World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor Launches Nov. 13th

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World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor Launches Nov. 13th

Posted by Soulskill on Friday August 15, 2014 @01:51AM from the it's-that-time-again dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Yesterday at Gamescom, Blizzard announced the release date for the latest expansion to World of Warcraft, titled Warlords of Draenor. The expansion will launch on Thursday, November 13th. The launch date is 10 days prior to the game's 10th anniversary, and both will be celebrated by a lengthy incursion event in-game. Blizzard also released the cinematic trailer for Warlords of Draenor.

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Amazing quality by Anonymous Coward · 2014-08-15 01:56 · Score: 5, Interesting

Blizzard, as always, has done a fantastic job on this cinematic trailer.
Whats more impressive is Russell Brower's musical score. The song in the trailer, The Iron Horde, is my personal favorite.
1. Re: Amazing quality by neiras · 2014-08-15 07:02 · Score: 2
  
  Um. It's funny. I watched the trailer and all I could think was "wow, Blizzard scores are always so one-dimensional. Disappointing."
  They are really good at assigning themes to races or characters. But musically, they just seem hamfisted. There's no real complexity or subtlety. Just HERE IS THE THEME. NOW HERE IS ANOTHER THEME.
  Technically well executed; emotionally flat as standalone pieces. Blizzard knows that players will simply attach emotions that they are already feeling in game to the themes they hear as they play though, so it works for them.
  No need to be evocative or really creative. Music in WoW is just another hook.
2. Re:Amazing quality by whereiswaldo · 2014-08-15 11:50 · Score: 1
  
  Agreed, a very impressive trailer, maybe the best one yet. I've only got an hour or two per week to spend on games these days - I'd probably play if they had a usage-based subscription option instead of a fixed monthly rate.
3. Re: Amazing quality by towermac · 2014-08-15 11:52 · Score: 1
  
  It's funnier than that.
  I showed it to 3 people in the office that don't know what WoW is. All 3 said it was really cool, and were glued to it. One, (a 50+ year old man) quizzed me on what kind of computer it runs on, can he get it in the living room, etc.
  You just wanted more, man. It's a decent trailer.
That reminds me... by Opportunist · 2014-08-15 01:57 · Score: 4, Funny

Any good MMOs out there worth playing?
Damn. Now I'm going to get modded offtopic...

--
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
1. Re:That reminds me... by Travis+Mansbridge · 2014-08-15 02:02 · Score: 1
  
  Anarchy Online.
2. Re:That reminds me... by Ultra64 · 2014-08-15 02:03 · Score: 1, Insightful
  
  Star Trek Online, Final Fantasy XIV
3. Re:That reminds me... by ArcadeMan · 2014-08-15 02:04 · Score: 1
  
  I like Final Fantasy XIV, because catgirls FTW!
  
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  Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
4. Re:That reminds me... by Snjit · 2014-08-15 02:08 · Score: 2
  
  Rift
5. Re:That reminds me... by Krojack · 2014-08-15 02:10 · Score: 1
  
  Really depends on what you like. Final Fantasy 14 is pretty fun and has a good story line. Best graphics in any MMO out right now if you ask me. You can catch it on sale for $15 from time to time and it's like $13-15/month. The player base has started to really split over the past several months into the casuals and elites so you will see a lot of the "if your avg. iLvl gear isn't > X then get lost" type of messages. I personally didn't care when I last played because mine was almost maxed. I would try to help those that got left out when I had the time.
6. Re:That reminds me... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-08-15 02:15 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  Star Trek Online
  Nope. A branch of goonswarm is on the rise there, under the guise of "starfleet dental" fed side and "nerds of prey" kdf side. Worse? The devs condone their trolling.
  
  Final Fantasy XIV
  Possibly.
7. Re:That reminds me... by ildon · 2014-08-15 02:34 · Score: 1
  
  Most of the people I know who have gotten bored with WoW waiting for the next expansion have ended up playing FFXIV. Most of them tried Wildstar but quickly dropped it. There's just something about the art style, character animations, and group combat of FFXIV that seems to drag people back to it. I think most of them are going to retreat back to WoW when this expansion hits, however.
8. Re:That reminds me... by Talderas · 2014-08-15 02:39 · Score: 1
  
  Final Fantasy XIV: ARR.
  They have over a million preorders for their Chinese launch. Right now estimates place them at around 1,500,000 to 2,000,000 subscriptions (worth noting this was WoW's subscription count about 1 year in). With the Chinese launch they'll jump up to nearly half of WoW's current active subscription count of 6,500,000.
  
  --
  "Lack of speed can be overcome. In the worst case by patience." --Znork
9. Re:That reminds me... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-08-15 02:46 · Score: 1
  
  LoTRO. Free to play. Pretty well put together.
10. Re:That reminds me... by DerekLyons · 2014-08-15 02:57 · Score: 2
  
  Not since City of Heroes went dark.
11. Re:That reminds me... by Opportunist · 2014-08-15 03:24 · Score: 1
  
  I absolutely loved AO. It was one of my first MMOs and I remember it fondly. I remember the tower wars, I remember the insane mass battles. It just ... I dunno. It kinda got worse and worse with every expansion. I'd probably instantly jump into it again if there was any chance to find people to play with again, if only 'cause I absolutely loved it.
  Even though it certainly ain't the same anymore. I miss those "100k for $buff NOW or my $other_buff runs out before I can put $item on" screams.
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
12. Re:That reminds me... by Opportunist · 2014-08-15 03:25 · Score: 1
  
  Sorry. I was there for its first incarnation. Fool me once and all that. Yeah, yeah, I know, they redid it into a completely different game. I don't care. Besides, I don't like the whole FF franchise.
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
13. Re:That reminds me... by Opportunist · 2014-08-15 03:27 · Score: 1
  
