Back before Cataclysm came out, Blizzard made some general statements on rated battlegrounds and what they would bring to World of Warcraft. I can't remember if my thinking on them is correct or based in fact, but I'll talk about what I thought they were.
You would have options to queue for a normal battleground and a rated battleground. Normal battlegrounds you could do any time all week. You could only participate in a set number of rated battlegrounds. Your performance in that game would be rated by Killing Blows, Deaths, Honorable Kills, Damage Done, Healing Done, and Objectives completed (Capturing/Defending flags and nodes). Your rating would go up or down depending on your performance, and go up or down more or less depending on if you won or lost the battleground.
Ultimately, Blizzard deemed that this would either be too much code or would be too prone to number inflation and greedy play (If every player is trying to capture the flag in WSG for a rating boost, what would stop them from ignoring the current flag carrier's well-being in hopes of being able to capture the flag?). Perhaps this could be solved by making a win exponentially better for your rating than a loss. I'm not sure.
I like the concept of rewarding players for solid efforts in a winning or losing battleground. Sometimes players excel in a battleground, getting huge numbers of honorable kills and killing blows and capturing nodes, but are unable to be everywhere on the map. This has happened to me, but I know that this has happened to a lot of above-average players. They get stuck with uncoordinated or ignorant teams and are only able to do incredibly well in certain areas where the rest of the team flounders. Those people deserve a little extra reward than 3 honor more than the next guy.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
A couple things
I'm going to cover a couple things really quick.
Baradin Warden's Rep
At Mr. Popularity (Rank 2) or Guild Level 12, you receive an additional 10% reputation reward for killing monsters and completing quests. That means that if you complete the 12 daily quests available through Tol Barad, 6 on the Peninsula and 6 on the Baradin Hold Island, you will get a total of 4050 reputation. That means over the course of three days, you can move through the entirety of Revered.
Matchmaking Value and Rating
"If you win, Blizzard will drag your rating up to your Matchmaking Value. If you lose, Blizzard will drag your Matchmaking Value to your Rating." This is the simplest way I've been able to describe the system between Matchmaking Value and actual team Rating. Your rating is what matters, it's what you get achievements from and allows you to access higher levels of gear. Your matchmaking value is what allows you to ascend ratings faster or slower; if you beat teams at a higher matchmaking value, then your matchmaking value will rise and your rating will try to rise with it.
Recount
Recount is the only addon that I ever recommend to other players. It is the quickest and best way to gauge how you are performing. Let's say the following:
You are doing a boss fight in a dungeon with guild mates. You are spec A. You wipe on the boss fight. Your Recount informs you that you did DPS-A. After the wipe, your guild mate asks you to switch specs. You are now spec B. You wipe on the second attempt. Your Recount informs you that you did DPS-B.
So, now you compare your Recounts.
On Damage Dealt, DPS-A was higher than DPS-B. On Damage received, DPS-A took more damage than DPS-B. On Interrupts, DPS-B was higher than DPS-A. What does this tell us?
It tells us that DPS-B was able to take less damage likely due to the increased number of interrupts over DPS-A. If another person were able to pick up on the interrupts, then you should respec back from DPS-B to DPS-A for the higher numbers.
So, that's a highly controlled situation but it covers why I love Recount.
Baradin Warden's Rep
At Mr. Popularity (Rank 2) or Guild Level 12, you receive an additional 10% reputation reward for killing monsters and completing quests. That means that if you complete the 12 daily quests available through Tol Barad, 6 on the Peninsula and 6 on the Baradin Hold Island, you will get a total of 4050 reputation. That means over the course of three days, you can move through the entirety of Revered.
Matchmaking Value and Rating
"If you win, Blizzard will drag your rating up to your Matchmaking Value. If you lose, Blizzard will drag your Matchmaking Value to your Rating." This is the simplest way I've been able to describe the system between Matchmaking Value and actual team Rating. Your rating is what matters, it's what you get achievements from and allows you to access higher levels of gear. Your matchmaking value is what allows you to ascend ratings faster or slower; if you beat teams at a higher matchmaking value, then your matchmaking value will rise and your rating will try to rise with it.
Recount
Recount is the only addon that I ever recommend to other players. It is the quickest and best way to gauge how you are performing. Let's say the following:
You are doing a boss fight in a dungeon with guild mates. You are spec A. You wipe on the boss fight. Your Recount informs you that you did DPS-A. After the wipe, your guild mate asks you to switch specs. You are now spec B. You wipe on the second attempt. Your Recount informs you that you did DPS-B.
So, now you compare your Recounts.
