Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Patch 3.2 Hacked Up Notes

I don’t think I am the target audience for Blizzard. I watched the cinematic for Patch 3.2 Call of the Crusade. The cinematic looks great. Once it was done I realized it didn’t highlight anyone thing that I am looking forward to in this patch.

1) Twink only battles by turning off experience points.
2) Lifeblood doesn’t have GCD, again.
3) I get a purple Kitteh.

I rewatched it after reading the patch notes. Still nothing…

Here are the patch notes with only things I care about or thought funny. There is no reason for you to read these except in EXTREAM boredom. The full patch notes can always be found at http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/patchnotes/.

Crusaders' Coliseum
//They added 6 new instances. Crusaders' Coliseum holds 5-man normal and heroic, 10-man normal and heroic, and 25-man normal and heroic.

Isle of Conquest
//a new BG was added. It is time to get your vehicle on 40 man style. The resources usage takes me back to Age of Mythology.

General
//Blah blah blah. There are other places to get this information, like the real patch notes.

* The Argent Tournament Expands
o All new Argent Crusader daily quests and rewards have been added for players with the Crusader title. Rewards include a new Argent Crusader banner and tabard (which can port players to the tournament grounds), a mounted squire (can periodically run bank, mail or vendor errands for the player), a paladin-exclusive Argent Crusader Charger mount and new heirloom items. //Hearth to tourney and I have been wanting a more useful slave child since I cannot put a leash on him.
* New Dungeon Loot Feature
o Players will now be able to trade soulbound items with other raid or group members that were eligible for the loot. This system will work like the Item Buy Back system and allow 2 hours for players to trade an item after it has been looted. Players who choose to enchant or add gems to the item will get one last confirmation before losing the ability to trade the item. // This is pure customer service win.
* New druid art for Cat Form and Bear Form has been added. There are now five unique color schemes for each form and faction. Changing hair color (night elves) or skin tone (tauren) via the barbershop will change the look of one's cat and bear forms. //PURPLE KITTEH NOW!!!! *lick*

PvP

* Arenas
o Beginning with season 7, players will no longer have access to the newest season's weapons or shoulder armor and will not qualify for the Gladiator title/rewards with ratings from the 2v2 bracket alone. Ratings obtained through 3v3 and 5v5 game play will be required for these rewards, while the rest of the newest season's items will remain available to players in all brackets (standard rating restrictions still apply). //I am going to be running Arenas this season. I was told there needs to be more warlocks in arena so I have been practicing. What have I learned? I was going to say “I’m a noob.” But I knew that already, mostly that Demonic Circle http://www.wowhead.com/?spell=48020 is your friend and Shadowfury http://www.wowhead.com/?spell=47847 is fun!
* Battlegrounds
o Battleground experience has arrived!
+ Players will now be awarded experience for completing objectives and actions that yield honor in Battlegrounds (honorable kills not included).
+ Players who do not wish to gain experience through PvP can visit Behsten in Stormwind or Slahtz in Orgrimmar - both located near the Battlemasters in either city - and turn off all experience accumulation for the cost of 10 gold. //TWINKS DO IT. This should be one of the first things you should do. I am going to do this with different toons to try it all out before Aurum sets foot into another BG.
+ Disabling experience gains will prevent a player from gaining experience through any means available in the game.
+ Players with experience gains turned off who compete in Battlegrounds will face off only against other players with experience gains turned off. //I like this a lot. I am still concern about the queue times. Time will tell us if it is bad or not.
+ Behsten and Slahtz can reinstate experience gains for players, for a 10 gold fee of course. Any experience that would've been accumulated if experience gains were enabled cannot be recovered. //The unrecoverable experience is a good thing. I had a flash of turning this off and months of exp popping up for the toon. *shiver*
o Battlemasters in major cities affiliated with specific Battlegrounds have been replaced with a Battlemaster for each faction that will allow players to queue for any Battleground. Battlemasters for specific Battlegrounds will still be seen around the cities during corresponding Battleground holiday weekends. //Less NPCs. I was just thinking though that the ones in Ironforge seemed to be having an intense meeting. Apparently they are done chatting it up.
o When standing at a capture point that you control, you will gain a buff called Honorable Defender. This buff grants +50% honor gained from kills. This currently affects Arathi Basin, Eye of the Storm and Isle of Conquest.
o Arathi Basin
+ The time it requires to capture a base has been reduced to 8 seconds, down from 10 seconds.
+ The game now ends when one team reaches 1600 victory points, down from 2000.
o Eye of the Storm
+ The time it requires to capture the center flag has been reduced to 8 seconds, down from 10 seconds
+ The game now ends when one team reaches 1600 victory points, down from 2000.
o Strand of the Ancients
+ The faction starting on attack/defense will now be randomized at the start of each match.
o Warsong Gulch
+ There is a now a 20-minute timer on this Battleground. After that time, the team with the most flag captures wins. If this would result in a tie, the team that captured the first flag wins. If neither side has captured a flag, then the game ends in a tie.
* Wintergrasp //LOSERS! Take something that was so popular and f-uk it up. If these changes make it painful to do my fishing daily, I am putting in a help ticket. EVERY TIME.
o To provide players with a more transparent notification of when Wintergrasp battles occur, as well as better control zone population and stability, several changes have been made.
+ Players now have the option to queue for Wintergrasp from a Wintergrasp Battlemaster in any capital city or by simply entering the Wintergrasp zone.
+ Queuing will begin 15 minutes before each battle. If chosen, you will automatically be teleported to the zone. Any players in the zone who have not been chosen from the queue will be teleported out when the battle begins.
+ The queue system remains active for the entire battle. As soon as a player leaves, a new one will be chosen from the queue.
+ Trying to enter Wintergrasp during an active battle for which you have not been chosen will teleport you out. Please note that, as you are now able to fly over Wintergrasp, you will only be teleported out if you try to land and join the battle. //What about fishing f-ckers. This whole impeding my fishing is making me twitch.
+ Level 80 players get higher priority in the queue than lower level players. In addition, a random selection of queued players will be taken from both the Battlemasters and the zone itself.
+ The queue will accept up to 120 players from each faction, resulting in a maximum battle of 240 players at a time.
o Wintergrasp factories can no longer be damaged or destroyed.

