Author Topic: Blizzcon 2007 (Read 618 times)

Choleric · « **on:** July 31, 2007, 02:32:34 PM »

Blizzcon 2007 is taking place this weekend so expect an announcement of a new expansion/content, I'm looking forward to the new info, here's hoping for something substantial before the end of the year. If the rumours on ign.com are true, it sounds very interesting indeed.

There are doubts that the info is correct; but with 9million people now playing Wow, there doesn't seem to be any end to it's popularity, so holding off on a Northrend expansion (and effectively the final boss - Arthas) sounds like a typical Blizazrd move to me. And I have to say it would make sense too.

Splishy · « **Reply #1 on:** July 31, 2007, 03:05:28 PM »

Maelstrom? I call bulls**t. Increasing the level cap with no new talents, only hero classes (which I'm fairly certain that Blizzard had put to bed the last I read)?

I can see why they wouldn't want to go to Northrend as yet, but in all honesty how much more life does the engine have left? Surely they'd prefer to release Northrend and then go on to develop WoW2 (which is the only way I can see them slotting in a new engine to compete with WAR, AoC etc)?

Sorry, I think I'll file this under "internet rumour" for now, but I will be checking the news once Blizzcon starts

rox0r · « **Reply #2 on:** July 31, 2007, 03:37:19 PM »

Never underestimate just how long people will keep paying the tab for something they're ultimately bored of if you dangle a different carrot like a 'new race' or different spells. Blizzard will milk this cashcow to the last drop make no mistake. I estimate there will be at least two more (paid for) expansions for WoW before it bites the dust.

Unless someting comes along that can actually knock seven shades of poop out of it then WoW will doggedly cling onto its junkies....sorry, 'fans', for quite sometime yet.

Choleric · « **Reply #3 on:** July 31, 2007, 03:43:53 PM »

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I can see why they wouldn't want to go to Northrend as yet, but in all honesty how much more life does the engine have left? Surely they'd prefer to release Northrend and then go on to develop WoW2 (which is the only way I can see them slotting in a new engine to compete with WAR, AoC etc)?

Problem with Blizzard is that it's not going to be about what is good for the gamers, but about how long they can stretch out the life of WoW. I have no doubt WoW2 is in the making, but until that comes along they are going to need to try and keep people busy. Northrend would, in my mind, have to be the final expansion. If they release Northrend too early what are they going to expand with?

This of course could be a mere rumour, we'll have to wait and see. Northrend might even come with WoW2...

And as for new game engines, I don't see the graphics being all that important when you already have 9million subscribers, most of whom have whined for months and threatened to leave, yet remain. For a game two years behind it's competition technically, I think it stands up pretty well. We have already seen increased polygon useage in new content and it's not unheard of for a game to have a complete overhaul.

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Increasing the level cap with no new talents, only hero classes (which I'm fairly certain that Blizzard had put to bed the last I read)?

I must admit, I'm dubious about this one.

Anyway, that's enough speculation from me, I'll just see what the weekend brings...

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junkies....sorry, 'fans'

It's addictive, no doubt about it. There is barely anyone playing WoW or who has played WoW who can honestly say that they are not and never have been addicted in some form during their time with the game.

Splishy · « **Reply #4 on:** July 31, 2007, 03:51:50 PM »

To clarify my point about Northrend - my thoughts are that Blizzard would be better off releasing it when they know WoW2.0 is almost ready - once people had played it through they would start looking elsewhere and it's a perfect opportunity to have lots of people to jump ship to your shiny new product. I think if they try to drag 2 more years out of WoW all that's going to happen is it will fizzle out, leaving a potentially much smaller audience for 2.

As for game engine I wasn't just talking about the graphics, but there are numerous glitches in the game engine in it's current state that are becoming more and more obvious - an entire new engine is the only logical way to fix those (in my opinion, anyways)

Daffyd · « **Reply #5 on:** July 31, 2007, 04:53:16 PM »

Quote from: choleric

It's addictive, no doubt about it. There is barely anyone playing WoW or who has played WoW who can honestly say that they are not and never have been addicted in some form during their time with the game.

Define "Addicted", I love MMOGs but will drop WoW in a heartbeat when something else catches my attention (AoC or WAR are the main contenders). It's not the individual game, it's just that the competition mostly sucks balls at the moment (Eve is probably the best of the rest but it's a rather different experience altogether).

Choleric · « **Reply #6 on:** July 31, 2007, 06:51:16 PM »

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To clarify my point about Northrend - my thoughts are that Blizzard would be better off releasing it when they know WoW2.0 is almost ready - once people had played it through they would start looking elsewhere and it's a perfect opportunity to have lots of people to jump ship to your shiny new product. I think if they try to drag 2 more years out of WoW all that's going to happen is it will fizzle out, leaving a potentially much smaller audience for 2.

I'd say that there could very well be a risk of that, although some MMOs retain their loyal fanbase long after the rest of us have moved on.

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As for game engine I wasn't just talking about the graphics, but there are numerous glitches in the game engine in it's current state that are becoming more and more obvious - an entire new engine is the only logical way to fix those (in my opinion, anyways)

My misunderstanding there, and I agree. One thing in particular I'd like to see change is the crap way in which hair vanishes or has large chunks taken out if it when hats are worn. My gnome goes bald at the back when I display hats

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I love MMOGs but will drop WoW in a heartbeat when something else catches my attention (AoC or WAR are the main contenders). It's not the individual game, it's just that the competition mostly sucks balls at the moment (Eve is probably the best of the rest but it's a rather different experience altogether).

Ditto, it's the immersion in the online world that I enjoy. And as you say, there's nothing better right now. The same can probably be said for most of the people who are addicted to the game world, which in fact is addiction to WoW when you think about it. Next year it will be addiction to the AoC or WAR worlds and so on.

