, just check your games list in Battle.net Account Services.

As always, thank you very much for your enthusiasm in helping test Mists of Pandaria. We really appreciate your feedback.


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 Insider250,000 more MoP beta invites are on their way originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 22:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>beta-invitesbeta-wavebreakingmists-of-pandaria-beta-waveWed, 11 Apr 2012 22:51:00 EST<![CDATA[Ghostcrawler talks college, game design, and his path to Blizzard]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/11/ghostcrawler-talks-college-game-design-and-his-path-to-blizzar/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/11/ghostcrawler-talks-college-game-design-and-his-path-to-blizzar/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/11/ghostcrawler-talks-college-game-design-and-his-path-to-blizzar/#commentsFiled under:

In a two-part interview with The Baltimore Sun's entertainment blog, Greg "Ghostcrawler" Street (lead systems designer) sits down to talk about his days at McDaniel College, how he got started in the game design business, and what it's like being Ghostcrawler.

Of particular interest to those here is that Ghostcrawler says Blizzard is a little paranoid about changing things too much, and that it doesn't want to alienate the old players in favor of the new players. Of course, some change is necessary to keep things fresh, but Ghostcrawler makes good points on how there is a balance.

He also weighs in on Mass Effect 3 and all the fun players are having at the end of the game. Ghostcrawler sums up the situation nicely:

When you make a two-hour movie, and people like it, but they don't like the ending, they'll say "that was disappointing." But when you make three video games where players have invested 30-plus hours each, and the ending isn't good, they're mortified. That's been an investment in their life that now feel wasted, specifically because of what they did with it really rubbed a lot of players the wrong way.

Read the full interview over at The Baltimore Sun.

WoW InsiderGhostcrawler talks college, game design, and his path to Blizzard originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>baltimore-sunbreakingghostcrawlermass-effect-3mcdaniel-collegeWed, 11 Apr 2012 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[2012 Arena Pass registration now open]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/11/2012-arena-pass-registration-now-open-weds-if-poss/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/11/2012-arena-pass-registration-now-open-weds-if-poss/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/11/2012-arena-pass-registration-now-open-weds-if-poss/#commentsFiled under:

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Last night, Blizzard annouced that registration has opened for the 2012 Arena Pass! Players registering will have access to arena geared level 85 characters, as well as a host of epic gear to choose from as they battle their way to the top. Gold is no object on the Arena Pass realm. You can have whatever you want, including training, respecs and gear.

The top 1,000 players will earn an exclusive Vanquisher title for their live realm character, and all players will receive access to an exclusive level 90 Arena Pass realm after they upgrade their account to Mists of Pandaria. What's more, players who participate in 50 or more rated Arena Pass games on one character and with the same team by the end of the six weeks will be eligible to receive the Armored Murloc pet for their live characters.

You can create up to three level 85 characters, all of which will be started at level 85 with a "hefty sum" of gold, parachuted in to a starting zone. Once you have your level 85, you'll need to get on board with a 3v3 team, which, as on live realms, can have up to six players on their roster.

The first two weeks are for practice, to allow players to meet, form teams, and get some matches in that won't count toward their eventual ranking, although teams will gain rating as normal. After the first two weeks, all ratings will be reset to zero, and for the next two weeks, there will be a -150 rating penalty for team roster changes. Teams will build ranking from the third week until the end of the six-week period.

In the final two weeks, rosters will be locked down and no changes will be permitted. If you want to change team rosters around in the final two weeks, you'll need to start a new team.

Good luck!

WoW Insider2012 Arena Pass registration now open originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arenaarena-guidearena-passarena-stratsarena-tipsarenasbreakingfeaturedguidehow-to-play-battlegroundshow-to-pvplevel-90pvp-guidewow-arenawow-arena-guidewow-guideWed, 11 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Soul of the Aspects pet added to the Blizzard Store]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/10/soul-of-the-aspects-pet-added-to-the-blizzard-store/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/10/soul-of-the-aspects-pet-added-to-the-blizzard-store/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/10/soul-of-the-aspects-pet-added-to-the-blizzard-store/#commentsFiled under:

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If you purchased a Heart of the Aspects mount a couple of months ago and wished you had a tiny, baby version of it to slap on a leash and drag around with you wherever you go, you're in luck! Blizzard has just added the Soul of the Aspects vanity pet to the Blizzard Store for $10 USD. European players can pick up their pet over on the European Blizzard store as well.
As your newest faithful companion pet, the Soul of the Aspects flies by your side through the skies of Azeroth, celebrating your adventures together with aerial summersaults and twisting corkscrews.
The Blizzard store states that every character on your World of Warcraft account will receive this pet, so we can be fairly certain that it cannot be bought, sold, or traded in-game for gold.

