So Colin Farrell, who is not confirmed for the Warcraft movie, really like the script. He called it "amazing." He doesn't actually admit to knowing anything about what's going on with it, though.
Looking forward to it, even if it's "Warcraft" and not "World of Warcraft." Yes, it's modeled after the RTS games. Does that matter?
Colin Farrell Really Loves The ‘World Of Warcraft’ Script
Monday, November 25, 2013
Dev Q&A for Warlords of Draenor
Killer interview. Here are some high points.
The character models involve a lot more work than one might expect at first glance, since they have to include features such as hair and the various movement animations. Draenei, Blood elves, Worgen, and Golbins will probably not be included this time around, since they're not so old.
It's kinda time travel, sort of, going back to the older (younger???) Draenor. It's up to players to keep the world from changing. Along the way they'll meet some cool "legendary" characters.
In some games players get a virtual apartment where they can hangout and chat with friends. (I gues syoui could do that in a dungeon instance, but this is cooler.) In Warlords you will get a whole figgin' town. Ok, you have to build and staff and manage it, but still..
Items will be squished, Hit & Expertise will die as will Reforging. New stats will come in as extra stats, but they'll be more fun stats, rather than something which changes the base power level of the gear.
Cool stuff. Here's the whole article.
The character models involve a lot more work than one might expect at first glance, since they have to include features such as hair and the various movement animations. Draenei, Blood elves, Worgen, and Golbins will probably not be included this time around, since they're not so old.
It's kinda time travel, sort of, going back to the older (younger???) Draenor. It's up to players to keep the world from changing. Along the way they'll meet some cool "legendary" characters.
In some games players get a virtual apartment where they can hangout and chat with friends. (I gues syoui could do that in a dungeon instance, but this is cooler.) In Warlords you will get a whole figgin' town. Ok, you have to build and staff and manage it, but still..
Items will be squished, Hit & Expertise will die as will Reforging. New stats will come in as extra stats, but they'll be more fun stats, rather than something which changes the base power level of the gear.
Cool stuff. Here's the whole article.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Justin Bieber Reveals His World Of Warcraft Love...
And in the most Earth-shattering news of the day:
From PerezHilton:
Go here for the whole scoop.
From PerezHilton:
Just think, next time you start up a game of World of Warcraft, you could very well be playing with Justin Bieber! But you may never know that because the singer is awfully sneaky.
Go here for the whole scoop.
Work for the World of Warcraft! Game Producer Opportunity
Want to work for Blizzard on the World of Warcraft? Do you have whatever it takes, since there will only be about 5 million people applying?
Bliz has posted an open, check it out:
Bliz has posted an open, check it out:
World of Warcraft live operations team is seeking a skilled producer. We are looking for a candidate who is a very organized, who communicates well and who demonstrates great aptitude in project management.
A few of the Responsibilities
- Create and track schedules for game launches, patches, and service updates.
Here's the whole post, with all the info, and the "apply" button: http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/company/careers/posting.html?id=13000FG
- Manage WOW development, QA, PTR, and Beta game testing environments.
- Manage the daily tracking of live operations tasks such that schedules are adjusted accordingly.
- Key point of contact for regional issues and requests.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Zygor Guides 5.4 Patch Day Sale
Zygor's Guide is an in-game addon which takes you from whatever level you are now, regardless of class, and will show you the best path to take through all the quests to get to 90, as quickly as possible.
In honor of the launch of patch 5.4, for which Zygor guides is fully updated, Zygor is having a 50% off sale. But it will only last for a few days. Get yours here, before it's gone.
In honor of the launch of patch 5.4, for which Zygor guides is fully updated, Zygor is having a 50% off sale. But it will only last for a few days. Get yours here, before it's gone.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Raid Schedule for the Hellscream Butt Kicking (Siege of Orgrimmar)
Blizzard has released the raid schedule for the Siege of Orgrimmar, where you and your associates get a chance to fire G. Hellscream for the lousy job he's been doing. Or maybe you're doing it just because he's THE Horde.
From WarCry
September 10: Patch 5.4 ReleaseThe same schedule is also on Battle.net. WoWhead has a boss list. MMO-Champ has a video of the raid testing, along with the same schedule, and another video with pics and more notes.
