Nethaera dropped a bombshell on the raiding community of WoW today, announcing some major changes to the way that raid lockouts and progression will work in Cataclysm. No longer will 10- and 25-man raids have separate lockouts, and no longer will they have different loot tables. The end goal is to make the content equally difficult in both modes to balance this out.
In order to reward players for successfully coordinating 25 players, bosses on 25 man mode will drop more loot per person than in 10-man mode, including gear, badges, and gold. Heroic modes will work similarly to the current Icecrown Citadel mechanic of toggling on a per-boss basis.
The developers would also like to shorten individual raids while keeping the overall amount of raid content the same. To that end, the first tiers of raiding in Cataclysm will feature multiple shorter raids instead of one long raid. They are also planning on tuning the first tiers of raids to players in quest and dungeon rewards, but hope not to trivialize heroic dungeons.
We are bound to hear some arguments both for and against these broad changes from now until well after Cataclysm is released, especially with many questions left unanswered. My main concern? What about the achievements?!
It’s been a long, 20-day grind. But after killing dinos, stealing feathers, stabbing bugs and gathering eggs, it finally is time to trade in my Venomhide hatchling for a full-fledged, rideable Ravasaur mount. Join me as I gather together all my missing quest items and journey back to Un Goro Crater one last time to finally experience the glory of the Venomhide Ravasaur.
If you like MMOGs and have a clear writing voice that you’d like to show to the world, you may be just what we’re looking for.
Lore Hound is seeking new writers to add to our core blog crew as we grow the site. If you play at least one MMOG, either casually or hard core, have an opinion to express, and can form a cohesive and coherent paragraph, we invite you to apply. Our requirements are as follows:
You should be an active player of at least one MMOG.
Schedules will be flexible, but you should be willing to commit to a set number of regular posts.
You must be fluent in English.
Prior published writing experience is a plus, but not required.
You must be at least 16 years of age.
Having an interest in learning about additional games as possible writing topics is a big plus.
The application process is simple. Simply submit the following:
A synopsis of your gaming history, especially with MMOGs, including what games you’re currently playing.
Two sample blog posts covering the kind of topics that you would like to write about for Lore Hound. Base your word count on other posts you’ve seen on the site and the length that you think you need to appropriately explain your topic or make your argument. Longer isn’t always better.
Any other information that you think would be helpful, such as prior writing experience or your resume.
Send all this to write@lorehound.com. We will contact candidates soon, but may not be able to respond to all inquiries.
As we are a brand new site and still building an audience, this will be an unpaid position. However, we do try to reward our writers with perks such as gaming loot, paid accounts to games that they cover and access to limited beta tests.
Good luck, and have fun!
Updated 1/30/11
We currently are on the lookout especially for candidates interested in writing about Guild Wars 2 and/or RIFT.
I got a bit sidetracked recently with my Zhevra mount and, of course, the Celestial Steed that’s been the talk of the town as of late. But I finally got back on track with my Venomhide Ravasaur questing, and only have one final daily quest left before I earn my last Venomhide baby tooth.
But what is this about Raptors and feathers? Does my hatchling want to learn how to fly!? Maybe not… Tune in for this feathery episode of For the Hoard to find out.
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Check out this week’s episode of our WoWcast! This week we’re chatting about the rest of the Cataclysm Class Previews, more Heroic Lich King kills, and of course the new Celestial Steed available from the Blizzard Store.
Also, we want to get you listeners involved! E-mail us at podcast@lorehound.com or leave us a voicemail using the button below or simply call us at (304) 884-LORE. We look forward to hearing from you guys.
And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter for a chance to win a Celestial Steed mount!
I did it. I took the plunge. Whether you agree with the politics of it or not, the Celestial Steed Mount is here to stay. And being the mount hoarder that I am, I had to have it.