  I'd prefer a MMO that's not overrun by fanboys. And to make matters worse, it's not like they're fanboys of the game but the underlying franchise.
  Nope. Thanks. I don't play MMOs for the RP aspect. I prefer the "let's coop to blow some shit up" part.
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
14. Re:That reminds me... by RogueyWon · 2014-08-15 03:28 · Score: 1
  
  As others have said; Final Fantasy XIV. Candidate for the "most improved game in history", following a disaster of a launch a few years ago.
  The current incarnation is possibly the only MMO around to be able to go toe-to-toe with WoW in terms of features, content and polish. The update cycle which adds new content is at least on a par with WoW's (if not slightly better) and, unlike games such as Lord of the Rings Online and Star Wars: Old Republic, it isn't afraid to do things differently to WoW in some respects.
  In particular, the class/job system is much more flexible than WoW's. The crafting system is infinitely more sophisticated, particularly at the higher levels (I know people in-game who only rarely play combat classes). The PvP modes are hived off entirely from PvE, with their own stats and abilities, meaning that PvE players don't get messed around by constant PvP balance changes. The game is also much more accommodating for casual players than Pandaria-era WoW, avoiding WoW's obsession with locking casuals into an endless, tedious grind of daily quests as an alternative to raid content. But it does this without compromising the experience for the hardcore; the Coil raid and the extreme-mode Primals are on a par with top-end WoW content.
  With player numbers reputed to be closing in on 2 million and still rising, it feels like the first MMO since WoW to have a chance of equalling WoW's success - despite much less mainstream media hype.
15. Re:That reminds me... by Opportunist · 2014-08-15 03:28 · Score: 1
  
  NC killed off Tabula Rasa, which I still miss, to push their WoW clone Aion. They're not going to get a single cent of my money.
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
16. Re:That reminds me... by Opportunist · 2014-08-15 03:29 · Score: 1
  
  Rift is pretty cool. I just don't know anyone who plays it. Else I'd probably install it and take it for a spin again. It was a really awesome game, I like the idea of ad-hoc grouping around rifts, it just seems that in mid-levels it becomes near impossible to get anything going.
  With a few others playing, I'd maybe give it (yet) another try.
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
17. Re: That reminds me... by master_p · 2014-08-15 03:33 · Score: 1
  
  If you are interested in first person combat, try Darkfall Unholy Wars. It is a full loot MMORPG with FPS style combat.
18. Re:That reminds me... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-08-15 03:41 · Score: 1
  
  They aren't as bad as they used to be in that there are some things to counter their tactics in game. You can easily get a party ball nerf device from a quick game or two of Dabo so their party ball spamming doesn't bother you anymore. Above all else like any other troll, ignore works wonders.
19. Re:That reminds me... by rogoshen1 · 2014-08-15 04:03 · Score: 1
  
  you *might* like elder scrolls online. has a bit of that "mass PVP" battle.
  Good graphics, solid music -- bit of a different combat/control scheme, and the questing is basically single player.
  but all in all, a fun and engrossing game.
20. Re:That reminds me... by damnbunni · 2014-08-15 04:10 · Score: 1
  
  If you had the original version, your login still works.
  And I think you get a free month for returning. That promo might be over.
  If so, it wouldn't cost anything to check it out.
21. Re:That reminds me... by Iniamyen · 2014-08-15 04:25 · Score: 1
  
  I tried Planetside 2 (maybe a year ago), and there were definitely fun moments. Most of the time, though, there weren't enough people online to be fun. It's the type of game where if there isn't a big battle going on somewhere it's not really that fun. And I'm not talking trying to play in the middle of the night, either, there were Fridays/Saturdays during primetime when there just wasn't anybody online.
22. Re:That reminds me... by angel'o'sphere · 2014-08-15 05:06 · Score: 2
  
  Eve online.
  
  --
  Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
23. Re:That reminds me... by scubamage · 2014-08-15 05:08 · Score: 1
  
  I tried the original, and I tried the revamped version. I honestly couldn't get through the 45 minutes of intro before I could do anything interesting. Then when I got there, the combat just kinda felt... meh. I have 1 friend who plays and enjoys it, so maybe it gets better. I just didn't feel like giving too much time after everything leading up to that point.
24. Re:That reminds me... by scubamage · 2014-08-15 05:09 · Score: 1
  
  You may enjoy guild wars/guild wars 2? The only big issue is that they really are heavy on the pay2play crap. Constantly getting drops and "chests" you can only open by buying "keys" that cost real world money.
25. Re:That reminds me... by scubamage · 2014-08-15 05:11 · Score: 1
  
  My biggest issue is the huge push they put on players to pay extra cash.
26. Re:That reminds me... by angel'o'sphere · 2014-08-15 05:15 · Score: 1
  
  Are the original 'Goons' meanwhile known?
  For those who don't know: the goons are group of perhaps five people (presumably rich) who got bored when they where young and descided to wreck every online game they could be botherd to play. Well, so goes the internet meme, no idea how much is true, But in eve online they where once close in accomplishing it, now they are so hated that when the idea comes up a certain player group could be 'goons' all around them are ganing up and destroying them.
  Somehow the self proclaimed goal was to be not only the dominate power in the game and enslave all other pplayers but literally try to run the hosting company bankrupt by abusing in game mechanics to the extend that the player community is crumbling.
  Well, the people who told me that claim to be insiders, but that is it with internet memes :)
  In eve online I play in an alliance that is the survivor of the Goons versus Band of Borthers (BoB) desaster. That was a case where a player of BoB was bribed with RL money to 'destroy' the alliance (guild in other MMOs).
  So no idea how much of it is true and how much is imagination, but as the Goons pop up ... often literally with a 'goon' name, I doubt it is far sketched.
  
