Operation Gnomeregan and Zalazane's Fall have begun!
Tuesday Morning Post: Beginning of the end edition
by Daniel Whitcomb 
Mar 9th 2010 at 7:00AM
Of course, that's not to say we're completely out of Wrath yet. We have at least 2 more patches to go, and Patch 3.3.3 PTR news keeps rolling in, as does tons of other news. You'll have the usual maintenance break from WoW this morning, 5 AM to 11 AM pacific, so you have time to get caught up. As usual, here's our list of some of the major stuff from the past 7 days or so:
Hot News and Features
- Blizzard posted a Cataclysm Mastery system preview last night, hot off the presses.
- Check out the latest new changes from the Patch 3.3.3 PTR.
- We probably all saw this coming, but the developers have confirmed that the troll and gnome starting experiences will be revamped in Cataclysm.
- Speaking of which, we have a spoiler-filled transcription of the Echo Isles event sound files found in Patch 3.3.3.
- Check out some of our latest Patch 3.3.3 data mining finds, including an amazing horse.
- Spoiler alert: We have a transcription of the Ruby Sanctum event and sound files found in the PTR patch files.
- In live server news, check out some of the latest in-game hot fixes.
- So with guild achievements, what happens to guild alliances when Cataclysm comes around?
- Don't expect Blizzard to sell gold any time soon.
- Tom Chilton shed some light on the early days of class balance in a recent interview.
- We have Cataclysm stat analysis for rogues, holy paladins, restoration shamans, enhancement shamans, warlocks, shadow priests, retribution paladins, tanking death knights, DPS death knights, healing priests,
- Priests are getting a tier set bonus change in Patch 3.3.3.
- Warriors are getting some revenge on the Patch 3.3.3 PTR.
- Encrypted Text looks at the subtlety tree in light of Patch 3.3.3.
- Lichborne has a list of buttons you should probably push more often.
- Totem Talk looks at spells and totems for restoration, as well as enhancement talents.
- Shifting Perspectives pontificates on the tank's barrier to entering the end game.
- The Light and How to Swing it continues teaching the basics of retribution.
- Spiritual Guidance continues looking at raiding ICC for shadow priests.
- Arcane Brilliance defends the frost mage raider.
- Ready Check discusses the merits of using the new ICC raid buff.
- Is it even worth it to roll greed on Frozen Orbs anymore?
- Our resident auctioneer posits that it's about time for open orders.
- The Overachiever helps you become an accomplished angler.
- Blood Sport takes a look at horde racials.
- The Art of War(craft) takes a look at fighting rogues.
- WoW's China woes continue. This time Blizzard and The9 have been fined for copyright infringement. In addition,NetEase lost their senior WoW director.
- 15 Minutes of Fame engages in some LARPing.
- This is why worgen are awesome.
- The WoW 5th anniversary Battlecry Mosaic is finally complete, and it looks pretty cool.
Filed under: Realm Status, News items
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Chris M Mar 9th 2010 8:41AM
This is the beginning... AND the end, mortals! None may enter the master's sanctum!
/techno-dance
Gothia Mar 9th 2010 8:47AM
In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.
Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 - 1968)
Speculation for Cataclysm will be in Nov 2010 so we still have a good half a year - this is the begining of the end, but still lots of fun left for all.
ShamanHealer Mar 9th 2010 9:02AM
No doubt plagarised along with his doctoral thesis and anything vaguely intelligent that came from his mouth.
Grew up thinking ML King was one of the good guys until I actually read about his real life and predilections.
On Topic: By the time the ICC buff hits 30% reasonably skilled people in 232 gear should be able to waltz through the 25man content up to the Lich King encounter. I would have to say 30% is a little extreme a buff.
Matthew Rossi Mar 9th 2010 9:14AM
Shamanhealer,
He could literally have plagarised EVERYTHING HE EVER WROTE OR SAID and he'd still, in the end, have come out ahead on the karmic scale. He stood in front of millions and spoke truth at the most pivotal moment for race relations in American History.
He could have had nightly affairs with different women and he'd still have come out ahead for being the man who made the "I have a dream" speech.
If you do not understand that being human, making mistakes, and yet still managing to do the right thing when it counts is in fact what makes one 'one of the good guys' then you need to stop thinking so rigidly. Nothing King did is so horrible that it can possibly eclipse the great good he worked on our world and America would be the poorer had he not been there.
evenkots Mar 9th 2010 10:04AM
TL;DR: ShamanHealer is an idiot.
Golis Mar 9th 2010 10:27AM
Hail to the King!
(good show, rossi!)
Drecin Mar 9th 2010 10:41AM
Rossi you are the man now I know I am off topic b ut I saw a episode of the boondocks where MLK was back and took a look at the free black community and saw what a majority of them were doing and was disgusted and gave a hell of a speech(I know not really him but was still damn good) so he was a great man but I don't think this was his dream(sorry for the uber long sentence but at work and doing this on the phone) anyway check out that episode
xxxsnowflamexxx Mar 9th 2010 3:26PM
I don't want to be rude or anything, but using the analogy of him sleeping with different women every night is a very poor one. If MLK actually did that, even if he did all those great things, I would still look down upon him. I know humans make mistakes and everything, but if you're going to sleep around, don't get married.
MLK is a great guy, I just didn't like that example. :P
Gothia Mar 9th 2010 9:17AM
Did you live through: Racial Segregation, Racial Discrimination or by the chance assassinated for being a civil rights leader that was finally making head way into these prejudices against African Americans. Why do you take so lightly the anger in people’s eyes whose lives are still affected to this day with these same issues that their grandparents - grandparents, generation after generation, have been affected by the same racism. This man made a difference, sure he was no angel, but he certainly made a difference.
For you second comment; everyone will be able to experience ICC - what’s the big deal?
aarghj Mar 9th 2010 10:29PM
I play wow on a mac. I logged in last night late at night, about midnight EST. When I did, the wow updater ran and downloaded patch 3.3.3. specifically, it downloaded this folder: wow-3.3.2-to-3.3.3-enUS-OSX-patch with this file in it: wow-partial-1.MPQ which weighs in at 77.3MB. I don't know if that means its going to patch today, or what... but I have that file on my HD already fwiw.
Kylenne Mar 9th 2010 10:12AM
It's just pre-patch data. They do it all the time and it means nothing.
Dane Bramage Mar 9th 2010 9:36AM
back on topic...
i saw alliance outriders in southern barrens... they are on the way.
love how small things are changing. like the world actually evolves. the lack of change has always been a sore point in WoW for me, so these little tidbits here and there make me smile when i see them.
Ramco Mar 9th 2010 9:45AM
Too bad those have been there since Classic WoW...
Dane Bramage Mar 9th 2010 9:46AM
yeah... i've seen the humans before, but never the night elves. could be that they have been there since classic wow *shrugs*
Kylenne Mar 9th 2010 10:11AM
They seem to be pretty rare, even for rare spawns, so that's probably why you've never seen them before. I remember getting destroyed by them once though, as a noob. XD
IvanP91 Mar 9th 2010 11:33AM
I've seen only the night elves outrunners in the barrens, not the human ones.
@Kylenne, lol yeah i got owned by them. =D
cendrekai Mar 9th 2010 12:02PM
With the raid buff, will there ba anyway to choose what percentage you want? My guild is enjoying the 5% but I really do not want to go to 30% (even if it would help us walk on through).