Dungeons and Raids

* Dungeon and Raid ID Extensions //We will see how this goes. I think smaller guilds will benefit from this more.
* Emblem System Changes. //Yes. This is a good thing.
* The Nexus: The Oculus & The Eye of Eternity
o Drakes used by players in these instances will now scale in health and damage according to the rider's average item level. //YES. This may make up do our last achievements for heroic instances to get out drakes.
* Ulduar //Yogg-Saron changes. Which I would care about if we could poke at ‘em.
o Players can now use Blink, Shadowstep, and Demonic Teleport while participating in the illusion events in the Yogg-Saron encounter.

Items: General

* Agility: The amount of agility required per percentage of dodge has been increased by 15%.
* Dodge Rating: The amount of dodge rating required per percentage of dodge has been increased by 15%.
* Item Buy Back Feature Revised
o The Item Buy Back time will now expire if the player enchants or sockets an item. Players will see a confirmation dialog box now when they attempt to enchant or add gems to an item giving them a last chance to reconsider.
* Items with Triggered Effects: These items generally have cooldowns on how often they can be triggered. Those cooldowns are now triggered each time the item is equipped (example: A trinket has a 45-second cooldown on an effect triggered by player attacks; when a player equips that item, the effect will be unable to be triggered for the first 45 seconds it is worn).
* Mounts //I am sure you know riding skills changed. Go someplace else for details.
o Flying over Dalaran and Wintergrasp is now possible so long as players keep a healthy distance above the ground.
* Mana Regeneration: All items that provide "X mana per five seconds" have had the amount of mana they regenerate increased by approximately 25%.
* Resilience: No longer reduces the amount of damage done by damage-over-time spells, but instead reduces the amount of all damage done by players by the same proportion. In addition, the amount of resilience needed to reduce critical strike chance, critical strike damage and overall damage has been increased by 15%.

Classes: General

* All pets now receive 40% of their master's resilience and 100% of their master's spell penetration. In addition, if a player is at their appropriate spell hit chance or hit chance maximum, their pet will be at the maximum for spell hit chance, hit chance, and expertise. If they are below the maximum, their pet will be proportionately below those maximums. //Pet buff! But I am sure you had as much pet control as I did that your pet survivability was high already, correct? O.o
* Replenishment: This buff now grants 1% of the target's maximum mana over 5 seconds instead of 0.25% per second. This applies to all 5 sources of Replenishment (Vampiric Touch, Judgements of the Wise, Hunting Party, Enduring Winter Frostbolts and Soul Leech). //Replenishment nerf. What was once 0.25% per second is now 0.20% per second. A 20% reduction.
* Silence, Strangulate, Silencing Shot, and Arcane Torrent: These abilities will also apply a 3-second Interrupt effect against non-player controlled targets, making them more versatile against creatures immune to silencing effects. //Thinking the Gundrak mammoth interrupt achievement.

