Patch 3.2.2 - Onyxia's Head Questline
The Head of Onyxia was added to the game in the latest PTR build, the new quest is A Puzzling Circumstance / A Puzzling Circumstance and the rewards are :
All these rewards are level 245 and in the current state of PTR it seems that only one quest is available for the head, it's still unclear if it will drop from 10-Man, 25-Man, or both and any additional information would be appreciated in comments.
Blue posts
Quote from Blizzard staff
Arthas and Deathwing
Arthas tends to be considered the biggest force of destruction in the universe because he is very fresh in peoples' minds based on being fairly recently introduced through Warcraft 3 and staring everybody down since then. Remember though that even to break away from the control of the Burning Legion, it required a great deal of cunning and manipulation - he wasn't able to simply overpower them.
Deathwing on the other hand is a much more legendary figure and one of the greatest powers ever to exist on Azeroth. It took the might of all the other dragon aspects against him to force him into hiding. He also knows almost every being on the world will be against him so he wouldn't reveal himself unless he felt ready to take on anything that will face him. (Source)
Cataclysm Alt Friendly?
Cataclysm is pretty alt friendly over all. We'll do things that encourage and facilitate alts when it makes sense. (Source)
Ancient Glyphs level requirements
You have to be 85. Our plan is to tie it to Archaeology, but that could change. While fishing can be challenging to max out, cooking isn't all that hard and first aid is pretty easy. Archaeology could be anywhere in there. (Source)
Path of the Titans "gating"
No, that's the exact opposite of what we're saying. We're saying even if someone beats you to level 85, they can't get very far ahead of you on paths. Imagine that when a new rank is available, the previous rank becomes half price or something. (Source)
Orgrimmar destroyed in the expansion?
Orgrimmar destroyed? No. Given a bit of a make-over and a bit more iron in its spine (so to speak)? Yes. (Source)
Cross-server Instances and rewards as a leader
This was a bit of a miscomm. The idea is that you would be rewarded for trying to use LFG to form a group. A separate feature of LFG is that we allow players to identify whether they are comfortable leading the group or not and then we try to make sure each group has at least one leader. You are probably going to have a much worse experience joining a pug of 5 players when none of them know anything about the encounters.
I think a lot of drama would result from arguing over who should be leader if that incurred extra rewards, as well as encouraging players with no business doing so to lead. Really, the focus should be on the group. The leader just marks (though everyone could do that too) and describes the fights. (Source)
Low level PvP rewards no longer sold by the Officer Accessories Quartermaster
This flew under the radar for a little bit, but Master Sergeant Biggins should be selling those accessories again in 3.2.2. (Source)
Path of the titans
They are intended to be gated, not grindy. The idea is more that you have a reason to keep coming back to log in even if say you need a break from raiding or it isn't your team's PvP night. We are trying to contrast them with actual levels, which players can blow through very quickly if they are dedicated. (Source)
Blizzcon - Battle.net in WoW
I didn't have much time to talk about it during the week-end but in the future, Battle.net will be upgraded to support a lot of extra features. Some of them will affect World of Warcraft and players will eventually be forced to upgrade their WoW account to Battle.net accounts to support them, see the FAQ below for more information.
Quote from Blizzard staff
What is the new Battle.net?
We are building the new Battle.net to be the premier online gaming destination. The new Battle.net experience is a full-featured online game service designed specifically around Blizzard Entertainment titles, and will include a complete set of around-the-game features including a state-of-the-art matchmaking system, achievement system, social networking features, structured competitive play options, a marketplace, and much more. Our vision is to create an environment where gamers can compete online, develop an online persona, and stay connected to friends and the rest of the community while enjoying our games. In doing this, the new Battle.net will deliver the ultimate social and competitive experience for Blizzard Entertainment gamers everywhere.
What is the history of Battle.net?
Battle.net was the world?s first fully integrated matchmaking service, which we launched in 1996 with the release of Diablo. Battle.net evolved over the years to fully incorporate online gameplay for StarCraft, Diablo II, a re-release of Warcraft II, and Warcraft III. The Battle.net system has been in its current form, without major changes, since 2003.