WoW InsiderSoul of the Aspects pet added to the Blizzard Store originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 10 Apr 2012 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blizzard-storebreakingheart-of-the-aspectspetsreal-money-tradingrmtsoul-of-the-aspectsvanity-petTue, 10 Apr 2012 13:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Get your lore on with Blizzard's updated Expanded Universe]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/06/get-your-lore-on-with-blizzards-updated-expanded-universe/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/06/get-your-lore-on-with-blizzards-updated-expanded-universe/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/06/get-your-lore-on-with-blizzards-updated-expanded-universe/#commentsFiled under: ,

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Blizzard has updated the lore section of its community site, called Expanded Universe, to include a nice resource of all the official Warcraft lore you can buy or read online at the site for free. This include the short stories, the history of Warcraft, and links to the novels, comics, and manga at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

It's quite a nice place to stop if you want to find all the links to buy everything in one place. The short stories and History of Warcraft are also free to read. They're really quite good, if you haven't read them yet.

Don't forget to check out our own Know Your Lore series for much more analysis then you could possibly consume in a single day, plus our guide to the chronological order of WoW fiction if you're just getting into reading all this wonderful material.

WoW InsiderGet your lore on with Blizzard's updated Expanded Universe originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 06 Apr 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingexpanded-universelorewow-expanded-universewow-loreFri, 06 Apr 2012 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Find Alex, Mat, or Fox at PAX East and get a free in-game companion pet]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/06/find-alex-mat-or-fox-at-pax-east-and-get-a-free-in-game-compan/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/06/find-alex-mat-or-fox-at-pax-east-and-get-a-free-in-game-compan/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/06/find-alex-mat-or-fox-at-pax-east-and-get-a-free-in-game-compan/#commentsFiled under:

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If you can find Alex, Mat, or Fox walking around the convention floor at PAX East this weekend, be sure to say hi, and you could get a code for an in-game companion pet. All you need to do is tell them you want it -- maybe sweeten the deal by saying how cool WoW Insider is -- and it's yours!

Alex, Mat, and Fox will be giving these out on Friday and Saturday, so the sooner you find them, the better chance you'll have at some sweet loot. Supplies are limited.

Oh, and there's this WoW Insider Panel on Saturday at 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the Wyvern Theater, where we're giving away just about everything under the sun. Actually, including the sun. Yup.

The above picture is of Fox and Michelle Morrow after Fox was denied several hugs at a taping of The Price is Right. I'm not sure if he'll be wearing his Price is Right name tag or not at PAX East, but I wouldn't be surprised if he is. Hit the break for pictures of what Mat looks like. I've also thrown in a picture of Sacco for good measure, even though he doesn't have any codes to give away. (/chuckle)

Continue reading Find Alex, Mat, or Fox at PAX East and get a free in-game companion pet

WoW InsiderFind Alex, Mat, or Fox at PAX East and get a free in-game companion pet originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 06 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingpaxpax-eastpax-east-2012Fri, 06 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Cory Stockton refuses to be outdone in interview hijinks]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/04/cory-stockton-refuses-to-be-outdone-in-interview-hijinks/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/04/cory-stockton-refuses-to-be-outdone-in-interview-hijinks/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/04/cory-stockton-refuses-to-be-outdone-in-interview-hijinks/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Tremble, mortals, before he who was ancient (well, no, not really) when the game was young. Bow before Cory Stockton's yes-or-no interview with Player's Cut. Not one to let Dave Kosak (wonderful man, that Dave Kosak) outshine him, Lord Stockton (seen here with Lord Vader) also chose to answer a series of yes-or-no questions in an interview that's well worth your time.

