08-05-2006, 06:09 PM
Quote:Based on a Tseric post I expect Tier 3 to be a sidegrade to 70 standard group gear, so it'll probably remain useful right up until you get into BC's end game (especially if group gear is budgeted in less raid-friendly ways). Whether that standard group gear will be blue or purple or hazel and how much of it's power will come from sockets I have no idea. (I'm using the term 'standard group' rather than 'small group' because of the hints at an elder game for small groups.)
Do you think Naxx will still be run post expansion? Seems a terrible waste if not.
I know you weren't asking me, but I'm going to jump in anyway.:)
I think we'll see more gear diversity in the BC endgame than the current endgame. Blizzard has said that part of the jewelcrafting socket design is to keep people from seeing maxing a single stat like +damage as the only way to go. Similarly, the Tier 3 sets have 9 pieces and an 8 piece set bonus to allow more flexibility when choosing your gear. This suggests an overall trend of encouraging greater diversity in gear choices.
In that context, it would make sense that Naxx will still be attractive for some items. For example, Dreadnaught may prove to be the tank set necessary for initial level 70 raids. This rewards tanks who have their T3 the day the expansion comes out because they're ready to go. Meanwhile, raising the level cap effectively nerfs Naxx, lowering the barrier to entry to the BC endgame for people who don't have their T3.