What is the Real ID feature?
Real ID is at the forefront of online gaming as it will allow you to easily connect, communicate, and play with real-life friends. Connect with old friends and current guildies, and make new friends with the integrated Battle.net social networking tools. Beyond simply seeing your friend?s character names (e.g. ?Gorlac? in World of Warcraft or ?Snip3r? in StarCraft II), and having to remember which character name goes with which friend, you will be able to see your Real ID friend and chat with him or her across Blizzard games. What?s more, Real ID is totally optional -- the options are there for you to build your Blizzard Entertainment social network however you see fit.
What are some of the communication tools available in the new Battle.net?
Our vision is for the new Battle.net to become the ultimate Blizzard Entertainment social network, in addition to its matchmaking foundation. Simply logging in to Battle.net will make it easy to find and chat with your friends across World of Warcraft, StarCraft II, and future Blizzard Entertainment titles, including Diablo III. Keep track of all your buddies in your friends list, view their online status and presence information, voice chat, send out party invites, and broadcast messages to your friends. Detailed character profiles let players keep up to date on friends? progress and achievements.
Will classic Blizzard Entertainment games be supported on the new Battle.net?
We do eventually plan to update all classic Battle.net games to take advantage of the new Battle.net accounts and server infrastructure. Beyond this, we do not have anything to announce today regarding legacy Blizzard Entertainment titles and the new Battle.net experience.
Will a forced migration to Battle.net occur for World of Warcraft players?
Yes, sometime in the near future, it will be necessary for all World of Warcraft subscribers to transition their accounts to the new Battle.net system. Those players who have already converted to the new system will be able to take part in the new Battle.net features soon.
What will change in World of Warcraft after the forced migration?
The core gameplay experience will remain unchanged as a result of the migration. However, you?ll be able to take part in all of the new Battle.net features, such as cross-realm, cross-faction, and cross-game chat.
World of Warcraft: MLG WoW Weekend Pass
The 2009 MLG Dallas event will play host to one of the best World of Warcraft tournaments in the game's history and you can watch every minute of it in glorious high quality v...
More...
The Head of Onyxia was added to the game in the latest PTR build, the new quest is A Puzzling Circumstance / A Puzzling Circumstance and the rewards are :
All these rewards are level 245 and in the current state of PTR it seems that only one quest is available for the head, it's still unclear if it will drop from 10-Man, 25-Man, or both and any additional information would be appreciated in comments.
Blue posts
Quote from Blizzard staff
Arthas and Deathwing
Arthas tends to be considered the biggest force of destruction in the universe because he is very fresh in peoples' minds based on being fairly recently introduced through Warcraft 3 and staring everybody down since then. Remember though that even to break away from the control of the Burning Legion, it required a great deal of cunning and manipulation - he wasn't able to simply overpower them.
Deathwing on the other hand is a much more legendary figure and one of the greatest powers ever to exist on Azeroth. It took the might of all the other dragon aspects against him to force him into hiding. He also knows almost every being on the world will be against him so he wouldn't reveal himself unless he felt ready to take on anything that will face him. (Source)
Cataclysm Alt Friendly?
Cataclysm is pretty alt friendly over all. We'll do things that encourage and facilitate alts when it makes sense. (Source)
Ancient Glyphs level requirements
You have to be 85. Our plan is to tie it to Archaeology, but that could change. While fishing can be challenging to max out, cooking isn't all that hard and first aid is pretty easy. Archaeology could be anywhere in there. (Source)
Path of the Titans "gating"
No, that's the exact opposite of what we're saying. We're saying even if someone beats you to level 85, they can't get very far ahead of you on paths. Imagine that when a new rank is available, the previous rank becomes half price or something. (Source)
Orgrimmar destroyed in the expansion?
Orgrimmar destroyed? No. Given a bit of a make-over and a bit more iron in its spine (so to speak)? Yes. (Source)
Cross-server Instances and rewards as a leader
This was a bit of a miscomm. The idea is that you would be rewarded for trying to use LFG to form a group. A separate feature of LFG is that we allow players to identify whether they are comfortable leading the group or not and then we try to make sure each group has at least one leader. You are probably going to have a much worse experience joining a pug of 5 players when none of them know anything about the encounters.
