Starting in 1996, Alexa Internet has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the Wayback Machine after an embargo period.
Starting in 1996, Alexa Internet has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the Wayback Machine after an embargo period.
TIMESTAMPS
The Wayback Machine - https://web.archive.org/web/20111010072935/http://wowvault.ign.com:80/
Pirate's Day was an excellent way to start off the next holiday on the calendar....Brewfest! Yes it's already that time of year again. The time to run those barrels of beer from brewery to brewfest. It's time to collect those tokens, kill Direbrew, and pray for good luck on the mount drops. If you're needing a little guidance to how to complete this holiday's achievement then check out Rill's Brewmaster Guide!
We now approach that special time of year when the denizens of Azeroth come together to celebrate good times and remembrances in many ways. Holiday events include opportunities to complete quests, participate in unique activities, and earn achievements that are only available once per year. Here is a list of all the festive in-game events through the rest of the year.
Darkmoon Faire -- Sunday, October 2 through Saturday, October 8; Sunday, November 6 through Saturday, November 12; Sunday December 4 through Saturday, December 10.
Hallow�s End -- Tuesday, October 18 through Monday, October 31.
Day of the Dead -- Tuesday, November 1 through Wednesday, November 2.
Pilgrim�s Bounty -- Sunday, November 20 through Saturday, November 26.
Feast of Winter Veil -- Thursday, December 15 through Monday, January 2.
Don�t forget that every weekend is a holiday if you�re an angler!
Kalu�ak Fishing Derby -- Every Saturday at 2:00 p.m. server time.
Stranglethorn Fishing Extravaganza -- Every Sunday at 2:00 p.m. server time.
What�s your favorite holiday? What are you looking forward to experiencing the most this holiday season? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Blizzard Service Awards: Swords and Shields Ceremony
The Swords and Shields ceremony is an important Blizzard tradition that began fifteen years ago in 1996. With this ceremony, we recognize the years of dedication and commitment of those who help Blizzard create the most epic entertainment experiences...ever. Several times a year, Blizzard employees around the world gather to celebrate the five-, ten-, and fifteen-year milestones of their friends and colleagues with a ceremony where each recipient is honored with their service award. Five years of service are awarded a sword; ten year veterans receive a shield; fifteen years of service is recognized with a special ring; and this year marks the first time Blizzard employees will celebrate twenty years of service.
The type of sword given to five-year recipients is different each year, but the shield and ring designs have remained largely unchanged. We now present a gallery of the swords and shields that have been handed out over the years in recognition of the hard work, great resolve, and unwavering dedication that has helped make Blizzard the company you know today.
A H�t addonja rovatban ez�ttal kiss� előreszaladunk, ugyanis a 4.3-ban �rkező Transmogrificationh�z aj�nlunk egy addont...
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And if you can't read that, you can at least go look at the pictures :D It shows the features of this new add-on that can be found at
http://wow.curse.com/downloads/wow-addons/details/mogit.aspx
n response to concerns regarding how loot will be distributed in the Raid Finder system, we are making some changes to how loot rolls will work when using the Need Before Greed system in the Raid Finder. When using Raid Finder for the Dragon Soul raid instance, players whose currently assigned class role (Tank, Healer, or Damage) matches the class role that a piece of armor or a weapon is flagged for will receive +100 to their Need roll. For purposes of this check, your currently assigned role is defined as the class role you have assigned when a boss is defeated. Sound confusing? I hope not, but here's how it'll work:
A boss dies and drops EPIC TANKING ITEM.
A mage in the group yawns and clicks the "Greed" button, getting a 98.
A Fury warrior in the group wants to take up tanking, so he rolls "Need" and gets a solid 64.
Both tanks want the item. Tank 1 rolls a 12, and Tank 2 rolls a 7.
So what happens?
Because the mage rolled greed, she's right out from the start. The Fury warrior's Need roll was higher than the tanks', but he was in the Damage Dealer role when the boss died, and the item is flagged for tanking, so his 64 is still just a 64 out of a possible 100. In contrast, Tank 1 and Tank 2 each get a 100 point bonus to their rolls because they were in the Tanking role when the boss died and they�re rolling on an item that has been flagged for the tanking role. That means that Tank 1 rolled a 112 out of 200, and tank 2 rolled a 107 out of 200. Tank 1 wins the item! If a roll got a bonus, that bonus will be clearly displayed in the chat log.
