Patch 3.0 Incoming!

While blizzard has been hinting at it for some time the good news was finally formalized in a short post by Eyonix this morning…patch 3.0 is on the way! Just like with the patch immediately prior to The Burning Crusade this patch is intended to prep the game and servers with new content  for the expansion. Here’s a short list of some of what you can expect to see when this patch goes live.

• New Class Spells, Talents, and Abilities including level 51 talents.
• Stormwind Harbor
• Barbershops and Salons so you can get a hair cut! (screenshots of new hair cut styles)
• 2 New Arenas (more on wotlk arena changes)
• Guild Calender
• Hunter Pet Revamp (complete list of hunter pet changes)
• Inscription (101 inscription guide)

All in all it’s a lot more than I expected there to be. I’m very excited to try out all the new 51 point talents as well as inscription. I expect this list to grow in the coming days as we learn more about the details in this patch, but it already is looking great!

ZugGaming.com LF1M, You!

When I launched ZugGaming.com July of 2007 I wasn’t sure what to expect. All I knew was I loved playing WoW and needed a place to just vent. I didn’t know much about building web sites, writing well versed strategy articles or the general workings of what all goes into maintaining a blog.

Since those humble beginnings over a year ago the site has really exploded. ZugGaming.com now serves close to 4,000 unique visitors daily and is approaching the top 100,000 ranked global sites.

Currently nearly all of the strategy articles and new content for the site written by myself, along with some help from Shadowscythe and a few others along the way who have contributed their own strategy articles. I would love nothing more than to write 5-6 different strategy articles and guides all day long, but obligations of school and work take up large portions of my time each day.

For this reason, and my unyielding desire to see ZugGaming become the best World of Warcraft strategy site on the web, I am looking for additional authors and contributors to assist me with producing the daily posts and strategies on ZugGaming.com

Now a lot of players are the under the impression that they aren’t qualified to write about WoW for a website.Well, this just isn’t true. Quite frankly, you don’t have to play arena at 2400 rating or clear Sunwell in 2 nights. There is a wide ranging spectrum of skill sets and expertises across this game that you could contribute strategies on.

I need writers who can…

• Post about WoW news, including patch notes, upcoming expansions, blue posts, etc.
• Write arena strategy articles, this includes all 2v2, 3v3, and 5v5 comps. You don’t have to be 2400 rating, so long as you understand the comps you are discussing through experience and reasoning you’ll be great! Write about all comps or just the one’s you feel more comfortable with.
• Contribute PvE / Raiding Guides, these include virtually all realms of PvE and instanced raiding. 5, 10, and 25 mans are all needed. This is one area I’m really out of loop in, as I haven’t raided anything beyond 10 mans since Pre-BC. All instances for BC and WOTLK are needed.
• Humor Aritlces, are you always up on the viral WoW videos, songs, pictures or other humorous media? This is a great place for you to share those stories with the world! (lol@ World of wifecraft)
• Other Guides, reputation farming, professions leveling, user interface, making videos…the only limit here is your imagination. If you think you’ve got a resource or guide that can help other players this will be a perfect fit for you!
• Many many more!

If you just love to write then this is your chance to be heard. Thousands of gamers from all across the globe read ZugGaming on a daily basis and they are waiting for you!

It’s my greatest dream to see ZugGaming continue to grow and thrive as the expasnion prepares to come out, and I don’t want to see it held down due to my avaialbe time to write.

So if you think you’re ready to step up to the plate and help ZugGaming propel itself to bigger than better things just drop me a note on my contact form or send an email to support (at) zuggaming (dot) com

One final note, and I probably don’t say this enough, but I just want to say thanks for all the great support I’ve received over the past 13 months from all my readers. More than once I’ve thought about just giving up on this site, but just knowing my contributions here can help other players break through and improve their game makes it all worth it.

WotLK Inscription and Enchanting Update

Professional inscription makers and enchanters rejoice!

For quite some time now Blizzard has been telling us their working on a way for enchanters to sell their craft on the auction house. And it looks like that will finally happen in the expansion. While we don’t know a whole lot about what inscription actually will be like in the expansion here is what we do know on it’s relationship with enchanting.

• Inscriptionists will be able to save an enchant to a piece of blank parchment
• This parchment can then be sold on the auction house
• Another player purchases this and then applies it to their armor or weapons, just like the leather working and tailoring leg armors

It’s so simple I’m really surprised they haven’t implemented something like this until now. I love to see improvements like this to professions and the economy as a whole. There is so much the devs could do improve the in-game economy with just minor tweaks to professions and this is certainly a step in the right direction.