Player's Cut seems to be blazing the trail for this style of interview. Who's next? Samwise? Mike Morhaime? Chris Metzen? Oh, a boy can dream, anyway.
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 InsiderCory Stockton refuses to be outdone in interview hijinks originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingbreaking-newscory-stocktoncory-stockton-interviewInterviewPlayers-CutYes-ir-No-InterviewYes-or-NoWed, 04 Apr 2012 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[2012 World of Warcraft Arena Pass coming soon]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/04/2012-world-of-warcraft-arena-pass-coming-soon/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/04/2012-world-of-warcraft-arena-pass-coming-soon/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/04/2012-world-of-warcraft-arena-pass-coming-soon/#commentsFiled under: ,

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The 2012 Arena Pass season is soon upon us, with sign-ups starting on April 10 for all the PvP action you can shake a stick at. With the Arena Pass, you get access to the private PvP, level 85 premade realm that gives you everything you'd need to outfit PvP characters in the best stuff around, as well as a world that acts as a dedicated Arena match facilitator.

For those of you on the fence about whether to try out the Arena Pass, Blizzard is once again offering up Murkimus the Gladiator to any player who play and participate in some fights. The best of the best are awarded with the Vanquisher title, and players who sign up now will get access to a level 90 PvP realm for Mists of Pandaria PvP events coming when the expansion goes live.

Check out more information on the official World of Warcraft community site.

Continue reading 2012 World of Warcraft Arena Pass coming soon

WoW Insider2012 World of Warcraft Arena Pass coming soon originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arenaarena-passarena-pass-2012breakingmurkimusMurkimus-the-GladiatorpvpWed, 04 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Servers are now up, but Newfoundland is forever]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/03/servers-are-now-up-but-newfoundland-is-forever/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/03/servers-are-now-up-but-newfoundland-is-forever/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/03/servers-are-now-up-but-newfoundland-is-forever/#commentsFiled under:

Well, servers are up early, it seems. I'm standing in Dalaran right now. Why am I in Dalaran? I don't remember. The important thing is to note that yes, Newfoundland, there is a Blizzard Claus. Server maintenance, which had been extended to 3 p.m. PDT due to database updates, has apparently been finished slightly earlier than expected. Check to see if your server is among the ones that have come up.

I'm gonna go get ready for raid and keep reading about Newfoundland. I suggest you do too. Yes, both of those things.
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm has destroyed Azeroth as we know it; nothing is the same! In WoW Insider's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion, from leveling up a new goblin or worgen to breaking news and strategies on endgame play.

WoW InsiderServers are now up, but Newfoundland is forever originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingbreaking-newsserverserver-maintenanceTue, 03 Apr 2012 17:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Server maintenance extended to 3:00 p.m. PDT]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/03/server-maintenance-extended-to-3-00-p-m-pdt/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/03/server-maintenance-extended-to-3-00-p-m-pdt/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/03/server-maintenance-extended-to-3-00-p-m-pdt/#commentsFiled under:

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The screenshot says it all, folks. Maintenance has been extended until 3:00 p.m. Pacific daylight time, which is 6:00 p.m. Eastern for those of you on the east coast (7:30 pm if you live in Newfoundland, according to the comments). Not much else to say there. We have a whole lot of stuff to read while you're waiting patiently (or impatiently, if you live in Newfoundland) for the servers to come up. Those databases don't do process updates to themselves.

My wife's from Newfoundland, in case you were wondering why I'm making so many references to it. I've always found it fascinating that it has so much history. I'm basically going to be reading about Newfoundland (and Labrador, too) during my time away from the game.
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm has destroyed Azeroth as we know it; nothing is the same! In WoW Insider's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion, from leveling up a new goblin or worgen to breaking news and strategies on endgame play.

WoW InsiderServer maintenance extended to 3:00 p.m. PDT originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingbreaking-NewsNewfoundlandNewfoundland-and-Labradorserver-maintenanceserversTue, 03 Apr 2012 16:15:00 EST<![CDATA[World of Warcraft Mega Bloks season 1 revealed]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/30/world-of-warcraft-mega-bloks-season-1-revealed/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/30/world-of-warcraft-mega-bloks-season-1-revealed/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/30/world-of-warcraft-mega-bloks-season-1-revealed/#commentsFiled under:

Remember way back when Mega Bloks announced that it was creating a line of Warcraft sets? Which lore pieces would make for the best building block sets? Which characters did we want to see? Well, season 1 of the Mega Bloks Warcraft line has been revealed, and it is amazing. One of the larger sets includes Deathwing and Stormwind, where you can recreate your favorite cinematic moments from Cataclysm!