Please keep in mind that, at least for now, this system will only look at class role, and not player spec. This bonus isn't only for tanking items either � it applies to Tanking, Damage Dealing, and Healing items, and some items are flagged for more than one class role too. Starting out, only Dragon Soul raid items will be flagged for class roles in this way (though all of the items in the raid will be flagged for one or more roles). As you might expect, all the normal Need Before Greed rules are still in place, so that means that these roll bonuses won't overrule normal class and usability restrictions. Item tooltips in the raid won't reflect which class roles will get rolling bonuses, but it should be fairly obvious based on stat allocations and item type.
We are considering expanding this system to apply to the new 4.3 dungeons as well, though it is unlikely that we'll see the system apply to older dungeons or raids for now. Also, please keep in mind that this system is newly minted, and it may see further changes before it's released with the Raid Finder in patch 4.3.
That's right. Blizzard's Customer Support has moved to You Tube! Well not quite moved, they've just added a sercurity channel with helpful tutorials for using your Authenticator, general security and that wonderful "Oh my gosh! I've been hacked!" situation. Take a moment to read the official Blizzard Entertainment post. Interesting. Will this cut down on service times by helping users solve basic problems?
There's been a great deal of discussion about the upcoming tier 13 armor sets. We like this set, we hate this one, that one looks just...wow...ummmm...ok? Blizzard has been releasing each new set of armor concept art along with a retrospective of the all the previous tier pieces. How do you feel the current designers compare to the vanilla sets? Is there a particular trend or style you'd like to see designed into future sets? Do you feel they are trying too hard to add a great amount of detail or should they add more? How close do you feel they staying with the lore and the feel of each class?
The Topic of the Week is a contest run by WoW Vault! The best reply will receive VIP Insider for 2 weeks! Potential winning posts are judged according to length, interpretation of the subject and writing style.
Disclaimer: Winners with too many ToS violations on their account may not be eligible to receive the reward.
We are working hard to introduce an exciting new feature to World of Warcraft in patch 4.3: the Raid Finder system. While it presents unprecedented technical hurdles and may change before it�s released, we wanted to provide you with an early look at what we hope to accomplish, and share some details that we�ve worked out, which will lend some insight as to how the new feature is planned to work.
So what is the Raid Finder? It will be a brand new grouping feature that superficially works much like the Dungeon Finder. Instead of five-player dungeons, the Raid Finder is designed to help players quickly and easily form a pick-up raid for a specially tuned version of the current tier of raid content: the Dragon Soul raid. It�s not intended to replace organized raiding though. You�ll still need friends and guild members to help you conquer the toughest raiding challenges that patch 4.3 has to offer.
As we currently plan to roll out the Raid Finder feature in patch 4.3, level-85 players will be able to use it to access a 25-player version of the Dragon Soul raid dungeon, which will culminate in a glorious battle against Deathwing himself. Dragon Soul will be split into three different difficulties. The Raid Finder provides access to a new tier of difficulty, which in this case has split the raid into two wings, each containing four boss encounters. Meanwhile, raiders will still need to join with friends and guildmates to face the more challenging normal and heroic versions of the raid, since the Raid Finder cannot be used to access those higher difficulty levels. Naturally, because they�re harder to defeat, the normal and heroic version of Dragon Soul will drop more powerful lootalong with prestigious rewards such as achievements, titles, and epic mounts. Rich rewards still await those who face the Raid Finder version, which we hope will introduce the thrills and epic experience of raiding to a broader audience than ever before.
You can access the Raid Finder through the �Raid� button in the menu at the bottom of the default user interface. The Raid Finder should feel familiar to Dungeon Finder users. Just fire it up, select your class role, click the �Find Raid� button, and get ready to face Deathwing�s jaw of doom.
FAQ
Q. Raids aren�t dungeons. Who will keep things organized?
A. A Raid Finder raid will require someone to queue as leader. The Raid Finder leader will have a very limited set of powers and cannot change loot type, nor do they have the ability to arbitrarily kick people from the raid. They do have the ability to mark targets and use /raid warning, and can promote other players to be leads as well. To be most successful, each Raid Finder group should have at least one leader who will explain the fights, assign raid markers, and make the tough calls, like who the main tank and off-tanks are.
Q. How will loot be distributed?
A. Automatic rolls and the Need Before Greed loot rules will apply in Raid Finder raids, just as they do in Dungeon Finder instances. Also, while Dungeon Finder raids aren�t locked, you are only eligible for loot from a boss once per week. This means that if you were present for the defeat of a boss, whether you receive loot or not, then you will automatically pass on loot that drops during later attempts on that boss during the same week.
