Patch 1.7 Test Realms Are Up!

[Mirajj]

When one of our hunters in guild chat was bragging about getting a 3k crit aimed shot on a priest in Alterac Valley, we're getting to the point where people are getting one-shotted or two-shotted.  That does not make for a fun PvP system. 
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This is the main problem, isn't it? Blizzard thinks so highly of their PvP system, and want people to do it that they nerf/buff things based (it seems) almost solely on PvP, and seem to forget that a large percentage of their players don't touch the stuff.

I commented on TS last night as some folk were reading the changes over the system that "I'm getting sick of PvE getting the stick because of PvP." I mean...using your example, a 3K crit in PvE isn't much. It's nice, but it's not a one or two hit kill on most anything worth fighting. But a 3k crit on a player is a problem.

So since Blizz seems to think of the PvP crowd first, and nerf away to make them happy, maybe it'd be nice if Blizz took a nerf stick to the our PvE opponents, so that us folk who beat on them can actually do so. Hell, I wouldn't mind two shotting Gehennas or Ragnaros.

I'm seriously starting to wonder if PvE and PvP servers shouldn't simply have different patches. Becuase I am getting tired of having the nerf "bat" taken to primarily PvE players, because PvP players are crying about something.

[Pesmerga]

nerf stick
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First of all, its a bat. Nerf Bat. Secondly... ::beats Mirajj with said bat, runs off::

On that note, I think it is kind of shady that a lot of these changes seem to be because of the PvP system. However, I don't think it's game breaking... yet. Just annoying.

[Kevin]

This is the main problem, isn't it? Blizzard thinks so highly of their PvP system, and want people to do it that they nerf/buff things based (it seems) almost solely on PvP, and seem to forget that a large percentage of their players don't touch the stuff.

I commented on TS last night as some folk were reading the changes over the system that "I'm getting sick of PvE getting the stick because of PvP." I mean...using your example, a 3K crit in PvE isn't much. It's nice, but it's not a one or two hit kill on most anything worth fighting. But a 3k crit on a player is a problem.

So since Blizz seems to think of the PvP crowd first, and nerf away to make them happy, maybe it'd be nice if Blizz took a nerf stick to the our PvE opponents, so that us folk who beat on them can actually do so. Hell, I wouldn't mind two shotting Gehennas or Ragnaros.

I'm seriously starting to wonder if PvE and PvP servers shouldn't simply have different patches. Becuase I am getting tired of having the nerf "bat" taken to primarily PvE players, because PvP players are crying about something.
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I agree but I also see why they go that way. PvE isn't that hard. And while census sites aren't perfect they aren't that far off either. PvP servers have more people than PvE and RP combined. And you have people that PvP a lot on PvE servers.

But yes it seems like with most MMO's that the PvE game gets sacrificed for PvP. So the business of the game makes sense to go that route.

Ah well. I'll gripe about it but I'll get over it as well.

[Darian]

One of the neatest patch notes I saw was the Need before Greed one.
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Of course, that'll get removed in the next patch after half the player base starts whining about people clicking "need" when they're really just rolling for "greed."

[Olon97]

Personally I think +hit on the whole set is a bad idea, as someone posted on the test forums, it looks like someone vomited +hit on all those sets.

The most important counterargument to new +hit gear is simple - there is a soft cap at +5% hit. A lot of items already give +hit, so making a set which together gives +4% hit will quickly push you over the cap. Consider also the fact that some classes have +hit talents, and so for them any +hit is fairly worthless.

My conspiracy theory on +hit gear is it is their way of scaling up later encounters (higher mob levels) without raising the player level cap (no overpowered 31/21 talent combinations). 5% is the soft cap versus same level opponents, but versus a level 63 elite you will notice continued returns for several more % points (not sure exactly how much, hard to arrange detailed testing sessions with 63 elites).

Blizzard will stick in level 64 and level 65 elites in new dungeons, and people will say "what the.... I can't hit this thing!", and then the people with +15% hit will say "I can hit it fine, I don't know what you're talking about!" :P

I hope I'm wrong, but that really looks like the direction they're taking. Take the +2% hit ring that Ragnaros drops as strong indicator of that intent.

[Quark]

I think Blizzard's on the right track with this, but it depends on how it's implemented.  Assuming it's reasonably and usefully implemented, I think this is a good idea for two reasons:

1. The alternative to adding +hit% would be to add more damage or crit%.  The trouble is that the game is already getting to the point where offense is overbalanced over defence.  When one of our hunters in guild chat was bragging about getting a 3k crit aimed shot on a priest in Alterac Valley, we're getting to the point where people are getting one-shotted or two-shotted.  That does not make for a fun PvP system.  By adding +hit%, you make an item offensively useful, but you don't make the damage dealt on any particular shot higher, so it avoids the one or two-shot dilemma.