Death Knights

//My DK has been QQ about this for weeks and weeks. It is now here. I am now bracing myself for more QQ. I still like him anyway.
* Due to significant talent changes, all death knight talents will be reset for players.

Druids //PURPLE KITTEH.

* Enrage: This Bear Form ability now generates 20 rage initially, and 10 rage over the next 10 seconds. The armor penalty is unchanged.
* Flight Form: Can now be learned at level 60. Flight speed increased to 150%.
* Flight Form and Swift Flight Form: Now benefit from a paladin's Crusader Aura.
* Innervate: Duration reduced to 10 seconds, and cooldown reduced to 3 minutes. This means each use of Innervate will give half as much mana as before, but it will be available twice as often.
* Mangle: Ranks 4 and 5 base points reduced by about 11%. Scaling from attack power unchanged.
* Rake: Ranks 6 and 7 base points on initial and periodic damage reduced by about 7%. Scaling from attack power unchanged.
* Rip: Ranks 8 and 9 base points and points per combo point reduced by about 6%. Scaling from attack power unchanged.
* Savage Defense: The animation for gaining this buff will no longer make the bear stand upright
* Shred: Ranks 8 and 9 base points reduced by about 10%. Scaling from attack power unchanged.
* Swift Flight Form: Druids who have acquired a mount able to go 310% flight speed will now also go that speed while in this form. //That is a very cool change. And unexpected. Not that I have one.
* Swipe (Cat): Percent of weapon damage done reduced from 260% to 250%.
* Travel Form: Can now be learned at level 16.
* Talents
o Balance
+ Balance of Power: Now reduces all spell damage taken by 3/6%, rather than reducing the chance to be hit by spells by 2/4%.
o Feral Combat
+ King of the Jungle: This talent now reduces the mana cost of Bear Form, Cat Form, and Dire Bear Form by 20/40/60%.
+ Primal Tenacity: This talent no longer reduces the mana cost of Bear Form, Cat Form, and Dire Bear Form.
o Restoration
+ Empowered Touch: Now also increases the amount of bonus healing effects for Nourish by 10/20%.
+ Improved Barkskin: No longer provides dispel resistance to all effects on the druid, but now reduces the chance your Barkskin is dispelled by an additional 35/70%.

Hunters

* Aspect of the Cheetah: Can now be learned at level 16. //Yummy. Cheetah running hunters for Aurum’s blades.
* Traps now have separate 30-second cooldown categories: Fire (Immolation Trap, Explosive Trap and Black Arrow), Frost (Freezing Trap, Frost Trap) and Nature (Snake Trap). A hunter can have one trap of each category placed at one time.

Mages

* Mirror Image: Images will no longer trigger the death sound when their time expires. //*sniffles* I will miss all the dead mages.

Paladins

//Lots of Pally stuffs. As we all know, each patch is like pallies getting a whole new class to play.

Priests

//Priests happen.

Rogues

* After much quiet contemplation, rogues now possess the ability to learn how to use one-handed axes. //They get new toys.
* Talents
o Combat
+ Sword Specialization: This talent is now called Hack and Slash and applies to axes as well as swords.
o Subtlety
+ Shadow Dance: Cooldown reduced to 1 minute. Now lasts 6 seconds, down from 10 seconds.

Shamans

* A customizable totem bar will now be available for shamans allowing the storing of 4 different totems. These totems can be placed on the ground at once in one global cooldown for the combined mana cost of all 4 totems.
* Ghost Wolf: Can now be learned at level 16. While in this form, snaring effects may not bring the shaman below base normal run speed. //This is going to suck at 19. With Shammies, hunters, and druids getting speed increase it will complete change the different roles in the WSG game.

Warlocks

* Banish: Effect will now be cancelled if Banish is recast on a banished target. //Which is great… if you was not trying to re-banish. Even more reason for you to pay attention to when your banish breaks.
* Dreadsteed: Can now be learned at level 40.
* Felsteed: Can now be learned at level 20.
* Shadowflame: The angle of the cone effect on this ability was inadvertently very small, making it difficult to use. Its cone is now the same size as similar spells, such as Cone of Cold.
* Soulshatter cooldown reduced to 3 minutes, down from 5 minutes //This may give us time to use it twice. … but not likely.
* Talents
o Affliction
+ Pandemic: Now also increases the critical damage bonus of Haunt by 100%.
o Demonology
+ Fel Domination cooldown reduced to 3 minutes, down from 15 minutes. //… this will be very nice in BGs.
o Destruction
+ Empowered Imp: The warlock's critical hit chance is increased to 100%, up from 20% for the next spell cast after the Imp critically hits a target.
+ Fire and Brimstone: Reduced to 2/4/6/8/10% increased damage from Incinerate and Chaos Bolt on targets afflicted with Immolate, down from 3/6/9/12/15%.