Q. How will Raid Finder loot differ?
A. Loot acquired through the Raid Finder, including tier set pieces, will be of a lower item level than items acquired from normal or heroic mode versions of the Dragon Soul raid, and its appearance may differ. Also, there are certain items, as well as components for legendary weapons, which will not drop in Raid Finder raids. While individual bosses will not yield Valor Points as they would in other versions of the raid, you can still earn 250 Valor Points for beating the final boss in each wing of the instance.
Tier armor that drops in Raid Finder raids still provides set bonuses, and those bonuses are compatible with the higher item level versions of the armor available in the normal and heroic mode versions of the raid. None of these tier sets will be available for purchase from a vendor via Valor Points.
Q. Will there be an item level requirement to use the Raid Finder?
A. Yes, accessing raids via the Raid Finder will require that participating characters be level 85 and have attained a certain item level, to help ensure that they are prepared for the content they�ll be facing.
Q. Will the Raid Finder be cross-realm?
A. Yes, the Raid Finder will draw players from all realms. As with the Dungeon Finder, it will place some priority on grouping players from the same realm, though not at the cost of increased queue times.
Q. What kind of raid composition will the Raid Finder create?
A. Each Raid Finder raid will include two tanks, six healers, and seventeen damage dealers. As the raid is assembled, the Raid Finder will attempt to balance the group according to armor type, which should help ensure a healthy mix of melee and ranged dps.
Q. Why 25-player only?
A. A 25-player group is actually easier and faster to fill than a smaller group would be, and allows for greater flexibility in raid creation, all of which will help contribute to lower queue times. Also, 25-player raids are less subject to issues with composition or player connectivity.
The Raid Finder version of the Dragon Soul raid will be designed with pick-up raiding in mind. Normal and heroic difficulties will require the greater organization and teamwork found in guild raid groups.
Q. Will I get Call to Arms benefits when using the Raid Finder?
A. We don�t currently plan to apply Call to Arms benefits to the Raid Finder, though that may change in the future.
Q. Will I be locked to a raid I join through the Raid Finder?
A. Since the Raid Finder only offers access exclusively to a specially tuned version of the Dragon Soul raid instance, instance locks will not be enforced for that version. Instance locks will still be enforced for the normal and heroic versions of the raid.
Q. Can I queue with my friends in a party or raid?
A. Yes, you can queue for the Raid Finder individually, in a party, or in a raid. The Raid Finder can be a great tool to help fill those last few slots in a raid.
Q. I�m a dedicated raider with an organized group, what good is the Raid Finder to me?
A. Since instance locks aren�t in play, Raid Finder raids could provide a way for dedicated raiders to gear up alternate characters, fill gaps in their itemization, finish off elusive set bonuses, or just have some fun while preparing to face the normal or heroic version of the raid on the next reset.
Q. Why aren�t other raids available?
A. The Raid Finder is intended to help players experience the current tier of content. Also, many older raids don�t require a full complement of raiders, making the Raid Finder unnecessary. This is also the first rollout of the feature and we decided to start things simple, rather than potentially delay the feature�s introduction.
If the Raid Finder proves popular, more raid instances may be added to it in the future.
Q. Will Vote Kick still work in the Raid Finder?
A. Yes, though many of the same requirements and restrictions will be in place. For example, kicking too many times can result in a Vote Kick cooldown. Also, the thresholds are different, and several players will need to agree on kicking a candidate before the vote begins. Successful kick votes will require a significant number of Yes votes to pass.
Q. What happens if I leave a Raid Finder raid before it�s over?
A. Players who leave the Raid prematurely will receive a Deserter Debuff, though it will likely be of longer duration than the one applied to users of the Dungeon Finder. This debuff will only apply to the Raid Finder system.
Some of you might have seen some recent speculation out there regarding the unannounced MMO and BlizzCon. There�s going to be a ton of information and content at the show -- including a closing concert by Foo Fighters, which we just revealed today -- but we want to be clear up front that we�re not going to be discussing the unannounced MMO.
Our Core Hound Pup adoption campaign is well underway. Have you posed for a picture with your fire-breathing Fido? We�re picking the most memorable images submitted to us each month in 2011 and rewarding the winners with an iPad. Check out the most recent winning entry.
�They wanted to hold me, to keep watch over me � a prisoner in all but name. But I will NOT be held accountable for the sins of my father. My destiny will be my own.�- Wrathion, the Black Prince
The Contract
Patch 4.3 will offer the most deadly and experienced rogues the opportunity to finally play a central role in the fate of the world the rogue�s way: by manipulating key events from the shadows. Players will travel across continents to accomplish crucial missions of reconnaissance, burglary, infiltration and, of course, assassination. Those familiar with the events that unfolded in the Badlands since the Cataclysm struck may recall the story of Rheastrasza, the ambitious red dragon who acquired a black dragon egg and magically purified it, cleansing it of the Black Dragonflight�s corruption. While those events may lead to a more hopeful destiny for Azeroth, it will take cleverness, stealth, skill, and the help of a few friends to unravel the web of intrigue that will reveal what became of the egg� and determine the fate of Deathwing himself.
