We have the same people, more or less, running the 25 mans like Gruul and TK. We haven't done The Eye in a week due to having bad timing problems with Gruul. Ground slams that bunch about 8 people together or silences. We can kill Gruul, it's just taking a bit more time for some strange reason now.

The Eye is fun though, especially after we learned that we could reflect the Sentinels and the Devistators Overcharge with Shield Reflect back onto them. We skip Al'dar to go to Void Reaver, in which we got him to 80% on our first serious sets of attempts.

Eh, I figured Serpentshrine would be "next" after Karazhan/Gruul simply because 3 pieces of T5 drop in there opposed to 2 pieces dropping in TK.

T6 warrior looks sick though. <3 Atlas loot.

Was this pre-2.1? You might want to try again, then. They made raiding a LOT easier to maintain... something along the lines of about 500G a week (which is easy to farm). They also lifted a lot of the attunements too.

Anyway, my warrior's 61 now. I'm having trouble tanking Vazruden the Herald, though. No Fire Resistance set sucks. :(

Vazruden is still a bitch and depending on the group make-up and heals being thrown can make or break it. I actually hate to see what it's going to be like on Heroic. Which sadly I don't think I've done a successful heroic run yet. :( What would be a good starter heroic instance for someone who has decent gear? (4 Kara epics, with one being a cloak, and the rest quest blues)

My guild has ... killed everything. But not without some pretty intense effort. When you're the ones learning the new content, it's a lot harder than just following a strat.

The name is confirmed, I think. I figured the content would either be Northrend or Maelstrom. Wonder what the raid size to kill Arthas is going to be. :| I enjoy raiding with the 24 other people I do raid with, I really don't want that to change. (There's no fighting for spots and I can raid when I want without "punishment")

Anyways, Blizzcon people will have access to "new content" from now until August 4th (after Blizzcon ends) so... who knows. I can only imagine the insane loot and hopefully the non-raid instances in Northrend.

FAQ for World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King

What are the features of the new expansion?

Wrath of the Lich King builds on the rich foundation established in World of Warcraft and The Burning Crusade, providing a wealth of new content for players to explore. The harsh, forbidding continent of Northrend, home of the Lich King and his undead minions, will be uncovered on the world map, and 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.

In addition, Wrath of the Lich King will introduce the death knight hero class to World of Warcraft. Once certain criteria are met, players will be able to create a new death knight character, which will start at a high level. Furthermore, player-vs.-player battles will reach a new level of intensity with the addition of siege weapons and destructible buildings, not to mention a new battleground. There will also be an abundance of new quests, dungeons, monsters, items, and recipes -- as well as a new profession, inscription -- for players to try out. The expansion will include some additional character-customization options for players as well. We'll be going into more detail on all of these features in the months ahead.

How will the death knight class fit into the game?

The death knight combines martial prowess with dark, necromantic energies. Players might be familiar with the death knight from previously released Warcraft games -- most recently, in the campaigns for Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and the Frozen Throne expansion, the former paladin Arthas became a death knight and wreaked havoc across Azeroth and Northrend before fusing with the spirit of Ner'zhul to become the Lich King. The death knight is the first hero class in World of Warcraft; once certain criteria are met, players will unlock the ability to create a new death knight character, which will begin play at a high experience level. We're currently exploring various options for how the death knight will play and the types of abilities at its disposal, and we'll be revealing more information about this new class as we get further along in development.

Will the death knight have any abilities from previously released Warcraft games?

The way we portrayed death knights in past Warcraft games is certainly a source of inspiration, but we are still determining how best to capture that feel within the mechanics of World of Warcraft, and haven't made any final determinations on specific abilities.

What role will the death knight play in groups and raids?

In general terms, the death knight can be considered a type of class that combines damage dealing and tanking, but naturally it will have an array of unique abilities as well.

What races will be allowed to play death knights?

We haven't yet made a final determination about which races can be death knights. However, the class will be available to both the Alliance and the Horde.

Will there be additional hero classes in the future?

Yes, we do intend to add more hero classes in the future, but right now our focus is on the current expansion.

What is the story background of the expansion?