On Damage Dealt, DPS-A was higher than DPS-B. On Damage received, DPS-A took more damage than DPS-B. On Interrupts, DPS-B was higher than DPS-A. What does this tell us?
It tells us that DPS-B was able to take less damage likely due to the increased number of interrupts over DPS-A. If another person were able to pick up on the interrupts, then you should respec back from DPS-B to DPS-A for the higher numbers.
So, that's a highly controlled situation but it covers why I love Recount.
Friday, January 28, 2011
PvP vs. PvE: The Endless Tug-O-War
Blizzard has received a lot of flak over changes made in the two hemispheres of World of Warcraft. These hemispheres are, of course, the Player vs. Player and Player vs. Environment hemispheres. Let's not get these confused with how realms are denoted (Kel'thuzad being a PvP realm and Aerie Peak being a PvE realm) but rather how the game is played.
Blizzard has 10 classes with 30 specs. These 30 specs are meant to be unique from one-another while comparable in value. The way they are valued is how effectively they can do their respective jobs. That means that all 30 specs need to be competitive at the same time as comparable. A Raid Leader or a Battleground Leader should, when forced to make a decision, pick a player rather than a class.
This means that Blizzard has one god-damned-fucking-difficult job. 30 unique specs, covering 4 roles, all doing similar jobs without beating each other out? Sounds difficult.
Now, multiply that difficulty by two. As every class should be able to pick any spec for either hemisphere; a warrior should be able to PvP and PvE as Fury and not feel handicapped in anyway.
So, we reach an inevitable conclusion: One (Potentially two or even three) spec is not "balanced." Balance can't PvP because it lacks the on-command burst of a mage or warlock. Beastmaster can't PvE because it lacks the sustained DPS. And the list goes on and on, essentially for every spec.
Blizzard has done, as far as I'm concerned, a superb job of maintaining best-possible balance. You still see minorities of certain specs in both PvP and PvE environments. This may or may not have anything to do with gross undertuning or overtuning of specs; more likely than not, the specs have never been closer for effectiveness. Instead, there is a slight difference that is over-exaggerated; If one person tells you that Destruction is 5% better than Affliction, and you tell the next person, and they tell the next person, eventually nobody is specced Affliction because Destruction is 100% better and a million others agree with that false-conception.
The big issue for me and many others is gear. If you didn't know, Blizzard has not released the 2200 rating weapons. This isn't for lack of desire to release the gear. It's just that PvE players are not currently mowing down raid content. Blizzard has delayed the release of the 2200 rating weapons to prevent a swarm of raiders from rushing Arena and Rated battlegrounds to get, what would be, the Best in Slot weapons for both PvE and PvP at the same time.
The reverse of this happened in Wrath of the Lich King. With the release of the expansion, guilds powered down the entry level raids. 226 weapons were available to drop from Kel'thuzad and 213 items were attainable across the board throughout 25 man raids. PvP, on the other hand, was behind by an entire tier and users were forced to achieve high ratings just to get top quality PvP gear.
So, in the balancing Tug-O-War, PvE beat PvP in WotLK. And in Cataclysm, they tried harder to balance it. No weapons for PvE nerds, I suppose.
Blizzard has 10 classes with 30 specs. These 30 specs are meant to be unique from one-another while comparable in value. The way they are valued is how effectively they can do their respective jobs. That means that all 30 specs need to be competitive at the same time as comparable. A Raid Leader or a Battleground Leader should, when forced to make a decision, pick a player rather than a class.
This means that Blizzard has one god-damned-fucking-difficult job. 30 unique specs, covering 4 roles, all doing similar jobs without beating each other out? Sounds difficult.
Now, multiply that difficulty by two. As every class should be able to pick any spec for either hemisphere; a warrior should be able to PvP and PvE as Fury and not feel handicapped in anyway.
So, we reach an inevitable conclusion: One (Potentially two or even three) spec is not "balanced." Balance can't PvP because it lacks the on-command burst of a mage or warlock. Beastmaster can't PvE because it lacks the sustained DPS. And the list goes on and on, essentially for every spec.
Blizzard has done, as far as I'm concerned, a superb job of maintaining best-possible balance. You still see minorities of certain specs in both PvP and PvE environments. This may or may not have anything to do with gross undertuning or overtuning of specs; more likely than not, the specs have never been closer for effectiveness. Instead, there is a slight difference that is over-exaggerated; If one person tells you that Destruction is 5% better than Affliction, and you tell the next person, and they tell the next person, eventually nobody is specced Affliction because Destruction is 100% better and a million others agree with that false-conception.
