The Funeral of WoW Gold

Blizzard today rolled out the latest update to its hugely popular World of Warcraft multiplayer online game. The update is a “prepatch” for the upcoming “Wrath of the Lich King” expansion pack, which will be available November 14th for $30. The patch doesn’t include all the changes that went live on the “test” realms, but that was intentional, according to a “blue” post on the World of Warcraft ( Buy wow gold ) forums that was written by an official Blizzard staffer. He notes that although the game is somewhat off balance at the moment, it will “start feeling a little more normal again when Lich King ships” and asks users to be “a little patient and understanding” while game designers finish adjusting the game.
The patch, titled “Echoes of Doom”, bumps the software to version
3.0.2, and includes a number of updates that were originally advertised as part of “Wrath”, including new spells and talents for players, a new “profession” and the end of Season 4 of the player-vs-player gladiatorial Arena tournament series. Also included is an “achievements” system for players which provides scores of “goals” for players to meet, similar to Xbox Live’s achievement system.
Users will get minor rewards for earning a certain amounts of gold, exploring the entire “world”, killing a certain number of enemies and many, many others. Nearby players and fellow guild members also get notified of user achievements. The system doesn’t actually help players in battle or give them anything particularly useful — these achievements are primarily for bragging rights. However, many of them are very time intensive, requiring users to spend many hours to accomplish them.
That Blizzard is releasing features that were originally going to cost $30 in Wrath suggests the company is assuming that the vast majority of users will purchase the expansion. The add-ons in this patch are relatively minor enhancements. The major upgrades built into Wrath will allow users to make their characters significantly more powerful, and campaign on a brand new continent with lots of new content. A huge majority of players bought the Burning Crusade expansion last year — so much so that the expansion is a must-buy for users who are paying $15 a month per account anyway.
Expect “Wrath of the Lich King” to be a huge success next month. There may be some user grumbling about forking over more money to support their world of warcraft habits, but this will be drowned out by the loyal cheers of users thrilled over brand-new content. Because for Blizzard’s customers, content is truly king.
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Content provided by Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers (ARA) - You look at your class schedule and see Latin listed for this semester. Oh the drudgery, opening a textbook and memorizing vocabulary words. Why would you want to have any interest in this ancient language through a textbook?Educators are working to change that attitude by incorporating Latin studies into modern technology via iPods, cell phones, online games like World of Warcraft ( Buy wow gold ) and Internet social pages. Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers Inc., a company that specializes in classical literature, has an eLearning mission to utilize all of these media and more to bring this ancient language into the styles of learning that today’s students are demanding.Take World of Warcraft ( Currency wow gold ) for example. ELearning Director Andrew Reinhard has established a Horde guild, Carpe Praedam in the Feathermoon realm. Latin students can join the guild and play the most popular online game, working with other players to perfect their language skills.”We give students access to methods of learning in ways they’re familiar,” Reinhard says about all the eLearning programs, which can be found at www.bolchazy.com. “I think one of the big things is its convenience. Latin anywhere, anytime. You can literally get it out of your pocket. Right at your fingertips.”Latin for the New Millennium is a new product on the site for first- and second-year students in traditional and online classrooms. It is a complete program of study with the first Latin textbook to use the fusion approach to learning an ancient language through a balance of grammar and reading. The exercises are designed for oral learning and involve studies that illuminate Roman life, civilization, history and mythology.Behind the classroom scenes, teachers have access to a secure Teacher’s Lounge Web site which allows them to post projects, lesson plans and share syllabi for other teachers using the series. The 1,000 test questions are popular on the site and available in Quia or downloadable document formats as a convenient help for teachers. Plus, the site allows Bolchazy-Carducci to share information about the series on when other materials are available.Also in the eLearning program is the Artes Latinae Level 2 DVD 2.0 package which allows students of multiple skills, including the elementary level, to learn at their pace on a personal computer. It teaches Latin and at the same time engages students’ minds with aphorisms, proverbs and sentence structure to help them think beyond the vocabulary.”Artes Latinae itself has morphed over the years, starting out as books and tapes, then moving to CDs and now DVD’s,” says Marie Bolchazy, executive vice president of the company.The transition has been valuable, allowing thousands of students to learn Latin through the program and continue being interested in studying the classical language over the years, Bolchazy says.One project in the works through eLearning is an online site which will have more than 6,000 self-correcting grammar drills and exercises for students and teachers at any level of learning who are using any Latin textbook including Latin for the New Millennium. Bolchazy-Carducci eLearning has also created integrated pages and groups on social Web sites like Facebook, and launched the first social network for Latin and Greek teachers at www.eclassics.ning.com, allowing students and teachers to share Latin experiences.