Wetwork
Rogues willing to do whatever is necessary to ignite a brighter future must first delve into the Dragon�s Soul raid dungeon to begin the quest line. Those who prove their prowess within will be set on a collision course with Ravenholdt Manor and the enigmatic Black Prince, Wrathion. This shadowy figure could be the key to victory for the mortal races, but what is his true agenda? Before the truth behind these mysteries are revealed, enterprising assassins will need to fight tense raid battles against Deathwing�s most powerful minions, and embark alone on perilous missions to seal the fate of the Black Dragonflight. The quest culminates in the earth-scorching execution of Deathwing himself and a shocking revelation about the true nature of the mission.
What�s in it for me?
Rogues who succeed will receive a paired set of daggers that will become increasingly lethal as their bearer progresses along the legendary quest. At the height of their strength, they will be imbued with the vile essence of the Old Gods, as well as the maddened fury of the Black Dragonflight -- bestowing great power upon their bearer. These powers include a stacking increase to Agility which builds until dark wings unfurl from the rogue�s back, removing the combo point cost and increasing damage of finishing moves for a short time. In addition, the wings which can be spread on command (with no combat benefit) to slow a rapid descent, allowing the rogue to slowly fall to the ground� or enact a little death from above! When it comes to dealing death, the Fangs of the Father promise legendary killing power to rogues of any specialization.
An incredible adventure and legendary rewards await. The future of all life on Azeroth hangs in the balance. Better get moving.
Adventurers will be tested like never before in 4.3 as they take on Deathwing and his minions, emerging with powerful new treasures. Please enjoy this preview of the priest tier 13 set, as well as a visual guide to tiers 1 through 12 for Transmogrification purposes.
Priest - Vestments of Dying Light
Priests (and paladins for that matter) are often the most challenging classes to design �badass� armor sets for, in contrast to the death knight and warlock, whose underlying concepts demand the unquestionably cool dark and sinister approach.
In this instance, however, the design asked for a bold, two-tone, �Venetian carnival style with creepy, soulless black eyes,� which gave me a powerful, potentially edgy direction to explore. The set�s �Dying Light� theme was visualized as a spiked, setting sun motif.
This new feature allows players to customize their gear like never before. You'll find Transmogrification, Void Storage, and Reforging vendors in Cathedral Square, Stormwind and The Drag, Orgrimmar. The costs associated with this service are not yet final.
Void Storage
In addition to the bank, players will now have access to a new "deep storage" system, allowing characters to free bag space by setting aside coveted gear. You'll find Transmogrification, Void Storage, and Reforging vendors in Cathedral Square, Stormwind and The Drag, Orgrimmar. The costs associated with this service are not yet final.
Reforging
The former Reforging vendors have been... retired. The ethereals have chosen to take over the business and joined their Transmogrification and Void Storage service providers. You'll find them in Cathedral Square, Stormwind and The Drag, Orgrimmar.
Outland & Northrend Quest Flow
The amount of experience needed to gain levels 71 through 80 has been reduced by approximately 33%.
Many Group quests in Outland and Northrend have been re-tuned to allow players to complete them solo. They are no longer labeled as Group quests.
Relevant questgivers have been moved into Outland and Northrend dungeons. The majority of dungeon quests for these zones are now available from within their respective dungeons.
North American realms (excluding Brazilian, Latin American, and Oceanic realms) no longer permit letters with accents in character or guild names. Existing character and guild names with special characters will be unaffected by this change.
Achievements
The achievement Master of Alterac Valley no longer requires the Alterac Valley Blitz achievement.
Classes: General
All raid and party buffs which grant group members 10% increased attack power have been changed slightly. They continue to provide 10% increased ranged attack power, but now provide 20% increased melee attack power.
Abomination's Might: The melee attack power bonus from this raid buff has been increased to 10/20%, up from 5/10%. The ranged attack power bonus remains 5/10%.
Blessing of Might: The melee attack power bonus from this raid buff has been increased to 20%, up from 10%. The ranged attack power bonus remains 10%.
Runescroll of Might: The melee attack power bonus from this consumable has been increased to 16%, up from 8%. The ranged attack power bonus remains 8%.