  --
  Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
27. Re:That reminds me... by scubamage · 2014-08-15 05:15 · Score: 1
  
  They actually didn't do anything new and different. They basically put a few changes on FFXI and rebranded it as a new game. The locales weren't that different, the timer things were annoying, the races were the same (with a couple different letters different in the names)... it really didn't feel different. I'm saying that as a long time FFXI player.
28. Re:That reminds me... by scubamage · 2014-08-15 05:17 · Score: 1
  
  I was really into PS2, and had been an avid PS player since the beginning. However, PS2 got a bit annoying after awhile. I didn't like how they limited you (unlike the original PS). The problem we had is every side on every server seemed to develop at least 1 "massive" guild that would just steamroll whatever they wanted with numbers. If you weren't in that guild, you basically scratched by. It made it un-fun.
29. Re:That reminds me... by scubamage · 2014-08-15 05:18 · Score: 2
  
  Obligatory: http://img.photobucket.com/alb...
30. Re:That reminds me... by idontgno · 2014-08-15 05:47 · Score: 1
  
  Which is probably why you wouldn't be interested in an MMORPG. Which World of Warcraft explicitly names itself.
  But you're posting in an off-topic thread. So carry on.
  
  --
  Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
31. Re:That reminds me... by UnknownSoldier · 2014-08-15 06:41 · Score: 1
  
  Depending on your "definition", no. Every MMO sucks ass today ... WoW was cool when it came out in 2004. Every expansion = more pointless grinding for gear I don't care about.
  * Guild Wars 2
  +no monthly fee
  +dynamic group events
  - automatic level downgrade = annoying;
  - massive farming required
  - lame story
  - empty world
  * Warframe - http://store.steampowered.com/...
  +free
  -massive grind fest
  * Defiance - http://store.steampowered.com/...
  + free
  - massive grind fest
  * Runes of Magic
  + Free
  - massive grind fest
  Best games to play are with friends:
  * Terraria
  * Borderlands 1 & 2
  * Path of Exile (free)
32. Re:That reminds me... by WuphonsReach · 2014-08-15 06:54 · Score: 1
  
  Wildstar has legs and is still a bit of a sleeper. It was one of the better releases of the past decade, minimal server / stability / bug issues. It's gotten better too in the two months since launch, they finally killed off most of the harvesting bots and in general, things are in a pretty good shape.
  
  --
  Wolde you bothe eate your cake, and have your cake?
33. Re:That reminds me... by Rakarra · 2014-08-15 07:27 · Score: 1
  
  you can't trust the client! The problem was that it was slow, not that things were handled by the server
  In general, the "correct" way is to allow things to be done in the client, check them, and then deny access if what the client did was impossible or illegal given server constraints. That how you get responsiveness. If you require the server to send approval of every action, then things will indeed seem "sluggish." That's in a number of online games (like wow and FF) you can move freely, but you might "snap back" if a little lag strikes. Or why you can move instantly, but things like spellcasts might be delayed for server verification.
  It's not easy to tell where the line should be for what you allow right now, and what you allow only after an ok from the server.
34. Re:That reminds me... by Opportunist · 2014-08-15 07:55 · Score: 1
  
  Been there, done that, ran a corp.
  I have a life now. I still want to play, but I don't want a game to essentially take over my life. It was hard enough to quit once, I'm not going back.
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
35. Re:That reminds me... by Opportunist · 2014-08-15 07:57 · Score: 2
  
  NCsoft has a history of turning games off just when I get to enjoy them. Not going back there
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
36. Re:That reminds me... by Mashiki · 2014-08-15 08:18 · Score: 1
  
  I prefer the "let's coop to blow some shit up" part.
  So, raids, crawls, and raids huh? Got burned out on that in '06/07.
  
  --
  Om, nomnomnom...
37. Re:That reminds me... by Vastad · 2014-08-16 05:50 · Score: 1
  
  Didn't Tabula Rasa have a shrinking player population problem soon after launch?
38. Re:That reminds me... by Opportunist · 2014-08-16 06:35 · Score: 1
  
  That's what happens when you kick a game out into the open long before it's done and ready for prime time. And while it's become the norm for the industry to release MMOs that are barely finished and still quite buggy, that one was decidedly NOT finished. Easy to be seen by looking at how they retained the WHOLE coder staff into release (instead of the usual way of putting most people to new projects while letting a core team iron out the kinks). The game was a mess. Shot balance (to the point where a few classes could not even afford the ammo they needed with slowly killing guns while others turned into veritable cash machines that instakilled nearly everything on dirt cheap ammunition/no ammunition), buggy quests and zero endgame content. And when I say zero I mean zero. Not "just one dungeon" or "just a few things you could do". There was literally NOTHING to do when you hit 50, which happened VERY quickly.
  That improved over time and by the time it was about to be shut down, i.e. a year after launch, it was ready. TR was a really great game right at the moment they wanted to pull the plug on it, that's pretty much when it began to be awesome. The classes were balanced and there were synergies between them, everything worked really well and with the reclaiming of Earth, Endgame began to work out.
  It was released a year prematurely. I can understand that after IIRC 5 years of development NC got a bit queasy, but waiting another year would have given them a gem that could still shine today. It was finally something other than the n-th WoW clone. Many people I know who played it were fed up with WoW and were happy that there was finally something different. Yeah, even though it was a drag during most of its run, but it least it was NOT WoW!
  And as "compensation" for shutting it down on us, they wanted to hand us a free copy of their WoW clone Aion. Talk about NOT understanding your player base at all...
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
39. Re:That reminds me... by Vastad · 2014-08-16 06:44 · Score: 1
  
  I didn't know any of that. Thanks for enlightening me. A shame it didn't get it's chance.
40. Re:That reminds me... by Optali · 2014-08-16 07:12 · Score: 1
  
  Vendetta Online.
  It's space traders style, very complicated but very good, multi-platform (Linux, Mac, Win, Droid and even iOS), relatively small community but very dedicated which actually means that you get to know the developers and they really listen to you. The game is online since 2005 or earlier (constantly upgraded of course).
  If you like stuff like EVE or Anarchy Online you will just get an orgasm with this one.
  I don't play it since a lot of time ago, but I still have a subscription. The reason is that I just have no time between job and sport, pity because it's a real good game and awesome community.
  
