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Wrath of the Lich King: Alpha leak compendium; title music suite, abilities, pictures
- Thread starter Alex
- Start date
That intro track is absolutely fantastic!
My account ran out the other day, but I'm tempted to renew just to have a shot at getting into the beta. I just hope WotLK has the atmosphere of 'vanilla' WoW and not Burning Crusade. I have my Alliance Paladin and my Troll Hunter waiting until whenever it's released now
Tempted to get my warrior to 70 too, but Outland is so boring...
Also, as much as I hate Blood Elves, they really suited the Death Knight armour in those shots.
My account ran out the other day, but I'm tempted to renew just to have a shot at getting into the beta. I just hope WotLK has the atmosphere of 'vanilla' WoW and not Burning Crusade. I have my Alliance Paladin and my Troll Hunter waiting until whenever it's released now
Tempted to get my warrior to 70 too, but Outland is so boring...
Also, as much as I hate Blood Elves, they really suited the Death Knight armour in those shots.
bitterazngurl
Member
burgerdog said:Why wait to get a bear until then when you could get a better one now? I only play wow for about 1 hour every 3 days now(which is to do za bear runs for friends) so I'm not sure if I want the expansion to hit soon :l Breaking free is awesome!
What is this? Golden Compass?
I still have my own theories about their lore take on the mount restrictions. But I still think the discontinuation of the ZA bear mount is kind of lame. Why can't there be room for two different types of bear mounts?
edwardslane
Member
Sweet, tagged for future reference
I want to see some Hunter talents!
I want to see some Hunter talents!
They throw out tons of ideas for talents. Usually 90% of them don't make final build.
I am loving the fact everyone getting all kinds of ideas thrown into their class. But when you get to shaman and pallies blizz has 1 thing goin for them. Gotta throw QQ somewhere.
That said:
* Netherwind Presence - Gives your Arcane Missiles, Arcane Barrage, Arcane Blast, Fireball, Frostbolt and Frostfire Bolt spells a 1/2/3/4/5% chance to cause the next Arcane Blast, Fireball, Frostbolt or Frostfire Bolt to be instant.
There making them old tier2 set bonus a talent?
And WOO MIND ROT IS BACK YEA BABY.
The priest talents in general look pretty damn hot. More % modfiers for shadow, scary.
Oh well, hopefully closed beta invites will flow soon. So I can see how god awful and unfinished it is for myself. XD
I am loving the fact everyone getting all kinds of ideas thrown into their class. But when you get to shaman and pallies blizz has 1 thing goin for them. Gotta throw QQ somewhere.
That said:
* Netherwind Presence - Gives your Arcane Missiles, Arcane Barrage, Arcane Blast, Fireball, Frostbolt and Frostfire Bolt spells a 1/2/3/4/5% chance to cause the next Arcane Blast, Fireball, Frostbolt or Frostfire Bolt to be instant.
There making them old tier2 set bonus a talent?
And WOO MIND ROT IS BACK YEA BABY.
The priest talents in general look pretty damn hot. More % modfiers for shadow, scary.
Oh well, hopefully closed beta invites will flow soon. So I can see how god awful and unfinished it is for myself. XD
Excellent! I'll be all over this. I'm glad my Lock is getting some awesome abilities! I WILL roll an Undead/BE Deathknight as even their starting kit looks bad ass and their abilities are really intriguing.
Now, about my Rogue. Hopefully they bring back daggers. They need a spec where daggers specificially ignore more armor, and perhaps ambush/backstab causes severe bleed effects... Or give them an ability "Through the Heart" - You instantly plunge your blade through your opponents heart, killing them in one blow, they're then prompted to the WoW forums to QQ about you being OP. :lol
The music's not bad, hopefully it's an improvement across the boards.
Now, about my Rogue. Hopefully they bring back daggers. They need a spec where daggers specificially ignore more armor, and perhaps ambush/backstab causes severe bleed effects... Or give them an ability "Through the Heart" - You instantly plunge your blade through your opponents heart, killing them in one blow, they're then prompted to the WoW forums to QQ about you being OP. :lol
The music's not bad, hopefully it's an improvement across the boards.
bitterazngurl
Member
Halycon said:
Hahahahaa. Makes perfect sense. Laziness = win.
I have a 70 Demonology Warlock so the Demon Form talent is EXACTLY what I wanted.
Most bosses it is near impossible to keep your Felguard alive. But with the Ferocious Inspiration clone parties might actually want him out instead.
Also, turning the tier 5 2 piece set bonus into a talent was a nice touch.
