Wrath of the Lich King.. Official Press Release.

[Zlinka]

Hee hee... don't read the WoW forums, they're bad for your brain

[Ronx]

If WoW is digital crack, does that mean the gameplay is the addiction, and the forums are the physical degeneration from abuse?

[Jivundus]

The reason I've started to look forward to War is simply because of the way they've decided to handle the expansions. Release one every year, make anything you did beyond the basic in the last year just a memory, nothing being useful after you spend some time in the new expansion. Farm all over again, farm more, spend more time, ect, ect, ect. I just don't know how I feel about them erasing all raid progress so quickly simply because the top guilds are already done.

[Krell]

Perhaps an expansion without a raise in the level cap, which just had additional Hero classes, perhaps some new content, a new playable race.....stuff like that. Perhaps raising the level cap each expansion would not be wise.

~ Krell

ps: I am actually looking forward to the new expansion. I just keep telling myself this is a game, and if the expansion offers me a few new ways to enjoy it, then I'l be happy.

pss: That said, I am also one of the people who has chatted about WARHAMMER also. I intend to pick it up and give it a whirl. I know for me, I miss the "noobiness" of playing a new game. That feeling of nervousness you have when you're level 1 character walks out into the world and is asked to go kill bunnies.

[Jivundus]

WHY IS THIS RAPID BUNNY EATING MY LEG?!

[Kretol]

I'm really unsure what to think of the expansion coming up.

As has been mentioned, it'll probably be timed around the release of WAR. I know I'm likely going to give WAR a try. Then again, I'm currently looking for any game to try out, however. My time in WoW is... well, not sure if it's coming to a close or not. I've certainly been a sort of rare spawn the past few weeks (which I'm thankful for), but I won't really go into that here and go off-topic. Can check out my past thoughts on my blog at <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://kretol.ironsongtribe.com">http://kretol.ironsongtribe.com</a><!-- m --> (just bear in mind I was in a ranty mood directed at WoW a couple times)

I have to agree regarding putting out new content like this just because of top guilds already chewing through it. I think the WoW devs should really just turn a deaf ear to any whiners about wanting new content already. These hardcore raiders with (seemingly) little or no other lives should have been well aware of their plight - going through it so fast and getting done with it so quickly, there's going to be a lot of time before new stuff is released. But, ah well.

[Guest]

Am I the only person who finds Warhammer as is currently presented to be completely unappealing? >.>

[Guest]

I haven't done a whole lot of looking into Warhammer. I'm currently satisfied with WoW; this is one of the reasons I don't zoom up in levels or push real hard to get into the highest level content possible right away. It keeps an expansion (or original content) "refreshing" enough for me longer than the power-gamers.

[Shillatae]

I'm not especially interested in WAR either, since you asked. : ) And I'm a big fan of GW gaming on the tabletop, to be sure.

Tae

[Kosath]

Warhammer online will be the DAoC to WoW's Everquest, if that makes sense. It will be fresh and new and draw a lot of people away from the reigning giant for a while until many of them begin to trickle back. Some will stick with either game permanently of course, but some <cough*tetsumis*cough> may come to realize that all MMO's run on basically the same model. You end up sticking with the one that has the best combination of fun and friends with the fewest head-aches.

[Jivundus]

Warhammer online will be the DAoC to WoW's Everquest, if that makes sense. It will be fresh and new and draw a lot of people away from the reigning giant for a while until many of them begin to trickle back. Some will stick with either game permanently of course, but some <cough*tetsumis*cough> may come to realize that all MMO's run on basically the same model. You end up sticking with the one that has the best combination of fun and friends with the fewest head-aches.

*Grumble* Your likely right. I fully plan to give it a try, but I do not plan on canceling my WoW Subscription when I do.. If I did infact stay I would, but I have a feeling I wont want to, and I will still buy the expansion.. But I wont be paying for two monthly fees, so one will go..

[Sound]

Which classes?
You will not be transforming or converting one class into a Death Knight, you will instead be able to unlock the class for play. The current thinking behind this design decision is that it is important for players to feel like that they don't have to give up a long term character for the chance to play the new heroic class.