The big issue for me and many others is gear. If you didn't know, Blizzard has not released the 2200 rating weapons. This isn't for lack of desire to release the gear. It's just that PvE players are not currently mowing down raid content. Blizzard has delayed the release of the 2200 rating weapons to prevent a swarm of raiders from rushing Arena and Rated battlegrounds to get, what would be, the Best in Slot weapons for both PvE and PvP at the same time.
The reverse of this happened in Wrath of the Lich King. With the release of the expansion, guilds powered down the entry level raids. 226 weapons were available to drop from Kel'thuzad and 213 items were attainable across the board throughout 25 man raids. PvP, on the other hand, was behind by an entire tier and users were forced to achieve high ratings just to get top quality PvP gear.
So, in the balancing Tug-O-War, PvE beat PvP in WotLK. And in Cataclysm, they tried harder to balance it. No weapons for PvE nerds, I suppose.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Great Grandma Darbles and a Beginner's Guide to WoW: Part 1a
I'm going to do a couple updates kind of at a whim with a focus on a Beginner's Perspective to WoW. They're not going to be in any particular order or follow any path of logic/reason. They'll mostly just come to me when they do and hopefully, at the very least, they'll be entertaining to read.
So, without further adieu...afk Pizza needs to go in the oven.
Right, here we go...
There are 10 classes in World of Warcraft. Of those 10, the following is true:
So, without further adieu...afk Pizza needs to go in the oven.
Right, here we go...
Choosing Your Class
Overview: Choosing your class, when you first pick up the game, is going to be a difficult task. You're going to have conceptions of what each class does or doesn't do prior to ever playing the game. The name "Warrior" says a lot; that you're going to hit people and monsters with an assortment of weapons is probably an understatement. You might also have a thought that the Warrior is "brainless," that they do not posses the skills to work magic.
Blizzard has done an excellent job revamping the Character Creation screen:
Features:
In the top left corner we see the factions, Alliance and Horde. Portraits below represent the different races available for each faction. In the screenshot, I have clicked the Gnome portrait.
Below the factions and their associated races, you have a choice of gender. In the screenshot, the male gender was chosen arbitrarily (Though I will admit that I'm totally sexist). And below that, you will find the classes that the selected race can choose.
Over on the right you will find descriptions of the race (Including racials and a brief summary) and below you will find Blizzard's description of the class. In the screenshot, it describes a rogue. It describes roles that the class plays, the armor-type that they wear, a general description of the class' style of play, and the resource system that the class employs.
So, with that all out of the way, let's get into it.
Class | Tank | Healer | Damage | Plate | Mail | Leather | Cloth |
Death Knight | X | X | X | ||||
Druid | X | X | X | X | |||
Hunter | X | >Level 40 | <Level 40 | ||||
Mage | X | X | |||||
Paladin | X | X | X | >Level 40 | <Level 40 | ||
Priest | X | X | X | ||||
Rogue | X | X | |||||
Shaman | X | X | >Level 40 | <Level 40 | |||
Warlock | X | X | |||||
Warrior | X | X | >Level 40 | <Level 40 | |||
Total: 10 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
There are 10 classes in World of Warcraft. Of those 10, the following is true:
- There are only 4 pure classes (Hunter, Mage, Rogue, and Warlock). All other classes are hybrids.
- Only 2 classes can hybrid over all 3 roles (Paladin and Druid). All other hybrid classes only cover 2 roles.
- Only 1 class can cover 4 different raid or PvP positions (Druid). All other classes are limited to 3 or less positions.
- 4 classes change armor specialization at level 40 (Hunter, Paladin, Shaman, and Warrior). All other classes specialize in the same armor type from level 1 to level 85.
- Death Knights remain the only hero class. They become available to play with the purchase of the Wrath of the Lich King expansion and a level 55 character.
Brb, want to eat the pizza I put in the oven.
Delicious!
Now that I have befuddled you with a lot of information that you may or may not take anything away from, I'm going to describe each class (Much from personal experience). We'll go in reverse-alphabetical order just to spite the above chart.
Warrior:
Warriors are a hybrid class (Despite argument). They cover the roles of melee damage dealer or tank. They specialize in mail armor until level 40 and then specialize in plate armor. They can use the largest assortment of weapons in the game, only excluding wands and relic items. They are also the closest thing to a 2nd hero class, as all races from both factions are able to choose warrior.
