1.6 Leaked Patch Notes

[MongoJerry]

assuming your source is correct, i'm impressed that they can tackle this, but can't tackle inter-city auction houses...

--fractaled

Actually, as I understand it, it's much easier, since the battlegrounds for different realms were hosted by the same machines anyway. The auction house thing is a little different in that the auction houses are right now hosted by the machine hosting that particular city on that particular realm. It's still stupid that they haven't implemented linked auction houses after all this time, but I can see the added complexity involved in that project and why perhaps it was considered a lower priority item given the complexity involved.

[Quark]

7. You won't get stuck playing the same guild constantly, a guild (like Ravage or Blood of the Horde on our server) that's decked out in purples, epic mounts, and just farms the BGs for points.

Sure, you'll get other guilds that do it, but at least it's not the same group constantly pounding your head into the ground.

[lemekim]

7. You won't get stuck playing the same guild constantly, a guild (like Ravage or Blood of the Horde on our server) that's decked out in purples, epic mounts, and just farms the BGs for points.

Sure, you'll get other guilds that do it, but at least it's not the same group constantly pounding your head into the ground.
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In other words, you will probably still get pounded, but it will be in refreshingly different ways B)

[Gurnsey]

In other words, you will probably still get pounded, but it will be in refreshingly different ways  B)
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Well, since CTF seems massively more popular than Alterac...

If cross-server BG's opened up enough participation, how about registered teams and rankings and a ladder/tournaments and....lots of stuff :) Ya never know.

Since CTF is so much fun, what other smaller-scale PvP game modes would be fun? Taking a cue from FPS's, how about Elimination (round-based one-life pvp, played over a certain number of rounds, with repawns between rounds), Base Assault (on a much smaller scale in both participants and time than Alterac, no NPC's), Capture-and-Hold (kind of like the 'tickets' system in Battlefield), probably more but I can't think of good ones at the moment.

Also, different environments would be a blast - mesa-tops a la Thousand Needles with many bridges as bottlenecks, deep jungle-cover like parts of Stranglethorn or the Barrens Oasis', underground lava-caves and mines like Searing Gorge, etc.

I still hope that they change the level ranges for Warsong and future BG's to 0-9 instead of 1-10 (especially for the critical 39-40 and 59-60 gaps).

[MongoJerry]

By the way, I want to clarify that this doesn't mean that this change will happen in the next patch, and no, I don't know when the next patch will be coming out.

[Quark]

In other words, you will probably still get pounded, but it will be in refreshingly different ways  B)
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Well, my other pipe dream for BGs - CTF in particular - was that it would put you in more appropriate groups based on wins/losses/etc or something to the same effect. Thus, people who are in a pickup with an array of different player skills wouldn't get stuck versus an organized group, all on TS, all with purples and epic mounts. That, though, is completely dependent upon the success of this first part.

[fractaled]

Actually, as I understand it, it's much easier, since the battlegrounds for different realms were hosted by the same machines anyway.  The auction house thing is a little different in that the auction houses are right now hosted by the machine hosting that particular city on that particular realm.
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that doesn't explain why TB or stormwind don't have AHs... people seem to complain about lag in ironforge enough to warrant it... it probably doesn't matter as much for SW, but if TB had an AH, it would have been nice...

but yeah, linked battlegrounds has a lot more functional impact than linked AHs...

[lemekim]

that doesn't explain why TB or stormwind don't have AHs... people seem to complain about lag in ironforge enough to warrant it... it probably doesn't matter as much for SW, but if TB had an AH, it would have been nice...
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Actually that's how it was in Beta. All 3 major cities for each side had an Auction House. But that system had a major flaw. With 3 Auction Houses available, there is no easy way to check all 3 at the same time, thus people would usually check the one that is easiest to get to and one that is used as their Hearthstone location. While initially the difference between various cities might not be large, the sellers will usually want to place their good at the Auction House that gets the most views. Thus this auction house now had more items than others, which attracted more buyers because of wider selection and more sellers because of higher number of buyers. This continued, until one Auction House dominated others, and the other 2 pretty much were empty. Because they were pretty much unused, the rest of the Auction Houses got removed.

Well, actually the remaining Auction Houses were also moved (Undercity and Stormwind were both most popular Auction Houses because of their locations) to the now known locations in Ironforge and Orgrimmar, in effort to reduce lag. Of course, since most of the lag actually came from tremendous amount of people and not location, the lag moved to new locations as well.