  --
  -- 29A the number of the Beast
41. Re:That reminds me... by Optali · 2014-08-16 07:24 · Score: 1
  
  Well, in WoW most people don't give a shit about RPing. I used to play in a mixed real (EU Steamwheedle) and most were there for the fun, beat the crap out of stuff and do rallies, the time between was grinding for gear and chatting about metal and stuff... people RPing were mostly laughed upon. And WoW actually ahs a lot of potential for humour so that serious RPing ends up being too silly even in pure RP realms. I never understood how people would prefer to stay in Silvermoon City RPing stories like one were they had to resolve a killing or love affairs and stuff, really silly. Anyway, everybody is free to do whatever they want, of course, it's their money.
  
  --
  -- 29A the number of the Beast
42. Re:That reminds me... by UpnAtom · 2014-08-16 07:42 · Score: 1
  
  See my post above.
  There is no dominant clan on Miller, though TR tend to win about 50% of alerts. I guess you need to do some research for the most balanced server in your area.
43. Re:That reminds me... by Opportunist · 2014-08-16 23:37 · Score: 1
  
  Well, the whole story (if you're interested) is a long and twisted one, involves a lot of ego on Garriot's side and a lot of bad blood and burned bridges in the end. It's long winded and messy, and sure would make a good plot for some kind of daytime TV drama show.
  In a nutshell, the original game as it was envisioned had little if anything to do with the TR that eventually came to be. To give you an idea of the change, this is the 2004 trailer. And this is what the game eventually was like.
  I think it's easy to see a wee bit of a difference here...
  The game was effectively turned from a more or less standard stand-and-deliver fantasy MMO into a very fast paced, almost-FPS (almost 'cause you still had target locking and no "real" aiming) game. That this did cause a bit of a delay is understandable.
  IIRC the development time was close to 5 years by the time it hit the streets. I mentioned the state it was in before. It was still a lot of fun to play (well, provided you played one of the classes that were not gimped beyond recognition), there was just not much to do in the end. Even grinding was fun in this game 'cause "grinding" here essentially meant taking and holding various forts. It was really awesome how groups would form ad hoc (even though there was little grouping, it was essentially just people trying to take the same outpost) and you'd have the outpost change hands between players and NPCs a couple of times. You could literally do that for hours without it getting boring, much like you'd play some FPS maps for a few hours without considering it tedious. That is actually what was amazing about this game.
  
  --
  We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
44. Re:That reminds me... by Vastad · 2014-08-16 23:54 · Score: 1
  
  I never saw that early trailer. Had no idea it was going to be something that reminds me of Phantasy Star IV, a weird blend of fantasy and sci-fi. I only saw the near-release trailers and at the time was excited that there was an alternative to Anarchy Online if anyone wanted an MMO sci-fi fix.
45. Re:That reminds me... by Ranbot · 2014-08-21 02:30 · Score: 1
  
  The best thing about Anarchy Online was the emote system that let you fluidly do two emotes at once and combine motions into each other to create your own unique emotes/movements. No other MMO has done that [but the rest of the game was completely forgettable].
Enough World of Warcraft already by ArcadeMan · 2014-08-15 02:03 · Score: 2

Put all your programmers and designers on Titan.

--
Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
1. Re:Enough World of Warcraft already by ildon · 2014-08-15 02:41 · Score: 1
  
  In case you hadn't heard, Titan was cancelled internally and sent back to the drawing board. Last I heard there are only like 2 designers currently assigned to the project, with no coders, and no artists. All the people previously working on Titan were put on Warlords of Draenor or Heroes of the Storm, which I think is responsible for a lot of the big shifts the game is seeing this expansion. Previous expansions always felt like they were just taking the existing direction of the game and refining and honing it, but generally adding things to it. This expansion features a lot of cuts, deep rethinks of basic concepts, and slaughtering of sacred design cows. I've been playing the beta for a couple months and I'm really excited to play it once it hits live. More so than I normally am for an expansion. I feel like they're making a lot of really smart changes.
2. Re:Enough World of Warcraft already by crashumbc · 2014-08-15 03:24 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Did they change the basic game play?
  I was a big fan of the 2-3 expansions. But the game became WAY too nitendo based for me. Literally all the classes had the same gameplay, nothing but watching multiple "cooldowns"
3. Re:Enough World of Warcraft already by Calydor · 2014-08-15 03:37 · Score: 1
  
  With the timing of Titan getting scrapped and the massive gameplay changes in Draenor (such as disabling any and all non-NPC flight until 'later') I can't help but get the feeling that Titan was WoW2, set sometime in the past of Draenor before the Legion appeared, and now large parts of it have been ported over to WoW.
  