Players last visited Northrend in the Warcraft III expansion, when 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 broods atop the Frozen Throne, deep in Icecrown Citadel, clutching the rune blade Frostmourne and marshaling the undead armies of the Scourge. In Wrath of the Lich King, the greatest champions of the Alliance and the Horde will do battle with the Scourge amid Northrend's howling winds and fields of jagged ice, and ultimately face the Lich King himself.

Will players actually get to encounter Arthas himself?

Players will be skirmishing with the minions of Arthas from the moment they set foot on Northrend. He will be a constant presence as players progress through the expansion content -- which will culminate in a showdown with the dread Lich King himself.

Can you discuss some of the new talents and abilities that will be available from level 70 to level 80?

As with character advancement up to level 70, players will gain access to an array of potent and exciting new abilities and talents as they make their way from level 70 to level 80. However, it's still too early to get into specifics on these.

How long will it take to advance from level 70 to level 80?

We were pleased with the pacing from level 60 to level 70 in The Burning Crusade, and we intend to take a similar approach to pacing character advancement in Wrath of the Lich King. However, the specific amount of time that it will take players to reach level 80 will vary widely based on play style.

What can you reveal about Northrend?

The first area of Northrend we're showcasing is the Howling Fjord, a region of grasslands overlooking massive cliffs at the southeastern edge of the continent. This, along with the Borean Tundra, is the front line of the war against Arthas, and players will come face to face with his minions as soon as they set foot on Northrend. Eventually, as players progress further, they will explore the Grizzly Hills, Dragonblight, and more. We'll be showing off some of these new areas in the months ahead.

What's the level requirement to enter Northrend?

Players of any level who have purchased the expansion can visit Northrend. However, all of the content is designed for players level 68 and up.

How many new dungeons will be in the expansion?

The first dungeon players will enter is Utgarde Keep, which is intended for five players around level 70. Utgarde is inhabited by the Vrykul, a Viking-like race bent on proving their strength to the Lich King, who will raise the most worthy of their warriors to serve him beyond the grave. We intend to provide a variety of dungeons comparable to that in The Burning Crusade and will be revealing more details about some of these in the months ahead.

Do you plan to continue with the 25-player model for raids?

Yes, we've been pleased with the tactics, intensity, and variety of the 25-player raid model, and plan to continue with it.

In what ways will players be able to further customize their characters in the expansion?

In addition to the numerous new character-customization options that will be available with all of the new weapons and armor added by the expansion, we'll be offering some fun ways to alter both existing and new characters with regard to dances and hairstyles, but we're not ready to go into more detail just yet.

What can you reveal about the new profession coming with the expansion?

Inscription allows the player to permanently enhance their spells and abilities and to create mysterious items of power to use, trade, and sell.

What can players expect with regard to player-vs.-player combat in the expansion?

Players will be able to take control of siege weapons and use them to destroy opposing buildings, adding a new layer of complexity to PvP battles. Naturally, we'll be providing some fun places to put these new tools to good use, and we'll be revealing more information about them in the months ahead, in addition to the new battleground content being added.

Can you give a sneak peek at the new recipes and items in the expansion?

There will be hundreds of new recipes and thousands of new items available, but we're not ready to discuss specific examples just yet.

How many zones will be in the expansion?

Northrend will be roughly equivalent to Outland in terms of size and scope.

Will there be any new cinematic scenes?

Yes, our cinematics department is hard at work preparing a new intro movie for the expansion.

Release/Availability

Do you need to own the expansion to play with friends who have it?

There will be many aspects of the expansion that will be available to all players. However, in order to experience certain content, such as Northrend, or be able to play as a death knight, players must purchase the expansion.

Will there be an open beta test of the expansion?

We have not yet determined whether the expansion will require an open beta test. If we do decide to conduct a beta test, details will be posted on the official World of Warcraft website once we've gotten further along in the development process.

When will the expansion be released? How much will it cost?

We have not yet announced a release date for the expansion set. However, we expect to announce further details, including the release date and price, on our community website in the months ahead. Please stay tuned to [link] for more information.

Will there be a collector's edition?

