Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Know Your Lore

Original Link: http://wow.joystiq.com/lore/

Know Your Lore

While it's definitely not necessary to have played the previous Warcraft games to enjoy World of Warcraft, having a little history to go along with the game you play can make WoW a lot more fun. Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney present Know Your Lore, a glimpse into the lore and history behind the game of World of Warcraft. Use the handy menu below to check out the various articles that have already been written, and be sure to check back on WoW Insider on Wednesdays and Sundays for the latest in Warcraft lore.

Mists of Pandaria characters and lore
Heroes of Warcraft
Villains of Warcraft
Races and organizations
Dragons and dragonflights
Geography and history
Understanding Lore: Speculation, analysis and theory 

 

Mists of Pandaria characters and lore

The Alliance
 The Horde
History, villains and other featured characters
Pandaria and the pandaren

Heroes of Warcraft

Alliance
Horde
Other

Villains of Warcraft

Alliance
Horde
Other


Races and organizations


 

Dragons and the dragonflights


Geography and history


 

Understanding Lore: Speculation, analysis and theory

While you don't need to have played the previous Warcraft games to enjoy World of Warcraft, a little history goes a long way toward making the game a lot more fun. Each week, Know Your Lore offers a glimpse into the lore and history behind the game of World of Warcraft.
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World of Warcraft patch 5.0.4 Features

Posted by at 8:48 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Mists of Pandaria – Raid Preview

http://www.icy-veins.com/forums/topic/463-mists-of-pandaria-raid-preview-by-blizzard/