Warriors as Damage Dealers:
Warriors live in the fray. If they are not up and in your face, hitting you with any weapon that they can grab a hold of, then they aren't at their computer or are on your team. Because of this fact, Blizzard has designed the warrior class to be highly mobile. They are able to charge great distances to meet an enemy or to save a teammate. They also have a lot of tools and options in order to keep enemies close to them, as it's just unwieldy to fight an opponent in hand-to-hand combat when they're half a mile away.
They tend to prefer two-handed weapons. either using a single two-handed weapon or dual wielding them through Titan's Grip.
Warriors as Tanks:
Warriors were the first class to be built for tanking. Throughout the Vanilla World of Warcraft, and a larger portion of Burning Crusade, encounters were built and designed for Warrior tanks. As a result, they are the most thoroughly and carefully designed of the 4 tanking classes. They have a large toolbox of abilities to work with in order to close gaps on enemies, lock them down through stuns and silences, and to retain health through assorted defensive abilities.
Warrior tanks use a single-handed weapon along side a hefty shield.
Warlock:
(Note: It's pretty fucking obvious that I do not have a decent levelled warlock. This section will be done mostly from the eyes of an ally or enemy to warlocks, rather than from the player perspective)
Warlocks are a pure damage class. They cover a single role of ranged caster damage dealing. They specialize in cloth armor from level 1 to level 85. Rather than weaponry, Warlocks use a large number of spells in order to destroy their enemies and devour their souls. It is important to note that Warlocks and Hunters are the only classes with dedicated pets.
Warlocks as Damage Dealers:
Warlocks can specialize in three ways: Their damage dealt over time, their pet demons, or their burst damage. The Damage over Time (DoT) specialty warlock, or Affliction Warlock, will wear an enemy down through consistent application of different sources of damage. And, as you're about to die, they will steal your soul for their own purposes. The warlock who loves their pet demon, or Demonology Warlock, will use their demon to do their dirty work. And, as you're about to die, they will steal your soul for their own purposes. Lastly, the burst damage warlock, or Destruction Warlock, intends to blow you up through massive fire damage.
And they, too, will steal your soul as you're about to die.
SNEAK PEAK FOR NEXT BLOG: Great Grandma Darbles and a Beginner's Guide to WoW: Part1b
Shaman:
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
World of Warcraft: City Design
I have always mused about City Design in World of Warcraft. It partially stems from my ongoing work in my Bachelor of Arts, with a focus in Geography. People, seen through a lens of space and time, are always more interesting than just people. Context is incredibly important.
In World of Warcraft, people generally focus on the visuals. We have a monstrous landscape that is very interesting to look at. We are going to ignore a number of facts, such as the jungles of Sholazar Basin as far North as Northrend or the disparities between Hyjal and Winterspring. However, I am going to ignore the visuals; my computer is not up to scruff (As seen by my many screenshots) from a hardware perspective.
Instead, I'm going to look at City Design. Particularly Alliance, as that is my more thorough area of expertise, but I will talk about Shattrath and Dalaran.
So, first things first: Stormwind needs to be nerfed.
Stormwind
Overview: Stormwind is the last stronghold of the human race and the capital city of the Alliance. Situated in the Elwynn Forest, it features stonework architecture with wooden rooftops (Of different colored varieties, seemingly representative of the different districts).
Features: Stormwind is home to all class and profession trainers, even including the infamous Harrison Jones as the local Archaeology trainer (Archaeology is still bullshit). It has two auction houses that are located in the Trade District and Dwarven District. It's also the only city to have portals to the Cataclysm areas, located in the Northeastern portion of the city named "The Eastern Earthshrine." It's also the only city where you can access Justice, Valor, Honor, and Conquest point Vendors, all located in the Old Town portion of the city. For travel, there is a harbor that leads to Darnassus and Northrend (Borean Tundra), the Deeprun Tram to Ironforge, and a Flightmaster.
Problems: Stormwind is incredibly spread out. A character in their low levels (Prior to mounts, of ground or flying variety) has a lot of distance to travel around the city. To visit King Varian in Stormwind Keep, see a warlock Trainer below The Slaughtered Lamb, and then head to the Flighmaster to go questing is quite a distance.
This problem is doubled if you aren't sure where you are going and tripled if you fall into one of Stormwind's many Canals. Canals, while aesthetically appealing and vital for a Daily Fishing economy, are ultimately a nuisance; they provide cover for water-friendly enemies (Pesky druids and warlocks) and pose a drowning-risk to children.
It is also a travesty that the Deeprun Tram is not noted in the map of Stormwind. By failing to mention it, there is a discouragement from traveling to the Dwarven Ironforge.