Now, I have some hopes for my 70 Beast Mastery Hunter but I'll keep them in check because Blizzard hates Hunters.
Most bosses it is near impossible to keep your Felguard alive. But with the Ferocious Inspiration clone parties might actually want him out instead.
Also, turning the tier 5 2 piece set bonus into a talent was a nice touch.
Now, I have some hopes for my 70 Beast Mastery Hunter but I'll keep them in check because Blizzard hates Hunters.
Alex
Member
Some stuff got added directly from Blizzard:
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/wrath/features/deathknight/gameplay.xml
he fearsome death knight, World of Warcrafts first Hero class, is not your average adventurer seeking to prove his or her worth on Azeroths fields of battle. No longer servants of the Lich King, they begin their new calling as experienced, formidable adversaries, heavily armed and armored and possessing an arsenal of deadly and forbidden magic learned in the Lich Kings thrall. Here is an introduction, subject to change, of some of the death knights core gameplay mechanics and abilities:
Unlocking and Creating the Death Knight
Simply have a character of at least level 55 on the World of Warcraft account you play, and you 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 your existing character). Upon entering the world, your neophyte death knight will undertake a series of quests designed to teach you your new abilities. You will be able to create one death knight per realm, per account.
Class Roles
* Tank: The plate-wearing death knight is a capable tank for small groups as well as raids. His or her damage output while tanking will be respectable.
* DPS: The death knight can also spec and gear for a melee DPS role, which will draw upon many debilitating disease effects as well as direct damage and instant attacks.
Talent Trees
Death knight talent trees are complemented by Presences -- self-only auras that benefit the death knight. Selecting the matching Presence for each tree augments the class abilities for that school of magic.
* Blood: Talents in this tree focus on damage-dealing abilities. Blood Presence increases damage output by a percentage.
* Frost: Talents in this tree focus on tanking abilities. Frost Presence increases threat and lowers damage taken by a percentage.
* Unholy: Talents in this tree have a variety of functions including summons, diseases, and PvP-focused abilities. Unholy Presence increases attack speed and reduces the global cooldown on death knight abilities.
The Rune System
The resource mechanics for death knights are runes and runic power. A skilled death knight makes efficient, timely use of runes and runic power to maximize his or her damage-dealing or tanking abilities.
* Runes: Every death knight ability requires runes, which come in three varieties: blood, frost, and unholy. Depending on the ability, it may require runes of a single type or a combination of types. When a rune is used, it has a cooldown period before it can be used again. Death knights can customize which array of six runes to have available at a given time, which can aid their ability to perform certain roles. For example, a tanking death knight may wish to load his or her rune array with more Frost runes.
* Runic Power: As rune abilities are used, the death knight also generates another resource called runic power. The death knight will have certain abilities that consume all available runic power, with varying levels of effectiveness based on total runic power spent. Similar to a warriors rage, runic power decays over time if not spent.
Summoned Creatures
Creating minions from the ranks of the unliving is a core ability of the death knight.
* Raise Dead: The death knight can raise a ghoul companion from the corpses of fallen creatures, as well as those of both friendly and enemy players. If cast on a friendly player, that player will have the opportunity to actually play as the ghoul, controlling its movements and actions.
* Army of the Dead: This channeled spell raises a group of undead followers who will attack the death knights enemies but only exist very briefly before disintegrating.
* Summon Deathcharger: Every death knight can summon the level-40 version of a deathcharger land mount. At higher levels, they can complete a quest to learn the epic version.
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/wrath/features/deathknight/gameplay.xml
he fearsome death knight, World of Warcrafts first Hero class, is not your average adventurer seeking to prove his or her worth on Azeroths fields of battle. No longer servants of the Lich King, they begin their new calling as experienced, formidable adversaries, heavily armed and armored and possessing an arsenal of deadly and forbidden magic learned in the Lich Kings thrall. Here is an introduction, subject to change, of some of the death knights core gameplay mechanics and abilities:
Unlocking and Creating the Death Knight
Simply have a character of at least level 55 on the World of Warcraft account you play, and you 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 your existing character). Upon entering the world, your neophyte death knight will undertake a series of quests designed to teach you your new abilities. You will be able to create one death knight per realm, per account.
Class Roles
* Tank: The plate-wearing death knight is a capable tank for small groups as well as raids. His or her damage output while tanking will be respectable.
* DPS: The death knight can also spec and gear for a melee DPS role, which will draw upon many debilitating disease effects as well as direct damage and instant attacks.
Talent Trees
Death knight talent trees are complemented by Presences -- self-only auras that benefit the death knight. Selecting the matching Presence for each tree augments the class abilities for that school of magic.