  --
  -=This sig has nothing to do with my comment. Move along now=-
4. Re:Enough World of Warcraft already by Anonymous Coward · 2014-08-15 03:38 · Score: 1
  
  Yes and no.
  They're culling a bunch of one off abilities by grouping them with other abilities or removing them altogether.
  To avoid the whole 'nintendo' feeling you mentioned, they're changing the mechanics of encounters to force players of all classes to adapt their rotation. It's very exciting and not as mind numbing as most classic encounters.
  In fact, they've already instituted this in MOP to some degree. See the Kanrethad fight or the Proving Grounds
5. Re:Enough World of Warcraft already by ildon · 2014-08-15 04:51 · Score: 1
  
  They had very specifically said that Titan was a new IP not related to Warcraft, StarCraft, or Diablo. They had also claimed it would not cannibalize WoW subscriptions because it was supposed to be a completely new type of MMO, and not use a subscription model. It was definitely not "WoW 2."
6. Re:Enough World of Warcraft already by ildon · 2014-08-15 05:04 · Score: 1
  
  The basic primary gameplay is still the same. Many class's DPS rotations are actually not even changing significantly.
  The changes include things like the removal of hit rating and making all attacks (generally) always land, not allowing flight in the new zone at all, even at max level, and designing the zones in such a way that this does not become a huge inconvenience, but also including things like jump puzzles and making use of vertical space in a way that wouldn't work if they allowed flying (but still designing the areas artistically such that flying could be added later with the flip of a switch). They've also removed systems like Reforging (which allowed you to transfer some of one undesired secondary stat into another more desired one), removed profession-specific stat bonuses completely (e.g. ring-only enchants for enchanters, and have made engineering toys available to all players but reduced their power), completely rethought stat customization systems like enchanting and gemming (enchants are now limited to a few slots, but give a massive amount of secondary stats, and you can choose any secondary stat in each of those slots rather than selecting from a limited number of stats per slot. Gem sockets are now randomly assigned to gear as a low chance "bonus roll" rather than being static, and are more powerful, and do not provide "primary" (AGI/STR/INT) stats).
  All armor in the cloth/leather/mail/plate slots now automatically adjust between those primary stats based on your spec. So a paladin can use the same armor to heal, tank, or DPS. Neck/cloak/weapon/ring/trinket do not do this, and are still spec specific. There is only one tank-only stat (bonus armor) and one healer-only stat (spirit) and those stats only appear on those spec-specific accessory slots I mentioned. Set bonuses also automatically convert to match your current spec (so the same Tier 17 armor can be used to tank/heal/DPS for a paladin as I mentioned before, rather than having to gather 3 copies of the set).
  A lot of these loot changes are based around the idea of being able to loot an item and immediately equip it instead of having to wait until after the raid and going back to town and going through the process of figuring out your new hit cap and completely regemming, reforging, and re-enchanting all of your gear.
  Again, if your problem was with the basic combat, the changes probably aren't going to make you happy, They're mostly systems changes and stat customization changes.
7. Re:Enough World of Warcraft already by angel'o'sphere · 2014-08-15 05:22 · Score: 1
  
  Just tell me, is PVP now more balanced or can a rogue or warrior or paladin still simply kill a clothy in two or even one blow?
  
  --
  Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
8. Re:Enough World of Warcraft already by scubamage · 2014-08-15 05:27 · Score: 2
  
  I was a closed beta player. I think a big part of my loss-of-interest is that they've vanilla-ized each of the classes so much. The original players manual stated, for instance, that the mage was the highest damage dealing class, but in exchange, could likely be 1-or-2-shotted by some other classes. They were the epitome of the glass cannon. It defined the playstyle of the class. They had cool spells like invisability to enable a mage to attack while hidden (just once). They had khadgars unlocking. Hunters on the other hand, could do tons of damage, but also got to wear better armor, but as an expense, had to worry about sacrificing inventory space to store expendable ammo. I played vanilla, and then the first expansion. The classes were still unique, fun, and had that sort of a feeling. But making everything generic and getting rid of real defining abilities for each class has killed a lot of the fun. I want to trade the risk of being 1-2 shotted for being able to 1-2 shot other people. No class really feels like it stands out from the others so far as damage.
9. Re:Enough World of Warcraft already by ildon · 2014-08-15 05:44 · Score: 1
  
  I haven't played arena in over a year. I can't really comment on its current state, nor its state in WoD. Last time I played it was dominated by casters. Warlock/mage/moonkin were some of the strongest classes. Warriors were complaining they were underpowered (but still had some of the highest class representation). But this is something that shifts with every content patch as they try to rebalance and as scaling changes, which has been the case ever since arenas were introduced. Unless you're literally competing for Rank 1 Gladiator, improving your play and your teamwork will have a much bigger impact on your success than rerolling a different class.
10. Re:Enough World of Warcraft already by lessthan · 2014-08-15 06:10 · Score: 1
  
  Isn't that the point of the mage vs. warrior divide? Brawn vs Intellect? Mages sacrifice heavy armor to deal higher damage, but can get murdered by the slightest sneeze. Warriors sacrifice speed for heavy armor and large pointy things.
  
  --
  Space Shuttle was a program that strapped humans to an explosion and tried to stab through the sky with fire and math
11. Re:Enough World of Warcraft already by crashumbc · 2014-08-15 06:13 · Score: 1
  
  So if possible they made the game MORE nintendo like, removing any possibility of thought needed in gearing your character...
  That answers my question about whether I'd ever want to go back :)
12. Re:Enough World of Warcraft already by angel'o'sphere · 2014-08-15 06:22 · Score: 1
  
  Basically yes, but nevertheless in the beginning of a new expansion all cloth wearers are free kills for plate wearers, because the simple idea suddenly does not work anymore.
  You know: if a warrior can kill me with one hit, I would assume my mage can kill the warrior with one 'spell' as well, but the mage needs 10 spells, that is 10 seconds plus casting time of the spells ... roughly 25 seconds, while the warrior can do an instant charge and kill.
  