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/6813350


Blizzard Insider #45 – Mists of Pandaria – Raid Preview

by Blizzard Entertainment Jul 30, 2012 9:00 AM PDT
1233
Blizzard Insider #45 – Mists of Pandaria – Raid Preview
With the launch fast approaching, Blizzard Insider sat down with Lead Encounter Designers Scott Mercer and Ion Hazzikostas to get an inside look at the expansion’s newest raid instance -- Mogu’shan Vaults -- and the ancient secrets and epic encounters that await players inside.
Before we dive into the details, can you give us a quick overview of the lore behind the Mogu’shan Vaults? How does the raid fit into larger story of Mists of Pandaria?
Scott Mercer: 
The mogu are an ancient race of evil, ogre-like sorcerers who once dominated Pandaria.  At some point in the distant past, all of the warring mogu factions were united by a single tyrannical warlord known as the Thunder King. The Thunder King rose to power the “the mogu way,” namely by eliminating his rivals one by one. According to legend he was able to accomplish this with the help of a mysterious artifact that he found in the depths of a mountain. After his rise to power, he built the Mogu’shan Vaults to contain and protect this secret, and converted the surrounding structure into a sort of shrine dedicated to the mogu empire. The complex houses many of the empire’s lost artifacts and is the resting place of the spirits of old mogu kings. 
Ion Hazzikostas:
At the time Mists of Pandaria begins, the Thunder King is long gone and the mogu empire has crumbled into isolated factions. As great and powerful secrets are wont to do, the Vaults have attracted a number of interested parties, including Zandalari trolls who are trying to enter the Vaults to get at the ancient source of mogu power, which is the key to their tribe’s survival. When the players arrive, they join forces with a pandaren Loremaster who knows of a way into the Vaults. The Loremasters are a new faction dedicated to learning and retelling the oral history of Pandaria, so the Vaults are naturally a place of tremendous interest to them.
What’s in store inside the Vaults from the gameplay side? 
Scott Mercer:
We’re building an epic new raid that includes 10- and 25-player versions with both normal and Heroic modes, as well as another 25-player version available exclusively via the Raid Finder. The Vaults contain six encounters with a wide variety of mechanics.
What kinds of encounters are planned for the Mogu’shan Vaults?
Ion Hazzikostas:
The players’ characters are the first living beings to set foot inside the Mogu’shan Vaults in a few millennia,and the experience plays out as a classic “tomb raid” adventure, with mystical defenders and guardians emerging to protect the place’s secrets. In fact, the first boss encounter involves a pack of giant quilin -- magical, lion-like stone constructs -- that have stood motionless since the Vaults were sealed but awaken as fierce defenders once the players intrude upon their lair. The four quilin statues have different abilities based on the type of stone from which they were carved, and players will have to experiment to uncover their weaknesses. As players venture deeper into the Vaults, they’ll encounter other protectors, including a celestial dragon and the spirits of the mogu kings from ages past.
Scott Mercer:
It’s important to note, too, that the Thunder King doesn’t make a direct appearance in the Vaults, though his presence is certainly felt. His original source of power lies hidden deep within the Vaults, and the mogu have learned to use that power to create most of the guardians that the players fight in the Vaults. Observant players may even notice a certain “titanic” influence in lair’s defenses. 
What details can you share about the final boss encounter?
Ion Hazzikostas:
The core chamber of the Vaults contains an army of terracotta warriors that are built into recesses within the walls. If players look up, they’ll see these statue-filled niches stretching above them into the distance. When the players enter, the statues begin animating and attacking in huge waves, and the fight quickly turns into a free-for-all. There will be certain heavy-hitting statues that require tanking, and many of the other statues have special abilities to keep the non-tanks busy. It’s going to be a crazy fight that requires lots of crowd control. 
Scott Mercer: 
The encounter as a whole is known as the “Will of the Emperor,” and it represents the Vault’s last line of defense between the players and whatever mysterious power source originally allowed the Thunder King to rise to power. By the time players complete the raid, they should have a clear understanding of how the mogu were able to dominate Pandaria for so long. 
What design challenges have you encountered during the development of the raid so far? 
Ion Hazzikostas:
In past raids, we’ve worked with a lot of the established races from Warcraft lore. For example, when we sit down to design a troll dungeon, we have a pretty clear idea of what that’s going to look like and what kinds of creatures the players are going to find there -- you know, besides just trolls. Pandaria offered us a blank slate of sorts, as the continent has been alluded to in Warcraft lore, but we’ve never really fleshed out the details until now. 
Scott Mercer:
This meant we’ve spent a lot of time and energy on building out what we call the “kit” for each of the expansion’s new races. A kit includes all kinds of things, from the armor and weapons used by the race to the architecture and environmental themes that go with the race. Part of the “kit” includes what kinds of monsters are found together; for example, the mogu are fond of using quilin statues as guardians, so those two monster types are often seen together. Our primary goal was to make sure the mogu felt visually and thematically distinct from the other Warcraft races, while still making sure they fit into the larger world of Azeroth. Establishing the kit for the mogu, and indeed all of Pandaria’s races, has been a fun challenge. 
Let’s talk loot! What rewards await players who are strong enough to take on the raid?
Ion Hazzikostas:
The raid rewards players with powerful epic items, depending on the difficulty setting: item level 476 for Raid Finder, 489 for normal mode, and 502 for Heroic. There’s also a new mount that can be obtained by defeating Elegon, a celestial dragon found deep within the Vaults. The mount looks a bit like the Celestial Steed, but in the form of a serpentine dragon.   
How does Mogu’shan Vaults fit into the larger raiding plan for Mists of Pandaria? 
Scott Mercer:
There will be two outdoor world bosses, along with the Mogu’shan Vaults raid instance, available when Mists of Pandaria first launches. One idea we’re considering is to delay opening Mogu’shan Vaults until a week or so after the expansion’s release, similar to how we’ve always handled the start of the PvP season, just to give players a little time to reach level 90 along with their friends and get acclimated to Pandaria’s new 5-player dungeons, daily quests, and scenarios. In any case, Mogu’shan Vaults is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the raid content we have lined up for Mists.
Ion Hazzikostas:
Mists of Pandaria will also include two other raid zones, which we plan to make available a few weeks after Mogu’shan Vaults: the Heart of the Fear and Terrace of Endless Spring. These two raids feature 10 bosses between the two of them and play out as a two-part story. In the first raid, the Heart of Fear, the players fight the mantid empress who has been possessed by the Sha of Fear. Sha, for those who don’t know, plague Pandaria as physical manifestations of negative emotions, like fear, doubt, and anger, and they tend to have a corrupting influence wherever they take root. When the players defeat the possessed empress, the Sha flees her body and hides elsewhere. In the Terrace of Endless Spring, the next raid instance, the players track down the fleeing Sha and finish it off. Both of these instances are a higher tier than the Mogu’shan Vaults and are designed to be tackled using gear obtained in the Vaults, which is why we plan to make them accessible a few weeks after the Vaults unlock.
Scott Mercer:
Yup, and all of this is just the raid content coming before our first major content update. We’ll be announcing even more raiding details in future when we start discussing patch 5.1.
Thanks for your time.Is there anything else you’d like to share before you go?
Ion Hazzikostas:
I just wanted to say thanks to all of our beta testers. We’re very proud of our dungeon and raid content so far, and we’re looking forward to getting it all out there when Mists of Pandaria launches.
Scott Mercer:
Yeah, we have big plans for Pandaria’s encounters, and it’s great to see it all starting to come together. Keep the feedback coming!
Posted by at 1:54 PM 0 comments