World of Warcraft’s #1 Competition

There aren’t many games on the market currently that even come close to competing with World of Warcraft. However, it looks like WoW’s number one competitor might have finally developed their game play enough to start putting a dent into the MMO giant that is World of Warcraft.

Wrath of the Lich King Beta

Well, it’s official Wrath of the Lich King beta is officially started! Well, rather it’s officially time to sign up. Blizzard recently announced the launch of the closed beta as well as the sign up forms. It’s the most simplistic opt-in form I think I’ve ever seen an MMO do.

Simply head over to the front page of WorldofWarcraft.com or take this link directly to your account login screen, Beta Opt-in. Log into your account, accept the beta terms of service and you’re done! As for the criteria to get in…well, that will be a bit tricky.

Blizzard changes some of the requirements between betas and such, but without question Blizzard will require all potential beta applications…

1. be an active subscriber
2. you have been a subscribing player for at least 6 months
3. no known connections to media outlets or websites (like this one! hopefully blizzard doesn’t find me out!)
4. minimal suspensions / black marks against your account for violation of the terms of service

As far as all the real fine-tooth details go, I think anyone’s guess is as good as mine. Either way, there is sure to be tons upon tons of applications, and a very select number chosen for this first phase of closed beta.

However, if you don’t get in don’t worry! Blizzard will increase the number of beta participants as the game progresses into new phases. Up to the point they will hold the open beta and everyone can get a chance to try it out!

Season 4 / Patch 2.4.2 Information (Compiled)

With patch 2.4.2 well on its way we’ve finally started to see some real substance start to come off the PTR. Earlier today a load of new arena and honor items hit the test server, which leads me to believe it might be a little sooner than we all though. Stay tuned for continual updates.

New Items
Season 4 Arena Weapons
Season 4 Arena Armor
Season 4 Honor Items
Note: All arena point prices will remain the same

Patch Information
Season 4 Rating Requirements for arena and honor armor

Additional Information
Season 4 Start Date?
Currently, Blizzard has not released any start date for the season. All they have said is “we’ll give you a 2 week notice”. My personal estimation would be early to mid June.

What happens to old items and prices?
What season 4 begins the following happens:

Season 1 honor set: Removed

Season 2 arena set: Moved to honor, no rating requirement

Season 3 non-set honor items: Staying
Season 3 arena set: Arena rating and cost requirements lowered

Season 4 non-set honor items: Added with rating requirement
Season 4 arena set: Added to Arena with increased rating requirement

Why are these new rating requirements in place?
Official Blue response…

The non-set items are there to fill out the arena sets, they’re essentially placed there specifically so that arena players have a reason to participate in other aspects of the game. We want to see their faces around, we don’t want them just standing on top of the battlemasters all day.

So, with them being arena items intended to fill out the current top-end arena set, and our increase to rating requirements all around, it’s actually very logical.

Season 4 Arena Weapons

Below is a list of all the new weapon items that will be available when season 4 begins. However, you should note that though these items will be included in patch 2.4.2, season 4 will not begin until sometime after the patch has been released.

Looking for more season 4 items?
Season 4 Honor Items
Season 4 Arena Armor

Weapons, Shields, Librams, Etc.
Ranged Weapons
Brutal Gladiator’s Longbow
Brutal Gladiator’s Heavy Crossbow
Brutal Gladiator’s Rifle
Brutal Gladiator’s War Edge
Brutal Gladiator’s Baton of Light
Brutal Gladiator’s Piercing Touch
Brutal Gladiator’s Touch of Defeat

One-handed Weapons
Brutal Gladiator’s blade of Alacrity New!
Brutal Gladiator’s Mutilator
Brutal Gladiator’s Shanker
Brutal Gladiator’s Shiv
Brutal Gladiator’s Spellblade
Brutal Gladiator’s Left Render
Brutal Gladiator’s Left Ripper
Brutal Gladiator’s Right Ripper
Brutal Gladiator’s Chopper
Brutal Gladiator’s Cleaver
Brutal Gladiator’s Hacker
Brutal Gladiator’s Waraxe
Brutal Gladiator’s Bonecracker
Brutal Gladiator’s Pummeler
Brutal Gladiator’s Gavel
Brutal Gladiator’s Salvation
Brutal Gladiator’s Swift Judgment New!
Brutal Gladiator’s Quickblade
Brutal Gladiator’s Slicer

Two-handed Weapons
Brutal Gladiator’s Painsaw
Brutal Gladiator’s Battle Staff
Brutal Gladiator’s Staff
Brutal Gladiator’s War Staff
Brutal Gladiator’s Decapitator
Brutal Gladiator’s Bonegrinder
Brutal Gladiator’s Greatsword

Shields
Brutal Gladiator’s Barrier
Brutal Gladiator’s Redoubt
Brutal Gladiator’s Shield Wall