Many people had the perception that what you would be doing was to choose a class to specialize into the hero class that would then be an extension of your current class, but that's not how we're doing it. We felt that if we did that for all of the classes, we would be adding too many classes into the game at once and as a result making continuing efforts toward class balance very difficult.

Yes.. because the hundred and twenty million (8 million members, 15 bucks a month) you pull in each month on -just- WoW subscriptions simply cannot help manage to get something difficult done. *golfclap*

I'm sorry, but I loathe how the Hero classes are being given to us. "Alright Sound, first get to level 80. You're all done? Good. Go do this quest chain. All done? Alright, here's an alt for you to level another thirty levels.. Who cares about the main character you just put two/three plus years of work into, have fun!" By offering us another alt in a way they -are- asking us to give up time on what we already have.

I would of LOVED to somehow see this as an add on to the mains we have now.. Even if it meant spending every single talent at level 80 in the restoration tree for me to become a heroic healer or whatever, It would be a -ton- better than handing out alts IMO. And for someone who is admittedly junk at alts to begin with and rather focused on what they already have, it's even worse. Am I wrong?

I know with the player base that WoW has it would be impossible to please all, however I've heard more than one voice annoyance over this whole idea.. And god helps us if we're loud enough it'll somehow be changed.

/my two cents.

[Guest]

I fully intend on canceling when WAR comes out. I'm not forking out more money to Blizzard to get the exact same thing all over again.

For further information, go to <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.warhammerinfo.com">http://www.warhammerinfo.com</a><!-- w --> . It has spell lists for most of the classes that have been announced thus far (Go go Chaos Magus Aegis of Yellow Flame and Ascendance).

Dark Elf and High Elf classes are going to be announced at a gaming conference in Germany at the end of the month.

[Cloudjumper]

At first I was a little disappointed in that I would have to level to 80, then do a big quest to unlock an ALT slot that can be a Death Knight. I mean seriously why would I want to give up the months/years of play time I have put into my character to play someone new?

Then I thought about it and realized it does make a lot of sense to do it this way. Having many alts myself I am familiar with trying something new, getting bored, and going back to something I know well. And also what happens if I just don't like the new character (aka my poor mage). Now given this what would happen to poor Cloudjumper if I unlocked and became a Death Knight? Sure it might be a lot of fun, but it might also suck and I would want my old Cloud back. So could I go back to being a Druid after being a Death Knight?

I think the ALT concept is the easiest way for them to implement the new Hero classes without it becoming a very complicated mess later on. Ideally yes I would prefer to be able to become a HERO version of a druid, but then really is that any different that just giving me more levels and spells? Also it might give us more options, what if you could be a Human Death Knight, but working for the Horde? Would be interesting if you could cross races with the new Hero classes. Or even currently unplayable races, like a Goblin Engineer, or a Pandarin Brewmaster?

It is a tough decision I am glad I don't have to make to try and satisfy 9 million customers.

The rest of the expansion looks pretty interesting though.

[Krell]

I have to applaud the efforts of Blizzard to try and get out some "newness" in the expansions. Is it perfect in my eyes? No.

But is it an attempt by Blizzard to offer something new and try to satisfy as many players as possible? I think so. Will the expansion satisfy each and every one of the 9 million subscribers? Not a chance.

Personally, I try to look at new content patches and expansions as positive things, which will hopefully change the game in some way. Ultimately, there will be "good" and "bad" things in each new thing they do, because we have gotten used to the way the current game flows.

I know for myself that I have been looking into Warhammer Online. While it looks very interesting and I hope that I can get into the BETA, I don't think that it will be the "perfect" game. Realistically, what is?

I think that at this point it's a bit premature to say the upcoming expansion will be terrible. I am trying to push back any negative thoughts I have right now, and adopt a "wait and see" attitude.

And for all of us that can't wait to jump into Warhammer....what do we think it will be like after 2 years? Will they be adding content patches and expansions that we arent completely satisfied with? If I had to guess, I'd say yes.

Basically, I am in the mood to experience something new. I tried it with Vanguard, and rushed right back into WoW.

I think that Blizzard has put out a fairly decent, very successful product and they are trying to do what they can to not only retain current clients, but add new ones. Let's face it, this is a business for them, and they are in it to make money.

Anyway, this is simply my delusional thoughts on the subject. Beat me with a hose if you like.

~ Krell