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Obsidian Nightwing is the new RAF mount

Original Link: http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/07/12/obsidian-nightwing-is-the-new-raf-mount

Is the Obsidian Nightwing the new RAF mount
I don't have a current RAF mount waiting to be claimed, so I wouldn't have gotten an email about it, but several players are reporting that they have. And apparently, this is the new mount for Refer-A-Friend, the Heart of the Nightwing. Similar to the Vial of the Sands, it apparently teaches you to transform into a winged panther mount (not dissimilar to theWinged Guardian) that another player can ride. I have to admit, with the cost of a complete account now at $30, I'm pretty tempted to buy another and get myself a new mount.

How about you? Tempted? Or do you prefer the X-53 Touring Rocket? Personally, I really like the cat.

Blizzard also sent out an email last night reminding players that they need to claim their X-53 Rocket now, or they'll lose the chance at getting the (soon to be) old RAF mount. Players have to claim the mount before July 17. Theoretically, if you don't claim the X-53 before then, you'll be able to get the new Obsidian Nightwing instead.
Posted by at 1:34 AM 0 comments

Saturday, June 16, 2012

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!


Avengers Assemble! Transmogrify your own superhero team

by Anne Stickney  May 10th 2012 at 5:30PM
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Transmogrification isn't just for making your character pretty or wearing old sets. Where's the fun in that? There are thousands of pieces to choose from for your look, and there's no reason you can't make it a distinctive one -- paying homage to video games or popular comics is just as much fun as being pretty.

Today, we've got an iconic foursome of characters who have been staples in Marvel comics for decades and recently made a smashing success with the film The Avengers. ThoughWarcraft's armor doesn't contain exact replica's of Ironman's iconic armor or Captain America's easily recognizable shield, you can still use transmogrification to compile a look that screams Marvel Comics. Just because the Hulk doesn't wear anything more than a pair of pants in the comics doesn't mean we can't capture his look through some well-placed camouflage. And even though we can't get our hands on Mjolnir, there are more than enough warhammers lying around to find a good replica.


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Iron Man

Iron Man is all about the metal look and is therefore a plate set. Though there are a few green random drop items, the majority of this look can be crafted, making it pretty easy to put together.
  • Head For the helm, look for the Bloodforged Helmet.
  • Shoulders Ask your local blacksmith to whip you up a set of Runic Plate Shoulders.
  • Back Iron Man doesn't wear a cape, so you can turn that cloak graphic off for this look.
  • Chest Have your local blacksmith craft a Ragesteel Breastplate for you.
  • Shirt For the shirt, you'll want to locate a tailor who can make you a Bright Yellow Shirt.
  • Wrists Bracers will be covered by your gloves, so you don't need to worry about swapping their look.
  • Hands The Ragesteel Gloves can also be crafted by your local blacksmith.
  • Waist For the belt, keep an eye out for the Commander's Girdle.
  • Legs Keep your eyes peeled for the Hyperion Legplates, which complement this look perfectly.
  • Feet The boots shown here are the Lavawalker Greaves, which can be found on Maleki the Pallid in Stratholme.
  • Weapon Iron Man doesn't really use a traditional weapon, so we have to improvise with his look. Generally speaking, you'll want to find something with either a red or yellow glow -- the brighter, the better. Shown here is the Swiftsteel Bludgeon, a one-handed mace that can be picked up from trash mobs in Black Temple.
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The Hulk