Trueshot Aura: The melee attack power bonus from this raid buff has been increased to 20%, up from 10%. The ranged attack power bonus remains 10%.
Unleashed Rage: The melee attack power bonus from this raid buff has been increased to 10/20%, up from 5/10%. The ranged attack power bonus remains 5/10%.
Vengeance for Protection warriors, Protection paladins, Blood death knights, and Feral druids has been redesigned slightly. It no longer ramps up slowly at the beginning of a fight. Instead, the first melee attack taken by the tank generates Vengeance equal to 33% of the damage taken by that attack. In addition, as it updates periodically during the fight, it's always set to at least 33% of the damage taken by the tank in the last 2 seconds. It still climbs from that point at the rate it did previously, still decays when damage is not taken, and still cannot exceed a maximum based on the health and Stamina of the tank.
Threat generated by classes in active tanking modes has been increased to 500% damage done, up from 300%. This applies to druids in Bear Form, death knights in Blood Presence, warriors in Defensive Stance, and paladins with Righteous Fury active.
Death Knights
Death Strike now heals the death knight whether or not the attack misses, or is dodged/parried. As a result of this change, Death Strike no longer refunds its rune cost if it fails to hit the target, as the death knight will still receive the healing effect.
Talent Specializations
Blood
Blade Barrier has been redesigned. It now passively reduces damage taken.
Bone Shield now has 6 charges, up from 4.
Veteran of the Third War now reduces the cooldown of Outbreak by 30 seconds.
Druids
Wrath has a new spell effect.
Talent Specializations
Restoration
Wild Growth healing has been reduced by 20%.
Glyphs
Glyph of Shred has been renamed Glyph of Bloodletting, and now also causes Mangle (Cat) to extend the duration of Rip, in addition to its existing Shred functionality.
Glyph of Wild Growth now also increases the cooldown on Wild Growth by 2 seconds.
Hunters
Coming soon.
Mages
Coming soon.
Paladins
Holy Radiance now has a 3.0-second cast time, no cooldown, and requires a player target. That target is imbued with Holy Radiance, which heals them and all group members within 10 yards instantly, and continues to heal them by a smaller amount every 1 second for 3 seconds.
Seal of Insight, when Judged, no longer returns 15% base mana to the paladin. Judging Seal of Insight still causes damage, and melee attacks will still restore 4% of base mana.
Talent Specializations
Holy
Clarity of Purpose now also reduces the cast time of Holy Radiance.
Illuminated Healing (mastery) now also applies to Holy Radiance.
Infusion of Light now applies its cast time reduction from Holy Shock critical effects to Holy Radiance, in addition to its current effects.
In addition to providing haste, the effect from Judgements of the Pure now increases mana regeneration from Spirit by 10/20/30% for 60 seconds.
Light of Dawn now affects 6 targets (base effect), up from 5.
Paragon of Virtue now lowers the cooldown of Divine Protection by 15/30 seconds, up from 10/20 seconds.
Speed of Light no longer triggers from Holy Radiance and no longer lowers the Holy Radiance cooldown. Speed of Light now only triggers from Divine Protection.
Tower of Radiance, in addition to its current effects, now also causes Holy Radiance to always generate 1 charge of Holy Power at all times.
Glyphs
Glyph of Light of Dawn now lowers the number of targets to 4, instead of increasing targets to 6, but increases healing by 25%.
Priests
Divine Hymn now affects 5 targets, up from 3.
Talent Specializations
Discipline
Atonement will now account for the target enemy's combat reach when calculating proper range, enabling it to be used on large creatures such as Ragnaros and Ala'kir.
Divine Aegis has a new spell effect.
Holy
Spirit of Redemption has been rebuilt to address a few functionality issues and make it more responsive. Spirit of Redemption otherwise remains unchanged.
State of Mind has been redesigned and is now called Heavenly Voice. Heavenly Voice increases the healing done by Divine Hymn by 50/100%, and reduces the cooldown of Divine Hymn by 2.5/5 minutes.
Glyphs
Glyph of Circle of Healing now also increases the mana cost of Circle of Healing by 20%.
Rogues
Coming soon.
Shaman
Flametongue Weapon no longer increases spell damage. It now increases all non-physical damage done by the wielder by 5%.
Lightning Bolt has a new spell effect.
Wind Shear now has a 25-second base cooldown, up from 6 seconds.
Talent Specializations
Elemental
Call of Flame no longer causes Fire Nova to extend the duration of Flame Shock.
Earthquake damage has been increased by roughly 75%.