Warriors

//Warriors happen.

User Interface

* The quest log is now double-paned for more easily viewing quest information. The list of all quests a player has will show in one pane, while the quest details of any highlighted quest will display in the next. //One less addon. It replaces my use of Doublewide.
* Character name auto-completion for the chat frame, pop-ups, and mail interface is now active
* Character names can now be colorized according to class in the chat frame. This feature can be enabled through the chat settings by right-clicking on a chat window.
* Casting bars under the target frame, focus frame and nameplates will now display as shielded if the cast cannot be interrupted.
* Druids will now be able to see their mana bars when shape-shifted.
* Item Comparisons: Holding the shift key while hovering over an item will now display the stat differences with the item currently equipped in the relevant slot. //Nice! A simple ratingsbuster.
* Item Level: A new option has been added under Display in the Interface Options to show the item level on item tooltips.
* Macros and scripts will no longer be able to target totems by name. //PvP will now be … well shimmies were OP before.. now just well … *grumbles*
* New Feature Icons: Options recently added to any of the options menus will now display a yellow exclamation point next to them to indicate that they are new features.
* Vendor prices will now be listed on items whether or not players are at a vendor.
* For additional notes on Lua and XML changes please visit the UI & Macros forum.

Graphics

* The frame rate for those with Shadow Effects enabled under the Ultra Video settings has been improved.

World Environment

* Wolvar and Gorloc orphans have arrived in Dalaran and need your help! Players can find out more by visiting the Eventide District (completing the quests being offered for this event will not count toward any Children's Week achievements). Players have a limited amount of time to care for these orphans before they take their leave. They will then return again for the regularly-scheduled Children's Week next year. //Wait … I know I killed those Wolvar pups already.
* Portal areas in all major cities now offer a portal to the Blasted Lands near the Dark Portal. //I WANT A PORTAL FROM SHATT TO NORTHREND.
* Once crossing through the Dark Portal, players can access a flight path directly from the Stair of Destiny to Shattrath.
* A new zeppelin docking ramp has been added to Thunder Bluff allowing Horde players easier transport to and from Orgrimmar.
* The local Postal Service has grown tired of walking so far each day to collect mail and has decided to install a large number of new mailboxes in Stormwind, Undercity, Darnassus and Orgrimmar.
* Mathiel in Darnassus has finally earned himself enough money from your repair bills that he was able to buy himself an anvil.

Quests

* The ravasaur trainer Mor'vek has returned to Un'Goro and will offer to help Horde players raise and train a Venomhide Ravasaur as a mount... if they can survive the creature's deadly poison.

Achievements

* A Brew-FAST Mount: A new Feat of Strength achievement for acquiring any epic Brewfest mount.
* Have Keg, Will Travel: Now requires either a Brewfest mount or using Brewfest Hops to transform yours into one.

Professions //When reading these you should allway think of what mats you have or collect will now be worth.

