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n patch 4.1: Rise of the Zandalari, the devastation wrought by the Cataclysm drives the troll tribes of Zul’Aman and Zul’Gurub into a renewed frenzy that threatens to escalate into outright war.
To learn more about this troll onslaught, the Blizzard Insider recently sat down with World of Warcraft Lead Encounter Designer Scott Mercer. Read on to get the behind-the-scenes details of the upcoming content patch, which will bring back the legendary raid dungeons of Zul’Aman and Zul’Gurub as 5-player Heroic instances.
Were there any specific challenges in taking a 10 or 20-player raid instance and revamping it for 5 players?
Scott Mercer: Knowing that there will only be five players at an encounter introduces some constraints that aren’t there for larger raid encounters. For example, you can’t use tank switching mechanics when you know that most 5-player groups are only going to have one tank. In the same vein, events that require a lot of crowd control aren’t going to work either; there just aren’t as many players available for crowd control as you would have in a 20-player raid. We also had to be careful to limit encounter mechanics that could potentially disrupt or lock down the healer. These kinds of mechanics tend to be much more devastating in 5-player groups, mostly because there are no other healers available to pick up the slack. Of course, I’m not saying players aren’t going to see any disruptive mechanics at all, I’m just saying we had to use them much more carefully than we would with larger raid encounters.
f you’ve always wanted design games but never knew where to start, the StarCraft II map editor may be your perfect entry point.
To get you familiar with the tools found in the map editor, the StarCraft II development team recently published the Maps and Mods tutorial which offers a quick overview of the map editor’s functionality. Give it a read and learn how to break into StarCraft II’s robust and rapidly-growing mod community.
he female demon hunter made her crossbow-slinging debut at BlizzCon 2010, but her male counterpart has remained hidden and veiled in shadow… until now!
Head over to the Diablo III website to check out the elusive and enigmatic male demon hunter, the newest version of the game’s fifth and final character class.
oin us in celebrating the 20-year anniversary of Blizzard Entertainment, a company that begin in 1991 with three recent college graduates and the dream of starting an epic game company. To mark the occasion, the Blizzard 20-Year Anniversary mini-site has been updated with a unique documentary on the founding of Blizzard Entertainment. Check out the latest footage and stay tuned for more updates throughout the year.
rade Prince Gallywix originally wanted to charge you 40,000 gold to read his newly released short story “Secrets of a Trade Prince,” but we talked him down to 20,000.
Written by Gavin Jurgens-Fyhrie, “Secrets of a Trade Prince” serves as the third installment of the Leaders of Azeroth series and provides amusing insight into the goblin’s opportunistic mindset and ruthless business cunning. Read on, and prepare to be schooled in the art of capitalism.
ather your teammates and duke it out against other players in the Arena to win attractive prizes in the upcoming 2011 World of Warcraft Arena Pass. This gladiatorial contest is the proving ground for the most courageous 3v3 Arena combatants, and the call to arms is nigh.
All competitors who sign up for this premium service can earn a special armoured murloc in-game pet. For those who enjoy a tougher challenge, why not fight for the prestigious Vanquisher title and let all Azeroth know you and your teammates rank among the best.
Competition for the top spots will be stiff, so make sure you take full advantage of the practice period to prepare and master your strategies before the fighting heats up.
Keep your eyes on our World of Warcraft site, as more information about the 2011 World of Warcraft Arena Pass will be posted there soon.
Exclusive New Gamer Gear
Fresh from the crew at J!NX comes the latest World of Warcraft and StarCraft II gaming apparel. Check out the 2011 spring line chock full of epic T-shirts – including new Horde and Alliance crest designs! J!NX also has great deals for travelers in the Koprulu sector so stop by and beat the zerg rush!
World of Warcraft Sheet Music
Play the music of World of Warcraft, with no mana required. Alfred Music Publishing is now offering official books of sheet music from the soundtrack of World of Warcraft. Carefully edited for the level 2-3 musician, the pages include music that evokes the richness of Azeroth.
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