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Q: What are the features of the new expansion?
A: World of Warcraft ( Buy wow gold ): Wrath of the Lich King builds on the rich foundation established in World of Warcraft and its first expansion, The Burning Crusade, by providing a wealth of new content for players to explore in the harsh, forbidding continent of Northrend, home of the Lich King and his undead minions. To contend with the new challenges found there, players will be able to advance to level 80, acquiring potent new abilities and talents along the way.
Wrath of the Lich King will introduce the death knight Hero class to World of Warcraft. Furthermore, player-vs.-player battles will reach a new level of intensity with the addition of siege vehicles and destructible buildings, along with a new Battleground,
Strand of the Ancients.
The expansion will also introduce an abundance of new quests, dungeons, monsters, items, and recipes, as well as a new profession, Inscription. Additional character-customization options will be introduced, such as new hair styles, available in the new barbershops.
In addition, World of Warcraft ( Currency : wow gold ) now has an Achievement system. Achievements are self-contained goals and challenges designed to satisfy goal-oriented players. There are more than 700 individual Achievements covering every aspect of gameplay, including world exploration, PvE, PvP, professions, and character development. Some Achievements come with in-game rewards such as tabards, mounts, vanity pets, and titles, and other players will be able to see your Achievements. All of these rewards are purely cosmetic and just for fun.
Q: Why did you choose a death knight as the game’s first Hero class?
A: One of the things we knew very early on during development of Wrath of the Lich King was that we wanted to add an entirely new class. We actually considered several other class candidates before we decided on the death knight, but we felt that this was the perfect fit for the theme of Wrath of the Lich King. Since the expansion is set in Northrend and focuses on the war against the Lich King, it made sense to add a class directly connected to that conflict.
The death knights that players will be able to play begin allied with the Lich King but later break free from his grasp and join forces with the Horde or the Alliance to fight against Arthas. Players who choose to be a death knight will be engaged in the story of Wrath of the Lich King right from the start.
Q: How do you unlock or create a death knight?
A: Players who have a character of at least level 55 on the world of warcraft realm they play will be able to create a new level-55 death knight of any race. If on a PvP realm, the death knight must be the same faction as existing characters. PvE realms have no race restrictions. Upon entering the world, a neophyte death knight will undertake a series of quests designed to introduce players to the class’s new abilities. Players will be able to create one death knight per realm.
It’s important to keep in mind that even though the death knight is a Hero class, that doesn’t mean it is more powerful than the other classes. It will, however, offer a very different playing experience.
Q: What role will the death knight play in groups and raids? How is the death knight Hero class different from other tanking classes?
A: We’re designing the death knight to be able to fill either a tanking or DPS role in groups. When deciding which type of class we would add to World of Warcraft ( Buy wow gold ), we took a very careful look at the current state of the game. Tanks play a critical role in any group, and adding another class capable of filling that role makes it easier for players to form viable groups for dungeons and raids.
Our goal is to make the death knight a viable, fun tank that coexists with the current tanking classes without replacing them. One interesting difference between the death knight and other tanks is that death knights don’t use shields. We’re aiming to make all tank classes equally good at tanking in general so that players can use whatever tank they wish for dungeon and raid encounters.
Q: Please explain the new raiding and dungeon design philosophy. Are Heroic dungeons returning?
A: One exciting new feature in Wrath of the Lich King is that all raid content will be available in both 10- and 25-person versions with completely independent progressions paths. The look and layout of each version will remain the same, but each will be adjusted, tuned, and balanced for their respective player size.
