No more ghetto-hearthing in patch 3.1
by Nick Whelan 
Feb 24th 2009 at 4:30PM
Looks like ghetto-hearthing is going the way of wall-jumping once patch 3.1 hits. No longer will we be able to hearth out of an instance, hop through the Dalaran portal to Stormwind or Orgrimmar, then be back in Northrend again in time for the next instance. From now on, we're gonna have to take the boat just like Blizz always wanted us to.
For those who are unfamiliar, ghetto-hearthing (or ninja-hearthing) is when a player joins a group, enters an instance, and then leaves the group again. Up until now, doing so would cause the player to be teleported to their hearthstone location after 60 seconds -- even if their hearthstone was on cooldown! However, as the above screenshot from the 3.1 PTR shows, it looks like that will no longer be possible.
So goodbye ghetto-hearth. It was fun while it lasted. And hey, if I'm ever in the mage district of Stormwind, and I need to get to Elwynn Forest in a jiffy, I'll look you up.
For those who are unfamiliar, ghetto-hearthing (or ninja-hearthing) is when a player joins a group, enters an instance, and then leaves the group again. Up until now, doing so would cause the player to be teleported to their hearthstone location after 60 seconds -- even if their hearthstone was on cooldown! However, as the above screenshot from the 3.1 PTR shows, it looks like that will no longer be possible.
So goodbye ghetto-hearth. It was fun while it lasted. And hey, if I'm ever in the mage district of Stormwind, and I need to get to Elwynn Forest in a jiffy, I'll look you up.
Patch 3.1 brings us Ulduar, dual specs, significant changes to all the classes, and more! We've got you covered from top to bottom with our Guide to Patch 3.1.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 7)
Zul Feb 24th 2009 4:32PM
I don't think I have ever hearthed like that... i'm a shaman so I have a free port every 15 minutes...
Deviaan Feb 24th 2009 4:53PM
Noooooo
ghetto hearthing was awesome
partially my fault guys....I prolly zoned into the stockades at level 80 more then all other times combined
are they gonna screw me on the bg que then /afk trick too???
need to find a 3rd way to dalaran without a hearth then...
Noooooooooo
Twothing Feb 24th 2009 5:15PM
` Did evaryone just miss the post abought being able to sign up from BGs from any ware. Ware do you think you'll end up after you pop out of the BG. Now it is going to suck for any one trying to do a BG. You see faster quees, but thin half of em will just afk right out.
Michael Feb 24th 2009 6:03PM
BOOOOOOOO
This is the worst nerf .
QQ
I'm cancelling my account.
Blizz hates me.
No, seriously. This is actually crappy, I have earned frequent ghetto hearth miles I use that trick so much.
jaenicoll Feb 24th 2009 9:30PM
Removing the Ghetto hearth seems like such a petty issue to waste resources on when we still have the hunter pet cower bug and the beta models for cat and bear still in the game for Druids. I mean cummon Blizz, choose your priorities.
Are time saving methods really that much of an issue? If you really wanna focus on an issue then sort out AFKing in BGs, griefing of lowbies, laaaaaaaaaaaaag, realm population imbalance way before you look into "fixing" loopholes that players find convenient. Hmmm, sorry for rant but Jeebus ...
Anyways, Twothing raises an excellent point. If Blizz removes ghetto hearthing then that will increase the amount of BG queueing and afking nonsense that will go on, further hurting the BG game (which right now is in need of some lurv). Unless of course they have also figured a way of fixing this too.
Jae
Belkar Feb 24th 2009 11:00PM
So instead of blizzard turning their big brain onto the rationale behind this problem, they prevent it from happening.
Given the massive push for casuals and removing things that are stupid, isn't it time that Hearthstones got their cooldown reduced to 20 minutes?
Heremod Feb 25th 2009 12:29AM
Time to drop tailoring for Inscription, go go scroll of recall!
Candina@WH Feb 24th 2009 4:32PM
Awww man!
Alkaios Feb 24th 2009 6:48PM
EXACTLY what I said!
I liked cheating the Hearthstone CD in the SW Stocks!
At least we can queue up from anywhere for BG's tho, softens the blow.
RogueJedi86 Feb 24th 2009 4:33PM
Thank god they fixed this. I always hated seeing level 80's ghetto hearthing out of the Stockades. It was abuse of its intended purpose, since an ungrouped 80 could clear his way out of Stockades with no armor or weapons equipped and his monitor turned off. At least going to the nearest graveyard will still help people that are abandoned in an instance.
Yay for mages getting back their ability to sell ports to Dalaran!
AyaJulia Feb 24th 2009 4:35PM
As if any mage ever answers port requests in Trade... on my server anyway. :\
Manatank Feb 24th 2009 4:50PM
The idea of a class getting money for playing that class is silly. No one pays other classes for the group buffs they provide.
RogueJedi86 Feb 24th 2009 4:53PM
Mage Ports do have a reagent cost though. So either pay them for a port, or spend 20 minutes flying, riding, and boating to get your destination. What's the price of convenience for you?
RogueJedi86 Feb 24th 2009 5:00PM
Love my how comment got downrated so much. Sure are a lot of lazy people reading wowinsider today. I should've asked for a button to teleport me anywhere with no cooldown, maybe then they'd rate me up.
Ice Princess Feb 24th 2009 5:05PM
To Comment 4 RogueJedi86
Thank you, kind sir. I'm glad this ghetto hearth was finally nerfed.
Time to earn extra gold for selling portals then. WOOT!
Kakistocracy Feb 24th 2009 6:22PM
This is also fantastic for people trying to farm the baron's mount in Stratholm, assuming I understand the principle, clear it, invite someone, promote them, leave party, and end up at the grave yard, conveniently just across the road from the entrance.
Yay for mage portals and their return to fame. And as to why people should pay mages, If the mage is in a group following a run, it would be absurd to require payment, likewise a rogue asking for a tip to open a box for his/her party, but to expect a mage to take the time to find/wait for you then use a skill (with a negligible reagent cost) for free would be like expecting a tanking class to follow you around taunting things off of you for a while while not in the party. Not a perfect analogy, but if you want someone you do not know, to take their time to provide a service which will save you a considerable/fair amount of time/money, expect to pay.
Durango Feb 24th 2009 8:08PM
CoT needs a portal back to dalaran and shattrath.
Ice Princess Feb 24th 2009 10:52PM
To comment 14 Kakistocracy,
THANK YOU! Someone who understands where I'm coming from. A little thank you goes a long way, I do you a favour by picking you up and taking you to faraway places, the least you can do is to offer a tip (payment) or buy the reagent.
SImple.
Sysgoddess Feb 27th 2009 10:39AM
"Yay for mages getting back their ability to sell ports to Dalaran!"
LOL. A friend of mine spammed Trade for half an hour a few days ago offering 10g for a port to Dalaran with no fewer than 20 level 80 mages standing around him in IF before finally coercing one to come from Dalaran and port him.
Gotta love Ravenfail.. er, Ravencrest.
xenocider Feb 24th 2009 4:37PM
this is annoying as hell, how does one expect a group to get back to Dalaran from an instance such as CoS if there is no mage and hearths are on CD?
This happens all the time in groups I'm a part of and really just seems like a huge inconvenience to not let us get out of there without waiting an extreme amount of time.