Elemental Fury now removes the cooldown from Chain Lightning.
Reverberation now reduces the cooldown of Wind Shear by 10/20 seconds, up from 0.5/1 second.
Enhancement
Improved Lava Lash now causes Lava Lash to spread a Flame Shock debuff from the target to up to 4 nearby targets. This excludes crowd-controlled targets and those who already have a Flame Shock debuff from the shaman.
Improved Lava Lash no longer increases base Lava Lash damage by 15/30%. This increase has been rolled into the base Lava Lash skill.
Mental Quickness has been redesigned. Instead of granting the shaman spell power, Mental Quickness now causes Enhancement shaman spells to behave as though the shaman has spell power equal to 55% of attack power. Enhancement shaman spells no longer benefit from spell power from other sources.
Restoration
Ancestral Healing now also causes the shaman's heals to increase the target's maximum health by 5/10% of the amount healed, up to a maximum of 10% of the target's maximum health, for 15 seconds. This effect does not stack if multiple Restoration shaman are present, and does not apply to heals from procs.
Riptide's periodic healing coefficient has been increased by 50%. The initial direct heal is unchanged.
Warlocks
Shadow Bolt has a new spell effect.
Warriors
Coming soon.
Dungeons & Raids
Dungeon Journal entries have been added for the new dungeons: End Time, Well of Eternity, Hour of Twilight, and Dragon Soul.
Bosses in Ruins of Ahn'qiraj now drop a rare-quality Scarab Coffer Key which can be used to open the Scarab Coffers found within. These keys are zone-bound to Ruins of Ahn'qiraj and have a 17-hour expiration. This change also applies to Greater Scarab Coffer Keys used to open Large Scarab Coffers.
Races
The orc racial Blood Fury now increases spell power rather than only spell damage.
User Interface
Archaeology areas of interest will now show on the mini-map, in addition to the World Map.
Bag Search
A search field has been added to allow players to search bag, bank, guild bank, and Void Storage inventories for specific items.
Guilds with inactive guild leaders can now usurp the leader under specific conditions. More information on this coming soon.
The Reforging interface has been updated and improved.
Quest Tracking areas or points of interest will now show on the mini-map, in addition to the World Map.
The World Map now displays the expected character levels for each zone.
It was a bitter blow. She had expected to venture here in triumph, not to discover another defeat. The victory was hollow. But she backed away from the throne, straightened up, and accepted that the cycle would go on. Arthas was dead. What did it matter if another corpse filled his vacant throne? Sylvanas Windrunner had her vengeance. The vision that had driven her and her people for years had finally been realized. And not a single fiber of her desiccated, animate corpse cared where the world went from here.
It was over now. A part of her was surprised she was even still around, without his lingering presence always tugging at the back of her mind. She backed away from the throne and slowly turned to survey the cold gray world all around her. Her thoughts returned to that place of bliss, her half-remembered glimpse of what lay beyond. Home. It was time.
Blizzard Entertainment is proudto present the latest entry in the Leaders of Azeroth short story series: Edge of Night!
Back in June, I wrote a blog explaining the context behind some of the changes in the upcoming patch that might not be intuitively obvious. That blog ended up being one of the most popular ones we�ve ever done; even players who disagreed with the specific changes appreciated our explanations for what we were trying to accomplish. Therefore, we�d like to continue in that fashion and we figured there was no reason to wait until 4.3 was �on the shelves� to get the ball rolling.
One note before I dive into things. If you haven�t read the previous blog, �Rate of Change,� now might be a good time. There are some changes that we want to make to class mechanics or balance in general that we don�t think are fair or appropriate to spring on players in the middle of an expansion. These include things like the power of interrupts or the active mitigation model we want to implement for tanks. We�ll get there, but in short term we fundamentally believe that it�s important to pick our battles.
The white limo stops here -- multi-platinum rockers to melt faces of sold-out crowd during closing ceremony of Blizzard Entertainment�s epic gaming festival
BlizzCon Virtual Ticket will feature live coverage of event, including Foo Fighters performance, via Internet worldwide and DIRECTV� in the US
We're happy to announce that Foo Fighters will headline the closing concert of this year�s sold-out BlizzCon�, taking place October 21-22 at the Anaheim Convention Center. While tickets to the convention are currently sold out, viewers can watch at home by ordering a BlizzCon Virtual Ticket, offering comprehensive live coverage of the event (including Foo Fighters' performance) globally over the Internet and also on DIRECTV� in the United States.