In addition, Heroic versions of the 5-person dungeons are returning. Heroic dungeons proved to be very popular in The Burning Crusade, and they are a great way to add another level of challenge and reward for experienced players.
Q: What is the story background of the expansion?
A: Players last visited Northrend in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, in which Arthas Menethil fused with the spirit of Ner’zhul to become the Lich King, one of the most powerful entities in the Warcraft universe. He now sits atop the Frozen Throne deep within Icecrown Citadel, clutching the rune blade Frostmourne and marshaling the undead armies of the Scourge.
Players will skirmish with the minions of Arthas from the moment they set foot on the continent of Northrend. Arthas will be a constant presence as players progress through the expansion content, which will culminate in a showdown with the dread Lich King himself.
Q: Are flying mounts allowed in Northrend?
A: Yes, although a character will need to reach level 77 and purchase an ability called “Cold Weather Flying” to be able to use flying mounts in Northrend. Some high-level zones such as Storm Peaks and Icecrown Glacier are designed with flying mounts in mind.
Q: What can you reveal about the new profession, Inscription?
A: The Inscription profession allows players to create glyphs and scrolls for themselves and others. Glyphs permanently enhance a character’s spells and abilities. Scrolls allow you to cast temporary buffs.
Q: What can players expect with regard to player-vs.-player combat in the expansion?
A: Players can battle each other in Wintergrasp, a new outdoor zone completely designed for world PvP. Players will be able to take control of siege vehicles in Wintergrasp and the new Battleground, Strand of the Ancients, and use them to destroy opposing buildings, adding a new layer of complexity to PvP battles. Players will also be able to battle each other in two new Arenas.
Release/Availability
Q: When will the expansion be released? How much will it cost?
A: Wrath of the Lich King will arrive in stores on November 13 in North America, Europe, Latin America, and Russia, and November 14 in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. The expansion will be available November 18 in Korea and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. Details about the release in mainland China will be announced at a later date. Please visit www.worldofwarcraft.com for more information.
Wrath of the Lich King will be available on DVD-ROM for Windows XP/Windows Vista and Macintosh in two packages: a standard edition, which will sell for a suggested retail price of $39.99 USD, and a special Collector’s Edition (in select regions) priced at $69.99 USD.
Q: What are the minimum system requirements?
A: For PC: Windows XP/Windows Vista (with latest Service Packs), Intel Pentium 4 1.3GHz or AMD Athlon XP 1500+ processor, 32MB 3D GPU such as an ATI Radeon 7200 or better, 15GB available hard drive space, 512 MB RAM (1GB for Windows Vista), 4x DVD-ROM drive, broadband Internet connection.
For Mac: Mac OS X 10.4.11 or later, PowerPC G5 1.6GHz or Intel processor, ATI Radeon 9600 or better, 15GB available hard drive space, 512MB RAM, 4x DVD-ROM drive, broadband Internet connection.
For a complete list of supported 3D cards, visit www.worldofwarcraft.com/supportedvideo.
Note that due to the evolving nature of the game, the minimum system requirements for world of warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King may change over time.
Q: What are the recommended system specs?
A: The recommended specifications are the same as the minimum specs, with these exceptions:
For PC: 1GB RAM (2GB recommended for Windows Vista), two-button scroll-wheel mouse, dual-core processor, 128MB VRAM 3D graphics processor such as an ATI Radeon X1600.
For Mac: Intel Processor, 128MB video card such as an ATI Radeon X1600 or better.
Q: What is the ESRB rating for the expansion?
A: The expansion has been rated Teen by the ESRB.
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Following the controversy surrounding “Diablo III”’s Witch Doctor, fans weren’t sure what other classes to expect next.
During BlizzCon this past weekend, the company unveiled the new Wizard class, a magic caster whose powers are based on the forces of the universe and who would replace the Sorcerer/Sorceress from the previous games.