* Blood: Talents in this tree focus on damage-dealing abilities. Blood Presence increases damage output by a percentage.
* Frost: Talents in this tree focus on tanking abilities. Frost Presence increases threat and lowers damage taken by a percentage.
* Unholy: Talents in this tree have a variety of functions including summons, diseases, and PvP-focused abilities. Unholy Presence increases attack speed and reduces the global cooldown on death knight abilities.
The Rune System
The resource mechanics for death knights are runes and runic power. A skilled death knight makes efficient, timely use of runes and runic power to maximize his or her damage-dealing or tanking abilities.
* Runes: Every death knight ability requires runes, which come in three varieties: blood, frost, and unholy. Depending on the ability, it may require runes of a single type or a combination of types. When a rune is used, it has a cooldown period before it can be used again. Death knights can customize which array of six runes to have available at a given time, which can aid their ability to perform certain roles. For example, a tanking death knight may wish to load his or her rune array with more Frost runes.
* Runic Power: As rune abilities are used, the death knight also generates another resource called runic power. The death knight will have certain abilities that consume all available runic power, with varying levels of effectiveness based on total runic power spent. Similar to a warriors rage, runic power decays over time if not spent.
Summoned Creatures
Creating minions from the ranks of the unliving is a core ability of the death knight.
* Raise Dead: The death knight can raise a ghoul companion from the corpses of fallen creatures, as well as those of both friendly and enemy players. If cast on a friendly player, that player will have the opportunity to actually play as the ghoul, controlling its movements and actions.
* Army of the Dead: This channeled spell raises a group of undead followers who will attack the death knights enemies but only exist very briefly before disintegrating.
* Summon Deathcharger: Every death knight can summon the level-40 version of a deathcharger land mount. At higher levels, they can complete a quest to learn the epic version.
Alex
Member
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/wrath/features/gameplay/index.xml
Paradigm Shift: Dungeons and Raids in Wrath of the Lich King
Heroic dungeons were one of the most popular innovations of the previous expansion, so its no surprise Heroic mode will return in Wrath of the Lich King. Just as in The Burning Crusade, every five-person dungeon will have a Heroic variant that will present players with an added challenge and improved rewards.
One exciting new feature in Wrath of the Lich King is that all raid content will be available as either a 10- or 25-person dungeon with completely independent progression paths. Both the 10- and 25-person versions will be the same dungeon; the look, layout, and design of the dungeon will remain the same. However, each will be adjusted, tuned, and balanced for its respective player size.
In Wrath of the Lich King, players can expect both 10- and 25-person raid progression paths to get increasingly difficult as they adventure to their final battle with Arthas. This new gameplay mechanic will allow more players to enjoy the raid content of Wrath of the Lich King in their preferred play style. Because it takes more effort to get 25 people together than it does for 10, players who participate in the 25-person raid progression path will receive higher quality and more loot than those who play the 10-person versions.
In addition, players will never be required to attune in a 10-person raid to progress to a 25-person raid in the progression path. Raid lockouts are same-size as well, so joining a 25-person raid for a dungeon will not lock a player out from the 10-person version of the same dungeon. This freedom of choice between raid-progression paths will let personal preference play a much bigger role in how players experience the raid content of Wrath of the Lich King.
New Quest Mechanics
The quest designers are hard at work to make sure that the road to level 80 will be paved with quests unlike anything youve ever seen before. The Burning Crusade innovated with bombing runs and daily quests, and Wrath of the Lich King will continue this trend with still more unique and varied adventures to undertake.
Just one example of the new mechanics you can expect from the expansion is the new vehicle-based content, which puts an interesting spin on some of the concepts originally developed for PvP siege gameplay. Certain types of vehicles and mounts can now carry passengers, making it possible for players to, for example, break a prisoner out of a tightly guarded compound by attempting a daring escape on horseback. While the NPC steers the horse, the player lobs explosives at a pack of pursuing worgen. In another quest, the roles are reversed as the player takes to the skies in a flying machine to track down and rescue survivors of a catastrophic event. Even beyond the ability for vehicles to hold passengers, Wrath of the Lich King introduces an aerial combat system that will add a new dimension to gameplay.
Paradigm Shift: Dungeons and Raids in Wrath of the Lich King
Heroic dungeons were one of the most popular innovations of the previous expansion, so its no surprise Heroic mode will return in Wrath of the Lich King. Just as in The Burning Crusade, every five-person dungeon will have a Heroic variant that will present players with an added challenge and improved rewards.