  --
  Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
13. Re:Enough World of Warcraft already by crashumbc · 2014-08-15 06:32 · Score: 1
  
  yup, most of that crap started because of PVP... It is extremely difficult to make things different but equal.
  vanilla was good
  BC was awesome (probably the pinnacle) ( I remember spending a month and half learning how to properly gear and play my druid for tanking)
  WotLK was still decent but the downward spiral had started, ALL classes using same gear,stats,cooldown dependent rotations, etc really started to show.
  What the heck was next? I can't remember but it just generic, all thinking ceased. gear no longer mattered there was no thought needed, just can you watch which skill on cooldown you should hit next...
  pfft doesn't matter
14. Re:Enough World of Warcraft already by Rakarra · 2014-08-15 07:41 · Score: 1
  
  The original players manual stated, for instance, that the mage was the highest damage dealing class, but in exchange, could likely be 1-or-2-shotted by some other classes
  A lot of these things DID sound really cool, but playtesting with millions of players over several revealed that hey... being 1-2 shot just isn't very fun. It's not a fun playstyle for either side, whether it's the super-squishy mage himself, or the victim of the "3-minute-mage." For hunters are well, the inventory thing was ridiculous from the start -- the drawback is they have to fill their bags with arrows? Is this supposed to be World of Inventorycraft? Turns out that inventory hassles didn't actually ADD anything to the game. I was glad to see the addition of Void Storage, turning mounts into spells instead of physical objects you carry around, and the upcoming Toy Box, where unequipable toys and doodads go. That sort of inventory management never added to the game, didn't make it any more fun or interesting; it was only an annoyance.
  I will say I looked forward to the PvP system promised with Diablo 2 -- that PvE and PvP balancing would be entirely separate, that spells would be balanced completely differently and have different effects in PvP, avoiding WoW's "they nerfed me in PvE because of PvP" problem (which is admittedly, still a really big problem for WoW, and it's only getting worse in the new expansion). But then real PvP for Diablo 2 was scrapped completely. Too bad.
15. Re:Enough World of Warcraft already by towermac · 2014-08-15 07:48 · Score: 1
  
  Well don't blame PvP directly; it's Blizz's reaction, and 'fix' that was the problem.
  You spent a month and a half; I spent a year and a half learning how to play that bear. And still got creamed in Wintergrasp for a year. And still had a blast.
  The fact is, in good PvP, some classes will be better than others, given the same player skill.
  That was fine. Tehy 'fixed' what wasn't broken.
16. Re:Enough World of Warcraft already by Rakarra · 2014-08-15 07:51 · Score: 1
  
  What the heck was next? I can't remember but it just generic, all thinking ceased
  Cataclysm was next, and it actually started out as an improvement, introducing interesting stat combinations (I miss armor pen) and much, much harder starting dungeons. But by the end of the expansion Blizzard had entirely reversed course with the pronouncement that 5-mans should be extremely easy (and therefore disposable).
  Pandaria has been a mixed bag.
  Warlords might be interesting with the introduction of new secondary stats multistrike and versatility, and tertiary stats which don't count towards the item budgets, like chances of extra item levels or gem slots. The tertiary stats are intended to break the "item X is the best in slot I should always use" practice that has been prevalent in the last several years.
17. Re:Enough World of Warcraft already by Rakarra · 2014-08-15 08:02 · Score: 1
  
  The last time I quit wow was just after mop came out. When they added in the ability to upgrade individual items at the cost of valor points, I just gave up. Having to enchant, gem, reforge, and then upgrade my items before they were considered raid ready was just more then I wanted to put up with
  The valor upgrades were just there at the end of the expansion so that players would have something to do with all the valor they no longer had a use for, and the feature was removed for Pandaria, readded in a patch between raid dungeons to give a bit of an upgrade before the new raid came out, removed again when that raid was released, and readded (and later extended) at the end of Pandaria. Basically, it's something that was added for a limited time to give you a way to get a minor upgrade between raid cycles -- after an old raid had been out for awhile but before the new one was in. An item wasn't "not raid ready" if it didn't have a valor upgrade, and a raid who enforced that would have been very misguided. It did have the unintended consequence of inflating the item levels since newer raids had to come out with items better than the upgraded items from the old raid, and with how damage/healing/etc scaled with item levels... well, raiding at the end of Mists feels quite different than at the start.
  
  As someone pointed out, a new piece of gear drops from a raid and you now have to redo your entire gear setup just to fit it into your setup.
  
  Which is pretty much why for Warlords, stats like hit chance and expertise are being dropped, and the reforging system is being removed. No more having to regem and reforge every item to get that perfect 17% hit (or whatever). The developers said that when you need to get an external website like askmrrobot (which they called out by name at Blizzcon) to make all your reforging decisions for you, the system has gotten out of hand. I'm looking forward to its demise.
18. Re:Enough World of Warcraft already by ildon · 2014-08-16 00:32 · Score: 1
  
  They also said Hearthstone was not going to be related to Warcraft/Starcraft/Diablo..
  This never happened. Hearthstone was a Warcraft property since its inception. When they were internally testing it they used the WoW TCG card art for the cards. They had a whole presentation about its development process at the last Blizzcon where they talked about this. It was announced at PAX a few years ago as a complete and utter surprise with pretty much zero leaks about it beforehand, and at that announcement it was completely Warcraft themed and branded.
19. Re:Enough World of Warcraft already by ildon · 2014-08-16 00:33 · Score: 1
  
  I honestly have no idea what you mean by "Nintendo-like", by the way.
Nothing new in this expansion by Anonymous Coward · 2014-08-15 02:11 · Score: 4, Insightful

No new races, no new classes, no new professions. You get a Facebook game called your garrison. They squished the stats across the board so the number bloat is no longer out of control.
This is Blizzard's obvious attempt to appeal to people who played in Classic ten years ago and gave up the game since. Hell, they're even going to allow you to skip having to play through four obsolete expansions by leveling your first character to 90 for free. You'll only ever be pushing four buttons in combat, for you DotA fans.
1. Re:Nothing new in this expansion by ildon · 2014-08-15 02:55 · Score: 2
  