Review: This city is quickly deteriorating from lag. It is home to too much that is vital for a level 85. Cataclysm portals should be available in all cities, along with the different Points Vendors, so that people can choose a city based on their preferences rather than be pigeonholed into a single place. Also, the canals need to be removed as they hamper travel. That, or boats that travel magically should be implemented as another method of travel around the city.
Ironforge
Overview: Ironforge is the last of the Dwarven Kingdoms and the former (Unofficial) capital of the Alliance. Situated inside a mountain in Dun Morogh, it is composed of rock and metalwork. It's also a circle.
Features: Ironforge is home to all class and profession trainers, but prefers a certain Doktor Professor Ironpants over Harrison Jones for the instruction in Archaeology (Worst profession ever conceived by human kind). It has a single Auction House located in The Commons. It only features a single portal to the Blasted Lands, such as every major city. It has a centrally located Flightpath and the Deeprun Tram to Stormwind.
Problems: Ironforge does not feature many of the necessities required to be a capital city. It suffers a lack of Points Vendors, Cataclysmic portals, or an easy-to-access harbor to other areas (Having to travel to Menethil Harbor to access Theramore or Northrend). There is also a canal-styled problem along the outermost circle of the city, where players can fall and have to travel out of their way to return back to the upper levels of the city.
There is also the issue where a player who wants to fly out the top-exit at the Gate of Ironforge is dismounted.
Review: This city is dead as the player base is forced to live in Stormwind, even though Ironforge is the superior designed city. The circle makes it easy to travel from one place to another, either by following the circle or cutting straight across it. It also features no water, which generally slows a player down to a crawl if they fall into it. By adding portals to Cataclysm areas or Points Vendors, Ironforge would quickly recapture its title as Unofficial Capital of the Alliance.
Darnassus
Overview: Darnassus is home of the Night Elves. It is situated on the island of Teldrassil north of the continent of Kalimdor. Much of the architecture is marble or magically influenced trees, with much of the city covered in vegetation.
Features: Darnassus is home to all class trainers and profession trainers, and employs a no-name of Hammon the Jaded to teach Archaeology (Archaeology and "Assisted-Suicide" both start with A!). Like Ironforge, it features a single Auction house located in the Tradesmen's Terrace. It also has a port to a port, from which you can travel to Stormwind or Azuremyst Isle. And unlike its sister cities, it has two flightmasters.
Problems: Also like its sister cities, Darnassus features no Points Vendors or Portals to Cataclysm zones. It suffers Stormwind's "Let's Put Water Everywhere to Slow People Down" problem. It's also dangerously out-of-the-way of everything, with long flightpaths to everywhere but Mount Hyjal.
Review: Darnassus shares similar, if not worse, problems as Ironforge. However, even with an addition of Cataclysm Portals and Points Vendors, I doubt that it would become a highly populated city due to its large amounts of water and its distinct distance from important-areas.
The Exodar
Overview: The Exodar is the spaceship that the Draenei aptly piloted into the landmass that is Azuremyst Isle. It's architecture features sophisticated engineering and metalwork with influences of magic in the forms of crystalline structures. There is also a focus attributed to that of the Light.
Features: The Exodar is home to all class and profession trainers, with a hot goatgirl named Diya who probably knows as much about Archaeology as I do (That it is the use of telescopes that will guide us to underground artifacts (Wait, what the fuck?)). Single Auction house, Single Flight Master, and the only Alliance City that is Multi-levelled (Though only slightly).
Problems: If Darnassus is out of the way, then The Exodar is from another planet. You need to use its port to reach a port from which you can access another port. It is also horribly confusing in the names of its areas; the Trader's Tier is the only area that correctly implies its contents. "The Vault of Lights" and "The Crystal Hall" imply nothing other than more Lights and more Crystals, even though they feature many of the class trainers. And again, it holds no Points Vendors or Cataclysmic Portals.
Also, like its Blood Elf counterpart, you cannot fly in The Exodar or its surrounding country.
Review: The Exodar needs a lot of work if it were to ever be the mainstay of the Alliance. First, it needs to get back into orbit and re-crashed into a better location. Then, it needs to get all the amenities that Stormwind hogs. And lastly, it needs to learn to name its Districts something other than vague generalities. Oh, and being able to fly in the only Multi-levelled city might be a great help too.
Shattrath
Overview: Shattrath was the Capital City of both factions during the Burning Crusade. It is also the first "Sanctuary" location in World of Warcraft, a place where both factions could exist without forcing combat. Shattrath is built out of stone that is enormous and detailed, and is home to the Naaru.