Faction packs include Ironoak the night elf, Ragerock the orc, Valoren the blood elf, and the ever-exciting and fancily named Colton the human paladin. Mount packs include Swift Gryphon with worgen rider, Goblin Trike with goblin rider, Flying Machine with gnome pilot, and Swift Wyvern with tauren rider. There are also three other larger sets, including the Lich King and Sindragosa, Demolisher Attack Horde versus Alliance, and the Goblin Zeppelin.

However, my favorite set of them all (and proof that the folks over at Mega Bloks play World of Warcraft, are Warcraft fans, and understand the nature and feel of this game) is The Barrens Chase Set. The Barrens Chase set is the quintessential WoW setup -- dorky night elf riding his cat in hot pursuit across The Barrens, chasing the most awesome orc on the planet, riding a rocket. This is World of Warcraft at its best.

Check out all of the new sets in our gallery, and look for them in stores soon.

Gallery: Warcraft Mega Bloks season one

Continue reading World of Warcraft Mega Bloks season 1 revealed

WoW InsiderWorld of Warcraft Mega Bloks season 1 revealed originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 30 Mar 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bloksbreakinglegolegosmegamega-bloksseason-one-mega-blokswarcraft-mega-blokswow-mega-bloksFri, 30 Mar 2012 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[100,000 beta invites on their way for Annual Pass subscribers]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/29/100-000-beta-invites-on-their-way-for-annual-pass-subscribers/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/29/100-000-beta-invites-on-their-way-for-annual-pass-subscribers/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/29/100-000-beta-invites-on-their-way-for-annual-pass-subscribers/#commentsFiled under:

Good news everybody!

100,000 beta invites are on their way for annual pass subscribers. Bashiok let us know late this evening. Expect this to take some time for them all to get out, so you might not be getting it right way (if you do get in this round). Keep in mind that the best way to verify beyond a doubt if you get in is to check your Battle.net account, and be on the lookout for any hacker emails.

Bashiok's full announcement is as follows:

100,000 Annual Pass Invites On Their Way
We appreciate that everyone who signed up for the Annual Pass is genuinely excited about seeing the new content and helping us test it for release. We definitely want to get all Annual Pass holders into the beta test as soon as humanly (and technologically) possible.

To do so, we need to make sure that our new systems remain stable as we add players. If we let everyone in at the exact same time, we risk damaging the stability of the service, and then no one would be able to play. We can't let everyone in at the same time; however, all Annual Pass holders will be invited before any opt-ins.

We're in the process of sending 100,000 invites to Annual Pass holders, and we recommend keeping an eye on your email and Battle.net account for an invite to come explore Pandaria.

Rest assured that we WILL get all of our Annual Pass holders into the beta test. Thank you for the passion and support you've shown for the game, and please be patient with us as we continue driving hard toward finishing up Mists of Pandaria and getting it into your hands as quickly as possible.


WoW Insider100,000 beta invites on their way for Annual Pass subscribers originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 29 Mar 2012 23:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingmists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-beta-invitesThu, 29 Mar 2012 23:32:00 EST<![CDATA[Mists of Pandaria: Pet Battle system details revealed]]>http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/27/mists-of-pandaria-pet-battle-system-details-revealed/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/27/mists-of-pandaria-pet-battle-system-details-revealed/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/03/27/mists-of-pandaria-pet-battle-system-details-revealed/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Wowhead News has done what many voices crying out in the wilderness demanded and gone through the Mists of Pandaria database, collecting details for the upcoming Pet Battle system. If you're eagerly, perhaps even impatiently waiting for information about what's coming, you can sate some of that curiosity with this guide covering new pets, pet abilities, and locations for collecting new pets in the wild. The folks at Warcraft Pets helped, too.

There's a lot of detail to be had, including details on how the Pet Battle abilities are broken up (it's not quite grass type vs. fire type) and how to command your pets to be the very best. So head on over and check it out.
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: Pet Battle system details revealed originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingmistsmists-of-pandariapetpet-battlepet-battle-systempetswarcraft-petswowheadwowheadnewsTue, 27 Mar 2012 19:30:00 EST