We have not yet made any determination about whether there will be a collector's edition of Wrath of the Lich King. We'll be announcing details such as this closer to release.

Will a Mac version be available simultaneously with the PC version?

Yes. As with all of our games, Wrath of the Lich King will be compatible with and optimized for both the Windows and Macintosh platforms.

What are the system requirements?

We'll continue to ensure that the game is playable on a wide range of hardware. However, we have not made a final determination on the system requirements as yet.

Will the expansion be released globally at the same time?

We recognize that players throughout the world will be eager to experience all of the new content being added with Wrath of the Lich King, and we will make every effort to release the expansion simultaneously worldwide. However, there's always the possibility that unforeseen circumstances could delay the launch in any given region. We'll share the launch timing with players in each region as soon as the plans have been finalized.

What is the ESRB rating for the expansion?

The expansion has not yet been rated by the ESRB. However, we anticipate that it will receive the same rating that the original World of Warcraft received -- "Teen.

Of course all this is subject to being fully confirmed by Blizzard and if this is indeed fake, it's a damn good one.

After reading some of the best faked patch notes ever, I wouldn't be surprised if this is fake. Especially considering how they mention the siege weapons in PvP and stuff, which was originally scheduled to have been in the game a long time ago, and then kinda faded away. Same thing with the hero class, though originally I think it was where your existing character could choose to specialize in a certain hero type of class, this talks of creating an entire new character.

Either way, I think it's at least a given that this is taking place in Northrend, which I'm glad about as the Scourge and their plague has always been of more interest to me than the Burning Legion.

If thats real, I'm extremely excited. The one thing I figured is they try to go with the Emerald Dream for the next expansion (with all the portals around Azeroth and what not). I was really hoping to explore Northrend and of course, kill that little, whiny douchebag Arthas. That would actually make me more of a major raider to just be able to knock him down. Though, whats next, time to down Sargeras?

I mean really, we're supposed to down someone as powerful as the Lich King. = /

Anyway, I can only hope those expansion notes are, for the most part, real. I'd hope they add one or two new classes or something to that affect, something other than Death Knight, but whatever. Still gives me a reason to enjoy the game for more of a time.

Well, considering most of the threads that get posted on the forums regarding these notes are getting deleted hard and fast as soon as they're found by CMs, there's no telling.

Of course, according to Wowwiki, the Wrath of the Lich King has been registered by Blizzard (as well as Frostmourne~) I wonder if Frostmourne will be Legendary or our first Artifact in the game.

Also, there has already been substansial "crying" over the Death Knight class (provided it's true, of course) that Warriors should not be able to tank and cast shadow-type spells. (Some speculating as far as saying that it's probably like a Shadow Priest, but with Paladins) As for me, if the Hero classes are indeed true, I for sure wouldn't mind having a Death Knight, considering those are more or less my favorite type of characters to roll when I play D&D.

http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/...6d8400f42g.jpg

http://pcmedia.ign.com/pc/image/arti...902458-000.jpg

Wewt?

also:

http://www.wowwiki.com/images/6/66/Wotlk-logo.jpg

Zul'Amman confirmed as a 10 man raid instance.

Death Knight confirmed as Heroic Class.

http://www.wow-europe.com/wrath/index.xml Woooooo~

Is a release date confirmed?

If it's out by the end of the year I'mma be pissed. :(

No release date yet, which is typical of Blizzard (and most game companies nowadays actually). Pretty much everything word for word from that FAQ that dagget posted is up on the WotLK site.

The panel that took Q&As was decent. Tigole said that Stuff like T6 and I'm guessing possibly T7 (he didn't mention it by name, but said that there was another instance after Black Temple/Hyjal that will be out before the expansion they couldn't talk about so...yeah, maybe a 7th set of teired gear... but there's no huge gear gap.. naaaaah) will be good until 78-80. But yeah, we'll be out-gearing with greens again in Northrend.

Death Knights available to all classes. (Fucking Death Knight female gnome ftw~)

and more 5-10 and 25 man instances. Since they seem to be very pleased with the way the 25 mans are done, doesn't look like 40 mans are making a return. Also more dungeons in Azeroth, with a possibility of another Caverns of Time instance.

