Lexicus

This is a post from the community manager on the content release cycle proposed for Classic: At BlizzCon 2018, we proposed a plan to give Classic four content phases. These were planned to be centered primarily on raid power progression. Currently, based on both your feedback and our own deliberations, we’re now planning to increase it to six phases. Our focus is still primarily on player power-progression, but we’re also aiming to capture what it felt like to play in a realm community in original WoW. To do that, we’re planning to mirror the approach taken by original WoW, with patches paired together. We’ll launch Classic with content from original WoW through patch 1.2.x, then the second update will include content that was in original WoW 1.3 and 1.4, the third Classic update will have 1.5 and 1.6 content, and so on. Our first phase primarily focuses on launching Classic with Onyxia and Molten Core, but we’ve decided to hold off on Dire Maul for a while. Maraudon is still in the first phase, because it was originally released on December 18, 2004, just two weeks after the first player hit level 60, but we recognize that Dire Maul is in a different category. Some of the loot that’s attainable from Dire Maul is so good that it would affect progression through those early raids. We’re also planning to hold off on releasing Kazzak and Azuregos at launch as well, for the same reasons. The next change we’re targeting addresses two concerns. First, Zul’Gurub and Blackwing Lair unlocking at the same time would differ from how they originally came out, and it makes sense to not have gear and enchants from Zul’Gurub available during early progress into Blackwing Lair. Secondly, the Emerald Dragons should be available earlier than the opening of Ahn’Qiraj, as they give us a way to start preparing nature resist gear for some of the encounters in AQ. Along the way, we’ve taken a close look at items that provide the biggest power gains, many of which were introduced in 1.10 as part of a sweeping dungeon itemization pass. That patch was when Tier 0.5 gear was introduced, and Relics were added to the drop tables of many bosses. It also adjusted drop rates and drop locations of a lot of gear (to make room for the Relics). We’ve gone back and reconstructed many of the most heavily affected drop tables as they existed prior to the 1.10 patch, and we’re planning to update the drop tables alongside the Ahn’Qiraj War Effort. Prior to the Ahn’Qiraj unlock, most of the drop rates and locations will look as they did in the patches prior to 1.10, with exceptions—there are lots of little changes made in earlier patches that don’t have a big effect on player power, and in those cases, we’re planning to use the 1.12 drop rates and locations. One example of the many items we’re planning for is: Titanic Leggings, which is a world drop that first appeared in 1.10. We can confirm that it will be controlled by the same content unlock that restricts the other 1.10 loot changes. Here’s what the release order currently looks like: Phase 1 (Classic Launch) Molten Core Onyxia Maraudon Phase 2 Dire Maul Azuregos Kazzak Phase 3 Blackwing Lair Darkmoon Faire Darkmoon deck drops begin Phase 4 Zul’Gurub Green Dragons Phase 5 Ahn’Qiraj War Effort begins Ahn’Qiraj raids open when the war effort dictates Dungeon loot reconfiguration: Tier 0.5 Dungeon gear, Relics, drop rates and location changes Phase 6 Naxxramas Scourge Invasion We haven’t yet determined exactly when phases 2-6 will occur, and PvP content is notably missing from the list above. That’s because we’re still evaluating our options regarding PvP rewards, as they also changed over time (both in power and in terms of which PvP reward items were available). Barrens Chat forums have some good resources on it and discussion about WoW Classic found at https://barrens.chat/

Just wondering who here will be playing? For myself going to give it a shot as a horde shaman or warlock.

For anyone interested in a return to Azeroth the following link has details on development: https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/world-of-warcraft/22646759/restoring-history-creating-wow-classic-panel-recap

Thanks, have had a look at some of these and some promising options.

Thanks will look at Legends of Heroes Trails. Many moons ago i played and completed Phantasy Star II on the Mega Drive. Not really played any since. Mallorn will certainly consider those, console gaming maybe something i have to re-quaint with. I just find myself playing retro stuff on PC for the most part. Regarding MMOs, 2016 does not look like a promising year.

I am seriously struggling to find some new games that capture my imagination in 2016. I must have overlooked something in reading some of the mainstream PC gaming websites and MMO sites. Can anyone suggest any new MMOs or single player games that are worth a look for this year? In MMOs I am looking for something that has challenging and interesting PVE content including group and raids, with PVP content to participate in. Not a great fan of persistent world PVP. I like to be able to do it when i feel like it, not having to watch my back all the time. This is the big elephant in the room though, cannot find any MMOs, at the moment that hold my attention. I even contemplated playing WoW again, and I quit that at the end of the Burning Crusade. I just tried SWTOR again and had leveled to 50 by Nar Shaddaa. Content was face rolling easy. Suspect LOTRO would be an utter waste of time, and having read up on the Lore-master changes it does not sound like the class it once was (CC not being in demand any more, I also suspect an auto attacking pet could kill most landscape mobs). In single player games tend to be more RPG or strategy focussed, but I am open to suggestions in other genres. Quite looking forward to: Torment:Tides of Numeria: https://torment.inxile-entertainment.com/ and Warhammer: Total War Am also playing Elite Dangerous atm, together with the europa barbarorum 2 modification for Medieval total war 2.

You make some interesting points, I did play briefly at launch, one thing I did like about it which have not seen in other mmos is quests that actually make you think and are not obvious in solution. I may give it another try, although my limited playtime due to a full time job and nightschool does limit potential playtime.

Congratz, this is a game I wish I had played more at launch.

Much better.

Bye, Bye Eldar. I wont be bothering to install the game to move my Lore-master. Last time i played talent trees did not exist, still dont know what audacity is and essence would just confuse me. For anyone who's interested before they disappear most of the bragging rights to first raid clearances belonged to Eldar and Elendilmir. Eldar - The Mellowship Kinship Elendmir - Preying Mantis Kinship

Boat sailed on a quality game some years ago, the minute a company needs a focus group to tell it how to design a game you know somethings going wrong. May as well set up an innovation committee. i cant imagine this rubbish being done during the better years of the game. Nor it being a discussion point. The fact that this is the main point of discussion on LOTRO at the moment sort of sums up how low the game has sunk. But then who am I to comment, an ex-player who stopped playing in 2010 (when free to play began).

Doros right, I played from launch until 2010 the Rift was a really fun 12 man raid, which remained relativley challenging at level 50. The phat loot from it was also rather good, and you knew which armour piece dropped off of which boss; gems were handed in to vendor for the armour. Helegrod by comparison required 24 people for Thorog, and he could be activated via three items (collected in earlier full runs which did not despawn on leaving the instance), making Helegrod more of a lair raid if you could not be fooked to do the other three bosses. The dragon was challenging but the reward (except Mirdinant) was awful. The Helegrod armour drops were extremely random and most of the Helegord armour sucked badly. There was also a time in the games early history where the Helegrod Armour was actually dropping off of landscape mobs in the normal gameworld.

Laurinaohtar said this about Kickstarter in the Pillars of Eternity thread, and arguably the same could be said about the MassivleyOP Kickstarter fund. Once they have your money what does it matter about giving an objective opinion on an MMO. Rather its probably in there interests to secure paid endorsments from development companies going forward. I expect any article about the LOTRO sunset will offer a very rosy opinion of 10 years of success.