I think a lot of drama would result from arguing over who should be leader if that incurred extra rewards, as well as encouraging players with no business doing so to lead. Really, the focus should be on the group. The leader just marks (though everyone could do that too) and describes the fights. (Source)
Low level PvP rewards no longer sold by the Officer Accessories Quartermaster
This flew under the radar for a little bit, but Master Sergeant Biggins should be selling those accessories again in 3.2.2. (Source)
Path of the titans
They are intended to be gated, not grindy. The idea is more that you have a reason to keep coming back to log in even if say you need a break from raiding or it isn't your team's PvP night. We are trying to contrast them with actual levels, which players can blow through very quickly if they are dedicated. (Source)
Blizzcon - Battle.net in WoW
I didn't have much time to talk about it during the week-end but in the future, Battle.net will be upgraded to support a lot of extra features. Some of them will affect World of Warcraft and players will eventually be forced to upgrade their WoW account to Battle.net accounts to support them, see the FAQ below for more information.
Quote from Blizzard staff
What is the new Battle.net?
We are building the new Battle.net to be the premier online gaming destination. The new Battle.net experience is a full-featured online game service designed specifically around Blizzard Entertainment titles, and will include a complete set of around-the-game features including a state-of-the-art matchmaking system, achievement system, social networking features, structured competitive play options, a marketplace, and much more. Our vision is to create an environment where gamers can compete online, develop an online persona, and stay connected to friends and the rest of the community while enjoying our games. In doing this, the new Battle.net will deliver the ultimate social and competitive experience for Blizzard Entertainment gamers everywhere.
What is the history of Battle.net?
Battle.net was the world?s first fully integrated matchmaking service, which we launched in 1996 with the release of Diablo. Battle.net evolved over the years to fully incorporate online gameplay for StarCraft, Diablo II, a re-release of Warcraft II, and Warcraft III. The Battle.net system has been in its current form, without major changes, since 2003.
What is the Real ID feature?
Real ID is at the forefront of online gaming as it will allow you to easily connect, communicate, and play with real-life friends. Connect with old friends and current guildies, and make new friends with the integrated Battle.net social networking tools. Beyond simply seeing your friend?s character names (e.g. ?Gorlac? in World of Warcraft or ?Snip3r? in StarCraft II), and having to remember which character name goes with which friend, you will be able to see your Real ID friend and chat with him or her across Blizzard games. What?s more, Real ID is totally optional -- the options are there for you to build your Blizzard Entertainment social network however you see fit.
What are some of the communication tools available in the new Battle.net?
Our vision is for the new Battle.net to become the ultimate Blizzard Entertainment social network, in addition to its matchmaking foundation. Simply logging in to Battle.net will make it easy to find and chat with your friends across World of Warcraft, StarCraft II, and future Blizzard Entertainment titles, including Diablo III. Keep track of all your buddies in your friends list, view their online status and presence information, voice chat, send out party invites, and broadcast messages to your friends. Detailed character profiles let players keep up to date on friends? progress and achievements.
Will classic Blizzard Entertainment games be supported on the new Battle.net?
We do eventually plan to update all classic Battle.net games to take advantage of the new Battle.net accounts and server infrastructure. Beyond this, we do not have anything to announce today regarding legacy Blizzard Entertainment titles and the new Battle.net experience.
Will a forced migration to Battle.net occur for World of Warcraft players?
Yes, sometime in the near future, it will be necessary for all World of Warcraft subscribers to transition their accounts to the new Battle.net system. Those players who have already converted to the new system will be able to take part in the new Battle.net features soon.
What will change in World of Warcraft after the forced migration?
The core gameplay experience will remain unchanged as a result of the migration. However, you?ll be able to take part in all of the new Battle.net features, such as cross-realm, cross-faction, and cross-game chat.
World of Warcraft: MLG WoW Weekend Pass
The 2009 MLG Dallas event will play host to one of the best World of Warcraft tournaments in the game's history and you can watch every minute of it in glorious high quality v...
More...