So how do you take an iconic character like the Hulk, who is known for stomping around in nothing but a pair of pants, and create something that looks like him, yet includes all armor that must be displayed on a Warcraft character? Answer: Creative layering and starting out as an orc. While other races can certainly put this cloth set together, it really isn't going to look like the Hulk unless you've got the green skin to go with it! Goblins can also pull off this layered look, although the end results are more likely to be comical than superheroic.
  • Head Turn off your helm graphic for this look -- and if your character doesn't have black hair, head to the local barbershop and get a dye job.
  • Shoulders We're looking to layer green on green here, so keep your eyes peeled for thePads of the Venom Spider. Alternatively, Mistyreed Shoulderpads will do in a pinch, but we're really going for a smooth sillhouette here.
  • Back The Hulk doesn't wear a cape, so you can turn off the graphic for this look.
  • Chest For green on green, you'll want to find a Willow Vest.
  • Wrists The Hulk's iconic colors are green and purple, so we're going to use a few pieces from a green and purple set. Look for the Eldr'naan Bracelets.
  • Hands For hands, you'll want to find the Eldr'naan Gloves.
  • Waist For the belt, we're going with the flat purple look of the High Councillor's Sash.
  • Legs The legs are perhaps the trickiest part. You'll want to keep your eyes peeled for a pair of Darkweave Breeches, which are the perfect shade of purple.
  • Feet The Eldr'naan Boots aren't only purple and green, but they've also got an open toe, giving the illusion of not really being footwear at all.
  • Weapon Hulk smash, not carry weapon! But if you're putting this cloth set together, you're likely carting around a staff. The Desecrated Staff looks a bit like a large tree trunk, something the Hulk would pick up and smash other things with.
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Thor

Thor is easily identifiable by two things: his hammer and his winged helm. Luckily, we've got a good plate replica for one of those things and a plethora of stone hammers for the other.
  • Head This winged helm is the Brilliant Titansteel Helm. Check with your local blacksmith to see if he can whip one up for you.
  • Shoulders Thor is also wearing a set of Runic Plate Shoulders, crafted by blacksmiths. The red shoulders mimic the drape of Thor's cape.
  • Back For Thor's blazing red cloak, farm up a Cloak of the Gushing Wound from Erekem in The Violet Hold; you'll need to farm it on heroic mode.
  • Chest Keep your eyes peeled for Revenant Armor.
  • Wrists Bracers will be covered by your gloves, so you don't need to worry about swapping their look.
  • Hands Thor doesn't traditionally wear gloves, but we certainly need them on ourWarcraft characters. Look for the Glorious Gauntlets, which play off of Thor's golden boots.
  • Waist For the belt, keep an eye out for the Glorious Belt.
  • Legs For legplates, we're going to go back to the Revenant set and pick up a pair ofRevenant Legguards.
  • Feet Thor's golden boots are the Glorious Sabatons.
  • Weapon For a good two-handed mace option that mimics Mjolnir, look for the Stone Hammer.
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Captain America

Captain America is easily the hardest character to find a look for, largely because his look is based around three distinct colors and the stars of the American flag. Warcraft gear isn't exactly crawling with star emblems, so instead, we have to make do simply matching up the colors and the sillhouette of the character.
  • Head Captain America's helm is a really smooth sillhouette with a capital A. We can't really nab that in game. However, his helm also has wings, so we're going to go with the Brilliant Titansteel Helm again. Check with your local blacksmith and see if he can whip one up for you. Alternatively, if you'd rather have a smooth helm, look for theJouster's Visor.
  • Shoulders For the shoulders, look for a blacksmith to craft you a set of Imperial Plate Shoulders.
  • Back Captain America doesn't need a cape, so you can turn that graphic off!
  • Chest Keep your eyes peeled for the Jouster's Chestplate.
  • Shirt For the shirt, you'll want to locate a tailor who can make you a White Swashbuckler's Shirt.
  • Wrists Bracers will be covered by your gloves, so you don't need to worry about swapping their look.
  • Hands The red gloves shown here are Ragesteel Gloves, which can also be crafted by your local blacksmith.
  • Waist For the belt, keep an eye out for the Commander's Girdle.
  • Legs For the legs, you'll want a set of Jouster's Legplates.
  • Feet For the boots, head to Ahn'Qiraj and farm up a pair of the Boots of Redeemed Prophecy from the Prophet Skeram.
  • Shield Captain America is known for his shield -- and there's a ton of different shields in Warcraft to choose from. Though some may prefer going with a circular shield, I liked the colors of the Demon Guard pictured above. It features red, white, and just a hint of blue. However, you can certainly hunt down another shield if you like!
  • Weapon Captain America doesn't really have a weapon to speak of. Preferably, you'll want to find a weapon that sheathes on the back so it's relatively hidden unless in use, such as the Ginn-Su Sword or the Heavy Copper Longsword.
These are just four of the many, many superheroes out there in the comics world. There are plenty more to choose from, and we've only just begun! Since all of these sets are male-oriented, next time we'll be looking at the female side of superheroes and bringing some more super fun sets.
Original Link: http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/10/avengers-assemble-transmogrify-your-own-superhero-team/
Posted by at 5:19 PM 0 comments
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