Features: Shattrath was also the first city to feature portals to all other major cities, but those have since been removed (To put more focus on Stormwind and Orgrimmar). It now features Auction houses and class trainers. It also has a very easy-to-use portal to the Isle of Quel'Danas for those who wish to do Magister's Terrace or the Sunwell Plateau. It might even feature a portal to The Caverns of Time for those who are Revered or Exalted with The Keepers of Time. It also is the only place to purchase level 70 points rewards or turn in level 70 raid tier items. Oh, and I forgot to mention Boduro the Seeker; he will train you in your Archaeological Exploits (By the way, have I mentioned that Archaeology will cause you to get cancer AND guarantee death? That means that Boduro the Seeker wants you to die from cancer.)
It is also, probably, the coolest city in game.
Problem: The Burning Crusade is a dead expansion and therefore Shattrath is a dead city. There is very little reason to exist in Outlands other than levelling a character or profession, and there is no reason to set your hearth to Shattrath now that you can easily access the Outlands from any major city in Azeroth via the portals to the Blasted Lands.
Review: Shattrath was the place to be in its time and it might be time for me to let go of it. It's useful to note that while I was writing this bit about Shattrath, I received a whisper asking for a portal to Stormwind. Go figure.
Dalaran
Overview: Dalaran was uprooted by some pesky mages from its original home in Hillsbrad Foothills and floated over Northrend. It was the main hub of the Wrath of the Lich King expansion for both factions. Features cobblestone pathways between stone buildings, it can be described as the Purple City for its abundance of Purple colouring.
Features: Like its counterpart Shattrath, it held portals to all the major cities that have since been removed. It now features Auction houses, class trainers, and profession trainers. The Archaeology trainer is Dariness the Learned located in The Legerdemain Lounge. It is there that she explains that Archaeology ruined her marriage and caused her to turn to Alcoholism. It does have a couple of vendors that Stormwind has not yet managed to steal: the Frozen Orb Vendor, the Ink Trader, the Heirloom vendors, and Points Vendors for WotLK rewards It is also the only floating city.
Problems: Just like Shattrath, it lives in a world of dead content. There is little reason to exist in Northrend other than when levelling a new character or profession. However, as there is no easy way to access Northrend (Other than by boat or stealing aboard a Zeppelin), it does suit to hearth to Dalaran while levelling a character.
Review: Dalaran is a place people are forced to go if they specialize in Inscription or wish to purchase heirlooms. Perhaps the mages of Kirin Tor, now no longer having to deal with the Lich King, could float their city back to Hillsbrad?
And with the end of this post, the TL;DR:
In World of Warcraft, people generally focus on the visuals. We have a monstrous landscape that is very interesting to look at. We are going to ignore a number of facts, such as the jungles of Sholazar Basin as far North as Northrend or the disparities between Hyjal and Winterspring. However, I am going to ignore the visuals; my computer is not up to scruff (As seen by my many screenshots) from a hardware perspective.
Instead, I'm going to look at City Design. Particularly Alliance, as that is my more thorough area of expertise, but I will talk about Shattrath and Dalaran.
So, first things first: Stormwind needs to be nerfed.
Overview: Stormwind is the last stronghold of the human race and the capital city of the Alliance. Situated in the Elwynn Forest, it features stonework architecture with wooden rooftops (Of different colored varieties, seemingly representative of the different districts).
Features: Stormwind is home to all class and profession trainers, even including the infamous Harrison Jones as the local Archaeology trainer (Archaeology is still bullshit). It has two auction houses that are located in the Trade District and Dwarven District. It's also the only city to have portals to the Cataclysm areas, located in the Northeastern portion of the city named "The Eastern Earthshrine." It's also the only city where you can access Justice, Valor, Honor, and Conquest point Vendors, all located in the Old Town portion of the city. For travel, there is a harbor that leads to Darnassus and Northrend (Borean Tundra), the Deeprun Tram to Ironforge, and a Flightmaster.
Problems: Stormwind is incredibly spread out. A character in their low levels (Prior to mounts, of ground or flying variety) has a lot of distance to travel around the city. To visit King Varian in Stormwind Keep, see a warlock Trainer below The Slaughtered Lamb, and then head to the Flighmaster to go questing is quite a distance.
This problem is doubled if you aren't sure where you are going and tripled if you fall into one of Stormwind's many Canals. Canals, while aesthetically appealing and vital for a Daily Fishing economy, are ultimately a nuisance; they provide cover for water-friendly enemies (Pesky druids and warlocks) and pose a drowning-risk to children.
It is also a travesty that the Deeprun Tram is not noted in the map of Stormwind. By failing to mention it, there is a discouragement from traveling to the Dwarven Ironforge.