* Alchemy
o All stackable potions now stack to 20. //More bag space.
o Added a new pattern for Flask of the North, usable by players with a high alchemy skill. The recipe is purchased from Northrend trainers. Flask of the North increases your spell power, attack power or strength for 1 hour and is usable in Arenas. It is not consumed when used. //They took their potions but added a flask for arenas.
o Endless Healing Potion and Endless Mana Potion no longer usable in arenas. Amount of health and mana has been increased, and the cooldown reduced.
o Five new epic gem transmute recipes are available from the Northrend trainer. The recipe for transmuting a Cardinal Ruby can be learned from a quest, given by Linzy Blackbolt in Dalaran.
o The Mixology benefits from Northrend elixirs and flasks have been increased.
o Rage potions can now be used by druids.
* Cooking
o Blackened Dragonfin Recipe: Now only requires 1 Dragonfin Angelfish.
o Chef's Hat is now superior quality and allows the chef to cook faster. //I may actually buy it now. =)
o Increased the drop rate for recipes from the Outland Daily Cooking quests.
o Increased the chance to get a bonus Dalaran Cooking Token from the Spice Bag.
o The recipe for Captain Rumsey's Lager can now be randomly found in the quest reward Crate, Barrel, or Spice Bag from the cooking dailies.
* Enchanting
o Values on Northrend ring enchants increased.
* Engineering
//A whole lot of changes.
* Fishing
o Players with 300 or higher cooking have a chance to find a Waterlogged Recipe in the Bag of Fishing Treasures awarded by the Northrend fishing dailies. This item can be traded to other players and rewards several Dalaran Cooking Rewards when turned in. //Ummm. Gold gain somewhere in there?
* Herbalism
o Increased healing from Lifeblood (Rank 6).
o Lifeblood now scales slightly with maximum health. No longer affected by global cooldown. //YES!! *dance* the removal of the GCD will make this re-uber. Since they stealth nerfed it and now undid it.
* Inscription
//little change.
* Jewelcrafting
o Dragon's Eye gems stat bonuses increased. In addition, these gems are no longer prismatic and must be matched to the appropriate colored socket to activate an item's socket bonus.
o New recipes have been added for cutting epic gems and can be purchased using Dalaran Jewelcrafter's tokens.
o Icy Prism now has a chance of yielding an epic gem.
o Raw epic gems can be obtained via the following means:
+ Prospecting Titanium Ore //I have a full guild bank tab. I need to find a JC to prospect it all for me. =)
+ Alchemy transmutations
+ Purchased with honor
+ Purchased with Emblems of Heroism
* Leatherworking
//little change.
* Mining
o Toughness (Rank 6) provides more stamina.
o In addition to the normal requirements, mining deposits in Northrend now require a minimum character level of 65 to mine.
* Skinning
o Master of Anatomy (Rank 6) provides more critical strike rating.
* Tailoring
o Embroideries improved. //We shall see.

Items

* Feral Druid PvP Gloves (seasons 3 and 4): Maim bonus changed from the Interrupt bonus used in The Burning Crusade Arena seasons to the cost reduction used in Wrath of the Lich King Arena seasons.
* Glyphs
o Warlocks
+ Glyph of Lifetap: Duration of the buff from this glyph increased to 40 seconds.
* Idol of the Corruptor: The agility buff from this idol is now exclusive with the agility buff from Idol of Terror.
* Non-Combat Pets: 8 new pets have been added (not including Argent Tournament rewards). Raptor Hatchlings can be found on rare and elite raptors throughout the game world. In addition, an Obsidian Raptor Hatchling can be purchased from Breanni in Dalaran. //Wailing Cavers shall now become our friend. This is also a item for ZG and ZA farming.
* Tome of Cold Weather Flight: New heirloom item. Requires level 68.
* Val'anyr, Hammer of Ancient Kings: //They are buffing Legendaries. More of this IMO.

Bug Fixes

//stuffs fixed.
* Warlocks
o Demonic Circle: The visual for this spell should now despawn when the warlock dies or when the warlock otherwise loses the aura that allows transport to the circle.
o Immolate and Unstable Affliction: All ranks of these two spells will now overwrite each other.
o Improved Imp: Each time an Imp is summoned it will recast Blood Pact (if autocast is on), forcing it to benefit from this talent, even if the Imp was not summoned at the time the talent was learned.
o Improved Shadow Bolt: Redesigned slightly. Instead of a 100% chance to apply a 1/2/3/4/5% critical strike increase on the target, it now has a 20/40/60/80/100% chance to apply a 5% critical strike increase.
* Warriors
* Items
o Commendation of Bravery: No longer useable when player is already at the maximum honor allowed.
o Glyphs
+ Glyph of Shadowflame: The effect from this glyph will now work properly when multiple Warlocks use Shadowflame on the target.
o Heavy Netherweave Net: Using this item no longer causes the user to break shapeshifts. //I need to use these more.
o Trinkets: Various trinkets which did not work properly with channeled area-of-effect spells will now work with those spells. This includes (but is not limited to) Illustration of the Dragon Soul, Darkmoon Card: Greatness, and Egg of Mortal Essence.
o Wintergrasp Commendation: No longer useable when player is already at the maximum honor allowed.
* Professions
o Enchant Weapon - Black Magic: This enchantment can now be triggered by some spells it did not previously work with, including Curse of Agony, Blizzard, and Typhoon.
//I am done and can be pulled off this summers feeding of patch notes. Hope everyone is having a good summer.

1 comment:

  1. "I have been wanting a more useful slave child since I cannot put a leash on him."

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!

    ReplyDelete