Idols, Librams, and Totems
Brutal Gladiator’s Idol of Resolve
Brutal Gladiator’s Idol of Steadfastness
Brutal Gladiator’s Idol of Tenacity
Brutal Gladiator’s Libram of Fortitude
Brutal Gladiator’s Libram of Justice
Brutal Gladiator’s Libram of Vengeance
Brutal Gladiator’s Totem of Indomitability
Brutal Gladiator’s Totem of Survival
Brutal Gladiator’s Totem of the Third Wind

Off-hands
Brutal Gladiator’s Endgame
Brutal Gladiator’s Grimoire
Brutal Gladiator’s Reprieve

PvE Boss Strategy and Etiquette

Hey guys i would like to talk about Etiquette and knowing what to do in PVE…especially Karazhan.

1. Research Bosses and Encounters
There nothing more annoying then someone who’s knew to a particular instance such as Karazhan going and doing everything wrong. Now i can use one such example as “Shade of Aran”, he has a variety of ability’s that can turn an awesome fight into a bloodbath.

Researching bosses is vital in pve, not knowing what to do when example Shade of Aran uses Flame Wreath or Arcane explosion can cause your group to fail miserably and leave them with a nasty repair bill. Make sure you know what to do… also if the leader is talking to you and telling you what to do talk back; there is nothing more annoying then telling someone a whole 5 minutes of information when they just run out and die again. This leads me to the point of feedback, when a leader tells you that this boss does this recap what he says e.g. “Shade of Aran will use Flame Wreath when this happens DON’T MOVE”… respond to this by saying “Ok i wont move when he uses Flame Wreath”, it just makes the leaders life easier knowing that you know what to do.

2. Loot Etiquette
There isn’t anything more frustrating then doing a 3 hour raid and then someone out rolling you on a piece of gear, with this comes etiquette. If a player that has green bracer’s rolls on a epic bracer’s and you do to but your bracer’s are far better then him “Pass” if you win the roll and let him take them, they are a far bigger upgrade to him then to you, not only will this earn you respect with that fellow player but it will also maximize your raids efficiency.
“Main set before off set” this is a neat little rule to describe before you enter the heart of an instance, it saves time and trouble over certain loots. Only if that peice of gear is better then yours and you need them the most, and it is for your main set then yes, you can have a fair chance on rolling for that epic, but it is really annoying to fellow players that a “Enhance shammy” gets those awesome healing legs off “X” boss when there is a “Resto Shammy” that needs them. If there is no one in the raid that needs them for their main set then its anyones chance to grab an offset piece, but please if you are rolling for that certain offpiece be sure that you will actually use it in future.
“Cloth,Leather,Mail,Plate” all of these different types of amour are made for different classes, if a epic leather piece of gear drops it should be automatically made that first priority is given to Druids and Rogues, if no one can use that or no one in the leather class needs them, then the next priority should be Shamans and Hunters and so on up to warriors and pallies.
“Congratulations” a simple “Congratz” or “Gratz” can be quite effective by earning another players respect, using this phrase after someone in your party/raid receives a piece of loot is a nice way of saying “good on you”. Also if you are out rolled by someone on a certain peice of gear that you both need don’t rage and start shouting about how you’ve been trying to get that for “X” amount of time, simply say “Gratz” and move on, there is many more chances in later instances/raids that you will get that piece.

3. The Blame Game
No one likes being blamed wrongly, or even blamed at all for an incident that has happened, it shows your bad side if you instantly start blaming someone for that certain “pull” or “wipe”. If you see that someone has accidentally pulled an “extra mob” or died during a “boss encounter” do not scream at them about how they “Epic Fail”, simply show your kind side and offer them tips for next time on what to do to minimize the risk of it happening again.
If you know you caused your party/raid to wipe own up, don’t stand there like a stunned mullet and keep defending that it wasn’t you and it was someone else, simply say “Sorry that was my fault for that then” or “It was my fault it won’t happen again”, many times this will work and instead of being kicked from the party for having a big argument on who’s fault it was they will recognize that you owned up for it and they will try again. This has worked many times during my “Oops i pulled Curator, omg aggro radius” times or my “What??? I pulled threat off tank”, just generally being nice in raids will help you achieve more and have more fun, it will also speed up the time your party/raid completes the instance/raid.

4. The End
When a party/raid has finished, dont just leave vent and quit party, say “Thankyou for the Run” and then leave once you have said your goodbyes. In many other cases you might want to talk to the raid leader and organise a second party/raid or organise for the next weeks party/raid, this is an easy way to make friends and have guaranteed spots for party’s/raids.

Hopefully this guide has helped you a bit with common everyday WoW play.

Strategy courtesy of Electrocow