IGN has some videos of gameplay for download. I can't remember the site that had the Panel interview though. :|

Special Snow mounts in Northrend oh and Dalaran opens up to be a Capital city that flies in the air (lol Vane) and will a neutral city, like Shattarath.

If what that FAQ said is true, are death knights rerolled characters, or do you permanently convert an existing character to a death knight? Because if you have to "unlock" a death knight by doing something on your current level 80 character, they may limit the races you can make into a death knight. Humans/Dwarves/Draenei and Orc/Undead/Blood Elf are my guesses for allowed races.

From what I've read and understood, as soon as you finish the requirements, it's unlocked on the character creation screen (but will be at like level 60 or 70 to start off) and all races can be one. You'd roll it like you would a new character. The Q&A transcript I saw too said that when Tigole was asked about if they were going to raise the number of character per server to allow people to roll a Death Knight, he said "no" which was met with a everyone booing in unison in which he was like "point taken..."

Also, they don't need to use shields as they can tank with 2h weapons (Runeaxes and Runeswords) have a unique second bar which is 6 runes (inplace of mana/rage/energy) and can dual-wield. They even mentioned more Hero Classes to be added, but they're not adding them all at once.

I'm hoping they'll open the battleground in Azshara's forlorn ridge...Azshara crater or whatever its called.

I read in some magazine interview that they were going to open up Grim Batol sooner than later. I hope that will be in this expansion. Or perhaps Uldum since they mentioned the creation of the dwarves on the exp site.

It will be interesting to see if the requirements for the death knight to become available to players will need to be fulfilled through raiding only, or if there will be options available to players of both sides. My cynical side, says that it'll be only available to raiders of the top raiding instance that gets released with the expansion, which will probably be killing or obtaining something from Arthas in order to complete what will probably amount to a long quest chain of consumables before it's finally unlocked.

My positive side is hoping that there will be options for raiders and non-raiders, or basically a PvE path (raiders) and possibly a PvP path (non-raiders). It seems like Blizz learned with TBC how to somewhat better balance their content between both game types in at least allowing players to progress one way or another no matter which path they decided to choose. Time will of course tell.

I *think* it was said that it didn't require any hardcore raiding to acquire, but then again, Tigole said before release of TBC that he wanted everyone to experience the content of Black Temple and... Yeah, we saw how well that worked out. He wants everyone to be able to go to Icecrown Citadel as well because "We don't want to spend thousands of dollars on content that goes unseen by so many people." Yeeeeaaa....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2hH-S3dPKA

Panel discussion and presentation. (1 of 6) Theo ther 5 are on Youtube as well.

Well, at least there's some comfort. There was a Q&A asked about the old content and they said they were looking into making it accessible to the people who didn't get a chance to see it. Also Naxx might come back into play for this expansion... so... I dunno. :|

http://www.wowinsider.com/2007/08/04...l-at-blizzcon/

Raid Q&A panel.

Also, you guys need to watch this stream of Starcraft Finals. these games are nuts.

Ha, good ol Tigole.....Mr. I-don't-see-a-problem-with-healer-shortages.......suuuuure you don't because that's "working as intended" right? :mad:

Yeah, I don't like Tigole much. Kalgan on the other hand isn't nearly as bad most of the time. Somewhat off topic, but I hope Warhammer brings some real competition to WoW because sometimes it feels like the developers are getting a little lazy with bugs that still exist in the game since release, and "looking into" various class issues with no follow up, among other things. Still WotLK sounds very nice so far, and Blizz did a pretty good job with TBC in trying to level the playing field so you didn't have to become that guy in South Park just to progress your character.

Oh arenas are getting "fixed" alright. They're basically bringing the honor system back again, with you MUST have a +1900 (or 2100) rating to be eligble to get Season 3 weapons. You can imagine the amount of QQ that has went on.

Oh and today while I was watching a streaming video of some WoW panel (I think it was PVP, not sure) I think I actually saw what QQing looked like...

My bad, the above was the PVP panel, this is the Raid panel: http://www.wowinsider.com/2007/08/03...d-raids-panel/