[MongoJerry]

Well, actually the remaining Auction Houses were also moved (Undercity and Stormwind were both most popular Auction Houses because of their locations) to the now known locations in Ironforge and Orgrimmar, in effort to reduce lag. Of course, since most of the lag actually came from tremendous amount of people and not location, the lag moved to new locations as well.

Well, it did reduce lag somewhat, because the locations of the Ironforge and Orgrimmar AH's are in areas that are more free of non-player objects than the AH locations in Stormwind and Undercity. But, of course, when you have that many players confined to such a small area, you're going to get lag anyway. Thank God, they disabled dueling in those areas, too. The real way to reduce the lag would be to have linked auction houses. I, for one, would definitely set Undercity as my home if that happened and leave Orgrimmar for good.

[lemekim]

Well, it did reduce lag somewhat, because the locations of the Ironforge and Orgrimmar AH's are in areas that are more free of non-player objects than the AH locations in Stormwind and Undercity.  But, of course, when you have that many players confined to such a small area, you're going to get lag anyway.  Thank God, they disabled dueling in those areas, too.  The real way to reduce the lag would be to have linked auction houses.  I, for one, would definitely set Undercity as my home if that happened and leave Orgrimmar for good.
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Which is why I said "most" lag =)

But yes, I can see quite a few people setting their hearthstone in less populated cities just to reduce lag, if the Auction Houses were linked and thus available in any city. I myself would probably set my Hearthstone in UC as well.

[Wogan]

According to Fangtooth in 1.6:
"Honor system reward item's rank requirement will now be based on a characters highest lifetime rank rather than the character's current rank."

Also Blizzard have finally posted these notes on their forums, I haven't checked for any differences though.

[Darian]

According to Fangtooth in 1.6:
"Honor system reward item's rank requirement will now be based on a characters highest lifetime rank rather than the character's current rank."
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Okay, I'm off to get myself to Grand Marshal. I'll be back leading raids once I'm finished. :P

[oldmandennis]

Also Blizzard have finally posted these notes on their forums, I haven't checked for any differences though.
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Look the same to me, but I didn't use diff or anything.

[MongoJerry]

According to Fangtooth in 1.6:
"Honor system reward item's rank requirement will now be based on a characters highest lifetime rank rather than the character's current rank."

A coppout to public pressure. PvP rewards ought to be special and unique. A High Warlord or a Grand Marshal should have to fight to keep the priveledge of using their special items and abilities. They shouldn't be able to retire once they have their rank and enjoy all of its priveledges for eternity.

[Skandranon]

A coppout to public pressure.  PvP rewards ought to be special and unique.  A High Warlord or a Grand Marshal should have to fight to keep the priveledge of using their special items and abilities.  They shouldn't be able to retire once they have their rank and enjoy all of its priveledges for eternity.
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I agree. I would have preferred the solution of not allowing demotions beyond Sergeant Major instead, or something like that.

[Mirajj]

A coppout to public pressure.  PvP rewards ought to be special and unique.  A High Warlord or a Grand Marshal should have to fight to keep the priveledge of using their special items and abilities.  They shouldn't be able to retire once they have their rank and enjoy all of its priveledges for eternity.
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What about a compromise then. You retain your highest rank for a set time. Say a month. Maybe two? Or perhaps your next account renewal. Though I have to agree, I don't think it should be a 'lifetime' thing. But I can see it lasting a bit longer than the sole week one is likely to be the 'big cheese'.

[oldmandennis]

What about a compromise then. You retain your highest rank for a set time. Say a month. Maybe two? Or perhaps your next account renewal. Though I have to agree, I don't think it should be a 'lifetime' thing. But I can see it lasting a bit longer than the sole week one is likely to be the 'big cheese'.
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Or a minimum rank that is different then the rank to acquire, 3-4 ranks down?

[TaiDaishar]

A coppout to public pressure.  PvP rewards ought to be special and unique.  A High Warlord or a Grand Marshal should have to fight to keep the priveledge of using their special items and abilities.  They shouldn't be able to retire once they have their rank and enjoy all of its priveledges for eternity.
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I myself quite like the change, makes it a whole lot more realistic for people to strive for it.

[Drasca]

I myself quite like the change, makes it a whole lot more realistic for people to strive for it.
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Agreed here. Not as if there everyone's going to have the epic items. Consider the rate of rank gain vs turnover rate of players either. Its not as if thousands of people are gaining high warlord / grand marshal everyday. There's maybe a dozen at the upper echelons of rank, and its an uphill battle just to get there.

In reality, it makes pvp rewards more viable to the casual player. Keep what you earn.