- Normal
September 17 Heroic
- Flex Wing 1 "Vale of Eternal Sorrows"
- (Normal Garrosh kill required)
- Flex Wing 2 "Gates of Retribution"
September 24
- Raid Finder Wing 1 "Vale of Eternal Sorrows"
October 1
- Raid Finder Wing 2 "Gates of Retribution"
October 8
- Flex Wing 3 "The Underhold"
October 15
- Raid Finder Wing 3 "The Underhold"
October 22
- Flex Wing 4 "Downfall"
- Raid Finder Wing 4 "Downfall"
Read the patch notes, get leveled up (naturally,) and then test yourself before raiding.
In Detail, The Patch 5.4 Warrior Changes
The Patch 5.4 Warrior Changes are much like those of the other classes. A mixed bag of buffs and other changes. Tanks should take an especially close look at the 5.4 changes, Arms could spend a glance, and Fury will just mostly yawn.
Mostly, Warriors are in a better place with the changes and Bladestorm might even be coming back. Note that these patch remarks are up to date as of 8/27. They will be updated if there are any changes before or after the 5.4 launch. Note that there may be some significant changes still coming.
The details are here: The Patch 5.4 Warrior Changes
Mostly, Warriors are in a better place with the changes and Bladestorm might even be coming back. Note that these patch remarks are up to date as of 8/27. They will be updated if there are any changes before or after the 5.4 launch. Note that there may be some significant changes still coming.
The details are here: The Patch 5.4 Warrior Changes
Friday, August 30, 2013
Getting to Level 90, The Easy Way
I enjoy playing World of Warcraft as much as anyone, but these days my time is limited. I started to get really frustrated because I wasn't able to get as much done as I wanted to in my play sessions, and I started to fall way behind my friends who had more time to play than me. I spent way too much of that sparse free time looking for tips and tricks online to improve my leveling speed but most were dead ends. And even those that were useful didn't save much time, with the switching back and forth from game to website.
That is until I stumbled across something called Zygor Guides, a completely in-game World of Warcraft strategy guide. With Zygor's Leveling and Loremaster Guide, I was able to level my character from 1-90 in just 5 days /played time (that's actual "in game" time.)
Zygor's Leveling Guide isn't like the printed book guides you will see in some game stores. It is completely digital, which means it is always kept up to date, and it runs INSIDE your game telling you exactly which quests to pick up and where and how to do them. It's all automated and detects your current level and your actions, updating itself as you complete each step. As soon as you're ready to move on a pop-up will appear and let you know.
Navigation couldn't be easier with Zygor's on screen 3D Waypoint Arrow that literally points you where to go. The arrow has a built in Travel System that works like a Google Maps for Azeroth, pointing the way directly to your next location. It's not perfect, and you might have to go around some obstacles or somesuch, but it's way better than anything in the game itself.
There's also lots of different ways Zygor helps you with the more tedius aspects of the game, allowing you to just focus on the fun parts. Take talents for example. Zygor's Guide includes a Talent Advisor that helps you figure out the best way to spend your talent points. There's also something called the Gear System that pops up anytime you receieve better gear, alerting you of the upgrade and autoequipping it for you if you'd like. If you don'tlike, then it can easily be turned off. In fact, most of the features of the guide can be toggles and adjusted.
All of these features work together to power level you in lighting speed. In fact, sometimes I would level so fast that the guide would dynamically change and allow me to move to a better zone so I would get more XP. Of course, if you're a completionist the idea of skipping zones might not sound like a good idea, but never fear, Zygor Guides includes all the quests needed to get the full Loremaster achievement.
If all of this sounds too good to be true you can try out Zygor Guides for yourself today for free on their official website.
That is until I stumbled across something called Zygor Guides, a completely in-game World of Warcraft strategy guide. With Zygor's Leveling and Loremaster Guide, I was able to level my character from 1-90 in just 5 days /played time (that's actual "in game" time.)