This brand new mount that Blizzard introduced in its store Thursday (along with the adorable, albeit loud L’il XT) scales with your riding proficiency, and is both a ground and flying mount, scaling up to 310 percent speed — if you have a mount that goes that fast already, that is. Plus, it’s a sparkly Pegasus. I couldn’t pass this up! But is it worth the $25 pricetag? Join me as I buy this new mount and take it for a test drive, and judge for yourself.
AND make sure to watch to the end of the video for a sneak-peek into Lore Hound’s next contest. With a video on the Celestial Steed mount, just what kind of in-game loot could we possibly be giving away as a contest prize!? And how do you enter?! We’ll make a post with the full details soon. But until then, watch to the end of the episode for info on how to win!
It’s been a long, nearly eight months since we first learned that Mount Hyjal would become a playable zone back at BlizzCon 2009, and now we’re finally starting to hear some of the juicy details. Today, Blizzard released a new informational page on the zone detailing some of the zone’s lore, areas within the level 78-82 phased zone, and a teaser on Firelands, an “all-new level-85 raid dungeon” in the zone.
Here’s the basics:
For years, Mount Hyjal and the wounded World Tree, Nordrassil, have remained cut off from the rest of Azeroth. Sealed away within a protective field of dense foliage by Malfurion Stormrage, Nordrassil has been slowly recovering from the devastation of the Third War, when Malfurion called upon the tree’s power to destroy the archdemon Archimonde and repel the forces of the Burning Legion and Scourge. Now, with the impending cataclysm, the World Tree’s well-being is threatened once more. From the Firelands within the Elemental Plane, Ragnaros and his minions prepare to burst into Hyjal and set Nordrassil ablaze — and the conflagration would endanger all life on Azeroth.
In World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, players will have the opportunity to explore the newly reopened Mount Hyjal as Azeroth’s heroes, with the help of Ysera, Malfurion Stormrage and Hamuul Runetotem, are called upon to push back the armies of the Firelord, banish Ragnaros to the Elemental Plane and lay waste to the twilight dragon stronghold in nearby Darkwhisper Gorge. This all-new level 78-82 zone will feature multiple quest hubs, phased terrain and quest lines, portals to micro-zones within the Firelands, an all-new raid dungeon, and much more.
Read on for the full details, a brief analysis and another screenshot.
Earlier this week, we heard the unexpected news that a sensational X-53, dual-passenger Touring Rocket that scales up to 310 percent speed is soon to become the new reward for recruiting a friend to play WoW. The only downside – this means the retirement of the Swift Zhevra mount that until now has been the reward.
But not so fast! We just got word that you may still have time to get your own Zhevra, if you haven’t yet. Blizz Blue poster Nethaera just gave some of us reason to celebrate.
While we had originally announced the new Recruit-A-Friend X-53 Touring Rocket reward would be coming in just a few short days, it turns out there are still a few bolts to tighten, some loose wires to tuck inconspicuously under the upholstery, and a handful of parts leftover that we’re going to ponder and then assume we can safely throw away. As a result, we’ll be releasing this beauty a bit later than we’d first anticipated. This will also give anyone interested in the current Zhevra mount reward some extra time to claim one. While we don’t have an exact release date nailed down yet, we’ll make an announcement once the new mount becomes available.
Unfortunately, this also means that we’ll have to wait a bit longer to see the X-53 in action. But it’s not a bad idea for those of us who want it as soon as it comes out to go ahead and start the Recruit-a-Friend process so when it does come out, you’ll be ready.
And now in tribute, a special short episode of For the Hoard in honor of the Zhevra mount, one of my faves now and always.
How many of you were lucky enough to get your own Zhevra? Those of you who haven’t, will you still try? And who’s already planning for that X-53?
Nethaera dropped a bombshell on the raiding community of WoW today, announcing some major changes to the way that raid lockouts and progression will work in Cataclysm. No longer will 10- and 25-man raids have separate lockouts, and no longer will they have different loot tables. The end goal is to make the content equally difficult in both modes to balance this out.