Review: This city is quickly deteriorating from lag. It is home to too much that is vital for a level 85. Cataclysm portals should be available in all cities, along with the different Points Vendors, so that people can choose a city based on their preferences rather than be pigeonholed into a single place. Also, the canals need to be removed as they hamper travel. That, or boats that travel magically should be implemented as another method of travel around the city.
Ironforge
Overview: Ironforge is the last of the Dwarven Kingdoms and the former (Unofficial) capital of the Alliance. Situated inside a mountain in Dun Morogh, it is composed of rock and metalwork. It's also a circle.
Features: Ironforge is home to all class and profession trainers, but prefers a certain Doktor Professor Ironpants over Harrison Jones for the instruction in Archaeology (Worst profession ever conceived by human kind). It has a single Auction House located in The Commons. It only features a single portal to the Blasted Lands, such as every major city. It has a centrally located Flightpath and the Deeprun Tram to Stormwind.
Problems: Ironforge does not feature many of the necessities required to be a capital city. It suffers a lack of Points Vendors, Cataclysmic portals, or an easy-to-access harbor to other areas (Having to travel to Menethil Harbor to access Theramore or Northrend). There is also a canal-styled problem along the outermost circle of the city, where players can fall and have to travel out of their way to return back to the upper levels of the city.
There is also the issue where a player who wants to fly out the top-exit at the Gate of Ironforge is dismounted.
Review: This city is dead as the player base is forced to live in Stormwind, even though Ironforge is the superior designed city. The circle makes it easy to travel from one place to another, either by following the circle or cutting straight across it. It also features no water, which generally slows a player down to a crawl if they fall into it. By adding portals to Cataclysm areas or Points Vendors, Ironforge would quickly recapture its title as Unofficial Capital of the Alliance.
Overview: Darnassus is home of the Night Elves. It is situated on the island of Teldrassil north of the continent of Kalimdor. Much of the architecture is marble or magically influenced trees, with much of the city covered in vegetation.
Features: Darnassus is home to all class trainers and profession trainers, and employs a no-name of Hammon the Jaded to teach Archaeology (Archaeology and "Assisted-Suicide" both start with A!). Like Ironforge, it features a single Auction house located in the Tradesmen's Terrace. It also has a port to a port, from which you can travel to Stormwind or Azuremyst Isle. And unlike its sister cities, it has two flightmasters.
Problems: Also like its sister cities, Darnassus features no Points Vendors or Portals to Cataclysm zones. It suffers Stormwind's "Let's Put Water Everywhere to Slow People Down" problem. It's also dangerously out-of-the-way of everything, with long flightpaths to everywhere but Mount Hyjal.
Review: Darnassus shares similar, if not worse, problems as Ironforge. However, even with an addition of Cataclysm Portals and Points Vendors, I doubt that it would become a highly populated city due to its large amounts of water and its distinct distance from important-areas.
The Exodar
Overview: The Exodar is the spaceship that the Draenei aptly piloted into the landmass that is Azuremyst Isle. It's architecture features sophisticated engineering and metalwork with influences of magic in the forms of crystalline structures. There is also a focus attributed to that of the Light.
Features: The Exodar is home to all class and profession trainers, with a hot goatgirl named Diya who probably knows as much about Archaeology as I do (That it is the use of telescopes that will guide us to underground artifacts (Wait, what the fuck?)). Single Auction house, Single Flight Master, and the only Alliance City that is Multi-levelled (Though only slightly).
Problems: If Darnassus is out of the way, then The Exodar is from another planet. You need to use its port to reach a port from which you can access another port. It is also horribly confusing in the names of its areas; the Trader's Tier is the only area that correctly implies its contents. "The Vault of Lights" and "The Crystal Hall" imply nothing other than more Lights and more Crystals, even though they feature many of the class trainers. And again, it holds no Points Vendors or Cataclysmic Portals.
Also, like its Blood Elf counterpart, you cannot fly in The Exodar or its surrounding country.
Review: The Exodar needs a lot of work if it were to ever be the mainstay of the Alliance. First, it needs to get back into orbit and re-crashed into a better location. Then, it needs to get all the amenities that Stormwind hogs. And lastly, it needs to learn to name its Districts something other than vague generalities. Oh, and being able to fly in the only Multi-levelled city might be a great help too.
Shattrath
Overview: Shattrath was the Capital City of both factions during the Burning Crusade. It is also the first "Sanctuary" location in World of Warcraft, a place where both factions could exist without forcing combat. Shattrath is built out of stone that is enormous and detailed, and is home to the Naaru.
