WoW:WotLK Interview - more info

cupertino

I stumbled across this interview dated 9/24/07, so info we knew some we didn't http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?pager.offset=0&cId=3163178 talks about the deathknight rune system, and more.

Help Arthus slaughter Strathholm

Caverns of Time: Stratholme

Blizzard will be adding a new instance to the Caverns of Time, the dungeon in Tanaris that lets players actively participate in some famous (and infamous) moments in WarCraft history. The latest instance will let you follow in the footsteps of Arthas as he slaughters the town of Stratholme -- and, if other Caverns of Time instances are any indication, your goal won't be to stop him, but to make sure he finishes his task. Morally oogy, yes -- but how far is too far?

New Profession: Inscription

Burning Crusade introduced Jewelcrafting, which allowed players to customize their gear; Wrath's new profession, Inscription, lets you customize the abilities and skills in your spellbook. "You're permanently changing your spell kit," says lead game designer Tom Chilton. "You might find a couple different recipes to inscribe your Fireball with increased crit chance, or increased damage, or faster cast time, or lower mana cost -- so it's almost like a talent system within the profession system. Only it's more based around choices you make for an individual spell rather than affecting your character as a whole." Unlike Enchanters, Inscribers will be able to sell physical product (creating tradeable "scrolls," for example, from ink, paper, and other reagents). Only a handful of core spells will be customizable in this fashion.don.t expect to extend the range of your Priest's Mind Vision; do expect to extend the duration of your Hunter's Freezing Trap.

Spiderman beware

And when you can't go overland? Go under, through the underground cavern of Azjol-Nerub, home of the spiderlike Nerubian race that was one of the first to succumb en masse to Arthas' Scourge (old-school WarCraft players know them as Crypt Fiends and Crypt Lords). "It's going to be exterior terrain, but underground," says Stockton of World of WarCraft's first subterranean zone.

World PVP and seige weapons

Northrend will also play host to WOW's firstever outdoor PVP zone, Lake Wintergrasp, a (completely optional) center of Horde-versus- Alliance combat in the middle of the continent, which Chilton describes as a sort of noninstanced Battleground with destructible buildings -- and siege weapons for destroying them. "We're building different siege weapons for different races, says Chilton. "Meat Wagons, Steam Tanks, all that sort of stuff -- and we intend for them to have slightly different game mechanics".  The siege weapons don't move at a really high velocity," he continues, meaning a Steam Tank will be no substitute for a mount when trying to traverse the zone. "We want to encourage people to fight still," says Stockton. "We don't want them in the siege weapons the entire time." Cooperative driver/gunner mechanics were discussed but then quickly dismissed as a likely bore for either party.

 

LLCoolJD

Excellent post.  Thank you.

basroil

well good luck to them.  At least they sound like they are finally using subscription $$$ to make an interesting game again.

Sunrider

anyone think that this expansion may redeem WoW? in a way i hope so, but i cant justify spending monies again on an expansion that ruined a great game.

arctarus

With the end game still focus on raid or die, nope, wouldnt go back again....

Shadoed

NIce post, sounds like some interesting stuff is brewing for the next expansion

PS: Is it just me or is there a lot of people who say they don't like this game spending a hell of a lot of time in it's forums?? Each to their own i suppose.

Recant

WoW isn't raid or die.  You have PvP battlegrounds, Arena ladders, heroic 5 man instances, the rare epic mounts, plenty of long quest lines at 70 and reputation rewards.   You could always re-roll as well, perhaps going the opposite faction, or on a different server type.

I have never understood why people have felt they are forced to raid, and tbh I don't understand why they don't like raiding anyway, but each to his/her own.   It's not raid or die.  I played WoW for 2 years without doing anything other than a few pickup raids, and that was rare.

Of course now I do raid NOW, 'cause it's fun.