Over the course of their 16-year career, the Foo Fighters have sold tens of millions of records, won half a dozen Grammy awards, and raised countless voices in singalongs of iconic anthems like "Everlong," "My Hero," "Learn to Fly", "All My Life," �Best of You,� and �The Pretender.� Foo Fighters' BlizzCon debut marks founder Dave Grohl's triumphant return to the convention after playing drums for Tenacious D in last year's show, and comes during an international arena, stadium, and festival tour promoting their seventh album, the international #1 record Wasting Light.
Opening up the concert will be The Artist Formerly Known as Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain, who are returning to BlizzCon following a two-year interstellar tour through the Koprulu sector. Blizzard's in-house metal band will amp up the crowd with an earth-shaking set of both familiar and brand-new songs drawn from the Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo universes before turning the stage over to Foo Fighters for the main event.
�There's no better way to cap off two days of gaming entertainment than by blowing the roof off the convention center with an awesome rock concert," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. �Everyone attending BlizzCon and watching from home can look forward to ending the show with a bang when Foo Fighters bring the house down.�
�We�re pretty sure that in the future, music historians will look back at BlizzCon 2011 as the unquestionable pinnacle of Foo Fighters� long and illustrious career,� said Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters founder and frontman. �We look forward to living up to that prediction by bringing the Horde and Alliance together to rock the hell out of Anaheim next month.�
"If you're looking for the appropriate zone to quest in check out the Warchief's command board (Hero's Call board for Alliance) and it'll give you the bread crumb quest to the appropriate zone no matter what level you are."
The World of Warcraft Trading Card Game's Darkmoon Faire is arriving in Philadelphia, PA on September 30 and bringing with it a host of fun gaming events. Even if you've never owned a single card, you can learn the game through a demo and enter into one of the Beginner Tournaments, which launch every 2 hours throughout the weekend. You can also challenge Alexstrasza, the Life-Binder to a duel and become a Dragonslayer! On Friday, see the newest set, Throne of the Tides, before it hits stores. Bring your Worldbreaker Block Constructed deck and compete in the main event to win thousands of dollars in prizes. For a full schedule of events, visit the DMF Philadelphia page. We�ll see you there!
We commonly use the term �soon� when referring to Blizzard releases, because we know that no matter how hard we�re working to reach a target, we�re not going to compromise and launch a game before it�s ready. For Diablo III, we were aiming to launch by the end of 2011. As we�re announcing globally today, our new target for the game is early 2012.
While this news might not be a complete surprise, I know that many of you were hopeful that Diablo III would ship this year. We were too. However, this week we pulled together people from all of the teams involved with the game to decide whether we felt it would be ready before the end of December, and we grudgingly came to the conclusion that it would not. Ultimately, we feel that to deliver an awesome Diablo sequel that lives up to our expectations and yours as well, we should take a little more time and add further polish to a few different elements of the game.
The upside of today�s announcement is that we will be running the beta test longer than we initially planned, which will allow us to invite more of you who have opted in.
For those taking on the Diableard challenge, we salute you -- and now fear for your well-being and personal hygiene. We hereby issue an official reprieve to all Diableard participants, including Blizzard employees, if you want to trim or otherwise manage the lower half of your face. We�d still love to see your beardly achievements, and we look forward to seeing more of your efforts as we move into 2012, but not to the detriment of your workplaces and significant others.
Thank you everyone for your support and anticipation for Diablo III. We�re still moving ahead at full pace, and we�ll be keeping you fully informed of any news and developments here at Diablo3.com, including the specific release date when the time comes, so stay tuned.
While we�ve been previewing the visuals of tier 13 on the front page at http://www.worldofwarcraft.com, we thought you might be interested in the magics that lay imbued betwixt their stitches and plating. Behold -- the tier 13 set bonuses!
Please keep in mind that the below data is pre-PTR and could change prior to the release of patch 4.3.
Death Knight
Blood, 2P -- When an attack drops your health below 35%, one of your Blood Runes will immediately activate and convert into a Death Rune for the next 20 sec. This effect cannot occur more than once every 45 sec.
Blood, 4P -- Your Vampiric Blood ability also affects all party and raid members for 50% of the effect it has on you.
DPS, 2P -- Sudden Doom has a 30% chance and Rime has a 60% chance to grant 2 charges when triggered instead of 1.
DPS, 4P -- Runic Empowerment has a 25% chance and Runic Corruption has a 40% chance to also grant 710 mastery rating for 12 sec when activated.
Druid
Balance, 2P -- Insect Swarm increases all damage done by your Starfire, Starsurge, and Wrath spells against that target by 3%.
Balance, 4P -- Starsurge generates 100% extra Lunar or Solar energy while Eclipse is not active.