  The thing about only pushing 4 buttons in combat is a myth. If anything, the classes I play have had their rotations become more complex, not less. The spells that were cut were generally cross-spec skills you rarely used, or attacks that were so niche and specific you almost never used them in a rotation anyway. For most classes, when you log in on beta you'll see empty slots on your bar and genuinely won't be able to remember which spell went there, because you used it so rarely or not at all. I was playing for hours before I realized the missing spell on my Elemental Shaman's bar was Chain Heal. Using Magma Totem as Elemental was almost always a mistake, so it was cut.
  The ability cuts are not haphazard nor do they reduce the complexity of the standard rotation for most classes. An exception would be Mage AoE rotations, but those were way too complex and it was silly to be casting multiple spells intended for the other specs in your AoE rotation anyway (e.g. Arcane Explosion as a Fire Mage). And a lot of classes have new level 100 talents that significantly modify their standard rotation in such a way that you can choose to either have more buttons to press than live and a more complex rotation, or a more simple rotation with a passive ability, depending on the talent you select from that level.
  Anyone claiming you only hit 4 buttons is being completely disingenuous, or hasn't played the beta at all.
2. Re:Nothing new in this expansion by hendrips · 2014-08-15 05:14 · Score: 1
  
  I challenge you to try to play a few games of Dota while limiting yourself to four buttons in combat. I recommend playing Tinker or Holy Knight. Please, I want to watch.
3. Re:Nothing new in this expansion by angel'o'sphere · 2014-08-15 05:37 · Score: 1
  
  Yeah, and it is another failed idea.
  The only positive thing I see that non engineers (a profession) can now use engineering items.
  The problem of the game however is not crafting/gemming/enchanting. It is the game play. PvE is boring as it is a damage race ... no really skill involved, only gear counts.
  The next not working thing is PvP ... in the beginning of a new expansion everyone hates warriors, rogues, paladins and hunters, as they get super easy kills and are unbeatable regardless how smart you play: because of gear and the scaling of the gear. In the end of the expansion, short before the new one comes out, everyone hates warlocks, mages and shadow priests, well or disciple priests, because meanwhile the gear advantage has changed (likely due to player whining). So: next expansion, when everyone is more or less regardless of gear back on square one: the vicious circle starts again.
  Sorry, I'm tired that I can not play a new expansion the first weeks or month because I happen to like playing warlocks, but I don't like to spend my playing time running as a ghost from grave yard to my corpse, just to realize the moron is camping my corpse.
  So I only do PvP in battlegrounds, where skill is more important than gear but get flamed by idiots: what are you doing here with your gear level? Then I say: I queued for the BG, if my gear level was to low, I would not be here ... they usually don't get it :)
  Anyway, first and even second world of war craft season, it was a superb fun game. Then it converted into a grinding machine with 10 million idiots playing it.
  
  --
  Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
4. Re:Nothing new in this expansion by angel'o'sphere · 2014-08-15 05:43 · Score: 1
  
  I play a warlock usually.
  I have something like 40 - or is it 48? - 'buttons' on my screen.
  All of them have keyboard short cuts. Half of them have a macro, that the same shortcut with or without alt or ctrl does something different.
  When I die in PvP the first thing is looking over my 'commands' and memorizing why the fuck I did not use the button, that have might changed it, like throwing a bomb or throwing a net.
  Damage rotations only work in PvE ... if you're doing that in PvP you are likely a huntard, out of range of anything which could hit you ... and doing insane DPS without any skill except staying out of range.
  Was not meant as a contra point to your post, but as an addition.
  
  --
  Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
5. Re:Nothing new in this expansion by UnknowingFool · 2014-08-15 06:44 · Score: 1
  
  I used to joke in TBC that a true hunter has 30 buttons macroed, 29 of which were Feign Death.
  
  --
  Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
Too old by js3 · 2014-08-15 02:13 · Score: 3, Funny

I got too old for this shit

--
did you forget to take your meds?
Re:In b4 hipsters by Krojack · 2014-08-15 02:15 · Score: 1

I have to disagree on graphics. Have you seen Final Fantasy 14? The sound, graphics, weather effects are amazing.
I would still play WoW however it's just the same thing over and over. Down raid bosses to get the best gear, wait till next patch and start over again. I just got bored of it. Sadly FF14 is turning out like that as well so I even stopped playing that.
Re: Titan by Krojack · 2014-08-15 02:18 · Score: 1

No one knows yet. Blizzard has been very tight lipped on the whole thing.
Re: Titan by ArcadeMan · 2014-08-15 02:26 · Score: 1

Given that they already have World of Warcraft, and that their other series are Diablo and Starcraft, and that Diablo is pretty similar in theme to World of Warcraft, I'm hoping it will be close in style to Starcraft. I'm thinking Starcraft-style MMORPG, with multiple dozens of planets to visit.

--
Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
Re:I wouldn't mind reinserting the wowcrack needle by halivar · 2014-08-15 02:29 · Score: 1

You're in luck! You only have to buy MoP, as everything up to Cataclysm i snow included in the base WOW package.
Now, push that needle in. Everything's gonna be ok. Just a little prick and then you get the goody.
Re: Titan by ildon · 2014-08-15 02:42 · Score: 1

Titan was supposed to be a new IP. Not StarCraft-based. But since the whole project was scrapped and restarted, who knows what it will be now, or if it'll ever even see the light of day.
Re:In b4 hipsters by kick6 · 2014-08-15 02:47 · Score: 1

it's just the same thing over and over. Down raid bosses to get the best gear, wait till next patch and start over again. I just got bored of it. Sadly FF14 is turning out like that as well so I even stopped playing that
In other words: you just don't like MMORPGs.
That reminds me... by knight24k · 2014-08-15 02:55 · Score: 1