Sound impossible? It's not, and here's how:
Zygor's Leveling Guide isn't like the printed book guides you will see in some game stores. It is completely digital, which means it is always kept up to date, and it runs INSIDE your game telling you exactly which quests to pick up and where and how to do them. It's all automated and detects your current level and your actions, updating itself as you complete each step. As soon as you're ready to move on a pop-up will appear and let you know.
There's also lots of different ways Zygor helps you with the more tedius aspects of the game, allowing you to just focus on the fun parts. Take talents for example. Zygor's Guide includes a Talent Advisor that helps you figure out the best way to spend your talent points. There's also something called the Gear System that pops up anytime you receieve better gear, alerting you of the upgrade and autoequipping it for you if you'd like. If you don'tlike, then it can easily be turned off. In fact, most of the features of the guide can be toggles and adjusted.
All of these features work together to power level you in lighting speed. In fact, sometimes I would level so fast that the guide would dynamically change and allow me to move to a better zone so I would get more XP. Of course, if you're a completionist the idea of skipping zones might not sound like a good idea, but never fear, Zygor Guides includes all the quests needed to get the full Loremaster achievement.
If all of this sounds too good to be true you can try out Zygor Guides for yourself today for free on their official website.
The Current Patch Notes, for 5.4
These are probably pretty close to what we'll see when it goes live, on Sept. 10. However, one must keep in mind that large changes sometimes happen right before a patch. Also, after the patch lands, there will be a whole series of hot fixes and little patches to fix whatever slipped through.
Bliz didn't include hotlinks to the abilities mentioned in the notes, but you can find them on Gotwarcraft, such as on the Warrior page: http://gotwarcraft.com/wow-warrior-guides/#patch
Monday, August 26, 2013
The life and legacy of Lei Shen
WoW Insider is running a series on the Lore of Azeroth. This piece is on The life and legacy of Lei Shen. A very important figure in Mogu and Pandaren history.
The post also notes the two different version of Mogu history, the Pandaren version and the Mogu's own. Naturally the points of view make a big difference here.
The life and legacy of Lei Shen
The post also notes the two different version of Mogu history, the Pandaren version and the Mogu's own. Naturally the points of view make a big difference here.
The life and legacy of Lei Shen
Once upon a time, somewhere in the dawn of Azeroth's history, before the Sundering split the world in two, there was a race of warlords called the mogu. Violent and cruel, the mogu fought relentlessly against everything -- including each other. That is, until one day when one mogu sought out the history and secrets of his people's past, discovering that they were creatures of far more potential, far more purpose than any had realized. It was a secret long forgotten, and the mighty Lei Shen not only uncovered it, but brought that secret back to his people.Read it all here
Sunday, August 25, 2013
What’s New in World of Warcraft Patch 5.4?
For a game that’s been around as long as World of Warcraft, change is essential. This week, Blizzard detailed the updates coming in WoW’s upcoming Patch 5.4: Siege of Orgrimmar, including class changes, currency conversions and much more.
In an interview at Gamescom, game director Tom Chilton and lead content designer Cory Stockton explained how the new changes will affect WoW, plus how many more updates Mists of Pandaria players can expect.
There are lots of changes. See the whole article here: World of Warcraft Patch 5.4
Part of 5.4 is the Siege of Orgrimmar. Blizzard has a post up regarding various changes and how you can prepare for 5.4 (and even join the patch testing) and then get ready to kick Hellscream's butt. Gearing up for 5.4
There will be a whole lotta class changes, most small, a few big. Check the patch notes for changes that affect your game.
Free to Play WOW? Hmmm...
WoW Insider asks
I'd play, and I'd enjoy not paying the fees. My question is whether I'd have to pay to advance? Get the better gear? What's the limit of what's available with the free game?
Some people, obviously, would be buying up every advantage that they could. Heck, someone's keeping all those gold farmers and account and item sellers in the green. I don't think they'd have any problems buying the requisite upgrades.
For those of us with a bit less ready cash, would we even be able to compete? Or will they come up with a system (assuming this is more than just a whimsical idea) where a bit more in-game effort replaces the need to buy stuff with cash. EG: some extra farming to get whatever item(s.)
Hmmm....