Mordwin · « **Reply #7 on:** July 31, 2007, 09:47:25 PM »

It's usually as much about the community as about the game... and about the phats of course!

Still... games may slowly wither, but they don't often die... EQ still exists, I still potter about in AO, even M59 still exists in some form...

And sequels are rarely the same... though there are exceptions... and WoW2 if it's ever made will likely be one of those

Choleric · « **Reply #8 on:** August 03, 2007, 05:45:40 PM »

Well they apparently announced today that the next expansion will be Wrath of the Lich King.

TomTheWizard · « **Reply #9 on:** August 03, 2007, 07:14:35 PM »

Well the new class seems to be a hero class.
Reading up on this is does seem really quite intresting!

Choleric · « **Reply #10 on:** August 03, 2007, 11:53:49 PM »

Some info regarding Death Knights class pulled from IGN:

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As this is the first WoW hero class, rather than starting off as a level one death knight, you'll have to unlock the ability to play as this new class. Once you reach level 80, you'll be able to do a quest chain that will explain your relationship with Arthas and will also enlighten players to the background of the new class, eventually unlocking it. Once it's unlocked, you'll be able to roll up a new character as a death knight, but the starting level will be a lot higher than what we're used to, but the actual starting level has yet to be decided.

As the start level will be substantially higher, you'll have access to a tasty set of skills and abilities unique to the death knight. This creator allows the flexibility to fiddle around with the new class, tweak the various skill trees and see what works best for them. If you decide you don't like it, then you'll have the option to go right back to your main character. This flexibility also adds the ability to add new hero classes in future patches and expansions.

On the equipment front, the death knight will be the only class able to use the new rune system, allowing them to inscribe various runes upon their weapons, which will add new abilities to the death knight arsenal. The runes themselves will have three different types: blood, frost and holy, which the players can carve into their weapons anytime outside of combat in order to be consumed by the new abilites. The runes will be shown on a rune bar which will be displayed underneath your character's health bar and any combination of rune types can be used.

The rune combinations will use a mix and match system that can be customized to suit the players unique combat style. The trial and error used in this system is actually encouraged by Blizzard, so players can get the most out of the new system and have some fun in the process. The runes themselves are on a cooldown system that can be modified by various talents and attributes earned throughout the game: one talent may allow you to refresh your blood runes a bit faster, while another may act as an instant refresh for holy type runes - that sort of thing. The various spells can cost more than one rune at a given time, allowing more powerful spells to be unlocked and cast upon your foes - the more runes and combinations you use, the more powerful and divers your spells will be.

Thank goodness you will have to work to unlock the ability to play the class from a high level instead of having millions of low level death knights running about the place, which as pointed out in Kara earlier, would have been untrue to the lore as well as very annoying. So good news for people who want to make the effort, bad news for players with lots of alts. The Inscriptions profession is clearer now too:

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To compliment all of these new bits of gear and new zones comes the new inscription profession. This profession is sounding like it will change bring a new depth to the already deep game, as it will allow you to alter spells to have extra abilities, similar to what jewelcrafting did with weapons. This will allow players to potentially their skills and spells alter along the lines of having a fireball with a knockback and stun ability, which could assist in the their characters becoming that much more unique.

Leodred · « **Reply #11 on:** August 04, 2007, 10:35:10 AM »

Mwhahaha Death Knight here I come!

Alandor · « **Reply #12 on:** August 04, 2007, 05:04:43 PM »

OMG so it's true after all http://www.wow-europe.com/wrath/ might get me playing alandor again now the level caps upped to 80 i can un-nerf him think i'll wait for it's release before reactivating the account though.

Daemonetta · « **Reply #13 on:** August 04, 2007, 05:22:14 PM »

Quote from: Alandor

OMG so it's true after all http://www.wow-europe.com/wrath/ might get me playing alandor again now the level caps upped to 80 i can un-nerf him think i'll wait for it's release before reactivating the account though.

Siege warfare! If they implement that properly it could bring a whole new freshness and tactics to the game...

Daffyd · « **Reply #14 on:** August 05, 2007, 05:28:50 PM »

Allegedly Naxx is moving to Northrend and being redone for level 80. Blizzard still think it's the best instance they've ever created and it was totally wasted so they're recycling it

Phred · « **Reply #15 on:** August 05, 2007, 06:13:22 PM »

really??

Choleric · « **Reply #16 on:** August 05, 2007, 06:41:26 PM »

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Allegedly Naxx is moving to Northrend and being redone for level 80. Blizzard still think it's the best instance they've ever created and it was totally wasted so they're recycling it

That would be fantastic if it's true. It also makes sense in terms of the lore, since Kel'Thuzad is affiliated with Arthas. Pretty lucky the instance flies though eh?

TomTheWizard · « **Reply #17 on:** August 05, 2007, 06:51:37 PM »

May want to read this, from gamespot.

And it's said that the Death-Knight is a dps/tanking class that can tank with a 2h or duel wielding XD , and spells are a mix of casting and melee.

EDIT: Something about Dalaran as the new major city up there XD, some lore with it. And new 1-60 stuff

Choleric · « **Reply #18 on:** August 05, 2007, 08:11:10 PM »

Yeah Dalaran moves in the Lore as I recall, and is the new neutral city in the expansion.

Hopefully the new CoT instance will be something we can all do and not another Hyjal.

Alandor · « **Reply #19 on:** August 05, 2007, 08:40:24 PM »

Good stuff, think i'd work my ass off to get the Death Knight Hero Class unlocked. looks totally awesome!

News:

Author Topic: Blizzcon 2007 (Read 618 times)

Alandor

Alandor