Firefall for the Sci-fi/Borderlands fans. Free 2 play, no pay to win. FPS style with dynamic(tornados) and static(player activated) world events. Only been out a couple weeks but looks pretty nice so far. It does need a bit more content in the midrange levels and there are still the occasional bugs but all in all one of the better MMOs I have seen recently. I am not bored yet even having done some missions upwards of a dozen times. In any case if you like FPS (you can even set it 3d person if you like), Sci-Fi and Borderlands (It has that feel not sure how else to explain it) then you should at least try it out. It is free after all.
Grand cinematic, less impressive game by Anonymous Coward · 2014-08-15 03:30 · Score: 1

They spend more time on the cinematic trailer, than on the actual game.
WoW has become a no-effort game where you can just sit inside a city and be teleported to a dungeon instance after a few minutes of wait. Once you reach the highest level, you will get the best game equipment basically for free.
1. Re:Grand cinematic, less impressive game by Anonymous Coward · 2014-08-15 05:40 · Score: 1
  
  Once you reach the highest level, you will get the best game equipment basically for free.
  So you have a full set of heroic war-forged gear?
  For free? As in, without spending weeks or months of progression raiding to get it?
  I didn't think so.
Re:In b4 hipsters by tbuddy · 2014-08-15 03:33 · Score: 1

That's why I like ProgressQuest. The gear farms itself. No subscription fees.
Re: Titan by ArcadeMan · 2014-08-15 03:41 · Score: 1

StarCraft-based or not, as long as it's similar in visual style, races and whatnot, I'm in. Hell it could still be Terran, Protoss and Zerg races but in another part of the galaxy, don't need to bring all the characters and story from StarCraft at all.

--
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Re:MMO by Anonymous Coward · 2014-08-15 04:23 · Score: 1

We get it, you own a mac
Sorry, more excited about Flame Corgis by WillAffleckUW · 2014-08-15 04:56 · Score: 1

give me that sweet sweet flame corgi pet for the 10th Anniversary of WoW.
Nub Nub

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-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
1. Re:Sorry, more excited about Flame Corgis by Rakarra · 2014-08-15 08:14 · Score: 1
  
  I like referring to it's in-game name, "the Molten Corgi." I am ashamed that in 10 years of WoW I never thought of that myself, nor did the punster in my guild.
Re: Titan by angel'o'sphere · 2014-08-15 05:26 · Score: 1

What the heck do you mean with IP?

--
Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
Re: Titan by ildon · 2014-08-15 05:40 · Score: 1

Intellectual Property.
Re: Titan by ildon · 2014-08-15 06:09 · Score: 1

I specifically used the term "intellectual property" to convey the fact that it would not be within the Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo, or even Rock'n'Roll Racing or Lost Vikings universes. It's a pretty standard terminology for people to use when discussing fictional universes or properties that span multiple media. I didn't invent the term, I just use it. It's a useful shorthand.
Re: Titan by Rakarra · 2014-08-15 07:32 · Score: 1

Because "Game" and "IP" mean different things? They can have a new game, but it could be part of the Starcraft universe, as Starcraft 2 and Heart of the Swarm were.
"New IP" is a phrase that has meaning: "containing a new story, characters, and environment not featured in the company's other products."
"New game" and "new product" were too vague and generic to get the point across.
Phrases sometimes have multiple meanings, and IP is one of those. Sure, it's an umbrella term for copyright, trademark, patents, and trade secrets. But it's also an industry term for product lines.
Re:so what is it by Rakarra · 2014-08-15 08:21 · Score: 1

three or four WoW expansions to every Starcraft 2 release?
Well, to be fair WoW is much much older and was releasing its 3rd expansion when Starcraft 2 came out. Starcraft 2 expansions have come out at roughly the same rate that that WoW expansions have.
WoW: every two years, pretty much like clockwork.
Starcraft 2: July 2010
Heart of the Swarm: March 2013
Legacy of the Void: In progress, art and voice assets finished. Game content currently being tuned. Sometime in 2015?
So Starcraft may be every 2 - 2.5 years. I'm not sure where the "each installment was supposed to be available a year afterward" came from, I heard early on that each installment was supposed to be the content size of the initial game, so it's more like buying a full game than an "expansion set."
Re: Titan by angel'o'sphere · 2014-08-15 12:42 · Score: 1

Well, obviously no one besides you uses IP in this sense :)
Hence our conversation ... see e.g. gamasutra.com

--
Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
Community for folks looking to return to Warlords. by OctobrX · 2014-08-15 16:55 · Score: 1

Not sure if anyone is interested, but we have a really nice community with guilds (Both factions) on WoW, Wildstar, SW:TOR and more. http://exinferno.com/ We are building for WoD, The Division, Destiny and a few others. Great crew, fun but focused folks.
Hope to see some of you around! Would be great if I could get Jeff and Rob and others to come join me but I think they already have a server they play on. Btw, I've gone by "Sick" for the past 7 years or so instead of OctobrX. Heh. Moo!

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geeky stuff I'm proud to have been a part of: linux.com / themes.org / sourceforge.net / sicnus.com
PS2 servers got merged. by UpnAtom · 2014-08-16 07:40 · Score: 1

Miller is absolutely jammed at the moment. I need to queue to get into continents more often than not now (subscribers get priority).
Also, if you didn't like the flying-centric version, infantry are pretty strong now.
Lastly, there are some new bonus cert mechanics so it's a lot easier to get access to stuff.
I'm an MMORPG player really but PS2 is undoubtedly the best game there is by quite a long way.
Re: Titan by Rakarra · 2014-08-17 07:48 · Score: 1

No, a lot of people on Slashdot don't use IP in that sense, but at the content creation companies (game/movie/whatever), that phrase gets tossed around pretty often.
Re: Titan by angel'o'sphere · 2014-08-18 12:15 · Score: 1

I linked you gamasutra.org, never saw it their, but thanx for the info.

--
Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
That reminds me... by Todd+Fury · 2014-08-18 19:50 · Score: 1

Not since EA destroyed UO with Age of Shadows.