Tom Chilton's recent comments about how WoW could one day be free to play have us wondering: would WoW players still want to play in a free-to-play, microtransaction-supported version of their favorite game? Would you play free-to-play WoW?
Some people, obviously, would be buying up every advantage that they could. Heck, someone's keeping all those gold farmers and account and item sellers in the green. I don't think they'd have any problems buying the requisite upgrades.
For those of us with a bit less ready cash, would we even be able to compete? Or will they come up with a system (assuming this is more than just a whimsical idea) where a bit more in-game effort replaces the need to buy stuff with cash. EG: some extra farming to get whatever item(s.)
Hmmm....
Friday, August 9, 2013
The Burdens of Shaohao
This is a 6 part video series, by Blizzard, about the last Emperor of Pandaria: Shaohao. The Emperor is given a vision of what is to come and then has to deal with it.
It's a pretty slick series and I enjoyed it a lot.
Here's the first one and you can link to the rest from there.
It's a pretty slick series and I enjoyed it a lot.
Here's the first one and you can link to the rest from there.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Holy Paladin Saves Raid! Again!
You are the Savior of the Weak and the Healer of Tanks. You, as a Holy Paladin, are the kind-hearted soul who strives so valiantly to keep the raid alive, even (or especially) if it's against other players.
The healing profession, for any healer, has never been an easy rotation. You cannot just mash three or four buttons and then repeat. You have to react to who is being damaged right now. This means that you have to keep an eye on your team and must also have a good understanding of your spells and that you cannot rely on a 1 to 2 to 3 rotation.
Seal of Insight is your primary "Seal." It should be up at all times and it helps greatly with casting and mana efficiency.
Beacon of Light should always be active on a target, usually the tank. Any healing you do to the rest of the group will carry over, at least in part, to the target. This makes your job much easier.
Holy Power needs to be built up and then used on various abilities. Holy Shock allows us to build those charges of Holy Power and use them with Word of Glory and, on a critical strike/heal, grants us the Infusion of Light proc. Holy Shock should be used as often as possible to maximize Holy Power generation.
Note that a maximum of 5 Holy Power can be stored at any one time, though only 3 can be used. This allows us to pool some Holy Power for crucial moments where a quick succession of heals may be necessary. It also makes sure that we aren't wasting any HP points.
There's more, but this should give you a starting point.
Like all spell casters and bolt lobbers the Holy Paladin's #1 stat is Intelligence. This stat increases the amount of healing done and even adds a bit of Crit Rating, which increases it even more.
Unlike melee types, ie: Retribution, Holy doesn't need Hit or Expertise for healing or much of anything. Heck, you even have an ability, Holy Insight, which Increases yourchance to hit with Holy Shock, Judgment, and Denounce by 15%. No added Hit is necessary.
Spirit, on the other hand, is the #2 "go to" stat. Holy Paladins use a lot of mana and can easily run out, which isn't a good place to be when fighting that boss or the players in that city your team is invading. It's necessary for you to stock up on Spirits (er... Spirit) to keep the mana level high enough to be effective.
Only after gathering enough Spirit to keep from bottoming out on mana should the Holy Pally look to other stats.
Haste becomes the next important stat. The upside of Haste is that it speeds up your casting times, speeds up your "Heal over Time" effects (HoTs,) and so on. The downside is that by speeding everything up you will burn mana faster. So don't go nuts with the Haste unless your mana is strong.
Mastery may be even more important that Haste. What it does is effectively increase your healing by placing a damage absorbtion shield on your target. Damage absorbed doesn't need to be healed and it doesn't increase your mana use.
Crit should be skipped. Yes, it makes for bigger heals, when the random numbers come up, but it's not reliable, where Haste and Mastery are.
Reforging is a way to push some of your stats around. Push your Crit and any Hit or Expertise into Spirit (if you need the mana.) Once you have enough Spirit then reforge into Haste or Mastery (pick one) and stack it up. At higher gear levels your Spirit should not be an issue.
Only use the other stat if that piece of gear already has the other, ie: if you're going for Haste the only reason to reforge to Mastery is if you already have Haste on that piece of gear and the other stat is something like Crit.