One exciting new feature in Wrath of the Lich King is that all raid content will be available as either a 10- or 25-person dungeon with completely independent progression paths. Both the 10- and 25-person versions will be the same dungeon; the look, layout, and design of the dungeon will remain the same. However, each will be adjusted, tuned, and balanced for its respective player size.
In Wrath of the Lich King, players can expect both 10- and 25-person raid progression paths to get increasingly difficult as they adventure to their final battle with Arthas. This new gameplay mechanic will allow more players to enjoy the raid content of Wrath of the Lich King in their preferred play style. Because it takes more effort to get 25 people together than it does for 10, players who participate in the 25-person raid progression path will receive higher quality and more loot than those who play the 10-person versions.
In addition, players will never be required to attune in a 10-person raid to progress to a 25-person raid in the progression path. Raid lockouts are same-size as well, so joining a 25-person raid for a dungeon will not lock a player out from the 10-person version of the same dungeon. This freedom of choice between raid-progression paths will let personal preference play a much bigger role in how players experience the raid content of Wrath of the Lich King.
New Quest Mechanics
The quest designers are hard at work to make sure that the road to level 80 will be paved with quests unlike anything youve ever seen before. The Burning Crusade innovated with bombing runs and daily quests, and Wrath of the Lich King will continue this trend with still more unique and varied adventures to undertake.
Just one example of the new mechanics you can expect from the expansion is the new vehicle-based content, which puts an interesting spin on some of the concepts originally developed for PvP siege gameplay. Certain types of vehicles and mounts can now carry passengers, making it possible for players to, for example, break a prisoner out of a tightly guarded compound by attempting a daring escape on horseback. While the NPC steers the horse, the player lobs explosives at a pack of pursuing worgen. In another quest, the roles are reversed as the player takes to the skies in a flying machine to track down and rescue survivors of a catastrophic event. Even beyond the ability for vehicles to hold passengers, Wrath of the Lich King introduces an aerial combat system that will add a new dimension to gameplay.
For those of you wondering how Blizzard can enforce an NDA against websites, here's how:
http://www.wcradio.com/news_archive.php?news_id=664
We will not be discussing or posting leaked information from the Wrath of the Lich King Friends and Family alpha. We, along with other major fansites received an email from Blizzard's PR department yesterday, which stated that those interested in attending Blizzcon in a press capacity, would be required to do their part by prohibiting NDA'd information on their websites.
I'm a little shocked at how quickly independent fan sites have decided to become Blizzard's lapdogs on this one. At best they'll get to go to Blizzcon for free, but it's not like they were ever going to get exclusive interviews or media anyway. You might as well say "Fuck it", and publish the leaked information so that you'll have a way to compete with the large media outlets that will have to comply with Blizzard edicts.
http://www.wcradio.com/news_archive.php?news_id=664
We will not be discussing or posting leaked information from the Wrath of the Lich King Friends and Family alpha. We, along with other major fansites received an email from Blizzard's PR department yesterday, which stated that those interested in attending Blizzcon in a press capacity, would be required to do their part by prohibiting NDA'd information on their websites.
I'm a little shocked at how quickly independent fan sites have decided to become Blizzard's lapdogs on this one. At best they'll get to go to Blizzcon for free, but it's not like they were ever going to get exclusive interviews or media anyway. You might as well say "Fuck it", and publish the leaked information so that you'll have a way to compete with the large media outlets that will have to comply with Blizzard edicts.
ToyMachine228
Member
Pretty sure Wrath of the Lich King will draw me back in, and I'll definitely be playing a Death Knight (Maybe leveling my Shaman on the side later), but I'm pretty sure it will also be my last hurrah with WoW. To me, Arthas, the Lich King and all of this story is the pinnacle of WarCraft lore, and there may be some cool stuff to come later, but to me, WotLK will be the pinnacle. And I can't wait to play my Death Knight
TurtleSnatcher
Member
Textures were upgraded or a bit of the graphics. Everything looks great. I am so hyped.
KyanMehwulfe
Member
Still so classic.ManaByte said:
I haven't seen that since we found out we'd be farming Zuljin.
Blizzard has killed me memories of Warcraft II...
I fail to see how that one new Pally talent is any good. No reason a holy pally would use it, Ret shouldn't need it either unless a healer grabs aggro which would be not bloody likely, and prot. pally's are beast's at keeping aggro with AoE tanking, so again blizzard...WTF at that talent!?
Oh and Blood Elf DK's look pretty damn awesome. Will for sure roll a few different ones.
Oh and Blood Elf DK's look pretty damn awesome. Will for sure roll a few different ones.