Feral, 2P -- While Berserk is active, Savage Defense absorbs are 100% larger, and your Blood in the Water talent now causes Ferocious Bite to refresh the duration of your Rip on targets with 60% or less health.
Feral, 4P -- Frenzied Regeneration also affects all raid and party members, and your Stampede talent now grants two charges after using Feral Charge (Cat).
Restoration, 2P -- After using Innervate, the mana cost of your healing spells is reduced by 25% for 15 sec.
Restoration, 4P -- Your Rejuvenation and Regrowth spells have a 10% chance to Timeslip and have double the normal duration.
Hunter
2P -- Steady Shot and Cobra Shot generate double the amount of focus.
4P -- Your Arcane Shot ability has a chance to grant 25% haste to you and your pet for 10 sec.
Mage
2P -- Your damaging spells have a 30% chance to grant Stolen Time, increasing your haste rating by 50 for 30 sec and stacking up to 10 times. When Arcane Power, Combustion, or Icy Veins expires, all stacks of Stolen Time are lost.
4P -- Each stack of Stolen Time also reduces the cooldown of Arcane Power by 3 sec, Combustion by 4 sec, and Icy Veins by 6 sec.
Paladin
Holy, 2P -- After using Divine Favor, the mana cost of your healing spells is reduced by 25% for 15 sec.
Holy, 4P -- Increases the healing done by your Holy Radiance spell by 20%.
Protection, 2P -- Your Judgement ability now also grants a physical absorb shield equal to 30% of the damage it dealt.
Protection, 4P -- Reduces the cooldown of Divine Guardian by 60 sec and increases the radius of its effect by 70 yards.
Retribution, 2P -- Your Judgement ability has a 50% chance to generate 1 Holy Power.
Retribution, 4P -- While Zealotry is active your abilities deal 12% more damage.
Priest
Healer, 2P -- After using Power Infusion or Lightwell, the mana cost of your healing spells is reduced by 25% for [10|15] sec. (10 sec for Discipline, 15 for non-Discipline.)
Healer, 4P -- Your Power Word: Shield has a 10% chance to absorb 100% additional damage, and the cooldown of your Holy Word abilities is reduced by 20%.
Shadow, 2P -- Shadow Word: Death deals an additional 55% damage, and you no longer take damage from your own Shadow Word: Death when the target fails to die.
Shadow, 4P -- Your Shadowfiend and Shadowy Apparitions have a 100% chance to grant you 3 Shadow Orbs each time they deal damage.
Rogue
2P -- After triggering Tricks of the Trade, your abilities cost 20% less energy for 6 sec.
4P -- Increases the duration of Shadow Dance by 2 sec, Adrenaline Rush by 3 sec, and Vendetta by 9 sec.
Shaman
Elemental, 2P -- Elemental Mastery also grants you 400 mastery rating 15 sec.
Elemental, 4P -- Each time Elemental Overload triggers, you gain 200 haste rating for 4 sec, stacking up to 3 times.
Enhancement, 2P -- While you have any stacks of Maelstrom Weapon, your Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning, and healing spells deal 20% more healing or damage.
Enhancement, 4P -- Your Feral Spirits have a 45% chance to grant you a charge of Maelstrom Weapon each time they deal damage.
Restoration, 2P -- After using Mana Tide Totem, the cost of your healing spells are reduced by 25% for 15 sec.
Restoration, 4P -- Increases the duration of Spiritwalker's Grace by 5 sec, and you gain 30% haste while Spiritwalker's grace is active.
Warlock
2P -- The duration of your Doomguard and Infernal summons is increased by [15|45] sec and the cooldown of of those spells is reduced by 4 min. (45 for Demonology, 15 for non-Demonology.)
4P -- Soulburn grants a 10% increase to your spell power for 10 sec.
Warrior
Protection, 2P -- Your Revenge ability now also grants a physical absorption shield equal to 20% of the damage done by Revenge.
Protection, 4P -- Your Shield Wall ability now grants 50% of its effect to all party and raid members.
DPS, 2P -- Heroic Strike costs 10 less rage while Inner Rage is active.
DPS, 4P -- Your Execute critical strikes have a 20% chance to refresh the duration of Colossus Smash.
Pirate's Day was an excellent way to start off the next holiday on the calendar....Brewfest! Yes it's already that time of year again. The time to run those barrels of beer from brewery to brewfest. It's time to collect those tokens, kill Direbrew, and pray for good luck on the mount drops. If you're needing a little guidance to how to complete this holiday's achievement then check out Rill's 
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