This is really pretty easy. Have a gem slot that needs to be filled? Use the priorities above. Need more mana, stick in some kind of Spirit gem, otherwise use an Int gem or Int/Haste or Int/Spirit hybrid gem. Follow the same plan with your enchants. Spirit and Int first, and then Haste or Mastery.
Talents and glyphs are easily changed, whenever you need to change them. Just click on the new one, pay one "Tome of the Clear Mind" and you're good to go. Why change either? Because your play style and what you're doing (PvP, Raids, Dungeons, etc.) will vary.
Take these Talent recommendations and feel free to modify them as necessary.
As for the glyphs, there are a lot of them and some don't apply to you. Take a look at what you actually do and then if something about it bugs you see if there's a glyph to improve it. Buy them all, and by "all" I mean the important ones, and experiment with what works for you. You can
If you can't afford the gems and glyphs then you're going to have to spend some time earning some gold. The easiest way is to grab the Herbalism profession and then Mining as your second pick. Work them hard. Why Herbalism? Because when you have a high skill you get a massive Haste cooldown, and Haste is one of your best stats. (Both herbs and ores sell quite well.) Why not take skinning? Because you're Holy, and killing things isn't one of your better skills. ;) Otherwise, go for it.
It's time. The Raid needs you, again! Get to work!
Article Source: http://www.streetarticles.com/computer-games/holy-paladin-saves-raid-again
Saving Their (Your Team's) Bacon
The healing profession, for any healer, has never been an easy rotation. You cannot just mash three or four buttons and then repeat. You have to react to who is being damaged right now. This means that you have to keep an eye on your team and must also have a good understanding of your spells and that you cannot rely on a 1 to 2 to 3 rotation.
Seal of Insight is your primary "Seal." It should be up at all times and it helps greatly with casting and mana efficiency.
Beacon of Light should always be active on a target, usually the tank. Any healing you do to the rest of the group will carry over, at least in part, to the target. This makes your job much easier.
Holy Power needs to be built up and then used on various abilities. Holy Shock allows us to build those charges of Holy Power and use them with Word of Glory and, on a critical strike/heal, grants us the Infusion of Light proc. Holy Shock should be used as often as possible to maximize Holy Power generation.
Note that a maximum of 5 Holy Power can be stored at any one time, though only 3 can be used. This allows us to pool some Holy Power for crucial moments where a quick succession of heals may be necessary. It also makes sure that we aren't wasting any HP points.
- Holy Light is our default, "go to" heal. It provides good healing at a low mana cost. Use it when your other heals are unnecessary.
- Word of Glory uses your charges of Holy Power, and increases in effectiveness with each charge.
- Light of Dawn is another Holy Power Heal that is most effective when the raid is stacked up so they can all benefit from the effect.
There's more, but this should give you a starting point.
Holy Stat Priorities
Like all spell casters and bolt lobbers the Holy Paladin's #1 stat is Intelligence. This stat increases the amount of healing done and even adds a bit of Crit Rating, which increases it even more.
Unlike melee types, ie: Retribution, Holy doesn't need Hit or Expertise for healing or much of anything. Heck, you even have an ability, Holy Insight, which Increases yourchance to hit with Holy Shock, Judgment, and Denounce by 15%. No added Hit is necessary.
Spirit, on the other hand, is the #2 "go to" stat. Holy Paladins use a lot of mana and can easily run out, which isn't a good place to be when fighting that boss or the players in that city your team is invading. It's necessary for you to stock up on Spirits (er... Spirit) to keep the mana level high enough to be effective.
Only after gathering enough Spirit to keep from bottoming out on mana should the Holy Pally look to other stats.
Haste becomes the next important stat. The upside of Haste is that it speeds up your casting times, speeds up your "Heal over Time" effects (HoTs,) and so on. The downside is that by speeding everything up you will burn mana faster. So don't go nuts with the Haste unless your mana is strong.
Mastery may be even more important that Haste. What it does is effectively increase your healing by placing a damage absorbtion shield on your target. Damage absorbed doesn't need to be healed and it doesn't increase your mana use.
Crit should be skipped. Yes, it makes for bigger heals, when the random numbers come up, but it's not reliable, where Haste and Mastery are.