Features: Shattrath was also the first city to feature portals to all other major cities, but those have since been removed (To put more focus on Stormwind and Orgrimmar). It now features Auction houses and class trainers. It also has a very easy-to-use portal to the Isle of Quel'Danas for those who wish to do Magister's Terrace or the Sunwell Plateau. It might even feature a portal to The Caverns of Time for those who are Revered or Exalted with The Keepers of Time. It also is the only place to purchase level 70 points rewards or turn in level 70 raid tier items. Oh, and I forgot to mention Boduro the Seeker; he will train you in your Archaeological Exploits (By the way, have I mentioned that Archaeology will cause you to get cancer AND guarantee death? That means that Boduro the Seeker wants you to die from cancer.)
It is also, probably, the coolest city in game.
Problem: The Burning Crusade is a dead expansion and therefore Shattrath is a dead city. There is very little reason to exist in Outlands other than levelling a character or profession, and there is no reason to set your hearth to Shattrath now that you can easily access the Outlands from any major city in Azeroth via the portals to the Blasted Lands.
Review: Shattrath was the place to be in its time and it might be time for me to let go of it. It's useful to note that while I was writing this bit about Shattrath, I received a whisper asking for a portal to Stormwind. Go figure.
Dalaran
Overview: Dalaran was uprooted by some pesky mages from its original home in Hillsbrad Foothills and floated over Northrend. It was the main hub of the Wrath of the Lich King expansion for both factions. Features cobblestone pathways between stone buildings, it can be described as the Purple City for its abundance of Purple colouring.
Features: Like its counterpart Shattrath, it held portals to all the major cities that have since been removed. It now features Auction houses, class trainers, and profession trainers. The Archaeology trainer is Dariness the Learned located in The Legerdemain Lounge. It is there that she explains that Archaeology ruined her marriage and caused her to turn to Alcoholism. It does have a couple of vendors that Stormwind has not yet managed to steal: the Frozen Orb Vendor, the Ink Trader, the Heirloom vendors, and Points Vendors for WotLK rewards It is also the only floating city.
Problems: Just like Shattrath, it lives in a world of dead content. There is little reason to exist in Northrend other than when levelling a new character or profession. However, as there is no easy way to access Northrend (Other than by boat or stealing aboard a Zeppelin), it does suit to hearth to Dalaran while levelling a character.
Review: Dalaran is a place people are forced to go if they specialize in Inscription or wish to purchase heirlooms. Perhaps the mages of Kirin Tor, now no longer having to deal with the Lich King, could float their city back to Hillsbrad?
And with the end of this post, the TL;DR:
- Give portals and points vendors to the other cities. This will reduce the reliance on Stormwind as a Capital City.
- Acknowledge that there is a Deeprun Tram to Ironforge from Stormwind.
- Fly Exodar to somewhere better.
- Grow Darnassus to somewhere better while you're at it.
- Float Dalaran back to Hillsbrad, too.
- Get rid of water in cities; Irritation is not a flavor.
- Put a raid in Oshu'gun so that Shattrath has a reason to exist again.
Conquest Point Cap Confirmed
Your Conquest Point Cap will increase by 3 for every 1 rating you are above 1500. So, at 1501 rating, your Conquest Point Cap will move from 1343 to 1346.
Monday, January 17, 2011
World of Archaeologycraft
I need to direct everyone's attention to a major discovery!
Whilst I was travelling in the deep jungles of Stranglethorn Vale, nearby the Gurubashi Arena...
I swore I had a feeling I could only describe as "Spontaneous Exploration". I felt the need to spike the ground and bust out my telescope! For truly, there must be something around this ancient Arena of note...
And, lo! Behold! An artifact!
It is obvious that this Gurubashi Arena is not aptly named! For the Bloodscalp Trolls, in fact, dined in this area! With cutlery no less! Obviously the race is not as barbaric as we once believed. The arena must have been dedicated to something more delicious, "Trollian Chef" or the like.
Also, this just in. Archaeology blows.
Whilst I was travelling in the deep jungles of Stranglethorn Vale, nearby the Gurubashi Arena...
I swore I had a feeling I could only describe as "Spontaneous Exploration". I felt the need to spike the ground and bust out my telescope! For truly, there must be something around this ancient Arena of note...
And, lo! Behold! An artifact!
It is obvious that this Gurubashi Arena is not aptly named! For the Bloodscalp Trolls, in fact, dined in this area! With cutlery no less! Obviously the race is not as barbaric as we once believed. The arena must have been dedicated to something more delicious, "Trollian Chef" or the like.
Also, this just in. Archaeology blows.
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