While at the event, I spoke with lead designer Jay Wilson who gave me some details on the new Wizard class, why the team chose to go in that direction, the other names they considered, and whether or not we’ll see the Sorcerer in an expansion.
“We knew that one of the classes needed to be the magical, blast-y type, but we didn’t want to rehash the Sorcerer,”
Wilson told me in a closed-door meeting room at BlizzCon. “It’s the same reason for any class we choose; we really want to be able to improve upon it. And we felt like the elementalist approach has been done so much, we weren’t sure we could add a lot to it.”
The alternative was to do something a little more old school, drawing from pen-and-paper RPGs. “In [pen-and-paper RPGs], you run into magic users that do all kinds of crazy stuff,” he explained. “Like elemental is actually the least of their abilities — acid clouds from their hands, disintegration beams… we were really removed far away from [those kinds of things] so we wanted to explore a character who can do a broader array of stuff. I can’t remember a game that had a disintegrate spell! But we still wanted to have the option to pull into the bag of Sorcerer tricks so we could bring back favorite spells.”
Wilson said he hadn’t yet heard an outcry from players whose favorite class was the Sorcerer or Sorceress, but he also knows that not everyone will be happy. Even those on the “Diablo III” team disagreed on just the name of the class. “Every class we do there’s an internal debate about it,” he admitted. “I don’t think anybody had a problem with the [class' skill set]. But there were a few people who didn’t really like the name.”
I asked if the disdain for the moniker was because it evoked images of a certain set of children’s books and movies that star a wand-toting wizard with a lightning bolt on his forehead. Wilson told me they considered “mage” as well but wanted to avoid the term because they were worried about being compared to “World of Warcraft ( Buy wow gold ),” which has a mage class.
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Among the many accomplishments of World of Warcraft ( Buy wow gold ) , one of the unsung innovations with the greatest impact was the ability for users (fluent in LUA scripting and XML) to customize the game’s interface. The user community embraced this idea, creating thousands of interface mods for every use. Crafting? Gathering? Raiding? Healing? Maps? Whatever your play style, someone’s figured out a better interface display to help. Many of these ideas eventually worked their way into the main game interface. Needless to say, Blizzard adamantly supports the online community, in part with an annual BlizzCon panel detailing the process of user interface design.Last year the topic was programming. But for this year’s panel, entitled “The Ancient Secrets of world of warcraft UI Design 2: Electric Boogaloo,” the focus was on the art and design. A question and answer period followed the panel, allowing players and mod makers to pick designers’ brains on what’s in the works.New UI for Wrath of the Lich KingOverall, Blizzard’s design philosophy is based on three big ideas: one, gameplay first; two, games should take a minute to learn but a lifetime to master; and three, polish, polish, polish. That’s true of the interfaces as well. UI team lead Tom Thompson outlined his team’s goal: “Easy enough for your grandmother to use.”
With Thompson’s help, senior interface designer Derek Sakamoto looked at a couple of case studies with the upcoming world of warcraft ( Buy wow gold ) expansion. First up? The achievement system.Sakamoto learned about the achievement system a year before the game was meant to ship, which means he had to figure out what the designers wanted and how to implement the new interface panel in an attractive way. The process starts with a simple black-and-white wireframe provided by the design team. From there, Sakamoto whipped up some mockups in Photoshop of what the final version might look like. Repeated iterations in Photoshop help the team to pin down exactly what they need before any code is written. The last step is to take the final art and build a finished version. Thompson defined the three steps as “design it, artify it, and program it.”While the wireframe for the achievements panel was straightforward, it went through dozens of revisions during the art phase, and Sakamoto showed many of them to the audience. One version had too much information and looked like a mess. In response to comments that the display looked too dark, Sakamoto created a bright red fiery design that everyone thought was too much. He also experimented with creating prominent faction emblems at the top of the interface, prompting people to comment “it looks too Disney,” or “it’s too ugly, like your face.”Apparently you need a thick skin to work on interface design.Ultimately, the UI and design team agreed on a warm interface design that called to mind an old library, with parchment paper and rich wood grains. This iterative process is the ideal of how interface design would work, although that’s not always how it happens.
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