Reforging is a way to push some of your stats around. Push your Crit and any Hit or Expertise into Spirit (if you need the mana.) Once you have enough Spirit then reforge into Haste or Mastery (pick one) and stack it up. At higher gear levels your Spirit should not be an issue.
Only use the other stat if that piece of gear already has the other, ie: if you're going for Haste the only reason to reforge to Mastery is if you already have Haste on that piece of gear and the other stat is something like Crit.
Gems and Enchants
This is really pretty easy. Have a gem slot that needs to be filled? Use the priorities above. Need more mana, stick in some kind of Spirit gem, otherwise use an Int gem or Int/Haste or Int/Spirit hybrid gem. Follow the same plan with your enchants. Spirit and Int first, and then Haste or Mastery.
Holy Talents, Batman!
Talents and glyphs are easily changed, whenever you need to change them. Just click on the new one, pay one "Tome of the Clear Mind" and you're good to go. Why change either? Because your play style and what you're doing (PvP, Raids, Dungeons, etc.) will vary.
Take these Talent recommendations and feel free to modify them as necessary.
- Pursuit of Justice - is a constant movement speed increase. Nice.
- Repentance puts a target to sleep for awhile, long enough to keep them out of the fight.
- Eternal Flame improves your Word of Glory.
- Clemency lets you use your "Hand" spells more effectively.
- Divine Purpose, despite being random, adds a lot to your healing over a fight.
- Light's Hammer is great when your raid group piles on the target, which they often do.
As for the glyphs, there are a lot of them and some don't apply to you. Take a look at what you actually do and then if something about it bugs you see if there's a glyph to improve it. Buy them all, and by "all" I mean the important ones, and experiment with what works for you. You can
If you can't afford the gems and glyphs then you're going to have to spend some time earning some gold. The easiest way is to grab the Herbalism profession and then Mining as your second pick. Work them hard. Why Herbalism? Because when you have a high skill you get a massive Haste cooldown, and Haste is one of your best stats. (Both herbs and ores sell quite well.) Why not take skinning? Because you're Holy, and killing things isn't one of your better skills. ;) Otherwise, go for it.
It's time. The Raid needs you, again! Get to work!
Article Source: http://www.streetarticles.com/computer-games/holy-paladin-saves-raid-again
Monday, July 29, 2013
Prove Yourself! In the Proving Grounds
Blizzard has announced that in patch 5.4 players will get to test their mettle in The Proving Grounds. This is basically a dungeon for one player, sans loot and XP, that will let you "prove" your mettle against various scenarios. You will be given a rating depending on how well you do.
Naturally this rating will be used to determine your eligibility to join dungeon and raid groups. Pick Up Groups (PUGs) anyway.
To access the Proving Grounds, speak with an NPC in the Temple of the White Tiger in Kun-Lai Summit or a class trainer.
Go here for a lot more info.
Naturally this rating will be used to determine your eligibility to join dungeon and raid groups. Pick Up Groups (PUGs) anyway.
To access the Proving Grounds, speak with an NPC in the Temple of the White Tiger in Kun-Lai Summit or a class trainer.
Go here for a lot more info.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
China Tumbs nose at Blizzard
On Bloomberg:
Be kinda interesting if China and Bliz could come to some sort of agreement with the licensing, might become a win win? As it is, I think they're showing their, ahem, real respect for Bliz. Of course, China is well known for not respecting copyrights and trademarks, so I expect not much will happen hear.
Chinese knockoffs have long created headaches for global tech companies, but the intellectual-property roller coaster that Activision Blizzard is riding there is a screamer.Here's the whole story and the video tour
At the World Joyland amusement park located outside Shanghai, players of Blizzard's World of Warcraft may recognize some striking similarities to characters and environments from the computer game. But don't take our word for it. Watch the video from Bloomberg Television's Stephen Engle, who gives a tour of the park and delves into the copyright issues
Be kinda interesting if China and Bliz could come to some sort of agreement with the licensing, might become a win win? As it is, I think they're showing their, ahem, real respect for Bliz. Of course, China is well known for not respecting copyrights and trademarks, so I expect not much will happen hear.
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