Counterpoint - Anymore +hit% is useless to me against non-warriors PvP. So you go from overpowered to useless?

2.  At the same time, defense is slowly getting better with people getting +dodge%, +parry%, and +defence (yes, I know it's being nerfed) and better resistances to spells.  It's good to have a way to counter that.

Except for 62/63s and the above-mentioned Warriors I don't see me getting anymore +hit% as helping at all. I'm gathering +hit% gear right now, not so that I have more +hit%, but so I have more options as to what other stats I lose to get that hit chance up. Did you know my Sap hasn't missed in 3 months? That's gotta tell you something.

[kandrathe]

And the Dragonscale Leatherworkers wept. Of the 4 useful DS LW high end crafts, 3 are now replaced by ANY lvl 300 blacksmith, and the Bloodsoul mail items do not require smithing to wear. Good for my Hunter, but really crappy for my DS LW.

[Rinnhart]

And the Dragonscale Leatherworkers wept.  Of the 4 useful DS LW high end crafts, 3 are now replaced by ANY lvl 300 blacksmith, and the Bloodsoul mail items do not require smithing to wear.  Good for my Hunter, but really crappy for my DS LW.
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Crappy for smiths, too. More garbage I can learn to make and never actually make.

[Ruvanal]

I finally managed to get Taunshu and Littledude transfered over to the test realm last night before the transfers were closed again. Did a little bit of checking around on some things of interest to me.

Two new quests have been added to Thorium Point in the Searing Gorge for Thorium Brotherhood reputation turnin for players with neutral faction. You will now be able to turn in Iron and Heavy Leather to increase your reputation with the Brotherhood.

For those looking to get that initial push up in this faction is should be a bit easier now. This is now three different turn in quests. All three still require 1 Coal and 2 Incendosaur Scale. The difference in them is now the third item needed:
4 Kingsblood ~ 10 Heavy Leather ~ 4 Iron Bars

This should in the long run make it easier to build faction in spite of the farming that will go after these items.

On other points, looking over the area where the quest are given out for the Zul'Gurub, I see a couple of NPC's that look like they would be quest givers but have no interactions to start with. Most likely they will either have more interaction when faction is finally built up or will tie into quests that orginate within the instance itself when players can finally start getting in to see what it is like.

[Zippyy]

Apparently some of the new sets (crafted sets from patterns bought from Zul'Gurub vendor) require a profession to activate the set bonuses. That's what the "profession bonuses" is all about.

Refer to picture:

http://www3.telus.net/public/mehwulfe/kyan...lar_Recipes.jpg

For example, you can see on the plate Darksoul set, the set bonus part has Requires Blacksmithing (300) in red.
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Bloodvine Vest:

Improves your chance to hit with spells by 2%.


What does that mean? I have never missed with a spell. If it means reduces chance to resist by 2%, that's what it should say.

[Skandranon]

What does that mean?  I have never missed with a spell.  If it means reduces chance to resist by 2%, that's what it should say.
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Yes, actually you have.

Whenever the word "resist" appears in white lettering, your spell just missed. It's different from the chance to resist because spells (that aren't frostbolt and cone of cold) have a chance to be partially resisted, to lose part of their damage, and that doesn't seem to be dependent on the to-hit check the way total resists are.

They hid it in one of the early patches, but your spells have a "weapon skill" (your level*5) which is checked against a mob's level, just like any weapon. It doesn't seem to be particularly related to the chance to resist based on a mob's resistances. Chance to hit with spells affects one but not the other.

[Ruvanal]

Bloodvine Vest:

Improves your chance to hit with spells by 2%.
What does that mean?  I have never missed with a spell.  If it means reduces chance to resist by 2%, that's what it should say.
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Do you remember discussions on what was happening internally with game for awhile concerning block/dodge/parry all being labeled as 'miss'; in particular for the warriors gaining rage. http://www.lurkerlounge.com/forums/index.p...indpost&p=66935
I had mentioned in an even early thread about wand usage that the same sort of thing was going on with casting spells and wand usage; the various non-hit results like miss/dadge/parry/block that had been getting displayed at the start of closed beta had at one point been changed to all display as 'Resist'. To me it looks like in trying to hide what they felt were not the most approrpriate messages to show the players, that they change how some were displayed to the player instead by causing them to be 'mislabled' as were with a more 'Game Imersion Correct' label.

I do agree that mages and such do not hardly ever have problems with their spells till they either run into a mob that is couple level higher or has a noticeable amount of resistance that class of spells effects. The first case I listed is the most likely case where one will start seeing the usefulness of the :Improves your chance to hit with spells by X%."